Chapter 5

This is a secret for those who have only read the main text (spoiler alert).

The reason is written in the afterword, but since this character's appearance is still a bit in the future, I couldn't resist the devil's temptation to reveal it early.

Atlantics Repnorka

A monster of the highest class among all "organisms" in the deep sea, at the top of the ecosystem pyramid, even preying on the Arcturus Regaleks.

It has a form that can only be described as an orca with wings made of burning crystal on its upper body. Its true nature is a creature that is extremely close to being a "spirit," making it difficult to classify. Spirits are magical life forms without material bodies, and among them, they are beings composed of specific magical attributes. However, the Atlantics Repnorka, while remaining a biological entity, has had its upper body transformed into a mass of magic due to its inability to withstand the immense magical power.

The magical body of the Atlantics Repnorka is fixed by its "core," but like how ordinary biological bodies expel waste, the Atlantics Repnorka discharges excess magic into the seawater. The magical body, which appears to flicker like flames, is constantly discharging excess magic into the seawater.

The discharged magic activates plankton in the seawater, causing a large amount of plankton to flourish after the Atlantics Repnorka passes through. This attracts numerous fish, and predators that target these fish gather, making it seem as if a retinue follows the path of the Atlantics Repnorka. For this reason, the Atlantics Repnorka is regarded as a symbol of "king" by the merfolk.

The part that looks like an eyepatch is a crystallized part of the skull, located where the brain would be in an ordinary orca. It acts as a lens that reflects the magic emitted from the "core" inside the body and converges it into a single point when projecting it outside. Although it is described as crystallized, it is usually a dark blue gem-like material, and the multi-layered structure of the eyepatch lens only allows extremely bright light to pass through.

The crystalline structures growing from the pectoral fins, dorsal fin, and tail fin are not strictly minerals but are the result of the skin, muscles, and bones that function as "tentacles" being compressed and purified to the point of becoming transparent. It is speculated that these are the tentacles at the tips of the wing-like fins that the Atlantics Repnorka had before its current form, which evolved into a crystalline state due to some factor causing compression and purification.

These crystalline structures are formed from a different material than the crystalline structure on the head that resembles an eyepatch. During combat, they can be charged with the Atlantics Repnorka's magic, discharging it as a lightning-like magical force. Their hardness rivals that of minerals used in weapons, and they can exert tremendous power as simple weapons. Due to their lightning-like properties, if one were to face the Atlantics Repnorka in the water, a 50-meter radius around it would be a "deadly zone" due to the electrical discharge.

The Atlantics Repnorka is the apex predator in the deep sea, primarily feeding on fish and predators attracted by the plankton activated by its own magic. It can communicate with others of its kind by vibrating and flashing its "core," but since the Atlantics Repnorka is an extremely aggressive monster, its high intelligence is rarely used for anything other than hunting or duels. It is a king of the sea, surpassing even dragons, and there are only a handful of beings that can defeat it in a one-on-one battle.

For the merfolk, the Atlantics Repnorka's fin crystals have long been used as a crown symbolizing royal authority and leadership, and the trident made from the teeth of its lower jaw, which has a physical form, serves as a symbol of the leader of the merfolk. Generally, during "hunting," it prioritizes fish with high nutritional value, so it can be surprisingly safe to approach it (disregarding the electrical discharge).

However, if it is designated as a "duel" target, it will not stop until one side achieves a complete victory. Battles between Atlantics Repnorkas can distort the seabed terrain and activate underwater volcanoes, causing widespread damage. It is almost unheard of for it to surface, and if anyone were to challenge it to a duel, they would need to go down into the sea, not up.

Incidentally, the Gigaryuugu No Tsukai is several times longer in body length, but it is usually finished off in about five minutes for dinner.

When I try to describe its features in writing, I get this feeling inside me that says, "No! The expression is... different!" So, Gaia whispered to me, "Why don't you just output the image?" and I used the illustration function for the first time in my life.

I also tried the Crystal Cluster Scorpion and the Golden Crystal Scorpion, but, well, my drawing skills...?