Ch.259259. The Fish People

The Fish-folk were practically half-human.

A half-human race with human upper bodies and fish tails for lower bodies.

From what I could see of the one I’d caught(?) to open the door for me, they were a bit smaller than humans, standing around 140cm tall with a slightly smaller build.

“Is it because she’s female?”

“Hiss… let me go…!”

She struggled fiercely, trying to bite my arm, but her teeth couldn’t reach my firm forearm wrapped around her neck. Above all, she seemed aware that the sharp point of my sword was directed at her, so she wasn’t resisting too violently.

“Well, if you don’t want to cooperate, that’s fine. I was actually craving some sashimi. Those soft scales suggest your flesh would be nice and tender, probably delicious?”

“Y-you… barbaric…!!! Human!!”

When I casually lowered my free hand to stroke the scaled tail part, she jumped in shock and struggled.

If she had been completely covered in slippery scales like her tail, I wouldn’t have been able to catch this Fish-folk.

How could anyone catch a fish with bare hands? Especially underwater.

But since her upper body was perfectly human, I had a good grip with my arm around her neck, applying just enough pressure that she couldn’t escape.

“Hmm. Small build, but everything’s where it should be.”

The Fish-folk, like the Naru tribe, didn’t really have the concept of clothing, so they walked around with their bodies nakedly exposed.

The Naru tribe at least covered themselves with swamp mud, making it hard to tell if they were naked or not, and they covered vital areas to prevent injuries. But the Fish-folk just exposed everything as if it were natural, so I didn’t really bother averting my eyes.

I was holding her from behind anyway.

It was just that due to her small size, her chin and chest were pressed against my forearm, naturally conveying certain information.

It struck me again that both the Naru tribe and the Fish-folk seemed to have top-tier genetics, receiving features in just the right proportions.

They could probably be sent to Earth as part of the entertainment industry later.

They could satisfy customers with various preferences.

Especially the Fish-folk—building an aquarium and creating a village for them would be a massive hit.

Of course, I couldn’t do something as foolish as putting valuable talents from the Rift Dimension in something like an Earth zoo.

The moment I caught this Fish-folk—no, the moment I saw them—their usefulness had already been determined.

Creak—

As the Fish-folk said something, the massive door opened.

I attempted conversation with the Fish-folk as I entered.

“What’s your name?”

“You don’t need to know!!”

Her fierce response showed a strong sense of pride.

I suppose that’s an evolutionary trait for a species surviving in the food chain of a Level 7 biome.

The Naru tribe, always fleeing and being chased, had almost taken on the appearance of prey.

But seeing how lavishly the Fish-folk lived here, they didn’t seem to be a weak species.

That’s why she could remain so defiant even while captured.

She firmly believed that within her territory, she would be saved.

“Wow…”

After passing through a long, well-decorated, wide, and tall corridor, an incredible city spread out inside the huge rocky mountain I had seen earlier.

It was a beautiful city.

Not a modern city, but an underwater city of the Fish-folk.

Houses made of beautiful, sparkling stones. Coral lined up in rows, and many Fish-folk moved about freely.

There were several more entrances like this one scattered around, and I could see some bringing in huge fish they had caught.

“A real Fish-folk city.”

“How dare you kidnap a Fish-folk and come to our village. You’re dead now.”

“You still don’t get it, do you?”

“Hmph! Just wait a little…!”

I released the Fish-folk who was speaking with such confidence.

“…Huh?”

“Go on. Get your chief.”

“…What?”

“Call someone. Preferably the chief, as I need to have a chat.”

The Fish-folk froze with a confused expression as dozens of swords appeared behind me.

She must have sensed something was wrong.

Why hadn’t I killed her?

Why had I brought her here alive?

She only realized the reason after I explained it myself.

“Y-you deliberately didn’t kill me so you could enter our village!!!”

“You may look pretty, but is your brain half-fish too?”

“Hiss…! But you’ll regret this!!”

The Fish-folk swam away quickly toward somewhere.

I leaped after her.

Then I sensed attacks coming from somewhere.

Swoosh—

Harpoons shot from all directions, grazing past me.

“Whoa.”

The female Fish-folk wasn’t wrong.

This is a city of Fish-folk.

A city of the abyss.

A species still enduring among the corrupted monsters strengthened by the dense chaotic energy in the Level 7 biome sea.

Naturally, they must have some combat ability.

Moreover, this is their territory.

Suddenly, dozens of Fish-folk surrounded me. Should I call them people or fish?

“Who are you!”

“It’s a human.”

“How did you get here!”

“She opened the door for me?”

“…No!! He threatened to kill me!!”

After talking with the female Fish-folk, I could gauge the level of the Fish-folk.

When talking to stupid creatures, you need to use direct speech.

It needs to be simple enough to make them wonder if you’re looking for a fight, only then will communication work.

“…How could a human reach such deep waters…”

Fortunately, it seemed only the Fish-folk I kidnapped was stupid, as an older Fish-folk who stepped forward appeared to understand.

“Are humans… still alive?”

A female Fish-folk who looked about 50 years old asked me.

The young female Fish-folk I had kidnapped was hiding behind her, making me think they might be family.

“Would I be here if I weren’t alive?”

“…True. What brings you here?”

“I had some business and was looking for Fish-folk. Luckily, I found you.”

“If you want something, shall we talk?”

“You seem reasonable. Shall we go inside?”

Obviously, if I wanted to make them slaves, there would be no need for conversation.

I’m a person who likes equality.

Slavery and rights cannot coexist.

Slaves must be subjugated by force, as befits their status.

That’s the logic of power in this Rift Dimension, the price for sparing lives.

That’s why I killed nearly half of the Black Monkeys and made them submit by defeating their chief in battle.

The Goblins go without saying.

The same goes for the Mining Goblins.

The Naru tribe… well, they voluntarily became slaves, so there was no need to use force.

The Fish-folk would be no different.

Just because they’re half-human doesn’t mean I should show human compassion and resolve things through words.

Intelligent species—especially humans—will think of betrayal first if treated well, as anyone who has played farming worlds knows.

Rather, because they are human, because they are an intelligent species, a clear fear must be instilled.

Think differently and die.

I am a slave.

Only by forcing such submission can one easily put them to work.

Therefore, if I wanted to use them as slaves, there would be no need for this troublesome conversation.

The moment I saw this city, I could have started by cutting off the cute female Fish-folk’s head, but instead, I’m experiencing the strange situation of drinking tea underwater in the Fish-folk chief’s house made of pearl shells. The reason is simple:

“You know what’s happening in the abyssal sea right now?”

“Is that related to why a human like you has come down to these depths?”

“Of course. I’ve come to solve it. You have nowhere else to flee, right?”

“…We will no longer flee. Although we escaped from the surface and built this city, this is now our form, different from humans.”

[Sub-Quest]

[Fish-folk]

[Long ago, humans living on the surface were chased and driven into the abyssal sea to escape powerful monsters. Mutant humans who could breathe underwater evolved over time in the abyssal sea to become Fish-folk and built an abyssal city, establishing a stronghold over generations. However, recently, the corrupted abyss caused by dense chaotic energy has been harming the Fish-folk. Strengthened monsters and seawater mixed with chaotic energy are directly and indirectly affecting them. Help the Fish-folk eliminate the corrupted abyss.]

[Eliminate the corrupted abyss tainted with dense chaotic energy deep in the abyssal sea]

[Reward: SSS+ Grade Life Skill Selection Ticket x2, Farming Stat Points 80, 400,000 Farm, Abyssal Pearl (SSS+), Fish-folk’s Trust]

The races of the Rift Dimension each have their own sub-stories.

It’s inevitable.

They are species that have existed for hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of years in a dimension that has existed for tens of thousands of years.

Of course, one might wonder if they’ve really been around that long.

Anyway, even countries with just a few thousand years of history on Earth have countless stories.

The Fish-folk, a rare species in the Rift Dimension, naturally have such stories.

With such a delicious sub-quest available, even if it’s a bit troublesome, I should sweet-talk them and extract everything I can.