Chapter 135: Underwater ruins

Early morning in the Karma Empire.

As the sun began to rise, the streets buzzed with life. Thanks to the fall of Kashpa’s influence, the biting winter chill had lifted, and warm air started to spread throughout the empire.

Tiny sprouts had begun to bloom in the neatly arranged flowerbeds along the roadside.

I stood facing the meeting point with the client, letting the wind from the blue sea wash over me. The crashing of waves, cries of seagulls echoing from the sky, and the gruff shouts of workers blended together—it was the port of the Karma Empire.

We weren’t the only ones waiting at the agreed location. Four others had arrived before us, including one mage in a blue robe.

How on earth had the client managed to hire a mage? Tilting my head curiously, I walked over to the group.

“You’re…?”

The mage in the blue robe seemed startled to recognize me. He must’ve seen me during the tournament. I smiled lightly and waved my hand.

“You’re all here for Mr. Bluemet’s request, right? The one to explore the underwater ruins…”

The mage nodded in response, and at that moment, Su and Shu began whispering beside me.

“Looks like she knows mages.”

“Emily told us she joined the Mage Tower.”

“I thought that was a lie.”

“Emily never lies. Shu, try trusting people a bit.”

“Mm…”

I shifted my gaze from the mage to the three people standing next to him. They didn’t carry swords, so they clearly weren’t swordsmen—but they weren’t carrying other weapons either.

As I studied them, the mage in the blue robe came closer and spoke.

“They’re professional divers the client hired separately. They usually earn money retrieving drowned bodies or valuable cargo lost at sea.”

“Oh… you’re quite knowledgeable.”

“I happen to be personally acquainted with the client…”

“I see.”

That cleared up my curiosity about how someone could afford to hire a mage.

“Where is the client, Mr. Bluemet?”

“He’s likely meeting the captain of the ship we’ll be sailing on. Should be here any moment now… Ah, and I’m Bersen, by the way. As you can see, I’m from the Azure Tower.”

With Bersen’s introduction, the rest of the party began introducing themselves. The three divers were named Ban, Mac, and Jane.

Su, Shu, and I introduced ourselves briefly in return. I didn’t particularly intend to hide that I was a mage, but since I was here under the name of Seris the Silver-ranked swordsman, I didn’t mention it either.

Then, the client, Bluemet, appeared with a middle-aged man by his side. The scent of the sea clung to the man’s body—it was clear he’d spent many years on the water. He was likely the captain of the ship we’d be boarding.

“Ah, apologies. Had to load a few more things onto the ship… But it looks like everyone’s here. Shall we head out?”

“Is this everyone?”

“Yes. I tried to find more, but… the three of you were the only Silver-ranked adventurers who accepted the request.”

Bluemet gave an awkward smile and turned around. Bersen and the three divers followed after him.

I hadn’t expected that only the three of us had accepted this job. I recalled the receptionist’s reluctant expression when I said I’d take it. There was a reason no one else had accepted it.

“Let’s go.”

But since we’d already taken the request, there was no turning back. I tugged on Nightmare’s reins and followed after Bluemet.

We arrived at a secluded dock, where a large sailing ship, fully prepared for departure, was waiting for us.

“Um, Miss Swordswoman?”

“Me?”

The one who suddenly spoke to me was the captain. I tilted my head, and he pointed at Nightmare with a reluctant look on his face.

“You’re planning to bring that horse aboard?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… Are you sure about that? My ship doesn’t have a stable or feed for it…”

“It’s fine. He can sleep anywhere.”

In truth, there was no need to bring Nightmare along on this job.

But I couldn’t just leave this troublemaker alone. He had a habit of kicking the stable walls when bored. Who knew what he’d do if I was gone for days?

The first thing I did after boarding the ship was lay out a soft blanket on the floor. That spot would be Nightmare’s bed. He sniffed it a few times before plopping down with his belly pressed to the ground.

He knew too—he had no role in this request. I gave his side a few pats before getting back up.

“Huh… What a strange horse.”

Shaking his head, the captain began preparations for departure. The crew moved busily under his command.

“Set sail!”

Boom!

With the captain’s shout, the sails unfurled. The massive sailing ship caught the morning breeze and began gliding across the blue sea.

None of us knew exactly where the ruins were located. We simply trusted Bluemet and sailed into the open sea. From the way he occasionally whispered with the captain, it seemed the two of them were the only ones who knew the destination.

Time passed slowly, like the clouds drifting across the sky.

After who knows how long, just as I began to yawn out of sheer boredom, Bluemet approached us and pulled something from his coat.

It was a very old map. Time had clearly taken its toll. The writing was faded, and the yellowed parchment gave off a faint musty smell.

“I’m sure you’ve all been curious. Where we’re headed—and what we’re searching for.”

Bluemet spread the map wide so everyone could see. Squinting at it, I soon realized it was a world map. The northern edge marked Shade Kingdom, the southern end Green Pool, the western edge Monster Island, and the eastern edge Bluevale. All the places that could be called “the ends of the world” were drawn in detail.

Bluemet pointed to a tiny island just off the coast of the Karma Empire. A red X was marked there.

“That’s our destination. A place where the ruins of a forgotten age lie dormant.”

“Is there treasure there?”

The question came from Shu. He leaned casually against the ship’s railing, arms crossed. With his height, he looked cool no matter how he stood. Not wanting to be outdone, I stretched my legs out and leaned against the wall like him.

“Yes, there is.”

Bluemet nodded and pulled a golden coin from his coat. It wasn’t ordinary currency—it had a design I’d never seen before. As he rubbed the faint letters etched into the coin, he continued speaking.

“We’re about to travel through time. To an age erased from everyone’s memory.”

A gust of wind from beyond the blue sea rustled the map in Bluemet’s hand.

About three days later, we arrived at our destination—a small island sitting all alone in the ocean.

The large sailing ship furled its sails and dropped anchor, preparing for disembarkation.

I approached Bluemet, who stood leaning against the railing, gazing at the island.

“Mr. Bluemet.”

“Ah, Miss Seris.”

“Are the ruins on that island?”

“No, they’re beneath it. That’s why I hired the divers.”

“Besides the coin you showed us, did you find anything else?”

“Unfortunately… I wasn’t well prepared during my last visit. It was more of a scouting trip.”

“Hmm…”

“Looks like everyone’s getting off. Let’s go too.”

I nodded at Bluemet’s words and brought over Nightmare, who had been lying on the floor. After lounging for three days, the moment he saw the pristine white beach, he began galloping all over it.

Though everyone had disembarked, we didn’t start exploring the ruins right away.

The first task was to build a base camp and clear the monsters inhabiting the island.

I drew my sword alongside Su and Shu, and we ventured into the jungle.

Perhaps because the island had been isolated for so long, it had developed its own unique ecosystem.

The fruit on the trees looked bizarre, and the occasional monsters we encountered had unfamiliar appearances.

“It ran that way!”

“Get it!”

Su and Shu darted madly through the jungle. I trailed behind, jotting down notes about the monsters’ appearances and observing how the kids’ movements evolved during combat.

The monster hunt continued until evening. The three of us dragged the corpses of the creatures we had slain back to base camp.

The base camp, built by clearing a portion of the forest, looked surprisingly cozy. A wooden palisade had already been erected, and a large bonfire roared in the center.

The next morning, the true exploration of the ruins began.

Before we entered the water, Bersen, the mage, approached us and cast a spell. The magic formed several small spheres made of wind.

“This will let you breathe underwater. If you start running out of air, reach for the nearest sphere.”

At Bersen’s gesture, the little spheres began circling around each of us.

With this, we were ready to enter the sea.

After changing into lighter clothing and equipping the Ice Dragon Sword and Fire Dragon Sword, I leapt into the water.

“Ah, Emily!”

“Wait for us!”

I heard Su and Shu shouting behind me, but I didn’t stop.

Without hesitation, I dove into the sea.

Splash!

The moment the cold seawater enveloped me, a beautiful world unfolded before my eyes.

Beyond the frothy white bubbles, rainbow-colored coral glimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.

I closed my eyes and focused on the surrounding sounds.

Unlike the noisy surface world, the underwater realm was perfectly silent.

It brought a sense of peace—as if I had returned home.

The Sea God’s power worked even in the depths. Though I should’ve been unable to breathe, I could inhale and exhale normally.

Wearing a faint smile, I moved through the water, making my way deeper into the ocean.