The filthy silt and decaying vegetation churned up from the bottom, and the pool near the bank, which only came up to Merlin's knees, began to grow murky.
Every now and then, lively little fish and shrimp leaped out of the water. A smile appeared in Merlin's eyes.
"Since there are fish and shrimp living here, there's a good chance electric eels are around."
So he increased his efforts.
He dragged the blade through the silt and water plants beneath the water near the bank. At once, severed strands of vegetation floated to the surface.
Merlin worked his way around the bank, striking the water as he went. After making three full circuits, his expression grew a little strange.
But Merlin didn't lose heart. He continued with the same routine. Maybe the electric eel hadn't woken up yet, and was still asleep in its cave.
As time passed, Merlin made his tenth circuit. Suddenly, a strange black fish about two and a half meters long shot out of the water near the pool's center. The crackle of electricity rang out.
At that moment, Merlin's body stiffened. The current released by the electric eel traveled through the water and into him, and a painful, numbing sensation instantly coursed through his whole body.
In that moment,
the corners of Merlin's mouth lifted.
As his body tipped toward the bank, black flames burst across his skin. The numbness paused, and Merlin steadied himself. The Pain Calamity that had appeared inside him began to struggle against the black flames, while Merlin used his consciousness to control the flames and analyze the calamity's composition.
Merlin had long known that electric eels generated and discharged bio-electricity. Now, he used the black flames to sense the Pain Calamity caused by the current.
Just then, the eel in