Isaac kept swimming down.
With every stroke, the water shimmered, glowing faintly with each ripple he disturbed. It felt alive, as if the dungeon itself was reacting to his presence.
A shadowed shape appeared below — a cave, hidden deep under the pool. Without hesitation, Isaac angled toward it.
The moment he crossed the threshold, a powerful current pulled him inside. He didn't resist.
The water tunnel opened into a small submerged chamber, lit by a dim, unnatural glow. At its center floated a black sphere, humming faintly with energy.
The dungeon core.
Isaac's eyes lingered on it.
I'll be back for you later… but first, my goal.
He turned away, scanning the chamber until something caught his eye in one dark corner — a human skeleton slumped against the wall.
Isaac swam closer. The remains were old, brittle, but something gleamed inside the ribcage — a crystal, pulsing faintly with mana.
Kneeling in the water, Isaac stared into the hollow eye sockets of the skull.
"It must have been hard on you… surrounded by monsters, dying here all alone."
He reached in and gently removed the crystal. The faint mana thrummed through his fingers.
"Thank you," he said softly, bowing his head.
Placing a hand on the skull, a faint glow surrounded it before vanishing into his storage ring.
"I promise… I'll give you a proper grave," he murmured, glancing at the vine-shaped tattoo on his hand.
Then he sat down cross-legged in the water, lifting the crystal for a better look.
This is it. The last thing I need to awaken.
Even he didn't fully know what the crystal was, only that it held an immense amount of mana — enough to force the awakening process if he could make it submit.
Easier said than done…
---
Meanwhile, Trish was kneeling beside the glowing pool, plucking the strange flowers one by one. She had finally gathered them all.
She exhaled, stepping away from the water.
Even for her, standing surrounded by those sleeping fish-faced monsters was nerve-wracking. It didn't matter if they were unconscious — danger was danger.
Then—footsteps.
Trish froze. Her instincts screamed. She melted into the shadows, activating Shadow Dive — a low-rank skill, but enough to hide her completely in the darkness.
The steps drew closer. Flickers of torchlight reflected off the damp walls.
Five figures emerged from the tunnel.
The first was a bulky man carrying a massive tower shield. The second, a swordsman with a curved blade at his hip. Behind them walked a bowman, and two robed magicians whose staffs glowed faintly.
They all wore different armor and weapons — but every one of them bore the same mark somewhere on their gear:
A skull encircled by a snake.
Trish's blood ran cold.
Why is someone from that guild here? Was there an information leak? Were we followed?
Her hand tightened around a dagger. She was about to break from hiding when—
A hand grabbed her shoulder and yanked her back into the shadows.
Her dagger flashed up, ready to stab—until she saw who it was.
Isaac.
He didn't look alarmed. He smirked.
"Of course… as if anything could ever go smoothly," he said, voice calm but edged with amusement.
It was the kind of smile Trish had already learned to fear.