Nova: The Final Reincarnation [LitRPG, Reincarnation]

The newly formed trio had found a small room further down the dungeon, just as Princess Naia had promised. Tucked away from the main corridor, the chamber offered a brief sanctuary from the dangers lurking throughout the ninth floor. Thick walls of living coral formed a natural barrier against intruders, while bioluminescent anemones cast gentle blue light across the space.

Nova sat atop one of the larger anemones, having bandaged the worst of his wounds. The creature's soft tentacles yielded beneath his weight without retracting, almost as if it recognized him as a non-threat. Blood had already soaked through parts of the bandage where the mantis-creature's claws had dug deepest into his shoulder.

His fingers danced through the water in front of him, leaving trails of luminous runes that hung suspended in the liquid. The formations spun and connected in complex patterns, creating a spell matrix far beyond what even advanced mages could comprehend. Each sigil pulsed with its own rhythm as Nova channeled essence through the design, his face a mask of concentration.

Nearby, Anny sat on a smooth outcropping of coral, keeping her troll-skull shield balanced across her knees. Her webbed fingers traced the deep gouges left by the mantis-creatures, mapping each weakness nervously. The surface now bore battle scars that threatened the shield's integrity. Even in the dim light, she could see the fine cracks spreading outward from each impact point.

(I really really really want to use my sword again,) Anny projected through their connection, not bothering to hide the frustration in her voice. (Is there no formation or anything you can put on it to stop the electricity?)

Nova's eyes never left the floating runes as he responded. (Mmh... Just a moment.)

(You've been tinkering with that thing for an hour already,) Anny replied, impatience clear through their mental bond. She flexed her webbed hand, watching how the water flowed between her fingers.

Nova blinked, no more responsive than before. (Oh...)

(Why don't you just use the Nova Gorton fragment if you're going to be that focused?)

A brief pause stretched between them.

(...Yeah...)

A mental sigh colored their connection as Anny set her shield aside and pushed off from the coral formation. She glided through the water toward Princess Naia, who hovered near the chamber's entrance. The princess's silver-white scales caught the blue light as she adjusted her position, moving her tail in gentle undulations to maintain her place in the water.

Despite spending the last hour together, communication remained challenging. Anny's attempts at underwater speech yielded little more than garbled sounds that barely carried through the dense liquid. Nova's attempts had been even worse.

"Hey, Anny! Can I help with anything?" Princess Naia called, watching her approach with an unguarded smile.

Unable to respond verbally, Anny swam to a flat section of rock wall beside the princess. The stone was already covered in crude letters and half-formed sentences from their earlier conversations. Using her claw-like nail, she began carving new words into the soft surface, sending tiny clouds of sediment drifting through the water.

"Will you be able to cover yourself if we fight again?" Anny wrote, nearly writing faster than she could talk, even on stone.

Princess Naia studied the words as she considered the question. "Oh... I think so, but I don't know many defensive spells..." Her webbed fingers twisted together around her staff, showing her lack of confidence.

Anny wiped away part of the stone with her palm, creating a clean surface for her next message. "Could you let Nova borrow the staff, then? If it's strong, he can probably do more than if we have another fight like that."

The princess clutched her ornate staff closer to her chest. The moonlike orb at its tip pulsed gently in response to her touch. "I can, but... Wouldn't it be a waste if I can't contribute?"

Anny carved her reply with careful precision, making each word larger than before. "It would, but then we would have to protect you from the start while you launch spells. And we can't guarantee you'll be safe."

Princess Naia's gaze drifted toward the barrier shimmering at the chamber's entrance. Beyond it, shadows moved through the murky water—distant threats waiting for the right moment to strike. When she turned back to Anny, her expression had shifted, revealing a strange mixture of resignation and relief.

"...It doesn't really matter if I die, though."

Anny stopped writing, turning to the princess with fierce eyes. She swam toward her with deliberate movements through the water, never breaking eye contact.

The princess leaned back as Anny approached. Nervous fins fluttered while she clutched the staff tighter against her chest, keeping it between Anny and herself. Uncertainty showed in the mermaid's eyes as she faced this strange surface-dweller.

Then, in a move that surprised them both, Anny embraced her tightly.

Princess Naia yelped in surprise. The rigid body tensed within Anny's arms as the tail twitched uncomfortably. Small eddies swirled through the water around them while the staff was stuck awkwardly between them. The princess's eyes widened, darting around as if searching for an explanation or escape.

But as seconds passed, something changed. The tension in her shoulders melted away like ice in warm currents. She slowly softened, relaxing her body as she leaned into the embrace willingly. Her tail curled slightly, steadying them both in the gentle underwater drift.

"...I can't remember the last time anyone hugged me," she whispered. The words carried a tremor of emotion that would be impossible to fake.

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Anny's grip tightened at those words, drawing the princess closer. The webbing between her fingers spread as she pressed her palms against the princess's back, feeling the intense loneliness beneath her touch.

"It doesn't really matter if I die, though."

The words sliced through the moment like a cold current. Anny stiffened as she pulled back from the embrace. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she stared at the princess with sudden suspicion.

Princess Naia's fins flared outward. "No, that wasn't me! It came from that!" She pointed toward Nova with a webbed finger, sending ripples through the surrounding water.

Nova sat on the anemone perch with a wide, satisfied grin. The bandages on his shoulder had shifted slightly during his work, revealing a glimpse of the healing wound. Above his outstretched palm hovered a small, perfectly round formation—a sphere of compressed essence that pulsed with blue-green light. The markings rotated slowly like ancient star maps.

"It came from - me!"

The sphere glowed brighter as the sound of the princess's voice rang out. Though the voice was perfectly clear in the underwater environment, there was an obvious cut between the last two words—the seam where Nova had spliced different parts of the princess's speech together, creating a new message from old fragments.

Princess Naia swam closer to examine the glowing orb. "That's how I sound? It's so... weird." She circled the formation cautiously, examining it from different angles.

Nova focused on a message only visible to him, feeling satisfaction as the system acknowledged the creation. The spell had taken longer than expected, but the results justified the effort.

[You have created the skill: Mermaid's Echo (Beginner - 73%) {Grade 9}]

[You conjure a sphere that's capable of taking in words underwater and sending them back out again, allowing for some rudimentary communication underwater. Mastery will increase as the number of available words increases.]

'It's by far the worst mastery I've seen, but it makes sense. Now I just need to hear the princess speak much more,' Nova thought, already considering how to improve the spell's functionality. The limited word bank was frustrating, but it was a start.

(Good job, Nova! Now, can you focus on my sword?) Anny's mental voice interrupted his self-congratulation, pulling him back to their immediate concerns.

(Your sword? What about it?)

Anny scowled at him from across the chamber, folding her arms.

(...I asked you if there was any way to cover the electric power while I use it. The shield is as good as ruined, so I need some better way to block attacks,) she projected, sounding more frustrated than usual. She gestured toward the damaged shield resting on the coral outcropping, which now had deep gouges and hairline fractures across the surface.

Nova thought for a moment while cataloging potential solutions. (Cover it? Not that I can think of... At least nothing that would last through a few attacks without breaking... There is one way, but it's terribly inefficient.)

(Oh, what's that?) Anny asked with renewed interest.

(We would all have to hold hands, making us neutral compared to the charge in the sword. But even then, it could hurt us a bit. Not compared to the targets, though.) Nova linked his fingers together to demonstrate the connection.

Anny slumped slightly as she understood the suggestion's impracticality. (...That really is inefficient. I guess I'll have to make bladed hands on my own, then.)

She flexed her webbed fingers experimentally, already envisioning how she might transform them into weapons. Small scales began to form along her knuckles, hinting at the beast abilities lurking just beneath the surface of her skin.

(Oh… Well, if you can do that, what's the problem then?) Nova sent through their connection.

(Hands are useful, especially in close combat. It's how I've won nearly all my fights here so far.) Anny's mental voice carried a touch of pride mixed with practicality.

(Sure, but would you need them if you had blades for arms?) Nova countered, drawing from memories of countless battles across multiple lives.

(It would reduce my mobility as well.) She stretched the webbing between her fingers to emphasize the point.

(Well, you'll just have to figure something out. The sword is still off-limits as long as we fight near each other.)

Princess Naia drifted closer, looking between them with curious eyes. "Uhm, are you two talking through the rings again?"

"That's - it," the sphere replied, stitching together fragments of the princess's previous speech. Nova pointed at the mermaid while lifting the glowing sphere. "I can't - talk... Talk- Ta- me."

Princess Naia tilted her head, studying the sphere with intelligent eyes. "...You want me to talk so you can use my words?"

Nova nodded emphatically, gesturing to the orb. "Use - you- words."

"That is a very clever spell, I must admit." The princess smiled, seeming genuinely impressed. "Well, I'll tell you about the fight we had previously, then. That should give you the most important words."

"Very clever," Nova replied, nodding with appreciation. The princess was clearly not stupid, even if she lacked combat experience.

And so began an underwater conversation unlike any other. The princess spoke of many things while Nova listened attentively, capturing each word for his spell. She described the fight against the mantis-creatures in vivid detail, explaining how their scythes could pierce even the toughest coral. Then she spoke of the underwater city they would soon reach, describing towering spires of living coral and streets paved with pearls that glowed with bioluminescence at night.

Her voice became more animated when she shared tales from her mansion's library. Stories of ancient sea battles, legendary treasures hidden in shipwrecks, and myths about the first merfolk who descended from land-dwellers seeking refuge from a great calamity. Each word enriched Nova's spell, expanding its vocabulary with every passing minute.

Anny sat nearby on a flat coral outcropping with her legs folded in the lotus position. She focused on her cultivation technique, breathing in rhythmic patterns that sent small bubbles drifting toward the ceiling. Her essence recovered faster when she used the technique consciously, unlike Nova who could maintain his recovery passively at all times.

A low rumbling sound suddenly cut through the princess's latest tale. Anny's stomach protested its emptiness, audible even through the water.

(...You hungry, little bat?) Nova projected, amusement coloring his mental voice.

(I told you not to tease me about that.) Anny's response came with a flash of annoyance.

(Ahh, you're right. My bad.) Nova conceded quickly.

(…I am, though.) Anny admitted after a brief pause.

(Give me a second, I also need some grub. Not quite sure how to cook underwater, though. I guess boiling is the only option.) Nova turned his attention back to the glowing sphere hovering before him.

'I think the spell will work more than well enough by now. The mastery is already at expert level. But I will need to test it in combat to really see if it is useful…'