The mont Moonbounce’s cannons locked into place, the atmosphere of the cave changed. The air grew heavy, saturated with divine energy so dense that the crystal walls began to hum in resonance. Rhys could feel it—the sa way one feels the ocean before a storm.
"Let’s move," he said, stepping forward as silver ripples spread across the flooded path.
The first stretch of the Seragon Caves was deceptively calm. Luminous fish drifted through suspended streams above them, and crystalline lotuses floated on pools of water glowing with inner light. The illusion of peace, however, ended the mont the first ripple broke unnaturally.
The water surface bulged, and from its depths rose a creature made of living crystal—a Seragon Spawn. Its long, translucent body shimred in shades of blue and violet, scales clinking like glass in the current.
Moonbounce growled, shifting his weight.
Before Rhys could even give the order, the turtle’s side cannons rotated and fired.
Two lances of condensed mana exploded outward, tearing through the creature’s chest and fracturing its body into shards that scattered across the water.
The impact sent a sonic pulse through the cavern, and the echoes stirred more movent. The pools around them rippled as dozens—then hundreds—of shapes began to rise from beneath.
Rhys’s eyes narrowed. "Ambush."
Moonbounce responded instantly. The silver runes on his shell flared brighter, and a do of shimring divine energy ford around them just as the first volley of crystal shards hit. The projectiles disintegrated against the barrier, raining harmlessly into the water.
"Offense mode," Rhys commanded.
The turtle’s runes changed hue, shifting from silver to deep azure. His cannons glowed hotter, releasing continuous streams of mana blasts into the surrounding water. Explosions of blue light erupted across the battlefield as one after another of the creatures shattered under the onslaught.
Rhys darted between the explosions, sword in hand, his movents fluid and sharp. The Deathfla around his blade danced like black fire under water, cutting through the serpentine constructs with effortless precision. Each strike left afterimages of burning runes that continued to consu the creatures even after the hit.
One of the larger beasts surged from below—a massive Seragon Shellback, its body covered in glacial armor. It lunged toward Moonbounce with a guttural screech, jaws wide enough to crush a carriage.
Rhys leapt high, twisting in midair as his blade ignited—dark energy spilling from its edge like liquid night.
"[Ruinous Blade Art – Tidal Execution.]"
The strike fell like a descending moon. A torrent of black-and-blue fire surged from the arc, tearing straight through the creature’s skull. The impact split the water apart, leaving a roaring vacuum of steam and shattered crystal in its wake.
When Rhys landed, Moonbounce unleashed one last blast from his main cannon—a concentrated beam of divine light that pierced through the lingering fragnts and vaporized them completely. The wave of heat rolled outward, scattering mist through the massive cavern.
Silence followed. Only the soft drip of water and the faint hiss of cooling mana broke it.
Rhys exhaled slowly, sliding his sword back into its sheath. "First swarm—cleared."
Moonbounce rumbled, the glow along his shell dimming as his cannons folded away.
Rhys gave him a side glance, half-grinning. "Yeah, yeah. You did most of the work this ti."
The turtle blinked smugly before turning toward the deeper tunnel.
Ahead, the labyrinth descended into shifting corridors of light and shadow. Waterfalls flowed sideways through the air, carrying glowing runes within their streams. The mana grew denser, colder—the kind that whispered of old power buried too deep.
Rhys’s expression sharpened. "The readings are rising fast. The next area must be close to a mana convergence zone."
He crouched, resting his palm against the slick crystal floor. Faint veins of azure light pulsed beneath his hand, resonating with the dark fla that flickered within his core—his Ruinous Flow answering the cave’s call.
Moonbounce gave a low hum, eyes glowing faintly in agreent.
"Yeah," Rhys murmured. "Sothing ancient’s still breathing down there."
He rose, drawing his sword again. Its edge shimred in muted blue light, the darkness along the blade coiling like smoke.
"Co on," he said quietly. "Let’s see what the Seragon Caves are really hiding."
As they continued through the vast expanse of the first floor, the atmosphere shifted. The Seragon Caves weren’t just large—they were colossal. Veins of faint blue light pulsed through the stone like the heartbeat of sothing alive, and the air carried a soft hum, a low vibration that seed to echo through the bones.
By the map projection on Rhys’s interface, he’d barely explored one corner of the labyrinth. The rest sprawled outward in twisting tunnels, subrged halls, and open caverns large enough to house entire cities.
He rembered the forum posts he’d skimd before coming here—veteran adventurers complaining that the first floor alone was as vast as three capital cities combined, with at least thirteen confird minor bosses hidden throughout its depths. Most players ford full raid parties just to clear a portion of it.
"Looks like they weren’t exaggerating," Rhys muttered, scanning the faint mana signatures flickering across his display.
Moonbounce gave a low, rumbling grunt of agreent. His massive shell shimred faintly as they walked, reflecting the glow of the mana streams that flowed like rivers across the ground. The divine turtle’s re presence was enough to deter most creatures; shadows shifted in the distance, but few dared to approach.
They advanced at a steady pace, not rushing. There was no reason to. The day’s goal wasn’t to clear the floor—it was to explore, get a feel for the environnt, and gauge the strength of the enemies that dwelled here.
Every few minutes, the water ahead would stir—sotis revealing serpentine beasts made of living crystal, other tis dissolving into harmless waves as smaller creatures fled from Moonbounce’s aura. Each encounter added to their experience, the glow of victory notifications briefly flashing before fading into the quiet.
Hours passed like that—fights, movent, silence, the sound of cascading water in the distance. The deeper they went, the denser the mana grew, and the thicker the mist beca.
Finally, they found a calm alcove beside a broad stream that reflected the crystal ceiling above. Rhys sat down against a smooth boulder, exhaling softly as he removed his gloves. "We’ll rest here for now," he said.
Moonbounce gave a low rumble of agreent, lowering his massive form into the shallow water. Ripples spread out in circles as his shell began to glow faintly—silver light pulsing in ti with his calm, steady breathing.
Rhys sat beside him, pulling out a ration pack and unwrapping it slowly. The cavern was quiet except for the soft rush of water nearby, the faint echo of dripping from the crystal ceiling above. The air slled cool, tinged with mana and salt.
They ate in peace for a while—just the sound of quiet chewing and Moonbounce occasionally blowing a few bubbles through his nostrils when crumbs landed near him.
Then, footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Rhys turned slightly as another group of adventurers ca into view—three girls around his age, each wearing light combat gear marked with the Aqua Fangs guild insignia. Their resemblance was unmistakable: sa sharp features, sa eyes, only their hair set them apart—one fiery red, one golden-blonde, and one deep black that shimred like oil under the light.
"Whoa..." the red-haired one breathed, her eyes wide as they landed on Moonbounce. "Is that— a turtle?!"
"Not just a turtle," the blonde whispered, eyes sparkling. "Look at that shell—it’s shining! He looks divine!"
The black-haired girl’s gaze softened, almost reverent. "He’s beautiful..."
Rhys sighed, already seeing where this was going.
They crept a little closer, practically glowing with excitent, until the redhead finally asked, "Um, excuse —can we... maybe... pet him?"
Rhys tilted his head slightly, eting Moonbounce’s wary stare. The divine turtle had already shifted position, one cannon half-erging from his shell with a chanical hum, his eyes narrowed like a soldier about to fire.
Rhys raised a hand calmly. "You can pet him," he said with a faint smile. "He won’t bite. Probably."
The girls exchanged delighted looks, practically squealing before moving forward cautiously.
Moonbounce gave a warning grrrrmph, clearly not pleased, but when Rhys gave him a look—a simple, knowing one—he huffed and turned away, retracting his cannon.
The first girl reached out, trembling slightly, and brushed her hand along his shell. "He’s warm..." she whispered. "And smooth!"
The other two followed, each touching him in turn, giggling softly like children eting a legend.
Moonbounce grumbled again, but this ti his eyes softened slightly. If anything, he looked mildly embarrassed.
Rhys smirked, watching the scene unfold. "See? Not so scary after all."
Moonbounce shot him a flat glare that clearly said, I will rember this betrayal, but didn’t move.
The three girls exchanged glances, whispering excitedly through their party chat.
"He’s cute—and handso too!""He’s polite as well...""Hmm...""Let’s invite him! With him around, we could clear this place easily—and have so eye candy while we’re at it!"
The red-haired girl, giggling, gave Moonbounce another gentle pat while the others nodded in agreent.
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