The Achievement Junkie

"Lina!"

While the Lina raced across a couple of hundred meters of water in silence, Lunara roared at her daughter.

Instantly, Jack turned the spotlight back to the school of fish and Lina closing in on them. But the school of fish instantly separated and swam away, alerted by Lunara's verbal shout. Yet Lina didn't stop!

"Lina! Get back!" Lunara continued to yell verbally and not telepathically.

'But I'm--'

"NOW!!!"

Not caring for her daughter's response telepathically, Lunara roared for all nearby wild life to hear. Finally, Lina stopped in her tracks. Her eyes turned to the trench wall now a hundred meters away and her frown fell from her face in shock.

"I said get back!" argued Lunara, rushing toward the young woman.

'A human?'

A subtle, deep voice sent chills down Lina's spine and startled Jack completely, who increased the strength of his spell to better find the source of that voice. It wasn't too difficult thanks to matching Lina's and Lunara's gaze, leaving Jack with his jaw agape.

Motionless on the trench wall, Jack spotted two massive unblinking eyes. Then, he was able to make out what seemed like a massive triangular head that was as course and colorful as the trench walls, barely moving as Lunara appeared at Lina's side. When that head twitched, Jack still struggled to find the creature's body. That was until Jack realized that most of the visible trench wall was the creature's body.

'A hydra… and a human… together?'

"Lina, get back now!" ordered Lunara, using one of her heads to shield the small, insignificant girl. When Lina finally moved and went back to Jack's side, Lunara turned her attention to the two eyes and used her telepathy, 'I'm sorry for my daughter's actions. If I replace your prey with my own food, will that suffice?'

'Your daughter… And nine heads? I've never heard of such a hydra… nor of such a large hydra… Are you here to challenge me�� like the others?' The head and eyes twitched again, wary of Lunara's every move.

Lunara replied, 'We're searching for Glacier Reef, where the hydras come from. I'm from there but left thousands of years ago. Now, we're trying to find it again and my impatient daughter chased away your meal by accident. I'm truly sorry.'

'Hmmm… And what of the other human? Can you spare him as my meal?' the creature asked calmly, staring at Jack with intrigue.

'I won't try that. He's stronger than me.'

The triangular head twitched again and the third side opened up to show its pincer-like teeth. 'Is that so… Then I'll accept the food you mentioned earlier…'

'Thank you.' Lunara bowed her heads gracefully as a Giant Spider corpse appeared in the water. 'This comes from the world above the surface. I hope you enjoy it.'

'Thank you…'

'Excuse me, but are you a Mantis Levianthon?'

Turning his attention back to Jack the giant head nodded slightly. 'I am… How would you know that?'

'Would you mind if I made my light bigger?' Jack asked, using his message skill as telepathy. 'I want to see your full size'

'And why should I allow that?'

'I'll give you more food.'

'Oh… Then go ahead.'

With permission, Jack increased the size of his beacon of light and covered the entire side of that trench wall. Finally, the hero broke out in laughter after realizing just how monstrous this beast was and why Lunara offered it respect.

From the top of the head to the tip of its tail, the beast was incomparably long. Jack could only think of one beast whose length could pass that of the Mantis Leviathan, Dragov before ascension. Most of its body was the combination of a centipede and a lobster, clinging to the trench walls and blending in to hide from prey. What made it a mantis leviathan, however, was the upper body portion of the beast, which was basically a giant praying mantis with three pairs of long, barb-covered limbs. That portion wasn't as long as the beast's tail end but it was far more threatening.

Before saying anything else, Jack took out a Storm Dragon tail and let it begin drifting down the water.

Upon seeing the corpse, the mantis was impatient. Unlike before, when the mantis let the spider corpse drift to the ground, the leviathan lashed out with two of his powerful limbs. The barbs on the beast's forearms gripped the dead flesh and tore it open as the Mantis Leviathan instantly bit into his meal. After a few seconds of ripping the tail apart and feasting on its meat, the Mantis Leviathan cleaned its pincer-like teeth and looked back to Jack.

'This… What is it?'

'Something from the outside world. Right now, we've got somewhere to be but I wouldn't mind bringing you more rare foods after we're done,' stated Jack. 'We may be able to talk about you passing lv. 89.'

'Oh… so it's possible?'

'We've already done it, that's why she warned you about me.'

'I'd like to talk then… But after you find the hydras?' Taking a moment to think, the Mantis Leviathan turned his head and reached out with one of his free arms. 'That way… about a thousand lengths of my body… You'll find the trench you want… But don't send more my way…'

'And what can we call you?' asked Jack.

'I have no name…'

Tilting his head to the side, Jack smiled. 'Can I call you… Jinbe?'

'Hmm… That is an acceptable name…'

'Then, Jinbe, would you mind if we made a promise? It will prove that I'll be back to see you. How does that sound?'

'Jack, you wouldn't--'

'It's called a mutual seal,' Jack continued, letting Lunara sigh in relief. 'It will link us so we can find each other easier. Then you'll be able to roam and hunt and I'll be able to find you with ease. Then, if we can reach an agreement, I'll help you pass lv. 89 and make you a god. How about it?'