I Became an Evolving Deep-Sea Creature

Chapter 11. Ian

Yul went out to the southern sea again. Well, it was work again today.

Even though he came here often, this heat never became familiar. It felt like walking through a desert.

It wasn't that he couldn't move, but he had to rest frequently.

Still, Yul came anyway—because there wasn't much experience left before his next evolution.

[Until next evolution]

[6,200 / 6,400]

'It's definitely progressing slower.'

Compared to when he got those "experience events" in the deep sea, it was much slower, but when he thought about the stable lifespan supplied through magic stones, steady level-ups, and an environment without strong enemies, this place was actually nice.

He tried looking for magic stones underwater, too, but there were none. Magic stones only appeared on land.

So he spent time hunting here and there, killing boredom.

Originally, he used to just hunt mindlessly, but once he started running magic formulas in his head, time passed quickly.

'Status window. Awakening.'

【Awakening】

【Great Balance ─ Magic (Magna─Libra)】

[Formula 1. Perception]

[Formula 2. Connection]

[Formula 3. Transmission of Thoughts]

These "formulas" could be seen as the nodes between which magic was constructed.

And each node was practically a spell of its own.

The magic of the Great Balance was structured quite differently from general or common magic.

Common magic had techniques involving gathering magic from the air and controlling elements like fire, but the Great Balance school was completely devoid of such general spells.

All the magical formulas of the school existed solely as preliminary workings for the ultimate goal—the Great Balance itself.

Each one was like an underdrawing for a grand symphony, but even a single formula wasn't something to underestimate.

Each one could display power near the level of miracles.

Moreover, the structure of the formulas was rather poetic.

「The pulse of two worlds echoes within me, and the flowing power unites into one. Its beginning lies within my soul, but its end shall remain in eternity.」

This was a part of the verse from Formula No.1, "Perception."

Each line was imbued with power. Magic was stored within the formula, and inserting that formula into the magic engine was what it meant to "learn" magic.

The verse could also be changed, as only the phrases entered into the engine needed to be modified.

'Interesting. Core, engine, and circuit—all sound like something engineers would use, but the formula itself is described in such a literary way.'

He raised a tentacle. From the nerves connected throughout it, Yul could sense a magical circuit he hadn't been able to perceive before.

He drew magic from the core and connected it to the circuit. Then, through an already-formed formula, he manifested it.

「Perception」

Yul cast the formula into ultrasonic waves.

He wasn't sure if mixing magic with ultrasonic was even possible—but it just worked.

When he told Ian about this before, the man was utterly astonished, once again slapping his forehead with an open palm.

He said that he had only ever been able to "perceive" what he could see, and that perceiving through sound was something he'd never even imagined—then he was consumed by academic fervor.

'Ian's great and all, but once he gets fixated, he turns a bit crazy.'

Anyway, countless bits of information are mixed into the ultrasonic waves. Things he'd never noticed before were now popping into his head as if someone were interpreting them for him.

-Red sea bream between the coral reefs

-A camouflaged octopus

-A dead sea squirt from yesterday

-A drifting mahi-mahi

'Red sea bream, excellent. You're mine! Now, let's try the next spell.'

「Connection」

Yul connected to the perceived target. He could sense the sea bream's position, gauge the distance, and even know its current condition.

"Connection" could only be activated on a target already identified by "Perception."

Yul immediately located the coral reef where the sea bream was hiding.

Ssshhhhh!

He sprayed poison, stunning it in an instant, then sank his sharp teeth in and chewed it down.

No particular flavor.

His tongue wasn't as developed as in his human days, so aside from shellfish, all he could feel was a vague sense of fullness.

[Experience +2!]

Still, larger prey gave more experience points.

The third formula allowed the transmission of thoughts to another creature.

These were the three reconstructed formulas of the Great Balance school—but there was still a long way to go.

The crucial formula for "Balance" itself hadn't even been restored by Ian yet.

Yul swept his gaze around. He passed beyond a massive kelp forest and entered a coral zone.

The reason he roamed this area was to see if he might once again hear that beautiful song he'd heard before.

Whenever he passed through this area, there was always something far, far away singing with ultrasonic waves. But even when Yul sent out his own ultrasonic waves, there was no reply.

'It's probably just a difference in ultrasonic capability.'

Unlike the high-powered ultrasonic on the other side, the ultrasonic of a small jelly octopus like Yul's didn't reach very far.

So Yul planned to hear the singing directly and then track it down.

If he could somehow activate 「Connection」 on the song itself as the target, he might be able to trace it across that great distance.

While steadily gaining experience, Yul soon began to hear the song coming from somewhere.

─Aaaaaaaaah↗

'Still such a sweet song. A human ear would never have been able to hear it.'

With his sense of hearing shifted into a different realm, even the song sounded completely different.

Yul perceived the singing.

-High-frequency ultrasonic singing

He grasped the concept and began tracking it with Connection.

The distance to the source of the singing was at least 3,000 kilometers.

'That's incredibly far.'

It amazed him that he could hear the song all the way from there to here. Ordinary ultrasonic waves didn't spread nearly that wide.

After hesitating for a moment, Yul gave up on going there.

Even from the lighthouse to here was already several hundred kilometers.

If he went there, he would be truly, tremendously far away.

Besides, his current life with Ian wasn't bad.

There would be a chance to look into the song later anyway.

He was curious, but he held himself back. He could always go after finishing his evolution.

* * *

After finishing his hunt and returning, Yul noticed a ship he hadn’t seen before.

‘Should I ring the bell for this? No, wait—it’s close enough. I should try transmitting a thought.’

Yul summoned the formula.

「Transmission of Thoughts」

-Ian, there’s a ship I’ve never seen before.

-Ah!? Yul, is that you? For now, please stay there for a moment. Right now, uh—uwaaah!? J-just a second!

The transmission cut off there. Yul was startled.

‘What? Is Ian in danger!?’

Yul quickly climbed onto land. He crouched and sprang with his tentacles.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

He bounced like a ball—an odd movement that would have been impossible for a normal octopus, but Yul’s strength had long surpassed the level of an ordinary cephalopod.

There were definitely traces of an intruder. The footprints were from shoes, unlike Ian’s.

‘Hmm? These look like… high heels?’

So not a thief… probably. But in any case, he had to check.

Yul entered the lighthouse.

He rehydrated himself from the round fishbowl beside the door, then leapt upward and arrived at the upper floor.

Hearing a commotion, Yul dashed forward, jumped, grabbed the handle with one tentacle, anchored himself with another, and threw the door open.

“P-please wait a moment, miss!”

“No, I can’t wait any longer!”

Creeeak!

As soon as the door opened, Ian was lying on the floor—while a noble girl with passionate red hair was straddling him.

-Uh, sorry. Did I interrupt?

After seeing the scene, Yul quietly closed the door again.

“Ah, n-no, wait, Yul! It’s not what it looks like!”

"W-Wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-wha, did an octopus just open the door...?"

Yul slipped back into his round fishbowl.

‘Good timing to leave…’

It wasn’t that octopuses couldn’t—it was just that Yul himself had absolutely no sexual desire. It felt like he’d become asexual, in a sense.

Still, he retained his memories from his previous life, so he understood that the situation was… awkward.

Then, a loud crash came from the bedroom.

“It’s a monster! A monster! I’ll handle it!”

“Kyaaa! Miss Celestia! Put down the sword!”

The woman called Celestia held her rapier in her left hand and flung the door open.

“Where are you, foul creature! I, the eldest daughter of the Drake family, shall cut you down myself!”

‘What a heroic type…’

“Miss Celestia! Yul isn’t a monster! He’s an intelligent creature!”

It was no use. Celestia looked around frantically, then spotted Yul in the fishbowl and pointed her sword at him.

“Y-you monster!”

‘Huh. So she plans to fight?’

Given that she hadn't activated Madness, she was clearly weaker than Yul.

He climbed up onto the glass rim of the fishbowl, spread his tentacles, and waved them.

-Kui kui.

Celestia’s sword began to glow brightly. Yul watched with admiration.

‘So she’s channeling magic into her sword?’

“Yul! Miss Celestia is just a little mistaken, that’s all!”

-Got it. I’ll just knock her out.

As Celestia charged, Yul leapt above her and smacked her cheek with a tentacle.

She spun several times and collapsed, unconscious.

* * *

-Weak, human. Even if your sword is sharp, if it cannot hit, it may as well not exist.

Feeling rather pleased with himself, Yul watched Celestia regain consciousness and raised a tentacle again.

But Celestia, apparently done fighting, lowered her sword. At last, she seemed to have calmed down.

"Ian, you'd better explain exactly what's going on here."

"Well, uh, you see... ha-ha, ha-ha?"

A moment later.

Yul was sitting in his round fishbowl and was carried in Ian's hand into the bedroom.

There, they talked—and Celestia's identity turned out to be far more than Yul had expected.

-Fiancée?

"Yes. The Drake family is very close to our Beltain family. Our elders arranged the marriage long ago."

"But because you decided to become the lighthouse keeper here, our wedding has been delayed for ages!"

Celestia pointed an accusing finger at Ian. He only smiled awkwardly, looking flustered.

"And to think you've been living with such a grotesque creature!"

-Tsk. Do you want to get hit?

"Threats won't work on me, grotesque creature!"

-I'll let it slide since you're Ian's fiancée.

Ian sighed deeply.

"Yul is practically my colleague. Please stop treating him like that, Miss Celestia."

Perhaps realizing how serious Ian was, Celestia's tone softened a little.

"If you insist, then..."

-Anyway, weren't you two making babies or something?

"Wh- wh- wh- what—how can you say something so indecent in broad daylight!?"

-Just asking.

"O-of course, we'll have to make children after we're married, but not now!"

Celestia stammered. She might have trained with the sword, but it was clear she was a sheltered noble lady.

-So, why did you come here?

"They told me to set a date for the wedding with Ian."

"Miss Celestia, this is a really critical time. I've found a clue to restoring the magic, I can't just leave now to get married."

"But Ian, both our families are expecting our union!"

Yul crossed his tentacles. I see. He was starting to understand the situation. Ian wanted to continue his research here, but his family was pushing for marriage.

-So what will you do?

"My life's work can't be postponed. Miss Celestia, could you live here, on this island?"

"Wh-what? That's a bit..."

Celestia glanced around. The lighthouse interior was nicely furnished, but its location was the problem.

The lighthouse keeper's island was completely isolated—no residents, no towns. Occasionally, a ship would stop by, but only in passing.

Aside from a few merchants who brought food and supplies, it was utterly remote.

-Anyway, I hope you two come to a peaceful agreement.

After all, it was their matter to settle.