Chapter 89
“Maybe over there?”
Celestine tilted her head as she pointed to the center of the lake.
“It seems like the energy is strongest there, so I think that’s it… but…”
Was it because she was using this ability for the first time?
Celestine, who had grown hesitant again, looked at me.
“I think we’ll have to go in to confirm it.”
The golden hue in Celestine’s eyes had already faded back to their usual violet.
At the same time, the mysterious light swirling above the lake sank into the water.
“Hmm…”
What should we do?
It seemed we wouldn’t be able to confirm anything until someone actually went into the lake.
And of all places, the center of the lake?
If it had been near the shore, where the water was shallow, it would have been easier to search.
The real problem, however, was this:
“Does anyone here know how to swim?”
My question was met with my companions darting their eyes away and avoiding my gaze.
Judging by their awkward avoidance,
It seemed like no one here actually knew how to swim.
Sighing, I glanced at my companions, who looked as if they were holding a contest to see who could avoid the task the longest.
“So, no one, huh?”
“I… I can’t swim…”
Yeriel shook his head with a dejected expression.
“If I’d known this would happen, I’d have learned how to swim when I was younger.”
Sylvester, who was still young but acting like a grumpy elder, sighed quietly.
“I should’ve learned…”
“I can climb trees, though!”
Lyria and Celestine also admitted that swimming was not among their skills.
“S-Swimming… I hate water…”
Looking at Nia’s pale face, it was clear she was terrible at swimming as well.
“And you two?”
I turned to Darwin and Xenon, who had been standing silently at the back without saying a word.
“Uh… well…”
Darwin, uncharacteristically hesitant, stumbled over his words.
Then, after a brief pause, he muttered with a slightly reddened face.
“I was a nomad. My life was far removed from water.”
So, Darwin couldn’t swim either.
I nodded in understanding.
Well, it made sense. Darwin had spent his entire life on vast grasslands.
It wasn’t surprising that swimming wasn’t part of his upbringing.
‘That leaves only one hope…’
Xenon. He was the last remaining option.
Perhaps sensing my gaze, Xenon turned to me and shook his head.
“I can’t.”
What? Are you serious…
Before I even had the chance to ask, he had already turned me down.
Feeling like someone who had been rejected before even confessing, I muttered with a heavy heart.
“Looks like I’ll have to do it.”
From my early years in an elementary school swimming class,
To the time when my childhood dream was to become a dolphin,
To my tendency to feel a surge of energy whenever I stepped into a cold pool—
This outcome was probably inevitable.
Granted, I hadn’t properly swum since becoming an adult.
Most of the time, I’d just floated in wave pools with a life jacket on…
But I could hold my breath for a long time.
Back in the day, I’d always won breath-holding contests.
“First, we’ll need a way to reach the middle of the lake.”
Swimming across such a long distance seemed daunting.
And since we didn’t know how deep the lake was,
Having something to ride across to the middle seemed like a good idea.
If I swam all the way there and got a cramp in my leg,
It’d be a one-way ticket to drowning and a tragic end.
“Oh, if that’s the issue, leave it to me.”
Hearing my words, Sylvester smiled confidently and pulled out the wagon he had stored in his inventory.
Then he began to tinker with it.
‘He’s really making the most out of that wagon.’
If there were an award for versatility, that wagon would win hands down.
While I was lost in such idle thoughts, Sylvester continued working.
The sound of Sylvester’s tinkering brushed past my ears like ASMR.
“Well, this should work as a temporary solution.”
The raft he had completed looked flawless, even at a glance.
Though it was a makeshift raft,
He had transformed a small wagon into a raft large enough to carry all of us with ease.
“Sylvester’s craftsmanship is top-notch.”
It was exactly what you’d expect from someone embodying the spirit of a multi-talented youngest member.
“Alright, shall we get on?”
At my words, Darwin pushed the raft into the water and set it afloat on the lake.
Thankfully, the calm waters meant there was little turbulence.
“This position should do.”
A few strokes of the oars, and we reached the center of the lake without issue.
Once we reached our destination, I tied the rope Lyria had given me around my waist.
It was a knot I had learned during fire evacuation drills as a child.
“Um… Sister, are you sure this is enough?”
But while I felt confident, Lyria seemed to think otherwise.
She looked at the rope tied around my waist and asked with concern.
“It’s fine.”
I smiled brightly and gave the tightly tied rope a firm tug.
“See? It’s super secure.”
It was a tough and durable rope.
To exaggerate a little…
It was strong enough to hold ten Darwins hanging off it.
At the very least, it wasn’t going to snap in the middle of use.
That reassurance was enough for me.
…Oh, by the way, the rope was an item from Lyria’s inventory.
I had no idea why she was carrying something like this, but it made the preparation much easier.
“Still… Wouldn’t it be better to take more safety precautions before going in, Wendy?”
Yeriel was also uneasy about the plan.
After all, diving into unknown depths with only a rope for support was,
Even to me, an undeniably reckless move.
But right now, this was something that needed to be done.
If you get too used to avoiding challenges,
You’ll eventually convince yourself that you can’t handle even the smallest fears.
And I didn’t want that.
…Besides, this was something only I could do.
“Don’t worry. I may not look it, but I’m pretty confident in my swimming skills.”
As a child, I’d spend entire days in the water whenever we visited the beach.
I even snorkeled quite often.
‘Let’s just think of this as a slightly less safe version of snorkeling.’
Of course, I knew that logic didn’t hold water.
But if I didn’t think this way, fear would creep in.
I’d hesitate, and I couldn’t afford that.
Whatever the task, the first step was to believe in yourself.
That belief had kept me alive so far.
As long as I had determination and resolve, there was nothing I couldn’t do.
“You remember the signal, right? If I pull the rope three times, that’s when you pull me up.”
With the strength of everyone here, I’d probably be hauled out of the water in an instant.
Even if Darwin alone pulled the rope, I’d probably shoot out of the water like a fish on a line.
Imagining myself as a lively fish flopping on a fishing rod, I shook my head.
“Well then, I’ll head down to grab some… I mean, fetch the Crystals of the Bloody Sea.”
[‘Would you like to purchase a Disposable Goggles?’]
[Cost per item: 10 Favor Points]
[Quantity Selected: 1]
[Purchase Complete!]
[Accumulated Favor Points: 650]
I confidently put on the goggles I’d bought from the Magic Cart.
‘V for victory!’
I flashed a “V” sign at my worried teammates.
Their expressions grew even stiffer in response.
“Wendy, where did you even get those weird goggles…?”
“Sister…”
Even Yeriel and Lyria murmured under their breath, unable to hold back their reactions.
Oh, right. They probably had no idea what these were.
After a brief moment of thought, I casually wiped the fogged-up goggles and explained,
“Well, these are tools that let you open your eyes underwater. Think of them as a second pair of eyes.”
“…So, it’s like a kind of protective shield.”
“I see. Sister does bring out strange things from time to time.”
Once their curiosity was satisfied, Yeriel and Sylvester’s faces finally relaxed.
Flashing them a confident smile, I turned my back to them without hesitation.
“I’ll be back.”
That was the end of the small talk.
If I delayed any further, someone else might snatch up all the hidden dungeon’s treasures.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
Taking a deep breath, I leaped into the lake,
The faint crimson glow of the water swallowing me whole.
—
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