Aurelian arrived at the bank of the Aegean Sea as the sun began to set, casting a deep orange glow across the water. He then scanned the shoreline, his eyes tracking the movement of the tide. His plan was simple: he didn't want a protracted battle. He just needed the salt. If he could scoop enough seawater into his containers and retreat before the monster could land a hit, he could save time and energy.
'This shouldn't be a hassle,' Aurelian thought.
As he approached the water's edge, the surface broke. And a faint, massive body rose from the depths. It was a sea serpent, its body covered in jagged, grey scales that shimmered with an oily sheen. The creature was easily forty feet long, its thick coils undulating beneath the waves as it hissed, showing rows of needle-like teeth.
BOOM!
Aurelian leaped back, his boots skidding on the wet sand. He panted slightly, the adrenaline spiking in his chest. That had been too close; the creature's reach was further than he had anticipated.
'It seems I have to fight it after all,' he thought, his gaze hardening.
He stood his ground and stretched out his left arm toward the sea. This was the perfect moment to test his new spell, [Virtuous Lance], in combat. He focused on his aether manipulation, channeling the energy form into his palm.
"Virtuous Lance."
The air around him suddenly pulsed with the sound of roaring thunder. A white-yellow aura erupted from his body, swirling violently around his extended arm, his black hair waving back. Pure light began to condense, crackling with electrical intensity until a solid spear of light energy formed in his grip. Aurelian took a breath, wound back, and threw the lance with every ounce of his increased Strength.
"Here it goes!"
FWOOSH—
The spear tore through the air, creating a sonic boom that kicked up a wall of sand behind him. The monster stood no chance; the projectile was moving too fast for any beast to perceive, let alone dodge.
However, just as the tip of the lance was inches away from the serpent's snout, it stopped dead.
Disssh...
The kinetic energy vanished instantly. As the light from the spear dimmed, the clearing revealed a small girl standing on the surface of the water directly in front of the monster. She looked no older than twelve. Her gown appeared to be made from water, flowing and shifting around her small frame, and her hair was a brilliant, flowing white that seemed to fly graciously. She had stopped the [Virtuous Lance] by simply gripping the shaft with her right hand.
Her expression was strange. She seemed intrigued by what she had caught, yet she showed no sign of strain or effort. She had stopped a Tier XII spell as if she had merely caught a falling twig.
'What in the…?' Aurelian wondered, his thoughts racing. She was far too young and far too small to possess that kind of power. Stopping a high-tier spell with a single arm required overwhelming strength. Aurelian knew this well, having seen how even someone as experienced as Heron had been awed when he conjured the spell.
'She's definitely far above Heron's league, that much is certain,' he thought. 'But how strong is she compared to me?'
The girl tilted her head, her cute eyes fixed on Aurelian. "Identify yourself," she demanded, her voice childish but firm. "Who do you represent? Which temple or lord sent you to harass my pet?"
Aurelian stayed silent, confused by the question. He didn't represent any god or temple. As he hesitated, the girl's eyes narrowed. She began to peer into his sea of consciousness, her gaze cutting through his physical form. She realized immediately that his internal realm was nothing like a mortal's. There was a faint, unmistakable divine aspect woven into his soul.
'Could he be…?' she wondered, but quickly dismissed any thoughts she had about his origins. Then she stopped observing his soul and shifted her gaze to his face.
A happy blush suddenly crept across her cheeks. Her stern expression melted into a wide, shameless grin. She let go of the spear—which dissipated into motes of light—and flew toward him with startling speed, wrapping her arms around his waist in a tight hug.
"Hehe! You're so handsome!" she chirped, rubbing her face against his tunic. "I am Eudora! I'm a Nereid, one of the daughters of Nereus. You know, the 'Old Man of the Sea'? Hehe!"
Aurelian looked down at the girl, completely caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone.
"I've been playing with my pet, Chubby, for the last month," she continued, gesturing toward the terrifying sea serpent, which was now bobbing its head like an obedient dog. "I came to visit my father, but he's so boring. He's all ugly and scaly and smells like old fish. I've always wanted a dad who actually looks good! Hehe!"
She pulled back slightly, looking up at him with sparkling eyes. "What's your name, mister?"
"Aurelian. Aurelian Knox," he replied slowly.
Eudora's grin widened into a mischievous smirk. She let out a tiny, high-pitched giggle. "Aurelian Knox... I like that! From now on, I'm calling you Big Daddy Knox! Hehe!"
"Big Daddy?" Aurelian muttered, the words feeling heavy and ridiculous on his tongue.
"Why's that?"
"You're handsome!" Eudora chirped, squeezing his waist tighter. "And I always wanted a good-looking father, not that ugly old man who calls himself my father. He has way too many scales and smells awful."
'Ouch. Poor dad,' Aurelian thought, offering a moment of silent sympathy for the Old Man of the Sea.
"Do you want to be my dad?" she continued, looking up at him with wide, pleading eyes. "I promise to be an obedient girl, I won't even let Chubby eat any more of your salt-gatherers if you say yes!"
She tilted her face suddenly, her expression shifting as if she had just remembered something important. "Oh! Wait! Here," she said. She reached toward her own forehead, and with a soft pulse, she pulled a beautiful, shimmering pearl directly from her skin.
"Take this gift," she said, thrusting the radiant sphere into his hands. "I hope you love it and accept me as your daughter. It's much better than a boring old spear, right?"
'Gift? What is happening here?' Aurelian thought, staring at the pearl. 'I came here for sea salt to make soap, and now I'm being bribed into a fatherhood contract by a nymph. I definitely didn't sign up for any of this.'
Suddenly, a translucent blue notification snapped into existence right in front of his eyes.
[Ding!]
'Huh?'
Aurelian's eyes widened as he read the system text.
[Notice: Origin Essence detected nearby.]