Reincarnated as a random race, of course I got goblin.

Chapter 114 - Envy breeds Hate

As the white light enters the center of Bloody Mary's body, it seems to relax. I curiously look around for the Dream Mote, but can't see it. 

<I think it's underwater, since the lake is above the middle of my Lair.> 

The monster explains as they move towards the edge of the water, looking a bit like an octopus out of water as they use tendrils to pull themself forwards, dragging their body behind them. Once contact is made with the lake, however, Bloody Mary seems to gain the ability to hover above the surface, seemingly balancing on a lone tentacle.

<You were looking for something down there, right?>

I nod. "A kind of stone called Celestial Marble. There's supposed to be some down there, and I want to check it out." I join Bloody Mary at the shore. Their body twists to one side, as if tilting their head in confusion. 

<Why's it interesting to you? It's just like all the other rocks down there, coated in the remains of my partners and not very pleasant to touch at all.>

"It's what remains of something called a Divine Spring. It's important to the Demigods, but someone or something destroyed them, and I want to see if I can figure out why." I wade into the water, swallowing down the lingering nervousness I have. 

<...>

Bloody Mary doesn't quite seem to understand as they follow me below the surface of the water, the only hint at their presence being their Magic Crystal. I'm sure encountering their common relative, the Ondine, would be scary as well since there's no way to tell they're there if they hide their Crystal core. 

The lake is deep, and just beyond where World Knowledge indicated the Celestial Marble would be, I can see the shimmer of the Dream Mote. It hovers beside a conspicuously clean set of rocks that lean on each other in such a way as to create a hole that could fit me inside. Bloody Mary's den?

I guess their 'partners' would be the Crimsnow Algae in their body. With only the Bloody Mary and whatever lives beneath the layer of dead algae, the whole nutrient cycle seems incomplete. That is, unless you consider that the Crimsnow Algae most likely feed directly on Cold Element and sunshine.

I gently wipe away the thick coating of dead algae, grimacing at the sensation of touching it. It's slick and oily, like handling a moist piece of chicken breast. Beneath the semi-liquid layer is a crust of something that looks like old caked and dried blood in both texture and color. 

As the water reaches it, hundreds of thousands of bubbles start effervescing on its surface, as if I shook a soda bottle before opening it. My left hand, which was still hovering above the now frothing stream of bubbles goes numb before an intense sense of hot white heat shoots through it.

<"Stay away from those bubbles!"> 

I warn Bloody Mary, who immediately shoots off to their burrow. I get some distance on the still steady stream of bubbles before shooting off towards the surface again. Once above the surface, I activate Hover to keep myself from having to tread water, not that that would really be an option at the moment...

The surface of the lake around me looks like it's boiling, but instead of steam rising up it's supercooled hydrogen gas. Backing away even further, I take stock of my hand. 

Its swollen, black, and frozen all the way through. I try moving it, only to wince in pain as it crumbles, breaks off halfway down my lower arm and drops into the seething lake below. 

What the fuck was that dried blood-looking stuff? I curse myself for not being more careful as I heal myself, carefully testing the mobility of my regrown hand.