LOTM: Seekers

44. New Ability

With an added 2,000 and 1,500 points, my current total stood at:

Points: 4,219

Loan: 25,000 points

That was roughly my balance. The reason this mattered now was simple—

I was thirsty.

Drinking from the black sea was no different from throwing my life away. I was counting on returning to the modern world—even if it was warped—that's why I hadn't prepared any water for this ordeal.

Desperately searching for a way to solve this problem.

So, I turned to the store tab, searching for a solution.

Ninjutsu: Water Release

Price: 3,999 points

A well-known basic ninja technique, with potential for further development.

Penalty: Uses life force instead of chakra as fuel.

It wasn't a bad option, but the life force cost gave me pause. Before I ascended—at least to demi-god status—I didn't have an unlimited reserve of life energy, nor was it something I could easily sustain for a long time.

Water Bender

Price: 2,999 points

One of the four basic bendings. Grants the ability to manipulate water—its properties, temperature, shape, and more.

Penalty: Each use draws blood from your body; the more you bend, the more blood you lose.

Blood could be replenished fairly quickly, as long as I didn't overuse the ability. So the penalty wasn't too severe. But there was a catch—I needed water before I could even begin to bend it. That made it useless in my current situation.

Water Spirit's Mastery

Price: 4,999 points

You start at level 1 and must train the skill. Upon reaching mastery level 105, you can finally see the spirit. Communicating requires a special language. Spirits are whimsical—they might help, or they might not.

P.S. The water spirit might not even exist nearby—you're the only one who knows for sure.

Penalty: Easy to lose control.

...Isn't this just an outright scam?

Create Water

Price: 2,999 points

This ability lets you conjure water from nothing—the volume depends entirely on your skill level.

Penalty: The more water you create, the greater your fear of water becomes. Duration depend on how much you created.

I suppose this is the most ideal option for my current predicament. The price is on the higher side, especially since it lacks offensive or defensive capabilities, but the penalty seems almost negligible.

Water Magic

Price: 1,999 points

The ultimate mastery of water—granting you the power to produce, control, and manipulate water at will, as long as you have the stamina to sustain it.

Penalty: Your body transforms, becoming composed of water itself.

Yes—Create Water, nothing else.

The moment I confirmed my choice, then with my will water spurted from my hand like a bursting hose, flowing straight into my mouth.

Haa~

The satisfaction of drinking pure water was beyond words.

Around me lay the corpse of a strange creature, beneath the starless sky—this desolate place where I found myself.

I turned, facing the vast expanse of the dark sea, and a wave of fear washed over me.

My hands and legs trembled uncontrollably, making even the simplest movements a struggle.

I supposed this must be the penalty.

I lay down, using the corpses scattered around me as cover, and gazed up at the night sky.

Day 2.

With the sunrise cresting the horizon, I witnessed something unimaginable.

The dark sea had receded so rapidly that within minutes, I found myself standing atop a towering structure instead of a tiny island.

Evaluation: 3 (Very Low)

Countdown: 29 days, 12 hours, 13 minutes remaining.

With the sun shining brightly overhead, I glanced down at myself. What a mess I was.

My once-pristine suit was stained and torn from the struggle and pain. My left hand was gone—severed and taken by that griffin-like creature, most likely already swallowed whole.

'The Constellation Demon-Like Judge of Fire condemns the sun!'

'The Constellation Demon-Like Judge of Fire wonders if you intend to destroy it.'

What was going on with her?

Should I shoot an arrow to take it down? Or would I simply get burned for flying too close?

I cracked a dry joke to lift my spirits before forcing myself to continue the inspection.

Fortunately, I wasn't limited to secreting thread only from the tips of my fingers.

From the burnt end of my severed arm, thread began to emerge—one strand, then two, steadily multiplying.

After nearly an hour, a white, hand-shaped mass of thread had formed where my hand once was.

It was purely ornamental, with no function—unable to grasp or move. I could have left it like a limp tentacle dangling from my arm.

But this was the perfect opportunity to deepen my mastery over thread manipulation.

I had never imagined such precise control before. This was an uncharted realm of power, waiting to be explored.

To be honest, from up here, the view was quite breathtaking.

Below stretched a vast forest made entirely of red coral. Not far off on the horizon, I spotted a giant statue—some kind of a knight, though its head was missing.

Despite the eerie atmosphere, it was unlike anything I had ever seen in the three worlds I'd visited.

At least, nothing this bizarre had ever stuck in my memory before.

Far below, the carcasses of land creatures that had been too slow to escape the dark sea littered the ground, alongside the remains of a sea beast that had perished in last night's brutal fight.

The armored creatures I had battled earlier were now scavenging the remains.

I nodded in understanding—these scavengers were likely at the very bottom of the food chain. Compared to the creatures I'd encountered at the start, they were undeniably weak.

...

I had been silent all this time, but now even my thoughts began to quiet, settling into a rare stillness. I craved a brief moment of peace.

After a few moments of respite, I steeled myself.

I was ready to face the next challenge.

Now… What should I do next?