Volume 5 Chapter 12: Underwater Secret Passage

Qin Lun’s two gunshots sounded simultaneously, like one shot. Moreover, everyone else’s attention was drawn to the Guardian. Besides Hansen and Qin Lun, even Sas didn’t notice he had just brushed with death.

“I hope you have a good explanation!” Hansen moved his lips silently, making a mute phrase, and immediately turned back to fight. The Disciple disliked arguments; on the battlefield, he had developed the good habit of acting before talking.

“Alec, Safa, Namar…” Cora uttered a slow, complicated chant, raising her newly obtained Dark Gold Staff high.

This magic was learned on Esmira Star, somewhat similar to Qin Lun’s Spiral Shooting Technique. Though this spell wasn’t listed as a formal Apostle Skill, it was recognized by the laws of Shattered Starry Sky as a sort of preliminary skill. As long as she used it more to improve her proficiency, it would later become a proper Apostle Skill.

After the lengthy chant ended, Cora’s Dark Gold Staff glowed with a soft yellow-brown light. The Guardian in front of Sas and Hansen suddenly tilted, its feet slowly sinking into a mud pit, down to its knees.

Sas and Hansen’s eyes lit up, and they pressed forward together. Sas gripped his purple shield with both hands and forced it down on the Guardian, pinning it temporarily.

“Die!” Hansen’s machete ruthlessly stabbed into the Guardian’s chest, then he viciously twisted it around, turning its insides to mush.

“Squeak!” Rotten black blood splattered all over Hansen’s head and face.

“That smells terrible!” Hansen cursed, pulled out the blade, and slashed hard across the Guardian’s throat, almost severing half its neck.

The Guardian slowly collapsed to the ground, and everyone sighed in relief.

“Cora, are you okay?” Sas wiped his face and asked in the Team Channel.

“I’m fine, but this place feels wrong. I just used a mud pit spell, and it drained most of my magic power! And it didn’t seem very effective!” Cora frowned, puzzled. “Isn’t this a Mid-Magic World?”

“Finally noticed?” Hansen glanced at Qin Lun, mockery flashing in his eyes. “I don’t know why you saved that foolish pair!”

Although a mud pit spell wasn’t high-level, terrain-changing magic demanded lots of magic power. If the Magic Element in this Quest World was sparse, it relied entirely on Apostle magic power. In fact, it was tougher than spells like Lightning or a Magic Shield.

“Agent Rowling, what is that?” Michelle trembled, grabbing Cora’s arm as she shivered with fear.

The scene terrified the Centaur girl—she had seen criminals before, but never felt soul-trembling pressure like this, as if from a top predator.

“I think that must be the creature that killed the Johns and abducted the three children!” Cora patted Michelle’s hand reassuringly. “Don’t be scared; we just killed… Wait, where is it?”

Everyone started, glancing back at where the Guardian had fallen. The ground held only a mud pit, with nothing else in sight, as if no fierce battle had ever occurred.

“Run, run fast! Head towards Crystal Lake!” Qin Lun’s stare grew sharp; he spun around and bolted. Spurred by him, everyone picked up speed and raced desperately toward Crystal Lake.

“Crack!” A faint snapping sound came from behind them, like a dry branch breaking.

An eerie feeling pressed down hard on them again, forcing them to turn. The Guardian had reappeared silently, standing still with a double-bladed axe gripped in both hands. The mist around it wisped to life, funneling into its wounds.

The Guardian’s neck, slit by Hansen, was healed without a scar. Its severed finger and the eye blinded by Qin Lun were good as new.

The Guardian’s crimson eyes slowly shifted, locking onto the fleeing group. It moved forward at an unhurried pace, yet its steps covered huge distances. Each stride spanned over ten meters, as if the ground shrank beneath it.

“That thing is truly unkillable!” Everyone gasped in unison, their feet speeding up as they fled with all their might toward Crystal Lake.

“This thing might not be solid—it’s probably a ghost from deaths at Crystal Lake.” Hill’s voice resounded in the Team Channel again. “Qin Lun, your plan won’t work. Work with us to kill Sas and Cora, and escape directly into the Time-Space Node!”

“Hmm, Qin Lun, since when did you get so hesitant? Don’t tell me it’s because Sas saved you earlier!” Hansen said gravely.

“No, guys, I’m not pitying Sas and Cora, and I know this thing can’t be killed. My plan wasn’t to kill it in the first place!” Qin Lun spoke urgently. “There’s no time to explain now; trust me! If this messes up, it’s all my fault. I’ll give up my mission rewards, and whatever you gain from killing Sas and Cora—it’s all yours.”

“Hansen, what do you think?” Hill paused before speaking again.

“After saying that, what else can I say? Hope you don’t hurt yourself!” Hansen gave Qin Lun a cold stare. “Tell us, what do we do next?”

…

“Agent Castro, Agent Rowling, over here! Follow me!” After running a stretch, they saw Hill ahead, waving at them.

“Advisor Hill, it’s great you survived!” Michelle reached Hill’s side, unable to hide her relief. She had no idea she was another sacrifice for the Time-Space Node in the Shepherd’s plan.

“Yes, wonderful to see you all!” Hill smiled. “Come with me; we’re going into the lake.”

“Hill, why enter the lake? We’ll be clumsier underwater, and that thing might swim too!” Sas panted as he spoke.

Hill thought: “I don’t want to either—it came from the lake and must swim! But this is someone’s plan!” Instead, he said, “On land, it uses the mist to heal itself. Maybe only underwater can we truly end it!”

“Alright, let’s try it!” Sas and Cora exchanged a glance. As Esmirans, they were more agile in water than land, boosting their combat, so they had no issue.

Though Qin Lun suggested entering the water, once in, he struggled badly.

In this group of six, Sas and Cora were Esmirans who didn’t need mentioning; they’d lived most of their lives at sea. Lacking fins, their motions were quick and nimble, almost as natural as fish.

Hill had water heritage; while he swam plainly, the water offered no resistance. He swam faster than any Olympic champion. Hansen had no water traits, but as The Disciple, he had frogman training as a mercenary. With good body control, he swam decently too.

Surprisingly, Michelle, who looked steady and heavy, moved smoothly. The Centaur girl sped past Hansen, perhaps helped by extra hooves.

Qin Lun suffered most; he underestimated swimming. His book smarts, always good before, failed him badly. Clearly, knowing from books didn’t mean mastering the skill.

After frantic struggling, Qin Lun rolled his eyes and gave up. Using his Combat Model to self-hypnotize, he thrashed mechanically like the clumsiest frog ever, barely moving—two paces forward, one back. He kept swallowing lake water, and his Health Points slipped down.

Michelle glanced back, couldn’t resist, reached out, grabbed Qin Lun’s arm, and pulled him forward.

“Hang in, almost there. There’s an underwater secret passage ahead; it’s narrow. We can trap the Guardian with the terrain. Hopefully, it’s weaker underwater, and Sas can block it with his shield.” Hill carefully warned over the Team Channel.

“It… is fast!” Cora nervously peered behind. Spotting a dark shape racing toward them at shocking speed, she paled.

Heeding Cora’s words, everyone turned. The Guardian held a giant double-bladed axe; with legs only, a slight kick sent it hurtling like an arrow.

“This won’t work; you go first! I’ll hold it off!” Sas squinted fiercely, thrust with his hips, rolled underwater like a large fish, and turned to confront it.

“Sas, come back! Let me!” Cora’s expression hardened; she grabbed her husband, silently opened her mouth, and chanted an Esmiran spell.

The lake water around the Guardian suddenly thickened. Green liquid formed white frost flakes on it. The Guardian swam slower until frozen solid in a big ice block.

“Hurry! My frost cage acts for two minutes max!” After casting, Cora seemed drained by magic backlash; blood streaked from her nose, her face terrifyingly pale.

“Cora!” Sas tenderly steadied his wife and swam rapidly toward the secret passage Hill described.

Reaching the spot, they saw a shadowy underwater tunnel ahead. Green seaweed covered its mouth, but deep inside, a strange light glowed like shimmering liquid crystal.

As Sas helped Cora in, both suddenly paled with shock in their eyes. In the tunnel, they eyed each other, frowned, and subtly distanced from Hill and the others.

“Looks like they got the Time-Space Node alert!” Hill glanced at Qin Lun cradled by Michelle. “Killing them now won’t be easy!”

“Since we agreed to his plan, follow it through! Stop whining!” Hansen said coldly. “Hey, Qin Lun, you must be awake now. What’s next?”

“Crack… splash!” Frost cage shattered quicker than Cora predicted. Freed, the Guardian’s crimson eyes deepened redder as it zoomed back like an arrow. At the tunnel’s entrance, it stopped abruptly, pacing with a fierce gaze locked on them, yet not entering.

“Heh, he indeed can’t come in!” Qin Lun lifted his head, a tired smile showing. “My judgment was right!”