Chapter 231

Exploration (3)

There was a saying: curiosity killed the cat.

It meant that excessive curiosity could land you in danger.

"Gyaaaaaaah!!!"

Just like me, currently "falling" toward the sky.

One step. All I had done was take a single step toward the waterfall flowing upward.

Yet the moment I stepped forward, my body flipped over as though something had snatched me up.

To make matters worse, I was holding a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, so I couldn’t even react.

Scrrrape!

Fortunately, Namu ppareumbo was riding on my back.

He possessed reflexes fast enough to dodge arrows and enough speed to leave afterimages behind.

Namu ppareumbo urgently dug his claws into the ground, but perhaps they were too sharp.

His claws sliced cleanly through the earth, causing him to slide helplessly across it.

If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have taken such good care of his claws...!

Still, Namu ppareumbo managed to buy us a little time.

"Kyuuuuu!"

"Piiiiiik!"

Wonmo and Tyrano, who had been following behind us, were dragged along as well.

Wonmo reacted first, stretching his short, stocky body out as far as it would go and grabbing Namu ppareumbo’s hand.

Tyrano then bit down on Wonmo’s foot and frantically flapped his wings.

"$%!"

"Kkuong."

The others—Ludwig, Largo, and Kkobong—grabbed onto them.

Largo began by using his long neck to bite Tyrano’s foot just before the little dragon could "fall" into the sky.

With everyone connected like a string of sausages, Ludwig and Kkobong carefully pulled us back.

It had nearly turned into a major disaster, but thanks to my companions’ excellent response, we managed to escape the crisis.

"Phew..."

[That was close.]

Cain spoke as I returned my feet to the ground and let out a sigh.

If I hadn’t tied him to my chest, he probably would have flown straight up there.

And if that had happened, I might never have found him again.

What the hell kind of phenomenon is this?

I struggled to calm my pounding heart as I looked up at the waterfall.

Seeing it surge toward the sky had already told me that something was unusual, but I had never imagined that gravity itself would change for anyone who approached it.

I’ve seen space constantly shift, but even gravity gets turned upside down here.

Then what lay at the end of that waterfall?

It would be strange enough if there were nothing there.

But what if another stretch of land existed above?

Even then, there were multiple possibilities.

Would it be inverted like the gravity, or would it be oriented the same way as the ground beneath us?

Maybe this entire forest I’m in is upside down.

I had no idea what kind of structure this forest had.

If I’d known something like this existed, I would have questioned Banir more thoroughly.

No—how could anyone have known that a place like this even existed?

I sighed.

It seemed Banir hadn’t been exaggerating when she firmly stated that the probability of escaping this place approached zero.

Even "gravity," which I had assumed would work the same everywhere, behaved like this.

After staring blankly at the waterfall rising in reverse, I picked up a stone lying nearby.

Whoosh!

When I threw it, the stone rose alongside the waterfall.

Before long, it vanished into the dense mist above, leaving only a sense of wonder behind.

What I had just experienced with my own body was no illusion.

Gravity truly was inverted beyond that point.

"For now, let’s rest here for a while."

Feeling deeply unsettled, I decided that we should take a break.

I still had physical stamina to spare, but the experience had taken a heavy mental toll on me.

I had been confronted with an unpleasant truth.

I was doing everything I could to find an escape route, yet the more I explored, the farther away escape seemed to become.

Of course, I had absolutely no intention of giving up.

I was going to escape this hellish place no matter what.

"Let’s move a little farther away from the river before we settle down."

"Understood."

"Wonmo, Tyrano. You two can do whatever you want, but don’t go near the river. It could be dangerous."

"Piik!"

"Kku!"

Just in case, I made sure to warn everyone thoroughly.

Wonmo and Tyrano were especially curious and therefore more likely to get themselves into danger, so I entrusted them to Kkobong.

I wasn’t sure whether Kkobong could keep a proper eye on them, but I would have to trust him.

In the meantime, I’ll...

I decided to make a post on the Gallery and ask whether anyone had ever seen a phenomenon like this before.

I had already asked Ludwig and Cain, but both had said it was their first time seeing anything like it.

Still, you never know.

After all, hadn’t a Magic Tower recently floated into the sky?

This phenomenon was bizarre to the point of being grotesque, but this was still a fantasy world.

Harboring a little hope and expectation, I uploaded a post to the Gallery.

Title: Found a Waterfall That Flows Upward

Wild Grylls

(Video of a waterfall surging upward)

(Video of a thrown stone "falling" into the sky)

(Video of the waterfall’s upper end, concealed by dense mist)

The Forest of Four Seasons has something like this too. It’s the strangest thing I’ve seen since that sea flowing in reverse;

Does anything like this exist outside the forest? Please tell me it does.

For the record, I almost fell into it and only survived because my companions saved me.

└ Heavenly Demon: What a mysterious phenomenon. The Central Plains possess many beautiful waterfalls, but...

└ SwordMaster: Don’t just admire it. He asked whether a waterfall like that exists.

└ Heavenly Demon: No such waterfall exists. However, if this lady were to exert her power, she could reverse a waterfall’s flow.

└ Wild Grylls: You can do that??

Even the Heavenly Demon was impressed by this.

└ Heavenly Demon: It is called the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth—a method of seizing heaven and earth and moving them.

└ SwordMaster: Isn’t that originally a technique mainly used for deflection and parrying? I learned it too.

└ Heavenly Demon: What you learned was the principle of Four Taels Deflecting a Thousand Jin. The Great Shift of Heaven and Earth can only be used after accumulating profound internal energy.

└ SwordMaster: So it’s completely different from Four Taels Deflecting a Thousand Jin?

└ Heavenly Demon: They are similar, but because it is a profound cultivation method, one must have reached at least the Profound Realm to perform it.

└ SwordMaster: That’s a shame.

└ Wild Grylls: I have no idea what you two are talking about, but you’re saying an upward-flowing waterfall is theoretically possible, right?

└ Heavenly Demon: It would be possible if the direction of the force were artificially twisted.

└ So, in other words, the Forest of Four Seasons made it like that.

└ You could’ve just said that instead of making it sound so complicated, lmaooo.

└ Still, it is pretty. Can you take some pictures for us?

└ Wild Grylls: I don’t want to die taking pictures.

└ Could Kadir do it? I heard he recently advanced to a higher realm.

└ He advanced? What are you talking about?

└ He revealed that he was responsible for the Magic Tower floating into the sky. That tells you everything.

└ All-Father: Even Kadir would likely find it difficult to reverse a waterfall of that size artificially. That isn’t merely a waterfall flowing backward—"gravity" itself has been inverted.

└ You can’t reverse gravity?

└ All-Father: If that were possible, we would already have ventured beyond the sky and into space.

└ Space exploration, let’s go!

└ Will the day ever come when humans travel into space?

└ Probably not in our lifetimes, lmao.

└ The sky itself is still considered the domain of the gods. Forget about space, lol.

└ Passing Dwarf: Hey. Do you know what’s beyond that waterfall?

└ Wild Grylls: How would I know? I’m curious, but it’s not like I can go up there.

└ Passing Dwarf: Why can’t you? Tie a recording crystal to some thread, attach it to a fishing rod, and slowly lower it in.

└ Wild Grylls: You crazy genius. I’m doing that right now.

While I was mindlessly browsing the Gallery, the dwarf offered an excellent suggestion.

Was there any need for me to go there personally?

I could simply use a tool.

Besides, I still had thread made from the World Tree, so it should be more than strong enough.

That only left the recording crystal...

[...]

[...Why are you looking at me like that?]

Did I really need to use a crystal?

There was a statue right here that was far more maneuverable and convenient than any crystal ball.

Perhaps sensing the ominous intent behind my gaze, Cain spoke in a displeased voice.

[I don’t know what deranged idea you’ve come up with this time, but I suggest abandoning it.]

"How do you know what I’m thinking?"

[Whatever it is, I’m certain it’s dreadful. Please put that thought neatly away and choose the next-best option.]

He was remarkably perceptive at times like this.

I swallowed my disappointment.

Of course, I had only been joking.

One wrong move, and I could end up losing Cain.

I would rather choose another method than take a risk like that.

Under Cain’s suspicious gaze—though it was difficult to tell since he was a statue—I logged into the Gallery.

[Wild Grylls: Cheonggu Princess, are you there by any chance?]

[Cheonggu Princess: Yup. What’s up?]

I immediately sent Cheonggu Princess a message.

She had sent me a recording crystal before, so I wanted to ask if she could do so again.

[Wild Grylls: I’m sorry to trouble you, but could you give me another recording crystal? I’ll give you some orichalcum later.]

[Cheonggu Princess: I should be the one thanking you. Will one be enough?]

[Wild Grylls: If possible, I’d appreciate as many as you can spare.]

[Cheonggu Princess: I’ll give you three.]

[Wild Grylls: Thank you!]

[Cheonggu Princess: And what are you supposed to say when you’re grateful?]

[Wild Grylls: Go, Chae-yu! Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any recent matches. How did they go?]

[Cheonggu Princess: There weren’t any this week because it was a break period. I’ll let you know next time.]

I received three recording crystals from Cheonggu Princess.

Now all I had to do was securely tie one with World Tree thread and throw it beneath the waterfall—or rather, above it.

She said it doesn’t matter which way is up or down, right?

Even if the footage came out upside down, I could simply flip the video.

I took the spool of World Tree thread from Kkobong.

We hadn’t used much of the thread on our journey here.

Besides, I planned to retrieve the crystal afterward, so I used the entire spool as it was.

[What will you do if there is something dangerous up there?]

"We’ll run like hell."

The waterfall was extremely tall.

Even if something dangerous emerged from above, it would take a while to reach us.

Once all the preparations were complete, I led the group back toward the waterfall.

It continued surging toward the sky, creating a breathtaking spectacle.

"Here goes."

Whoosh!

I threw the recording crystal tied to the thread toward the waterfall.

The spool rapidly unwound as the recording crystal soared into the sky.

Before long, the crystal disappeared beyond the mist, yet the spool continued to unravel.

Apparently, the waterfall was considerably taller than it appeared.

Twitch!

After about ten seconds, the World Tree thread twitched.

The thread then began unwinding more slowly, suggesting that the crystal had fallen into a pool of water.

Tap—

At last, the spool stopped unwinding, as though the crystal had reached the bottom.

All that remained was to swing the thread around and survey the surroundings.

"Sir, if it looks like I’m being dragged away, cut the thread immediately."

"Understood."

I hadn’t forgotten to prepare for the worst.

After swinging it around for quite some time, I gradually began pulling it back.

We couldn’t stay here forever, and all I needed was a quick look.

This is taking forever to pull back.

"Pulling it back" was probably more accurate than "raising it."

Thankfully, the crystal wasn’t particularly heavy.

Its weight remained unchanged, which meant nothing strange had latched onto it either.

"It’s here."

After winding the thread as though reeling in a kite, the recording crystal finally returned.

Curious about what it had captured, I immediately checked the footage.

The rest of the group was just as curious and crowded around me.

Tap, tap—

I tapped the crystal twice, then twice again.

That should play the recorded footage.

I was already familiar with how to use it.

Flash!

The recording crystal emitted a burst of light and projected a window like a hologram.

The projection showed the crystal falling beneath—or rather, above—the waterfall, revealing what lay on the other side.

"A lake?"

[It is a lake. An incredibly vast one at that.]

Above the waterfall was a lake.

And it was enormous—so vast that it resembled an ocean.

Splash!

Just as I began wondering if it really was an ocean, the recording crystal plunged into the water.

The water was clear, and plenty of light penetrated its surface, making the depths surprisingly bright.

"Hmm..."

[There are many fish.]

Cain was right.

There were an incredible number of fish.

But that alone wasn’t anything remarkable.

Upon reaching the bottom, the recording crystal displayed various parts of the lake’s interior.

That was probably when I had spun the thread around.

And that was all.

There’s nothing special here.

After some time, the recording crystal began rising again.

As it emerged from the water, it started showing the lake in its entirety.

I was about to turn off the crystal, thinking that was the end of the recording.

Flash!

"Gah?!"

"K-Kyuak!"

"Piiiiiik!"

"Uwoah?!"

Two enormous eyes appeared in the very center of the lake.

They were golden eyes, each so colossal that together they covered nearly half the lake.

They were so sinister that not only I, but everyone else as well, recoiled in shock.

Meanwhile, the recorded footage continued playing.

Just as the crystal passed the waterfall’s halfway point and entered the mist—

SPLAAAAASH!!!

The owner of those eyes slowly began raising its face from beneath the lake.

Unfortunately, the mist prevented us from seeing it clearly.

But everyone knew that this couldn’t possibly be a good sign.

While the footage continued playing, I slowly raised my head.

Just what in the world lived beyond that waterfall?

If this were a game, would it be something like a hidden boss lurking in a secret area?

While I was thinking that—

SPLOOOOSH!

A gigantic "hand" burst from the top of the waterfall.

Webbing stretched between its fingers like the hand of an amphibian.

And then there was its skin.

Instead of being smooth, it was covered in scales.

SPLASH! SPLAAAASH!

The problem was that the owner of that hand was using the waterfall to approach us.

Not merely its hand but its entire arm had now emerged, moving against the waterfall’s flow.

No—it looked as though the creature were using the waterfall as a cliff and climbing down toward us.

As I stared at the overwhelming sight, a single thought entered my mind.

We’re screwed.

The moment that thought occurred to me, I did the only thing I could.

"RUN!!!"

It was an order to retreat, driven purely by my survival instincts.