SWNOVELXO Chapter 358: Azure-Tide Spearfish
Reeling the large fish up carefully, Logan tugged the webbing along with Regal. The lines shimmered with tension as they drew in the struggling beast—a powerful sailfish, nearly thrashing itself free. Regal worked quickly, mending sections of the web that snapped under the creature's strength.
"That's high enough, Regal. Let me work my magic."
Logan cut his finger with practiced ease, letting a few drops of blood fall. He extended his will, initiating the familiar mental clash—his mind pressing down on the beast's instincts, asserting dominance.
The fish flailed harder, its body pulsing with resistance, but it wasn't strong enough. Logan could tell it was below level 30—just enough to give him a mild headache, but far from a real challenge.
"Ten seconds... just give me—three, two, one. Alright, Regal, let it go. We've done our part."
The moment the fish dropped back into the water, Logan felt the bond take hold. It wasn't elegant, but it was done. Rubina's quick thinking had helped—she'd thrown in a few crystals during the struggle, just enough to distract the fish and ease the process.
"Should I give it more crystals, or should we save them up and wait for Kryst's growing crystal tree to produce more?" Logan asked aloud.
Rubina and Victor both considered his question. The earl replied first.
"No. Don't worry about this one. We'll meet others that'll require more effort to raise. As for its speed—it should be fast enough already."
Logan gave a small nod. The fish wasn't a powerhouse, but it was a good addition. Agile, precise, and now bound to him.
"Still… might need to give it a name," Logan murmured, watching the surface ripple as the creature swam below.
It was just one of many to come.
And the ocean… was only beginning to reveal its secrets.
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Name: Spearfish / Species: Azure-Tide Spearfish (Blessing: Water) / Level: 28 / Blood Mark: Right Fin / Loyalty: 5/100
Str: 19 Agi: 43 Dex: 27 Con: 24 Int: 17 Char: 12
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Abilities:
Tide Dart: The spearfish surges forward in a burst of speed, becoming a blur in the water. Deals piercing damage and has a chance to knock enemies off balance or leave deep wounds if striking from stealth or high speed.
Ripple Veil: Disrupts the water around it to create a field of shimmering distortion. Reduces visibility and lock-on accuracy from enemies for several seconds. Effective against projectile and magic targeting.
Aqua Step (Passive): Gains a stacking boost to speed and evasion the longer it remains in continuous motion. Resets if the creature is forcibly halted or stunned.
Hydrodynamic Cut: Uses its bladed nose to slash through targets or obstacles. Enhanced damage against defensive formations or barriers, especially those made of ice, plant matter, or earth.
Flash Leap: Performs a high-speed leap from the water's surface, allowing it to momentarily strike airborne or shoreline enemies before splashing back down.
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After reviewing Thalas's stats, Logan decided to hold onto the rest of the crystals. There was no need to rush—Kryst's growing crystal tree would eventually produce more. The spearfish wasn't going to stray far anyway, not with its bond still fresh.
Still, Logan wasn't blind to its vulnerabilities.
He glanced at the water, then tossed in three water crystals toward the spearfish. The creature caught them instinctively with a burst of speed, absorbing their mana creating ripples in the water as if it was eating in a frenzy.
That should raise its level by at least six. Enough to let it survive, if something came hunting. But the boy didn't stop there.
Sea-King received his share as he was tossed electrical crystals—the crackling spheres of storm were gently caught in glowing tentacles. Regal and Thalas were next, their portions measured just enough for the two to enjoy.
"Well," Logan said, brushing his hands off as he looked out over the open sea, "should we try again? It kind of feels like gacha... only this time we see what we fish up."
What he really wanted… was a shark. Something powerful. Something dangerous enough to keep the larger creatures away out of fear.
"We should wait a little," Victor advised calmly. "Keep the net extended, but give it five or ten minutes. We need the ship to move forward so the spooked ones get left behind."
Logan nodded. It made sense.
Still, after two hours, they had no luck with anything big.
Their haul was good—more than enough for a feast. In fact, they'd tossed some fish back overboard when they had enough to feed everyone.
And yet Logan couldn't shake his disappointment. What he wanted was a predator, a top-tier one.
But deep down, he suspected the issue wasn't luck.
It was Sea-King.
The creature's majestic aura—heavy with dominance—probably scared off everything nearby. The ocean itself seemed to obey slightly with his presence. Any beast with even a hint of instinct was likely fleeing the moment they felt it.
Logan sighed.
"I swear, it's like having a legendary creature makes everything else too afraid to show up…" he muttered, leaning over the railing as he scanned the horizon.
He had time but his patience… was beginning to wane.
"Well, we can't do much about it now, Logan. Let's just leave it for tomorrow," Rubina said with a yawn, already lounging back with her terminal in hand. "Maybe we'll have better luck during the day... maybe…"
She was clearly bored, her attention fixed on a game she'd grown fond of—one about a blond-haired hero in a floppy hat who saved a kingdom. A kingdom, Rubina noted, suspiciously similar to Logan's at least they shared a common name.
Lisa, on the other hand, was immersed in an action game. Her screen lit up with explosions as she gunned down mechanical beasts—dinosaurs forged of metal. She'd already had to explain to half the spectators that were around them that they weren't real, just metallic golems from her world's imagination.
By now the novelty of fishing had worn off.
By the fifteenth small catch, both girls had stopped reacting entirely. Even Logan was beginning to lose interest. His mana reserves were more than half—he could've gone all night if needed—but after two uneventful hours, even he was starting to reconsider.
Still, he decided to try just once more.
That's when it happened.
Dusk had fallen. The sea turned black, reflecting the fading light of the sky—and in that stillness, something yanked hard.
"Whoa—!" Logan stumbled forward, nearly toppling over the ship's railing.
"Logan!" Rubina shouted, dropping her terminal as she lunged.
Regal skittered across the deck, weaving fresh webs to anchor the net while Logan gritted his teeth, trying to resist the pull. Lisa rushed over, grabbing his arm to help stabilize him.
Whatever was on the line wasn't just strong—it was angry.
"This better not be a whale!" Logan growled, straining against the line. "I'm not ready to start taming those yet!"
He squinted into the dark waves, then called out through his Empathic Link.
[Thalas, what did I catch???]
The dolphin responded sluggishly. Even he was getting tired. But obedient as ever, Thalas let out a series of luminous pulses—beams of light that sliced through the depths like underwater spotlights.
What they revealed made everyone freeze.
"That looks like... a giant shark," Lisa said slowly, her voice edged with caution.
Rubina, still bracing Logan, nodded grimly. "At least fifteen meters... Do we let it go?"
They all knew the risk. With Regal, they could probably pull it closer. But with Thalas and Sea-King in the water nearby, that was dangerous. One mistake, and it could turn into a bloodbath.
Logan made his decision.
[We're trying. Sea-King, get ready to shock it—if things go south go full power, Thalas, get away when that happens, far away so you won't get shocked.]
The mighty beast stirred. Electricity danced across the water's surface.
Logan opened the cut on his finger from earlier, he wasn't going to be the one controlling it this time, he needed the expert to handle it.
[Serana,] Logan called softly through the link, just in case she was still resting.
The vampire noble emerged from shadow like mist, her crimson eyes already glowing faintly in the dark.
[Control my blood. Make it enter the creature somehow—just don't harm it too much.]
Serana nodded silently, her hands already gathering the drops and making them float in the air. She shaped the blood into a thin, but sharp arrow—waiting for its release.
Below, the shark thrashed violently.
The struggle intensified, jerking the net and nearly pulling Logan off balance. Regal strained to anchor it, her limbs weaving rapidly to reinforce the torn strands of the web. Each pulse of electricity from Sea-King caused the beast to spasm, its body convulsing with each shock.
Logan gritted his teeth, hands locked in place, the boy knew he couldn't keep this up forever.
"I'm going in," he muttered, then formed his Angelic Wing's.
As he rose, the others took his place.
Regal received control of the net, binding it to his web. Crew members scrambled across the deck, pulling and reinforcing as Victor himself moved forward, issuing orders to ensure no one got hurt.
Rubina stepped back to let Logan fly free, while Lisa already had one hand on a strand of the web, watching Logan get closer to the shark with a tense expression.