Chapter 15 Echoes of the Enchanted Lake
I walked along the quiet road of this world with a smile on my face and nothing weighing on my mind. The breeze was gentle, the sun warm against my skin, and for once, I have nothing on my mind.
“I just can’t believe the goddess is actually letting me roam free like this,” I murmured with a laugh. “This is the best day ever.”
I tilted my head back and looked up at the sky. The clouds had already begun to shift into shades of gold and orange.
“It’s getting late… I should probably find a place to camp.”
Activating my Search skill, I scanned a radius of twenty kilometers around me. A small notification pinged in my vision: a large lake just beyond the trees to my left.
I raised a brow. “Hmm… I haven’t been able to fish in a while.”
A grin tugged at my lips, and I dashed into the forest, branches whipping past as I followed the faint trail. The trees soon parted, revealing a hidden clearing where the world seemed to pause.
There it was.
A lake so still it looked like a mirror stretched across the earth.
The surface shimmered with a faint, otherworldly glow, catching the colors of the sky—deeper blues, unnatural purples, and flecks of silver that pulsed like starlight.
It wasn’t just reflecting the heavens… it felt like it contained them.
When I knelt and touched the water, it was cold—but not the kind of cold that bit or stung. It was deeper than that. The kind of cold that seeped into your skin and stirred something ancient in your bones.
As I peered into the still surface, I thought I saw movement beneath. Not the darting flicker of fish. Something slower. Larger.
I narrowed my eyes, watching the ripples fade.
“Probably just a massive rock,” I muttered, brushing the thought aside.
“Alright,” I said, taking a deep breath. “This is where I’ll camp tonight.”
I pulled out my camping gear from my item box and began setting everything up. A simple tent, a few tools, and a small fire pit. I struck a spark and soon had a fire crackling gently beside me.
Once everything was in place, I opened my Online Shop skill and typed in “fishing gear.” A list of items appeared—rods, lines, bobbers, bait. I scrolled through, found what I needed, and made the purchase.
After assembling the rod, I cast the line into the lake and waited. The quiet was peaceful, broken only by the soft chirping of insects and the occasional rustle of leaves.
Then the line jerked.
Hard.
I gripped the rod with both hands, bracing myself as it pulled against me. “Whoa—this one’s strong!”
The struggle lasted longer than I expected. I planted my feet and pulled with all my strength, reeling and dragging the line inch by inch. Finally, the surface of the lake broke as something large shot out of the water—silver scales glinting in the twilight—and landed with a heavy thump next to me.
I stared, wide-eyed. “What the hell…”
I used Scan on the fish, and a window popped up.
Silverveil Trout
Rank:E
Weight: 65.12 pounds
Description: A rare magical fish found only in enchanted lakes. Its shimmering scales are infused with mana, and its flesh is said to restore stamina and soothe the spirit.
I gave a low whistle. “You’ll be my dinner tonight.”
With a quick motion, I put the fish out of its misery and got to work. I filleted the thick meat and began frying it over the open flame. As the scent filled the air, I leaned back and looked up at the night sky.
The stars were brighter here.
Being out in the open like this, away from the towns and their flickering lanterns… it made the stars easier to see.
As I finished eating, I leaned back and let the warmth of the fire settle into my bones.
The night was calm, the stars clear above, and the lake reflected them like a mirror stretched across the earth.
After a long day of walking and a satisfying meal, I crawled into my tent, rolled out my sleeping bag, and let sleep take me.
But somewhere in the middle of the night, I woke up.
At first, I wasn’t sure why. Then I heard it—soft footsteps, rustling leaves, and something that sounded like whispers, though I couldn’t make out any words.
I sat up, alert.
Carefully, I unzipped the tent just enough to peek outside.
What I saw made me freeze.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of animals stood silently at the edge of the lake. Deer, foxes, wolves, birds, even a pair of massive bears. All of them faced the same direction, toward the center of the clearing where a soft, green light pulsed like a heartbeat.
And at the heart of it all… was a woman.
She stood barefoot in the grass, her body glowing with a gentle emerald aura. Her long hair flowed like vines in the wind, flowers blooming along her arms and legs. Leaves twirled around her as if dancing to music only she could hear.
I activated my Advanced Search skill, and a glowing name appeared above her.
[Dryad – Forest Guardian | A Rank]
“A Dryad…” I whispered, barely audible.
She was beautiful, yes, but there was something ancient about her presence. Something sacred. The animals around her weren’t just watching—they were protecting her.
But before I could take it all in, the calm shattered.
The lake behind her erupted.
BOOOOM!
Water shot into the air like a geyser, sending a crashing wave over the shoreline. Animals scattered, the Dryad raised her hand, and a shimmering green barrier formed just in time to shield her.
From the geyser’s heart, a massive shape landed with a ground-shaking crash.
I stumbled slightly as the earth trembled beneath my feet.
A hulking frog-like monster crouched where the water had been, its enormous body glistening under the moonlight. Warts and spines covered its back, and its eyes—bulbous, yellow, and filled with hunger—fixed themselves on the Dryad.
Another ping appeared above its head.
[Gloomcroak – Abyssal Toad | B-Rank]
“What the hell…?” I muttered. “That must’ve been what I saw earlier in the lake.”
Its throat ballooned outward, pulsing with each breath, and a foul, low croak rumbled from its mouth—a sound that made the hairs on my neck rise.
Before I could react, two massive shapes moved between the Dryad and the monster.
The bears.
They stood like silent guardians, muscles tense, teeth bared.
Another scan revealed their tags:
[Stone Bear – Forest Guardian | C-Rank]
[Stone Bear – Forest Guardian | C-Rank]
“They’re protecting her,” I murmured, slowly stepping out of my tent.
The Gloomcroak moved first, lashing out with its thick, slime-covered tongue. It struck one of the bears with a deafening crack, sending the beast skidding across the grass and into a tree.
The other charged with a roar, its stone-covered body slamming into the frog’s side.
But it wasn’t enough.
The Gloomcroak swatted the bear back like a toy and turned its attention back to the Dryad, who knelt on one knee, struggling to maintain her barrier. Her glow flickered—weakening.
This wasn’t a fight the guardians could win.
I knew what I had to do.
Without hesitation, I reached into my item box and summoned both of my weapons. In my right hand, the Flare Sword ignited in a brilliant blaze, casting a warm orange glow. In my left, the Glacier Sword shimmered with a pale, cold light, frost clinging to its blade.
I breathed in deep.
"Alright… let’s see what you’ve got."
I charged.
The ground blurred beneath me as I rushed into the clearing. The Gloomcroak noticed me too late.
I leapt into the air, bringing both blades down in an arc of flame and frost.
CRASH!
The Flare Sword burned through its shoulder, the Glacier Sword slicing across its neck and freezing the skin beneath. The monster screamed, a horrible, wet screech that echoed across the forest.
I landed, rolled, and came back up just as it snapped at me with its jaws.
I ducked and dashed to the side, slashing its leg with the Flare Sword. Flames burst on contact, making it stumble. I followed with a strike from the Glacier Sword, and the ice crawled up its back leg, slowing it further.
The Gloomcroak reared back and launched its tongue again.
Too slow.
I sliced it midair with the Glacier Sword. Ice spread down the length of the tongue, and the monster croaked in pain, stumbling backward.
I didn’t give it time to recover.
With a battle cry, I rushed in, blades flashing in the moonlight. Fire and ice struck in rhythm, breaking through its defense. Every strike left it reeling, its body smoking and freezing at once.
Then it tried to leap away—its final mistake.
I hurled the Glacier Sword like a spear. The frozen blade pierced its side, locking part of its body in a thick casing of ice.
I jumped high, Flare Sword raised above my head.
"Flare Fang Slash!"
A crescent of fire tore through the sky, slamming into the Gloomcroak’s throat.
The creature let out one final shriek, its body convulsing before collapsing with a ground-shaking thud. Steam hissed from its corpse. The air went still.
I stood over it, chest rising and falling with each breath, the Flare Sword still glowing faintly in my hand.
All around me, silence.
The Dryad lowered her hand, and her barrier faded. The animals slowly relaxed, the tension leaving their bodies.
Her glowing eyes met mine.
I gave a small nod.
“You’re safe now.”