In the Water City, everything was made of deep-blue crystal—the cliff, the ground, the rock wall. At first glance, it looked like ordinary rock, but it was actually deep-blue crystal, nearly indistinguishable from stone. The colors were much richer than the crystals on the eighteenth floor, with faint striations running through them.
In these floors, the main source of light were translucent white crystals of varying sizes jutted from the walls and pathways like bamboo shoots. Though they weren't very bright, the blue surroundings made their glow seem brighter, which was why the floor remained as bright as those above.
Aside from the Great Falls, which sparkled emerald blue, everything else was shrouded in a dim blue haze. It had earned the floor another name: 'Paradise in Blue.'
The rooms here were similar in size to those in the Cave Labyrinth, offering about the same space despite being lower than the Large Tree Labyrinth. That didn't mean the floor was smaller—most of it was simply underwater.
Even though the above-water area was comparable to the Cave Labyrinth, it took much longer to traverse due to its maze-like structure and varying elevations. Because of this, it was far more taxing to explore than the Large Tree Labyrinth. The fastest route, used by some first-class adventurers, was swimming.
"Should I try?" Rex mumbled, looking down at the river before him.
It was formed from tributaries flowing together from other passageways, growing into what could accurately be called a river. Its surface sparkled deep blue, reflecting the color of the surrounding crystals. The river was about as wide as both banks combined and looked quite deep.
'It's flowing really fast,' he thought, gazing ahead where the current picked up speed. 'But I'm technically a level 5, so this shouldn't be a problem for me, right?'
*Skuttle*
His thoughts were interrupted by noise as a group of seven crab-like monsters charged toward him. They were large, standing nearly up to his waist, with bulky, metal-like exoskeletons tougher than any non-Rex monster on the floors above. Each had an irregularly developed claw, either on the right or left, that was the size of a human torso.
The first crab charged, its ten legs skittering faster as Rex reached into one of his pouches and pulled out a single seed. A green aura flowed from his hand into the seed, then he flicked it forward towards the center of the group.
Suddenly, thick roots erupted from the seed in a violent burst, growing at breakneck speed as they slammed into the ground and shot outward in all directions. Each root twisted and coiled like whips, wrapping around the crabs one by one, binding their legs and bodies, and locking their claws in place. Within moments, they were engulfed, warped into tangled cocoons of bark and vine.
The first crab managed to slip past the initial eruption, lunging forward and thrusting its massive claw at Rex's head. But before it could land the blow, a separate cluster of roots burst forth from the grown below, coiling tightly around its body, snapping its opened claw shot, halting it in the air.
The claw trembling inches from Rex's helm as the creature struggled to push forward, but couldn't. Then, with a green glow from Rex's eyes, the roots tightened, crushing all the crabs hard exoskeletons as easily as eggs, their insides bursting out.
This was Overgrowth—the main magic of the green dragon. A 'simple' magic that didn't create or manipulate plants directly but greatly accelerated their growth using his magic. It was one of his best abilities—no, the best ability he had Scavenged.
If this was an MMORPG game where abilities had to be summoned from a gacha, with SSS being game-breaking or meta-defining, and F being useless, he'd rate his abilities as follows:
SSS: Indomitable Will, Luck (I), Dragon's Bane
SS: Overgrowth, Predator (H), Heptathlos, Green Dragon Body
S: Strong Body, Berakh HaKele, Body Furnace, Blue Papilio Powder
A: Green Dragon Teeth+++, Jack Bird Dash, Fire Breath, Goliath Roar++
B: Abnormal Resistance (H), Poison Release++, Tremor Sense+, Vouivre Rage
C: Nictitating Membrane++
As for why Scavenger wasn't there, it was simple because it was above the ranking, and of course, this didn't mean Voulvre Rage is ass.
It's a clutch ability, with stat boost and regen. But its lack of control and cooldown makes it unreliable and place it below every other ability except the weak support/utility ability known as Nictitating Membrane. This is just his opinion and he hasn't asked scavenger to rank them yet so he might be wrong.
But why was Overgrowth rated so high—higher than Predator? Simple, really;
"Scavenge," Rex uttered, and all the crab remains wrapped by roots instantly turned to black dust, with almost half leaving behind drop items.
As an 'extension' of his own body, the plants manipulated by Overgrowth could use some of his abilities.
That's why it ranked above everything but Luck, Scavenger, and Indomitable Will. Although it couldn't replicate Vouivre Rage or Berakh HaKele—one required emotion and the other chanting—it could mimic his other abilities, earning its place in the SS category and higher than those two.
That's why it ranked above everything but Luck, Scavenger, and Indomitable Will.
Now, that doesn't mean he could just make a root shoot a beam of fire. Only certain plants could replicate certain abilities. For example, he could create a flower that released Blue Papilio Powder, but it wouldn't be able to use any other abilities. He would need a different type of plant for each unique ability.
However, universal abilities applied to all plants—like Body Furnace, which made every plant extremely fire-resistant, eliminating their inherent weakness. Tremor Sense could also be used through every plant, and Scavenger could function through any part of a plant, just as it did from his own body. Thankfully, he could 'turn off' universal abilities like Body Furnace if he needed the plants to be flammable or usable as firewood.
It was an overpowered ability deserving its SS rating, but so far, he had only managed to create plants that could use universal abilities, along with Blue Papilio Powder, Poison Release, and thorny vines that replicated the physical traits of Green Dragon Teeth. While Scavenger confirmed it was possible to develop plants for other abilities, he couldn't picture what kind of plant could realistically use something like Fire Breath or Goliath Roar.
Despite its strength, Overgrowth had one major flaw—it burned through Mind quickly when creating plants that used non-universal abilities. For example, if he wanted to grow a flower that released poison, he'd need to spend Mind to grow the plant and then even more to trigger the release. It was a demanding, mind draining ability.
This weakness eased considerably in forests, where existing flora could serve as vessels, greatly reducing the Mind cost. Fertile soil or areas rich in water also helped, slightly lowering the effort needed. The environment played a huge role in how efficient Overgrowth could be—but even in harsh places like deserts, it was still powerful enough to earn its S-rank.
With a final pulse of green light from his feet, the roots twisted once more, then rapidly withered and crumbled into the floor, leaving behind a single seed. Rex crouched down, picked up the seed, and turned his gaze to the pile of Blue Crab Shell drops scattered nearby.
"I should probably start ignoring the less expensive drops," he let out a quiet sigh. He had barely been down here for three hours, and his bag was already nearly full due to his Luck DA.
'Let's leave it for some lucky adventurer to stumble onto five crab shells.' He decided as he turned his attention back to the water. 'To swim or not to swim.'
He knew how to swim from Earth, and though the river flowed remarkably fast, Scavenger confirmed his strength was enough to handle it. Since he'd eventually have to swim, it was best to start practicing on a higher, safer floor.
Rex removed his bag and placed it against the wall. He then took off his gauntlets, breastplate, boots, and helm, stacking them neatly beside his bag. Wearing only his long-sleeve shirt, dark trousers, and utility belt, he stretched to prepare for diving.
He wasn't worried about theft since he could easily track down any thief—it might even be a good opportunity to rob whoever tried to steal from him.
After stretching, he walked to the river's edge and looked down to check its depth…and couldn't see the bottom. 'So I should be able to dive, right?' he thought, ignoring a large shadow swimming past.
"Okay." He stood tall at the edge, arms raised above his head like a professional diver about to enter an Olympic competition. He took a deep breath, bent his knees—and launched himself forward.
What followed was less graceful dive as he belly-slammed the water with an audible *slap*, his limbs briefly spread like a flying starfish before disappearing below the surface.
"…"
It had been years since he last swam or dived, and apparently, his body remembered none of it.
The cold rush of the river hit him the moment he sank beneath the surface, and the current grabbed at his limbs, dragging him sideways so fast his head jerked with the force. He flailed his arms in brief panic, but despite the raw strength of the water, he managed to stabilize himself after a short struggle, adjusting to the drag and regaining control.
'The Undine Cloth really does make a difference,' Rex thought, glancing down at his clothes. Even with his stats, he would've had a much harder time without it. 'Though…'
He punched once. His fist cut through the water but slowed instantly, the drag pulling at his arm and knocking the strike slightly off-course while also disrupting his balance.
'It's a bit cumbersome,' he noted, adjusting his posture. 'Fighting down here is definitely going to be annoying.' He thought as he scanned his underwater surroundings.
The nictitating membrane kept the water from flooding his eyes, forming a thin, translucent shield that made everything slightly hazy. The water sliding against his membrane was uncomfortable, but manageable.
The current howled silently around him, blue water rushing past in streaks that shimmered in the filtered light. When he looked down, there was nothing but a flowing black void beneath him.
'Curious…' He could've asked Scavenger how deep it was, but instead, he chose to find out for himself. 'A small adventure of the unknown~.'
It's not like any monster here would be a problem. Only Amphisbaena on the 27th floor will be a problem, and though it is known to move between floors, ain't no way it's here. Afterall, it is dead.
'...I might've just jinxed myself.' Rex thought as he quickly used scavenger to confirm. Amphisbaena was indeed still dead. 'Welp! Let's go!'
He tilted downward, arms tucked tight to his sides to reduce drag, and began kicking. His body cut deeper into the current, angling slightly to resist the pull while making micro-adjustments—twists of his torso, a flick of the wrist, a shift of the knee—keeping himself on course.
About ten meters down, the water grew darker, yet he still couldn't see the bottom. Then, movement flickered at the edge of his vision.
'Monster?' He turned to see three enormous fish, each around 160 centimeters long, rushing toward him. 'Raider Fish.' The level 3 common fish-type monster down here.
One came straight at his midsection, jaws wide, the rows of teeth that lined its mouth gleaming. Rex reacted, punching forward. His fist rocketed through the water, but the fish veered aside last second, letting the blow pass harmlessly.
The first fish quickly retaliated, snapped toward his head, jaws clamping down—crack—only for its teeth to shatter on impact with his skin. It felt like biting hard rock, barely able to pierce his skin.
Rex extended his claws, bringing his right fingers together into a tight spear-point. With a sharp twist of his shoulders, he drove his right hand upward, stabbing straight into the fish's skull that had latched onto his head. His fingers sliced through its scaly hide like wet paper, puncturing deep into its brain. The creature spasmed once, then went limp.
As Rex yanked his head free, the dead fish was instantly swept away by the current, spinning out of sight. He heard another rush from his left, and whipping around, he thrust his left hand forward, spear-like fingers cutting through the resistance of the water. They shot clean through the second fish's gaping mouth and down its throat, ending it in one smooth, brutal motion.
'Scavenge.'
The body turned to ash, freeing his arm, just as the third fish lunged for his shin. Letting it bite down, Rex stabbed downward, his fingers driving through the top of its head. He grabbed the magic stone and yanked it out, blood and string of muscles latching onto it. Blood floated out the fish's head briefly before the body dissolved.
'Okay…' He glanced around as he absorbed the magic stone, realizing he had drifted far downstream during that short fight. He was also now much deeper than before, maybe close to 40 meters below the surface.
'This is way harder than I thought…' If he wasn't at a level where he could ignore their attack, things could have gotten messy. 'Not only that,' After that short exchange, he was almost out of air in his lungs—
Then, something caught his eye and he looked down, his eyes widening as dozens of red eyes stared up at him. There was a brief moment of silence, then they surged—from below, from behind, from in front and above. Over thirty massive fish monsters rushed him all at once, swarming like piranhas drawn to blood.
'Yare yare,'
As the first wave reached him, Rex twisted his body sharply, thrusting his arm forward—fingers pressed together, black claws aligned like a spearhead. His strike cut through the rushing current with almost no resistance, piercing straight into a fish's side, sending blood jetting out in a spiraling stream.
'Scavenge,' The first fish he killed was instantly scavenged, then he spun slicing upward with his other hand.
His claws ripped through the underside and spine of a fish that had attacked from above, aiming for his shoulder. The body spasmed as he yanked out the magic stone, the creature already breaking into ash.
Absorbing the magic stone, he twisted and drove his claws down at a fish coming at him from below. His spear-like fingers pierced through the skull, and the monster's momentum slammed into his chest, shoving him several meters off-course. The fourth fish darted toward his side, and Rex drove his hand into its gills, yanking it back as blood misted from the wound.
More monsters quickly followed as he slashed, kicked, spun. His claws pierced skulls, jaws, and underbellies, while his clawed toes raked through those that got too close to his legs. Some he scavenged the moment he killed them. Others were lost, their remains dragged off by the current, leaving clouds of blood and shredded meat swirling around him.
However, the river's current, the impact of bodies, and his own strikes kept flinging him around, spinning him mid-fight. The surface above and the depths below kept swapping places in his vision, light and dark spinning without pause. Though the fishes died in droves, the constant spinning, the pressure, and the need to adjust his orientation ate away at his focus—and his air.
'Shit!' He shouted internally as he readjusted himself again, more large fish-type monsters swarming him.
Clenching his fist tightly, Rex abandoned careful technique and drew his right arm back, channeling raw power. With a grunt muffled by the water, he drove his punch downward, his knuckles tearing through the water resistance.
A violent surge erupted from his knuckles, blasting forward as the displaced water displaced water surged downward in a wide, rippling cone—trailing a massive pressure wave that ripped through the depths.
The blast hit the monsters like a wall. Those nearest were instantly torn apart, their bodies shredded into drifting chunks. Further out, some were hurled back, spinning helplessly as the shock tore through their forms. Clouded with flesh, blood, and bone, the water churned in spirals, painting the surrounding with crimson swirls.
The backlash slammed into Rex's chest and shoulders, violently launching him backward through the water. He spun wildly, his limbs thrashing helplessly as he tried to regain control. After several dizzying rotations, he finally managed to stabilize himself, almost opening his mouth to gasp for air.
Then a sudden chill raced down his spine and he glanced downward—
'!!!'
Below him gaped a vast, dark void—not the bottomless river, but the enormous throat of an eel-like monster.
Rows upon rows of teeth framed its immense maw, stretching wide enough to make Rex feel like little more than a speck drifting toward oblivion. The massive creature, easily eight meters long and equally thick, surged upward with terrifying speed, its mouth open and its pale green scales shimmering ominously.
In an instant, the Aqua Serpent engulfed him entirely, plunging Rex into suffocating darkness as its jaws snapped shut around him. The upwards momentum of the serpent sent him straight down its wide throat, and directly down to its stomach.
Summoning his strength, he unleashed another violent, conical blast from within the beast's stomach, rupturing its flesh in a burst of shredded tissue and blood, eradicating the other fish monsters that had gathered around.
Freed once again, Rex didn't have even a moment to catch his breath as the remaining creatures rushed toward him, spiraling and swirling like a furious typhoon. He punched out desperately, unleashing several powerful blows to scatter the swarm.
Bodies and scales spun away in every direction, but he could feel the cost of each strike mounting rapidly. His breath was dangerously low, his muscles trembling and heavy with exhaustion, and his lungs burned for air.
'I need to reach the surface!' He quickly searched above for light, but saw nothing but darkness. He looked down, hoping he'd simply lost his orientation—but still, no light.
Confusion and dread gripped him.
'...How deep...am I...?'
He floated there in the crushing gloom, panic rising within him. The vast, shadowy depths seemed to stretch infinitely in every direction, his amber eyes trembling as monsters swarmed him from every possible direction.
—*—*—*—
*Caw! Caw!*
Soma looked up at the bright afternoon sky as a murder of crows flew past, his black eyes following them silently.
"What's wrong, Soma?" called a gentle voice.
He glanced toward the source of the voice.
Kneeling comfortably in the dirt was Demeter, looking up at him with a soft expression beneath the shade of her wide-brimmed hat. Her long, wavy honey-golden hair cascaded down her back and shoulders, catching the sunlight as it filtered through the leaves.
She wore a simple sandy-brown halterneck dress, fitted neatly at the waist and flowing down to her ankles, where the fabric was smudged from kneeling in the soil. Despite the stains, the dirt seemed only to add to her natural charm rather than take away from it. A small hand shovel rested in one of her gloved hands as she awaited his response.
She had come over to help him with his garden, and though he tried to reject her, she forced herself in. Though, he admits, having the goddess of harvest tend to his wine garden did pleased him. Not that he will say that out loud or show it.
"Nothing," He replied as he walked past her with his watering kettle. "One of my children just died, that's all." He calmly replied as the goddess' eyes followed him.
[Author's Note: How was the chapter? Felt like things have been going too easy for him in the dungeon that it lost its 'danger.' Also noticed my MC was getting a bit too cocky in the dungeon since he was in a 'low level' area and wanted to show him that not everything is rainbow and sunshine.
Now, some people will scream 'NERF!', but I don't think it is. Especially since he is doing an underwater battle which he is not used to. I tried to show that the monsters aren't the problem, just the water. If you still think or it felt like it was some kind of nerf, be it in strength or intelligence, please let me know.
Also, what do you think of the skill ranks I made? They are ranked based on overall strength, usefulness, limitations, and weaknesses across a variety of contexts (combat, utility, survivability, scaling, etc.). If you think any ability should be ranked up or moved around, let me know~.
Anyway, thanks for reading and don't watch out for stray drowning~
‿︵‿︵ヽ(°□° )ノ︵‿︵‿]