Moonlight Pond was the only large water source in the entire dense forest, attracting numerous magical beasts for a drink.
Not only beasts, but according to Shianus, there were several villages nearby, with the centaur village being just one of them. Thus, this pond served as a crucial water source for countless settlements.
As August approached, his Observation Haki expanded like a radar, scanning the surroundings.
The number of magical beasts here was indeed substantial, with many large ones among them.
"Come forth, my Shadowclaw troops, hunt all magical beasts," August commanded.
Swish~ Swish~ Swish~
A multitude of Shadowclaws emerged from the shadows and spread out.
For the Shadowclaws, August's orders were absolute. They executed his commands without hesitation.
Soon, magical beasts were being hunted relentlessly. The corpses of these beasts accumulated in the Shadow Realm, and August connected the realm's gates to a small world.
All the beast carcasses were sent to this small world, serving as nourishment for the World Tree saplings.
However, August's focus was no longer on the magical beasts.
His attention was on Moonlight Pond.
A mysterious aura pervaded the entire pond. Although August did not know how it had formed, he sensed that there was something hidden within this pond.
"Shianus, what's the origin of Moonlight Pond?" August inquired.
"I am unsure, my lord. According to village lore, Moonlight Pond seems to have existed since ancient times," Shianus replied.
"That's intriguing."
August advanced step by step toward Moonlight Pond, feeling faint magical fluctuations from the depths of the water. The energy was so subtle it was almost imperceptible.
Had he not been attentive, he might have missed it.
"Shianus, wait on the shore. I'm going down," August instructed.
"Yes, my lord."
Splash~
August leaped into the water. For him, there was little difference between land and sea. Whether in the sky or deep underwater, August could move effortlessly with his current strength.
Although the pond was large, its vastness was in its depth rather than its surface area.
Descending rapidly through the pond, August noticed the magical energy growing denser.
Swish~
As August approached the depths, a massive shadow emerged from a ravine in the water.
In the darkness, two glowing eyes shone like giant lanterns.
August was unfazed. Where there was mystery, there were always guardians, and the greater the life form, the more formidable the entity it protected.
Soon, August saw clearly—a gigantic serpent, at least fifteen to twenty meters long, coiled within Moonlight Pond.
It was evidently the ruler of this place, claiming the pond as its territory.
August was unconcerned by the serpent.
Swish~
Water arrows shot through the water like invisible attacks. For anyone else, this might have been a dangerous trap.
In the depth of the pond, with little light, and these water arrows being nearly impossible to detect, it was a surprise attack.
"Too weak."
A mere glance made August lose interest.
Though the serpent had some magical power, it was minimal, not even matching the power of a higher demon. Its strength was comparable to that of a mid-level demon at best. While it might dominate this area, it was insignificant to August.
Puff~
The shadow blade, formed from the dragon's legacy, swiftly severed the serpent's head, and the pond water turned crimson with blood.
"My lord—"
Shianus, who had been watching from the pond's edge, was startled by the sight of the pond turning blood-red.
Shianus, not being particularly skilled in water, struggled with swimming and could barely manage in the water, let alone rescue someone. Her only option was to pray for August's safety.
Meanwhile, August had dispatched the giant serpent and cast its carcass into the small world. Had he left it behind, the serpent's blood would have stained the surroundings red, causing quite a mess.
With the serpent dealt with, August continued his descent, his sole goal being to explore the bottom of Moonlight Pond.
At the deepest point, visibility was nearly nonexistent. August conjured a magic sphere to serve as illumination.
"What is this...?"
At the pond's floor, August discovered an enormous skeleton.
The general shape resembled that of a colossal lizard, with scattered bones around the spine.
Could this be the skeleton of a dragon?
The thought immediately crossed his mind.
The skeleton was so massive that it seemed implausible for it to belong to a mere lizard or other creatures.
Though the creature was long dead, August could only speculate.
The source of the magical energy lay beneath the skeleton. Without any reverence for the beast, August pushed the skeleton aside.
"Is this the source of the magic?"
Beneath the skeleton was a diamond-shaped gem emitting a faint magical aura. However, it appeared dim, likely due to years of magical depletion.
Picking it up, August scrutinized it closely.
What was this? A gem? A jewel? Or something else?
He couldn't come to a definitive conclusion. Looking around, there was nothing else—just the remains of the unknown creature.
August felt a tinge of disappointment. He had hoped for a significant discovery, perhaps encountering a powerful dormant beast or a treasure left by a predecessor.
Unfortunately, it was just an obscure diamond-shaped gem, and one that seemed drained of power.
With his objective achieved, August saw no reason to linger. He swiftly left the pond's depths.
Ascending was even quicker than descending.
Splash~
August burst from the water's surface.
Magic began to ignite, instantly evaporating the moisture from his wet clothes.
"My lord, are you alright?"
Shianus approached, now fully embracing her role as August's knight.
August found no reason to disrupt her enthusiasm; it was pleasant to see her so invested in her role.
"I'm fine. It was just a giant serpent in the water."
"A serpent?"
"You didn't know?"
"Not at all."
***
By the way, due to the many requests to work on this project, we present to all of you our new project:
[Is It Wrong to Abusing Cartoon Tropes in Dungeon?]
Synopsis:
What would happen if someone were given the chance to use Cartoon Tropes in a world of swords and magic?
Madness! Absolute madness!
Armed with the body of a certain blue cat, let's join Altair in bringing chaos to the dungeon of swords and magic!
...
"I may not have magic... but have you ever been shot by a shotgun that can curve over a kilometer?"
***
So if you are interested in this project, don't hesitate to visit our profile and start reading.
Your Power Stone, Review, and Collection are precious, so waste them for us :)