Chapter 380: Atlante (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 380: Atlante (3)
Atlante was located in Grand Rock, the far eastern seas. It was also the place where my second core essence following the Orc Hero appeared. It wasn't that difficult to get to this place. You needed a ship capable of sailing to Grand Rock; the ability to dive freely into the deep sea with magic, an elemental, or a skill; and most importantly, the tenacity needed for repetitive labor. As long as you had these three things, it wasn't very difficult to visit Burrow Island.
It's all hard work from here on out.
After entering Grand Rock, we carefully led the ship around the reefs. In order to get to Burrow Island, which was hidden beneath the far eastern seas, there was something we needed to do first.
"Would it be possible to know our destination...?" the navigator asked out of curiosity as we were wandering around.
I answered after a brief pause. I decided there was no reason to hide it at this point.
"Sorry? Red Rock Island?" The sailor tilted his head at my answer.
"Yes, it should be just big enough for about twenty people to climb up."
Every time the labyrinth opened, three Red Rock Islands were randomly generated in this area. You had to complete all unlocking tasks on these three rock islands to reveal Burrow Island.
"...All right." Surprisingly, the sailor didn't question my instructions. "So you were trying to go there." It seemed he knew something about how Burrow Island worked. Most people didn't know about it, but I supposed he'd had quite a long career. "Then I will plan the route as efficiently as possible, centering it around the search."
"Ah, I'll leave that part to you."
Once he found out what I was aiming for, the navigator sailed the ship more proactively than before, and we located one of the rock islands on the fourth day.
Splash.
The flat, rocky island was submerged in water up to the ankles. When I went to the center of the island and checked the cracks in the ground, I found a neat row of eggs the size of an ostrich's nestled inside.
"Eggs? What do we do with these?" Erwen asked curiously over my shoulder.
I chuckled. All hidden elements of Dungeon and Stone were the same.
Crack!
If you found anything that looked suspicious, destroy it. That was the first rule of questing, right?
[You have destroyed a Mermal's Nest.]
***
How long had it been since we destroyed all the eggs?
"It's slowly starting to respond."
"Sorry?"
"Prepare for battle!"
The second the shout left my mouth, sea monsters began to appear from beneath the rocky island. Hmm, maybe 'sea monster' wasn't the best description.
Splash.
I scanned the nearest monster glaring at us, trident in hand, up and down. To start, it walked on two legs with proportions similar to those of a human. The texture of its blue skin was reminiscent of scales and its shiny skin was full of glowing tattoos. The important body parts were covered with cloth and each of the monsters had its own unique hairstyle, differentiating them from other monsters who all looked the same. Their intelligence wasn't much different from other monsters', though.
"Kyaaaaaagh!" It was a ferocious howl with no perceivable language behind it. As if on cue, the monsters surrounding us from all sides attacked all at once.
[You have defeated a Mermal. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Mermal Warrior. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Mermal Archer. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Mermal Sorcerer. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Mighty Mermal Warrior. EXP +4]
As the classes were diverse, new XP came flooding in. The battle itself wasn't all that tough, either. Although this event involved an onslaught of hundreds of monsters, their average rank wasn't even six.
Smash, smash, smash!
Using Giantization to raise my Threat Level and attracting most of the aggro to myself, the hunt ended smoothly without anyone getting hurt. And it seemed this left an impression on our two hangers-on.
"To think we tried to attack these monsters... Of course we ended up in this situation," the wizard muttered faintly. The navigator nodded, apparently sympathizing with that sentiment a lot.
Jeez, regrets are always late, no matter how early they come.
"Wizard, go collect mana stones if you have time to sit around."
"...I will." Once the battle ended, I made the wizard collect the mana stones that had fallen everywhere. "There's an essence. What do you want to do with that?"
"Leave it. It's not worth much, anyway."
I didn't bother taking the Mermal's essence. Although we had a wizard and the Magic Vials he carried around, it wasn't worth it. I couldn't waste our two precious Magic Vials on something like this.
Rumble!
What the...? Why is the ground shaking all of a sudden?
"Mister?"
"Wait."
We had been about to get back on the ship, but we waited for a while to see what was going on. The tremors continued to jiggle the surface of the water for about a minute before stopping like magic. And I had a feeling I knew what had caused this phenomenon.
[Somewhere in the deep sea, an underwater city has appeared.]
Who would've thought someone else had already cleared the other rock islands? Thanks to that, we didn't have to waste our time looking for the other two.
"I don't know if I should call this good luck, though..."
I couldn't put my finger on what exactly our current situation was. It was nice that the amount of work we had to do had been reduced, but the fact that the events on the other two islands had already been completed could only mean one thing: there was competition gunning for Burrow Island. Of course, we didn't know that with 100 percent certainty yet. Someone might have just cleared the event on their way to another island.
I'll figure that out later.
I decided to ponder this issue again later. Even if we had a rival, I wasn't going to change my plans.
Now then, what should I do about the team?
I contemplated this one last time but I decided it was best to take everyone with me. If there was an essence I couldn't absorb, I'd have to store it in a Magic Vial. So to start, the wizard had to come along. The same went for Erwen, who would solve our underwater breathing problem, and Amelia, whose help I'd need to find the underwater island.
Well, I don't need the navigator, but... I'm anxious about leaving him alone.
"Wizard, you can use diving magic, right?"
[You have defeated a Mermal. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Mermal Warrior. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Mermal Archer. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Mermal Sorcerer. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Mighty Mermal Warrior. EXP +4]
As the classes were diverse, new XP came flooding in. The battle itself wasn't all that tough, either. Although this event involved an onslaught of hundreds of monsters, their average rank wasn't even six.
Smash, smash, smash!
Using Giantization to raise my Threat Level and attracting most of the aggro to myself, the hunt ended smoothly without anyone getting hurt. And it seemed this left an impression on our two hangers-on.
"To think we tried to attack these monsters... Of course we ended up in this situation," the wizard muttered faintly. The navigator nodded, apparently sympathizing with that sentiment a lot.
Jeez, regrets are always late, no matter how early they come.
"Wizard, go collect mana stones if you have time to sit around."
"...I will." Once the battle ended, I made the wizard collect the mana stones that had fallen everywhere. "There's an essence. What do you want to do with that?"
"Leave it. It's not worth much, anyway."
I didn't bother taking the Mermal's essence. Although we had a wizard and the Magic Vials he carried around, it wasn't worth it. I couldn't waste our two precious Magic Vials on something like this.
Rumble!
What the...? Why is the ground shaking all of a sudden?
"Mister?"
"Wait."
We had been about to get back on the ship, but we waited for a while to see what was going on. The tremors continued to jiggle the surface of the water for about a minute before stopping like magic. And I had a feeling I knew what had caused this phenomenon.
[Somewhere in the deep sea, an underwater city has appeared.]
Who would've thought someone else had already cleared the other rock islands? Thanks to that, we didn't have to waste our time looking for the other two.
"I don't know if I should call this good luck, though..."
I couldn't put my finger on what exactly our current situation was. It was nice that the amount of work we had to do had been reduced, but the fact that the events on the other two islands had already been completed could only mean one thing: there was competition gunning for Burrow Island. Of course, we didn't know that with 100 percent certainty yet. Someone might have just cleared the event on their way to another island.
I'll figure that out later.
I decided to ponder this issue again later. Even if we had a rival, I wasn't going to change my plans.
Now then, what should I do about the team?
I contemplated this one last time but I decided it was best to take everyone with me. If there was an essence I couldn't absorb, I'd have to store it in a Magic Vial. So to start, the wizard had to come along. The same went for Erwen, who would solve our underwater breathing problem, and Amelia, whose help I'd need to find the underwater island.
Well, I don't need the navigator, but... I'm anxious about leaving him alone.
"Wizard, you can use diving magic, right?"
"Yes..."
"How long can you make it last?"
"How many people should I assume it's for?"
"Three, including you."
Erwen and I could handle the issue of water pressure and breathing on our own with Elementalization, so only three of them needed to be buffed with magic. We could use a water elemental to help Amelia breathe, too, but in order to keep Elementalization active, it was better to reduce mana consumption as much as possible.
"If I don't use any other spells, I can cast it for up to four hours."
"That's shorter than I thought, but it should be enough. Everyone, get ready. We're all going down together."
When I gave the order, the sailor and wizard gulped and nodded.
Jeez, you both look needlessly grim. You guys won't have to fight, anyway.
Splash.
Once preparations were complete, I jumped into the water first. Erwen followed right behind after our Elementalization link was established, so the lack of air underwater didn't bother me at all. My vision was as clear as if I were wearing goggles, too.
Whooom.
Without any particular need for swimming, my barbarian body, which tended to sink in water, quickly descended to the bottom of the sea. When I looked up, I could see Amelia coming down after me. She had tied the navigator and wizard around the waist with a rope and was holding both lines like a leash. For reference, the navigator's feet were heavily shackled.
Boom!
After sinking for over ten minutes, my feet landed on the ocean floor with a heavy thud. Before long, Amelia and her group arrived as well.
Click.
The seabed was virtually pitch black, so the first thing I did was turn on a light gem and insert it in the groove of my helmet. The reason I didn't turn it on sooner was simple. If I dove with the light on, monsters could have attacked us in the middle of the water.
Shaaaaaa!
The light covered a much smaller radius compared to the ground.
Whip, whip.
Since being able to breathe didn't mean I could speak out loud, I waved my hand and gestured for the group to get moving. This was the deep, dark sea where even compasses didn't work. However, it wasn't difficult to find our destination. That was because our team had a scout guiding us—Amelia.
[You have defeated a Deep Diver. EXP +4]
[You have defeated a Sea Worm. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Shell Armor. EXP +4]
[You have defeated a Mad Clopter. EXP +5]
[You have defeated a Marimore...]
Clearing away the various sea monsters that flocked to the light for about two hours, our destination came into sight: a corroded, destroyed underwater ruin. When I set foot inside, the pillars that were still relatively intact began to radiate light, illuminating the surrounding area.
Shaaaaaa...
Just like that, the huge temple located in the center materialized from the darkness.
"Wow..." exclaimed Erwen, the only one in the group who could communicate freely. I may not have been able to speak, but I felt the same.
It's really incredible in real life.
"Yes..."
"How long can you make it last?"
"How many people should I assume it's for?"
"Three, including you."
Erwen and I could handle the issue of water pressure and breathing on our own with Elementalization, so only three of them needed to be buffed with magic. We could use a water elemental to help Amelia breathe, too, but in order to keep Elementalization active, it was better to reduce mana consumption as much as possible.
"If I don't use any other spells, I can cast it for up to four hours."
"That's shorter than I thought, but it should be enough. Everyone, get ready. We're all going down together."
When I gave the order, the sailor and wizard gulped and nodded.
Jeez, you both look needlessly grim. You guys won't have to fight, anyway.
Splash.
Once preparations were complete, I jumped into the water first. Erwen followed right behind after our Elementalization link was established, so the lack of air underwater didn't bother me at all. My vision was as clear as if I were wearing goggles, too.
Whooom.
Without any particular need for swimming, my barbarian body, which tended to sink in water, quickly descended to the bottom of the sea. When I looked up, I could see Amelia coming down after me. She had tied the navigator and wizard around the waist with a rope and was holding both lines like a leash. For reference, the navigator's feet were heavily shackled.
Boom!
After sinking for over ten minutes, my feet landed on the ocean floor with a heavy thud. Before long, Amelia and her group arrived as well.
Click.
The seabed was virtually pitch black, so the first thing I did was turn on a light gem and insert it in the groove of my helmet. The reason I didn't turn it on sooner was simple. If I dove with the light on, monsters could have attacked us in the middle of the water.
Shaaaaaa!
The light covered a much smaller radius compared to the ground.
Whip, whip.
Since being able to breathe didn't mean I could speak out loud, I waved my hand and gestured for the group to get moving. This was the deep, dark sea where even compasses didn't work. However, it wasn't difficult to find our destination. That was because our team had a scout guiding us—Amelia.
[You have defeated a Deep Diver. EXP +4]
[You have defeated a Sea Worm. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Shell Armor. EXP +4]
[You have defeated a Mad Clopter. EXP +5]
[You have defeated a Marimore...]
Clearing away the various sea monsters that flocked to the light for about two hours, our destination came into sight: a corroded, destroyed underwater ruin. When I set foot inside, the pillars that were still relatively intact began to radiate light, illuminating the surrounding area.
Shaaaaaa...
Just like that, the huge temple located in the center materialized from the darkness.
"Wow..." exclaimed Erwen, the only one in the group who could communicate freely. I may not have been able to speak, but I felt the same.
It's really incredible in real life.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was on a proper expedition. If I had found this place by chance without any prior game knowledge, it probably would have been even more breathtaking.
Whip, whip.
After stopping to admire the building in the distance for a moment, we passed through the empty ruins and climbed the temple's stairs.
"Huh...?" There was a tiny room located at the top of the pyramid-shaped temple, and Erwen's eyes widened in surprise when she saw what was inside. "It's a portal...?"
Ah, didn't I mention?
I thought she realized when I made Amelia take the lead. I couldn't answer her anyway, so I just shrugged and walked into the portal.
[You have entered Atlante.]
Please, drop me an essence.
***
Burrow Island, also known as Atlante, was the hidden island that could be found by completing the Rock Island events and diving into the deep sea. Unlike ordinary islands, you had to cross through a portal to reach it, but this wasn't a rift. For one thing, there wasn't a guardian, which was a defining feature of every rift. The drop rate was the same as outside, too. Because there was no guardian, there were no Rift Stones or Numbered Items. I normally called these places hidden levels. Other examples of hidden levels were the Labyrinth of Larcaz, where I first met the Dragon Slayer, and the Hidden World on the fifth floor, which you could enter through a mirror obtained from a Mila Roden.
[Field Effect – Atlante has activated. Status effect Hyperventilation is now active. In return for being unaffected by water, all resource consumption is doubled. Status effect Challenger is now active. If you engage in battle, you cannot escape.]
As was usually the case for these special areas, adjustments were made to us as soon as we entered. A red glow shimmered along the spot where my feet touched the ground.
This would be the Challenger effect.
As for Hyperventilation, there was no visible effect but it was already active. As proof, I was able to speak now. "You can lift Elementalization now."
Whew, that's much better. It was frustrating trying to communicate everything with my hands.
"Excuse me? But..." Erwen trailed off and flinched. "Huh? Mister, you just talked underwater?"
"That's why I told you you can lift it now."
"What a strange place..."
When Erwen lifted Elementalization, the wizard kept a close eye on my reaction before lifting the diving spell.
As always, Amelia took stock of her physical condition as soon as she found herself in a new environment. "This is a very strange feeling. It certainly feels like being in water, but it doesn't feel uncomfortable at all. I can move just as easily as I can on land."
The wizard and navigator also spoke in reverent tones. "So this is the Burrow Island of Atlante..."
"I've been on the sixth floor for over ten years but I've never been here in person..."
But did they belatedly start to feel anxious? "Um... so what do we do now? We won't be much help in battle..." the navigator carefully asked.
I chuckled as I doled out instructions. "The four of you wait here and follow me in five minutes."
"...Sorry?" The navigator tilted his head like he was worried he heard me wrong. The wizard just frowned.
"Schuitz, I'm sure you mentioned that rank-three monsters appear here?"
"Yes. That's right. That's too dangerous even for you, Mister..."
Amelia and Erwen expressed their concerns, which was understandable. The difficulty of Burrow Island was one of the highest of any island on the sixth floor, and the enormous number of monsters that spawned here meant it was standard to explore in units.
"Look, do as I say. Have you ever seen me willingly do something dangerous?"
"...Yes," said Erwen.
"It'd be harder to find times you didn't, actually," Amelia added.
Jeez, way to hit a guy where it hurts.
"Anyway, I'm saying you don't need to worry. Just because we can breathe and talk here doesn't mean we aren't still underwater."
"Well... that's true."
"Call me right away if you're in danger, Mister! Okay?" When I presented a logical argument, Erwen and Amelia didn't object any further.
Okay, looks like they don't need any more persuading.
Step, step.
I slowly walked down the stairs away from where the portal was located.
Shaaaaaa!
The moment I stepped on the last step, dozens of red eyes flashed in the darkness where the light of the gem did not reach. It was a Sea God Stone, a rank-five monster that appeared at the start of Atlante. It was a tower-type monster with high Physical Resistance and slow but powerful long-range attacks, incapable of moving from its specified location.
Step.
I stopped right in front of it. There was no need to even take out a weapon. After all, this was much more effective than hitting it directly.
[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]
[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]
[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]
[Due to the passive skill Origin, your Natural Regeneration has maxed out.]
[Your Powerful Luck reflects 150% of the damage received back to the enemy.]
"Gahhhcha!"
[You have defeated a Sea God Stone. EXP +5]
Now, shall we go for a walk in the park?
For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was on a proper expedition. If I had found this place by chance without any prior game knowledge, it probably would have been even more breathtaking.
Whip, whip.
After stopping to admire the building in the distance for a moment, we passed through the empty ruins and climbed the temple's stairs.
"Huh...?" There was a tiny room located at the top of the pyramid-shaped temple, and Erwen's eyes widened in surprise when she saw what was inside. "It's a portal...?"
Ah, didn't I mention?
I thought she realized when I made Amelia take the lead. I couldn't answer her anyway, so I just shrugged and walked into the portal.
[You have entered Atlante.]
Please, drop me an essence.
***
Burrow Island, also known as Atlante, was the hidden island that could be found by completing the Rock Island events and diving into the deep sea. Unlike ordinary islands, you had to cross through a portal to reach it, but this wasn't a rift. For one thing, there wasn't a guardian, which was a defining feature of every rift. The drop rate was the same as outside, too. Because there was no guardian, there were no Rift Stones or Numbered Items. I normally called these places hidden levels. Other examples of hidden levels were the Labyrinth of Larcaz, where I first met the Dragon Slayer, and the Hidden World on the fifth floor, which you could enter through a mirror obtained from a Mila Roden.
[Field Effect – Atlante has activated. Status effect Hyperventilation is now active. In return for being unaffected by water, all resource consumption is doubled. Status effect Challenger is now active. If you engage in battle, you cannot escape.]
As was usually the case for these special areas, adjustments were made to us as soon as we entered. A red glow shimmered along the spot where my feet touched the ground.
This would be the Challenger effect.
As for Hyperventilation, there was no visible effect but it was already active. As proof, I was able to speak now. "You can lift Elementalization now."
Whew, that's much better. It was frustrating trying to communicate everything with my hands.
"Excuse me? But..." Erwen trailed off and flinched. "Huh? Mister, you just talked underwater?"
"That's why I told you you can lift it now."
"What a strange place..."
When Erwen lifted Elementalization, the wizard kept a close eye on my reaction before lifting the diving spell.
As always, Amelia took stock of her physical condition as soon as she found herself in a new environment. "This is a very strange feeling. It certainly feels like being in water, but it doesn't feel uncomfortable at all. I can move just as easily as I can on land."
The wizard and navigator also spoke in reverent tones. "So this is the Burrow Island of Atlante..."
"I've been on the sixth floor for over ten years but I've never been here in person..."
But did they belatedly start to feel anxious? "Um... so what do we do now? We won't be much help in battle..." the navigator carefully asked.
I chuckled as I doled out instructions. "The four of you wait here and follow me in five minutes."
"...Sorry?" The navigator tilted his head like he was worried he heard me wrong. The wizard just frowned.
"Schuitz, I'm sure you mentioned that rank-three monsters appear here?"
"Yes. That's right. That's too dangerous even for you, Mister..."
Amelia and Erwen expressed their concerns, which was understandable. The difficulty of Burrow Island was one of the highest of any island on the sixth floor, and the enormous number of monsters that spawned here meant it was standard to explore in units.
"Look, do as I say. Have you ever seen me willingly do something dangerous?"
"...Yes," said Erwen.
"It'd be harder to find times you didn't, actually," Amelia added.
Jeez, way to hit a guy where it hurts.
"Anyway, I'm saying you don't need to worry. Just because we can breathe and talk here doesn't mean we aren't still underwater."
"Well... that's true."
"Call me right away if you're in danger, Mister! Okay?" When I presented a logical argument, Erwen and Amelia didn't object any further.
Okay, looks like they don't need any more persuading.
Step, step.
I slowly walked down the stairs away from where the portal was located.
Shaaaaaa!
The moment I stepped on the last step, dozens of red eyes flashed in the darkness where the light of the gem did not reach. It was a Sea God Stone, a rank-five monster that appeared at the start of Atlante. It was a tower-type monster with high Physical Resistance and slow but powerful long-range attacks, incapable of moving from its specified location.
Step.
I stopped right in front of it. There was no need to even take out a weapon. After all, this was much more effective than hitting it directly.
[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]
[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]
[...reflects 30% of the damage received back to the enemy.]
[Due to the passive skill Origin, your Natural Regeneration has maxed out.]
[Your Powerful Luck reflects 150% of the damage received back to the enemy.]
"Gahhhcha!"
[You have defeated a Sea God Stone. EXP +5]
Now, shall we go for a walk in the park?