Volume 4 Chapter 60-2 Departure
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Rising commencing. I’m counting on you.”
Brownie, under my command, salutes briskly and takes the helm.
The wind fills the sails, and the hull quietly shifts its angle, beginning to ascend.
The pale blue glow of the seabed scenery gradually fades into the distance, while the shimmering surface of the water draws closer.
The boundary line ── the water’s surface like a membrane stretched across the ceiling, gently swaying.
The moment the prow touches the surface ──
SPLASH!
The ship sends up a towering spray, bursting through the water’s surface.
As if taking flight into the vast sky, our pirate ship bursts out onto the sea in one go.
”Whoa…”
”Waaah!”
Cheers rise from our mates standing on deck.
Wet wood gleams in the sunlight, and the sails swell gracefully in the wind.
An endless expanse of deep blue sea. From the cloudless sky, dazzling sunlight pours down.
The sea breeze caresses our cheeks, and the scent of the tide tickles our noses. It’s a tranquil, beautiful scene, nothing like a dungeon.
No sign of monsters. Just the vast blue sky stretching out.
”Alright, let’s move out.”
We set our sights on the next level indicated by the compass and advance in a straight line.
No monsters appeared on the sea. They should be underwater, but they’re no concern for us on deck.
Occasionally, fish-like monsters seem to collide, but they bounce off harmlessly. No shock, no damage to the hull. The ship moves on without incident.
If any threatening monsters appeared, I planned to have Tifi take refuge in the ‘Love Hotel’ room, but it seems that worry was unnecessary.
”This is… truly wonderful.”
Tifi lets out an admiring sigh, her chestnut hair fluttering in the sea breeze.
Her eyes sparkle as she gazes at the expansive blue sea.
”To think there could be such a safe environment inside the dungeon. It’s as if the threat of monsters doesn’t exist…”
”Yeah, really.”
I narrow my eyes at the horizon stretching out before me.
The boundary between the azure sky and the sea’s surface seems to melt together. Expanding there is a world of tranquility.
Truly revolutionary.
This deep floor of the dungeon, which is so difficult that even the highest-level adventurers can barely operate, becomes this safe when it surfaces on the sea.
And we can proceed safely, comfortably.
But the conditions will be difficult.
Defeat the mid-boss, the pirate captain. We needed to get a pirate ship, repair it, and learn to steer.
Without the ‘Love Hotel,’ this kind of situation wouldn’t even happen.
The dungeon is strange. We don’t know what kind of being created it or what its purpose is.
Was this strategy expected?
Or is it an unexpected breakthrough, exploiting a system flaw?
Thinking about it doesn’t give an answer. But one thing is certain.
We are definitely making progress through this level.
* * *
About an hour later, sailing on the sea.
Rozmiaque twitched slightly in response.
”…Lifia?”
”Yes, I felt it.”
Lifia also nods seriously and faces me.
”Master, I sense a strong monster ahead on the route.”
”A guardian, maybe?”
”Yes, probably.”
A guardian is a powerful monster guarding the stairs that lead to the next dungeon level. The so-called boss. We can’t go forward without defeating it.
Finally, the moment to fight has come.
But after moving the ship, it all passed so quickly.
If we had gone through normally, it would have taken days.
We would have had to walk long distances, defeat many monsters, and navigate terrain that couldn’t be crossed in a straight line.
But this time, we ran straight on the smooth water surface without fighting once, enjoying a short, comfortable sea voyage. Truly incredible speed.
Anyway, this is our first Guardian fight. We need to stay focused. The real challenge starts now.
”Tifi”
”Yes… stay careful.”
First, I send non-combatant Tifi back inside the Love Hotel.
She briefly glances at me with an anxious smile.
We won’t say much. We won’t overreach. If danger feels close, she’ll retreat immediately to the Love Hotel room. She understands that.
The ship continues quietly forward.
Soon, we get close enough for Yomi’s magic to reach its maximum range.
”Alright, I’ll dive now.”
Yomi said that accurate targeting from the sea with beam magic is difficult due to light refraction.
So, I need to dive deep enough to see it with my own eyes.
I dove somewhat closer, and I saw it in my line of sight.
”Is that it…”
A giant shadow sways in the water below.
Its dull, bronze-like scales shimmer, and its snake-like body smoothly cuts through the water.
The Sea Serpent, ruler of the ocean floor.
Most people would lose the will to fight just by seeing it.
But we can probably defeat even this terrible beast.
The day of the final battle has finally come.
Fairy: “Spinning the magic star now~”
Protagonist: “Stop it!”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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