Chapter 249: Searching for Monsters Above the Sea
“Now then… what should I do?”
As Rest floated in the sky, he pondered his next move. Below him stretched the vast blue sea, the intermittent sound of waves crashing resonating in the air, while seabirds soared overhead. The weather was pleasant, but the chill of the season was already setting in. A cold breeze brushed against Rest’s body, and without the magical barrier he had conjured to shield himself, he would have surely frozen.
“It’s only natural, but… the sea is vast. Searching for a single monster from up here seems like a hassle…”
Even though the monsters were enormous, the ocean was even more expansive. He had been using the Life Search spell for over two hours, yet he had yet to detect any significant presence.
(If they’re lurking at the seabed, there’s a chance that the Life Search won’t even reach them…)
Rest felt as if he were in a nature documentary he had seen in his previous life, where they chased after whales to capture footage. However, he was alone in this search, which made the task all the more laborious.
(If only they could spout water like whales, it would be easier to spot them… But I wonder, do these monsters breathe air or use gills?)
Marine mammals like whales, orcas, and dolphins would surface for air, but if the creature was a fish that breathed through gills, it could remain submerged indefinitely without surfacing.
(What did it look like…? Right, it resembled a gigantic serpent. Or perhaps, a ‘Dragon.’)
With its long, scaled body and fins, he couldn’t see its full form, but its appearance was reminiscent of an Eastern dragon.
“A Sea Serpent… or a Sea Dragon.”
Rest recalled information about a particular monster from his memory. The Sea Serpent was known as one of the strongest monsters in the ocean, alongside the Kraken. It was believed to be a subspecies of dragon, but the truth remained uncertain. There were few recorded sightings, and even fewer instances of it being defeated. Records of Sea Serpent slayings were almost nonexistent, leaving a dearth of information.
(The ocean is shrouded in mystery even in the other world, and it seems there’s even more we don’t know here…)
Searching for monsters. Defeating monsters. Neither task seemed to be progressing. He couldn’t think of a spell that would allow him to eliminate the monster without causing trouble for the fishing village, nor could he afford to let it escape as he had done before. Even with Infinite Magic Power, he was painfully reminded of his own limitations as a mere human.
(That said… I can’t voice my complaints. I need to do what I can.)
“GRRRRAAAAAAAAH!”
As he lowered his altitude closer to the surface of the sea, a large shadow erupted from the water. It wasn’t the monster he was searching for; it was much smaller, about the size of a large elephant. A creature resembling a shark with a single horn on its head lunged at Rest, who was floating above the water.
“Wind Blade!”
“GRRRAH!”
Having sensed its presence in advance, Rest easily dodged the horned shark’s teeth and countered with his magic. The sharp blade of wind severed the creature’s head, and crimson blood spread across the surface of the sea.
“Well, this makes for a nice souvenir. It looks like a fish with quite a bit of meat on it.”
Rest retrieved the body of the horned shark. If it was indeed a type of shark, it would likely be edible. Shark dishes typically feature shark fin soup, but it could also be used as an ingredient for kamaboko (fish cake). Although he had never tasted it himself, he had heard that it could be enjoyed fried, stewed, or even as sashimi.
“Oh?”
As he prepared to return to the fishing village with the floating shark, Rest detected multiple presences nearby. Several signatures, varying in size, were comparable to or slightly smaller than the shark he had just caught.
“GRRRAH!”
“GRRRRAAAAAAH!”
A few more horned sharks appeared, perhaps seeking revenge for their fallen comrade. However, Rest soon realized that the horned sharks were thrashing about in the water, devouring the severed head of their kin.
“Yikes… they’re cannibalizing…”
It seemed they had been drawn out by the scent of blood. He had heard that sharks were sensitive to the smell of blood, and it appeared to be true.
“Well, I suppose it’s fine… I’ll take as many as I can carry…”
Rest grimaced at the gruesome scene but decided to use another Wind Blade to take home one or two more. The head of another horned shark was severed, blood spreading across the water. The fishing village had been struggling to fish due to the presence of monsters, but with this, they would likely have enough food for a while. Celestine was securing supplies, so it seemed no one would go hungry.