The serpent's corpse drifted into the dark, but my focus was on the new prompt.
> [Skill Available for Integration: Tail Sweep]
[Additional Unlock Condition Met — Transformation Ability Access Granted.]
Transformation?
Another chime.
> [Human Form Unlocked — Limited Duration: 7 hour (Cooldown: 24 hours)]
[Warning: Combat Capabilities Reduced by 90% in Human Form]
A pulse ran through my body. My vision tilted, the world spinning as the water around me… changed. My scaled length shrank, my extra necks retracted, and suddenly—my legs kicked. My legs.
I broke the surface with a gasp, the taste of salt still thick in my mouth.
The sun stabbed at my eyes, but the air was warm on my skin. I looked down—two human arms, pale against the rolling blue. My hair—longer, heavier—stuck wetly to my shoulders.
In the distance, a fishing boat bobbed. Two men stood at the edge, shading their eyes.
One pointed. "By the gods—are you alright?"
I treaded water awkwardly, still disoriented. "I… think so?"
They shouted to each other, throwing a rope. I let them pull me up, my bare feet slapping against the worn wooden planks.
One man pressed a flask into my hands. "Poseidon's mercy… we thought you were lost."
> [Faith Points +5 — Source: Grateful Sailors]
I froze. That was new.
The men didn't notice my pause—they were too busy checking me over. "Must've been some shipwreck. Lucky the sea spared you."
Lucky. Right.
The boat rocked gently as the fishermen returned to their nets, occasionally glancing at me like I was some rare treasure the sea had coughed up.
I sat near the stern, flask still in my hands, trying not to look like someone who had just eaten a sea serpent alive.
One of them—broad shoulders, sunburnt skin—spoke without looking up. "The gods must favor you, girl. The Messina waters aren't kind to the lost."
> [Faith Points +2 — Source: Continued Reverence]
I hid my reaction behind a sip of water. The system's precision was unnerving. Every grateful look, every muttered blessing—it counted. Faith Points trickled in, quiet but steady.
The other man, younger, offered a strip of dried fish. "We'll take you to shore. The port town's just a few miles. You can find shelter there."
Shore. Land. A place I couldn't reach in my monster form.
If I could step onto land in this body, I could gather Faith Points far faster. The thought lodged itself firmly in my mind.
I smiled faintly, careful not to show teeth too sharp for a human. "Thank you. I owe you both."
The older man chuckled. "Just thank the gods. We're only the hands that pulled the rope."
> [Faith Points +3 — Source: Acknowledgment of Divine Intervention]
I leaned back against the hull, the sun warming my skin.
The system's numbers were climbing, slow but measurable.
If mortals thought I was a lost maiden the sea had spared…
Well.
I could let them keep thinking that.
When we got there The port town was small, a cluster of whitewashed buildings clinging to the coastline like barnacles. Fishing boats dotted the harbor, their sails drying in the afternoon sun.
The fishermen tied the boat to the dock and helped me ashore. My bare feet touched warm stone — no invisible wall, no system restriction.
> [Domain Boundary Status: Human Form — Exempt from Movement Limitations]
The streets smelled of salt and grilled fish. People stared as we passed — not with suspicion, but curiosity. Whispers followed us.
"Who is she?"
"Must be one of the sea's chosen."
"Poseidon's gift, surely."
> [Faith Points +4 — Source: Local Awe]
The older fisherman stopped at a market stall and exchanged a few words with the merchant. Soon, I was handed a cloak to cover my still-damp shift.
I murmured thanks, and the merchant clasped my hands. "The sea spared you for a reason. May its blessing follow you."
> [Faith Points +6 — Source: Direct Blessing Received]
My mind was already working. If gratitude and reverence gave me Faith Points… what if I gave something back?
I stepped toward a fountain in the square, its basin full of clear water. A small boy stood there, his fishing net torn, cheeks red with frustration.
I knelt and took the net from him. "May the sea mend what the waves have broken."
The boy blinked — and when I handed the net back, the system flickered. The tear was still there, but the boy smiled like he believed it was whole.
> [Faith Points +8 — Source: Perceived Blessing]
So it wasn't about actual miracles. It was about belief.
I could work with that.