After coming back up from the fake bottom of the Abyssal Sea, I went to find the broken creature again.

It was still piercing its own hand, letting red blood flow into the sea.

Its face was completely vacant, like its mind was gone.

"Hey, I’ve got something I want to ask."

[...]

Now it wouldn’t even respond anymore. Sighing, I simply crushed the rock with pressure.

-Crunch!

Fragments scattered through the Abyssal Sea like dust. Only then did it react, twisting its face into something indescribably as it spat out a curse.

[Get lost and don’t bother me.]

"I won’t bother you. Just tell me what’s below that mid-layer thing.”

[...]

It fell silent again, staring at me. Its silence was tinged in surprise rather than annoyance.

[Judging by what you’re saying, you’ve seen the mid-layer itself.]

"Yeah. It’s not the ruler of the mid-layer, but rather just the mid-layer itself.”

[That’s not a space you should have been able to endure. And yet you survived?]

I knew it. It’d been deliberately vague.

It seemed like it had expected me to die trying to break through. I almost smacked my head in frustration but reminded myself that, to it, I was nothing more than an annoying intruder and forced myself to ask calmly.

"Since when did things like that even exist?"

Those things weren’t living beings of the Abyssal Sea. They were locations.

Like an apartment’s basement level gaining consciousness and moving on its own. The very idea of their existence made no sense, so naturally, I couldn’t understand how they came to be.

Instead of answering directly, it sighed and raised its hand.

[Have you ever felt the urge?]

"...What?"

[A path other than death to escape all of this. To become one with the flow of this hell and continue existing.]

"Ah, assimilation? Yeah, I know that. I’ve experienced it.”

Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t felt it recently, but I had before.

When I overused my abilities, there was that sensation, like I was becoming one with the Abyssal Sea, my body slowly melting into it.

I nodded, then suddenly realized something strange and asked.

"Wait, if you know about assimilation, then you can die, can’t you?”

If this creature merged with the seawater on its own accord, wouldn’t that be death?

The complete erasure of the self. But it shook its head.

[That is a trap. If I assimilate, my self does not disappear. I'd merely become subordinate to the mid-layer and used as part of its flow. That is not the end I desire.]

"Ah, I see."

These monstrous beings that died in the Abyssal Sea, those deep-sea creatures that awakened a sense of self—most of them ended up assimilating.

But once they become one with it, their seawater becomes heavier. That was why they would sink to the bottom, piling up and forming a region distinct from ordinary seawater.

The place where all that accumulates—

"So that’s the mid-layer."

It really was something that could be called a location with a will.

As I slowly nodded in understanding, the creature, as if it had said everything it needed to, rolled another stone over with seawater and blocked the entrance.

[Now leave. Whatever you seek, do not interfere with my journey toward peace…]

"Ah…well, I’d like to do that too, but, you know.”

-Rrrrck!

As I dragged the stone away again, the creature’s tentacle-formed brows shot upward in irritation.

[If you truly wish to die or to kill—there are ways.]

"Just hear me out. No matter what, I need to go below the mid-layer.”

The mid-layer was just that. A middle layer. In other words. a checkpoint toward my goal.

There was no way I could stop at a place like that. I raised my hand as I looked at the puzzled creature.

"But I’m really, really weak. I don't have any way to defeat those mid-layer things. I mean it.”

[...That’s...]

It started to respond, then stopped, scanning my body with a strange expression.

[I don’t know what you’ve consumed, but you’re terribly incomplete. And yet you manipulate the flow in a way similar to me…]

"So I want to ask you a few things. If you help me, I’ll help you reach your goal.”

[Hah.]

But it just scoffed.

[You truly are insane. Do you think you can surpass the mid-layer? If you enter it, they will simply consume you as a means to increase their own weight.]

"...Their weight? Why would they do that?"

[The same reason as me. To sink deeper.]

I didn’t fully understand, but it was clear negotiation wasn’t going to be easy.

Still, I had a solid way to persuade it.

"Listen to the end. Honestly, I’m not some stupid deep-sea creature like you.”

[...What?]

"I wasn’t born in this place. I can’t promise you other things, but if it’s an end you want, I can definitely give you one. I just need to take your body with me when I leave."

[What are you saying…?]

"I’ll just come in for a sec."

I stepped into the cave.

Then I rolled another stone over, sealing the entrance completely, so nothing could get out.

Inside the pitch-black cave, we could still perceive each other through our senses, but I lit a flame on my fingertips so we could see with our naked eyes.

A flame danced underwater, casting light. The creature’s antenna-like feelers trembled at the sight.

[What is this…?]

"It’s too early to be surprised."

I casually formed a pressure blade and lightly cut my finger.

"Tsk.”

A single drop of blood welled up. Frowning slightly, I let it spread into the Abyssal Sea.

The scent of blood filled the cave.

Even to me, it was overwhelmingly potent, making my head spin.

[...!!!]

The reaction was dramatic.

The creature’s already large eyes expanded to the brink of bursting as it tried to confirm what it was sensing. Its gills flared violently.

Then, teeth like those of a predator began to slowly push through its gums, emerging one by one.

“I guess I should stop here."

[...U-ugh...!]

Perhaps because it was different from those ordinary deep-sea creatures, the thing somehow managed to restrain itself, writhing in agony.

It had only been exposed for a few minutes at most, yet its reaction was like someone who had inhaled poison gas for hours. Watching it roll around and retch on the ground for thirty minutes, I finally asked in disbelief.

"Seriously? It’s that bad?”

[Y-you…]

Only then did it regain enough composure to speak, glaring up at me with bloodshot eyes.

[So you’re the source.]

"What?"

[You are the origin of all this. The one who created this hell. A fragment of flesh left behind by the ruler dwelling in the deepest depths!]

"What kind of bullshit is that now?"

I crossed my arms and listened calmly as the creature grew more and more agitated, clutching its head and sinking into thought.

[Th-then the prophecy…is fulfilled like this? Th-that’s…so miserable.]

"You okay?"

[I-I’m fine. What were you talking about?]

"I was saying I’m not the same kind as you deep-sea creatures."

Now that it had somewhat regained its senses, I resumed persuading it.

"If you help me get below the mid-layer, I’ll make sure you die properly. It’s simple. Once I reach the deeper layers, I can return to the real world. Then I’ll kill you, take you with me, and burn you.”

[...Really?]

"Yeah. You said it yourself. Something about me being a fragment of flesh or whatever.”

[That...]

The creature trailed off, frowning as if exasperated.

[You truly have no idea what you are, do you?]

"What am I then?"

[Can you hear it?]

It answered my question with another one.

It tapped its ear, clearly referring to hearing. I focused on my sense of hearing for a moment.

I could hear the quiet sound of the Abyssal Sea. Water flowing, bubbles rising, and so on.

In other words…

"Hear what? I don’t hear anything.”

When I shrugged, the creature sighed deeply and lowered its head.

[...You must not have been in this hell for very long.]

"No, I’ve been here longer than you think…"

[You only think you have. In the end, it’s just a matter of time. You’ll hear it soon enough… and when that happens, you’ll understand without needing an explanation.]

It spoke as if pleased, then slowly stood up, looking at me with an indescribable expression.

[I will help you.]

"What?"

[Whatever it is you intend to do, I will help. Just keep your promise. Kill me and end my life in this Abyssal Sea. If you keep that one promise, I will do anything. I will follow all your instructions.]

"Erm, okay..."

I was a bit taken aback by the sudden change of attitude.

Originally, my plan had just been to show that I wasn’t an ordinary deep-sea creature, and if things went wrong, kill it and feed it to another creature I had tied up with my threads.

If that happened, even if it awakened a sense of self, it would still remain under my control, so I figured I could continue to dominate it anyway.

Well, some of the things it said were bothering me, but those were things I’d naturally come to understand as I kept going down. What mattered now was gaining its cooperation, so I held out my hand.

"Alright. I’m counting on you."

[...]

It stared strangely at the hand I offered.

[What am I supposed to do?]

"Take it."

The creature reluctantly grabbed my hand, and we shook a few times.

[And now?]

"Don’t resist."

[?]

At the same time it made a confused expression, the thread ring around my finger began to wrap around its hand.

Its face twisted into something grotesque.

[This is...]

"I appreciate the help, but honestly, I can’t fully trust you.”

[...]

Only after it was completely bound by the threads, placed entirely under my control, did I let go of its hand.

It didn’t feel great, but I wasn’t in a position to be a kind master who cared about a servant’s feelings.

[So. What do you want to do?]

It asked cautiously, its expression somewhat softened. Only then did I explain the plan I had already formed.

"Do you know where the other deep-sea creatures with self-awareness are?"

[...? I do.]

"Then let’s start by killing all of them."

[...]

Just once.

I planned to let things play out and create an opening by emptying those positions.