Every time I looked at the sea, all I could think was how beautiful it was. If I had come here on vacation, I would have soaked up that beauty and enjoyed myself.

But the sea, like the forest, was full of dangerous things. A pristine-looking sandy beach? That was a warning sign, if anything. Recognizing that had saved me from being dragged away by a giant octopus arm.

You could never let your guard down, even around things that looked beautiful. There was no telling what might attack, or when or where. I couldn't afford to relax for even a moment.

'This beach is pretty big.'

The sandy beach was quite extensive. I walked and walked, but still hadn't reached its end. What surprised me more was its location. By my reckoning, I was across the river—in the area where space changed from moment to moment.

Yet now that I was actually here, there was nothing but sand, and nothing changed. I even doubled back to check, but it was the same. It felt strange.

'Is it only the far bank of the river that's weird?'

It was strange that space warped only across the river, and just as strange that this place was normal. Everything was so bizarre that I couldn't make sense of it. At least I didn't have to worry about getting lost. Wandering around like this probably wouldn't accomplish much. I might as well head back.

"Hm?"

I was about to give up exploring the beach and turn back when something suspicious caught my eye. The beach was fairly flat, but there was one hollow scooped into it. Very suspicious. I wanted to dig around to satisfy my curiosity, but I hesitated.

'What if that's another trap?'

I'd been burned so many times already that I wasn't eager to touch it. What if something suddenly sprang out when I approached? I was worried, but ignoring it didn't sit right with me either.

I knew far too little, after all. Something even more dangerous might emerge from it later. Gathering information like this, bit by bit, would improve my chances of survival. I made up my mind.

'It's a hole. I'll just take a quick peek.'

I approached cautiously. Whatever was inside might sense vibrations like the octopus. Keeping a safe distance, I craned my neck out as far as I could. I could only just see, but it was enough to make out what was in the hole.

'... Eggs?'

Eggs. Oval, really big eggs. Forget chicken eggs—these were big enough to rival ostrich eggs. And there wasn't just one. Several lay nestled together.

'What laid these?'

Eggs laid right in the middle of the beach. What kind of animal would lay them somewhere this dangerous? I knew nothing about this, so I had no choice but to ask the forum.

Anyone know what laid these eggs?

Wild Grylls

(Photo of eggs as big as ostrich eggs)

Found a random hole while walking and looked inside. There are eggs in it. Anyone know what they are?

└Heavenly Demon I've never seen eggs that large before.

└Sword Masta Why are there so many things you've never seen?

└They're from the Central Plains, dude.

└People from the Central Plains might know people, but there's a lot they don't know about animals.

└There are so many people there they don't know much about stuff like that lol

└Are you a bigot or something?

└Sword Masta Calling me a bigot for asking one question is a bit much...

└Allfather Turtles are the only sea creatures I know that lay eggs on beaches. They seem to be turtle eggs.

└Wild Grylls Turtles?

└Allfather Yes. Sea turtles usually lay their eggs like that.

└Wild Grylls It's okay if I take one, right?

└Allfather Isn't asking me rather pointless?

└True. Who's gonna stop you lol

└Think of it like when you killed Roundfur's mom.

└Wild Grylls That's not what I mean. What if I steal one and the mother shows up? That octopus put me through hell earlier...

└What about an octopus? Where did you find an octopus?

└Wild Grylls It came out of the ground. Only the arms came out, but it was definitely an octopus.

└Why the hell are octopus arms coming out of the ground lmao

└Is there even a monster like that?

└Of course not lmao. I'm telling you, that place is just weird.

└Allfather Taking ordinary sea turtle eggs shouldn't cause much trouble. Still, be careful.

So taking one was fine. As soon as I read that comment, I studied the eggs closely. The auction house sold chicken eggs, but I'd never bothered buying any. I had no reason to, and they didn't particularly appeal to me. For some reason, though, eggs I'd found in the wild looked delicious.

'I'll just take one.'

Couldn't a single egg this size make a whole meal? I carefully picked up a turtle egg as large as an ostrich egg. Thankfully, no trap sprang, and no mother turtle appeared. Its size made it heavy and awkward, but that was fine. I had my extradimensional bag.

'Should I take another?'

Just as I was about to get a little greedier—

SPLASH!

Suddenly, I heard a tremendous splash behind me. That wasn't a wave. Something had burst out of the water. I spun around as soon as I heard it.

"..."

"... A turtle?"

What had emerged from the sea was none other than a turtle. A sea turtle, with flippers rather than a tortoise's legs. Whether it had seen me steal the egg or not, it crawled slowly toward me.

'Does it not know?'

I edged backward just in case. But the sea turtle abruptly stopped, as though it had noticed me. Then it stretched its long neck out and stared straight at me. Honestly, the circumstances alone were probably enough to tell it I was an egg thief.

'It's fine. It's a turtle.'

I wasn't sure about tortoises, but sea turtles were very slow on land. If things went south, I could just run away. That was what I thought.

"Woooo."

The sea turtle made a strange noise, then pulled its feet inside its shell. With its head still sticking out, it looked ridiculous, but...

Out they popped again. What happened next wasn't ridiculous at all. Instead of flippers, thick, stubby legs like a tortoise's emerged from the shell.

It wasn't some transforming robot, yet here was a turtle doing exactly that. I was horrified... or not.

'That's cool.'

It was so absurd that all I could do was admire it. Wasn't that evolution in the truest sense? The shark giant had been more of an abomination, but the turtle's changes seemed practical.

HUMMMMM!

A round orb began forming inside the mouth of the turtle that had transformed from a sea turtle into a tortoise. I knew all too well what that orb was. Hadn't the guardian already given me a practice run?

ROOOOAR!

A powerful laser fired from the turtle's mouth. Apparently because I was near the eggs, it aimed at my head. Thanks to that, I barely managed to dodge by twisting aside.

KABOOM!!

The laser was incredibly powerful. Stronger than the guardian's, at the very least—that much was certain. It had blasted a huge hole in the cliff it struck. The sheer power left my jaw hanging open.

'It could kill me just by shooting the ground, couldn't it?'

What the hell? It was firing a cannon from its mouth. Even the lethal blast radius was huge. Still, a turtle was a turtle, and its movements were slo—

THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD!

I take that back. It was astonishingly fast. The turtle charged me in an instant, then leaped high into the air. Let me repeat that: it leaped. Then it tucked all its legs and its head into its shell. The result was a giant shell hurtling straight at me.

I hastily raised my shield against the turtle that had turned itself into a flying boulder.

KABOOOOM!!

"Gah!"

Running speed, superb jumping power, and a hard shell to finish it off. That perfect three-part combination sent me tumbling backward even though I'd blocked it with my shield. And that was with me braced in a defensive stance. The impact was terrifying.

"Ugh..."

HUMMMMM!

The impact transmitted through my shield left me dazed, but only for a moment. Sensing energy ahead, I jerked my head up. I hadn't seen it stick its head back out, but the turtle was gathering energy in its mouth. Now that I was far from the eggs, it apparently intended to finish me off. Considering the laser's power, which I'd just witnessed, my shield didn't stand a chance.

'W-what do I do... Oh!'

There was a way. I rummaged through my extradimensional pouch faster than anyone could have. The crossbow got in the way, but I still managed to pull out what I wanted.

"L-look at this!"

I shouted and held up the ostrich-sized turtle egg. My hands were fairly large, so I could hold it in one hand. The turtle gave a violent start, apparently quite flustered at the sight of the egg. The energy gathered in its mouth reacted too. I could see it gradually dwindling.

"..."

Soon, the turtle withdrew its energy completely. Its expression, however, was murderous. It was glaring at me as though it wanted to tear someone apart. To think a gentle-looking turtle could make that face. I felt like I'd become the bad guy here in more ways than one.

'No, I am the bad guy.'

Not only had I tried to steal a turtle egg, I was now brazenly holding it up as a threat. Objectively speaking, there was no denying I was the bad guy. But I had to survive, didn't I? Unlike that turtle, I couldn't shoot lasers from my mouth. I would do anything to stay alive.

STEP. STEP.

Keeping the egg visible to the turtle, I edged backward. Every step I took, the turtle followed a little farther. It looked ready to chase me to the depths of hell if I didn't give the egg back.

'No choice, then.'

I'd walk downstream like this, then give it the egg. After that, I'd run for my life. Why not seize an opening and kill the turtle? That would be far too inefficient. In sheer size alone, it was as big as a bear. Add to that an agility utterly unbefitting a turtle.

'It's time to head back anyway.'

I needed to turn back now to make it by dinner. Darkness would put me at a disadvantage. In the worst case, I might never find the cave again. My priority was returning safely, with as few injuries as possible.

SHHHHHHH!

As I kept backing away, I eventually reached the beginning of the backward-flowing river. The turtle hadn't taken its eyes off me once. Its face was growing angrier by the moment, too. All I had to do now was roll the egg over to it, and this would be over. If it showed the slightest sign of attacking, though, I would hurl it away.

"... Huh?"

As our suffocating standoff continued, something astonishing was happening behind the turtle. The hole was a long way from the start of the river, but my improved eyesight let me see it clearly. Birds had appeared from who knew where and were descending toward the hole.

"Hey! Hey! Over there! Look!"

"Wuh?"

Startled, I pointed behind the turtle, and it turned to look. Meanwhile, the birds had begun gulping down the eggs like pelicans. Though the eggs were so big that they seemed to be struggling.

"WOOOOOOO!!!"

Naturally, the turtle exploded. Not just a small explosion, either—a volcanic eruption. It charged back toward the hole at the same incredible speed it had used against me. The birds frantically flapped away, apparently startled as well.

'Now's my chance!'

While the turtle headed back to the hole, I ran without looking back. I even circulated my mana in case it fired a mana cannon at me. The surrounding forest flashed past in an instant, and even the rushing river seemed to flow slowly.

"Hee-hee."

Once I reached a reasonably safe place, I couldn't help laughing. An unexpected haul, an unexpected attack, and an unexpected stroke of luck. The result was the ostrich—no, turtle egg inside my extradimensional bag. Between that and the eel, it looked like I'd get to enjoy some rare treats for a change.

'And I'm never going near the sea again.'

I was never going back to that hellhole.