Chapter 137: Underwater ruins (3)

The next morning, the previously halted ruin exploration resumed. Since Bluemet had requested the team to go much farther out than yesterday, the entire expedition team gathered to discuss their plans.

“Just how far out should we go?”

“There’s a cliff at the edge of the coral reef. I think it’s best we search around that area…”

“Either way, we shouldn’t waste time collecting useless junk like before.”

“Unlike yesterday, we’ll also need to be more cautious of monsters. The deeper we go, the higher the chances of encountering dangerous ones. So I think it’s best if all six of us move together.”

How far to descend, and what to bring back—traveling farther meant it would take that much longer to return. So rather than picking up anything and everything, it was decided they’d only retrieve truly special items.

At that moment, Sugar, who was chewing on some dried jerky, asked the diver about the threat of monsters.

“But, I mean… Do sea monsters actually exist?”

“They do.”

“Still, we didn’t run into even one yesterday…”

“Well… that’s because we were in shallow waters. I admit it’s a bit strange, but there’s no harm in being cautious, right?”

“I guess that’s true…”

The diver’s reasoning was sound. In the end, the six-person team decided to move together, unlike the day before.

With the decision made, it was time to go. After receiving a magical blessing from Bersen, the team members headed toward the sea.

Honestly, I wanted to bestow the Sea God’s power on Soo and Sugar too—but I couldn’t transfer this power to others.

Maybe if I could figure out how to manipulate it, it’d be possible someday, but for now, I had no idea how.

Once submerged, the world changed entirely. The underwater world was serene. Listening to the soft flow of the currents, I relaxed my body—it almost felt like I’d become a drifting cloud.

That comforting sensation lasted only briefly. I moved my short legs diligently, swimming deeper.

As I passed through the coral reef, I occasionally encountered giant sea turtles.

They didn’t seem to fear humans and would often swim right next to me. During those moments, I could grab onto their backs and hitch a brief turtle taxi ride.

Eventually, we reached the edge of the coral reef. Everyone stared cautiously into the pitch-black void beneath the sharp cliff drop. While I could clearly see what moved at the bottom, the others couldn’t.

A massive sea monster, shaped like a stingray, thrashed and fled the moment it sensed my gaze.

The exploration resumed. Perhaps wary of what the diver had mentioned, Soo and Sugar drew their swords and kept a close watch on their surroundings. The three divers also moved more cautiously than before.

Fear of the unknown. The frustration of limited vision. The constraints of physical limitations. Entering these deep waters stirred up many complex emotions in the team.

Even in these depths, the ruins we found weren’t much different from yesterday. At most, a few sunlit coins gleamed among the sand.

Humans couldn’t hold their breath underwater for long. Even with Bersen’s support, the maximum they could remain underwater was about five minutes. Once that time passed, they all returned to the surface.

With everyone exploring as a group, progress naturally slowed. Eventually, I couldn’t take the frustration anymore and spoke up before we dove again.

“Hey. How about going a little deeper? Like… maybe beneath the cliff under the reef?”

“That’s dangerous. And besides, we haven’t even finished searching around the cliff yet.”

“True, but the stuff we’ve found so far isn’t much different from yesterday.”

“We did find coins.”

“Just a few. Are you really satisfied with that?”

The diver, who had been arguing against the idea, sighed and looked over at Bluemet and Bersen.

No matter what I said, he was signaling he’d follow the client’s decision.

“Hmm… You’re right, Miss Seris. I agree—we should try exploring a little deeper.”

Bluemet backed my suggestion. The diver, though clearly uneasy, didn’t reject the client’s choice.

By noon, after lunch, the team resumed the exploration. We swam past the shimmering coral reefs toward the cliff below. The deeper we went, the dimmer the sunlight became.

Midway down the cliff, the five others came to a halt. They looked troubled, gesturing upward. It must have gotten too dark for them to see.

I released a soft starlight to illuminate the area. Though I hadn’t joined this request as a mage, I didn’t bother hiding the fact.

Even knowing I was a mage, Soo and Sugar looked surprised by the glowing starlight floating around us.

As long as the stars lit the surroundings, the exploration could continue. I channeled more mana to brighten the deep ocean floor.

Paaat—!

With brilliant starlight, the darkness receded, revealing hidden scenery. Crumbled ruins covered in dirt and moss lay scattered. Nearby, we found the shattered wreckage of a sunken ship.

No matter how hard I looked, there were no monsters. They must have sensed my presence and fled. With things this safe, we could continue the exploration without worry.

I swam past the others, descending deeper.

As I swam near Soo and Sugar, I realized something. The entire ocean floor below formed a particular pattern.

What I couldn’t sense yesterday, I could now feel. My wide-spread mana reacted to the remnants of the ruins.

It was a reaction any mage would recognize—the distinct resonance of mana stones.

One near the wreck, another near where Soo and Sugar were exploring, and a third under a large rock. My mana was being drawn into those spots.

The starlight’s mana started converging on those three points. Once enough mana was absorbed, the entire seabed began to shake.

Krrrumble—!

A long-dormant magic spell had activated. The mana stones, filled with starlight mana, amplified the flow and sent it coursing through a drawn magic circle. The completed spell released a tremendous light.

Paaat—!

Light. The spell did nothing more than generate light.

Last night, when I discovered the artifact containing the size-reducing spell, I had a hunch. This ruin must have once been a magic city, home to practicing mages.

Following the illuminated light, the full layout of the ruins slowly revealed itself. But we still couldn’t see everything. Sediment had built up over centuries, hiding parts of the structure.

But if it’s in the way—just move it.

I climbed onto a tall rock and carefully moved my hands. We couldn’t afford to collapse the ruins. All I needed was enough power to clear the sediment on top.

Instead of using mana, I invoked the twisted divinity of the Sea God. With a grin, I moved my hands with more intent.

Then—

From my fingertips, a current began to swirl. It had only been tricky at the start, but now I got the hang of it quickly.

A small vortex swirled out and began sweeping across the ground. I made sure to control it carefully, so that Soo, Sugar, and the others wouldn’t get caught up in it.

Shhhhhhh—!

The soft whirlpool swept away the light sediments, revealing the hidden ruins beneath, along with gleaming white bones.

Wider. Farther.

The vortex grew, devouring the cloudy sediment. I pushed the vortex gently away and released it far from the ruins.

Once the power maintaining the vortex faded, the swirling sediments began to disperse.

It was then—the team, who had been watching me from afar, suddenly began swimming upward. It must’ve been over five minutes since we entered the water. I leapt up to join them.

Swoooosh—!

From far away, a massive presence rapidly approached. Startled by the speed, I turned to see an enormous sea monster emerge from the murky depths.

It looked like a hybrid between a whale and a shark, with six fins—big and small—flapping powerfully along its sides. Then came the black, lifeless eyes and a mouth wide enough to swallow the world.

Its sharp teeth aimed straight at the team swimming toward the surface.

No time to think. I pulled out the Ice Dragon Sword and the Fire Dragon Sword and hurled them.

Even underwater, they shot forward at incredible speed. Just before the monster could swallow the team, the two swords pierced its body and veered it off course.

Thooom—!

Its attack diverted, the monster’s jaws crushed a helpless cliff. As debris crumbled behind it, the creature’s dead eyes locked onto me with chilling hostility.

Its six fins beat furiously as the massive beast charged at me.

I calmly watched, bringing both hands to my chest. If I hadn’t been prepared, I would’ve had to slash it to bits with the twin swords.

But there was no need for that now. The area was already saturated with my mana.

That meant this entire space was under my control. Just before its gaping mouth reached me, a quiet ripple echoed from deep within my soul.

Abbreviated Manifestation of the Inner World
Birth of a Star

The place beneath my feet gave way to a pitch-black void. Then, one by one, small and large stars began to rise. The massive sea monster, once so overwhelming, now looked like a mere dot in this tiny cosmos.

It couldn’t move. There was no water to support or propel it. It just floated there, helplessly.

I raised both hands lightly. Two radiant stars flew toward the beast and collided.

Flash—!

A silent supernova erupted. The exploding stars sent out a dazzling shockwave that painted the cosmos in radiant nebulae.

Time flowed swiftly. As the nebulae gathered to form a new star, the world I had summoned collapsed.

It was time to return.

I turned away, leaving behind the glowing stars surrounding me.