Nakate took a deep breath. His lungs burned, every inhale scraping like fire through his chest, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His body trembled just trying to stay upright.
'I feel like I wanna die,' he thought, forcing himself to turn toward Lix and Cole. He tried to smile—something reassuring, something that said I'm fine—but it came out crooked and empty.
"I guess… we survived that," he managed to say, voice weak and shaking.
Then his vision blurred, the ground swayed beneath him, and everything went dark as he collapsed.
A faint, deep voice echoed somewhere above him — distant, distorted, like sound carried through water. He was being moved; someone was carrying him. The hands that held him felt large and strong — far stronger than Cole's or Lix's. Whoever it was, their grip was steady, careful.
He felt warmth on his skin — a soft, golden light pressing against the cold of the Depths. It burned like fire underwater, unnatural yet soothing. The contrast made his senses spin. Then, he was set down on something hard and cold — stone, maybe. The warmth lingered around him like a flickering halo, and for a brief moment, Nakate thought he could almost breathe again.
As if someone was healing him, it felt as if his body was mending itself. A strange warmth flowed through him, spreading from his chest to his fingertips. Nakate drew in a deep breath and to his surprise, it didn't hurt.
In fact, it felt… good.
The pain that had been tearing through his ribs, the burning in his lungs, the bruises—they were all gone. As if none of it had ever happened.
He opened his eyes slightly, dazed. 'Am I… healed? How?'
He sat up slowly, blinking as his vision adjusted. Before him floated a soft blue flame, its light warm and calm, swaying gently in the air like it was alive.
Turning his head to the left, he spotted Lix and Cole resting nearby. Lix sat cross-legged, quietly reading through her worn book, the faint teal glow of the depths reflecting off its pages. Cole sat opposite her, absent-mindedly toying with shadows that danced between his hands, forming shapes before melting away again.
When Nakate turned his head to the right, he froze.
A man sat there—tall, easily two meters, his body built with the kind of strength that looked carved rather than grown, like a sculpture from some ancient age. His skin was a muted light green, his hair a darker shade with streaks of moss-like tones beneath. A black blindfold covered his eyes, with a faint splash of deep green seeping from beneath it, like light trying to escape.
"W-who are you?" Nakate asked, his voice unsteady.
The man turned his head toward him. From beneath the black blindfold, a faint white light shimmered—then formed into a single glowing eye. Three wave-like streaks of light rippled beneath it, moving gently as if alive.
"I am but a simple Blindseer," the man said in a calm, deep voice that carried warmth and steadiness. "Here to help others like you."
Something in his tone felt reassuring, and for a moment, Nakate's unease faded.
"What is this blue flame? How does it work…? I don't understand. I thought the Depths were like a world under an ocean," Nakate said, staring at the dancing azure flame floating before him.
"That flame is one of my many abilities as a follower of Pleeksty and his will," the man said with a small chuckle. "But the reason I can heal with my fire comes from the Oath I took long ago — the Oath of the last Blindseer."
He stood up, and Nakate could finally see him clearly. His armor was unlike anything Nakate had ever seen—a long blue robe marked with a silver hand, its finger pointing upward toward a small silver sphere. Beneath it was another robe, a mix of gray and brown, fastened with a thick silver belt that gleamed faintly in the blue firelight.
'So he's a follower of some kind of religion, huh? Well, at least it sounds like a helpful one… he did make this healing flame that saved my life,' Nakate thought, an unsure smile forming on his face.
"So is the last Blindseer some guy who follows this Pleeksty… god guy?" Nakate asked, a hint of uncertainty on his face.
The man let out a deep, hearty laugh. "Oh no, not at all! But if you haven't heard of either, I understand your confusion," he said, his voice calm yet warm. "To put it simply, Blindseers are those who've taken an Oath from a certain being. As for me being a follower of Pleeksty—well, that just means I follow his faith and Flamecharm."
'So if there are many Blindseers… then why did he take the Oath of the last one?' Nakate wondered, his eyes drifting toward the silver spear resting beside the man.
Cole stood up, brushing the dust from his coat. "Let's move. We still need to ring the last two bells."
"I know where they are," the man said, his tone suddenly firm and serious. "So there's no need to worry."
"Wait," Nakate said, looking up at him. "What's your name?"
The man turned slightly, the glowing eye on his blindfold staring at Nakate. "My name is Phoenix Kotof," he said, his deep voice echoing softly through the chamber. "But I am a protector of those lost to the tides—those who've been forced to witness the horrors of the Depths. So you can call me by the name of that Oath… Blindseer."
***
The group, after gathering all their resources, began to wander through the City of the Drowned. Nakate couldn't help but admire the sight of the ancient, towering buildings surrounding them.
'I wonder how people lived here...' he thought. 'Kids running through the streets, playing with each other. Parents setting up stalls to sell things, or hurrying off to work. All of it feels like something I'd want to see for myself.'
He sighed quietly. 'Unfortunately, I'll never get to witness that. Well... maybe the Owlisland, or whatever Lix and Cole called it, was kind of similar—just with smaller buildings, I guess.'
"So, are the two other bells closer," Nakate asked, his voice heavy with exhaustion, "or are we gonna have to do long walks like this every time?"
Cole didn't answer, and Lix seemed lost in thought.
"It seems this one has two bells fairly close together," the Blindseer finally replied, placing his palm on the ground. "The one you already rang lies on the opposite side of the city."
"This one?" Nakate asked, once again confused. 'He said that as if there were more cities.'
"Ah," the Blindseer began, a faint smile tugging at his lips, "there's a common misconception that the city moves around Layer One of the Depths. But in truth, there are nine cities—each a copy of the original City of the Drowned. Because of my Oath, I cannot see as others do, I can only sense where I am. That means my eyes don't lie to me. I can feel the subtle differences between each city, which makes it easy to remember where everything lies."
"Speaking of where the bells are—there's the second one," Cole said, pointing toward a tall, weathered building. Its windows gaped open, but there was no door in sight.
Nakate stared at the open window for a long moment before exhaling in disappointment. "Oh, well, that's convenient… Are we really supposed to climb that?"
Lix gave him a sly grin, her voice dripping with playful mockery. "Since you've already shown us how great of a climber you are, why don't you go and ring that bell for us, Nakate?"
With a defeated sigh, Nakate set his bag on the ground, muttering under his breath, "Yeah, of course it had to be me again…"
Nakate began climbing the stone wall, surprised to find it almost too easy. The cracks and ledges formed a perfect path for his hands and feet, as if someone had carved them there on purpose. It felt oddly reassuring not to struggle for once.
'Well, at least someone made this damned tower easier to climb…' he thought, until something caught his eye—a thin rope dangling from the top.
"Hey! I think there's someone up there!" he shouted down to Cole, Lix, and the Blindseer, gripping the rope to pull himself up faster.
Below, the group exchanged uncertain glances. "Why would someone be there and not ring the bell yet?" the Blindseer said, his calm voice carrying a hint of curiosity. "Surely, we would've heard it by now."
Nakate finally pulled himself up and got to his feet, brushing the dust from his hands. Before him stood a figure cloaked in shadow—dark armor gleaming faintly under the dim light.
"Uh… who are you?" Nakate asked cautiously.
The man stepped out of the darkness. His skin was a deep shade of green, his hair even darker, almost black with a green tint. A white mask covered his face, marked with four thin, curved stripes that resembled eyes. His armor was a mix of chainmail and steel plates—light enough for movement, yet heavy enough for battle.
Without a word, the man raised a katana and aimed the blade directly at Nakate.
'Wait… is that a katana?' Nakate thought, surprise flashing across his face.
Then the stranger shouted suddenly, his tone strangely cheerful, "I found another Pathfinder for us!"
Two more figures emerged from the shadows behind him—both wearing the same dark armor. One had a cracked mask and gripped a katana identical to the leader's. The other wore a large, tattered brown witch hat and carried a smaller version of the blade, almost like a dagger.
Before Nakate could react, the leader lunged forward with blinding speed. The strike barely missed as Nakate stumbled backward—his foot slipping off the edge.
He fell.
"Got you!" Lix's voice cut through the air. A surge of wind whipped upward, catching Nakate mid-fall and gently lowering him to the ground below.
"Depths Gankers?" the Blindseer muttered, his tone a mix of surprise and irritation.
"Seems like it..." Cole replied, drawing his rapier. He glanced toward Nakate and tossed him the silver spear he'd found earlier.
Nakate barely caught it, glaring in confusion. "You guys never said anything about Depths Gankers!?"
Lix exhaled sharply, brushing her hair aside. "We didn't expect to run into them. They're rare down here—basically the pirates of the Depths."
The Gankers leapt from the building, landing in formation. The one with the witch hat extended her hand, conjuring shadowy arms that burst from the ground to soften their fall.
Their leader stood tall, his mask glinting faintly in the blue light. "Seems like you guys are having a little chat down here," he said, voice dripping with mockery. His gaze fixed directly on Nakate.
***
Nakate gritted his teeth and lunged toward the masked man, spinning the spear in his hands to build momentum. The air hissed as the weapon cut through it—each motion faster, sharper. He thrust forward in a flurry of jabs, aiming for the man's chest, then his throat, then his side.
The man parried with his katana, each clash ringing like metal on lightning. Sparks burst from the impacts, flashes of silver dancing in the dim light. Nakate pushed harder, twisting his body into another strike, forcing the man back step by step.
But the man was fast—too fast. He tilted his head aside just in time for Nakate's spear to graze his mask, leaving a faint crack along one of the painted eyes.
The man's tone shifted from amused to cold. "You're quick… but reckless. It's like you've never fought with a spear before."
Before Nakate could respond, the man lunged forward. "Fire Blade!" he shouted, and his katana erupted in flames—burning bright orange, the heat distorting the air around it. The once-fluid weapon now looked heavy, molten, like it carried the weight of a furnace.
The man swung it high above his head, sparks scattering like embers from a forge, and brought it crashing down toward Nakate.
"—!" Nakate barely managed to twist aside, the flaming edge missing him by inches. The heat scorched his cheek, and as the blade struck the ground, fire splashed outward in a ring of molten sparks, the stone beneath glowing red from the impact.
Nakate stumbled back, gripping his spear tight as smoke curled between them. "Okay… that's new."
"Sounds like you two are having fun," Blindseer said calmly, stepping forward until his towering frame blocked Nakate from view. "But I think I should handle the flamecharmer."
"Do you even have a weapon?" Nakate asked, his voice edged with concern.
"Oh, don't worry about me," Blindseer replied with a faint smile. He reached beneath his robe and drew out two heavy gauntlets made of a dark, gleaming metal that shimmered faintly under the mistlight. "These will do better than any other weapon of mine."
He slid them onto his hands, and as the clasps locked, azure flames roared to life around his fists—burning with a steady, unnatural glow that cast the air in ghostly blue light.
"A—Azure Flames!?" the ,am stammered, stepping back as the fire reflected off his mask. His own blade flickered, the orange flames gathering again along its length. "I won't lose to some Flamecharming Blindseer!"
Blindseer tilted his head slightly, the single glowing eye on his blindfold shutting.
He lunged forward with impossible speed. The moment his fist met the katana, the metal shattered into molten shards. A brilliant explosion followed, a wave of blue fire bursting outward—swallowing both fighters in a flash of light and heat.
A corpse burning in azure flames was all that remained, the fire crackling quietly as Blindseer stood over it—calm and unshaken.
"Wow," was all Nakate could manage to say after witnessing that.
"Yeah, I know, right?" Blindseer replied with a faint grin. "The Enchant of Detonation is a great tool to have."
By then, the rest of the Depths Gankers had fled, their shadows disappearing into the fog. Lix and Cole made no move to chase them, instead just stood back, letting them go as if they weren't worth the effort.
"Well, it seems we got lucky. Nobody was hurt too much, right?" Lix asked, a hint of concern in her voice as she looked at Nakate.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Nakate said, brushing the dust off his rags and forcing a small smile.
Cole stepped closer, adjusting his rapier at his side. "Then get climbing. We don't have all the time in the world before monsters start showing up and we still have bells to ring."
Nakate climbed back up to the bell, this time reaching the same height as it. He pulled back his fist and punched it with all the force he could muster.
The same deep sound echoed through the Depths once again... Though this time, it felt less painful. Maybe his ears had already gotten used to it… or maybe they were just too damaged to care anymore.
He leapt down, and Lix caught him again with a swirl of Galebreath.
"Let's go ring the last bell then," Nakate said, his tone suddenly more energized, even with a hopeful smile on his face.
***
The group followed Blindseer, slipping through narrow cracks between buildings to move unnoticed through the city. Monsters roamed in the distance, their sounds echoing faintly through the mist, but none seemed to notice them.
Nakate studied the walls as they moved. The same moss grew there—but it looked darker, lifeless, as if something had drained it of color and warmth.
'Why does this place feel so… hollow? It's like everything here is empty inside. Kind of creepy, honestly,' Nakate thought, glancing at Blindseer.
"So, Mr. Blindseer," he began, "how come your paths are so good at avoiding monsters? Even when we went for the second bell, it felt like there weren't any around us."
Blindseer nodded slightly, his voice calm but steady. "I can feel the presence of other beings. I can't actually see you, but my eye lets me sense everything—it's like I'm seeing the world in a different way. It's a neat ability, I'll admit… but it has its drawbacks too."
His tone faded near the end, dropping low, as if he didn't want to explain further. Nakate noticed the shift and decided not to ask more.
They slipped through the cracks in the walls and found a way down into a narrow hall. It felt ancient—dusty air filled their lungs as faint white particles floated slowly around them, glowing just enough to light the way.
The walls were cracked and covered with dead, black moss. The white particles began to gather, drifting in a faint line that led deeper inside.
The group followed carefully, hands ready to draw their weapons.'It feels cold here… like it's draining the life out of me,' Nakate thought, his breath visible in the still air.
They reached a narrow crack at the end of the hall. Nakate peered through it. "I guess we're supposed to go in there? Or leave it alone?" he asked, cautious of whatever the light might be leading them to.
Without a word, Blindseer stepped forward and disappeared into the crack. Nakate hesitated for a moment, then followed, leaving Cole and Lix behind to guard their backs in case of a monster—or a trap.
Inside, darkness swallowed them whole. The faint light from the hall barely reached the center of the room, where a small platform stood. On top of it rested a weapon stand, and above that—an ominous, dull-looking weapon that seemed to absorb the light around it.
A small table stood beside the platform. Nakate approached it cautiously and noticed a book resting on top, half-buried in dust. He brushed the cover clean, coughing softly as a cloud of ash rose into the air. The cover was made of thick, hardened leather—cold to the touch, almost like stone.
The name of the book's creator was impossible to read; time and grime had nearly erased it. Still, a few faint letters remained, just enough for Nakate to make out part of the title.
"A Mere Copy of the Legend I"—???
Curiosity overtook him, and he flipped open the first page. The handwriting was erratic, as though written in haste—or madness.
"I've managed to finally make a copy of the ???. It's not perfect, but it may be capable of granting me eternal life. Immortality, achieved through ???. A weapon as if born from a legend itself. I could finally become it… I could be like Sudaruska, my beloved."
Nakate read the passage aloud so Blindseer could hear. The moment the name Sudaruska left his lips, Blindseer's head turned sharply—his expression shifting from calm to something far more serious.
"Sudaruska, you say?" Blindseer murmured, his voice carrying both recognition and a faint echo of respect. "She was a well-known Frostdrawer… one I never had the honor of meeting. If I recall correctly, the legend speaks of her death—the death of Sudaruska the Unbroken—as follows:"
He paused, as if reciting something long memorized.
"In her dying breaths, Sudaruska the Unbroken infused her very being into her axe, sacrificing her body to destroy the ancient Ministry and protect Minityrsa.Though her efforts were ultimately in vain, she became the greataxe known as Gran Sudaruska, a weapon that still hunts the followers of the Nine Prophets to this day.It's said that her final words were: 'Your own Depths shall consume you.' — Gran Sudaruska."
Blindseer fell silent, the white light beneath his blindfold flickering faintly. Without a word, he stepped forward and lifted the weapon from its stand, concealing it beneath his robe. For some reason, he didn't let Nakate get a good look at it.
The two made their way back through the narrow crack, rejoining Lix and Cole in the hall. Ahead of them, a set of worn stone steps spiraled upward, the air growing heavier with each step. They followed the staircase until it ended at a splintered wooden door, half-rotten and barely hanging on its hinges.
Pushing it open revealed a familiar space—the basement they had entered earlier. But now, the path forward led into a small, crumbling cathedral. Stained glass windows were shattered, and the sound of dripping water echoed faintly from somewhere unseen.
Before them stood the final bell.