Read Novel Full Chapter 299: Sea’s Nourishment
Chapter 299: Sea’s Nourishment
’She’s... she’s a freak!’
She was like Awilix before the stone belt! Even worse actually!
Vale was continually having to ward off her further attempts at copulation. Attempts she fueled using her Traits, whatever they were.
Though it wasn’t instinct she ran on, but pure, willful desire.
Vale closed one of his eyes while stifling his own desire.
’She... she needs some clothes...’
Sadly, they hadn’t really discovered tailoring, nor had the tools for it. But what they did have were the clothes from the felines of level 2 and 6.
The black leather didn’t particularly fit Naiad’s whole aesthetic, nor did it even fit in the traditional sense, but after a lot of convincing, the woman begrudgingly agreed to wear it — caging the raging sea.
Not without choice words, of course.
"How tyrannical."
But those words had coincided with a giggle, showing her odd level of attachment to Vale already — an attachment spawned from Vale’s own dangling attachment.
Still in the Dungeon Core, Vale began giving Naiad the run-down of the situation and that she was to remain on Floor Two until she became acclimated to Pandora and also Emergent.
Thankfully, Vale possessed a plethora of Nascent shards sitting around. With Naiad the only one who could currently consume them, there was no reason to withhold in favor of sparing their stockpile. Vale presented her with them, and instantly she filled up her core to its near maximum.
Finally...
Before he let her out of the Dungeon Core to meet Awilix, Toy, and the imps, he was going to look over the sea nymph’s status.
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Name: [Naiad]
Title: [Tide of Judgement]
Aspect: [Requiem of the Sea]
Class: [Wretch]
Core Rank: [Nascent] - (398/400)
Loyalty: [79/100]
Traits: [Essence Cradle] [Brume Shell] [Nourishing Wave]
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First things first, her Aspect.
[Sea’s Requiem] - [The ocean’s song was silenced by the winds it birthed. Remind the world of its forgotten lullaby.]
Vale sighed as he read it over...
’Yup!’
It seemed descriptions were back to making no sense!
Thankfully, he was next to Naiad, who was struggling to tighten the leather straps on her back.
"What does your Aspect do?"
"Oh?" The sea nymph smiled. "Exactly what it dictates. My words carry the ocean’s will."
’...’
Oh no...
’I’ve summoned a poet?!’
Shaking his head, deciding he’ll settle for learning in practice, Vale summoned the description of the first Trait.
[Essence Cradle] - [All life bears the sea’s imprint, even those who’ve abandoned it. Nurture that essence. Do not let it stray further from its cradle.]
Vale, although the description didn’t help too much, had roughly figured out what it did...
It allowed her to not only sense one’s essence of being, but also heal that essence.
In other words, she could heal every aspect of an individual.
’Meaning she would have also been able to heal Ximena’s fractured core.’
When Vale thought about it, the ability made perfect sense. All life had come from the ocean — the ocean was life’s cradle. And as the embodiment of the sea, she could reach the mark it left behind and restore it.
Next was [Brume Shell], which was the first Trait she’d displayed when she’d been summoned. It allowed her to summon a film of condensed mist to shroud and protect herself.
[Brume Shell] - [Rest beneath the ocean’s haze.]
’How straightforward!’
All other descriptions should take example from the simple ones!
Finally, there was [Nourishing Wave].
[Nourishing Wave] - [Let all be embraced by the ocean’s soothing touch.]
From what Vale understood, it was much like [Essence Cradle], but it instead focused on healing the physical aspects of a person — their vessel.
While [Essence Cradle] could heal the vessel as well, [Nourishing Wave] was much more potent in that field.
As Vale digested Naiad’s abilities, he caught a measure of... something.
It wasn’t exactly solace, but Naiad’s abilities half confirmed that Diligence, in her own twisted way, had told the truth about wanting what was best for Vale — that Ximena would have been savable without Salome.
After all...
The freeing of Ximena would have played out the same, but instead of Salome healing the owl, it would have presumably been Naiad.
But...
’That would mean I’d have summoned her sooner?’
Either he really went to town in Diligence’s future, securing Satisfaction after Satisfaction. Or...
’If a Champion dies, the cost is lowered...?’
After summoning Naiad, the cost for the next one had doubled again; it was at an expensive 160 Satisfaction. Though Naiad made that number reasonable...
But if a Champion died, then it would go back to 80?
’But what about Awilix?’
She hadn’t been ’summoned’ with any Satisfaction. Would it be lowered if she died?
Maybe...
’Why does this even matter?’
Instead of thinking on what would happen if a Champion died, why not work on preventing that future to begin with...
’Perhaps her whispers have gotten to me.’
Conscious or not, Vale had already been steeling his resolve. His resolve that Diligence’s prophecy was bound to pass. Someone — multiple — were going to die. There was little Vale could do to deny that fact.
The most he could do was try and stack the cards to protect those dearest to him; however, doing that might be what very well leads to someone’s death. Who knows?
Perhaps nobody would die had Diligence never told him. Maybe it was that act which was the catalyst for those dreadful outcomes...
Shaking those thoughts from his head, Vale’s eyes danced upon Naiad, who’d finally managed to slip the onyx outfit on.
The outfit which, despite the juxtaposition to her entire being, suited her well... too well.
Vale averted his eyes as he pushed off the invisible ground.
"I think it’s time we go meet the others."
"Is that so?"
"Oh, but do try your best to reel in your desire..."
’I doubt she cares for race or gender as the very embodiment of something outside of those constructs.’
Well, unless they were human. Naiad didn’t really like humans...
But everything else seemed to be on the table!
Hopefully not the imps and warriors though... that would be an issue.
To Vale’s words, the sea nymph smiled and shrugged.
’It seems she’ll fit in just fine.’