Volume 1 Chapter 54 The Monster In The Water
"What... what is this? Is the road submerged in water?"
Chester hurriedly took shelter on the stairs.
The passage in the middle layer was flooded, and there seemed to be no scaffolding to stand on.
The water didn't feel very cold when I touch it, so it probably wouldn't drain body heat.
It also didn't seem dirty, so it must be circulating.
"Mel, is there any description in the ancient documents about this place?"
"No, it's not detailed there... I'm sorry."
"I see. Anyway, we have to keep moving forward."
Compared to getting stuck in the mud, it might be better, but it could still cause problems in battle.
"Fatina, can you move?"
"Yes, I'm fine with this! But if the water level rises a little more, it might be difficult."
"It consumes magic power, so it can't be used for a long time, but if necessary, you can use my magic to walk on water."
"Oh! Is there such a convenient magic! That's good to know!"
Mel has the skill of [Water Attribute Magic], so she must be able to use that kind of magic.
As for my [Instant Death Magic], it's specialized for combat, so it's not applicable in other situations. So it's helpful.
"Thank you. If I ever need it, I'll rely on you."
"Yes, understood."
Then, all of us walked towards the back of the passage, soaking our shoes in the water.
Every time someone lifted their foot, a splashing sound echoed through the passage.
We walked along the passage for a long time, but there were no new changes. It gradually became unclear how far we had progressed.
"Huff... Huff..."
I turned around when I heard someone struggling behind me, and Chester was starting to breathe heavily.
Since there is some resistance from the water, it must be more tiring than walking normally.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, it seems like my lack of exercise is catching up to me..."
"Oh! Look, it seems there's another elevated land ahead."
Fatina points forward.
Up ahead, the passage ends and it seems to open up into a wide space. In the center, there is raised land, and it is not flooded.
We've been walking for a while, so this seems like a good place to take a break.
"Let's go all the way to that raised land and take a rest. Fatina, can you keep an eye out for any monsters?"
"Yes!"
Relying on Fatina's ears, the four of us leave the passage and enter the space.
The inside of the space is very wide, and the ceiling is high.
The raised land is quite small, and most of the surroundings are filled with clear water. It seems quite deep.
"Ah! Finally, I can take a breather!"
As soon as Chester gets up onto the raised land, he immediately sits down. He must be really tired.
"Is this area also protected by a barrier?"
"I'm not sure of the exact location, but it might be."
"There doesn't seem to be any sign of monsters for now."
"Then let's rest here for a while!"
After making sure it was safe, we decided to take a break here as planned.
We all drank water from our water bottles and ate some portable biscuits.
"Hmm..."
Chester frowned while eating his biscuit.
Maybe he just doesn't like the taste, being the son of a merchant guild and all.
In that sense, Princess Mel should feel the same, but she ate silently without complaining. She must be mentally strong.
"Nom nom..."
Amidst that, only Fatina seemed to enjoy the biscuits.
I've never seen her complain about them before. Maybe humans and beastmen have slightly different tastes.
And so, we took a quiet break for a while.
"Sigh..."
Chester sat down, hugging his knees with both arms, and let out a sigh.
"Even though it's for the sake of our merchant guild, I feel gloomy about walking in the water again... Huh? What's that over there?"
In the direction Chester pointed, there's a pond covering the area around this land.
And there, even though there's no wind, ripples were spreading.
"...I have a bad feeling."
As Fatina drew her sword from her waist and stared intently at the pond, suddenly the ground began to shake.
"What is it?!"
Chester, and Mel stood up, staring intently at the water's surface.
Suddenly, water splashed up into the air.
"Wh-wha..."
Everyone froze as they saw what emerged from the spray.
It was a gigantic dragon covered in blue scales.
Its head was larger than a human's, and its neck was long enough to look down on us.
What set it apart from a regular dragon was its slender, snake-like body.
"A dragon?! Why is it here?!"
"Fatina-san! This is a Sea Serpent!"
"A Sea Serpent? It's a vicious sea snake that appears in the ocean! Why is it here of all places?!"
'Rrrroooooaaaarrrr!'
The Sea Serpent, also known as the Big Sea Snake, is a monster registered as an A Rank in the guild. It roared and charged at us, opening its mouth wide.
"Hah!"
I blocked its attack with the sword I drew from its sheath, managing to deflect it somehow. One wrong step and I would have been swallowed whole.
Surprisingly, the Sea Serpent, whose attack I managed to deflect, disappeared into the water again, making a loud noise.
"Mel, I'm counting on your magic!"
"Yes, understood! Water, harmonize with my body── (Water Walk)"
Mel's magic enveloped all four of us, covering our bodies in a blue light.
When we touched the water after coming out of the land, our bodies stood on the water without sinking.
"This magic consumes a lot of magic power when cast on multiple people, so it won't last very long!"
"Got it!"
Thanks to the magic Mel cast, we were now able to move freely on the surface of the water.
The only problem was the time limit.
The next time that guy shows up will be the decisive moment.
I concentrate in the middle of the land.
It will probably appear in the same place again.
And after a while, we hear a loud sound of water coming from behind us.
When I turn around, there is the Sea Serpent appearing again.
Probably the ponds were connected underwater.
Recognizing the Sea Serpent's figure, I immediately activate the ability 'Insanity' that I obtained from the wraith.
──At that moment, just like when I was with the wraith, the surroundings suddenly become dark.
Then, the Sea Serpent suddenly starts thrashing around in the pond.
'Gwaaaa!? Giiiiii!'
It seems that the Sea Serpent's stats have decreased due to the activation of the ability 'Insanity'.
I don't know how effective it was since I can't see the numbers, but it looks like it's suffering quite a bit.
"What... what on earth just happened!?"
"Now is the chance...!"
Fatina raced across the water, closing in on the Sea Serpent.
And then, she swung down the sword she held in both hands towards its thrashing, massive head.
The sword effortlessly sliced through its thick scales and cleanly split its head in two.
"G-groooaaan... ooo..."
The Sea Serpent lost its strength and slowly sank to the bottom of the pond.
After a moment of silence, we looked at each other.
"We have defeated that wicked monster!"
"Oh, uh... wait, did we just defeat it quite easily?"
Even Fatina herself seemed surprised, tilting her head to the side.
Fatina's sword destroyed and severed the strong scales of an A-Rank monster.
Perhaps, this is the result of the decrease in stats caused by 'Insanity.'
"Haa... ugh..."
"Mel-san!"
Mel almost collapsed on the spot, and Fatina rushed over to catch her.
"Are your magic power depleted?"
"I think so!"
"Oh no, this is bad. Come on, drink this."
Chester uncorked the potion he had for magic power recovery and gave it to Mel.
"Ah... sorry, thank you for saving me."
"No, thanks to you, I was saved too."
"But still, encountering an A-rank monster here..."
As Chester said, even in this place that seems to be within the middle layer barrier, an A-rank monster that should be in the lower layer appeared.
There doesn't seem to be a safe place in this dungeon anymore.
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