Chapter 59 – The Weight of Water
The sound of rushing currents filled the air.
Peterson's feet slid backward through the mud as seven massive spheres of water floated before him, each one pulsing faintly with blue light. They circled him slowly, like predators sizing up prey, humming with Papa Legba's spiritual energy.
Sweat poured down his face. His shirt clung to him like a second skin.
"Again…" he muttered, steadying his stance.
The spheres shimmered once—then shot toward him in a blur.
He barely dodged the first, ducked the second, but the third slammed straight into his chest with the force of a battering ram. His body flew through the air and crashed hard into the dirt, a spray of water following him.
"Guh—!"
He coughed violently, rolling over and pushing himself up on shaking arms.
Every breath burned.
Every movement hurt.
But he still stood.
"Damn it…" he gasped, "I'm not… losing… to a water balloon."
The spheres hovered silently around him again, mocking him with their calmness. Then they launched once more—seven streaks of spinning liquid light tearing through the air.
Peterson ducked, twisted, and tried to punch one mid-flight. His fist connected—
—and instantly sent him flying again.
"AAAAAARGH!"
He hit the ground, rolled, and came to a stop flat on his back, groaning.
The spheres regrouped, orbiting him slowly, as if waiting for him to stand again.
Peterson stared at the sky, chest heaving.
"Papa Legba…" he muttered between breaths, "you're… insane…"
But Papa Legba wasn't even there.
A ripple moved across the field—and the truth revealed itself.
What Peterson had been fighting all this time wasn't the real Legba.
It was a water clone, glowing faintly, its expression calm and unbothered. The clone floated a few feet away, hands behind its back, watching silently as Peterson dragged himself upright again.
"Four hours," it said, its voice echoing with watery distortion.
"You've lasted four hours, and you're still breathing."
Peterson smirked weakly. "You… call this… breathing?"
The clone tilted its head. "That's good. Then we continue."
"WHAT—?!"
The spheres shimmered, charged, and hurled forward again.
For a brief second, Peterson thought about running—but his pride wouldn't let him. He clenched his fists and screamed, punching through one of the spheres.
It burst, spraying him head to toe in cold water.
"YEAH! Take tha—"
The other six hit him at once.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
When the last sphere faded, Peterson was flat on his back again—soaked, shivering, exhausted, and absolutely done with life.
The clone nodded in satisfaction. "Good enough."
The watery figure began to dissolve, its shape melting back into a puddle that seeped into the earth. Peterson lay there for a full minute before croaking out, "That's it? You're leaving? After trying to drown me for four hours!?"
No answer.
Just silence and the smell of wet dirt.
A soft voice finally broke the stillness.
"Rough day?"
Peterson turned his head slightly—and saw Naëlle walking toward him, holding a towel and a bottle of water. Her smile was tired but warm, her long braids tied back with a strip of blue cloth.
"You look like you fought a river and lost," she said teasingly.
"I did fight a river," he groaned. "It had seven heads."
Naëlle laughed quietly and crouched beside him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Come on. You did great, Peterson. Four hours against one of Legba's water clones? Most people wouldn't last ten minutes."
"Most people wouldn't agree to this training," he muttered, trying to stand. His legs wobbled, and Naëlle quickly slipped under his arm to help steady him.
"Easy," she said. "You'll feel better once you shower. There's a spring nearby—the water's naturally hot. It'll help your body recover faster."
Peterson sighed. "You're my savior right now."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
He leaned against her slightly as they walked, both of them quiet for a while. The sound of running water grew louder as they approached a small clearing surrounded by smooth stones. Steam rose from a shallow pool at its center.
Naëlle pointed. "That's the hot spring. Go ahead. I'll wait outside."
Peterson blinked at her. "You're not coming in?"
She gave him a look. "Don't push your luck, Joseph."
He laughed weakly. "Worth a shot."
He limped toward the spring and stepped in, sinking into the warm water. The moment his body hit the heat, every muscle in him relaxed. He leaned his head back and exhaled deeply.
For the first time that day, he felt peace.
Then the voice of the system echoed in his mind:
[SYSTEM NOTICE: Quest Completed – "Survive your first training under Papa Legba."]
[Reward: Instant Level Up.]
[Level: 1 → 2]
[+10 EXP from Daily Quest Bonus]
[EXP: 10/200]
[New Skill Unlocked: Dimensional Storage]
You can now store and access your items between dimensions.
Peterson smiled faintly. "Finally… something good."
He looked down at his wet, scraped hands. "Guess I earned it."
After cleaning up and resting, he found Naëlle sitting cross-legged on a rock, eyes closed, hands resting gently on her knees. Her breathing was slow and calm.
"Hey," he said quietly. "You meditating?"
She opened one eye and smiled. "Trying to. Papa Legba says inner peace balances the flow of magic. You should try it."
"Me? Meditate?" he chuckled. "I can barely stay still."
"Exactly why you need it."
She patted the ground beside her. "Come on. Sit."
He hesitated, then sighed and sat next to her.
Naëlle smiled, eyes closing again. "Just breathe. Let the world fall quiet."
The system chimed softly:
[New Daily Quest Added]
Meditate Quietly for 10 Minutes – Reward: 20 EXP
Peterson smiled to himself and took a deep breath.
The world, for once, seemed calm.
And for the first time since he'd opened his eyes that morning, he didn't feel like running.
He just breathed.
End of Chapter 59