Chapter 54: Deep-sea Dungeon Raid Part 4

The day had finally arrived for us to enter the deep-sea dungeon.

We had stocked up well and made our way to the port. There, a ship prepared by Katharina's Merchant Guild to enter the abyss awaited us. It was a prudent move on Katharina's part to arrange for a ship designated for the abyss rather than just a regular ship. Indeed, it was a wise choice.

"You've gone to quite some lengths, haven't you?"

Katharina snorted dismissively at my remark.

"This hardly counts as an effort on my part."

Her pride in her wealth was clear to see. I looked at Katharina with a wide smile.

"We'll bring back the results you desire."

"You'd better."

Ugh, being harsh just because you spent some money. It was difficult to bear her sharp gaze, so I quickly got on the ship. El, Roshanak, and Lloyd followed behind me and boarded the ship.

-Kiiii! Kiin!

Ayla, the only one left behind, cried out in distress. I calmed her down with a whistle and gestured towards Katharina.

"Please take good care of Ayla while we're away."

Entrusting a wolf to her who was a cat beastman somehow struck me as amusing. They ought to get along well, I hope.

Anyway, aside from the four of us, the ship was manned solely by the captain and his crew. Given that this was a ship designed to enter the Abyss, the captain and his crew were all people with the skills of regular mercenaries, so there were no significant concerns on that front.

-Baaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

The departure began with the sound of a huge horn.

The weather was clear, and the waves were remarkably calm. If only our venture into the deep-sea dungeon could maintain this level of tranquility. However tranquil the surface might seem, one could never predict what might happen beneath.

The ship glided toward the horizon, not on a common sea route but along an abandoned path created by the emergence of the deep-sea dungeon to the east of the island. Even before we reached the dungeon's vicinity, sirens were spotted perched on nearby reefs, curiously observing us. Indeed, such sights only confirmed that ordinary ships would find navigation challenging here.

Thankfully, we had prepared earplugs capable of blocking the siren's songs which rendered their melodious attempts to lure us ineffective.

– I will leave a clock flower behind. We should return before every petal wilts.

I penned these words on a piece of paper and handed it to the captain, who nodded his head in understanding. Then, I initiated the blooming of two clock flowers before handing one to the captain and keeping one for myself.

Afterward, I distributed gill pills and giant water lily seeds to each person. The giant water lily seeds were crafted into bracelets with thin threads to prevent any loss. Everyone consumed the disgusting gill pills and waited for the gills to develop.

"Sharp!"

During this time, I summoned the armored shark. Honestly speaking, the creature had been following us from a distance since we set sail, so it didn't take long for it to reveal itself.

– Chaaaa!

When the huge armored shark breached the water's surface, the sirens who were singing scattered in a frantic escape. Ah, at last, some quiet. I removed my earplugs and looked around at my companions.

"Shall we go then?"

Only Roshanak who was a half-mermaid nodded enthusiastically with a bright face.

***

Thanks to the "pricey" blessing we received from the Donar Temple, we managed to locate the entrance to the deep-sea dungeon without much trouble.

The entrance resembled a cave but the black seaweed grew so thickly that it was hard to tell that it was the entrance at first glance. Fortunately, thanks to Roshanak, who noticed something odd about the direction of the water currents, we managed to enter the dungeon before a single petal fell from the clock flower.

Wow, this is exhausting.

The entrance to the dungeon was narrower than expected, with the ceiling adorned with stalactites as menacing as monster teeth densely packed together. Above all, the most terrifying element was…

The "darkness".

It wasn't just dim; the cave was engulfed in total darkness, so profound that it felt as though one's sight had been stripped away.

Morning star fruit.

I remembered that the remnants of morning star fruits from the previous mine subjugation were stored in my space ring.

– Thump, thump, thump.

Three. With Roshanak's keen eyesight, three should suffice.

Since time stood still within the space ring, the morning star fruits hadn't withered and still emitted a bright light. I handed one fruit each to El and Lloyd. Then the surroundings became brighter.

Ugh…

I regretted it instantly. I was reminded that sometimes there are things in the world that are better left unseen.

Disgusting.

Creatures resembling eels or monkfish with their bodies looking dark and menacing swam around us. These were the types of things you'd rather have served as eel barbecue or monkfish stew… not swimming alive before your eyes!

I forced myself to ignore my surroundings and pressed forward. The cave seemed endless and it stretched on and on without a sign of it ending.

It didn't feel like this when it was just a game.

Of course, it seemed so easy when all it took was the press of a dungeon entrance button to teleport within seconds. Now that it was reality, the journey felt tiring, akin to enduring hours upon hours in loading hell…

As time seemed to lose all meaning, Lloyd halted his steps and turned to look at me. I mouthed a silent "Why?" to him, and in response, he pressed a finger to his lips and gestured for silence with a soft "Shh."

I craned my neck to peer over his shoulder, eager to see what lay ahead in the enveloping darkness and then…

-Hisssssssss!

Scales flickered in the dim light.

I understood why Lloyd had stopped. I also realized what filled the path where the cave ended.

Sea Goblins!

Have you ever seen schools of fish in an aquarium swirling like a giant whirlpool? It was a similar sight, except here, we were facing sea goblins instead of anchovies.

Sh*t, how are we supposed to move forward now…!

Sea goblins were as troublesome and vile as mermaids. When they swarm, even whales give them a wide berth, which says a lot.

These creatures were the culprits behind the recent attacks on the merchant ships.

We spotted kelpies and giant jellyfish, but creatures like these mostly act alone and, unlike sea goblins, they don't typically attack ships.

It seemed that with the dungeon's emergence, a new horde of sea goblins had established their base here.

And there are quite a lot of them.

Given that it was the early stages of the dungeon's creation, higher-level monsters were yet to be present, which allowed the sea goblin population to expand.

While individual sea goblins might be weak, their growing numbers significantly increased the threat they posed.

So it's better to deal with them swiftly, obviously.

I exchanged a look with Lloyd, who nodded his head and drew his sword. His blade shimmered with the cool gleam of Donar's blessing.

Since neither kelpies nor giant jellyfish would initiate an attack, our focus was solely on the sea goblins. Their advantage was in their numbers, but considering Lloyd's strength, a head-on attack seemed the best approach. Moreover, we also had an armored shark named Sharp on our side.

The soldiers will be dealt with by Lloyd, El, and Sharp while the shaman will be dealt with by me and Roshanak.

After exchanging brief signals through eye contact and hand gestures, we waited for the right moment. Sharp was perfect for the initial strike. The plan was to throw the goblins into disarray by a surprise attack, after which Lloyd and El would move in.

-Shoouuuuuk!!!

Sharp darted through the swarm of sea goblins at incredible speed. Several goblins were sliced in half by the mere contact before dying instantly. The appearance of an armored shark piercing through their ranks visibly threw the sea goblins into confusion.

– Geeeeeeeeeh!!

– Gaaaaaaaaaagh!!!

– Geeeeeeeek!!!

Eerie voices like fingernails scratching a chalkboard echoed around the area. These sea goblins must have never imagined that a predator would appear in the dungeon to attack them, so they scrambled to organize their ranks, or at least, they attempted to.

– Thwaaaaaa!!!!

That was until Lloyd swung his sword.

I had known that each knight possessed the fighting power equivalent to a tank. But witnessing that strength firsthand sent shivers down my spine. Having only seen the might of mercenaries in the thick of battle, Lloyd was now revealing to me a monstrous strength, as if to teach me what true "power" really was. With each swing of his sword, lightning-fast sword energy sparked, and the sea goblins were helplessly sliced apart.

Good heavens…

Despite being swarmed by dozens of sea goblins, he swept them away without a moment's hesitation.

…Now's not the time for this.

I quickly surveyed the surroundings. There had to be a sea goblin shaman nearby.

Trying to keep an eye on Sharp while scanning the area was disorienting, but…

"There!"

I had Roshanak with me.

As expected of a half-mermaid, Roshanak pinpointed a faint and glimmering light amidst the dark swirling waters.

"Alright, Roshanak. Just like we practiced."

Roshanak nodded her head. She quickly began chanting a spell, and the surrounding water started vibrating faintly before taking on a sharp form.

I too aimed an arrow at the same point. This wasn't the usual silverwood arrow but one crafted from the bone of a Sea Serpent. It was lightweight yet remarkably resilient and was designed specifically for the deep-sea dungeon. The arrowhead was serrated, making it difficult to remove once it had lodged itself. I drew the bowstring taut and waited for Roshanak's spell to complete.

-Pop!!!

Once the spell was completed, a thin and terrifyingly fast whirlwind shot up toward the sea goblin shaman. I sent the arrow into the heart of the whirlwind, which spun rapidly towards the sea goblin shaman's heart.

-Whoosh!!!

The whirlwind and arrow pierced the sea goblin's heart with precision. And the arrowhead embedded itself into the chest of the sea goblin shaman like a drill before the small whirlwind passed through, literally boring a huge hole in its torso. The sea goblin's unique purple blood spread with the whirlwind, and its body sank to the ocean floor.

"W-We did it…!"

"Shh."

I gently grasped the celebrating Roshanak's shoulder and looked beyond the corpse towards a crevice in the rocks.

"Don't let your guard down. There's one more."