B2A1 - The World of Myths

Chapter 59 : Sirena IV

Chapter 56 : Sirena IV

-Enzo-

As we set out to search for those rare sea eels, we saw some mermaids coming right towards us. I don’t know why, yet they’re swimming towards us. I think they’re going to tell us something. We waited for them to arrive before we jumped into the water and started looking. I wonder how rare those eels are.

There are six of us, so if all of us find one, there would immediately be six eels, and six sea scales. Well, that’s if it’s a one-hundred percent drop. But if not, then we have to hunt for more until we obtain ten sea scales. I hope they’re a hundred percent drop. Gosh, those eels are already rare.

“Before you start looking, we’re giving you this…” one of the mermaids said as they handed us a fruit. I don’t know what it was. It’s different from fruits that I know, yet it’s colored from blue to purple, it’s round in shape, and it looks so smooth in texture. It looked delicious.

“What is that for?” Darxi asked as we all received fruit for each one of us. I stared at it for a while, it looked like the sea, so I guess it’s somehow related to it--- wait, I knew it… ahahaha

“Eels don’t get above water, neither can you breathe under…so we give you this berry for you to sustain air. As you eat this berry, you will be able to breathe under the sea while looking for your sea scales. This is called the sea berry” one of the mermaids said, explaining to us what this sea berry is.

“Well, yea. Thank you so much… I was also thinking about how we are able to hunt eels ahahaha now this is the answer… sea berry” Vic said, thanking the mermaids for the sea berry. Well, that’s what I thought just now too. Now, all we have to do is to hunt the eels to get our sea scales.

"Let me join you guys!" Elliot said as he jumped along with Lucy, so now there are 8 of us. Vic handed berries to Elliot and Lucy, then each took a bite. I also ate mine and started to dive underwater.

I took a deep breath—out of habit, not necessity. The moment I swallowed that strange berry, my lungs had stopped aching for air, replaced by a cool, weightless sensation that let me glide through the depths as if I belonged here. It was unnatural, impossible… and yet, it felt so right.

I had come looking for eels, but I had not expected this.

The ocean was alive in ways I had never imagined. Light pierced the surface in golden beams, stretching down into an endless world of blue and green. Fish of every color darted around me, their scales catching the glow like tiny fragments of a shattered rainbow. A school of silver creatures swirled past, moving as one, their bodies shifting and twisting in perfect harmony before vanishing into the vastness beyond.

I reached out, fingers brushing against a spiraling tower of coral. It pulsed faintly, as if breathing, its surface alive with tiny, scuttling creatures. Anemones waved their tendrils lazily, their colors shifting from soft lavender to deep crimson as if responding to my presence.

And then, movement, a dark shape gliding just ahead.

I tensed, heart pounding, before I realized it wasn’t the eel I sought. No, this was something else. A manta ray, massive and elegant, soared through the water like a shadow of the moon. Its wings, wide and effortless, seemed to command the currents themselves, sending trails of shimmering sand swirling in its wake.

I had seen drawings of the ocean before, read stories about its wonders, but nothing could have prepared me for this. Here, beneath the waves, everything felt… untouched. Sacred. The surface world and all its noise, its rules, its weight, none of it mattered down here.

I almost forgot why I had come.

Almost.

A flicker of movement in the distance snapped me back to my purpose. The eels. Long, sinuous shadows weaving between the rocks. I steadied myself, pushing forward. But even as I swam toward my goal, I knew one thing for certain.

I would never see the world the same way again.

I went swimming towards where I think I saw the eels. I swam as fast as I could, but when I got there, there was no sign of them. They left. Gosh! I almost had them.

I guess they really earned the title of being rare.

I kept on swimming around the area to find eels, yet I also had my eyes appreciating the beauty of the sea under. It still amazes my eyes. The programmer of the game did an amazing job designing this, giving me this unforgettable experience.

Ahead was a sign of movement. It caught my attention, so hopefully it's an eel. I moved forward and actually saw an eel. It was swimming around with other eels, yet one caught my eye. That one eel at the bottom who's swimming around with something sparkly attached to its tail. That must be the sea scale.

I launched towards them, and to tell you that that wasn't a good idea. I kinda scared them that made them spread out and swim all over. I locked my target towards that one eel with the sea scale on its tail. I chased after it wherever it went. It went around in circles and any place it could hide.

There! A flash of sleek, dark scales slipping between the rocks.

I lunged forward, pushing through the water with as much speed as I could muster. The eel was fast...faster than I expected, its long, sinuous body weaving effortlessly through the coral. It slithered through a narrow gap between two boulders, its tail vanishing into the shadows.

I kicked harder, my body slicing through the water, my hands reaching for the crevice. My fingers barely grazed the rough stone before the eel shot out the other side, twisting and curling away in a mesmerizing dance.

"Not so fast," I muttered, bubbles escaping my lips.

I swam after it, dodging between swaying seaweed and startled fish. The eel darted left, then right, slipping between tangled coral branches like a ribbon caught in the current. My chest tightened, not from lack of air, but from the sheer thrill of the chase.

Then, suddenly... it stopped. The eel hovered just ahead, coiled near a jagged rock formation, its beady eyes locked onto mine. A challenge.

I grinned. "Got you now."

I reached out, ready to grab it—when, with one last flick of its tail, the eel disappeared into a deep, dark hole in the seabed.

I stared after it, my fingers inches from empty water.

"Seriously?" I sighed, shaking my head.

Looks like I'll have to be faster next time. But as soon as the eel disappeared, something swirled around the water. I swam towards it to see what it was, and I was overjoyed as I noticed that it was the sea scale that I was after. Maybe it dropped it while trying to hide. Don't worry little eel, it wasn't you I was chasing, it was the sea scale that you have.

I held tight to it as I started swimming around. There ain't no way I'm coming back that fast. Let me enjoy this moment first. Imagine being able to swim under the sea. This is like free scuba diving, but I don't have to bring any tank or anything to breathe.

For the first time, I felt truly free.

The ocean cradled me, weightless and calm, as I glided through beams of golden sunlight. A school of tiny fish swirled around my outstretched hand, their scales flashing like scattered gems. I laughed, sending bubbles drifting upward.

A sea turtle passed by, its slow, knowing gaze meeting mine before it vanished into the blue. Nearby, butterflyfish flitted through coral, their bright yellow bodies glowing like captured sunlight. I spun, playing in the currents, as curious wrasses darted around me, mirroring my movements.

Everything was alive. Beautiful. Magical.

I had come chasing an eel. Instead, I found joy.

And I never wanted to leave. But I had to. I quickly swam up towards the horizon and emerged from the sea. I saw some of my friends had already finished getting the scales, while others were still on to looking, or just like me, they were also enjoying the time under the sea.