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In the shadow of the submerged giant tree, there was something with a girth seemingly larger than a tree’s.

A monster resembling a large lizard or frog. Its slimy, shining dull-colored skin was covered with irregular, menacing spikes reminiscent of jagged stakes.

“Hisss!”

As soon as the creature saw the humans, it lunged at them immediately. It seemed to consider anything smaller and moving as nothing but prey. Given its large mouth capable of swallowing two or three people at once, humans were indeed convenient prey.

The monster swung its short four legs, crawling towards them. Interestingly, as the monster started moving, a flow was created in the surrounding water, resembling a crowd of fish swimming together. It was an organic presence that suggested some form of intent.

Despite its massive size, the creature charged at high speed. While running, it spewed a water projectile, something between a breath and saliva. It was like an artillery shot.

However, the projectile didn’t just follow gravity and inertia; it transformed into a fish-shaped form in mid-air, swimming through the air with the same momentum it was expelled with, ready to attack.

“I got this!”

Tim, a heavily armored giant, strode forward, his footsteps supported by a surface that felt solid, like the ground, despite not being covered in ice. It was the protection bestowed by Lucella. Tim’s armor was covered in a thin film of water, a result of Lucella’s blessing.

Holding a giant sword resembling a machete for giants, with the armor’s shoulders braced, Tim stood his ground. He would have dodged magical projectiles if he could, but he quickly judged that fish-shaped projectiles likely had the nature of homing even if avoided, considering their ability to swim through the air.

Then, the explosion occurred. The water projectile, previously in the shape of a fish, collided with Tim and burst into pieces.

Despite the consecutive attacks, Tim stood firm, his armor’s joints creaking heavily. The monster seemed momentarily surprised, hesitating briefly before unleashing a series of fish-shaped water projectiles.

Water burst and splashed everywhere in waves, but Tim kept moving forward. More water erupted, and Tim kept advancing. Despite more splashes and bursts, Tim didn’t stop.

Finally, in a moment that seemed like the monster had run out of breath and its bombardment ceased…

“≪Thunder Enchantment!≫”

Viola’s magic infused Tim’s giant sword with a sparkling brilliance of lightning. Without hesitation, Tim kicked off the water’s surface, closing the distance in a single leap, and swung his giant sword in a rotating motion for a powerful strike.

“Juaaa!”

A profound crashing sound and a scream echoed. While Tim’s giant sword didn’t quite split the massive creature’s head in two, it did shatter the skull upon impact. Furthermore, the thunderous force imbued in the weapon was unleashed.

Enchantments were generally powerful. They allowed adventurers to take all the “effort needed to hit the target” and concentrate it on the weapon, which meant most of the mana could transform into power.

The monster’s massive body convulsed violently from the overwhelming force. It swung its short legs in the air, spewing water from its entire body like a punctured water bag. By the time it crashed back into the water, it had breathed its last.

“Nice one!”

Wein, perched in the tree, gave a thumbs up. He maintained a reconnaissance and perimeter vigilance position, providing support in combat whenever possible.

Top-notch scouting skills shone brightly in unconventional situations, stabilizing exploration in extraordinary conditions.

The adventurers observed the fallen monster. Its weight seemed at least ten times that of Tim. Being this large, it wouldn’t fit into any storage magic items. They would have to return to the base camp at some point.

“Fish-like water attacks…”
“They do bear a resemblance, don’t they?”
“Yeah. There are differences between humans and fish, but it looks similar to the mysterious monsters that appeared on the battlefield.”
“So, what about the monster itself, Viola?”

Viola’s glasses gleamed as she used a pair of tongs to lift the creature’s scalp, examining it thoroughly.

“Externally, it resembles a spitternewt. However, regular individuals of this species don’t have horns like these, and their body length is usually different.”
“In other words, it’s a Variant.”

Variant.

It was a general term for monsters that absorbed foreign and potent powers, undergoing mutations. Typically, these mutations occurred in the habitats of dragons, due to the influence of dragon aura.

However, it should take time for this process to occur. Plants absorbed dragon aura from the surrounding area, which was then consumed by small herbivorous creatures, resulting in weaker Variants. These weaker Variants would then be consumed by other monsters, further concentrating the dragon aura, eventually leading to stronger Variants.

Alternatively, monsters that ingested dragon scales, excrement, or other materials gradually gained strength. It would be highly unusual for a large number of monsters to simultaneously become Variants.

“Hey, take a look over there.”

Wein pointed beyond the trees. There lay a small mountain of bones, scales, and large, sturdy fins. These were the remnants of other Variants that this one had consumed. It seemed it couldn’t fully digest what it had eaten, leaving behind traces of its meal.

“It was quite a big eater.”
“At the very least, there are remnants of five different monsters… No, actually, there are five bodies of Variants.”

Both the predators and the prey were Variants. At the moment, there was a high concentration of Variants in the area, but it wasn’t because of Kafal’s attempt to create a nest. It was too soon for Variants to emerge solely due to her influence.

However, a sudden surge of dragon aura filled the area, transforming the surrounding creatures into Variants.

“Most likely, almost all of the original monsters in this area have become Variants. Especially those individuals that absorbed a significant amount of dragon aura and species that were already adapted to underwater environments are thriving as the winners in this environment. There’s fierce competition at the individual level, including cannibalism.”
“In that case, eventually, yesterday’s ‘Lord’ will consume them all.”
“Even if not, as their numbers decrease, the concentration of dragon aura will increase, making them incredibly powerful.”
“It’s a race against time. As long as we can handle it, we must thin their numbers.”

Currently, Lucella and her group were using the location Kafal had chosen for her nest as their base camp to explore the surrounding area. Their goal was to hunt down and gather Variants.

The first objective was thinning their numbers. If they left the Variants to fight amongst themselves, incredibly powerful Variants could emerge. The second objective was to acquire dragon aura. If Lucella and Kafal could collect the mysterious dragon aura that was emanating from somewhere, it would greatly assist them in facing the ‘Wisdom Eye Vortex’.

The situation was becoming increasingly dire. An opponent that they could defeat today might not be so easily overcome tomorrow. This exploration was a life-or-death battle, a race against time.

“By the way, how much can you consume, Lucella?”
“…If I grind it into ash and brew it, practically a limitless amount.”
“But that’s such a waste!”

Upon Lucella’s rational response, Viola lamented.

“Since dragon aura isn’t a physical nutrient, it still has its effects.”
“Even so, this is a perfect opportunity to study the taste of Variants!”
“Why are you so fixated on the taste!?”
“Just cook them when you can. After all, we’re going to eat it too.”

Wein efficiently secured chains and buoys for towing onto the body of the Variant.

While Lucella and the others stood on the water’s surface, the cargo they needed to transport was submerged in the water. By floating it and towing it, they could transport it efficiently.

Among the items swept away by the sudden flood were everyone’s provisions. Even with the remaining emergency rations, they could probably last a few days, but it would be better to procure other food if possible. These Variants were intended to be eaten by everyone.

“You know… this reminds me of when we first came to Mount Kuguse.
“It’s truly an intriguing experience. I, too, will enjoy it as a privilege.”

With everyone pulling the prey together, Lucella and the others returned to their nest. Despite the battle for sustenance being a life-or-death struggle, it was surprisingly enjoyable, to the point where one might wish for such times to continue.