With his Underwater Breath skill, Broken could easily escape from the secret chamber; diving wouldn’t drain his stamina, simplifying the task. However, the challenge lay in getting Danko out as well.
He thought of a few possible solutions and decided to test the extent to which he could control the water with his Water Domain skill.
“My Lord, I can swim back out on my own. I’ll give it a try,” Danko offered.
“Just because you’ll try doesn’t mean you can do it, does it?” Broken replied.
He then approached the pool. “Wait a moment, Danko. I’m going to try something.”
[Water Domain (Conditional Active Skill)]
The domain activated, forming a water shield dome around Broken. As he walked, the domain followed, with him at its center.
He stepped into the water, and his body immediately submerged. The domain remained intact around him. Broken positioned himself and began to control the water within the domain.
The water quickly flowed out of the domain, replaced by air entering from the top, which stayed above the water’s surface. He was amazed by his discovery-if he could do this, it meant he could bring other people with him into the water using the domain.
“Danko, step inside the domain,” Broken instructed.
With hesitation, Danko moved closer and entered the water dome.
“Stay close to me. We’re going out together,” Broken said.
Broken kept a portion of the water domain filled with water, using the air only for them to breathe. They swam comfortably, with their heads in the air like they were inside a floating bubble of breathable space.
“Woah… is this a skill you got from the Trial Domain, My Lord?”
“Yes.”
He then instructed Danko to swim downward until they reached the bottom layer of the pool. Once there, they could walk along the pool floor with ease.
“Can you maintain this skill for a long time, My Lord? This is incredible! We could explore so much more of the cave with this ability, hahaha,” Danko said enthusiastically.
They quickly reached the pool’s initial end.
“I need to check something. You go up first,” Broken said.
Danko exited the domain and swam to the surface, while Broken, intrigued by something he had noticed earlier, lingered behind. He spotted some engravings and strange patterns on the pool floor, piquing his curiosity.
With a crystal lamp in hand, he walked around the pool’s bottom, kicking aside aquatic plants and rocks. Eventually, he discovered a circular pattern engraved on the pool’s base. The intricate design seemed like it could be moved, perhaps a complex lock that needed to be solved.
His fingers traced the grooves and lines of the pattern, trying to understand how it might work. He knew this discovery could lead to something significant, and he was determined to solve this thing.
He quickly took out his pickaxe and began to strike the circular engraving. Failed, failed. Then, success.
“Haha,” Broken laughed, pleased with how easily he could solve a puzzle using his skill.
He generally disliked dealing with puzzles and was thrilled when he could resolve such issues effortlessly.
Glancing around to check for any changes, he deactivated the water domain. He could feel the water’s current moving more swiftly, although he didn’t visually notice much difference yet.
He swam upwards, making his way to where Danko was waiting. The distance was the same as when he first swam into the pool, but with his new skill, he felt much more relaxed, no longer fearing the depletion of his stamina due to the effort.
Broken sensed the current moving more quickly. Once he reached the surface, Danko waved at him eagerly.
“My Lord, the water is starting to recede. Is that because of you?” Danko asked.
Broken turned to see the waterline gradually lowering. It appeared that the puzzle he’d solved was designed to drain the pool. Satisfied with this discovery, he climbed out of the water and watched as it continued to recede, likely needing a few more minutes to fully drain.
“We can mine the ore once the water has completely receded, My Lord. Kha ha ha,” Danko said loudly.
“The journey to reach this spot was long,” said Broken, “but given the rich resources we’ve discovered here, I believe it’s worth it.”
“Absolutely, My Lord. I’m sure there are even more amazing places around Slumdon, just waiting to be explored,” Danko said eagerly.
Broken nodded but couldn’t shake off his concerns. “What worries me, Danko, are the countless cave tunnels. Their complexity could easily lead our miners astray. We have no idea what’s at the end of those other tunnels.”
“I’ll explore every tunnel myself, My Lord. Meanwhile, we can mark paths to make sure the miners don’t get lost,” Danko replied with confidence.
Once more, Broken nodded. “Let’s investigate the cave together later. We can use my spirit beast to move faster.”
“Whoa… ha ha ha… Are you talking about the fox?” Danko laughed.
After waiting for a while, the water in the pool finally started to empty. Broken and Danko jumped right in to reassess what was left, and indeed, the pool was quite expansive.
The bottom was now covered with a slick of moss and a few remaining droplets, while the walls trembled gently from the force that had drained them. They scoured the pool’s contents, noting several small tunnels in various places. Clearly, they could extract a lot of valuable resources from this site.
“It’s full of iron ore, My Lord,” Danko reported.
“Yes, indeed.”
Broken sensed it was time to head back. He had already shared the path details to this location with Toberry, and they mentioned they were on their way.
Just as Broken and Danko were about to climb up, Goldrich and the others arrived, their faces lighting up with curiosity.
“Khi khi khi, is it true this place used to be filled with water?” Goldrich was the first to speak, followed by Maylock, Toberry, and Ivana trailing behind him.
Ivana glanced up at Broken and walked closer to him. “Are you alright, Broken?”
“Yes, I’m alright. Nothing serious happened.”
Broken then turned to the others. “Yes, it was a water-filled pool with a secret chamber at the end of the tunnel and a level 200 Trial Domain, just as Danko informed us.” Maylock jumped in, “Did the structure of this place change because you completed the Trial
Domain?”
Broken chuckled softly. “You might be jumping to conclusions, Maylock. But I have to admit that the water vanished shortly after I completed the Trial Domain. Actually, there was a puzzle, something like a key to drain the water. I solved that too, and this is the result.” Maylock then turned to Goldrich. “See? What I said earlier has been proven correct, hasn’t it?”
“Almost ran naked in public, huh? Khi khi khi.”
Toberry couldn’t help but laugh, scratching the back of his head. “What kind of trick did you use to accomplish such a feat, Broken? Completing a level 200 Trial Domain that fast. I’m sure you’ve once again stirred up every player in Immortal Legacy. Ha ha ha.”
“Let’s check out what the room upstairs looks like,” Goldrich suggested. “I’m curious to see what the secret chamber holds,” he said.