Zoi's lungs were on the verge of collapsing as he struggled to break free from the river's grasp. A vice-like grip encircled his waist, pulling him deeper into the murky depths. "What the fuck, and to think things couldn't get any worse, that's when this shit happens," he thought, his mind racing with panic. As he tried to pry himself loose, his hands sank into a layer of viscous slime, the texture revolting against his skin. He was confused – how could something be so slimy in water?
His fingers trailed down the slime-covered appendage, tracing it way deeper into the abyss of the river. The revelation hit him like a slap: a massive tentacle, its presence both eerie and ominous. A snarl twisted Zoi's face as he raised his hands, immediately engulfing them in concentrated mana, just like what he did with Cyger, and pierced the tentacle, digging deeper into it. Blood mingled with the water, painting a crimson haze around him. A deafening screech pierced the air, and the tentacle recoiled, releasing Zoi from its grasp, retreating into the depths from where it came.
"Hahaha, bastard, you-" Zoi's triumph was short-lived. His lungs, starved of oxygen, began to protest, Zoi held his throat struggling for oxygen, but it was too late, water had already flooded his mouth and nose, he slowly released his hands as his vision blurred. "Damn it" he thought, as darkness closed in.
As Zoi drowned his mind drifted back to a memory from his childhood…
"Zoi, where are you?" a woman who looked like his mom called out, her voice echoing through the lush garden. Suddenly, a younger version of Zoi burst from the bushes, leaping onto her back and catching her off guard. She let out a startled shriek, but her expression softened when she realized it was just Zoi.
"Mom, why do you always shout when I jump on your back?" Zoi asked, his face scrumpled in amusement.
"Because you always jump scare me when you do it," she replied, lifting him onto her shoulders.
"Jump scare? Is that why you shouted?" Zoi asked, giggling.
"Yes, because you always scare me," she said with a chuckle.
Zoi's grin widened. "Don't worry, there's nothing to be scared of, 'cause I'll always protect you!" he declared, throwing his arms up in the air.
"Whoa, stay still or you'll fall," his mom said, grabbing his hands.
"I'll protect you, I'll protect you, I'll protect you!" Zoi continued chanting, a huge smile plastered on his face.
His mom gazed at him, and Zoi, noticing, paused and met her eyes. They both burst into laughter as they walked towards one of the Thanatos household mansions.
Zoi's gaze snapped back to the present, and he found himself back where he had left off. He sat up, looking around in confusion, before the gills at his throat abruptly closed up and vanished as if they were never there. He slapped his neck, "Fucking mosquitoes…" he murmured before standing up. "I wonder why I suddenly remembered that," Zoi said with a somewhat sad expression and tone. He began to think of his mother and was worried – what if he ended up dying again, just like before, without actually being able to protect her? He immediately slapped his cheeks, clearing the thought from his mind and sighed. "Whatever," he muttered before his eyes widened in realization. "Wait a minute, my Flameingo's gone," he yelled.
A system screen materialized, capturing Zoi's attention. "Reboot complete. New features have been added to the system."
"Thank God, you're finally back," he exclaimed. "Did you really miss me that much?" a voice responded, unfamiliar to Zoi.
"What the... who the fuck is that?" Zoi wondered, looking around. "I'm Lumina, the creator of the system, and I'm a goddess," the voice explained.
Zoi burst into laughter. "Yeah, sure. And I'm Zeus in the form of a mortal. Quit your pranks and reveal yourself."
"You idiot, I'm talking to you through the system, and I actually am a goddess," Lumina said. "You aren't Zeus, so shut up and don't ask anymore questions. I can't reveal myself because I'm not verified to interfere with the mortal world physically." She added.
Zoi sighed. "Men, you talk too much. I didn't understand or hear a word you just said. I prefer the system the way it was before. I don't need an AI assistant."
"You bastard, you're really annoying," Lumina retorted.
"Thanks for the compliment," Zoi replied, a smirk on his face.
A system notification suddenly popped up "Something strange has been detected in your DNA. Please stay still while your blood is being tested." It displayed
Zoi's expression turned puzzled, soon after a system notification popped up again. "Mermaid DNA has been detected in your blood. You are now partly a mermaid. Your stats have increased due to the mermaid DNA," the system screen displayed. Zoi's eyes widened in surprise. "Mermaid DNA? Whoa, that's amazing" he exclaimed.
A grin spread across his face as an idea struck him. He walked towards a tree, took a deep breath, and punched it with precision, destroying the trunk. The tree began to fall, heading straight for Zoi. "Why the fuck is it falling this way?" he muttered, jumping clear just in time. The tree crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"My strength really has increased," he said, flexing his fist. "But I wonder how I got this mermaid DNA." He turned to the system. "Lumina, do you know the cause of this?"
"Beats me," Lumina replied. "The system was still rebooting while you were in the river, remember?" She added.
"You bastard, you're so useless," Zoi snapped.
Suddenly, he froze. His gaze locked onto the cliff edge from which he'd fallen, and his body began to shake with fear. "What now?" Lumina asked.
"It's here," Zoi said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"What's here?" she pressed.
Zoi's breathing quickened. "That fucking tiger," he said, his voice laced with terror.