My Cuckhold System

Chapter 165: Underwater Entrance

The sun had begun dipping toward the horizon, casting long golden rays across the forest.

The convoy didn’t stop yet, instead, Marcus raised a hand slightly from the driver’s seat, signaling the vehicles behind him to keep moving.

They rolled forward for about another minute with their tires crunching softly against the damp earth, before finally coming to a halt.

“Alright,” Marcus voiced while stepping out of the vehicle.

Everyone followed and West stretched slightly as he got out, scanning the surroundings with his gaze.

At first glance, there was nothing except for a quiet, almost peaceful landscape.

A narrow stream of water flowed gently between two sloping hills covered in moss and thick grass. The water reflected the dimming sky as the sun dipped lower behind the horizon.

West tilted his head.

“…Huh?”

He glanced around again.

“Where?”

Marcus walked forward and pointed directly at the stream.

“Underneath.”

West raised a brow.

“The ruins are beneath the water.”

A few of the recruits exchanged looks.

Even some of them seemed surprised as Marcus continued calmly.

“The entrance is located at the bottom of the stream.”

“It’s a submerged entry point.”

Tara folded her arms.

“Of course it is,” she muttered. “Why make anything simple?”

They had seen layouts of the ruins but apparently, only from within, not from the exterior which was why they had no idea that the entry point was underwater.

Marcus turned toward the group.

“Quick briefing.”

Everyone gathered.

“This ruin has no layered structure, but that doesn’t mean it’s harmless. Stay in formation. Don’t wander off. Prioritize survival over loot. After it is cleared, we can return for the loot.”

He paused briefly.

“Underwater entry means limited oxygen. So—”

He reached into a storage compartment in the vehicle and began handing out oxygen masks.

One by one, each member took one.

When Marcus approached West, he extended a mask toward him but West shook his head lightly.

“No need.”

Tara immediately scoffed.

“Oh, quit trying to act cool pretty boy.”

She grabbed the mask from Marcus’s hand and shoved it into West’s chest.

“We don’t want you dying on us before you even summon anything.”

West looked at the mask for a second and then at her before smiling faintly.

“…Alright.”

Tara turned away with a huff.

“Let’s move.”

Without wasting more time, the group approached the stream and one by one, they dove in.

SPLASH~

Water rippled outward as eight figures disappeared beneath the surface.

West remained standing for a moment while Marcus lingered beside him, clearly uncomfortable.

“I’m really sorry about them,” Marcus muttered quietly. “They don’t understand—”

West chuckled.

“It’s fine.”

He casually handed the oxygen mask back to Marcus.

“I won’t need it.”

Marcus blinked.

“…Are you sure?”

Without answering, West activated one of his new system skills he acquired about a week earlier.

<[ Partial Dorsal Fins Activated ]>

His body transformed slightly as small fins began to form along his sides distinctively.

Just beneath them, thin slits opened along his skin… Gills.

Marcus’s eyes widened slightly as West stepped forward before jumping.

SPLASH~

But unlike the others, West didn’t sink slowly.

The moment his body entered the water, he dove downward like a fish.

His body streamlined instantly, cutting through the current unnaturally as he shot downward at incredible speed.

Above him, the others were still swimming carefully, adjusting their oxygen masks and maintaining formation when a blur passed them.

“What the—?!”

“Who the hell is that?!”

They barely had time to react before West disappeared into the depths below.

The stream was deeper than it looked from the surface… much deeper.

The light from above faded quickly, replaced by dim, bluish darkness.

At the very bottom was a circular opening embedded into the stone bed beneath the water.

This was the entrance to the ruins.

Without slowing down for even a second, West dove straight into it.

Twwwhiiii~

The moment he crossed the threshold, everything changed…

A strange sensation spread through him as the world flipped.

Gravity twisted unnaturally as what had been “down” became “up.”

West’s body was pulled forward violently before stabilizing and landing lightly on solid ground.

Behind him, the entrance shimmered.

Water bubbled at the threshold but refused to pass through as if it was held back by an invisible barrier.

West glanced around.

“…Interesting.”

Moments later, the others began arriving.

One by one, they emerged through the same entrance, stumbling slightly as they adjusted to the sudden shift in gravity.

Lina was the first to speak.

“How did you get here before us?!”

West shrugged casually.

“I’m a good swimmer.”

Tara narrowed her eyes slightly but didn’t say anything.

Marcus stepped forward.

“Everyone made it in?”

They counted quickly, confirming that all ten were present.

“Good,” Marcus nodded. “Stay alert. We move now.”

The group turned and began walking deeper into the ruins.

Immediately, it became clear that this place was nothing like the outside world.

The ruins stretched far beyond what the entrance suggested.

Massive stone structures rose in the distance, half-collapsed and covered in glowing moss. Strange symbols were carved into the walls and the ground was uneven, made of cracked stone pathways intertwined with patches of alien-looking vegetation.

Floating lights drifted lazily through the air, illuminating the surroundings with a soft, eerie glow.

It felt like stepping into an entirely different world.

But unlike the massive scale of something like the Eternal Ruins, this place felt more contained.

It was vast but not endless.

“Spread out slightly,” Marcus instructed.

“Keep within sight of each other.”

As they moved forward, the group began spotting items.

Small glowing green crystals embedded in walls.

“Loot,” Derek said with a grin.

Large storage bags were brought out, and items were quickly gathered and stored.

West walked calmly at the center of the group, observing without joining them to collect anything. Based on his agreement with Zu Li, he’d get his share anyways.

There was just something extra he needed and clearing this ruins would help him get closer to achieving it.

It didn’t take long before they encountered their first enemies…