The wave of nightmarish critters was heading straight for them, their shrieking making the lake itself tremble.
— SHRIEEKKKK! —
"Woo!" (So many of them?!)
The little wolf couldn't help but shake, but then it felt a soft nudge in his sides. Pumpkin Girl sent him a soothing glance, and she looked so peaceful…all because of the nearby Jack!
"Those are cleaners, a hive race that inhabits the deep seas. They feast on the dead and only the dead. As for why they're here, it's probably because of the Abyss…"
"The Abyss? Sea?"
Jack pointed to the brown balls.
"These are also found in the sea. At first I overlooked them, but then figured that maybe it meant there would be cleaners here too."
"S-so, what exactly is this anyway?" Pumpkin Girl couldn't help but ask, a vile odor coming out of the brown paste even underwater.
"This, well…. you'll see…." Jack cryptically replied.
In fact, he didn't even finish his sentence that the creatures were upon them. With the proximity, their nameplates became visible.
[LV 120 "Cleaners" Legion! ☠☠☠]
[Quest! Hunt Them All Down!]
[Alternatively, You Can Run…]
Level 120?! The Legion was a force to reckon with. Anyone with a shred of survival instinct would have swam away as fast as possible, but Jack didn't move one bit.
He didn't move even as the creatures engulfed him…
He didn't move as they crawled across his skin, tickled his nose, and shrieked by his ears….
He didn't move either as they began to….lick him?! What kind of ridiculous scene was that?! Jack now had plenty of time to inspect every individual level 5-10 critters.
What the heck was happening?!
"This paste is like catnip to cats or cocaine to humans. Once they taste it, it's tough for them to stop. With this here, they won't even notice us as long as we don't attack."
"Woo!" (Ah! It's like the Pumpkin Cookies! Add…addictive!)
The little wolf triumphantly finished its sentence. But a second later, it was already busy salivating at the brown substance, wondering what it tasted like.
That's when Jack finally rose up.
Well, he couldn't actually be seen, only a humanoid wriggling mass of bugs appearing. Anyone with an insect phobia would have long had a heart attack!
"With this, we're ready to explore the Abyss."
"?!?"
Jack chuckled as he promptly explained the concept of diving suits. In this case, the bugs themselves would be his "suit", and they would be the ones resisting the water pressure.
"Woo!" (That's so amazing! My turn, my turn!)
"Hehe, alright."
Another brown ball was promptly crushed, a wolf-shaped bug mass soon appearing next to the humanoid one.
Seeing this, Pumpkin Girl couldn't help but take a leap behind, watching the brown balls in horror. But a second later, she resolved herself, coming forward again.
"I'll help too!" She struggled to resist her disgust with every fiber of her being, showing a brave front.
"It's alright. There's nothing much you can do down there. Just find someplace safe to wait for me. I'll bring you back a souvenir." Jack suavely waved an insect-covered hand.
Then he approached the seemingly bottomless fissure next to them. This was the place they had to explore, all to find the magical water-generating treasure. It was time to dive in!
— Jump! —
The two disappeared.
It was so dark, silent, and oppressive. They quickly lost sense of their surroundings, of time, and even lost their sense of self. All they could feel was the non-stop wriggling.
Diving into the Abyss was akin to being a prisoner of an endless nightmare.
Falling, some more falling, even more falling, then some….were they still falling? Perhaps they had long reached the ground and simply hadn't felt it? Perhaps they were dead too?
"Woo?" (————)
The little wolf called its master, but it couldn't even hear its own voice. W-what was this?! Anxiety threatened to overwhelm it, but then it felt a soothing aura.
'Don't worry. I'm still here.'
The dark world quickly went from unbelievably terrifying to entertaining as it felt its master's presence through their bond. How curious of a place this was!
Who knows how long that lasted, but then they suddenly hit something…
— CRASH! —
They abruptly regained their sight, and they couldn't help but gasp.
There was just so much to take in! Everywhere around them, there were ships, tons and tons of ships. No, not ships, vessels! True behemoths of the sea, the size of dragons!
Below them, there was soft pure white sand, and above a star-filled dome of bright neon blue light. The whole thing could only be described as otherworldly!
As for the critters covering them? All were gone! They were stuck in the folds of the blue barrier over their heads as if a giant net.
"Woo!" (This place is amazing! The Abyss is so cool!")
The little wolf's eyes were full of stars as it gazed at everything from the giant constructions to the weird metallic chains that linked them to the ground.
"Tch— I don't think we're in the Abyss anymore. I believe this is a remnant, one that holds a lot of power at that to keep the "Cleaners" at bay." Jack remarked.
"Woo?" (Remnant?)
"This Abyss seems quite special, not just a hole but a pathway, one that leads to various scenes across time and space…."
"Woo?" (…?!?)
"Like a long tunnel where people and things get lost…."
Ah! That was an explanation the little wolf could understand! This meant they were at the right place, right?! After all, they were searching for a lost Mermaid Treasure!
The two began exploring the area, Jack explaining the whole concept of naval "ships" to his companion. The two circled the sunken ships many times over, Jack's frown getting deeper and deeper.
"Those are from high-level sea areas for sure…."
Even the crests on them were high-level magical circles, long-broken but still identifiable by his discerning eye. But the strange part was the complete absence of monsters.
It was quiet, a little too quiet…
"Woo?" (Can we look inside?)
"Tch— We'll have to. Treasures won't just be lying in the sand, sadly. Alright, but before we go in, let's do a few preparations…."
Under the wolf's shocked gaze, Jack suddenly began taking out various things. No, LOTS of things! Was he preparing for war?! Were those "ships" that dangerous?!
1. He started by digging trenches
2. Then added lots of magical formations in there
3. Afterward, he doodled weird things all over the blue barrier
4. Finally, he topped it all by creating lots of sand statues all over the place.
The result was a sea floor that looked like a modern artist with dubious tastes had vandalized it. It wasn't just shocking. It was downright eery!
"Woo!" (What's that for?!)
"Hiding, warding, diversion, self-destruction…." Jack kept listing more functions than the little wolf could possibly remember! But at least they were now ready…
The two boarded one of the vessels. It appeared brand new as if it was perfectly fine to sail, and yet it was here.
"Ready? 3…2…1..!" Jack opened the trapdoor leading inside.
— Whoosh! Puff! —
A white fog greeted them along with wind colder than death…but the worst was the scent. That scent was enough for them both to gag, so horrible that Moon Moon almost fainted.
similar curses.
[Welcome to the Old Pirate Ship! Enjoy Your Stay!]
"Quick, use spells!" Jack hurriedly shouted.
"Woo?!" (Spells?!)
Its master had already surrounded himself with a demonic energy aura as he spent his mana reckless. Ah! It hurriedly copied him, turning itself into a bonfire.
At first, it didn't understand what was going on, but then it felt it. There was something trying to latch unto them, trying to devour them. It was….the air itself?!
"This is time magic, or rather a curse."
"Woo?!" (Time?!)
"Time erases all and everything. No wonder the ships are so maintained, their time has long stopped flowing, their husk only bait for unsuspecting travelers…."
The little wolf couldn't help but shake. Without its master's warning, it would never have realized the danger. After all, it was customary for an old ship to host foul air, right?!
This place was freaking deadly!
[Resisted time Erosion!]
[Resisted Time Erosion!]
….
"Woo!" (Let's run!)
"No, quite the contrary. The worst thing to do against a time curse is to play it safe. This is only giving it more time: time is power in this case! Let's go!"
Jack decisively headed inside, more careful than ever. After all, many guilds had been destroyed by similar curses.
[You've Entered a Legacy Realm!]
[Ahoy, Private! Stay Sharp!]
Ahoy? Private?! This was their only warning before a sand-golden colored energy engulfed them! Then they were swept away by an irresistible flow!
— Darkness…Golden Darkness?! —
The entire world was rocking, the smell of salt and vomit assaulting their noses. Whatever this place was, it felt way worse than dying.
It was like their insides had been turned upside down, and a thousand flames had burned their skins. It felt— "Stop playing dead, you lazy bastard!" KICK!
Jack suddenly opened his eyes wide, a scruffy guy's mug welcoming him. The guy was tall, well-built, half-naked, full of scars, and was holding a leather whip.
"Hurry the fuck up and row! Gotta leave that bloody shore, or we're all dead!"
Jack grabbed the oar before him, pushing and pulling as he inspected his surroundings. This was a ship with gruff sailors everywhere, one he recognized instantly.
They were on the vessel before its demise! What kind of mirage was this?! Jack wasn't sure, but he was certain it was a deadly one! An old seadog beside him chuckled.
"Welcome to the Golden Pearl, matey! Ready to die?"
[New Mission! Survive!]
62e886631a93af4356fc7a46