RMLLD: Archipelago

Sector GoJuNi: Sea Temple

The tiny diving pod descended into the dark ocean as we slowly began to reach the first level of the ocean floor. According to the ancient blueprints of Twinprint, there are four levels of the ocean floors before we can reach the Sea Temple of Erulos, where La Divupala resides.

The tiny lights of our pod illuminated the dimly lit sea, and so far the journey has been quite peaceful. Kazuya and Rikka even turned on their auto-pilot system just to play some cards.

I added a few one-way portals just so I can see what's going on in the other capsules, and to make sure that they haven't had any trouble in the duration of our little dive. Kamios and Nanaka seem to be doing fine, while Kaguya is asleep in the back.

"Sigh... they must be really anxious, huh?" I asked myself, silently pondering as I examined the two new skills the God of War, Opumakasa has bestowed upon me.

The two were Soul Restoration and Physical Endurance. Personally, although Soul Restoration is definitely way cooler than the other when in effect, Physical Endurance is generally more useful as I am a person who runs out of stamina often, and that is a problem even back on Earth. Guess that's one of the downsides to being a child of the ☐☐☐☐☐☐...

Anyways, the past is another time to be discussed...

"Approaching the third level of the ocean floor, Roy-san!" Kazuya said as I realized that time had suddenly gone by so fast. I quickly enveloped myself in barrier armor as I woke Kaguya up. She got into position as well, and before long, the ominous looking temple was in our sights.

A giant building resembling somewhat of an Olympian Treasury stood before us, an eerie teal light coming from within the bars. As we descended onto the 4th floor, we slowly docked our pods into the bubble layer that held the oxygen of the temple, and I stepped out first as I braced myself for the pressure change.

However, there was none. It seems that the laws of physics do not entirely apply in this world. For a place this deep in the ocean, it has shown no signs of breaking and the structure is made of some kind of archaic stone that I cannot analyze.

After we entered the temple, a sudden roar came behind us as I saw five ocean lindwurms staring at us from outside the oxygen film, glaring daggers at us as they expressed their anger towards those who were trespassing on their master's territory.

"Begone, humans of the land above!" The one in front yelled as he let out a deafening roar in front of us. "Our master's reawakening is almost complete, and we, as part of the Guardians of the Temple, will not let you disturb his resurrection!"

The lindwurm then proceeded to spray a giant column of water at us, which I easily absorbed into a newly created portal, consuming all the water. "Look, lindwurm, we just came to check on the situation. There is no need to get hostile."

"Does a lowly human like you think you have the right to reason with us?"

"Look here, now..." I replied back in Draconian as I activated my 15% assimilation phase with Hikobi, and let out my aura at the lindwurms. "There is no such thing as not being able to reason with someone just because they are 20 ranks lower than you on the VILUM list. So if you want to negotiate, do it peacefully or else I will also use force. We're just here to do our business and leave. And that does not include harming your master."

"I will not allow anyone to come into contact with our lord!" The leading lindwurm yelled as he shot himself through the layer of oxygen, only to be pierced with steel spikes that I erupted through the ground, immobilizing him.

"Don't move another inch, lindwurm, I warned you." I said to him as I motioned for the Twinprint adventurers to go on ahead. "Don't make me do this."

"Silence, human!" The lindwurm yelled with anger as it blasted me with a stronger torrent this time, and it knocked away the steel pillars and blasted me against the wall as I clutched my chest at the pain.

"Well... you forced me..." I said as I unsheathed Umbra-Electra, unleashed its second phase, and sent the flurry of shards towards the lindwurms.

[Multi-Needle Pinpoint]

"Aaaaaaah!" The lindwurms screamed in pain as the shards pierced their sides and pinned them to the ground. The shards locked them in place as I used manaki to completely replicate the shards in their place, swapped the original with the copies, and had the original shards float back to the sword as it slowly reformed, piece by piece.

"Your master may be in danger." I told them. "His awakening is too early." I said as I remembered what Hikobi said before I left: I know I didn't tell them this, Roy, but La Divupala was supposed to wake up a few decades later, and not now or anytime recently. Something is wrong.

I then left the lindwurms pinned down as I headed into the archways where the other S-Rankers went through, ready to meet the Wyvern of the Sea.