Chapter 30 – Treasure Hunt

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“Pfft!”

I flailed my arms and legs wildly, but the strong current didn’t allow me to swim.

Water rushed into my nose and mouth, filling my stomach in an instant. My bloated belly slowed my movements, and the warning signs in front of my eyes made me dizzy.

Thud-!

Being swept away wasn’t the real problem. The real issue was the constant impacts along the way. My body slammed into large rocks and floating logs, causing my health to drop in chunks.

Using skills to protect myself and healing spells to recover only helped for a moment. As I spun uncontrollably in the water, my health drained rapidly.

“Ugh!”

Even while being swept away, none of us gave up on escaping.

Isolin tried to wedge her staff between rocks, and Gladi threw a rope to anchor the entire party.

Of course, I also tried to grab onto the rocks jutting out along the way. But it wasn’t enough.

Whoosh-!

As time passed, I could feel the end approaching. The misty spray from the waterfall grew closer, and the sound of the cascading water grew louder.

I couldn’t even guess how high the waterfall was. All I could do was pray that my body would survive the fall.

“Eeeek!”

As Gladi and Isolin disappeared over the edge, I too was sucked under by the force of the water.

Gurgle-gurgle-!

I was submerged for only a moment. Just as my vision was filled with hundreds of bubbles, I was flung into the air.

“Ahhh!”

I flailed my arms and legs, but there was nothing to grab onto. As I looked around frantically, the clear water surface rushed toward me.

Splash-!

The deafening roar of the waterfall. Bubbles rose rapidly toward the surface. My blurred vision quickly cleared.

My mind was sharp, and my body was intact. Normally, I would’ve hurriedly swum to the surface, but the scenery before me made me pause.

Sunlight filtered through the clear water, illuminating the surroundings.

Fish swam gracefully, pebbles sparkled in the sunlight, and seaweed danced with the current.

My vision stretched endlessly, reaching the far end.

At first, I thought it was just a strangely patterned rock. But I was wrong.

The faded white bricks were covered in unfamiliar carvings. Though green moss had grown over them due to the passage of time, it was clearly a human-made structure.

At that moment, my limp body began to rise toward the surface. Turning my head, I saw Gladi pulling on the rope with all her might.

“Pfft!”

With Gladi’s help, I crawled out of the water. While my body had moved fine underwater, it felt heavy now that I was out.

My arms and legs hung limply, and a sharp pain throbbed in my forehead.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah…”

I was alive, so I could say I was fine. I wiped the water from my face and looked around.

“Eeeek…”

Fortunately, Isolin was also fine. She lay sprawled on a large rock, spitting out water. It seemed she had swallowed as much water as I had.

A strange silence settled over us. Isolin, Gladi, and I exchanged glances before lying down on the wide rock.

The warm sunlight soothed our cold, wet bodies. Closing my eyes and basking in the warmth, I felt my body slowly relax.

Our soaked robes clung to our skin, revealing our figures. Isolin and Gladi were no different.

“Ha…”

A weak laugh escaped me. Despite the situation, the relief of being safe and the certainty that the treasure was nearby made me laugh.

The strange thumping in my chest spread throughout my body. The delayed rush of dopamine made the situation itself thrilling, and the anticipation of the adventure ahead amplified the feeling.

Laughter is contagious. Isolin and Gladi, lying sprawled on the rock, also began to smile.

Despite the warm sunlight, the wind made us shiver. The canyon’s unique environment and our wet clothes made it worse. Eventually, we had to get up and start a campfire.

Isolin had to light it.

“Whoosh!”

Isolin lay flat on the ground, exhaling [Lizard Flame] with all her might. Thanks to her efforts, the campfire was quickly lit.

The three of us, averaging 140 cm in height, sat side by side around the fire.  (tl: loli group) 

I cautiously broke the silence.

“I think we found the ruins on the treasure map.”

“Really?”

Isolin’s eyes lit up at my words. I nodded, wringing out my wet robes.

“Yeah. I saw traces of ruins under the waterfall earlier. There were white bricks with unfamiliar carvings.”

“So the ruins are under the waterfall?”

“Hmm, maybe.”

“At least we know it’s somewhere nearby.”

We resumed our treasure hunt once our clothes had dried. Isolin stood up and shouted energetically.

“Let’s start the treasure hunt!”

For someone who had nearly died, she was overly cheerful. But I could tell she was putting on a brave face.

Her pale lips, slightly trembling hands, and overly cautious steps gave her away. She also avoided the water’s edge, limiting her search area.

Of course, I wasn’t much better. My legs felt weak, and my hands couldn’t even form a fist.

But the anticipation of the treasure kept us moving.

Isolin, Gladi, and I searched side by side. We checked behind large rocks, dug around suspicious trees, and even examined the waterfall’s walls.

Of course, I found nothing. I turned to Gladi, who looked serious, and asked.

“Did you find anything?”

“The sound is strange.”

“Sound?”

“Yeah. Listen carefully to the waterfall.”

Whoosh-

At Gladi’s words, Isolin and I listened closely to the waterfall. But I couldn’t sense anything unusual. It sounded the same as before.

“What’s strange about it?”

“There’s an echo.”

“An echo?”

“Yeah.”

Gladi began to move on her own, leaping between trees as if chasing the source of the sound.

“Gladi! Wait for us!”

“Wait!”

Isolin and I hurriedly followed her.

Clip-clop-

Gladi stopped near the waterfall again. After a moment’s hesitation, she jumped into the water without hesitation.

Splash-!

Though startled by Gladi’s sudden action, we didn’t stop her. The current under the waterfall wasn’t strong enough to sweep her away.

“Gladi! Where are you going?”

“Just a moment!”

Gladi swam toward the waterfall, disappearing behind the cascading water.

“Is she okay?”

“Hmm…”

Isolin and I circled around to the base of the waterfall, but Gladi was nowhere to be seen.

“What if she got swept under the waterfall and sank?”

“Hmm.”

“What if she’s flailing underwater?”

“She’s probably fine.”

I answered Isolin while peering into the water. The clear water revealed everything beneath it.

Contrary to Isolin’s worries, Gladi wasn’t there.

After some time, as Isolin and I crouched by the water’s edge, a voice called out.

“I found it!”

“Eek!”

Startled, Isolin and I jumped up. Turning toward the voice, we saw Gladi swimming out of the misty spray.

“You found it?”

“I think I found the entrance to the ruins! There’s a path behind the waterfall!”

“Oh…!”

At the news of finding the entrance, we reacted instantly. Isolin and I jumped into the water without hesitation.

Splash-!

“Quick, lead the way!”

Isolin splashed around, urging Gladi. Gladi smiled faintly and began to swim ahead.

Splash-splash-

Following Gladi, we arrived at a hidden path. It was cleverly concealed behind the waterfall, impossible to find without a close inspection.

“Wow…”

The massive cave was clearly man-made. Smoothly carved walls, old torches hanging above, and a staircase leading down.

Isolin, Gladi, and I exchanged glances, swallowing hard. Then, without a word, we began to descend the stairs together.

Step-step-

Having jumped into the water again, our soaked clothes clung to our bodies. Isolin’s figure was clearly visible as she walked ahead.

Vrslop_translator