I Became an Evolving Deep-Sea Creature

Chapter 14. The Orca Village

'Nugh' was the leader of the orca warriors. He was male, and across his forehead, he had a horizontal streak of white luminous paint.

He truly looked like some kind of Amazon tribal warrior in orca form.

Guided by him, Yul was invited to their village.

You might wonder why orcas would even need a village, but in this world, orcas were as intelligent as humans, and they lived and acted in unison.

And that village existed within this underwater cave. The walls of the cave shimmered with strange lights.

'Woooow.'

Yul confirmed that the enormous underwater cave had many holes carved into its sides.

Inside each hole was an orca—each seemed to live inside its own "home," resting safely there.

From the center of the cave, the largest orca emerged.

He approached Nugh, the leader of the orca warriors.

-Nugh, did you achieve victory?

-Of course, Great Mother. But the sacrifice was great.

-If it was a victory, that's a relief. And the octopus beside you—who is that?

-He can speak our language and aided us in battle.

-Is that true?

When Yul felt the attention turning toward him, he answered,

-Of course.

-How could you understand our tongue...? And this octopus looks like one of the deep-sea creatures.

The huge orca called the Great Mother swam closer, circling Yul curiously, inspecting his entire body.

Just by looking at her, Yul could tell she was an immensely powerful creature. If she bore even the slightest hostility, his Madness would've activated instantly.

-He charged at the Syrendron, a creature many times his size, and dealt the strongest blow, allowing us to seal it away.

-Is that so? Treat him as an honored guest. See to his comfort and give him what he desires.

-Thank you, great Mother.

-Thank you.

As the enormous orca swam away, Nugh spoke.

-Your name was Yul, correct?

-Yes.

-You have the Great Mother's permission. You are now our guest. However, we have no idea what beings of other species might want—especially an octopus.

-Because usually, octopuses are our prey.

-Right? It is rather unusual.

-We're not sure how to reward you properly.

As the warriors murmured among themselves, Yul decided this was his chance to gather information first.

-Then, for my reward, may I ask you a few things?

-Of course.

Yul planned to dig for information while he was in their village. There was simply too much in these surrounding waters he didn't yet know.

[Ascension Conditions Met.]

'The quest is complete.'

Yul could feel the orcas' gazes as they swam around him.

Even though they merely passed by and looked at his face, meeting ten intelligent beings seemed to have satisfied the quest's condition.

He could evolve anytime now—but he decided not to, not yet. It would be safer to do it in a secure place.

-I'd like to ask you a few things.

-Ask whatever you wish.

Yul first recalled the armored turtle he had seen before and decided to ask about it.

-Hmm. The powers in these waters, you say? You must be a deep-sea creature, then. You probably don't know much about the surface seas. You do know this ocean is called Phantaratsa, yes?

-Yes.

-In Phantaratsa, there are known Great Oceans. Each ocean is divided into its own territories, each ruled by different powers.

The names of the oceans were as follows:

-There's the Great Celestial Ocean, the Continent Ocean, the Archipelago Ocean, and the Outer Ocean. That's about what we know.

-Which ocean is this?

-This is the Great Celestial Ocean.

Yul listened as Nugh briefly explained that the Great Celestial Ocean was an immensely vast sea within Phantaratsa.

And the sea adjacent to the continent was the Continent Ocean, where humans were the dominant species.

Yul realized that this Continent Ocean must be the one bordering the human continent called Randa.

-The Continent Ocean doesn't have many powers. Perhaps only the Dolphin Tribe, who were pushed out by other power struggles.

He then continued, explaining about the Archipelago Ocean.

-The Archipelago Ocean lies to the south. It's a sea covered with countless island chains.

-And the Outer Ocean?

-The Outer Ocean lies beyond all the seas we know—a truly dangerous, mysterious, and unexplored sea. It's in the northwest.

-I see. Then what kinds of powers exist in the Great Celestial Ocean?

Nugh started by mentioning a faction Yul already knew.

-First, there's the Turtle Kingdom. Those turtles gather around the world's longest and largest kelp, which they call the World Tree, forming a kingdom there.

A race that coexisted with the massive sea kelp they called the World Tree—guarding their domain, able to use magic, aggressive, and long-lived.

-And then there's the strongest faction of all—our Orca Tribe.

-Oh? Could you tell me a bit more about that?

-Hmm, sure. We began as ordinary orcas. But it's said that the very first of our kind attained strength through self-cultivation (修身) and then ascended.

-Huh? Ascended?

Yul blinked twice. This was the first time he'd learned that another creature could also ascend.

-Yes, it means evolving into an entirely different species. That next stage is what we call the Deep Kings.

-Deep Kings!

Yul shouted in surprise. The creatures everyone in the deep sea had been talking about—those Deep Kings—were actually evolved from orcas?

-When an orca ascends into a Deep King, it gains tremendous authority. It's said that our ancestor who ascended took pity on our state and bestowed a blessing upon us. We used to have the intelligence of children, but thanks to that gift, our tribe gained great intellect and quickly prospered, expanding our power.

-I see... Then, may I know more about the Deep Kings themselves?

-The Deep Kings are said to be able to go anywhere—rising to the vast heavens above or descending to the deepest abyss below.

'.....!?'

Yul imagined a whale soaring through the sky. Perhaps that's what a Deep King was like. He couldn't say for sure—he had never seen one himself.

-These Deep Kings, after ascending, do not interfere with their former species.

-I understand... Are there any other factions?

-Hmm. There are. In the southeast, there's the Sea Dragon Tribe. They have huge webbed fins, very long necks, and incredibly powerful teeth. They're massive creatures.

One of the warriors interrupted.

-Right! They're so huge that when we hunt one, there's enough meat to feed the entire tribe.

-But we can't just attack them carelessly.

-Hey, don't interrupt.

At Nugh's words, everyone fell silent.

-Anyway, aside from the Sea Dragons, there's something you must truly be wary of—the Hives. They usually dwell in the Outer Ocean, but sometimes, they appear here.

-Hives?

-The Great Mother once said that these creatures were originally deep-sea anemones.

"Anemones?!

Yul's interest was piqued.

-Why must we be wary of them?

-Because the Hive, a collective organism made up of countless anemones, absorbs all living things.

-They're truly dangerous.

-They absorb numerous creatures and take only their greatest strengths. For example, by consuming the heart of a giant humpback whale, they gain an immense pulse; by using an armored turtle's shell, they reinforce their outer layer. That's how they strengthen their bodies and expand their collective.

-That's horrifying.

Yul shuddered.

-People say you can destroy a Hive by eliminating its core, but to reach that core, you must pass through countless zones of tentacles.

-They're even worse than the Syrendron. Even our kin who venture northwest flee immediately if they spot a Hive floating on the sea's surface.

Yul listened as they described the many mysterious creatures of the ocean and the regions they inhabited.

The more he heard, the more he realized that what he had encountered so far was merely a drop in the ocean.

-The Great Mother says that in the Outer Ocean, hives are everywhere—and there are beings even more terrifying than them. You'd better not wander out there.

-I won't.

The seas of this world were vast—and filled with things beyond imagination.

Yul already felt chills running all over his body. How many more monsters existed out there, in those distant waters? And what lay hidden in the depths of those seas?

A vast, unknown terror seemed to loom before him—but Yul decided not to think about it.

It was foolish to worry about something that hadn't come yet.

After talking with them for a while, Yul decided to stay for about a day in the village, and was given his own personal cave.

It was the smallest of the holes—too tight for an orca to enter—but perfectly sized for Yul.

Yul rested there that day, taking the time to read through his long-neglected status window.

[Ascension Conditions Met.]

[After ascension, you can evolve into a different species.]

[Upon becoming another species, your evolution limit will increase to seven stages, but it will require much more experience.]

[Karma accumulated in this species’ life: 1,105.]

"Whoa, that's... a lot of karma.

Over a thousand! Considering he'd only earned thirteen during his time as Xenoia, that was an overwhelming number.

Yul recalled what he had done since becoming a jelly octopus.

He had acquired the miraculous Stone of Authority—an artifact left behind by an alien race in an ancient temple.

He had leveled up explosively in the hydrothermal vents.

He had slain a sand shark and witnessed the battle of colossal, myth-like beings.

Then, upon surfacing, he had spent time on land, consumed magic stones to extend his lifespan, lived with the lighthouse keeper Ian, and awakened magic.

'So... karma builds up when I achieve something or when I'm with someone?'

[Current creatures available for ascension based on Karma]

[Because you have acquired a large amount of karma, additional information is provided.]

[Based on your past experiences, new evolutionary paths that align with your desires will be suggested.]

[-Solar Flying Fish] – A flying fish that absorbs sunlight and converts it into magic for storage. It glides swiftly above the sea surface, capable of sustained flight.

-Evolution Traits: Energy absorption, high-speed gliding, solar-energy techniques, scale reinforcement, and optical abilities.

[※This option was formed from your tendency to go upward toward the surface.]

'Oh! Now it’s even showing its potential?'

Yul liked that—he could finally glimpse what kind of evolutionary direction awaited him.

Maybe gaining more karma unlocked new functions.

He looked at the second entry.

[-Lance Squid] – A squid species with spear-like, sharpened horns. A highly aggressive, battle-oriented lifeform.

-Evolution Potential: High-speed movement, martial-skill acquisition, texture alteration, ink ejection, electric discharge, and horn enhancement.

[※This option was generated from the many combat experiences you've had as an octopus.]

[-Phantom Jellyfish] – Nearly invisible to others due to its transparency. Its mass of tentacles carries potent neurotoxins. Can temporarily slip into another dimension to evade harm.

-Abilities: Invisibility, neurotoxin, magic-field generation, and dimensional step.

[※This option was created based on your magical aptitude.]

'Oh, nice—feels like the fighter class and the rogue class.'

The Lance Squid was clearly a direct evolution of the jelly octopus, boasting far more abilities.

The fact that it could gain electrical powers was especially appealing.

The Phantom Jellyfish, on the other hand, seemed better suited for stealth and mobility—but probably not very fast.

Then Yul checked the final entry.

[-Orca] – Possesses exceptional intelligence and hunting ability, forming social structures and cooperating within a tribe.

-Evolution Potential: Physical enhancement, charisma, and high affinity for magic.

[※This option was formed through your accumulated karma and your encounters with orcas.]

'Whoa? Seriously? An orca?'

On Earth, that was the apex predator of the ocean. Though here, who knew what that meant.

If he evolved into an orca, Yul might even be able to join the Orca Tribe.

The unknowns in its "Evolution Potential" gave him pause—but still, these four choices were incredible.

'Which one should I pick?'

They all looked good—so good that choosing was hard.

But after a moment of thought, Yul made up his mind.