The Golden Altar's Fury
As we descended deeper into El Dorado, the light gradually faded. A dark blue-black expanse. And with it, the fish-men began to reveal their increasingly grotesque forms. More hideous than I imagined.
I had pictured something whimsical, like a fish with arms straight out of an elementary schooler's fairy tale drawing. But they were far more realistic. Their appearance was closer to a mackerel on a dinner table sprouting spider legs.
Glub—glub—
They spotted us and drew rusty blades. Without a word or warning, they launched their attack—as if we had no right to be in these waters.
I had expected this. With a gesture, I ordered the octo-men to engage.
There was no need to worry about the fight itself. We outnumbered them, and while their forms were grotesque, they were clearly not built for combat. I knew this well. Hadn't I already failed spectacularly trying to slap elves onto a bull zombie's body?
As expected, the fish-men were no match for the octo-men. The octo-men methodically turned them into corpses with the long spears they had possessed since their creation.
These are supposed to be the "Water Weak" tier? Isn't that an overestimation?
"Water Weak" was the classification for marine creatures. Stage 5 ranks followed the names of ocean layers. On Earth, we had divided the ocean by depth: the mixed layer from the surface to 500 meters, the thermocline from 500 to 1,000 meters, and everything below 1,000 meters as the deep sea. Accordingly, Stage 5 creatures were classified as Mixed, Water Weak, and Deep Sea tiers.
El Dorado lay 300 meters beneath the surface. By Earth's standards, that would be the mixed layer, but the environment here was different. The sky remained dark year-round. So we applied a 1/2 scale: 250 meters for the mixed layer, 500 meters for the thermocline, and everything below that counted as the deep sea.
The Water Weak fish-men were dealt with. No point turning them into zombies. I didn't know how long I'd stay in Stage 5, but underwater-only fish-man zombies had little use. They were weak, and their behavior suggested low intelligence—unsuitable for zombies.
Let's just take a look at El Dorado.
I swam toward the nearest arch-shaped structure. When I touched the strangely shaped building, the expected description appeared.
Activate?
[YES] [NO]
Selecting [YES] would trigger a notification demanding a charge. That was why I had already taken out the Charging Battery.
Charging required.
I know.
Vwoooom—
After using two batteries, I pressed [Activate]. Light soon radiated from the arch-shaped structure, spreading across the entire city and delivering energy. The light sources of El Dorado began to glow.
Now this feels like a golden city.
It was truly magnificent. The sight of the entire massive city shimmering in gold made even Earth's city nightscapes seem ordinary. Just this spectacle alone made using the batteries worthwhile.
And… it really does make you want to take it…
Every user who reached this city must have had the same thought at least once. Could they take this gold? But it was an impossible dream.
Indestructible item.
El Dorado itself carried the indestructible property, just like floating debris. Naturally, one would think of the Disassembly Sticker. But since the city had an owner, only a message stating it could not be disassembled would appear.
Shame, but what can you do?
I grabbed the nearest octo-man and spoke. Sound didn't travel well underwater, so I pressed close and gave orders through vibration.
"I'll be back after taking care of something. Keep watch around the perimeter."
The octo-man nodded and relayed my command to the others. The octo-men spread out around the city. Two batteries would keep El Dorado's lights on for thirty minutes.
If I had come here with a lover for sightseeing, I might have wandered around admiring the beautiful city. But that wasn't the case, so I headed straight for the altar.
The Golden Altar stood at the center of the city. Having read the general route on the community boards, I reached it without getting lost.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary massive lump of gold. The method was simple: place food on it, charge the altar separately, then press [Activate].
The important thing was that this place was 300 meters underwater. Powerful water pressure was in effect. And that was exactly why the Diving Bubble from supplies existed. Originally an item meant to help users who couldn't withstand water pressure explore the deep sea, it was nicknamed the "Suicide Bubble." If you rode it into the deep sea and couldn't surface due to some variable, the pressure would make you explode.
A lot of people died because of this…
Stage 5's core content was exploring both the ocean surface and the depths. Supplies offered many underwater exploration items. But the sea was filled with elements that drove users toward dead ends. It wasn't just monsters. For humans who lived on land, the underwater world was far more dangerous than they imagined.
I took out the Diving Bubble and stacked the Fruits of Good and Evil inside. By the time I finished, the count exceeded two hundred. Seeing over a hundred fruits piled on the altar like offerings on a ritual table brought a smile to my face.
Finally…!
It was said that receiving the blessing would increase a food's effects by anywhere from 30% to 100%. Even at the low end, that was an average 1.5 times the profit. The Maze of Evolution was already over, but I would achieve an even greater evolution in this ocean.
Without hesitation, I charged the altar and pressed [Activate].
Then El Dorado began to tremble. A creaking sound echoed from all directions, as if an earthquake had struck.
Creak—creeeak—
Huh… something feels off.
Clearly, a golden beam was supposed to descend from the sky, caress the food, and turn the blessed items gold. But instead of the expected golden light, only ominous vibrations and sounds continued.
Did I put too much on…?
It was strange, but I decided to let it pass. The Fruits of Good and Evil on the altar were gradually taking on a golden hue. The blessing was working normally, so any problems could be dealt with after it finished.
While rubbing my hands together and watching the fruits, one octo-man came swimming toward me at high speed. Unable to slow down, he slammed into a wall.
Thud—
"What is it?"
He staggered over and frantically tried to explain something using his hands and feet. But nothing could be heard.
Glub glub. Glub glub.
What's wrong with him?
I grabbed him and told him to speak again. Then an urgent voice came through.
"Master. An enormous number. Fish-men approaching. At least three thousand individuals. Estimated to increase further."
"From where?"
"Every direction."
What did that mean? None of the users who had visited El Dorado had ever reported such a phenomenon. But with fire at my feet, I had to move. Figuring out the cause could wait.
I hurriedly stored all the Fruits of Good and Evil. At the same time, an enormous vibration spread throughout El Dorado.
Thief! The thief has stolen from the altar!
What kind of nonsense is that? This is mine!
Leaving behind my bewilderment and indignation, I swam upward. Then I blew the Whistle of Calling. This would bring Baengnae with the ship to the area above me.
After rising a little, I saw the scattered octo-men swimming toward me. And in the distance, a black tsunami of fish-men filling the sea came into view.
They were like a tidal wave rising underwater.
Damn, this is insane…
Seeing it like this was terrifying. I had only heard stories of schools of fish driving away sharks, but witnessing it in person carried a completely different sense of pressure. It was like a natural disaster. Now I understood why even those large, powerful sharks chose to flee.
The octo-men approached and grabbed my arms. They began carrying me to the surface at top speed.
Whoosh—
As acceleration built, breathing became difficult. I held my breath and entrusted my body to the octo-men.
100 meters. 80 meters. 40 meters.
As the surface drew closer, the fish-men also closed in. Their grotesque faces were now clearly visible.
But… can our raft even handle that many?
The raft itself was indestructible, so it wouldn't break. But if that many creatures climbed aboard, the weight would eventually sink it.
Whatever. Let's get up first. Better than fighting them all underwater.
When I turned my head upward, I felt something strange. There was floating debris. But the raft I remembered was far larger than before. It wasn't just that the number of pieces had increased. It was at least a hundred times bigger than my memory. Something impossibly massive was waiting for me on the sea.
Splash—
I shot upward as if equipped with a jetpack. Countless fish-men swarmed below me, hoping I would fall. At the same time, a voice rang out.
"All batteries! Fire!"
Boom—boom—boom—
A barrage of gunpowder rained down on the fish-men chasing me. Round, black explosives. I stared blankly at them in midair.
A pirate ship?
It wasn't just one pirate ship. Dozens of large and small vessels were connected, forming an "island." And the lord of the Steel Archipelago waved at me.
"My lord! Your kitten has rushed here to fetch you!"
Wh-who are you…?
For now, I stored all the octo-men clinging to me. Then I spread the Swallow's Wings and headed for the pirate ship.
The fish-men recognized the pirate ship as an enemy and began swarming aboard. The pirate captain shouted in response.
"All hands, begin close-quarters combat!"
Cat beastmen leaped out from various parts of the pirate ship and engaged the fish-men. A blue-haired user also danced through the air, swinging dual swords and cutting down fish-men.
I don't know what's going on… but we've got a ship now?
There was no reason to refuse help. The decisive factor was Baengnae. Despite showing strong resistance to the letter's sender, she was already on the pirate ship. Baengnae had recognized the blue-haired user for some reason.
If that's the case, I have no reason to reject them either.
After surveying the battlefield, I summoned an octo-man again and asked.
"Are those things tasty?"
The octo-man pondered for a moment before giving a thumbs-up.
"Extremely rich in nutrients."
"Good. The zombies have been starving lately anyway. They'll feast today."
I summoned zombies around me. Bull zombies, wyverns, Black Goblins, Double Monkeys—zombies that had been stored away due to lack of space poured out. This was no longer the sea, but an island.
"Leave the arms. Let's try attaching them to the office workers."
Thousands of fish? They were only threatening underwater. Once sea creatures crawled onto land, they were nothing but prey.