Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Bonus Stage (4)
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Radica didn't swing her fist the moment she deployed her Revised World. That might've worked on land, but not underwater.
Galen, grasping her intent, quickly ran through his options and gave the signal once he decided it was feasible.
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
"Me too!"
"Here we go, then. Three, two, one—now!"
The words barely left his mouth when Galen pulled back some of the mana protecting the submersible.
The spot he released was right in front of it.
The leash snapped, and brutal water pressure surged into the spirit's body, trying to force its way inside the submersible.
That was the moment.
Radica thrust out her fist.
Bwoooom!
The magic that should've condensed endlessly around her body, weighing her down, reversed direction within the Revised World and blasted forward in a spreading wave.
Spread wide, it naturally lost the punch of a pinpoint strike, but the sheer magnitude of the original force made up for it.
The raging torrent, spinning at high speed, was shoved back wholesale, creating a momentary void.
'She really held back during sparring.'
Galen clicked his tongue inwardly but stayed focused on his task.
His mind was already at its limit of concentration, time dilated to the max. In this slowed world, he timed it perfectly.
The shockwave Radica unleashed cleared the submersible's front completely—and in that instant.
He fed mana to the spirit, shielded the submersible's exterior with Water Flow Manipulation again, and seamlessly rode the inflow as surrounding water rushed to fill the temporary vacuum tunnel.
Shwoooom!
The submersible rocketed forward at tremendous speed.
Even so, before it fully escaped the passage, the reconnecting torrent slammed into its side.
"Whoa?!"
Startled, Lilia grabbed Radica's hand and yanked her close.
Radica had decent reflexes, but she wasn't used to maneuvering bare-bodied on an unstable footing.
Lilia, with her warrior's instincts that could've made her great even as a fighter, had the edge in physical savvy.
Thanks to her, even as the submersible rocked wildly, neither fell and they secured themselves on the wyvern wings.
Galen glanced back to confirm, then poured everything into piloting. The shape restoration was complete.
'It's tough, alright.'
Let up even for a second, and they'd be swept away like leaves. The current was that ferocious.
The power leaking here was enough to churn the entire lake—if pushing against it to advance wasn't hard enough.
But was it dangerously hard? Not quite.
For one, Radica's breach had let them cover serious ground in that brief window.
'...Feels familiar somehow.'
Galen's eyes narrowed slightly.
This wasn't like the Oklane Ruins.
There, he'd barely sensed a vague 'mysterious power' amid the puppets, suddenly acquiring Territory Advance out of nowhere.
Now, though, he could clearly feel the magic generating this torrent. Water Flow Manipulation let him track the currents' paths.
Seeing is knowing, as they say.
A hazy image was forming in his mind.
Of course, he kept the submersible on course too. No time to dawdle—the mana drain from battling the torrent was no joke.
Splash!
Finally, they burst through the murky zone. Visibility cleared.
It felt long under hyperfocus, but actually pretty quick.
Feeling the pressure ease, Galen exhaled deeply.
"Phew."
"Great job!"
"You did it."
Lilia and Radica chimed in. Galen smiled back, then discreetly summoned his status screen.
💫[Na?? Flow]
📈[Acquisition Progress: ?3%]
⚡Water Flow Manipulation Lv.69
📈[Progress to Next Level: 97%]
Sure enough, changes.
The status that'd been all question marks now showed half as text.
Territory Advance had revealed itself gradually like this just before acquisition—same process here.
Just breaking through the torrent had netted Water Flow Manipulation a few percent too.
Sure, it'd burned mana and effort, but solid gains without killing anything.
'In that case...'
Galen voiced his brief thought.
"Lilia, could you light up below?"
"Sure!"
The staff of Radiant Light brightened again. The dark depths lit up.
The lakebed came into view, dotted with structures that looked unnaturally formed.
"City walls...?"
"Too small for a city, more like a tiny fortress? Doesn't look sturdy, though."
Crumbled in spots, but stone wall remnants endured.
Maybe not defensive— just piled stones higher.
No real incentive to build here, even pre-lake. Anything was odd.
Ancient history aside, irrelevant.
"Core's probably there."
Radica pointed to the ruins' center.
A massive building dominating the space—built to protect it, perhaps.
Unknown purpose, but the grand stone edifice looked largely intact.
Except one spot.
From what seemed the entrance, milky streams spewed upward, merging with the protective haze.
"Lake's corruption definitely from that."
"Can relic power leak like that?"
"Dunno, first I've heard... Probably submerged damage broke it. Say the door was sealed originally?"
Jet force suggested the door was long gone—pure guess.
"Let's head in."
"Yeah. If not the building, something inside is."
"Maybe air pockets too."
"Huh?"
"That milky torrent magic... Not sure, but doesn't feel water-based."
Galen hadn't met other water mages post-awakening. Oceanis magic was pre-status.
No certainty, but piercing the torrent felt like wresting control from magic-manipulated water—no.
More like steering water shoved by something else.
Galen's hunch hit.
Splash!
Barreling through the entrance revealed a waterless space.
Though you'd prefer staying submerged.
"Whoops!"
"Eek?!"
Forcing entry exposed them to new pressure; the submersible flung sideways, flipping airborne.
Everyone tumbled, but Lilia and Radica grabbed hold. Galen, less nimble, got yanked safe by Lilia's spare hand.
Thus, Galen stayed composed, did his job.
Like suspending water midair, he could steer the flying submersible—it was water, after all.
Couldn't fully halt the push, though.
Thud!
Braking hard, it crashed into a wall then dropped.
Speed curbed and spirit flesh cushioned—no shock.
"Fun ride."
Radica grinned, releasing the wyvern wing grip.
"We heavies rarely get flung like that."
"Wasn't aiming to fly, but here we are."
Galen chuckled, eyeing Lilia still clutching him.
"You okay?"
"Fine! You, Brother?"
"Me too."
Lilia puffed proudly. Galen nodded, tweaking the spirit form.
Spotting air outside the gap, he fully dismantled the submersible.
Whiiiiiir!
Out of the sealed pod, a vicious roar hit.
From the entrance they'd come through.
Wide open, yet lake water wasn't invading—instead, sucked out by howling gale.
"Wind?"
"Seems so."
"That's what you meant."
Radica hummed thoughtfully.
"Wind magic mostly manipulates flow. Even underwater, certain conditions could make that torrent."
"Lucky, then. Water magic, and we might not have broken through."
"We're in—that's what matters. Lilia, max brightness?"
"Can go more!"
Light spread farther sans water. Lilia's sharp eyes scanned ahead.
"Altar inside! Weird staff stabbed in it."
"That's the core, ninety percent."
Radica nodded, eyeing the ceiling.
"Sagging up top. Age and water weight cracked it. Door probably gave too—power leaked out."
"...Not collapsing, right?"
"If imminent, it'd be down already. Block debris if it does."
True—Radica's punch could level the place.
"Let's look around. Stick to walls, seems safe."
"Okay!"
Lilia led with light, Galen middle, Radica rear.
Hugging walls dodged wind.
They circled most of the interior—couldn't cross the entrance.
"Nngh..."
"Rest break?"
Radica offered gently to groaning Lilia. Galen replied.
"Aye. No rush anyway."
"Especially you, Galen—worked hard. Recover mana."
Leaving them, Radica pressed on.
Whiiiiiir!
Ignoring fiercer blasts, she crossed the entrance casually.
Lilia pouted, watching her back.
"Wish I could too."
"Earth fairy trick."
"Oklane felt easier. Gold rank'd struggle here."
One vast chamber—huge for hundreds, debris-free save central staff. Simple.
But no way to reach it.
Too fast, wide wind—no dodging, it'd hurl you. What now?
Earth fairy weight magic or Gem rank—nothing else worked.
"Stake Radiant Spear alternately, advance?"
"Deep enough not to yank free... maybe. Worth it?"
"Wind arm-wrestle? Nah."
"Blades to parry would've taught something... No gains here."
Lilia sighed wistfully, then whispered to Galen.
"Brother's got a feel, though?"
"Kinda."
"Won't bug you!"
She winked, stepped back. Galen smiled.
Radica meant well, but mana wasn't critically low.
'Not time to conserve.'
Instinct urged. Image forming—can't stop now.
Galen leaned against a wall near entrance.
Eyes closed, focused.
Sensed water outflow, twisted it back with Water Flow Manipulation.
Like breaching the torrent—head-on vs. relic power.
Easier sans piloting.
"Hm?"
"Shh."
"Oh..."
Radica returned laden with wings, puzzled at Galen—caught Lilia's finger-to-lips, got it.
Galen dove deep into his world.
⚡Water Flow Manipulation Lv.69
📈[Progress to Next Level: 100%]
Didn't even glance.
Confirming wind origin sharpened the mental image.
💫[Spiral Counterflow]
📈[Acquisition Progress: 99%]
Status cleared fully, progress hit 100% moments later.
Thump!
Heart pounded.
Vision warped.
New mana coiled inside, unfamiliar magic etched in.
Territory Advance nearly blacked him out—this was mild, barely stronger than normal learning.
Enlightenment vs. sudden cram?
"..."
Irrelevant now.
Acquiring Spiral Counterflow, grasping relic defenses intuitively.
Brought an unexpected epiphany.
"...Ah."
Relic power stretching endlessly, water tangled in its flow, senses expanding in pursuit.
Unintended—Water Flow Manipulation evolved.
"You..."
Radica watched intrigued, then paled with a faint groan.
⚡Water Flow Manipulation Lv.70
📈[Progress to Next Level: 1%]
Galen's eyes slowly opened.