"It looks even worse at night."
Cale looked down at the largest whirlpool underneath him and commented. He then started to think.
'Toonka really is a crazy bastard.'
How did Toonka end up getting the Sound of the Wind in the novel? He was shipwrecked and arrived on this island, and then starts to show interest in this whirlpool when his condition got a bit better.
Volcanoes, glaciers, desert, this bastard who liked to crash against the elements with just his body could not help but be interested in this ocean whirlpool.
Toonka enjoyed dangerous situations. No, he was obsessed with them. That was why Cale was calling him a crazy bastard.
< "It's my first time in the ocean, but it looks fun." >
Toonka said that before jumping into that whirlpool without any preparations. Naturally, Cale had no plans to act in the same manner.
Cale had already packed everything he needed in the scuba gear's pockets.
"Is it here?"
Cale nodded to answer the Black Dragon's question and looked around. Maybe it was because it was a country village, but the entire village was dark at night.
The ocean was even darker. But it was much louder than the village from the sound of the whirlpool. The fact that it would get louder will not draw any attention. They will just think it is the whirlpool being weird and forget about it.
Cale turned away from the ocean and looked toward the Cliff of Winds.
< Toonka discovers a hidden cave underneath the Cliff of Winds and enters with curiosity. He finds something at the end of the Cave and lets out a laugh. "I didn't expect such a good thing to be here." It was a fateful encounter that Toonka had never even expected. >
Cale put aside the information from the novel and spoke to the Black Dragon.
"Let's start."
"Alright, human."
Black mana started to come out of the Black Dragon's short front paw.
Ooooong.
The magic bomb reacted to the mana and started to vibrate.
The magic bomb in Cale's arms was not the magic bomb used by the secret organization in volumes 1 and 2 of the novel.
'It is a much better magic bomb.'
Around the second half of volume 3, the mages of the Whipper Kingdom, who were pushed to the brink, start to develop new tools to fight against the non-mages.
One of those tools was similar to the magic bomb in Cale's hand.
The condensed mana, which is the main ingredient of the magic bomb, reacts to the developer's mana and divides into multiple smaller mana balls before exploding.
It wasn't as strong, but the chain of explosions was useful to kill even more enemies.
Cale complimented the Black Dragon.
"You must be amazing to create such a thing."
"Yes. I am a great and mighty dragon."
Even more black mana flowed out of those short paws and disappeared into the bombs.
Ooooooong.
Cale could feel the magic bombs vibrating in his arms. Cale was aiming for the moment when the moon had set but the sun had not yet risen.
"Be careful, do not get hurt."
The Black Dragon headed higher into the air as he put a shield around Cale and said bye.
Click.
A small noise sounded from inside the magic bomb.
Cale released the bomb from his hand and then put on the scuba mask. It was a magic tool that will allow him to breathe underwater for 5 minutes.
A few moments later.
Boom! Boom! Booooooom!
The bomb went off and Cale summoned the silver shield before falling straight down. The night wind rushed fiercely past his face.
Once the tens of smaller explosions went off, the whirlpool lost its strength and could no longer spin properly. Cale opened up the wings of the shield.
Splaaaaaash!
The shield clashed with the ocean as Cale dove underwater. He put on some goggles and headed to the bottom of the ocean. Thanks to the shield, Cale's body was quickly sinking like an arrow.
Boom, boom! Even more explosions were going off and making the whirlpool lose even more strength. The shockwaves created from the explosions touched Cale's shield and silver wings, but Cale still managed to safely arrive at the bottom of the ocean.
Boom!
Cale used the shield once more to easily handle the last explosion, before starting to walk on the ocean floor.
The small central island and the large whirlpool in front of it.
That whirlpool was caused by a small top that was underneath a large boulder.
This top had continued to spin for hundreds of years without stopping.
Cale could see that large boulder in front of him. It was so large that Cale thought it could easily crush a person.
< Toonka realized that the whirlpool started from underneath this large boulder and grabbed the boulder. It was because it was smaller than the boulder he had lifted up north. However, he was not able to lift this boulder up. >
< 'Then I'll just break it. >
< That was why Toonka destroyed the boulder. >
Cale looked toward the boulder and started to think.
'Toonka, you crazy bastard. You destroyed this thing?'
Cale shook his head underneath the water and headed toward the top that resembled Sun Wukong underneath the boulder. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Wukong )
At that moment, just like every other time when he had gained an ancient power, the former owner's voice appeared.
– You sons of bitches!
Oh. This owner was quite the potty mouth.
– Why is it a sin to steal something that they sacrificed people to create? Especially when I was just going to return it to the people? You trash bastards! Why do bastards like you have such power?!
The owner of the Sound of the Wind was that same thief that was said to have stolen something from a god. She had not truly stolen a god's item. In reality, she had just stolen something from a temple.
She had suffocated after becoming trapped underneath this large boulder. The silent thief with the quickest feet met her demise like this.
This superpower to control the wind was different than mana. She herself was the wind. After her death, she had become a top that continued to vomit out whirlpools.
– This stupid water! If my friend's light was here, it would burn it all!
Cale's expression turned odd as he was taking out the items to free this top.
'Light? Is it perhaps?'
– Do you know why lightning is so scary? It is because all it takes is a single streak, JUST ONE STREAK!
Cale started to think about the last ancient power on his list, the, 'Fire of Destruction.' He had to pass through fire to get to it, and had to have a ton of money with him as well.
A sudden thought crossed through Cale's mind.
The Indestructible Shield, wood. Vitality of the Heart, Wind. Sound of the Wind, Water. Fire of Destruction, Fire.
Cale was having a bad feeling about this. He even debated whether or not he really should take this power. However.
Beep- beep- beep-
The alarm inside the scuba gear was informing him that he only had three minutes left. Cale decided to think about this later.
'Let's hurry and take it out.'
He started to dig with a hoe. He was trying to get rid of this obstacle that was holding both the large boulder and the top. This hoe, that was reinforced with magic, was so sharp that the floor easily gave way.
'There's no reason to be an idiot like Toonka and destroy the boulder.'
He just had to dig. Cale started to smirk. He could finally see the entire top after digging a bit longer. Cale reached toward the top and grabbed it with his hand.
Swiiiiiiiish.
Cale moved a couple steps backward with the top spinning in his hand.
Booooom.
The boulder that had been in perfect balance with the top started to lean to one side.
– If it was a sin that I stole it, why do they claim to not be sinners when they lied to the humans? This world is rotten! It is a rotten world where those in power can do whatever the fuck they want!
'The world has always been rotten.'
Cale ignored the thief's rant and put the top down on the ground.
There was only one thing the owner of the Sound of the Wind wanted.
Freedom. The only way to provide that was to destroy the top.
Crack.
The top broke into pieces under Cale's foot.
Shriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiek-
A sharp noise like a screech echoed under the water as the top broke. The wind that poured out of the broken top started to surround Cale.
– You have the power of recovery. Don't get caught like I did. Got it?
'The power of recovery? Is she talking about the Vitality of the Heart?'
Cale started to frown as the thief said her final words.
– Be free.
Swooooosh.
A white wind surrounded Cale's body and moved up to his head before starting to move downward. It would do this until it reached his feet before stopping there.
'Hmm?'
But the wind instead roamed around his heart.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Cale's heart suddenly started to beat wildly.
'Ugh.'
Cale's heart was beating so much that it hurt. Cale patted his heart with his right hand as air bubbles came out of his mouth that forcefully opened because of the pain.
'What is going on?'
'Ugh.'
Cale held back another moan and curled up his body. At that moment, the wind flashed, before instantly moving down to his feet and drawing an image on his ankle. Cale could see the image of a whirlpool in the gap between the scuba suit and the scuba shoes.
This whirlpool was also silver in color.
Once the whirlpool image was completed, Cale could finally feel his heart calming down.
'Did the Vitality of the Heart strengthen the Sound of the Wind as well?'
He was curious, but did not have any time to think about it.
Beep, beep-
The alarm rang once again to let him know that not much time was left.
However, he still had plenty of time.
Cale activated the Sound of the Wind and a gust of wind started to swirl around his feet.
Cale lightly moved one foot forward.
Swiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiish!
Cale's body instantly cut through the water. Although the large whirlpool in front of the central island was gone, the other whirlpools were still existent. However, Cale easily moved past them without any issue.
'The other whirlpools will disappear within a week.'
However, Cale was planning on maintaining those whirlpools for about a year. The whirlpools recognized the Sound of the Wind, the symbol of their owner, and made way for Cale.
His destination was the Cliff of Winds.
Cale watched the cliff quickly get closer and kicked off the ground before he got too close. His body shot upward in reaction.
Swiiiiiiiiiish-
The ocean breeze welcomed Cale as he came back above water. Cale quickly took off the scuba mask and threw it aside.
Beep-
The alarm went off to sound that five minutes were up.
Cale looked toward the village and saw that quite a lot of lights were starting to turn on.
"I need to hurry."
Hans probably wouldn't come to wake him up because he said to not bother him unless it was a matter of life or death, but it was still better to return quickly.
Cale swam toward the Cliff of Winds and noticed large and small boulders underneath the cliff. These boulders were the reason that anybody who fell off the cliff to their death ended up with mauled up corpses.
Cale looked to find the boulder that resembled the head of a lion. It was easy to find because it was the largest boulder in the area.
Cale then started to smile after seeing the small cave behind the boulder.
'Found it.'
Toonka had a fateful encounter in this cave after earning the Sound of the Wind. It was something useless for Toonka, but it was an 'ingredient' that Cale would put to good use in the future.
If this ingredient was combined with the ingredient that Lock will acquire for Cale in the future, the Queen of the Jungle will have no choice but to make a deal with Cale.
'The queen needs to save the jungle.'
Cale carefully swam past the boulders and entered the cave. The cave entrance was dark because the moon had already set, but it did not matter. Cale entered the cave and quickly jumped out of the water.
He then looked up at the sky outside.
'It's about time he arrived.'
The Black Dragon immediately started to speak, as if he had read Cale's mind. However, the Black Dragon was speaking inside Cale's mind.
– Weak human, you are not hurt.
There was only one reason for the Black Dragon to talk inside Cale's head. Cale started to get the chills. He slowly turned his head toward the inside of the cave.
The Black Dragon only spoke into Cale's head when there was someone unfamiliar nearby.
– There is a lifeform inside this cave. Although it is almost dead, thankfully, it is not a corpse that you fear.
Pssssssss. Pssssssss.
Cale could hear something dragging inside the cave and started to contemplate his choices.
'Jump back into the water? Or ask the Dragon to take me home right now?'
Psssssssss. Pssssssss. Pssss.
But that dragging noise became more urgent and the lifeform revealed itself before Cale could make up his mind. Cale put one foot back into the water.
The lifeform that revealed itself started to speak in a shaking voice.
"P, please save me."
Ah. A gasp came out of Cale's mouth. The lifeform had a salty smell to it. It was the smell of the sea.
'No way.'
"There is something I must accomplish. I, cannot, d, die here!"
A human looking existence, with its horrendously scratched up leg dragging behind it, approached Cale.
There was a green fluid on the scratches that made the existence continue to vomit up blood. That was clearly the work of a mermaid.
"P, please-."
It was a whale.
This beautiful human with messy hair that was crawling toward Cale with his hands, was a whale.
– Weak human, did you catch a cold? Your face is pale.
The Black Dragon was talking into Cale's mind, but Cale could not hear it. Cale felt like he was facing a scene straight out of a horror movie.
An injured, almost dead, member of the Whale Tribe had revealed himself to Cale.