Chapter 157: Exploration Under the Sea

Leave a Comment / Spirits' paradise and ideal life in another world / By IX

Thanks to Dyne, we easily conquered floors 61 to 65. We found quite a lot of treasures and had a blast.

After exchanging morning greetings with Bell and the others, we had breakfast with white rice and grilled fish… Having white rice makes the meals more satisfying, but it also makes me crave miso soup.

I think Dolly can make soybeans, but processing them into miso is too difficult. As soon as I got white rice, I started craving something else. Desires truly know no bounds, and it’s troublesome. I saw in a manga that a farm college student who can see microbes made miso, but can you really make miso based on manga knowledge? It’s tough.

“Alright, today let’s explore floor 66, the sea. Dyne, please grant us the ability to breathe underwater. Leave the fighting to me and Bell’s group. If I’m in danger, please help me.”

“Just the ability to breathe underwater?”

As Bell and the others responded with enthusiasm, Silphy nodded, but Dyne seemed a bit dissatisfied. It appears she still wants to play an active role.

“Yes, just the ability to breathe underwater. When the Great Spirit Dyne fights, she’s so powerful that we won’t have a chance to do anything. So, please watch over us.”

“That’s true. If Oneechan fights, Yuta-chan and the others won’t gain any experience. I understand. Oneechan will watch over you all, so do your best.”

Dyne seemed to like the words “watch over,” and she seemed content with it. It seems you can entice Dyne with alcohol or to use words that would satisfy her heart.

“Then, I’ll rely on you for the ability to breathe underwater.”

“Got it. I’ll cast the spell to last a whole day.”

After Dyne cast the spell on me, I pondered our next move while looking at the sea. Besides this small island with stairs, the rest is mostly just the sea. I wonder how vast this labyrinth is. Even in books, it’s said that heroes who reached this far and a few adventurers couldn’t explore the sea properly and rushed ahead, so information is scarce and challenging to obtain.

For now, our goal beyond floor 66 is to find the Divine god Grass and the treasure chests in the sea. We’ll explore every nook and cranny while defeating any attacking monsters. Splitting up might be more efficient, but it’s my first time fighting in the sea, so let’s stick together at the beginning.

“Alright, let’s enter the sea. First, let’s search for the Divine god Grass and treasure chests. The Divine god Grass is usually found along the shores of the small islands, except for the entrance and exits. Remember the characteristics of the Divine god Grass?”

“It shines!” “Kyu!” “Yotsuba (four leaves)!” “Kukuu!”

I don’t understand what everyone is saying except for Bell and Turu, but they all seem confident, so it should be fine.

“Great, you all remembered well. Rain, I leave the underwater movement to you. Use the water to carry me. If a monster attacks, and there are many of them, we’ll all fight together. If it’s just one, let me handle it.”

“Roger!” “Kyu-Kyuu-Kyuu!” “Yes, sir!” “Kukuu-Kukuu!”

Bell and the others saluted smartly in response. The salutes have become a fixed gesture now. Well, I’ve given up, and Bell and the others look so cute when they salute, so it’s not a problem.

“Alright, then let’s go.”

I entered the sea with my equipment as it is. I thought about going shirtless, but imagining myself swinging a saw underwater while shirtless, it felt pathetic, so I kept the armor on. I can breathe underwater, and Rain will take care of the movement, so it should be fine. With a splash, I sank into the sea, and one by one, Bell and the others jumped into the water around me.

“Yuta, it’s beautiful underwater.”

“Yeah, it’s really beautiful.”

As Bell said, it’s truly beautiful. Well, there’s no sewage here, and almost no one comes, so I can understand why it’s clean. There are monsters though.

“Yuta, monsters! Ready your weapons.”

When I let my guard down, Silphy warned me. I quickly readied my magic saw. Suddenly, in the underwater cave, a group of swordfish that had been loafing around on the stone floor came charging at me like bullets. Swordfish, but why do I use the term “bullets”?

“Kyuuu!”

As Rain cried out, the speed of the swordfish sharply decreased. It seemed that she manipulated the seawater to create a reverse current, like the speed of an 80 km/h baseball pitch. Perfect timing.

I chopped the swordfish that didn’t give up with my saw into two pieces. Rain used her water blade, Turu used blades made from underwater minerals, and Tamamo sliced through the swordfish one after another using seaweed. Huh? What about Bell?

Rain, Turu, and Tamamo easily defeated the fish that yield orichalcum. It’s impressive. Floating spirits are tough, and you can’t inflict damage, but when you level up, it makes a significant difference. But I’m a bit concerned that Bell didn’t attack. After storing the swordfish materials, I decided to ask Bell.

“Bell, is it that you can’t fight underwater?”

“Yeah, can’t fight… sea.”

Bell looked a bit disappointed… I see. Tamamo couldn’t fight without vegetation either. It’s natural to have strengths and weaknesses depending on the environment. In that case, Bell can’t use the Wind Wall either. It feels a bit disheartening.

“Can Silphy fight underwater?”

“I can easily reach from the sea surface to the seabed with my wind blades, so I can fight. You can rest assured that I can freely control my wind blades even underwater.”

It seems that when you reach the level of a Great Spirit, strengths and weaknesses don’t matter that much. Well, if Silphy can fight, that’s a relief.

“Got it. Then, your task this time, Bell, is to find the Divine god Grass and treasure chests, and support everyone, alright?”

“Bell can do it!”

If there’s something to do, it seems there’s no problem. She quickly perked up, and I praised her, feeling that Bell looked cute being a bit down. After cheering Bell up, I properly praised Rain and the others who fought.

“Alright, let’s continue the exploration. Rain, please.”

“Kyu.”

As Rain cried out, seawater began to flow around me, carrying me through the sea. It feels different from when I collected aquatic creatures in a pond. Maybe it’s because the sea is vast, but I feel like the flow is quite fast.

I continued my exploration while being carried by the current. I searched for the Divine god Grass and treasure chests, but I couldn’t even find anything suspicious, or rather, I didn’t even know what would be considered suspicious. Come to think of it, I can see perfectly fine underwater, and I don’t feel any water pressure either.

“Hey, Dyne, even though we’re in the water, I don’t feel any discomfort. How does water pressure work?”

“Well, the water-breathing magic is designed for movement in the water, so it allows you to move comfortably underwater.”

I have no idea what she’s talking about. It’s hard to fully understand, but apparently, it’s normal for Dyne. Well, let’s just be satisfied with the fact that there’s no problem.

“I see. Alright, thanks.”

“You’re welcome!”

“Ah! I found it, Yuta!”

Suddenly, Bell shouted excitedly. If she found something, could it be a treasure chest?

“Rain, stop.”

Asking Rain to stop, the surrounding flow came to a halt, and I stopped in place.

“Yuta, over there.”

Bell happily pointed in a direction with her tiny finger. Huh? There’s something shining over there.

“You’re right, you found something. Great job, Bell!”

“Wahoo! Bell did it! Mission accomplished!”

It seemed that she had diligently fulfilled the task I entrusted her with. Touched by her efforts, I praised her and gave her lots of pats.

“Rain, can you take me over to that shining place?”

After lavishing praise on Bell, I asked Rain to take me to the spot with the shining object.

“…This is the Divine god Grass, right? Usually found along the shore, isn’t it?”

Actually, it looks like a four-leaf clover. Why are there clovers growing underwater? It’s quite puzzling.

“Most can only explore the shoreline, so it might just be found there. This place is quite deep, and even mages specialized in water might find it difficult to come here.”

…I see. It’s hard to precisely dive into such a vast sea. Considering the consumption of magical power and underwater combat, it’s not easy to explore casually, which could be why it’s rarely discovered.

“That makes sense. I didn’t have much trouble thanks to everyone, but for normal circumstances, it would be challenging. Thank you, everyone.”

I once again recognized the greatness of the spirits. They have incredible power in their respective domains. I should remember to show gratitude to them. They treat me so friendly, but I shouldn’t forget the minimum level of respect, especially when dealing with Dyne. I’m a little unsure about that.

When I expressed my gratitude, Bell and the others gathered around, looking like they were praising me, so I praised and commended them with plenty of thanks.

“Yuta, isn’t it about time for collection?”

…Although I intended to praise them, it seems the atmosphere has somehow changed to our usual bantering. Silphy looks at me with an exasperated expression.

“Oh, right. Yeah, let’s collect them.”

I looked at the cluster of glowing Divine god Grass. Even though it’s a labyrinth, it’s still scary to take everything away. It would be a waste if they go extinct.

“Let’s leave about a third and collect the rest. Everyone, can you help?”

“Sure!” Bell and the others energetically raised their hands. They are used to collecting vegetables and herbs, so it’s no problem. Let’s all start collecting.

However, the Divine god Grass looks more and more like a clover. They’re all four-leaf clovers… I wonder if three-leaf ones are rare in this world?

While searching for some three-leaf clovers, I found out that they are all four-leaf ones. It seems that’s just how it is. Rain “kyu”ed and drew my attention. As I turned my gaze forward, something was coming toward us. I can see it clearly from a distance, so it must be quite large.

“Yuta-chan, that’s a Sea Serpent. Its intelligence isn’t high, but it’s fierce and powerful, using its large body and instinct to control water magic. It could be tough for Yuta-chan alone. What will you do?”

As Dyne explained, I felt a bit odd. Well, it’s her expertise underwater, so it’s probably accurate. But with low intelligence…is it something like an Assault Dragon? It seems powerful with its water magic, indeed. Although I could easily ask Dyne to deal with it, I also want to gain some experience…

“Can Rain defend against the Sea Serpent’s magic?”

“Of course. Water spirits don’t lose when it comes to handling water, right? But, ah, that doesn’t apply to inexperienced floating spirits.”

If Rain can handle it, then it’s no problem.

“Rain, can you protect me from the Sea Serpent’s magic and move me with water flow?”

“Kyu.”

Rain nodded in agreement. She can do it. In that case… it’s a bit scary, but I’ll try fighting it. I even thought of a way to win.

“Alright, Rain, manipulate the water flow so that we pass by the Sea Serpent while I wield the saw. Oh, and please make sure its attacks don’t hit me.”

“Kyu.”

Rain crisply saluted and accepted the task. Now I just have to trust her. If things get dangerous, Silphy and Dyne will help, right? It’s relying on others, but please help me out.

“Okay, I’m counting on you.”

I readied my magical saw, and Rain manipulated the water, swiftly moving us towards the Sea Serpent. Bell and the others gathered around me as well.

…We’re moving toward the Sea Serpent, so the distance closes rapidly. It’s becoming quite intense. I imagined knights on horses charging at each other, clashing with lances in a duel, but this is scarier than I thought. I used to think it looked cool in movies, so I admired it, but now I wish I hadn’t.

The Sea Serpent approaches closely. I can’t gauge its size well, but it’s more snake-like than a dragon. The Sea Serpent opens its large mouth and spews something from it. Is that a water breath?

“Kyu-!”

When Rain chirped, the breath split to the left and right, allowing us to slip through. As I dodged the breath, the Sea Serpent’s enormous face came right in front of me. It opens its mouth, preparing to bite.

“Yaaah!”

Involuntarily, I let out a scream at the overwhelming force. Just as I thought I would be bitten, the water flow changed, and we avoided the Sea Serpent’s attack with a barrel roll-like maneuver. I could hear Bell and the others sounding like they’re having fun, but I have no leisure to enjoy this. In fact, I’m almost about to scream out of fear.

“Yuta, attack it!”

I heard Silphy’s voice. Right, I can’t afford to scream. I thrust the saw into the Sea Serpent’s body, leaving the saw inside its body as I progressed towards its tail.

“Whoa!”

When I turned around, the Sea Serpent was writhing and suffering in the water. It had been deeply cut for about two-thirds of its body, and it was bleeding heavily. Should I finish it off? As I pondered, the Sea Serpent’s movements became sluggish, and it eventually stopped moving. I won? I was about to thank Rain when Dyne spoke up.

“Yuta-chan, the smell of the Sea Serpent’s blood is attracting many other monsters!”

…I’d rather avoid consecutive battles. I quickly stored the Sea Serpent and tried to flee. But wait, in this battle, I only wielded the saw, right? Was this also some sort of experience gained?