Chapter 11: Drowning in the Deep

Only after he had run a considerable distance did Votila finally hear the monster behind him, crashing through trees and relentlessly pursuing him.

Though Votila didn’t truly fear the creature, he currently lacked an effective method to deal with it.

Defeating it with his black cat’s body alone would be incredibly difficult. As for relying on a human? That was even more out of the question.

As he sprinted, Votila pondered possible solutions.

‘Yes! The lake! That small lake nearby.’

While he couldn’t kill the monster outright, he could certainly try to drown it!

The forest lake was the same small body of water next to Mulee Hua’s father’s grave. Votila didn’t believe this creature, acting purely on instinct, would know how to swim, mainly because Votila himself couldn’t.

Votila didn’t know the depth of the forest lake. He only remembered that the last time Mulee Hua went swimming there, she dove in and took a long time to resurface, indicating it must be very, very deep.

The small lake wasn’t far from where Votila and the monster had clashed. After more than ten minutes of continuous flight through the forest, even Votila felt his stamina beginning to wane.

However, he could finally discern the shimmering surface of the lake through the dense canopy of trees.

Numerous pieces of driftwood floated along the shore. Some were dead trees, gnawed by beasts and fallen into the water, while others were massive logs swept into the lake from upstream during the rainy season.

As he neared the lakeside, Votila inexplicably let out a sigh of relief. The prolonged chase had left him utterly exhausted.

Yet, his moment of slackening proved costly. Suddenly, the monster behind him clawed at the ground, sending a wave of earth surging forward.

In a panic, Votila pushed off with his hind legs, accelerating sharply. He narrowly dodged the monster’s sharp claws, but the sheer wind pressure from its massive paw still sent him flying.

Votila curled into a ball in mid-air, landing with a splash on a piece of driftwood in the lake. A large patch of fur was torn from his back.

‘This is… I almost died here!’

Votila laboriously clambered onto the floating wood, watching the monster on the bank, panting heavily.

The monster stood on the shore, extending a claw to test the water’s surface.

Votila watched it nervously, wondering what unexpected move it would make next.

The monster straightened up, roared at Votila, and then leaped directly towards him.

Votila broke out in a cold sweat, immediately scurrying across the driftwood towards the center of the lake.

A colossal splash echoed through the air as the massive creature hit the water, sending spray several meters high.

Giant waves surged outwards in concentric circles. Votila clung tightly to the driftwood, barely managing not to be swept into the churning water.

‘Has this thing drowned yet?!’ Votila hugged the log, his eyes fixed on the spot where the monster had fallen.

Amidst the gurgling water, Votila saw the monster, half-submerged, struggling to propel itself towards him. However, the immense resistance underwater caused its movements to be incredibly slow.

‘Is the water too shallow? I need to get to the deeper center of the lake.’ Thinking this, Votila didn’t linger. He continued to use the driftwood as stepping stones, darting towards the lake’s heart.

Impacted by the waves from the monster’s fall, many pieces of driftwood drifted towards the lake’s center. Votila skillfully used these as platforms to draw closer to the deeper waters.

The monster, devoid of reason and driven only by instinct, continued to move towards Votila. As it approached the lake’s center, the water grew deeper, and the monster slowly became submerged, leaving only gurgling bubbles on the surface.

After a while, even the bubbles ceased.

‘Solved? Just like that?’

Votila couldn’t help but feel a hint of derision as he looked at the spot where the monster had vanished. However, he didn’t relax completely. Using the driftwood as a springboard, he made several leaps to reach the monster’s last known position.

He swished his tail across the water. No reaction. ‘Perhaps it’s truly dead,’ Votila thought.

To die so simply felt almost too easy for it. While he regretted not tearing the monster apart with his own claws, Votila had nothing to complain about with this outcome.

He shook the water from his tail, then wobbled back to the shore, hopping across the driftwood. He cast one last glance at the now tranquil surface of the lake.

‘It’s over, human alchemical construct. Tsk, not even a living being, just an object without soul or reason. This is your best resting place.’

Votila turned, no longer looking at the lake, preparing to depart.

However, just then, a faint ripple disturbed the water’s surface. As Votila prepared to move, a squelching sound came from behind him. He suddenly found himself entangled by something slimy, and a powerful suction pulled at his back.

‘This is! A tentacle!?’

A crimson tentacle, like an octopus’s arm, clung to his back, making it impossible to attack. Votila extended his sharp claws, futilely trying to grip the ground. But the lakeside soil was damp and offered no purchase, leaving only long scratches in the mud.

The tentacle rapidly contracted, dragging Votila towards the lake.

Votila abandoned the idea of grasping the ground and immediately hugged a nearby piece of driftwood, his claws digging into the wood with an irritating, grating screech. Yet, it still couldn’t prevent the tentacle from pulling Votila into the lake.

As the tentacle’s pull intensified, there was a sharp *crack*. The black cat’s claws tore away large splinters from the driftwood, and he was forcibly ripped from it, plunging into the lake.

Icy lake water relentlessly flooded Votila’s nasal passages. The heavy water pressure crushed every inch of his bones and muscles. A suffocating sensation overwhelmed him, and Votila felt the light before his eyes dimming.

The sparkle in his eyes faded…

In the black dizziness…

His body grew weak and breathless…

An bone-chilling cold…

‘Is it ending again?’

This long-forgotten sensation, the feeling of approaching death.

So sudden, once more.

But why had it come to this? Votila didn’t know.

In his final moments, Votila inexplicably thought of Mulee Hua, the alchemist. Were it not for her being an alchemist, Votila wouldn’t have disliked her. He had found their month together quite pleasant.

But alas…

Those who wantonly performed biological alchemy with Votila’s bloodline were alchemists.

How could this knot be untied?

Faintly, Votila seemed to hear a bell.

It was like the soul-summoning bell of an undead lich.

*Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling~*

‘It feels… quite comfortable.’