Chapter 11: The Water God’s Betrayal

‘Just as I expected.’

As Seyul swam through the water, a smile formed on his lips.

Just as he had predicted, he could move through the water as if it were his own domain.

In the game, Seyul’s body was nothing more than that of a regular human.

Aside from his extraordinary beauty, he had no special abilities.

Using Melusine’s powers with such a weak body would be impossible but swimming was a different matter.

If he could execute martial arts moves with this flimsy game avatar, then swimming, which also required precise body movements, should be no exception.

By adapting the swimming techniques he had mastered in his original body, he was able to move effortlessly.

‘It’s been a while since I felt this sensation.’

Seyul closed his eyes briefly, enjoying the familiar feeling.

In his previous world, he had lived in a country closely tied to the sea.

As a Melusine, his kind naturally resided near bodies of water, making swimming second nature to him.

Whenever he had the chance, he would dive into the water, but ever since returning, he had been stuck indoors with no opportunity to swim.

Even though this was just a game, the feeling of moving freely through the water again was exhilarating.

[Wow.]

[He swims incredibly well.]

[It’s like watching a real mermaid.]

As Seyul reveled in his own joy, so did his viewers.

To them, his swimming appeared nothing short of magical.

Since his technique stemmed from a non-human race, it was only natural that it seemed extraordinary.

His legs moved in a fluid motion, mimicking a fin, and combined with his ethereal beauty, he truly looked like a mermaid.

And then

[His clothes are soaked, and his body line… well, you know.]

[He’s a bit on the slender side, but I can’t look away.]

[Nuna, you’re so pretty!]

[Heuuung]

<Huuung has donated 20,000 won>

[Damn. As much as I hate this little brat, I can’t deny that he’s stunning.]

<Animal Kingdom has donated 10,000 won>

His drenched figure, gliding effortlessly through the water,

was mesmerizing enough to make people momentarily forget that he had just made an enemy of the Water God.

“Hahaha!”

Seyul laughed, reveling in the attention.

But just as he was about to reach the other side of the river, a dark shadow suddenly emerged in front of him.

Something grotesque burst out from the depths of the river.

A creature that could only be described as a half-man, half-fish abomination.

Its body was covered in glistening scales, and in its right hand, it gripped a massive harpoon.

The monster cackled as its yellow eyes locked onto Seyul.

“I am Crusher, ruler of this river! How dare you trespass in my domain, you fool!”

Crusher.

The boss monster of this section of the river.

[Ugh, this guy again…]

[He’s annoying every single time he shows up.]

[The river’s dangerous, not you, moron.]

Despite his grand entrance, the viewers were unimpressed.

Among players, Crusher was considered an irritating boss.

He wasn’t particularly strong, but fighting him was a hassle because of the underwater terrain.

And to make matters worse, his personality was insufferable.

A textbook third-rate villain who loved to hear himself talk.

That’s why, whenever he appeared, he was met with nothing but groans and insults.

But this time

[Wait, why is he alone?]

Something was different.

Normally, Crusher never appeared without his gang of mermen underlings.

Yet, for some reason, he was standing alone.

“Haha! And to top it off, you’ve arrived at the worst possible time.”

As the viewers began to suspect something, Crusher started boasting without even being asked.

“Not long ago, a mysterious man visited my river and taught me a powerful technique Drain! ”

“Thanks to that, I have become stronger than ever before. Even my useless underlings proved useful for once!”

With a smug grin, he proudly revealed that he had devoured his own minions using Drain.

[What the hell, Goblin Master?!]

[Did he seriously teach that to this idiot?]

[At this rate, Drain’s gonna be a basic skill that every enemy has!]

[Why is a boss monster using a player’s skill?!]

[Drain is officially ruined now.]

[It’s even more annoying when he’s the one using it.]

The chat exploded into chaos.

Yet another unwanted enemy had learned Drain.

[Alright, this time, I’m actually rooting for you.]

[Please, just get rid of him already.]

The moment Crusher stole a player-exclusive skill, the viewers’ patience ran out.

“Hahaha!”

But oddly enough, Seyul didn’t point his spear at Crusher like he had with others. Instead, he laughed.

“…Why are you laughing?”

Crusher’s face stiffened at the unexpected reaction.

He took it as mockery, but Seyul’s thoughts were entirely different.

‘It’s been so long since I’ve seen another aquatic race!’

In this world, numerous species existed, and there were many water-dwelling races just like the Melusine.

It wasn’t uncommon to encounter them while swimming, and their relations were generally amicable.

Much like how dragons were revered in Seyul’s previous world,

water dragons in this world were considered sacred, akin to the Dragon King of Eastern myths.

Whenever Seyul met another aquatic species, they would treat him with special respect upon learning he was a Melusine.

Because of this, he had a favorable impression of other aquatic beings.

“I’ll let you go. Why don’t you just leave? If you go now, I won’t bother you.”

Since Crusher was a merman, a race Seyul felt a connection with, he decided to show mercy.

“Are you mocking me?!”

But Crusher erupted in fury.

Laughing and then making such a statement only felt like further ridicule.

“You dare look down on me?! Do you think I’m the same as before? I’ll make you regret it!”

Crusher charged at Seyul with explosive rage.

“If you insist on fighting, so be it.”

Seyul gripped his spear in response, and what followed was a spectacle unlike any other.

[Which one of them is the merman here?]

The merman, whose home was the water, was being completely outmaneuvered by a supposed human.

[This is surreal.]

[Is he actually a mermaid?]

[He fights even better underwater than on land!]

[If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was the fish.]

Seyul skillfully used the battlefield to his advantage, making it clear who truly ruled the water.

A massive fish-man, as big as a whale, emerged.

<I always keep my word.>

Beside the now-enlarged Crasher, the Water God appeared, glowing with a blue light.

Hovering in the air, he looked down on Seyul with disdain.

<I told you, didn’t I? That you’d regret it soon. Well, that time has come!>

The Water God’s solemn proclamation sent the chat into an uproar.

[…Wait, can gods even betray someone like this?]

[What the hell? Is this really happening?]

[You’re giving a blessing to a monster?!]

[I did NOT see that coming!]

[He said he’d be hostile, but I didn’t think he’d pull something like this!]

[So now Seyul has to fight a fish monster blessed by a god?]

[This is so messed up!]

[Water God, you traitor!]

[Does he not know how to separate personal feelings from duty?]

[To be fair, Seyul kinda had this coming with all the taunting…]

[Yeah, maybe chill with the provocation next time…]

A supposedly helpful NPC god had just betrayed a player and sided with a monster an unprecedented event! The chat was in total chaos.

<How does it feel? Are you finally starting to regret it, hmm?>

But Seyul, the one who had been betrayed, barely reacted.

He simply glanced up at the now-enormous Crasher and the floating Water God, then muttered a single word.

“Small.”

A delicate, elegant girl, Seyul spoke with an icy, disdainful tone.

The moment the word left his lips, Crasher, the Water God, and most of the viewers especially the male ones all flinched without realizing it.

“W-what do you mean?”

Crasher, in particular, instinctively covered his groin area, despite his scales hiding it from view.