Atlante was located in Grand Rock, in the distant eastern seas. It was also the place where my second essence core appeared after the Orc Hero. It wasn't that difficult to get to this place. You needed a boat capable of sailing to Grand Rock; the ability to freely immerse yourself in the deep sea with magic, a spirit or a skill; and most importantly, the tenacity necessary for repetitive work. As long as you had these three things, it wasn't very difficult to visit Burrow Island.
From here, it's all hard work.
After entering Grand Rock, we carefully drove the boat around the reefs. To reach Burrow Island, which was hidden beneath the distant eastern seas, there was something we had to do first.
«Would it be possible to know our destination...?», the navigator asked curiously as we walked around.
I responded after a brief pause. I decided there was no reason to hide it at this point.
«Excuse me? Red Rock Island?» The sailor tilted his head at my response.
«Yes, it must be big enough for about twenty people to climb».
Each time the maze was opened, three Red Rock Islands were randomly generated in this area. You had to complete all the unlocking tasks on these three rock islands to reveal Burrow Island.
«...Very good.» Surprisingly, the sailor did not question my instructions. «So you were trying to go there.» It seemed like he knew something about how Burrow Island worked. Most people didn't know it, but I assumed he had had a long career. «Then I will plan the route as efficiently as possible, centering it around the search».
«Ah, I'll leave that part to you».
Once he knew what I intended, the navigator steered the ship more proactively than before, and we located one of the rocky islands on the fourth day.
Splash.
The flat, rocky island was submerged in water up to its ankles. When I went to the center of the island and checked the cracks in the ground, I found a neat row of ostrich-sized eggs nested inside.
«Eggs? What do we do with them?» erwen asked curiously over my shoulder.
I chuckled. All of Dungeon and Stone's hidden elements were the same.
Break!
If you found something that looked suspicious, destroy it. That was the first rule of the search, right?
[You have destroyed a Mermal Nest].
***
How long had it been since we destroyed all the eggs?
«He's starting to respond slowly.»
«Excuse me?»
«Prepare for battle!»
The moment the scream came out of my mouth, sea monsters began to appear from beneath the rocky island. Hmm, maybe «sea monster» wasn't the best description.
Splash.
I watched the nearest monster staring at us, trident in hand, up and down. To begin with, he walked on two legs with human-like proportions. The texture of his blue skin was reminiscent of scales and his shiny skin was full of glowing tattoos. Important body parts were covered in cloth and each of the monsters had their own unique hairstyle, which set them apart from other monsters that all looked the same. However, his intelligence was not much different from other monsters.
«Kyaaaaaagh!» It was a fierce howl with no perceptible language behind it. The monsters around us attacked at once.
[You have defeated a Mermal. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Mermal Warrior. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Mermal Archer. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Mermal Sorcerer. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Mighty Mermal Warrior. EXP +4]
As classes diversified, new XP poured in. The battle itself was not that tough either. Although this event entailed an avalanche of hundreds of monsters, its mid-range did not even reach six.
¡Aplastar, monkey, monkey!
Using gigantization to increase my threat level and attracting most of the attacks to me, the hunt ended smoothly and no one was injured. And it seems this impressed both of our cronies.
«And to think that we are trying to attack those monsters... Of course we ended up in this situation», the wizard murmured weakly. The navigator nodded, apparently very sympathetic to that feeling.
Wow, regrets are always late, no matter how soon they come.
«Wizard, go collect mana stones if you have time to sit still».
«...I will.» Once the battle was over, I had the wizard collect the mana stones that had fallen everywhere. «There is an essence. What do you want to do with that?».
«Leave her. It's not worth much anyway».
I didn't bother to take the essence of Mermal. Even though we had a magician and the test tubes he had on him, it wasn't worth it. I couldn't waste our two precious test tubes on something like that.
¡Rumble!
What the hell...? Why is the ground shaking suddenly?
«Sir?»
«Wait.»
We were about to get back on the boat, but we waited a while to see what would happen. The tremors continued to shake the surface of the water for a minute before stopping as if by magic. And I had the feeling of knowing what had caused this phenomenon.
[Somewhere in the deep sea, an underwater city has appeared].
Who would have thought that someone had already cleared the other rocky islands? Thanks to that, we didn't have to waste time looking for the other two.
«Although I don't know if I should call this good luck...»
I couldn't put my finger on what exactly our current situation was. It was okay that the amount of work we had to do had been reduced, but the fact that the events on the other two islands had already been completed could only mean one thing: there was competition targeting Burrow Island. Of course, we still didn't know with one hundred percent certainty. It was possible that someone had passed the test on the way to another island.
I'd find out later.
I decided to reflect on this question again later. Even if we had a rival, I wasn't going to change my plans.
Now, what should I do with the equipment?
I looked at it one last time, but decided it was best to take everyone with me. If there was any essence that I couldn't absorb, I would have to store it in a test tube. So, to begin with, the magician had to accompany me. The same was true for Erwen, who would solve our underwater breathing problem, and Amelia, whose help she would need to find the underwater island.
Well, I don't need the navigator, but... I'm distressed to leave him alone.
«Wizard, you can use diving magic, right?»
«Sí...»
«How long can you make it last?»
«How many people should I assume it is for?»
«Three including you.»
Erwen and I could handle the issue of water pressure and breathing on our own with Elementalization, so only three of them needed to be enhanced with magic. We could also use a water spirit to help Amelia breathe, but to keep Elementalization active, it was best to reduce mana consumption as much as possible.
«If I don't use any other spells, I can cast it for up to four hours».
«That's less than I thought, but it should be enough. Everyone get ready. Let's all go down together».
When I gave the order, the sailor and the wizard swallowed and nodded.
Gosh, they both look unnecessarily gloomy. You won't have to fight anyway.
Dip.
Once the preparations were finished, I jumped into the water first. Erwen followed me right behind after our Elementalization bond was established, so the lack of underwater air didn't bother me at all. My vision was also as clear as if I were wearing glasses.
Whooom.
Without any particular need to swim, my barbaric body, which tended to sink into the water, quickly descended to the bottom of the sea. When I looked up, I could see Amelia coming down behind me. He had tied the navigator and the magician by the waist with a rope and held both ends as if they were a strap. For reference, the navigator's feet were tightly chained.
¡Boom!
After sinking for more than ten minutes, my feet landed on the ocean floor with a loud bang. Soon, Amelia and her group arrived as well.
Clic.
The seabed was practically black as coal, so the first thing I did was light a luminous gem and insert it into the slot in my helmet. The reason I didn't turn it on before was simple. If I dove in with the light on, the monsters could have attacked us in the middle of the water.
¡Shaaaaaa!
The light covered a much smaller radius compared to the ground.
Latigo, latigo.
Since being able to breathe didn't mean I could speak out loud, I waved my hand and gestured for the group to get going. This was the deep, dark sea where not even compasses worked. However, it was not difficult to find our destination. That was because our team had an explorer to guide us: Amelia.
[You have defeated a Deep Diver. EXP +4]
[You have defeated a Seaworm. EXP +3]
[You have defeated a Shell Armor. EXP +4]
[You have defeated a Crazy Clopter. EXP +5]
[You have defeated a Marimore...]
Clearing away the various sea monsters that came to light for about two hours, our fate was visible: some corroded and destroyed underwater ruins. When I set foot inside, the pillars that were still relatively intact began to radiate light, illuminating the surrounding area.
Shaaaaaa...
Without further ado, the enormous temple located in the center materialized from the darkness.
«Wow...», exclaimed Erwen, the only one in the group who could communicate freely. I may not have been able to speak, but I felt the same.
It's really amazing in real life.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was on a full-fledged expedition. If I had found this place by chance, without any prior knowledge of the game, it probably would have been even more impressive.
Latigo, latigo.
After stopping for a moment to admire the building in the distance, we crossed the empty ruins and climbed the stairs of the temple.
«Eh...?» There was a small room at the top of the pyramid-shaped temple, and Erwen's eyes widened in surprise when she saw what was inside. «Is it a portal...?».
Oh, hadn't I mentioned it?
I thought he realized it when I had Amelia take the initiative. Anyway, I couldn't answer him, so I shrugged and entered the portal.
[You have entered Atlante].
Please leave me an essence.
***
Burrow Island, also known as Atlante, was the hidden island that could be found by completing the events of Rock Island and diving into the deep sea. Unlike normal islands, you had to cross a portal to get to it, but it was not a Rift. For starters, there was no guardian, which was a defining characteristic of all Cracks. Furthermore, the rate of decline was the same as outside. Since there was no guardian, there were no Rift Stones or Numeric Items. He usually called these places hidden levels. Other examples of hidden levels were the Labyrinth of Larcaz, where I met the Dragon Slayer, and the Hidden World on the fifth floor, which you could enter through a mirror obtained from a Mila Roden.
[Field effect – Atlantean activated. The Hyperventilation state effect is active. In exchange for not being affected by water, all resource consumption doubles. Challenger status effect activated. If you engage in combat, you will not be able to escape].
As used to happen in these special areas, adjustments were made to us as soon as we entered. A red glow shone in the place where my feet touched the ground.
This would be the Challenging effect.
As for hyperventilation, there was no visible effect, but it was already active. As proof, he could now speak. «You can now lift Elementalization».
Ugh, that's much better. It was frustrating trying to communicate everything with your hands.
«Excuse me? But...» Erwen interrupted herself and shuddered. «Hey? Sir, did you just talk underwater?».
«That's why I told you that you can now lift it».
«What a strange place...»
When Erwen raised Elementalization, the mage carefully observed my reaction before raising the immersion spell.
As always, Amelia took stock of her physical condition as soon as she was in a new environment. «It's a very strange feeling. It's like being in the water, but I don't feel uncomfortable at all. I can move with the same ease as on land».
The wizard and navigator also spoke in a reverent tone. «So this is Atlante Burrow Island...»
«I've been on the sixth floor for over ten years, but I've never been here in person...»
But late did they start to feel anxious? «Um... so what do we do now? We won't be much help in battle...» the navigator asked carefully.
I chuckled as I handed out instructions. «The four of you wait here and follow me in five minutes».
«...Sorry?» The navigator tilted his head as if worried he had heard me wrong. The magician just frowned.
«Schuitz, I'm sure you mentioned that rank three monsters appear here.»
«Yes that's right. That's too dangerous even for you, sir...»
Amelia and Erwen expressed concern, which was understandable. Burrow Island's difficulty was one of the highest of any sixth-floor island, and the enormous number of monsters that appeared here meant that it was standard to explore it in units.
«Look, do what I tell you. Have you ever seen me do something dangerous willingly?».
«... Sí», dijo Erwen.
«In fact, it would be harder to find times if you didn't», Amelia added.
Wow, what a way to hit one where it hurts the most.
«Anyway, what I'm saying is that you don't have to worry. Just because we can breathe and talk here doesn't mean we're not still underwater».
«Well... that's true.»
«Call me right away if you're in danger, sir! Okay?» When I presented a logical argument, Erwen and Amelia raised no further objections.
Okay, looks like they don't need any more persuasion.
Step step.
I slowly went down the stairs away from where the portal was.
¡Shaaaaaa!
The moment I stepped on the last step, dozens of red eyes flashed in the darkness where the gem's light could not reach. It was a Sea God Stone, a rank five monster that appeared at the beginning of Atlante. It was a tower-type monster with high Physical Stamina and slow but powerful ranged attacks, unable to move from its specified location.
Step.
I stopped right in front of him. There was no need to pull out a gun. After all, this was much more effective than hitting him directly.
[...reflects 30% of damage taken back to the enemy.]
[...reflects 30% of damage taken back to the enemy.]
[...reflects 30% of damage taken back to the enemy.]
[Due to the passive Origin ability, your Natural Regeneration has reached its maximum].
[Your Powerful Luck reflects 150% of the damage taken to the enemy].
«¡Gahhhcha!»
[You have defeated a Stone Sea God. EXP +5]
Now, let's go for a walk in the park?