Emerald Cod Fish

Caught off guard, Zeref's right hand was slashed open by a huge wound, and his blood reddened a patch of water. Sordil hurriedly helped Zeref stop the bleeding and bandage the wound. At the same time, Sordil used spatial magic to create four Space Barriers, forming a cube-shaped enclosure. Inside, they were not only shielded from attacks by the unknown creatures in the water, but also gained a moment to catch their breath.

"How is it? You're not seriously hurt, are you?" Sordil helped Zeref sit on a Space Barrier, then pointed at the wound on his arm and asked.

"It's nothing serious, just a scrape. Besides, while you were setting up the space, I already used Healing Magic to treat it." Zeref sat on the barrier, panting heavily. At the same time, he cast a white spell enhancement on Sordil. Seeing how bedraggled they both looked, the two of them burst out laughing.

"Old man and the others are such bastards. Fine, they didn't help us deal with the Wind Wolf Pack and the Silverback Iron Eagles, but they didn't even warn us about the unknown creatures underwater. They really have no limits when it comes to screwing over their son!" Thinking about how he had nearly been clawed by those feathered beasts before being attacked by unknown creatures after entering the water, Sordil felt both annoyed and amused by Gilkunis's inaction. Although it was meant to train him and Zeref, Sordil still made a note of it in his mental little notebook. He would find a chance to get even with him someday.

"Uncle Gilkunis is thinking of us too. He's afraid we'll come to rely on him for everything, so he's training our ability to adapt and act independently in advance. Didn't you see that Aunt Wattster didn't stop him either?" Hearing Sordil's complaints, Zeref smiled lightly before comforting him further. "You don't want to spend your whole life under Uncle Gilkunis's wings, letting him shield you from every storm, do you?"

"That's true, but this time—"

Crack!

Bang!

Sordil was about to answer Zeref when the space he had created was suddenly smashed apart by a dark shadow. A massive amount of river water surged in, separating the two once more.

"Radiance!"

Zeref's voice rang out from the other side. A ball of white light immediately illuminated the surroundings, finally allowing Sordil to see the shadow's true form. It was a monstrous fish covered in bluish-green scales. Its dorsal fin resembled that of a swordfish from his previous life, while its snout ended in a long, sharp bill. That bill must have been what had cut Zeref earlier. Looking in the direction the monster fish had come from, Sordil spotted clusters of dark shadows swimming through the water. Perhaps the light Zeref had created had angered them, because the shadows accelerated toward Zeref, while fewer headed in Sordil's direction.

Seeing the urgency of the situation, Sordil used Shift to rush toward Zeref while also launching Wind Sickles at the school of fish. This time, however, the Wind Sickles did little damage. Still, they bought Sordil enough time to reunite with Zeref, after which he told him everything he had seen.

"I saw them too. Judging by their appearance, they should be Emerald Cod Fish that live in the Merologet River. They're schooling creatures. Those shadows you saw should have been a school of Emerald Cod Fish. They're extremely aggressive—once they spot an outsider, they'll keep attacking until they kill their opponent." Zeref told Sordil his conclusion, hoping he could come up with a practical strategy.

"Can we avoid the Emerald Cod Fish and head straight to the riverbed to collect the Mirror Crystals?" Sordil asked, staring at the Emerald Cod Fish that continued to chase them from behind.

"I'm afraid not. According to the records, Emerald Cod Fish lay their eggs near Mirror Crystals. If we want to collect the Mirror Crystals, we'll have to face them." Recalling the records on Emerald Cod Fish he had read at the academy, Zeref told Sordil that they would have to confront the school.

"We can't avoid them? Then we'll have to end this quickly. I'll use Prison Space to lock down their movements, and you take the chance to attack. Use every offensive spell you have in the shortest time possible and kill as many as you can." Since there was no avoiding them, Sordil decided to go on a slaughter. He was hungry anyway, and since these stupid fish had thrown themselves onto his spearpoint, he might as well try something new.

The two stopped moving and quietly waited for the school of Emerald Cod Fish to arrive, gathering the magic within their bodies in preparation for the coming battle. Completely unaware of their fate, the Emerald Cod Fish continued charging toward their targets without any intention of changing direction. The distance between the two sides steadily closed.

"Prison Space!"

"Gale Flame Spear!"

"Thousand Water Kill!"

"Lightning Halberd!"

"Emerald Signal!"

Once the school of Emerald Cod Fish entered the optimal attack range, Sordil immediately activated his Space Magic without hesitation. Zeref precisely seized the moment and unleashed every spell he had into Sordil's Magic Space. Multicolored magic exploded within the space, and it was shattered in an instant. The Emerald Cod Fish trapped inside were blasted into chunks, their blood and organs drifting everywhere with the current. A small number of Emerald Cod Fish still escaped the disaster, but they were covered in wounds and barely clinging to life. They could no longer stop the two from collecting the Mirror Crystals.

With nothing left to block them, Sordil and Zeref quickly dove to the riverbed. Diamond-shaped crystals appeared before their eyes, one after another. Sordil stared at the black spheres floating near the Mirror Crystals, then recalled how the Emerald Cod Fish had chased him around earlier. The spatial energy in his body began to stir uncontrollably. Seeing something was wrong with Sordil, Zeref hurriedly stopped him and persuaded him that they had invaded the fish's home, which was why they had attacked. Now that the Mirror Crystals were within easy reach, why wipe them out completely? Thus, those poor little creatures escaped disaster and continued floating leisurely through the water.

The two worked quickly, finishing their collection in only a quarter of an hour and obtaining more than enough Mirror Crystals. However, when they approached the surface, they discovered several dark silhouettes above the water, with more waiting along the shore. The two could not help admiring the magical beasts' patience. For safety, Sordil suggested that they leave the area underwater first, come ashore elsewhere, and ambush the magical beast pack from behind. Once they had driven the beasts away, they could return and retrieve the Mirror Crystals. Zeref, already accustomed to letting Sordil make the decisions, naturally did not reject the suggestion. The two quietly swam away underwater and prepared to act.

Everything went as Sordil had expected. The two successfully reached the rear of the beast pack and used the same method they had employed against the Emerald Cod Fish. This time, though, the results were not as impressive. Quite a few Wind Wolves were killed, but the Get Foxes and Silverback Iron Eagles noticed the danger in advance and fled. Even so, Sordil's intended goal had been achieved, so the two did not pursue the magical beasts. Instead, they carried the collected Mirror Crystals out of the water one by one and piled them on the riverbank.