The SSS-Rank Jellyfish's Growth System

Gray let out a soft, pleased pulse. ’Hehe... I can also take humanoid form now. That means we can continue our journey.’

Cindy’s frills shot up. "Really?! You can breathe on land now?!"

’Of course,’ Gray said, his tentacles crossing confidently over his bell. ’Thanks to that Primordial, I got a really good evolution. Probably the best one I could have hoped for.’

The moment the word left him, Lily froze.

Her five points stopped orbiting. Her dark core flickered erratically, pulsing with sharp, jagged beats that didn’t match her usual rhythm. Then she began swimming in tight, chaotic circles, her body tilting wildly as if she was trying to shake something off. Her spines bristled, and for a moment, she looked less like a playful star and more like a wounded animal.

Cindy noticed immediately. "Lily? What’s wrong?"

Lily just kept spinning, her core flickering between bright and dark, her movements uncoordinated and restless.

Gray watched her for a long moment, his luminous eyes narrowing.

’She reacted to the word "Primordial,"’ he said quietly. ’Even though she’s a new entity... some part of her still remembers.’

Cindy’s frills lowered. "That’s... actually kind of sad."

’Maybe. Or maybe it’s just instinct.’ Gray turned his attention back to Cindy. ’Anyway. I thought it would take a Level 70 or higher to get me to the surface, but it seems there was a benefit to getting dragged into that chaos after all.’

Cindy nodded slowly, her silver eyes thoughtful.

"Yeah. I thought the same thing. We almost died back there, but... we came out stronger for it."

’Yeah,’ Gray said. ’Which means we can head straight for the Great Tartarus now.’ He paused, his tentacles curling with purpose. ’With the details you gave me, the place should be on the back of that giant turtle, right? So with this humanoid form, I can get us there much more easily.’

Cindy’s frills lifted with excitement.

"Alright! Let’s go!" She turned toward Lily, who was still spinning in erratic circles. "Lily! Light the way!"

Lily stopped mid-spin. She tilted her body, her five points rotating slowly, her dark core pulsing with what could only be described as confusion.

Cindy blinked.

"...Lily? The direction to Tartarus? Noir said you could show us the way."

Lily tilted her body further, her points rotating in the opposite direction. If she had a face, it would have been scrunched up in bewilderment.

Gray stared at her for a long moment.

’...Don’t tell me you don’t know how to activate it.’

Lily drooped, her five points slowing to a sad, sluggish orbit. Her dark core dimmed, pulsing weakly, as if she was embarrassed. She didn’t know how to activate the tracking ability. She was just as lost as they were.

Cindy’s frills lowered. "It seems she really doesn’t know..."

Gray made a sound that wasn’t quite a groan but wasn’t far off.

"Ahaha... this is bad..."

-------------×--------------

Far above, on the surface, near the waters of the Marquis’s territory, there was a port office overlooking the sea.

Inside, a man stood by a large wooden desk, a pirate’s hat perched on his head and a skull tattoo visible on his exposed chest. His white shirt was unbuttoned, revealing the ink beneath. His beard was unkempt, his grin easy, his eyes sharp.

Across from him stood a general of the Marquis’s forces, a man with the weathered face and rigid posture of a war veteran. His arms were crossed, his gaze cold as he studied the map spread across the desk.

"Are you certain your claim is true, Jooquin?" the general asked, his voice flat.

Jooquin smiled, his yellowed teeth flashing through his ragged beard.

"It’s true. Would I lie to you, Victor?"

Victor didn’t answer immediately. He picked up the map and handed it to a man standing beside him, a naval specialist with keen eyes and a quiet demeanor. Then he turned back to Jooquin.

"I’m not a fool who trusts pirates. Especially not the infamous Skull Cruiser, Jooquin."

Jooquin laughed, one hand pressing against his forehead.

"Hahaha! Of course you wouldn’t trust me right away. But have you forgotten? I came here without any weapons, just to give you this information. I’m not stupid enough to lie to you, not when my head could roll at any moment."

Victor glanced at his soldiers, their hands resting on their weapons. He raised his own hand, signaling them to stand down.

"Fine," he said. "Then explain it in detail. Make it worth my interest."

Jooquin crossed his arms, a knowing glint in his eye.

"Have you noticed that the sea has been calm lately? You can no longer detect any activity from the legendary creature, the Sun Eater."

Victor narrowed his eyes, studying the man before him.

"Of course I know. That monster used to patrol its territory and destroy any ship that got too close. But for some reason, our artifacts haven’t been able to detect it recently." He paused. "Do you know something about that?"

Jooquin reached for an apple on the desk and took a bite.

"Of course I do. I’ve been sailing the seas for thirty years. I know the Sun Eater better than most." He chewed slowly, then spoke around the mouthful. "I suspect it’s dead."

Victor’s expression didn’t change, but his voice sharpened.

"That’s impossible. No one has ever defeated a creature that strong. Even a Fifth Circle mage couldn’t kill it."

Jooquin tossed the apple from hand to hand, his grin widening.

"It wasn’t a human. Something else killed it."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. The chain was old, tarnished, but the pendant was unmistakable, a small glass vial filled with a thick, dark blue liquid. The moment Victor saw it, his posture stiffened. He recognized it immediately.

An artifact.

Jooquin held it up, letting the light catch the liquid inside.

"This was passed down to me by my ancestor. He once wounded the Sun Eater and took its blood. With this, I’ve been able to sail the seas without ever being attacked. The blood in this vial detects the Sun Eater’s presence before it gets anywhere near me."