The Lady of the pond(1)

Maybe this girl is less of an airhead than I thought. I really don't know what to think of this soul contract thing, it seems beneficial but what if Shalia tries to trick me?.... No matter how I think of it, I need Shalia, since my own knowledge about this world is very limited and even if Shalia is an airhead, she seems to know more than enough to help me get around and used to this new world.

"Shalia, prepare the soul contract and set it to master-servant with me as the master and you as the servant.", I decide to give this girl a vote of trust, it's probably a bad idea but sometimes even bad ideas get good results. I know I could probably just get the knowledge and leave, but Shalia is LVL 77 and even if I don't know if it's considered high or low, it's most probably high so just let me gamble with life and quietly watch.

Shalia smiled lightly when I said that, she had a different look in her eyes as if I'm looking at someone else and not the airhead Dryed that I was talking to a while ago, this feeling didn't really last much, as strong light obstructed my vision and it suddenly became too bright for me to keep my eyes opened.

Once again I lost consciousness after a completely senseless event.

-Later-

It's been two hours since I told Shalia to make the contract, or so she told me once I woke up some minutes ago.

It's still night time but it's relatively hot, I don't know how hot but its definitely not a low temperature, it could be because of my new body and the fur I found was now part of my face. I'm sweating while I look at the moon trying to figure what will be of me from now on.

Before I thought that just getting a nice cave to live in, then use the berries and fruits of this forest as food would do, but now I found myself thinking "and what then?" what will I do after I get used to it? All of this is assuming I'm able to survive, which I think won't be so hard with Shalia helping me, the big problem is that I don't even know what I want.... What do I like? What do I wish for myself? Am I just going to live for living?.... Thinking about these and some other questions that suddenly popped, I don't know if I really have a reason to do anything.

I want to live! I want to live for myself!! For my own reasons..... I don't just want to live because I'm too lazy or scared to die, or even because my mother in my past life told me to..... I want to be my own person and fight for myself..... The problem is, I don't know who I am.

I get up and start walking, I don't know where I'm going but I know I need this.

"W-wait for me master!" As I'm walking I hear the voice of an airhead, as she tries to follow me and simply trips on thin air.

She lost her balance as she stepped on her own foot and hit her head hard on the grass and dirt, seeing this a small smile comes across my face, I don't know why but I find it funny that I'm going to be relying on someone so clumsy and simple-seeming.

I wonder what kind of days await me in this new world, this girl just got me out of my line of thought and I think I was being too hurried there, I decided to be lazy and relax in the beginning didn't I? So why bother thinking too ahead in the future just now?..... I don't understand how, but, these types of thoughts just swarm me one after the other, sometimes I feel happy that I'm going to be spending time with a lively young woman..... Well, at least she looks young but, other times I feel like its a very bad idea to depend on an airhead and I should try to figure things out myself.

Thinking is dangerous..... That's the only conclusion I could come to, I'll avoid thinking too much from here on.

Just as I came to a conclusion Shalia came close to me, as I walk without knowing my destination.

"Master! You can't just go around and start walking randomly like that in the forest, it's too dangerous, there are many monsters that can tear you up instantly.", Shalia said with an expression that says you're too careless.

This girl sure has the nerve to look at me that way, considering she's the one that has to warn me of these kinds of things and protect me from them, as I don't know about it.

"I see, if that's the case then protect me, it's your job, after all, isn't it?", I reply to her with a serious expression.

I go back to looking forward and walking towards the unknown, I don't really know what's my purpose in doing this, even so, I have a feeling that tells me I should go on walking. It's like one of those moments in your life that you know you have to go somewhere, maybe you don't know why, maybe you'll ignore the feeling or you might even be afraid of going through with it. Despite all the possible reasons that might appear, it's true that it's not good for one to do this kind of thing on a whim, right now I decided to trust my instincts and my feelings, both of them tell me to go on, so I'll do it.

I walked for a while seemingly aimlessly but it soon became evident to what I was drawn to when we saw a beautiful waterfall that has crystal-like water falling into a pond surrounded by green, the reflection of the moon, this scene is.

"Beautiful.", not being able to contain my words from escaping my mouth, I say this with a smile.

"It's really pretty, how on Artneth? Did you know this was here?", Shaila asks me while looking around with curiosity.

"I don't know, I just felt something and started walking, I didn't expect to end up here..... Also, what's Artneth?", I say to her with uncertainty, but then I notice she said something weird and ask about it.

"Artneth is..... Hummmm..... Everywhere? Yeah, yeah Artneth is all of this, at least that's what Shalia was taught.", Shalia said with a rather unsure expression and answered as if she didn't know exactly what to say.

This girl probably doesn't know how to explain it, at least she seems to be trying so I won't say anything, but assuming what she said true, that's either the name of the country we are in or the continent itself.... I guess I'll have to wait for the day I see an actual map to know.

I am slightly tired and thirsty, so I move closer to the pond then kneel and lean in towards the water to drink it, and if you're thinking something on the lines of "Is that water good for consumption?" I've already confirmed it with my <Creation's eyes>.

[Mythical pond] [!]

[Mythical pond

Time of existence: Since the beginning of mana

Location classification: Mythical

Titles: |Pond of legends| |Pond of the lucky ones| |Pond of miracles|

Item's rank: S

World's item rank: B-

Description [i]

Skills: <Miracle pond>, <Truth verification>, <Truth=benefit>, <personal dimensional space>, <Skill share>, <Skill connection>, <Skill granting>, <none-equivalent exchange>, <Lady's call>, <blessing>, <Miracle water>, <forest unification>.]

[Mythical pond

Description: This is a pond of myths that harbors some of the purest water in the world of Artneth having even healing powers and it also serves as home to the Lady of the pond. Nobody knows for sure when it appeared but everyone is sure that it's as old as mana. All that has ever come across the pond has either greatly benefited from it or greatly lost because of it, depending on one's decisions it might lead to victory or to defeat. This pond has many special powers that mystify many of the sages of this world up until today, some say it's a godly creation blessed upon the mortal world to reward those worthy of it, while there are those that say it's a natural phenomenon that shouldn't be abused of or it will curse all those that have ever come across it and their descendants, there are even those that say it's a trick from the devils and evil gods trying to fool people with easily earned rewards in order to control them. As can be seen, each hypothesis is more baseless then the last one, there are many more besides these ones but those are the most common and believed ones. This pond can't be found just by everyone, those who have ever found it are lucky and become rarer and rarer. The pond has gone through many phases as the centuries went by, as more and more people knew of its existence the pond became harder and harder to find, and as it's forgotten then once again considered a myth by most of the people it becomes easier to find, there are many periods of Artneth's story where this pond does not exist.

More information on the pond [i]

Destruction method: currently impossible.

Battle method: None of the current combat abilities possessed by Individual Invicta allow him to win in battle in none of the possible predicted scenarios.

Currently predicted scenarios: 1,000,000,674(In process of calculating more possible scenarios.)

Probably of success in battle: 0.000000000000000000000000000(...)1%

Probably of defeat in battle: 99.999999999999999(...)9%

Escape method: There are a couple of escape methods. 1-The most efficient and cost-effective would be to lie(This only applies in case of success). 2-The safest would be to say the truth and request to leave (This only applies in case of success). 3-The most ineffective yet most beneficial would be an attempt at seduction(This only applies in case of success).

Other escape methods [i]

Possibly consequences in case of failure [i]]

I read the part about the water being pure and I assumed its fine to drink, after all, I'm a little thirsty and hungry now that I think about it. I drink the pond's water and continue reading through the information.

I'm impressed by a lot of what's written here, just the set of skills is already something to be worried about, I feel like it's something dangerous.

The information about this lady of the pond and all the stories people believe about this pond, it all seems somewhat familiar but in different ways, like if someone junked together parts of things I know. The more I read the more sense it makes, it would be too crazy if everyone knew of the existence of the pond, and since I found it relatively easy it's probably restarting a new cycle and most people must think of it as a myth or a fairy tale.

I currently don't need more information on the pond, just how much more could there be? It doesn't matter, now that I've seen my battle chances which was by the way something new.... I don't know if it's a special occasion or if this will appear every time from now on, but I have basically no chances whatsoever of winning this, not that I planned to fight anyways.

It seems escape is possible, I'll look out for it and try one of them if necessary.

While I'm trying to judge the situation I'm in and what kind of danger awaits me, Shalia starts talking again.

"Master! Master! You made me forget it but I was collecting fruits for you when you were unconscious. I'm sure you must be hungry after all this time.", she said with a smile while seeming like a child trying to convince her hardworking father to rest and eat.

It's nice to have someone care rather than yourself, I don't really know Shalia that well, and I shouldn't trust her just because she gave me some unconfirmed information, even so, I can't help but feel that there's no problem in doing so. I guess I'm just a too easy-going person.

"Thanks Shalia, and yes I'm a little hungry.", I say to her as I don't really feel much hunger since I ate the seed.

Shalia comes near me and gives me some fruits that she was collating, there's an apple-looking fruit and a wine's fruit.

I appraise the apple-looking fruit it says it's a devil's fruit. It seems this fruit originally only grow on the demon countries since their territories were the only ones that had the proper mana and temperature for the fruit to grow. There's also a belief that this fruit is rare and that it can increase your mana capacity.

I read the important parts of it and since I still don't know what mana is I can't understand the benefits, even so, it's eatable but seems to taste bad or at least it says so in its description.

I eat the devil's fruit and it's actually HORRIBLE! It's a disgusting mix between sour, bitter, and sweet with a slightly spicy taste, you can hardly tell the apple taste in it but it's there. I had to try hard not to throw it out immediately, as I somehow swallowed this torture of fruit I felt somewhat different, I don't know how but I know something changed.

[Individual Invicta consumed a devil's fruit and has now received a mana increment and now has a larger mana capacity. 9 consumptions left before a special reward is attributed.]

"What?!", I say in surprise as the new message is completely unexpected, not only did I really receive the mana capacity increase, whatever that is, I also now know I'll get a special bonus if I eat more 9 of these.

I should be excited and I kind of am but this fruit is supposedly rare and it tastes disgusting, so I don't know if I'll go through the trouble of eating another or even come across the chance to and I kind of hope I don't.

"Hehehehe, You have a disgusted expression master, is it your first time eating a devil's fruit?", she said laughing while looking at me, but soon turned her attention to the pond and got serious.

"How can you laugh? When I'm in such a state." I say to her.

"(It's been a while since I was visited by anyone.... Actually, I don't even remember the last time an intelligent monster visited me.... Are you perhaps a reincarnated person?)", a female voice sounded all over the place, it's not just a matter of hearing it, I felt the voice like it was inside my head.

This must be the so-called Lady of the pond, I thought as I heard this almost divine calming voice that made me relax.

"Not this old hag again! I won't let you charm my master with your witchcraft!!", Shalia said as she moved in front of me and shielded me.

Wait, what?! Shalia knows her? How? Is this woman an enemy? Those are all questions I know I'll only get the answers if I go after them.

"(Oh, we meet again little dryad child, I didn't even see you there. It's amazing that you're still alive, I was certain that you died and turned into one of those troublesome evil trees.)", the voice answered in a tone that seemed to be mocking Shalia, I wonder what kind of relationship they have.

"Oh please, like if a nymph wannabe as yourself was making it without any man to lich off.", Shalia said in response to the obvious mockery and even though I don't know what a lich is, I feel like she just said something stupid.

"(Hehehe Please, like if I would ever have interest in succumbing to such vulgar desires, besides you do realize you're a dryad correct? Do you even have the right to say such a thing to anyone?)", the voice seems unaffected by Shalia's response and actually amused by it as she says something I don't understand.

Is there something special I should know about dryads? I think to myself as their discussion moves forward.

"You! Not all dryads are like that!! We can very well survive on our own, we don't need to feed on men!!!", Shalia said while heavily blushing with an obvious expression of frustration. It seems this is a sensitive theme for her.

So dryads eat men?! WTF?! Did I set myself up with a man-eating beast?!?! Why is that every time I discover something it only makes me feel like it's a loss of some kind? I won't accept life abusing me this way!

"(It's true that not all dryads do it, but most do.)", just with words, I could see a mental image of this woman smiling in a victorious way.

"Well... Well... At least hum.... I'm not flat, YEAH! At least I'm not a flat simp hunter.", Shalia said something that if it's true means this discussion is far from ending.

Wait a second, what's a simp?