Underwater Breathing

"Among my people, The Cursed, there has always been such a legend."

"We were not always like this. We lost our home because we failed to protect our gods. It was only after the gods cast a curse upon their deaths that we became these ugly, disgusting creatures."

"But the world has not entirely abandoned us. New gods will appear on land to lead us to a new Promised Land, where we will shed our curse and rebuild our home."

The Swollen Monster clumsily bowed its body and prostrated itself on the ground.

"I believe you are the salvation from the prophecy."

Theus widened his eyes and spoke in disbelief, "Wait, you mean... there are many of you? Have you always been like this? Have you never tried to go into the Deep Sea?"

The Swollen Monster nodded, "Yes, for various reasons, our people have always been trapped in the shallow sea. If you are willing, you can come with me into the ocean so I may inform my kin of the truth behind the curse."

"I am not certain that water pressure is the cause of your curse."

"But it is a hope. Everything happening now is exactly as the prophecy foretold. I firmly believe you are the salvation we have been waiting for... besides, my people have nothing left to lose."

Indeed, it was just a trip to the deep sea to test a theory. Even if it were wrong, there was no real loss. If he were in their position, he would certainly try it too.

Theus glanced at the distant sea surface, "I... might not be able to witness it. As you can see, I am neither a god nor can I breathe underwater... wait!"

Going underwater... Symbiotic Pact...

A bold guess suddenly surfaced in his mind. The Symbiotic Pact granted him new senses and abilities; could it include underwater breathing?

Underwater breathing, swimming through the vast ocean!

Theus felt his heart race. He stared at the Swollen Monster before him, his fingers beginning to tremble slightly.

"I can sense the waters, and I can sense your location. Could it be..."

"Yes, my master. The Symbiotic Pact of my kin can grant the other party the ability to survive in water. Whether it is the deep sea or the land, nothing will hinder your movements anymore."

Blood surged from his heart, and a wave of excitement rushed to his head. Theus's eyes were filled with surprise. He was just an ordinary person whose knowledge of the ocean was limited to aquariums, and now he could go down and see it for himself!?

This—this kind of Transcendence, had he really obtained it?

Go, he had to go. Even if he died, it would be worth the price of admission!

Theus turned to look at the sea surface inside the sea cave. A sense of intimacy emanated from the Symbiotic Pact, as if it were not an unknown territory but something warm, like...

Home.

He took a few deep breaths to steady his restless mind.

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

"My people are not far from here. I intended to set off after signing the pact with you, but I did not expect you to... er..."

It paused hesitantly before continuing:

"Your race is a bit too... frail. I was worried that the pact would continue to drain your vitality after we moved away, causing danger, so I was waiting for you."

Theus looked at the Swollen Monster's massive frame, then looked down at his own figure, which was considered slender even among humans, and the corners of his eyes twitched.

There was no helping it; this body was just an out-of-shape aristocrat. He had passed out immediately after signing the pact, which must have startled the monster.

It was actually quite loyal, not abandoning him to his fate but waiting here instead.

It probably really did mistake him for a god.

"Master, there are indeed some dangers in the sea, but it is not difficult to bypass them. Besides, we are fulfilling an ancient prophecy, so everything will surely go smoothly."

Theus narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin in thought.

Setting aside the monster's blind fanaticism regarding the prophecy, Theus felt he could go.

It was just a trip to the sea to meet the monster's kin; there shouldn't be much risk.

For now, their values seemed relatively close to those of humans, and they were perfectly capable of communication. If they could become friends, they might eventually become an asset for developing his territory.

There was another point: he really wanted to see the ocean. Although he kept telling himself to be cautious, the temptation was simply too great.

If the worst happened, he could just undergo another Descent.

"Lead the way," Theus said.

"Please follow me, my master," the Swollen Monster said, stepping toward the sea first. "There may be some obstacles, but you need not worry. I will protect you."

"We will not lose our god again."

The two soon entered the water. Theus looked around with curiosity. The sea was much warmer than he had imagined. He was only wearing simple pajamas; on land, he would have felt uncomfortable due to the night chill, but upon entering the ocean, it felt as if he had fallen into a warm embrace.

The visibility of the seawater was decent, but the night sea was pitch black, with occasional bioluminescent plankton gathering on the surface, attracting schools of fish.

Theus held his breath, but after a moment, he exhaled it all and took a deep, sharp gulp of seawater.

He was still not far from the shore, so even if he choked, he could crawl back up.

But the sensation of suffocation never came. He felt as if he had taken a deep breath in the early morning; there was no tightness, only a natural and comfortable feeling.

Trying to spit out the water in his mouth, Theus discovered that he wasn't just swallowing and spitting to replace breathing; he could breathe in the sea just as he did on land.

The seawater did not enter his nasal cavity, yet he continued to breathe.

The feeling was indescribably strange, but fortunately, he found that as long as he didn't focus on it, his body naturally took over the breathing process.

Shaking his head, Theus realized he could no longer see the strange fish from before.

After a moment of thought, he focused his attention on his senses. Soon, a familiar feeling spread, and a figure that felt intimate appeared not far ahead.

He instinctively wanted to move forward. Before he could even think about how to navigate in the water, his body moved naturally. It didn't feel like walking, nor did it feel like swimming. He drifted toward the strange fish, using the schools of fish on either side as a reference, and his speed was surprisingly fast.

"Master, please follow me," the Swollen Monster's voice echoed in his mind. "You can communicate with me directly in your consciousness. This is brought about by the Symbiotic Pact; we call it Mind Link."

Mind Link?

Theus was surprised. After testing it, he found this ability was more useful than he had imagined. As long as he willed it, he could convey his thoughts, which was far more efficient than speaking.

Wasn't this better than a telephone?

However, under the Swollen Monster's explanation, he learned that the range of this communication was very short. It could almost only be successfully conveyed within the line of sight; if it were any further, it couldn't be heard.

"And it cannot be blocked. If it is in an open area, communication can be carried out over a long distance, but if something is in between, the effect will be much worse."

Line of sight, straight-line propagation, effectiveness dropping rapidly when blocked...

Theus felt a stir in his heart.

These characteristics... gave him a sense of déjà vu.