Dobi’s fighting style was eccentric, but its limitations were clear.
“When faced with an opponent immune to the prophecies of doom, it’s a pure tool-meta of fear status effects!”
The power of the doom faced depends on how detailed and terrifying that doom is, and how deeply it is engraved upon one’s soul.
However, since Dobi indirectly experienced the high-intensity moment of doom through player memories, its power seemed quite formidable.
“The creatures with even a fragment of rationality will lose their minds before me, the servant of Oknodie! So rest assured and allow me to serve you!”
It felt a bit off, but it was undeniably helpful. Dobi decided to accept it with peace of mind.
“Get away!”
“Get lost!”
“Do you want to be reduced to a handful of blood?”
Seniors were desperately trying to summon creatures from the summoning manual, preparing the catalysts needed to draw the summoning magic circle, picking favorable days to conduct the summoning ritual at the appropriate locations, and offering sacrifices to increase the chances of a successful contract—all while the summoned creatures were probably devouring piles of money and escaping back to their original dimensions in real-time, a sight almost too tragic to behold.
“I feel sorry for the seniors; I should quickly finish my business and head back!”
As Dobi walked past the hallway and faced a room filled with water like an aquarium, a ladder leading up to the ceiling caught their eye.
Climbing up the ladder slowly, a warning sign appeared just before the hatch.
━━━
Warning!
The isolation room contains a captured [Goo Kraken] for experimentation.
Please be aware that no one is responsible for any mishaps if you enter without sufficient underwater protection.
━━━
The warning was terrifying, just like stepping into an anaconda’s enclosure, ready to snatch up any moving lifeforms!
Even Dobi, who wasn’t easily scared, hesitated to enter the water that would just swallow them whole, and replied gravely.
“I don’t know how to breathe underwater.”
“Newbies usually fill their lungs with water and learn!”
“…”
“Hehe, I was joking, so relax. You’ve already helped me enough today; let’s call it a day.”
“Thank you for your mercy…”
“Then, please guard my clothes here!”
As Dobi unbuttoned their school uniform, there was a sudden fluster as they glanced around, panicking.
“Th-this is inappropriate! How can a male and female behave so strangely here!”
“I’m wearing a swimsuit underneath, you know?”
“Even so!”
Chuckle.
Dobi blushed furiously, too embarrassed to look at Dobi because of the sudden revelation, and it cleared my own tension.
With this, I’ve scored a point, so we’re even!
“Are you maintaining the backpack and clothes well?”
“I will protect it with my life!”
The swimsuit worn beneath the uniform was issued during Professor Plato’s lectures in the first semester!
Although the feel of school-style swimwear clinging to me was awkward, I recalled the times when I occasionally wore bikini armor-like gear for stat purposes while playing male characters and tried to shake off that unfamiliar feeling.
Aside from the oddness of the outfit, everything seemed manageable.
Entering the Goo Kraken’s tank was dangerous, but as someone who diligently collected data, I wouldn’t be deterred by such challenges.
━━━
Underwater breathing increased by 30 minutes!
Water affinity 45% (reducing underwater walking penalty by 45%)
Additional underwater damage increased by 55%
Underwater visibility range upgraded by 2 levels.
Passive titled activated: [Nemesis of Giant King Crab]
━━━
As soon as I entered the water, various underwater adjustments activated one after another!
The diligent data collection paid off at moments like this.
Bloop, bloop.
It’s no issue if wasted oxygen bubbles up to the surface. With 30 minutes of underwater breathing granted, my body would naturally absorb oxygen as long as this time lasts.
Flail, flail.
Did something sense the movements underwater?
Tentacles stretched out from the bottom of the isolation room, submerged and waiting for prey.
Dreadful electricity generation!
Zzzzzt.
“Moohhhoooong!”
“Ow, that stings.”
It wasn’t the Kraken recklessly unleashing electricity while underwater; dark mana does not harm those with the same elemental power, let alone the caster who wields such might.
The Kraken, startled by the surprise electric shock, released dense mana mixed with ink, disrupting the flow of dark mana.
“Stop squirming! I came to take you to a nice place, why are you acting like this!”
“Moohhhoooong!!”
The Goo Kraken extended more legs.
It was seriously angry, seemingly beyond persuasion.
Was it because it thought I was food and realized I wasn’t?
Or perhaps because it got shocked out of nowhere?
Neither, actually. The very fact that the Goo Kraken was trapped in this isolation room by an upperclassman meant I had been deceived.
[You instinctively understand the animal language through various cries (37).]
[Required cries for inspiration – 500]
(0.1x bonus from adjustments)
[Momentary judgment bonus by Situation Awareness (199) – 19.9%]
[Combat intelligence bonus by Thinking Ability (144) – 14.4%]
[Social skills bonus by Social Life (75) – 7.5%]
(0.2x bonus from adjustments)
[Rhetoric bonus by Speech (82) – 16.4%]
[Body language bonus by Mimicry (45) – 9%]
[Gentleness bonus from Amusement (22) – 4.4%]
(Special adjustment list)
[Experience from using the Kraken’s cries – 25%]
[Total requirements reduction bonus – 96.6%]
[Required cry capability rating – 17]
[The cry capability exceeds 17.]
[You can understand and communicate the cries of the Goo Kraken as if they were human language.]
Phew. As expected, functional experience does not betray you.
Even if I’m being scammed, I have this last defense to protect the player!
“I won’t be fooled again. Human liar! You promised me a daily ton of sardines, a ton of anchovies, and a hundred grams of sugar if I followed you, but gave me cultured meat and sleep powder to eat instead.”
“Oh no! That’s terrible!”
“Um…? You understand the cries of the Kraken…?”
“Of course! I’m friends with animals!”
“I don’t believe you. How can I trust you?”
You don’t need to trust me.
Just trust the protection I possess.
━━━
Title: Guide of Salvation activated.
The blessing [Infinite Respect] is activated.
━━━
Guide of Salvation: As a result of repeatedly saving the world headed for destruction, you have become the hope of the world.
– Title activation effect: Blessing [Infinite Respect] activated.
– Title possession effect: Basic favorability towards all beings in the universe increases by 10.
━━━
Infinite Respect (Blessing): When activated, the world expresses respect towards you.
━━━
As I activated the blessing, the Goo Kraken relaxed its heightened wariness.
“By the way, you smell delicious. Have you ever eaten Giant King Crab?”
“Yep!”
“If you have a discerning palate, there’s no reason to dislike me. At least I’m much better than humans who give out tasteless cultured meat.”
In reality, while the conversation happened through moohhhoooong, it flowed smoothly nonetheless!
The Goo Kraken wrapped its legs around me softly, no longer aggressive.
“Wow, now that I see it, you’re really small, even smaller than me! Totally a little goo!”
“That’s right! And I’m not happy about it! I want to grow to 2m30cm! But I had to pause growth for the sake of pumping strength!”
“You’re really cute, but with just 2m30cm, you can’t survive in the dangerous deep sea. You should aim for at least 230m!”
“Did you fall for the promise of a ton of sardines and anchovies as offerings to grow bigger?”
“Yep.”
“Do you need sugar to grow bigger?”
“Putting sugar makes the water sweet, so it’s nice to wash down.”
Dobi, on the other side of the glass, couldn’t hide their confusion as they stared over here.
For some reason, they were looking at me communicating with the Kraken with a considerably flushed face. I really wonder why?
“Anyway, I’ll help you get out of here.”
“Really?”
“If you touch the seawater, Mama Kraken will be able to find you.”
“The humans here are too strong. It won’t be easy.”
“Don’t worry. I have a plan. Just endure the cramped space for one day, and you’ll be out in no time!”
The Goo Kraken was not easily persuaded.
Was it because it was a higher organism superior to humans?
“Why should I trust a baby Goo who hasn’t completely finished its infancy?”
Ah, so it’s because I’m too small.
“Wait a moment!”
I stepped outside the tank, shaking off water like a drenched dog, and Dobi rushed over.
“Are you alright? To me, it looked like the Kraken was about to half-devour Oknodie! How could you do something so cruel!”
“Huh??”
“Oh, was that not the case?”
“That Goo Kraken is a good Kraken! Even after being tricked by humans and imprisoned, it didn’t even think of destroying the lab or killing anyone indiscriminately!”
“…”
“Just wait a little longer!”
Coming back with a curtain I pulled from my backpack, Dobi looked perplexed.
The Goo Kraken also stared blankly at the curtain so I quickly wrapped it around my body and pulled it wide open.
“Now it’s bigger, right?”
The Goo Kraken’s eyes widened, staring at the floating curtain flowing with the current from the circulation system in the isolation tank as if it were staring at glassy marbles.
“The Goo has grown just as big as the Goo!!”
With trust fostered by the newfound size, the Goo Kraken promised full cooperation.
