What emerged from the surface of the water was a woman so beautiful that I was almost certain she must have been a goddess. The first thing I saw was her bioluminescent blue hair that was glowing the same color as the ocean. Her hair was decorated with tiny, spiraling sea shells and other sea ornaments that I couldn’t quite name. On her head were beautiful golden thorns that were shaped almost like a crown.

Her eyes, like bluish pearls, seemed to draw you in. She gracefully glided across the surface of the water, and I was left in awe when I saw the beautiful blue tail flowing behind her. A tail that looked almost like a fish’s.

Her skin shimmered as if it was coated in oil. Her entire body was adorned with bioluminescent materials that glowed beautifully in the dark space. The entire cave lit up in a tapestry of blue colors.

"A mermaid?"

The moment I saw her, I instantly knew that she was the one I was searching for before. She was the goddess Whiffer saw. And that scale I found in the river, the one that cut my foot, must have come from her tail.

She stared at me shyly and glided across the water until she stopped right at the edge of the water. We stared at each other for a while, as if both of us couldn’t believe the other was real. Suddenly, her face took on a pink blush and she spoke in a cute shy voice.

"Umm... mister human, are you okay?"

I stared at her with wide eyes, as I couldn’t believe she had just spoken. But the important question was, what was a mermaid doing all the way out here? And secondly, why was she speaking to me?

"Your injuries look bad. You’ll die at this rate," she said, looking at me with pity.

"I’m fine; my injuries are healing."

"They don’t seem to be healing fast enough. You’re bound to die at this rate. I can heal you, but I’m just not strong enough, mister. I too am weakened from being here for too long," she said.

I took another look at my injury and realized she was right. I was healing too slowly. At this rate, it was unlikely that I would survive. Maybe I could tough it out for a few days at most, but that’s it.

Mermaids are known to be good at healing, among other things. Maybe she could heal me, but as if thinking the same thing, her face lit up in a dazzling smile.

"Wait, maybe I can heal you. As I said, I’m still weak, so I’ll need your help to regain my strength," she said.

"What do you need?"

The moment I asked that question, her face turned red, and she began to sink into the water until it was halfway covering her face.

"It’s a bit embarrassing..."

She averted her eyes, as if me looking at her was too much to bear. I wasn’t too surprised by this. Mermaids are known to be shy. They normally ran off at the fight sight of humans and lived deep within the ocean. That’s why I was so surprised that she had approached me. It was completely unheard of for a mermaid to interact with a human or any supernatural creature. Even in the supernatural world, they are something of a myth.

"Mister... could you come a little closer so I can tell you? It’s just that, um... it’s a bit embarrassing to say out loud."

"There’s only two of us here, so you don’t have to worry about anyone else overhearing."

"Yeah, but still... Please, mister human." She stared up at me with big round eyes that were as cute as a puppy’s. I could also see tears accumulating in the corners of her eyes.

Is she really this sensitive?

With a heavy sigh, I slowly got up and walked over to the edge.

"So, what is it?" I asked again.

"Umm, can you come a little closer?"

"Hmm?"

I did as she requested and got down on my knees, bringing my ear closer to her. Her face flushed red as she brought her cherry pink lips closer to my ear; I could feel it brushing up against me. Her breathing was unsteady, and her voice held a slight quiver as she spoke.

"I need a heart," she spoke, and her beautiful voice traveled like a melody.

"A heart?" I asked.

She nodded her head while her face looked like a volcano about to erupt.

"It can be any heart, whether human or monster... but I prefer monsters! Please believe me; I’ve never eaten a human heart." She looked a bit apologetic and a bit panicked as she waved her arms frantically.

"It’s fine," I said, assuring her.

A smile came to her face as she sighed in relief. She must have thought that I would be upset or angry about her eating human hearts since she seemed to think I was human too. I made no effort to correct her assumption.

But the real question was, where was I going to get the hearts to feed her from?

"If you’re wondering where you’re going to get the hearts, then you should check the cave behind you. That’s actually the reason why I came here in the first place." She said directing me towards the ominous looking path behind me.

My senses weren’t as sharp as they normally were, but she was right. Further back in the cave, there were monsters.

"They are coming after you right now as we speak," she said. "They seem to be monsters that are attracted to blood, and since you’re bleeding..."

"Bloodmoths."

If it was only bloodmoths, I thought I could handle them. But if it was the evolved mothmen, then I wasn’t so sure.

"Umm, mister, one more thing." She looked at me shyly as she spoke.

"What is it?"

"Can I ask you your name?"

"It’s Liam."

"Liam," she repeated my name, and a warm smile formed on her face. "It’s nice to meet you, Liam. My name is Selthia."

"Selthia?" I repeated. It sounded a little strange to pronounce.

"Yes, it means Silent Sea. It might sound a little strange to humans, and some might find it hard to pronounce. So, if you want, you can call me something else you prefer."

"It’s fine. It’s a beautiful name," I said, then patted her on the head. She smiled at me with a slightly reddened face and nodded.

Why did I pat her on the head?

I guess it became a habit after doing it to Sylvie so much. That reminds me, I have to get her back, and for that, I needed to heal and grow stronger. That means leveling up. Whatever monster was coming my way, I’d face it head-on.

Soon, I heard a loud hiss, and the monsters that was lurking in the cave finally made its appearance.