Chapter 234 : The Lake God and Little Mo

The Lake God and Little Mo

"Shit!"

Serea let out a cry of shock, and then the ice shattered and was blasted apart. Pelam lost her footing and fell into the lake. Panicking, she grabbed onto a piece of floating ice. But as she looked back, those monsters were nowhere to be seen—along with all the lizardmen, who had also fallen into the water.

However, while the lizardmen could swim back up to the island at the lake's center, those monsters were not so lucky.

"Woooo!"

It was a terrifying sound, representing the unknown fear of the endless deep sea. Several massive tentacles stretched up from beneath the water, snatching up both those monsters and the parasites inside them, crushing them together to bits.

Seeing this, black Hat was so frightened he fell flat on the ground with a thump.

"T-there really is a lake god!"

All along, they had believed that the Lake God worshipped by Jawfang clan was merely a figment of imagination, a made-up deity. But now, seeing that creature with his own eyes, black Hat was struck with terror. Coming to his senses, he scrambled and crawled away toward in the woods, as if terrified that the "lake god's" wrath would come down upon him.

This entire scene was seen through the eyes of a black little bug, transmitted to someone else. That person's lips moved slightly as he murmured,

"A sea race..."

Eight gigantic tentacles raged through the lake, instantly cracking the ice, sending waves several meters high surging over the lake's surface. This spectacle did not last long, however—once the tentacles receded, the lake gradually calmed, and both the monsters and the singing vanished without a trace.

Seeing this, Pelam dove underwater. In the icy lake water, an enormous black shadow slowly swam toward the bottom. But suddenly, the giant beast turned its head and looked at Pelam. After catching sight of her face—

"Oooh!"

The creature let out a 'cute' cry. The sound echoed in a girl's ears.

"So Nora chased after her, didn't she?"

"Oooh!"

Little Mo, in giant beast form, let out a low whimper. Upon hearing it, the girl replied coldly.

"Bring her back to me."

Upon receiving the girl's command, little Mo in his giant beast form turned and swam towards Pelam, who had shapeshifted into Serea.

Seeing this, Pelam tried to flee. But a girl's voice entered her mind.

"I won't hurt you, but don't even think about escaping."

The giant octopus's tentacles wrapped around Pelam and yanked her rapidly towards the lakebed.

During this, Pelam started to choke, but a glow lit up and a bubble formed around her, providing her with oxygen.

It seemed the "lake god" underwater had no intention of harming Pelam. Thus, Pelam stopped resisting and allowed the giant octopus to drag her down to the lakebed.

At the entrance of a cave at the bottom, the Abyssal Octabrute shrank down and transformed back into the Deep Sea Octopus. Upon seeing it, Serea recalled this was the very creature she had encountered before in the cave.

Little Mo the octopus brought Pelam towards a hole on the lakebed and, after passing through a dark passage, brought Pelam into a cavern.

"Cough, cough..."

Little Mo gently placed her down on a stone platform. Pelam coughed a few times, then started to survey the cave.

Glowing ores embedded in the cave walls provided illumination. Half the cave was underwater, half was stone platform. On the platform, two shell-shaped large beds, and then...

Rows and rows of clothes racks lined up, filled with all sorts of finely-stitched garments. Apparently, the cave's owner had a penchant for collecting clothes.

Finally, Pelam's gaze landed on one shell bed. A girl with a pale blue fishtail sat at the edge of the bed. Her verdant hair cascaded down her back, her crystal-colored eyes fixed intently on Pelam.

So beautiful...

And she was...

Level 38, Legendary, mermaid!

"Are you the lake god here?"

Pelam asked. But the girl did not answer her question—instead, she spoke bluntly.

"Human, you may take the Deep Sea Relic, but please return Nora to me."

The girl's tone was icy. Upon hearing "Deep Sea Relic,"

Serea remembered—that was the broken stone she had taken from the cave, wasn't it?

But who was Nora?

"Who is Nora?"

"Trying to lie? Little Mo saw with his own eyes Nora chasing you out of the cave."

At this, the giant octopus named Little Mo emerged from the water and nodded.

"But I really didn't see any Nora."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course."

"Then tell your companions to look for her—if you can't find her, you can forget about ever leaving here."

The girl said, her tone offering no room for dispute.

"Uh...isn't that a bit overbearing?"

"I don't care. Nora chased onto land because you all took the Deep Sea Relic. So, you're responsible for it."

"Fine, I'll ask my companions to help you look. But you must at least let me out so I can inform them, right?"

"No problem—but I'll follow you."

The girl replied, then waved her hand. Water turned into ropes, binding Pelam. Manipulating the current, she placed Pelam onto another large shell bed. She then said,

"Wait here obediently until I return. Then I'll take you to see your companions. Until then, just stay put."

With that, the mermaid girl dove into the water and swam up towards the surface, leaving only Little Mo to guard Pelam.

......

The mermaid girl swam to the lake surface, while Tifia, who seemed to have received some message, spoke to his tribespeople.

"You all go join up with Digue and the others. I need to meet with the Lake God."

"Yes, clan Chief." xN

The lizardmen dove into the water one by one, swimming to the far shore, leaving Tifia alone waiting. Once all the tribespeople had left, tifia knelt down towards the surface of the lake.

"Greetings to Lord Tethys, the Lake God."

As he spoke these words, the mermaid girl surfaced from the water.

"I do not wish to see this sort of thing happen a second time."

"I apologize deeply for disturbing you, Lord Tethys. I promise it will not happen again."

"And the offerings?"

"They're here."

With that, tifia produced the top-grade magic thread and jewels, obtained through Xiyun Merchant Guild's trade.

"Excellent."

Tethys received the magic thread like a precious treasure, carefully wrapping it in a bubble to keep it dry while transporting.

"Now, leave immediately. I need to rest."

"Yes, Lord Lake God. Understood."

After speaking, tethys dove underwater, happily hugging the various magic threads while swimming a few circles before returning to the cavern at the lake bottom.

She was quite pleased to have acquired the magic thread, but Nora still needed to be found. After all, without Nora, who would try on all the clothes she had painstakingly stitched?

Thinking this, tethys greeted Little Mo and climbed onto the stone platform. But upon doing so, she was stunned...

Where was Pelam?

After a few moments of blankness, the smile on Tethys's face turned to angry indignation at being deceived. She looked at Little Mo.

"Where is the human?"

Questioned, little Mo looked at the empty shell bed. He scratched his head, confused—he had been standing guard, so how could the human have disappeared?

At that moment, a silver bracelet dropped to the bottom of the lake. The bracelet transformed into Tethys's appearance and swam rapidly toward the shore.

Right now, Pelam was feeling triumphant.

Try to keep me here?

Dream on!

(To be continued...)