Ch.398398 – Baby Kraken

<398 – Baby Kraken>

Dobby’s fighting style was unique, but its limitations were clear.

‘A one-trick meta that inflicts fear status effects but becomes completely useless against opponents immune to doomsday prophecies!’

The power is determined by how detailed and frightening the apocalypse is, and how deeply one engraves that terrifying moment into their soul.

But Dobby had indirectly experienced moments of apocalypse so intense that survival would normally be impossible through player memories, making his power quite formidable.

“Creatures possessing even fragments of reason cannot maintain their sanity before me, who serves Lord Oknodie. Please rest assured and accept my assistance!”

Though slightly unsettling, his help was undeniably useful.

I decided to just accept it comfortably.

“Stand back!”

“Get lost!”

“Do you wish to be reduced to a puddle of blood!”

The seniors had worked hard at the Summoning Headquarters to find summons they wanted to contract with, prepared catalysts needed for summoning magic circles, chosen auspicious days to increase summoning probability, conducted summoning rituals at appropriate locations, and offered tributes to increase contract success rates.

It was a pitiful sight to see these summons, which must have cost enormous amounts of money, breaking their contracts in real-time and fleeing back to their original dimensions.

‘The seniors look so miserable, I should finish my business and return quickly!’

Passing through the corridor, I saw a ladder leading to a hatch in the ceiling in front of a room filled with water like an aquarium.

Climbing up the ladder slowly, I saw a warning sign in front of the hatch.

━━━

WARNING!

This isolation chamber houses a <Baby Kraken> captured for experimental purposes.

Please note that no one will be held responsible for any accidents that occur if you enter without sufficient underwater protection measures.

━━━

A warning message that thoroughly intimidates you, like entering an anaconda’s cage that swallows anything that moves!

Even the fearless Dobby didn’t have the courage to follow me into the water where he could only produce bubbles, so he guarded the entrance and solemnly said:

“I cannot breathe underwater.”

“Normally newbies learn by filling their lungs with water!”

“…”

“Hehe. I’m joking, so relax. You’ve been helpful enough today, so I’ll let you off.”

“I’m grateful for your mercy…”

“Then please watch my clothes from here!”

As I unbuttoned my uniform, Dobby suddenly looked around in great confusion and flustered.

“W-wait, this is troubling! How can a man and woman in such a place!”

“I’m wearing a swimsuit underneath, you know?”

“S-still!”

Hehe.

Perhaps because I was so flustered by Dobby earlier, I felt satisfied seeing him turn his head away with a reddened face as soon as I started removing my skirt.

Now we’re even!

“Will you guard my backpack and clothes well?”

“I will protect them with my life.”

What I was wearing under my uniform was the school swimsuit issued during Professor Platton’s class in the first semester!

The sensation of the school swimsuit clinging tightly to my body still felt awkward, but I shook off the unfamiliar feeling by recalling how I occasionally wore bikini armor-like equipment for stat boosts when playing male characters.

Aside from the unfamiliarity of the clothing, there were no difficulties.

Entering the Baby Kraken’s tank might be dangerous, but as someone who has diligently collected bestiary entries, I won’t be deterred by such challenges.

━━━

Underwater Breathing +30 minutes

Water Affinity 45% (Underwater Movement Penalty reduced by 45%)

Underwater Additional Damage +55%

Underwater Field of Vision expanded by 2 levels

Title <Natural Predator of Giant King Crabs> activated

━━━

Various underwater adjustments activate one after another as soon as I enter the water!

This is when diligent bestiary collection pays off.

Bubble bubble.

It doesn’t matter if wasted oxygen scatters as bubbles outside my mouth.

For the 30 minutes of underwater breathing granted to me.

As long as this time lasts, oxygen is naturally delivered to my body as if I were on land.

Splash splash.

Perhaps sensing movement in the water?

Long tentacles extended from the bottom of the submerged isolation chamber, targeting prey.

<Dark Electricity Generation>

Zap.

“Muoooong!”

“Ouch, that stings.”

I wasn’t electrocuted from recklessly discharging electricity underwater.

Dark mana doesn’t harm those with the same attribute, let alone the caster who controls the attribute.

It was because the dense mana contained in the ink that the startled Kraken momentarily discharged penetrated and broke the dark mana’s cohesion, changing its attribute.

“Oh come on. Stop struggling. I came to take you to a good place, why are you acting like this!”

“Muoooong!!”

The Baby Kraken extended more legs.

It was thoroughly angered and beyond persuasion.

Was it because it thought I was food but I wasn’t?

Or because it was suddenly stung by electricity?

No, that’s not it.

The Baby Kraken was trapped in this isolation chamber, in a senior’s laboratory, because it had been deceived by a senior.

[You have instinctive inspiration for animal language with various crying sounds (37).]

[Required crying sound value for inspiration hit – 500]

(x0.1 Adjustment List)

[Situation Assessment(199) function grants Instant Judgment bonus 19.9%]

[Thinking(144) function grants Combat Intelligence bonus 14.4%]

[Social Life(75) function grants Perceptiveness bonus 7.5%]

(x0.2 Adjustment List)

[Speech(82) function grants Eloquence bonus 16.4%]

[Mimicry(45) function grants Body Language bonus 9%]

[Cuteness(22) function grants Gentleness bonus 4.4%]

(Special Adjustment List)

[Experience making Kraken sounds 25%]

[Total requirement reduction bonus 96.6%]

[Required crying sound ability 17]

[Crying sound function is 17 or higher.]

[You can understand and communicate with Baby Kraken’s cries as if they were human language.]

Phew. As expected, function experience points never betray you.

The last bastion that protects players even when they’re treated unfairly!

“I won’t be fooled again. Human liar. Said if I followed, I’d get 1 ton of sardines, 1 ton of anchovies, and 100 grams of sugar daily, but only gave cultured meat and sleeping powder.”

“Oh my, that’s terrible!”

“Huh…? Human, you understand Kraken cries…?”

“Of course. I’m a friend to animals!”

“Can’t believe it. How can I trust you?”

You don’t need to trust me.

You just need to trust the blessing I have.

━━━

*Guide of Salvation* title equipped.

Blessing <Infinite Respect> activated.

━━━

*Guide of Salvation*: Having saved the world from destruction multiple times, you have become the hope of the world.

-Title Equip Effect: Activates blessing <Infinite Respect>

-Title Possession Effect: Basic likability from all creatures +10

━━━

*Infinite Respect (Blessing)*: When the blessing is activated, all creatures express respect toward you.

━━━

As I activated the blessing, the Baby Kraken lowered its sharp wariness.

“But you smell delicious. You’ve eaten Giant King Crab before?”

“Yes!”

“If you’re a friend who appreciates fine cuisine, I have no reason to dislike you. At least you’re much better than humans who feed me tasteless cultured meat.”

The conversation actually consists of “Muoooong” sounds, but communication proceeds smoothly anyway!

The Baby Kraken extended its tentacles with gentle, non-aggressive movements and softly wrapped around my body.

“Wow, now that I look at you, you’re really small? Smaller than me, a baby. You’re totally tiny tiny.”

“That’s right. That’s why I’m dissatisfied. I want to grow quickly to 2m30cm! I temporarily stopped growing to pump up my strength.”

“You’re really cute, aren’t you? A mere 2m30cm isn’t enough to survive the harsh deep-sea life. You should aim for at least 230m.”

“You were tricked by the promise of 1 ton of sardines and 1 ton of anchovies as offerings because you wanted to grow bigger?”

“That’s right.”

“Is sugar also necessary for growing bigger?”

“Adding sugar makes the water sweet and good for cleansing the palate.”

Through the glass wall, Dobby is watching us, unable to hide his confusion.

For some reason, he’s staring at me communicating with the Kraken with a very red face—I wonder why?

“Anyway, I’ll help you get out of here.”

“Really?”

“Once you touch seawater, mother Kraken can find you.”

“The humans here are too strong. It won’t be easy.”

“It’s okay. I have a plan. If you endure this cramped space for just one day, you can escape soon!”

The Baby Kraken wasn’t easily persuaded.

Is it because it’s a superior being with better racial stats than humans?

“How can I trust the words of a tiny baby who hasn’t even finished infancy?”

Ah. It’s because my size is too small.

“Wait just a moment!”

Coming out of the aquarium and shaking off water like a wet dog, Dobby hurriedly ran over.

“Are you alright? To my eyes, it looked like the Kraken was half trying to eat Lord Oknodie! How could it do such a terrible thing!”

“Huh??”

“Oh, was that not the case?”

“That Baby Kraken is a good Kraken. Even though it was deceived and imprisoned by humans, it didn’t think about destroying the lab and escaping to kill people indiscriminately!”

“…”

“Just wait a little longer!”

Dobby looked puzzled as I went back down with a curtain I took from my backpack.

The Baby Kraken also stared blankly at the curtain, so I quickly wrapped it around my body and spread the curtain wide.

“Do I look bigger now?”

The Baby Kraken’s eyes widened like a teddy bear’s as it watched the curtain fluttering in the water current from the circulation system in the isolation tank.

“The tiny baby has grown as big as me!!”

The Baby Kraken, now trusting me because of my increased size, promised full cooperation.