Underwater Breathing

"Among my people—the Cursed—there has always been a legend."

"We were not always like this. We lost our home because we failed to protect our god. As he died, he laid a curse upon us, and that was what made us so ugly and repulsive."

"But the world has not completely abandoned us. A new god will appear on land, lead us to a new Promised Land, free us from the curse, and help us rebuild our home."

The Swollen Monster awkwardly bowed and prostrated itself on the ground.

Google Search TWKAN

"I believe you are the salvation foretold in the prophecy."

Theus's eyes widened. He spoke in disbelief. "Wait, you mean there are... lots of you? You've always looked like this? Have you never tried going into the Deep Sea?"

The Swollen Monster nodded. "Yes. For various reasons, our people have been trapped in shallow waters. If you're willing, you can come with me into the sea, and I'll tell my people the truth about the curse."

"I'm not sure water pressure is the cause of your curse."

"But it gives us hope. Everything now is just as the prophecy described. I firmly believe you are the salvation we have been waiting for... Besides, my people have nothing left to lose."

That was true. They were only going to try going into the Deep Sea. Even if they were wrong, they had nothing to lose. If he were in their position, he would certainly give it a try.

Theus glanced at the distant sea. "I... might not be able to see it for myself. As you can see, I'm no god, and I can't breathe underwater... Wait!"

Going underwater... Symbiotic Pact...

A bold guess suddenly came to mind. The Symbiotic Pact had granted him new senses and abilities. Could it possibly include breathing underwater?

Breathing underwater, exploring the ocean!

Theus's heart raced. He stared at the Swollen Monster before him, his fingers beginning to tremble.

"I can sense the waters, and I can sense where you are. Could it be..."

"Yes, my lord. My people's Symbiotic Pact can grant the other party the ability to survive underwater. Neither the Deep Sea nor the land will hinder you anymore."

His heart pounded as excitement surged through him, straight to his head. Theus's eyes shone with delight. He was an ordinary person whose knowledge of the ocean was limited to aquariums. Now he could explore it himself!?

This... This supernatural ability was really his now?

He had to go. Even if he died, it would be worth it!

Theus turned to look at the sea inside the cavern. The Symbiotic Pact filled him with a sense of warmth and familiarity, as if this was no unknown territory, but something comforting, like...

home.

He took several deep breaths to steady his agitated heart.

"Where are your people? Is the sea..."

"My people aren't far from here. I planned to set out after signing the pact with you, but I didn't expect you to... Uh..."

It hesitated, then continued:

"Your race is a little too... frail. I was worried that if I went too far away, the pact would keep draining your life force and put you in danger, so I've been waiting for you."

Theus looked at the Swollen Monster's enormous body, then down at his own slender frame, which was thin even by human standards. His eye twitched.

There was nothing he could do. This body belonged to an aristocrat who never exercised. He had passed out as soon as he signed the pact, probably giving the monster a fright.

At least the creature had shown some loyalty. It hadn't left without a thought for his life, but stayed here waiting for him.

It probably really did think he was a god.

"My lord, there are indeed some dangerous things in the sea, but it won't be difficult to avoid them. Besides, we are fulfilling an ancient prophecy. Surely everything will go smoothly."

Theus narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin as he thought.

Setting aside the creature's blind faith in the prophecy, Theus felt he could go. There shouldn't be much risk in meeting the monsters' kin in the sea.

So far, they seemed to share similar values to humans and were perfectly capable of communicating. If he could befriend them, they might help him develop his territory in the future.

There was one other thing: he really wanted to see the ocean for himself. He kept reminding himself to be cautious, but the temptation was simply too great.

At worst, he could Descent again.

"Lead the way," Theus said.

"Please follow me, my lord." The Swollen Monster started toward the sea. "There may be some obstacles, but you needn't worry. I'll protect you."

"We will not lose our god again."

They soon entered the water. Theus looked around curiously. The sea was much warmer than he had imagined. He wore only simple pajamas, and on land, the night air had left him feeling cold. But once he entered the sea, it was as if he had fallen into a warm embrace.

Visibility in the water was decent, but the sea at night was pitch-black. Now and then, clusters of glowing plankton gathered near the surface, drawing schools of fish.

Theus held his breath. After a moment's thought, he let all the air out, then took a deep breath of seawater.

They weren't far from the shore yet. Even if he choked, he could still climb back out.

But he didn't feel the onset of suffocation. It was as if he had taken a deep breath of fresh morning air. He felt no tightness in his chest, only natural comfort.

He tried spitting out the water in his mouth and realized he wasn't breathing by taking in and expelling water. He could breathe underwater just as he did on land.

The seawater hadn't entered his nose, yet he was still breathing.

The sensation was indescribably strange. Fortunately, he found that as long as he didn't focus on it, his body took over breathing on its own.

Theus shook his head and realized he couldn't see the strange fish from earlier.

After a moment's thought, he focused on his senses. The familiar feeling soon spread, and a familiar presence appeared not far ahead.

He instinctively wanted to move forward. Before he could even think about how to move underwater, his body began moving on its own. It wasn't like walking, nor was it quite like swimming. He drifted toward the strange fish, using the fish on either side as a reference, and found that he was moving surprisingly fast.

"My lord, follow me." The Swollen Monster's voice sounded in his mind. "You can communicate with me directly through your thoughts. This is a gift of the Symbiotic Pact. We call it Mind Link."

Mind Link?

Theus was surprised. He tried it and found it more useful than he'd expected. With only a thought, he could convey what he wanted to say, much more efficiently than speaking.

Wasn't this better than a phone?

But the Swollen Monster explained that the range of this communication was very short. It could only reach someone within sight, and any farther away, and the message wouldn't get through.

"And the path must be unobstructed. In an open area, we can communicate over a long distance. But if something blocks the way between us, it becomes much less effective."

Within sight, traveling in a straight line, with the effect quickly weakening when obstructed...

Theus's thoughts stirred.

These traits... gave him a strong sense of déjà vu.