Chapter 28
Inside the second lake they visited on the fifth floor, there was a proper passage.
Fortunately.
There did not seem to be any sign that a Deep One had interfered with it.
Still, it could have been disguised.
Their companions might also have destroyed whatever had been there before moving on.
So they could not relax.
“I’ll prepare Blood Bubbles beforehand. We might be attacked the moment we enter.”
Instead of holding each other’s arms, the three firmly grabbed the ends of Yohan’s cloak and jumped into the passage together.
“……”
“……”
Starting near the lake, inside a cave, or even near a sea cave would have been ideal.
Unfortunately, nothing that convenient happened.
The three were in the middle of the ocean.
Rather than standing, it would be more accurate to say they were floating.
As soon as they understood their location, Isabella and Aren completed Fish Transformation.
They immediately dove underwater to look for magic beasts targeting them.
There were certainly many magic beasts and strange fish around them.
However, Yohan’s group was not their target.
“This is…”
“Wh, why are they doing that? Th, those things?”
At a rough estimate, several hundred creatures belonging to at least twelve different species were already locked in a struggle for survival, eating one another.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoooosh!
A school of Harpoon Fish attacked a walrus like magic beast.
They slammed their bodies into the enormous creature.
However, the beast was protected by thick fat and completely ignored the attacks.
Instead, it grabbed the approaching Harpoon Fish and ate them.
Then something charged fiercely toward the place where five or six of those walrus beasts had gathered.
It was one of the ancient magic beasts, Livyatan melvillei.
CRAAAAACK…!
Its massive body made the Giant Thunder Scorpion from the fifth floor look like a child.
It violently twisted its enormous form and snatched up an entire walrus beast.
Even Yohan found the sight impressive.
It’s difficult to believe this is only the sixth floor.
While that magnificent act of predation continued on one side, fierce battles between magic beasts unfolded elsewhere.
There were sea serpents like the ones they had seen on the fifth floor.
Many different strange fish were also present.
They even saw giant jellyfish from time to time.
Some creatures fought over corpses that had already become chunks of meat.
Small species struggled against larger predators.
Others watched carefully, hoping to benefit after both sides weakened each other.
Countless sea creatures were fighting across an ocean even wider than the previous floor.
It was difficult even to decide which direction they should travel.
After watching the sea creatures that seemed mostly uninterested in them, Isabella carefully asked,
“…We still need to move, right?”
“Wh, where? R, right? Or l, left?”
The two looked at Yohan with troubled expressions.
Their complete lack of Dungeon experience is obvious here.
After complaining inwardly, Yohan quickly began examining the surroundings.
The reason floors five through eight were called the Dark Cave was simple.
Every passage leading to the lower floor existed inside a lake within a cave.
If that were not the case, the first raiders would have chosen another name.
Perhaps Dark Sea or Dark Ocean.
However, every lake in the Dark Cave was connected to the sea.
Just like the lower parts of most rivers eventually connected to an ocean.
For some unknown reason, a large number of marine predators currently occupied the surrounding sea.
Some small fish that had lost their schools would probably try escaping into a lake rather than remaining in the ocean.
Their chances of survival would be higher there.
One or two fish would not be enough to draw a conclusion.
But with enough samples, he could determine a general direction.
……
Yohan focused even more mana into his eyes, expanding his field of vision as much as possible.
At the same time, he concentrated on the movements of small fish he could feel through his skin.
After checking the direction of around six hundred small magic beasts, Yohan pointed toward the direction chosen by the largest number of them.
It was to the right.
From their current position, it was roughly northeast.
“The predators will become interested in us soon. Let’s hurry.”
There were more than twice as many magic beasts as on the fifth floor, and they were stronger too.
Since killing everything along the way would be difficult, the three moved carefully toward their destination.
After swimming for about three hours, they finally reached the sea cave.
Yohan hunted some of the larger strange fish in the area and collected their cores.
“Seriously… are you planning to do this every single time?”
“At least until the tenth floor.”
The problem began after that.
Hummmmmm…!
A core attached to a loop made from layers of tough seaweed finally stopped spinning and fell to the ground.
Yohan picked it up and checked for the presence of Remains.
The core had been blackened by a high heat reaction.
It pointed toward the opposite side of the island.
“…Looks like we came the wrong way.”
The passage leading to the next floor was openly visible inside the lake deeper within the sea cave.
“We found the passage correctly… but we didn’t account for the Remains.”
“Wh, what are we going to do, mister?”
Yohan did not think for long.
“I’ll give you two choices.”
He raised two fingers on his right hand and folded them one by one.
“First, the two of you go down ahead of me.”
He called it a choice, but it was practically a forced decision with an obvious answer.
Looking at Isabella’s twisted expression, Yohan emphasized the second option even more strongly.
“Second, all three of us finish searching for the Remains and then move together.”
His raised index finger slowly folded down.
He called them choices.
He called it a suggestion.
In truth, Isabella and Aren had no other option.
Even Nuadillen, who had plenty of Dungeon experience, would struggle to clear the Dungeon with only General Kalkelak beside him.
If even those two would have difficulty, Isabella and Aren had no chance alone.
The gloomy expressions on their faces came from the fact that they now had to throw themselves back into that dangerous sea.
Yohan offered them no comfort.
