INFINITE - 29
"Cmon, Bell! Join us!"
Bell awkwardly laughed before waving one hand dismissively.
"Hahaha… it's fine."
"I prefer staying dry."
Marc simply smiled.
"Okay!"
--------------
Marc turned toward Juro excitedly while floating in the lake.
"Alright, Teacher Juro! I'm ready!"
Juro smiled before asking casually,
"Can you keep your eyes open underwater?"
Marc immediately nodded confidently.
"Mhm!"
Juro grinned.
"Alright then."
"Follow me."
With that, Juro dove beneath the water.
Marc quickly followed after him while Bell remained sitting quietly near the lake, watching the surface of the lake.
For a while, Bell simply stayed there silently.
Then he slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
As he exhaled.
He reopened his eyes and gradually began pouring mana into them.
A faint glow subtly formed within Bell's pupils.
But almost immediately…
A sharp strain started building inside his eyes.
A headache slowly crept into his head.
Bell narrowed his eyebrows slightly but continued anyway.
"Still not enough…"
..
…
Meanwhile beneath the lake.
Juro and Marc swam deeper into the clear waters while searching for fish.
Marc noticed several fish swimming past him and immediately tried grabbing one.
But the fish slipped away instantly.
Marc puffed his cheeks underwater in frustration.
Meanwhile Juro simply smiled while calmly swimming around as if searching for something else entirely.
After a while, Marc started feeling his lungs reaching their limit.
He looked upward, preparing to swim back up for air.
But suddenly.
Something caught his attention.
Marc's eyes widened slightly.
When he looked toward Juro, he could faintly sense mana flowing through Juro's lungs.
The mana lightly expanded and contracted rhythmically.
Almost like it was mimicking breathing itself.
Juro noticed Marc staring toward his chest.
He simply smiled knowingly before continuing to swim deeper.
Marc quickly focused.
Then he tried copying what he saw.
Slowly, he guided mana throughout his body before concentrating it around his lungs.
The mana lightly flowed and expanded.
But..
It was difficult.
Very difficult.
Marc struggled to maintain it properly.
In the end, he only managed to slightly extend the amount of time he could stay underwater.
Still.
Even an extra minute felt incredible to him.
Then while looking around the underwater environment.
Marc suddenly noticed a faint glowing blue light deeper below.
His curiosity immediately took over.
Marc slowly swam closer toward it.
As he approached, he reached out and lightly poked the glowing object curiously.
But the moment he did.
His lungs suddenly screamed at him.
"I seriously need air!"
Marc immediately turned around and began swimming upward.
But then…
Something suddenly grabbed his ankle.
Marc's eyes widened in panic.
He quickly looked downward.
And saw a blue-ish hand tightly gripping his leg from below.
Marc instinctively tried kicking it away with his other foot.
But before he could escape.
Two more hands suddenly grabbed his other leg.
Then they violently started dragging him downward.
Marc panicked instantly.
His eyes desperately searched around for Juro.
Then suddenly.
A figure burst through the water at terrifying speed.
Juro.
Without hesitation.
Juro threw a punch straight downward toward the creature.
The creature immediately emerged from the darkness beneath the lake.
Marc's eyes widened.
It had blue-tinted skin, a long powerful tail, and six thick limbs extending from its body.
The creature shook its body underwater while locked onto Marc.
Marc finally managed to break free and quickly swam upward toward the surface.
But the creature suddenly whipped its tail violently.
BOOM!
The burst of force launched it upward at terrifying speed.
Two of its arms stretched forward, ready to grab Marc's legs again.
Marc's eyes widened in panic.
But just before the creature could reach him.
Juro suddenly appeared from the side.
Without hesitation.
He punched the creature directly in the face.
DUM
The sheer force sent the creature flying underwater before crashing violently into the rocky wall of the lake.
Cracks spread across the stone instantly.
Juro casually smiled after throwing the punch.
Meanwhile Marc finally resurfaced.
"HAH! HAAAH…"
He gasped for air rapidly.
Bell immediately looked toward him.
But before Bell could even ask anything, Marc took a few quick breaths and instantly dove back underwater again to help Juro.
Yet the moment Marc returned beneath the surface.
He froze.
Juro had already tied all six limbs of the creature together with rope.
Juro noticed Marc staring and casually gave him a thumbs up underwater.
Marc couldn't help smiling.
Then Juro grabbed the tied limbs and motioned for Marc to hold the creature.
Marc nodded confidently and grabbed it.
But the moment Juro let go.
Marc's eyes widened in shock.
The creature's weight instantly dragged him downward.
Marc panicked while trying desperately not to sink.
Meanwhile…
Juro somehow looked like he was laughing underwater.
He casually grabbed the tied limbs again with one hand to help support the weight.
Then with his other hand, he motioned for Marc to look toward his arm.
Marc blinked before focusing carefully.
That's when he noticed it.
Mana flowing throughout Juro's arm.
Marc's eyes widened slightly.
Then realization hit him.
Quickly, Marc surged mana throughout both of his arms.
The strength in his body immediately increased.
Juro smiled before finally letting go again.
This time.
Marc successfully held the creature without sinking.
Though barely.
His whole body strained from the weight.
Marc quickly pushed even more mana into his legs before slowly swimming upward.
The creature was still absurdly heavy.
But with mana reinforcing his arms and legs, it became manageable.
Eventually, Marc's head broke through the surface again.
"Bell!!"
Marc struggled while holding the creature.
"Quick! Help me with this! It's soooo heavyyyyy!!"
Bell immediately reached one hand toward the water.
Mana flowed out from his palm and engulfed his hand.
Then the mana stretched downward beneath the lake.
Taking the form of a large translucent hand underwater.
The mana hand grabbed the tied creature.
The moment Bell felt its weight.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Heavy…"
He immediately poured more mana into the manifested hand.
Then Bell slowly closed his real hand.
The mana hand copied the movement perfectly and tightly grabbed the creature.
Afterward, Bell carefully lifted his arm upward.
The massive mana hand slowly raised the creature out of the lake.
Marc finally let go in relief.
Bell then guided the floating creature toward the ground.
The mana hand slowly dispersed afterward into thin streams of light.
The creature finally dropped onto the grassy ground with a heavy thud.
Marc stared at Bell in amazement.
"Woaa… Bell, you can do that too?!"
Bell smiled and simply looked away slightly.
"It's just manifested mana."
Marc still looked impressed anyway.
Then he quickly pointed toward the lake.
"I'm gonna go check on Teacher Juro!"
He grinned brightly.
"Good job, Bell!"
And with that, Marc immediately dove back underwater again.
Meanwhile…
At the bottom of the lake, Juro casually looked upward while smiling to himself.
"Looks like the kids are working together pretty well."
But then.
He suddenly felt something grab his leg.
Juro slowly looked downward.
Another creature from the same species had appeared beneath him.
Then more hands grabbed onto his legs.
The creatures started pulling him downward aggressively.
But.
Juro didn't move even an inch.
The creatures seemed confused.
They used all their limbs and strength trying to drag him deeper underwater.
Yet Juro still remained completely still.
Juro slowly smiled.
A rather big grin.
Then he casually wound back his arm, clenched his fist.
And punched.
BOOM.
The creature instantly got knocked unconscious from a single hit.
Right at that moment, Marc arrived back underwater.
He looked toward Juro.
Then blinked in shock.
Juro was casually holding another unconscious creature in one hand.
Marc looked completely amazed.
Juro simply motioned for him to take it.
Marc immediately grabbed the creature before swimming back upward again to repeat the process with Bell.
As Marc swam away.
Juro suddenly noticed a faint blue glow moving through the shadow nearby.
His smile widened slightly.
The glowing creature immediately sensed danger.
Its massive tail exploded with force as it tried escaping through the water at incredible speed.
But unexpectedly.
Juro casually caught up to it underwater.
Then without hesitation.
He launched an uppercut straight into the creature.
BOOOOOOM.
The impact was so absurdly strong that the creature got launched all the way out of the lake.
It continued flying upward into the sky.
Above the surface, both Marc and Bell suddenly looked upward.
Marc's jaw dropped.
"Woaa…"
The creature continued soaring higher.
Then finally.
THUD.
It crashed down onto the ground nearby.
Marc stared in pure awe.
"WOAAAAAA…"
A few seconds later, Juro casually emerged from the lake right beside Marc.
Then with a grin, he said,
"Looks like we have three now."
"One for each of us."
Juro laughed.
"We can eat until we're full, hehe."
Marc immediately smiled brightly.
"Yeah!!!"
The two climbed out of the lake and returned onto land.
Marc quickly touched his shirt and pants again.
His eyes widened for what felt like the hundredth time today.
"Woaaahhh… they're still completely dry…"
Juro simply smiled before reaching a hand toward him.
Mana flowed out from Juro's palm and transformed into a warm stream of air that quickly dried Marc's wet skin and hair.
Afterward, Juro dried himself the same way.
Bell then stood up from where he had been sitting.
"I guess we're heading back to the tree now."
Juro nodded with a smile.
"Yep."
Marc immediately stepped forward enthusiastically.
"Let me help carry one of these!"
He grabbed one of the creature's limbs confidently.
Then Marc exhaled and began surging mana throughout his arms again to strengthen himself.
But the moment the mana flowed.
Marc suddenly noticed something.
The moment Marc tried lifting the creature.
The Plumpia felt way heavier on land than it did underwater.
In fact.
He couldn't even fully lift it.
"Arghhh….what the…?!"
Marc strained while trying to pull the creature upward.
"It's so heavyyyyy!!"
Juro burst out laughing.
Then casually.
He grabbed one Plumpia with one hand.
And another with his other hand.
As if they weighed almost nothing.
Marc and Bell both stared blankly for a second.
Juro then motioned toward the third creature using his head.
"You and Bell can carry that one back to the tree."
Then he casually started walking ahead while carrying the other two creatures effortlessly.
Marc stared in disbelief.
"…How is he carrying those so easily…"
Bell sighed quietly.
"Let's just carry it."
The two grabbed two limbs each from the six-limbed creature.
Then both of them started reinforcing their bodies with mana.
Bell glanced toward Marc.
"Use mana on your stomach too."
Marc blinked.
"Huh?"
"Your core and legs." Bell adjusted his grip slightly. "Not just your arms. It'll make the weight easier to handle."
Marc immediately nodded.
"Ohhh!"
He quickly surged mana throughout the areas Bell mentioned.
Then together.
The two slowly lifted the creature.
Though even with mana reinforcement.
It was still absurdly heavy.
The two struggled while slowly walking behind Juro.
Sweat formed across their faces while mana constantly flowed through their bodies to strengthen them.
Meanwhile, Juro casually glanced back toward them while walking ahead.
A small smile quietly appeared on his face.
Eventually.
The three finally returned beneath the shade of the large tree.
The moment Marc and Bell arrived.
They immediately dropped the creature.
THUD.
Then both of them collapsed onto the ground and leaned against the tree while panting heavily.
Marc groaned loudly.
"Aughhh… my arms are so sore…"
Meanwhile Bell silently tried recovering his breathing.
"Dammit…"
"I used a ton of mana today…"
He closed his eyes briefly.
"And my body's exhausted too…"
Then Bell looked down toward the creature resentfully.
"That damned Plumpia…"
Marc eventually pointed toward the creature while looking at Juro.
"Teacher Juro, what's this creature called?"
Juro smiled.
"That creature is called a Plumpia."
"It's pretty famous for being absurdly heavy despite its relatively small size."
Marc immediately looked back and forth at the creature.
"Ehhhhhh?! Small size?!"
He pointed at the creature dramatically.
"We're almost the same size as this thing! That's scary!"
Juro laughed.
"Well, yeah. You two are still kids."
He grinned teasingly.
"You might even end up taller than me someday."
Marc awkwardly chuckled before asking curiously,
"What are Plumpias like?"
Juro crouched beside the unconscious creature thoughtfully.
"Hmmm…"
Then he rolled the creature slightly.
"As you can see…"
He pointed toward its face area.
"They don't have eyes."
Marc leaned closer.
"Oooo…"
Then another thought appeared in his head.
"Wait… do they also not have ears?"
Juro smiled.
"That's what most people originally thought too."
"But after researchers studied them more carefully…"
He pointed toward one of the creature's gills.
"They discovered tiny ear holes hidden inside the gills."
Marc looked amazed again.
"Ooooo…"
Juro then raised a finger.
"But hearing actually isn't their specialty."
He pointed toward the faint glowing blue lure hanging from the creature.
"Their true strength is detecting vibrations."
"They use this glowing light to lure smaller creatures and fish closer."
Juro smiled knowingly at Marc.
"And once something gets close enough…"
"Even the slightest movement can alert a Plumpia instantly."
Marc awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"Ahahaha…"
"So I basically fell for the trap like prey…"
Bell quietly listened to Juro's explanation while thinking to himself,
"He really is ridiculously knowledgeable…"
"Not just about magic either."
Bell glanced toward Juro briefly.
"He's genuinely impressive."
Juro eventually stood back up before clapping his hands together once.
"Alright!"
He smiled brightly.
"Time for lunch."
Marc immediately raised both hands excitedly again.
"Yeah!!!"