Chapter : 614

The transition was completely seamless. The dark water splashed against the outside of the bubble. The water did not break through. The team stayed completely dry. The sphere began to sink slowly into the depths.

The bright sunlight faded quickly. The water turned a deep, dark blue. It looked very peaceful.

Ken walked over to the transparent wall. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He stared out into the dark water. He chewed his candy lazily.

"This is exactly like a submarine movie," Ken mumbled casually. He pointed a finger at a small school of silver fish swimming past the bubble. "We are exploring the deep ocean. We are looking for lost treasure. I bet we find a giant sunken pirate ship. Pirate ships always have cursed gold."

Naomi walked right beside him. She smiled a very fond smile. She looked at the fish.

"There are no pirate ships in a crater lake, Ken," Naomi chuckled softly. "But the ruins should be very old. We might find some ancient carvings."

"I hope we find a glowing treasure chest," Ken grinned. "I want a new comic book. The ancient people probably wrote some really good stories."

The bubble sank deeper and deeper. The light from the surface vanished entirely. The lake became incredibly dark.

Sayma pushed her glasses up. She pulled a small, glowing magical crystal from her pocket. The crystal radiated a bright white light. The light illuminated the water outside the bubble.

"The depth is increasing rapidly," Sayma reported politely. She clicked her pen. She wrote a note in her neat notebook. "The water pressure outside the shield is massive. Ira's mana control is mathematically perfect. The internal stabilization is flawless."

Ira did not blink. She stared blankly ahead. She maintained the spell effortlessly.

The glowing light from Sayma's crystal revealed strange sights. Large, glowing green plants grew on the rocky walls of the crater. The plants pulsed with faint magical energy. Strange, bioluminescent jellyfish drifted through the water. They glowed with soft pink and blue colors.

Risa walked up to the edge of the bubble. She looked at the glowing jellyfish. Her green eyes widened with pure wonder.

"They are so pretty," Risa whispered sweetly. She touched the inside of the bubble wall. "They look like floating lanterns. The lake is very beautiful."

Ken slouched next to her. He let out a loud yawn.

"They look like floating gummy candies," Ken corrected lazily. He reached into his pocket. He pulled out a bag of gummy worms. "I wonder what a jellyfish tastes like. Probably like very salty gelatin. That sounds terrible. I will stick to my snacks."

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Luna opened one sleepy eye. She looked at the jellyfish. "They look very soft. I want to use one as a pillow."

The team continued their slow descent. The giant bubble drifted downward. The silence of the deep water was very calming. The chaotic noise of the capital city was totally gone. The 13th Unit felt very relaxed inside their dry, safe sphere.

After ten minutes of sinking, the bottom of the lake finally came into view.

The flat, rocky floor of the crater appeared below them. The ground was covered in thick, dark moss.

Rising from the lake floor were massive, ancient stone structures. The ruins looked incredibly old. Tall, cracked marble pillars stretched into the dark water. Giant stone arches formed broken doorways. Statues of ancient Belmontian kings stood silently in the mud. The statues were covered in green algae.

The ruins stretched for miles across the bottom of the lake. It was a massive, sprawling sunken city.

"We have arrived," Princess Iris announced softly. She looked at the ancient architecture. "This is the Sunken Labyrinth."

Sayma checked her glowing crystal. She pushed her glasses up. "The magical signature of the weather relic is coming from the absolute center of the ruins. We must navigate through the stone corridors. We must be very careful."

Ira gently guided the giant bubble. The sphere touched down smoothly on the rocky lake floor. The landing was completely flawless. The team did not even stumble.

Zinia cracked her knuckles. She smiled a tough, confident smile. "The ground is solid stone down here. I have plenty of earth magic to use. Let us go break some rocks."

Laxmi punched her open palm. Bright flames roared. "I am totally ready! Let us go find the prize!"

Olivia gripped her silver spear tightly. She glared at the dark ruins. "Stay in formation. Do not wander off. The shadows are very thick."

Ken Eliot stretched his arms high above his head. He let out another dramatic groan. He slouched his shoulders. His white shirt flapped loosely. He looked completely bored.

"This maze looks incredibly complicated," Ken complained lazily. He dragged his cheap shoes on the dry floor inside the bubble. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. "Mazes require entirely too much walking. We are going to hit a bunch of dead ends. I should have brought a map. Or a comfortable folding chair. A folding chair is vital for dungeon exploration."

Naomi laughed a bright, happy laugh. "Keep moving, slacker. I will make sure you do not get lost. Just stay close to me."

"I am glued to your side, boss lady," Ken smiled a goofy smile.

The giant magical bubble rolled forward slowly. It passed through a massive stone archway. The 13th Unit stepped into the Sunken Labyrinth. The ground outside the bubble consisted of smooth, wet stone. Glowing green plants grew on the ruined walls. The light inside the cave was very dim. The atmosphere felt very spooky. The lake water surrounded them completely.

Ken Eliot walked at the very back of the group. He slouched his shoulders as far as they could possibly go. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He wore his navy blue suit pants. His white dress shirt hung completely untucked over his belt. He did not wear a tie. His black hair stuck up in wild, messy spikes.

He held a large bag of sour cream and onion potato chips in his right hand. He reached into the bag. He pulled out a crispy chip. He popped it into his mouth. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. He chewed it loudly. He let out a massive, dramatic sigh.

"This place is incredibly creepy," Ken complained loudly. He looked at the dark corners of the ruins. "It feels exactly like a water temple. Water temples are the absolute worst part of any video game. You always get lost. You always have to find hidden keys. I absolutely hate finding keys. It requires way too much walking. I want to skip this level."

Sayma held her glowing blue crystal. She pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Stay close together," Sayma instructed politely. "The structure is very old. We must proceed with extreme caution. The weather relic is located somewhere in this maze. We cannot make any mistakes."