I'll be posting the next sections in the following days, peace!
5K words.
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—
The echoes of dripping water muffled his ears as Silver followed the group deeper into the half-sunken caverns.
Like every other section of the Dungeon, the Water City possessed its own unique layout. Smooth caverns that seemed to have formed from countless years of erosion, wet and damp as faint streams of water ran through their boots and into the distant darkness.
/Crack…/
The ground dipped in uneven slopes, up and down they went as they circled the great waterfall. Now and then, the stone gave way just slightly under pressure, as if hollow spaces lingered beneath, waiting for the weight to become too much to swallow them in one motion.
Silver could feel water flowing around him. Beneath, above, to his left and right… their deafening echoes felt annoying to him, getting in his way as he tried to listen for dangers.
But as he looked at Bete, whose hearing was far more acute than his, and the werewolf's stoic expression, he understood that there was still much to learn before he became a seasoned adventurer.
Luminant moss covered nearly every cranny of some walls, thick and slick, making it difficult to even stand. It clung in layered patches, some freshly grown, others pressed flat as though something had passed over them not long ago.
Strange crystals grew around them, their sharp edges waiting for them to slip and cut themselves, catching stray light in fractured reflections that cast shadows everywhere they went, their glimmers strong enough to break through the water's surface, as if treasure awaited underneath…
"…"
'I can tell there are some mineral formations underwater, but I can't pull them out no matter how hard I try.'
His attention often fell on the pools of water surrounding them, and the life they contained. Most wouldn't feel safe approaching them, for monsters prowled beyond sight, yet Silver couldn't help himself as the reflections of strange creatures passed by his eyes.
Shapes that lingered just beneath the surface, or perhaps above it. Distorted outlines that vanished the moment he tried to focus.
/Splash…/
Occasionally, the water rippled without cause, breaking the reflections into nothing before settling once more into uneasy stillness.
'It's strange to think there's so much hidden under the surface. This seemingly small pond is actually a hole leading straight into an underground river brimming with life.' Silver thought as he used telekinesis to scout the water further
'Sometimes, monsters pass by, riding the currents. Yet most of these aren't even monsters, they're just ordinary creatures that evolved in this absurd environment.'
He closed his eyes, 'It's really fascinating.'
…
/Step…/
Rakta led them through the dark tunnels with little hesitation, almost as if she had memorized the countless twists and turns… which might've been the case.
Her crooked map in hand, she walked confidently with Gareth and the others around her. Even so, there were moments where her pace slowed by a fraction as she checked her map again and again for confirmation before her ears perked up and she continued her stride.
Silver stood at the center beside her, observing it all with interest. Taking samples as he had done before and throughout their descent. Scraping residue from stone, collecting small samples of metal and gemstones whose value wasn't enough to bring to the surface, and noting the faint differences between one stretch of cavern and the next.
"Hm…"
Silver's hand reached to the wall where he pulled a large, blue horned beetle mimicking a stone. After observing it for a while, he put it back in place, where it dug into the rock before lying still once more.
'Life finds its way everywhere… I wonder what is the true history of the Dungeon the Gods keep quiet about… how long has it been around to permit life to mold itself around it.'
'Or perhaps, has the Dungeon influenced their growth? Has it perhaps created something beyond the monsters that have terrorized the surface for countless millennia? I suppose that without truly seeing it, none can tell if the Dungeon is truly able of accomplishing such a thing.'
'Monsters, the Life the Dungeon gives birth to… is it any different from the life of the world above, that the Gods gave birth to?'
Silver would often find himself pondering such things and the influence of the Gods over the physical world. Somehow, over the years, such thoughts became routine to him, making him wonder when he became a man of faith.
Was it even faith to believe in a deity when that very being stood before him? Or was it science to try to understand them and their role in the greater universe?
His thoughts soon returned to normalcy as Tiona patted his back, "Anything wrong, Silver?"
"No… I was just taking a look around."
He sped his march, 'It was easy to find my way through the Upper Floors, and while the Middle Floors confused me sometimes, it's nowhere near the complexity of this place.'
'… It's not exactly an issue for me, but I would like to learn how to navigate these floors if I can… the others don't seem to have that issue… most of them at least.' Silver thought as he looked at the twins and a certain observant young elf
…
With him constantly asking questions, the way down to the 27th Floor was not monotonous by any means.
However, he knew best to limit himself, for every hallway they turned into, the streams of water fused into mighty rivers running alongside them.
What began as gentle trickles gathered into currents that quickly grew beyond his comfort range, their surfaces deceptively smooth while something far heavier churned beneath.
/Splash…/
Silver lightly threw a rock into one such stream as he walked past it, and to his horror, even as he tried to keep track of it with telekinesis, the rock vanished, pulled into the darkness beneath, dozens of meters away in the blink of an eye.
He gulped dry, taking one step back subconsciously, 'I can understand why they all put on those clothes… even for high-level adventurers, being pulled into one of these is no joke, much less fighting inside.'
He took a peek at Gareth, 'Right… even for a strong dwarf like him, with all that heavy armor…'
"Don't stand too close. Stronger adventurers have been dragged inside from further away than where you stand." Riveria mentioned as she stopped to look at him
For all the scolding and heavy glances she threw at him, whenever she could, she would stop to give him advice, being the one to answer most of his questions, no matter how trivial.
Silver thanked her greatly for her patience. All of this would become the foundation of his growth. It was a kind of experience that training and studying through books could not provide even if he sat down for a decade or longer.
After all, there was one such living example right beside him…
"… What? Don't look at me!" Lefiya explained as she sensed Silver's gaze, hiding her body from him as if he were trying to take a peek at it
Silver didn't even spare her another glance as he returned to his notebook.
"Don't flatter yourself, kid. You're not there yet for me to look at."
She immediately dropped all pretense, "RUDE! I'm still growing!"
He momentarily glanced at her "Undine Battle armor" and snickered, "I can tell."
"#!!!"
Gareth chuckled, "Don't let him get to you. If you ask Loki, she'll tell you there's still a lot of room for growth."
"That's the last person I want to hear such an opinion from…"
"At least its genuine, bwahaha!"
…
/Shua…/
The edges of their path narrowed and expanded, and sometimes, not even the ground could be seen as it became submerged in murky brown water.
Rivers would come and go, but their path remained steady. Rakta made as many appropriate changes to their route as she could, but sometimes, not even that was enough…
"Hupp!"
/BAM!/
Gareth raised a massive boulder twice Silver's height, shoving it inside a passage, Riveria coupled it with a strong freeze, locking it all in place and giving them safe passage through the area.
Silver, however, wasn't confident, "… Is that going to hold?"
'Not exactly structurally sound.'
"A day or two at best, less if someone or something breaks it." Gareth replied as he washed his hands in a small stream flowing from within another wall
"Don't underestimate our fairy queen's magic!" He added with a laugh as he walked past a half-annoyed Riveria
Riveria stepped back as well, "Once Finn passes by, he'll know what to do. This is just so we can pass by without having water all the way to our knees."
"I thought the Guild advised against doing this kind of thing."
Lefiya stepped in, "They do, but the Lower Floors are too volatile."
"After Rivira, monsters that can affect the Dungeon start to appear. In the Large Tree Labirinth, Fire Birds can set it all ablaze, and you can imagine what an underground forest fire feels like…"
"There are even more dangerous monsters beneath us, especially true for a Level 1!" She exclaimed as she pointed at him
"… Says the girl who was scared of a little frog."
She pouted, "That wasn't the same thing!"
Tiona tapped Lefiya's forehead, trying to pull her back and calm her down.
Silver walked back to his position as Rakta resumed her stride, and as they crossed from one hallway into the next, the peace that had lasted so far was soon…
/Crack…/
"… Prepare for combat." Gareth declared as he slammed his axe on the ground
The others stepped forward in a protective circle around Silver and Rakta as they too raised their guards.
/Crunk!/
/FLASH!/
Before Silver even had the time to react, several explosions rang out before him, splattering dust, water, and blood all around him as he instinctively used his body to shield Rakta.
/SLAM!/
/CUT!/
The battle ensued in the blink of an eye, and by the time he turned around, everything was already over.
Around him, the dissipating corpses of numerous monsters stood as if they had gone through a meat grinder.
He looked at them with a tense expression, 'I didn't even see them move.'
His studies proved effective now as he recognized them.
Several blue, ball-shaped monsters with sharp and thin needles growing out of their shells. It resembled a sea urchin, but the size of a child.
(Image?)
The Crystaroth Urchin, its main combat method was as simple as its physiology. It spins toward its target at high speed, destroying its surroundings with its needles, and eats its prey with its round, fanged mouth, its bite force strong enough to crush the Dungeon's reinforced walls.
The issue came from its acceleration. Silver barely saw them digging from the ground before they turned to mush as they collided with the adventurers protecting them.
He was tense, but above all, he understood that this wasn't yet a world he could step foot on.
An eye-opening experience, as some would call it. The fresh smell of iron and the strong stench of their rapid decaying flesh awakened him to the reality that no matter how much of an irregularity he was, he remained a Level 1 at the end of the day.
'No amount of training is enough to bridge the gap between us…'
'So this is what an actual Level 3 monster can do. Not only one, but a dozen running… rolling?'
He looked at the walls, harder than solid steel, yet they had been crushed and powdered by the creatures' advance.
Worst of all were the people before him, who withstood their rush without visible stress. It reminded him of what it meant to be a mortal in a world of superhumans.
"Ugh… can't you do this more cleanly Tiona?!" Lefiya complained as she pulled a piece of meat from her shoulders, throwing it aside with disgust
Tiona turned around with an apologetic expression, her double-sided blade dripping with blood, as she almost splashed some of it into Ais, who promptly stepped aside, "Eh?"
But Lefiya only sulked harder, as she clenched her fists, "Switch, switch!! Put me behind Mr Gareth!"
"Don't pull me into this."
Gareth sighed as he looked at Lefiya and Tiona bickering with one another as Riveria lifted her staff. Despite being a mage, her speed was just as fast as everyone else, for in that fragment of a second, she hoisted her staff and pinned it down against the monster, putting a stop to its charge right before her as its magic stone was crushed.
What Silver found more impressive wasn't her precision or strength, but the durability of the beast's flesh, able to withstand its own speed without splitting apart.
'The Dungeon, which is able to bioengineer these creatures capable of accelerating like a bullet… and this is considered being barely at the middle of the road.'
'Just how does a Level 6 and above monster even function?… How did the Dungeon infuse magic itself into their biology to grant it such might? Or does it come from principles yet unknown to me and not just magic alone?'
'Are my inquiries unnecessary to begin with? Am I aiming too high into highly complex ideas mortals can't hope to comprehend?'
He crouched down to pick a magic stone the size of his child's fist before throwing it up and down, "… All clear?" He asked as he took a deep breath.
"More will come. This is just the start." Gareth replied as he passed his hand against his axe, wiping off a stuck boulder as he looked ahead for more monsters
"We've officially stepped into the Water City… Rakta."
Riveria turned to the mapper, but as her gaze fell on her, Riveria's eyes narrowed.
Rakta looked at Silver with a slightly pale expression, and soon enough, even he noticed something was wrong.
He turned to face her as well, and the moment he did so, the other's expression changed as well. Ais, Lefiya, and the others also noticed the irregularity within him, and the atmosphere tensed faintly.
"… Hm? What's wrong?"
Silver looked around, and quickly noticed they were looking somewhere.
'Something on my back?'
Silver turned back and finally noticed what was wrong. A massive spike had punctured his shoulder, and its numbness was starting to get to him.
"That's not good…"
Without hesitation, he reached for his shoulder and pulled the spike, which came off without issue and excess blood.
Even with the barbed point, the spike came out smoothly. As he turned to Rakta, he smiled, "Seems like you owe me a drink later." He joked as he put the barb aside.
'Although the barb would've missed her anyway… also, I keep forgetting she's a high Level 2, what even am I doing trying to protect her, anyway? She can probably slap me asleep in no time…'
Rakta didn't know how to reply. Should she take his words serious or… "Are you alright?" Riveria asked as she stepped closer.
"I'm fine, a little numb maybe?" He replied as he moved his shoulders around
'I stopped the blood flow on my shoulder when I noticed something was wrong, but I can already tell something's not quite right.'
He could feel the beast's poison spreading around his body, 'I'd like to experience this for a little longer, but she won't let me move on like this, I'm afraid… Then again, I'm to blame for even thinking about letting this perpetuate in the first place.'
Silver thought about his studies, the Crystaroth Urchin's venom wasn't strong, but it was more than strong enough to incapacitate a Level 1 like him within moments.
Silver's repeated defiance of normalcy continued to shock them, even after everything they had seen.
He then teased, "Want a closer look?" Before lifting his shirt and showing her his back.
"Eek!"
Lefiya looked away while he laughed out loud. Riveria, however, kept her gaze on the wound.
'Strange, he pulled it out and there's no damage? There's no blood flowing through either.'
It was almost as if the wound had closed on its own. But regardless of what the truth was, she had Rakta feed him an antidote with mild healing properties before they moved on.
She also scolded Tiona as she walked by her. For that, Silver had nothing to say.
…
/Splat!/
From the 25th to the 27th Floor, Silver and Loki's vanguard pierced through the Dungeon, taking down everything in their path.
From large Trolls, far stronger, intelligent, and menacing than Orcs to all kinds of ocean monsters, to even more mythical-looking ones such as Harpies, Mermen, Lamias, and Sirens, were trampled with ease.
Although… not without some issues… as to be expected by now.
"Ugh, my hair smells of fish. I hate these floors!" Tione exclaimed as she smelled her wet hair
She sat on a rock drying her hair while the others stood around her.
Her sister bickered, "Who told you to jump in the water?"
But she wasn't going to let her remarks walk over her this easily, "It was a damn Carbuncle! Do you know how rare and expensive their drop item is?! Seven digits for it is the least we can get for it!"
While Ais counted the numbers with her hands, Tiona scoffed, "Maybe if you had fought with me instead of running forward and leaving me behind, we would've captured it at the end."
Silver tilted his head from afar, "…"
'I knew it looked familiar, so that was a Carbuncle. No wonder, a rare monster like this…'
Silver accustomed himself to the role of supporter, merely collecting everything they passed by and barely fighting, if at all.
He kept his notebook beside him at all times, writing down everything he saw and did in it, and as agreed before, kept track of what everyone hunted and made… to the best of his abilities, that is.
He offered her a towel, which she happily accepted. And even offered to help dry her hair, but that was where she drew the line.
Everything on her, even her hair, already belonged to someone else… or so she liked to claim. And Silver was too mature to tease her over it.
Definitely not because he feared annoying her… most certainly.
"Humph…"
Bete, however, felt no fear in showing his true thoughts aloud. He had enough of waiting, so he turned to Rakta, startling her, "Have you found the path, long ears?"
"Your ears aren't much shorter than hers, Bete." Tione added with a smirk as she shook her head, splashing water on Tiona who recoiled back at her actions
Rakta looked between the map and the surroundings, scrambling as Tiona bickered with her sister again.
She nodded lightly after a while, pointing at a nearby passage:
"The bottom of the Great Falls should be right around the corner."
That was all Bete needed to hear, "Then what are we waiting for?"
He stepped out with his usual mild frown as Tione got up as well, "I'm fine, the quicker we get there, the sooner I can get my bath."
"You do need it."
She turned to her sister with a dangerous smile, "Do you want a quick dip too?"
"I'll pass…"
And so the others moved, starting with Gareth, who turned to the side.
"Are you two done? Lefiya, Ais?"
Lefiya raised the chisel in her hand, "Yes! We've carved the signals down."
"Then move along, ladies, we're going straight to the 28th Floor." He said as he put his helmet back on, marching ahead
Rakta also moved, but she stopped to look at Silver who was standing on the side with his notebook, drawing something with a carefree expression.
"… What are you writing about?" She asked as she stepped behind him
As she looked at his notebook, she saw a sketch of the cavern with everyone sitting around.
Her eyes brows rose, "I didn't know you could draw; it's pretty nice!"
"Thank you. I don't have the chance to practice it every day, so I took the chance to clear out some of the rust."
/Poof…/
He closed the book, "I'll finish it later… Shall we?"
She smiled, and they continued onward… to the 28th Floor.
…
The bottom of the Great Falls was a massive lake well over a kilometer in diameter, but with all the mist and fog, it could very well be even larger.
Their passage stood at its shores as they circled it to the other side, where a passage could be faintly seen amidst the rising white clouds.
Beneath their feet, bluish-black sands glistened in the natural light like stars in the sky, and sometimes, the flowing water would shine as it crashed against the sands.
'Such a beautifully ephemeral sight… in such a hellish land.'
"Quite a nice place for a vacation." He mumbled out loud as he looked around
Riveria thought the same. Even if others couldn't see the Dungeon as anything but the source of all monsters, having experienced it and the world for as long as she had, she had grown to respect the Dungeon more than just a cold, mindless killer.
And she wasn't alone in that, for Gareth too thought the same, even if he rarely showed his true thoughts on the matter.
When it came to people in their positions, displaying any conflicting emotion did little but confuse the minds of those who looked up to them. The silent truth was, that to those who ventured within its domain, all they needed was the will to survive and persevere against all odds.
The time to appreciate such sights… was not in the books.
"The Dungeon is full of hidden beauty, but it can never be appreciated for long. And its best if left as such."
A hidden beach at the foot of a massive waterfall, gargantuan ravines above them leading into the world above.
And even that was hidden beneath multiple layers of stone, multiple smaller worlds like an ant hive that stretched into the core of a greater, unexplored realm.
…
Silver looked at the lake as they crossed the shores, 'That must be it then… the spawning grounds for the Lower Floor's Monster Rex.'
Like the Middle Floors, the Lower Floors were also ruled by a monster like no other. A massive twin-headed dragon that flew in water, Amphisbaena, feared by many, and the bane of all who adventured in these lands.
The queen of the lake. A Level 5 monster whose threat level was set at 6 by the Guild.
It was no foe to be trifled with.
'Amphisbaena… probably one of the top ten monsters alive… at least those that can be fought at a somewhat reasonable pace.'
While there were countless Level 5 monsters waiting to be found further down, true to its name as a Boss Monster, Amphisbaena was in a league of its own, just as Silver was a unique existence within his level.
/Shua…/
He let the water pass through his boots as he looked at the distance, "When is Amphisbaena returning?"
"five, seven days at most. Just like Goliath, Finn prepared this expedition so we could take down both on our way back." Gareth said as he stopped as well, looking at the waves roll by
But his gaze quickly fell on him again, "… What? You planning on joining the subjugation?"
Silver laughed, "I know when to call it quits."
""…""
From their expressions, the others didn't seem to agree… But Silver did not pay it any heed, "Maybe when I'm Level 4 I'll give it a shot."
Imagining the future, Gareth smiled slightly, "That'll be a sight for sure."
"Have you ever faced it?"
"Several times, how could I not have at my age?"
"How is it?"
He crossed his arms with mild frustration, his words half-stuck inside his throat, "To me… a nightmare."
"I'm not a good swimmer, so I have to rely on her to freeze the ground for me."
He tapped his chest, "If not for that, I could take it down meself!"
"… Don't give him any strange ideas." Riveria sighed as she stopped beside him
"Why is it a strange idea?"
But Silver's inquiry was only met by Riveria's stern gaze…
"Bwahaha!"
Looking away, Silver continued his walk, "One day… one day I'll take it down myself."
"Don't you think that's a pretty good goal?" He asked as he tilted his head at her
She sighed, "A pretty reckless one…"
"Ambition is the first step to greatness, but too much ambition can become intoxicating instead, leading one down the path of ruin."
""??""
A voice echoed behind them as a knight stepped out of the darkness.
He spoke in a smooth, almost melodic tone as he rhymed his way into their outer circle.
Silver turned around calmly, frowning faintly, "Hm?"
'This guy looks familiar.'
Sensing Silver's gaze, he replied as if reading his thoughts, "Who I am is of little importance, I'm…"
"Hogni? Is that you under that helmet?" Gareth asked as he crossed his arms
""…""
The knight was momentarily taken aback as the realization that his carefully built disguise had crumbled before it could even be deployed… "No, I'm not related to the Black Knight…"
Riveria sighed, "What are you doing here, Hogni?"
"As I said, I'm not…"
How was everyone so sure of who he was? He wanted to think, but unfortunately, he barely had the time to string together a thought as everyone around jumped into the fray:
Tione and Tiona approached them, "Huh? Aren't you Freya's magic swordsman?"
"There are actually two of them, Tiona. Hedin is also a magic swordsman." Lefiya added as she stepped behind Riveria
"But I heard he doesn't wear armor?"
Bete snickered, "Does any of that even matter? What is one of Freya's fanatics even doing down here?"
Hogni clenched his teeth as his silvery-gray eyes fell on him with untold intensity.
But as if reminding himself that he wasn't who they portrayed him as, his tone and persona quickly shifted back into their previous aloft selves: "The wolf speaks true. None of it matters."
He tapped the sword at his waist, "I came here to fulfill a mission, I hope you do not interfere."
"I wish not to tarnish myself before royalty."
"… Just move along then, we won't interfere." Gareth said as he sighed out loud
'He's always been the weirdest one among their lot.'
"We were on our way to the Under Garden, so…"
But Hogni, or rather, the "mysterious" knight, interrupted him, "You may continue if you wish."
/Unsheath!/
He pointed his blade at Silver, "But not him."
""…""
At that moment, tension began to build… Ais stepped forward, standing between Silver and Hogni, while the twins also moved in unison, weapons in hand.
Gareth also clenched his axe, his tone rougher and heavier than before, "Did Lady Freya put you up to this?"
Freya was known for doing as she wished to get what she wanted, going so far as kidnapping whomever she felt like it from other Familias.
While her hands hadn't yet reached the Loki Familia, it wasn't without some resistance from their goddess herself.
It was a silent understanding between two unreasonable deities that they wouldn't touch each other's possessions…
But Silver belonged to neither. And this made Gareth and Riveria tense… for this could very well be her silent declaration of her intentions.
And nothing good came from antagonizing the deity who stood in the highest room of Babel.
Hogni continued to deny his identity, "I do not understand what you mean. I came here solely out of my own doing, to challenge the one said to have slain Goliath."
"From one low-level adventurer to another…"
"Drop the act, Hogni, you're terrible at this. Do you even know how many Dark Elves there are in Orario? I can count them on two hands." Riveria said as she crossed her arms
Lefiya nodded eagerly. Elves were already known for being seclusive, but Dark Elves broke that ideal. Unfortunately, that very fact led them to extinction.
Known for being among the greatest warriors to ever live, Dark Elves left their mystical forests in ancient times to aid the world in their eternal battle against monsters. After centuries of conflict, only a handful remained, with no true land to call their own.
That was part of the story shared with her and the many children of the School District by the words of the very Gods who had watched those chaotic times unfold from heaven.
"… You must've mistaken me for another."
"This guy won't drop it, huh…" Tione muttered as she gave him a sharp glare
'Just because he's Level 6, does he think he can come here and walk all over us however she wants?'
/Step…/
But that was when the man himself stepped forward.
"Well then, isn't this easy to solve?" Silver said as his smile deepened
Clenching his fists, he stepped before Ais and the others, "You came here to challenge me, fellow "low-level" adventurer. How can I say no to that?"
"You're joking, right? Are you really going to play along with him?" Tione asked as her expression dropped, dumbfounded
But Silver only tapped her shoulders as he turned away from her "What's life without some fun?"
He turned to Gareth, "This shouldn't impede on our mission."
"…"
Gareth was without words, but at the same time, he silently wanted this confrontation to occur.
How could he not understand the underlying goal of the Goddess of Beauty? To him, there were numerous explanations for Hogni's appearance here today… and when it came to a deity, all of them could be right at the same time.
But in the end, only one truth remained: That Silver had attracted her attention, one way or another.
"He might be a little odd, but Hogni remains a master swordsman and a Level 6 adventurer."
Silver laughed, "I don't know who this Hogni is. This guy is just a "fellow low-level adventurer", right?"
It was hard to see with his helmet on, but Hogni smiled faintly as he raised his blade, "Precisely."
His blade flashed as it reflected the lake's gleam, "I challenge you!"
Silver's neck cracked in anticipation, "Bring it on."
The two combatants stood before each other as the waves crashed beside them.
A mysterious swordsman, clad in medium armor, his identity and true motives a "secret", and the rookie adventurer, clad in light leather armor, with nothing in hand… who wanted nothing else but let loose.
Tiona couldn't process things at all, "Is this really happening?"
Lefiya, Ais, and Rakta were all lost as well, while Tione's frown only seemed to grow bigger.
She turned to Riveria, seeking support. Out of everyone here, she believed she would be the first one to jump and stop this madness from ensuing.
… But what the Sage said completely turned her upside down.
"One round, that's all I'm giving you."
"What?!"
"Excellent."
"That's more than enough, your highness."
…
Silver and Hogni stepped aside into a patch of stone overlooking the Great Falls.
/Shaaa…/
With the ever-constant echoes of falling water behind them, their clash began!
…
.
.
.
Notes
I decided to leave Silver's battle with Hogni to the next chapter since this one is large enough.
After this, we'll be going to the last stop of this adventure, the 28th Floor, where Silver will put an end to his dive and resume his schedule.
And when that's done, we'll return, hopefully leveling him up in the process before continuing with the story, and to those who read the previous version, they're already aware of what the next arc is.
I'm planning on mixing many of the future arcs and bring them forward in the timeline to hopefully create something quite interesting to read.
Anyhow, that's all I wanted to say.