The door in the wall is already sliding shut—it is going to trap us out while the slave traders escaped!
“Please, make it in time!”
But just as we reached it, the massive stone door reopened again as if it closing a while ago had not happened.
The slave traders who had been trying to flee looked at us with dropped jaws. We, who had rushed in, also looked back in shock.
We checked to see if the open wall was an optical illusion.
The gold coin vibrated, and Loki’s voice echoed in my mind.
『…It must be a door that opens and closes at the command of the gods. That man invoked the name of the God of Fertility, remember? That means…』
『Hmm. So, as long as one travels with the gods’ blessing, the door opens.』
Solana’s calm voice followed, and I finally let out the breath I’d been holding.
Looks like they’re the ones panicking now.
“W–what is going on!?”
“I thought you were supposed to show us the hidden passage out of the city today!”
When things start to go south, one thing always happens—infighting. The river bandits were turning on their leader, shouting accusations at the man in the black robe.
“Silence!”
The overseer snapped, his voice cutting through the chaos. From his cloak, he pulled out a small pouch.
Solana’s sharp voice rang in my mind.
『That’s ashes of the titan!』
The overseer scattered the contents into the air. The black dust shimmered midair, glowing red-hot before vanishing entirely—and then, the oppressive aura of monsters grew so thick that made my skin tingle.
“What are they doing?”
Even Nils, unfamiliar with the ashes, must have sensed the danger. He raised his sword, watching the room warily—the channels of water, the cascades along the walls—ready for anything.
“They’ve summoned monsters to us. And… they’ve made them stronger.”
“What…?”
The four of us moved back-to-back, covering every direction.
The chamber stretched about thirty meters deep. The ceiling was high, and water channels ran along the left and right walls. There were also several water outlets near the ceiling of the walls. Waterfalls were splashing down into the channels on both sides.
“…The ‘Shrewd Merchant’ once told me that this powder calls forth monsters… and strengthens them.”
We could hear the overseer talking.
A dungeon ruled by water-born creatures.
Now I understood—truly understood—why this dungeon was rated for level thirty adventurers. In terrain like this, anything that could swim could attack from anywhere.
The overseer, with a twisted grin on his face said,
“Kukuku… don’t worry. I still have another pouch. And it seems that monsters can sense certain auras. As long as I hold this, they won’t come near us. It’s as if they fear it.”
So, they were safe. Makes sense, really—those ashes were once part of the flame titan, Surtr. For the creatures of this dungeon, that presence would be one to dread, or mistake for an ally.
“Gii… gii…”
“Kiiiii…”
“Guuuuh…”
Hands broke the surface of the waterway—scaly, webbed, and dripping. Fishmen, sahagins, rose from below. Their eyes are glowing crimson and their half-open mouths showed their jagged teeth.
And from the waterfalls above, winged shapes burst forth—monsters like giant bats, their slick blue bodies glinting under the pale light. There were more of them by the second—seven, eight… maybe more, screeching as they circled overhead.
Mia-san whispered.
“They’re sirens. They’re troublesome monsters that hit you with sound like a wall of air.”
Remembering what my father told me, I tuck my chin in.
Then single antler poked out from the waterway. A pale horse’s body neighed as it reared up towards us.
“That’s a Kelpie water horse. Really, it seems he had summoned monsters from the depths.”
Felix-san shrugged with a wry smile, remaining as nonchalant as ever.
Now, what should we do?
The main chamber was teeming with monsters. It was like the contents of a box that should never be opened.
The overseer gazed triumphantly at me.
『You’re on a tight spot, Rion』
It was Solana.
“Un.”
I exhaled, then I shook my head.
Wolfbone Skoll, who destroyed the royal capital.
Flamebone Surtr, who slept in Alvis.
There are many monsters here, but I’m not afraid of any of them. They are clearly weaker than those two after all.
I crouched down, my short sword at the ready.
“…Huh?”
Just to be sure, I activated unseal, letting my senses sweep across the area.
Then, I noticed lights all over the walls. The glow seemed to point to the next room, an even more unexplored area.
But what about those other lights?
“Try not to spill too much blood, will you? There are valuable magical materials stored here after all…”
The overseer licked his lips.
I was convinced. Those faint lights scattered throughout the chamber meant those materials. This might be why this space has collected so much water essence.
“They’re coming!”
Nils shouted the warning.
| Skill,『Sun’s Divine Protection』was activated. 【Golden Flame】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Improves physical ability. Further effects for a limited time. |
The world sharpened into perfect clarity.
The Kelpie water horse charged straight toward me, its single horn thrusting like a spear. I twisted my wrist and deflected the blow with my short sword, sparks flying from the clash. My feet bit into the stone, refusing to give an inch.
The Kelpie water horse snorted in surprise as it galloped past, but I spun on my heel and gave chase.
One step. Two step. My speed matched that of the beast itself.
“Gii-gii-gii!”
A Sahagin lunged at me from the side—I dropped low, sliding beneath its claws, and closed in on the Kelpie water horse’s flank.
Then I unleashed my strike.
| Skill,『God of Thunder’s Divine Protection』was activated. 【Hammer of the God of Thunder】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Shoots a powerful lightning attack. |
Blue-white lightning coursed across the Kelpie water horse’s body, crackling and snapping like a living thing.
The beast convulsed, its eyes rolling back, showing its whites. Even the nearby Sahagin caught in the discharge twitched violently before collapsing, exhaling black smoke as they crumbled into ash.
“Ice Blade”
Felix-san’s incantation rang out. A wave of frost surged from his staff, freezing the Sahagin struggling to rise from the waterway. The Sirens mid-flight were also caught in the spell, their wings were encased in glittering ice. Limbs locked in frozen shackles, they could only thrash helplessly.
“Heh, makes for easy targets!”
Mia-san’s chainaxe whistled through the air.
The frozen monsters shattered like glass. Those still writhing were split apart by the weight of her spinning blade.
I darted between them, distracting the stragglers. Felix-san’s magic struck true, and Mia-san finished each one cleanly from midrange. Our teamwork we’d honed back in Alvis shone just as brilliantly here in the depths of this waterlogged dungeon.
“…You make a fine party. So this is what true adventurers are like.”
Nils said, a quiet smile tugging at his lips.
He stepped forward, sword raised to mid-guard.
“I’ll lend what strength I can. Leave the defense to me.”
He positioned himself between Felix-san and Mia-san, the line of his blade steady and sure. Above us, the Sirens were swelling their bellies.
“Air blasts incoming!”
Felix-san warned sharply.
Nils met the warning with nothing more than a calm smile.
“Wind Cutter.”
The words were barely more than a whisper. A thin line of light traced his blade as the <Swordmaster> skill activated.
The slash was too swift to follow—the air warped and split apart. The sonic spheres fired by the bat-like sirens shattered midair, scattering like harmless mist.
Before the ripples faded, Nils had already turned, stepping lightly into the charge of the second Kelpie.
“Scatter Slash!”
The Kelpie staggered forward a few faltering steps before its body split cleanly in two and collapsed. It had been cut in that single passing instant. The tide of battle had turned completely in our favor.
“D-damn it!”
The overseer hurled a desperate fireball.
I twisted aside in a sideways roll, the heat brushing past my cheek.
“Forget this—let’s get outta here!”
One of the river bandits shouted.
But Nils’s voice cut through the chaos, deep and commanding.
“By all means—run! We’ll finish off these beasts first… then take our time catching up to you.”
The overseer froze mid-step. He must have realized it then—how we had already breached the sealed area he thought was untouchable and how his every attempt to shake us had failed.
That sudden stillness wasn’t hesitation. It was fear. The overseer had already played his trump card—the ashes. I could see him hesitate at the thought of unleashing the monsters and striking us down along with them.
And every second he wavered was a second his decision would be delayed…
『Hoh, clever tactic.』
Loki’s amused voice cut through my head, and I took his words to heart.
A tactical move, huh.
“Useless! If we don’t finish them here, they’ll catch up to us!”
The man in the black robe seemed to have chosen not to flee. His face flushed with fury as he plunged his hand into his robe.
“So be it…!”
He pulled out a second pouch from his pocket. It probably contained ashes. If he scattered them, more monsters would be summoned.
“Rion!”
Nils cleaved through the monsters ahead of me in a single, sweeping strike. A path was cut open with his sword. His eyes were aimed straight at the slave trader and the overseer.
“Catch them off guard!”
I kicked off the ground.
From the enemy’s perspective, my sudden dash—using the monsters’ hulking bodies as cover—must’ve looked like I vanished and reappeared from nowhere. The manager’s group hesitated, a heartbeat too slow.
The coin at my waist vibrated. Thor’s rough voice rang out.
『Well played. You laid the groundwork with that line earlier—‘we’ll deal with the monsters first,’ didn’t you?』
Some of the guards lunged to block my way—
“Wake up!”
A gust of wind from the spirit Sylph slammed into the guards, sending them tumbling like leaves in a storm. With his escorts gone, the manager stood alone—his face drained of color, hands flailing desperately.
“W-wait! Wait, wait, waaaait—!”
My boots met his face before he could finish.
“Guh—agh!”
He flipped backward, landing hard on the stone floor.
A small pouch slipped from his grasp and fell with a dry pat. I picked it up and checked to make sure the contents were still there..
『The unpleasant presence is fading. Those ashes haven’t been released yet.』
Solana affirmed.
“That’s good…”
I breathed out, relief softening the tension in my shoulders.
When I turned, Nils and the others had finished off the last of the monsters.
The final Siren, caught midair by Mia-san’s chain-blade, crashed to the ground.
The clash of steel and roar of beasts faded, leaving only the soft, steady murmur of running water to fill the grand chamber once more.
“Phew…”
The sigh had barely left my lips when instinct flared again.
I invoked the Blessing of the God of Hunting—Wild Heart, letting my senses stretch across the chamber. At once, a scarlet glimmer pulsed in the waterway to my right.
“Gigigi”
So there were still some left. Three Sahagin. Their fish-like eyes scanned us, seemingly realizing there was no chance of victory for them. Their heads, which had been shaking frantically from side to side, stopped.
And then, all three fixed their gaze on the same target—
“N-not good!”
“Gigi”
With a splash like arrows loosed from a bow, the Sahagin shot out of the water. One seized the overseer by the arm, dragging him violently toward the opposite channel.
—And together, they plunged into the left-hand waterway.
“Guh—gluh—gobo—!”
The overseer’s muffled cries were swallowed by the rushing current. The overseer was dragged beneath the surface! His flailing arms and legs clawed at the air, stirring a chill of fear in my gut.
Mia-san and the others came rushing over.
“Hey, wasn’t that guy our biggest lead!?”
“So it seems—but he’s been pulled under…!”
Felix-san’s grim tone sent another shiver down my spine. This—this was the true terror of the water dungeon. Once a water-dwelling monster dragged an adventurer below, there was almost no saving them.
“Normally, they aren’t quite so vicious. But if their intellect was suppressed by the seal, then perhaps the ashes of the titan restored it…”
Felix-san said, his eyes narrowing at the rippling current.
I looked around the chamber.
The slave trader’s sorcerer had clearly been the one in charge of the deal. No matter how many river bandits we captured, without him we’d never get the full story.
And—maybe it was naïve of me—but after coming this far, I couldn’t just let him die.
I activated my skill.
I searched the surroundings.
“This…!”
That’s when I saw it—something that could change everything.
A faint glimmer embedded in the wall. A light that could be unsealed.
At the end of the chamber, a pale-blue crystal shimmered softly. But among its many facets, one pulsed with a stronger, purer glow.
This place—it must be a storehouse of Spirit Stones. Just like the old chambers in the eastern dungeons.
| The Water Spirit, 『Undine』 can be unsealed. |
The voice of God echoed in my mind.
I lifted my chin, resolve burning in my chest.
“I… I might be able to save him!”
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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