WorldCrafter - Building My Underground Kingdom-Chapter 120: The Lake Guardian

More ripples spread across the lake, but the other fish didn't scatter. They simply adjusted their positions, gliding calmly like Ben were never there.

Ben clenched his jaw, eyes narrowing. "You smug little glowing bastard…"

He shifted his stance, planting his feet in the marshy soil near the water's edge.

Two of his appendage start to morph forming a wide, circular suction valve. The other remained a maw, ready to consume the fishes.

Ben's eyes glinted. "Let's see you dodge this."

The suction appendage plunged into the lake with a wet hiss, and the moment it activated, the water began swirling violently in a tight, focused vortex. Nearby debris, strands of lakeweed, and tiny plants were dragged inward, caught in the spiral like leaves in a drain.

Ben kept his focus steady, eyes locked on one of the fish as it flicked its tail and shot away from the pull—just like before.

But this time, the second appendage was ready. It shot out like a coiled serpent/

CHOMP!

The maw clamped shut with a satisfying crunch. Ben's eyes lit up. 'Got it.'

Then a rush of cold slammed into him—like someone had dumped a glacier straight down his throat. All the lakewater pulled in by the appendage hit his gut at once.

"Urgh—dammit!" Ben groaned, doubling over as his insides twisted like someone was wringing out a soaked towel. He coughed hard, and a spray of glowing water burst from his mouth in a fine mist, scattering like magical confetti in the air.

"Great," he muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Should've planned that better…"

He hiccuped again. A faint flicker of purple light shimmered around his lips.

Nearby, One tilted its head, emitting what could only be described as a low, amused chuff.

Ben glared up at it, still hunched over. "Don't. Say. A word."

The Krell didn't reply, but the look was enough. Silent. Blank. Incredibly judgmental.

Ben shook his head and finally pulled up his notification screen.

[Purple Fish Consumed. Acquired 55 Mana.]

He blinked. "Mana? Not biomass?" His brow furrowed as the realization clicked into place.

These fish… they were made of mana.

His eyes widened. "Holy crap… they're living mana constructs."

Excitement stirred in his chest. If he could catch more—breed them—he'd have a renewable mana source. A living battery system. Just a small pond in the RV, and boom—refill station on wheels.

He could already picture Elvira's reaction. She'd be obsessed. She'd transform an entire room into a temperature-controlled mana pond overnight, complete with automated feeding schedules and magical filters.

But just as quickly as the idea formed, another question crept into his mind—one that wiped the grin off his face. "If these things are made of pure mana…" he muttered, eyes narrowing at the lake, "then why isn't those beast eating them?"

All the creatures around the shore just sat there. He slowly straightened, wiping the last traces of water from his mouth, eyes narrowing as he scanned the lake again.

The surface had gone calm, the ripples fading into soft waves of glowing purple light. Something didn't add up.

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Then—the water churned.

A low rumble echoed beneath the surface, too deep to be natural. The fish scattered, diving away from the disturbance like leaves caught in a sudden wind.

From the center of the lake, bubbles erupted, followed by a surge of violet mist. Something massive shifted beneath the surface.

Then it rose.

A huge figure emerged from the lake, its body glistening with wet, iridescent skin. It was huge, easily the size of a small truck with thick, muscular limbs that looked like a mix between a giant frog and an octopus.

Its torso was broad and squat like a giant toad, but its arms were long and boneless, tentacles lined with sucker-like nodes. Where a frog's mouth would be, there was a line of sharp teeth, slightly parted as it breathed. And its eyes—they glowed like twin lanterns in the mist.

Bright. Intelligent. Furious.

It rose halfway from the water, the rest of its body still hidden beneath the surface, but it was enough.

Ben locked eyes with the creature—and grinned. He could feel its mana clearly. Strong, yes, but nowhere near the level of those elemental Ravagers he'd fought before "Are you the guardian of this lake?" he asked.

The creature's glowing eyes narrowed, brimming with intelligence. And that, to Ben, was a good sign. If it had enough sense to think before attacking, maybe there was room for negotiation.

"Yes," the creature replied, its voice echoing faintly inside his head. "And what is a human doing this deep underground?"

Ben blinked. His smirk faded just a little. 'It can talk?' More than that—it was speaking in a language he understood.

"Wait… you think I'm human?" he muttered, caught off guard. That meant only one thing this creature had seen humans before. From this world. His curiosity flared. "What's wrong with a human coming this deep? Something I should know about?"

The guardian's gaze sharpened. It stared at him for a long moment before speaking again. "I see… so you're not one of them. Not from this world. A traveler."

Ben's eyes narrowed. "And what's that supposed to mean? Don't get cryptic on me now. Yes, I'm a traveler. Is that a problem?"

"Yes," the creature said simply. "A very big one." It looked out across the lake, its tentacles rippling just beneath the surface. "But judging from your questions, the time hasn't come yet. You don't know. That's clear."

The guardian returned its gaze to Ben. "I'll overlook your actions this once, traveler. But there won't be a second time. My advice return to the surface. The deeper you go, the more you waste what time you have left."

Ben's fingers twitched. 'It knows something.' He narrowed his eyes, raising his voice just a little. "The name's Ben. How about we make a trade? You tell me everything you know."

Then, with the faintest ripple of amusement in its tone, it answered, "You may call me the Lady of the Lake. And what do you offer in return?"

Ben froze for a second, caught off guard. 'Lady of the Lake?' He stared at the massive, toad-octopus hybrid glowering at him from the water and raised an eyebrow.

'That name didn't fit at all. Who came up with that? Was it self-declared?' Although… now that he listened carefully… the voice was a bit feminine.

Still. He exhaled slowly… then grinned again. Ben held out his hand—and summoned his artifact. The pickaxe appeared in a shimmer of light.

He pointed it forward, toward the "Lady. My offer?" he said with a smirk. "Your life."

The Lady of the Lake was silent for a moment. Then she laughed.

It was deep and smooth, like ripples echoing across still water. Amused. As if she'd heard that same line a hundred times before and knew exactly how it ended. "You're bold," she said at last, her glowing eyes narrowing just slightly. "I'll give you that."

Ben didn't lower his pickaxe. His eyes narrowed trying to feel the so called lady strength, wondering did he miss something.

The guardian tilted her head. "But don't make the mistake of underestimating me, traveler."