LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 137
The next morning, the halted exploration of the ruins resumed. Since Bluemet had requested the team to go much further than yesterday, the entire expedition team had gathered to exchange opinions.
“How far should we go?”
“There was a cliff at the end of the Coral Zone. It might be best to search around that area…”
“Anyway, we shouldn’t gather useless junk like we did before.”
“Unlike yesterday, we should also be careful of monsters. If we move to deeper waters, the chances of encountering dangerous creatures will significantly increase. Therefore, it seems wise for all six of us to stick together.”
How far down to go and what to retrieve? The longer the distance traveled, the more time it would take to return. Thus, it was concluded that instead of gathering everything visible, they should bring back truly special items.
At that moment, Shu, who was munching on dried jerky, posed a question to the diver who was discussing the dangers of monsters.
“But… are there really Marine Monsters?”
“There are.”
“But we didn’t encounter a single one yesterday…”
“Well… it was a shallow area. Honestly, I also find that puzzling. Still, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious, does it?”
“That’s true, but…”
The diver’s argument was valid. In the end, the six-member exploration team decided to move together, unlike the previous day.
Once that was settled, it was time to move. After receiving magic from Versen, the prepared team members stepped toward the sea.
I really wanted to bestow the Sea God’s powers on both Su and Shu, but I couldn’t transfer this strength to others. It might be possible if I figured out how to apply the power, but for now, I could scarcely guess how to use it.
As I plunged into the water, the world I was observing changed. Under the sea, the tranquility enveloped me. Hearing the soft sound of the current as it flowed, I felt as if I had become a cloud drifting freely.
However, the sensation of the ocean’s warmth was short-lived. I kicked my short legs vigorously, pushing deeper into the ocean.
While swimming through the Coral Zone, I occasionally encountered massive sea turtles. They seemed unafraid of humans and would swim right alongside me. Each time, I could latch onto their backs and take a short ride, like using a turtle taxi.
After swimming for a while, we reached the end of the Coral Zone. Everyone looked down, peering into the black abyss of the sheer cliff below. While I could see everything moving at the bottom, it seemed the other five couldn’t.
A giant marine monster reminiscent of a stingray swam freely until it sensed my gaze and panicked, darting away.
Exploration resumed once more. Su and Shu drew their swords, appearing cautious as they seemed aware of the monsters the diver had mentioned. The three divers also began moving more cautiously than yesterday.
Fear of the unknown. The discomfort brought by limited vision. The physical constraints of not being able to move freely. The exploration team, now in deeper waters, was experiencing a mix of emotions.
Despite having gone quite deep, the traces of ruins found were not significantly different from yesterday. Just a few gold coins sparkling in the sunlight was all we had.
Humans couldn’t hold their breath for long underwater. Even with Versen’s assistance, the maximum time we could spend submerged was about five minutes. Once that time passed, everyone chose to return together.
In the group activity of the six, the progress of the exploration naturally slowed down. Eventually, unable to contain my irritation, I spoke up before diving back into the water.
“Hey. How about we delve deeper? For example, beneath the cliff in the Coral Zone…”
“It’s dangerous. And we haven’t finished exploring the area near the cliff yet, have we?”
“That’s true, but… the items we’ve found aren’t significantly different from yesterday.”
“We found some gold coins.”
“Just a few; are you satisfied with that?”
The diver, who was expressing concerns about the danger, sighed lightly and glanced at Bluemet and Versen. No matter what I said, it was clear they intended to follow the client’s direction.
“Well… I certainly think Lady Seris has a point. It would be better to explore deeper.”
Ultimately, Bluemet lent weight to my opinion. The diver who had voiced objections blinked nervously but didn’t reject the client’s words.
At lunchtime, when the sun reached its peak, after resolving the meal, the exploration began again. Swimming past the multi-colored shimmering Coral Zone, we went to the cliff below. As the water grew deeper, the light coming from above dimmed.
When we passed the middle point of the cliff, the five team members who were making good progress suddenly stopped in their tracks. With puzzled expressions, they looked around and gestured upwards, indicating it was too dark.
I began to lift small starlight to illuminate the area. Although I hadn’t joined this quest as a wizard, I had no intention of hiding the fact that I was one. Su and Shu, aware of my wizard status, looked surprised at the twinkling stars that rose around us.
As long as this starlight illuminated the surroundings, there would be no issues with the exploration. I spread more mana to brightly light up the depths below.
Paaah-!
With the dazzling starlight, the darkness receded, revealing hidden forms. The ruins’ debris lay haphazardly covered in dirt and moss, and not far away, I could spot the shattered remnants of a wreck.
No matter how much I surveyed the area, there was no sign of a monster. Perhaps they all fled upon sensing my presence. By now, we should be able to continue our exploration safely.
I swiftly swam downward, passing by team members who were scanning the surroundings.
As I fluttered near Su and Shu, it struck me that the entire seabed was depicting some form.
Things began to feel that I hadn’t sensed yesterday. The broadly spread mana reacted upon meeting traces of the ruins.
It was a familiar response for a wizard. The reaction of a Mana Stone.
One near the wreck, one near where Su and Shu were exploring, and another beneath a large rock. The mana I had widely spread was being absorbed toward them.
The Starlight Mana began to concentrate around those three points. When the absorbed mana crossed a certain threshold, the entire seabed began to quake.
Kururung-!
The magic that had remained dormant for a long time began to activate. The Mana Stone, having absorbed the Starlight Mana, amplified it and transmitted the mana along the drawn magic circle. The completed magic emitted a colossal light.
Paaah-!
Light. The cast magic merely created light.
I had vaguely guessed when I found the artifact containing shrinking magic last night. It seemed this ruin had once been a magical city where wizards thrived.
Following the revealed illumination, I shifted my gaze, and the overall shape of the ruins became apparent. However, I couldn’t see its complete form due to the layers of murky sediment that had settled on top over the years.
If it was obstructive, it could simply be cleared away.
I climbed onto a quite high rock and carefully began to move my hands. The ruins mustn’t collapse. All I needed was enough strength to remove the sediment that had piled upon the ruins.
Instead of moving mana, I would use the powers of the Sea God’s twisted divinity. I smiled slightly as I worked my hands more diligently.
Then.
As my fingertips gave rise to movement, currents began to form. It was just the initial hurdle. I soon grasped the trick.
A gentle wave created by my light gestures started to sweep the sediment away. I made sure to keep careful control so Su, Shu, and the exploration team wouldn’t get swept away.
Shuuaaa-!
As the soft whirlpool whisked away the light sediments, the hidden ruins and white bones below started to reveal their faces.
Wider. Further away.
The small whirlpool gradually grew larger, engulfing all the murky sediment. I gently pushed the formed whirlpool away, releasing it from a distance far from the ruins.
As the power sustaining the whirlpool faded, the floating sediment began to disperse into a cloud.
At that moment, the team members who had been watching me from a distance all began to swim upwards together. Thinking back, it seemed five minutes—the maximum time we could hold our breath underwater—had passed. It was the right moment for me to join them as I lightly leaped upwards.
Shuuuuuk-!
A giant presence began to approach rapidly from a very long way away. Just as I was startled by the tremendous speed, a massive monster revealed itself through the dim waters.
Its overall shape looked like a blend of a whale and a shark, with six large and small fins spread out on each side, fiercely pushing through the seawater. What came into view next was its pitch-black, dead eyes and its mouth wide enough to engulf the world.
Those sharp teeth were aimed at the team members swimming toward the surface.
There’s no time to waste. I swiftly drew the Ice Dragon Sword and Fire Dragon Sword, then hurled them without hesitation.
The Ice Dragon Sword and Fire Dragon Sword flew at incredible speeds even underwater. Before the giant marine monster could swallow the team members, the two swords pierced its body and redirected its path.
Kuuung-!
The monster’s maw, interrupted in its attack, clamped down on an innocent cliff instead. With debris from the crumbling cliff raining down, the monster’s gaze locked onto me. Within its pitch-black eyes was an unmistakable animosity.
As the six fins thrashed powerfully, the monster’s gigantic body began charging toward me.
I calmly observed its approach, cupping my hands in front of my chest. If I had confronted it without any preparation, I would have hacked at its massive body with the Ice Dragon Sword and Fire Dragon Sword.
However, that was unnecessary now. My mana was already abundant in this area.
That meant the entire space was under my control. Just before the monster’s wide-open jaws could swallow me, a subtle tremor surged from deep within my heart.
Inner World Simple Manifestation
Birth of a Star
A pitch-black world began to unfold based on the spot where I stood. After that, as large and small stars began to rise one by one, the once gigantic marine monster had dwindled down to a mere point in this tiny universe.
It could not move. There was no water to support its massive body and help it maneuver. Instead, it floated there, unable to do anything.
I casually raised both my hands. At that moment, two dazzling stars shot towards it and collided.
Blink-!
A soundless supernova explosion occurred. The fragments of the shattering stars erupted behind, casting a brilliant light and creating a massive shockwave that formed sparkling nebulas.
Time flowed rapidly. As the nebula born from the explosion of the stars began to gather, a new star started to form, and the world I had summoned began to crumble.
It was time to return. I turned away, leaving the stars shining brightly all around.