(CHAPTER 13: THE CORRIDOR OF THE MONUMENT)

"The Guardians are trickling out." Edwards peeked out behind the coral reef. "I think it's our chance to head out." "Sure." Gale nodded and together they sneak out towards the upper triangle part of the monument, a square box is within it and it is where the conduit should be located.

"Keep me safe and guarded." The moment they arrive, Gale started mining the prismarine outer wall with the drill on his exoskeleton limbs. Edward draw out his silver rapier from his case and guarded beside him. Oddly enough, they are not spotted, not even one Guardian approached them as they are able to mine through the walls safely with ease. "Huh, that was easy." Gale mumbled as they swam into the room, but the moment they step into, they were dumbfounded.

There is no conduit.

"What the heck?" Edward swam around but found nothing, only stack of wet sponges. "This, this isn't supposed to be like this!" "It could be." Gale suddenly interrupted. "Once we have come upon an Ocean Monument as large as this before, because of its size, the conduit isn't kept above the structure." "Then where is it kept?" "It was kept within the structure. That means that we need to dig right through the floor beneath us!" Gale started mining the floor but was cut off by Edward. "Didn't we need to tell the captain first?"

"There is not enough time, we have to move now! Its now or never!" Gale continue mining, as Edward guarded around, looking for possible threat. Just when he finish breaking the last block towards the second level of the monument, a laser was fires towards him, breaking his exosuit. He let out a groan as Edward turn his head towards where the laser was shot. A group of Guardian patrolling nearby has spotted them, and now they are heading their way. "Darn we've been found!" Edward stood his fighting stance as he pulled out his rapier and was about to fend them off, but was pulled down into the hole by Gale before he seal the block back. "We can't waste our time anymore." Gale explained as he took off his broken exoskeleton suit. It was completely destroyed from the shot, with bits and parts falling apart from it.

"So now what." Edward stare at the broken suit, he felt desperation creeping under his skin. "Well I suggest we search every room and hope to stumble upon the conduit." Gale took out his iron halberd and take a quick glimpse at his watch: fifteen minutes left. "Better keep moving." He tap on his watch to signal him about the time. Edward nodded and together, as he put his rapier back to the case and they headed down the corridor.

The search every single room, bumping upon a few Guardians but they are able to take them on pretty easily. Almost every single room within the monument looks identical, creating a fake scenario in their mind as if they have been running in circles. Just when they are in the brink of losing hope, the finally stumble into the room. At here they meet with the same familiar aurora, the same soft hum, the same dim glow.

"The conduit."

They gasped together as they look at the box shaped structure in front of them. Through the gap between the walls, they are able to able to see the heart of the sea hovering within it, as light seeps out of the gap, giving them a warm refreshed feeling. But there is no time to joy, as they have meet another problem, two, in fact. There were two elder guardian guarding the conduit, and they have no way of mining through the prismarine covering the conduit without any exosuit.

"What's the plan?" Edward whispered as silent as possible, trying not to alert the Elder guardians. "No time for plans." Gale took his halberd and prepare to strike. "We fend off the guard first before deciding that." Edward let out a groan and took out his silver rapier and headed out together with Gale as he let out a roar, attracting the Elder Guardians who spotted them and let out a low bellowing sound, swinging their tail furiously as a sign of anger.

Ten minutes left.

One of the Elder Guardian charges first, but his hit was guarded off by Gale with ease. The other elder guardian tries to team up upon gale but was stopped by Edward as he let out a quick swish with his rapier, cutting off an edge of his spikes. This is a fair and yet nail clenching battle, a two V two and both side is equally strong, so the fight is a close one.

Gale seize a chance at was able to slice one of the Elder Guardian's fin clean off but at the same time one of Edward's arm is dislocated from the Elder's Guardian's ram. He tries to keep battling as he switch his battle stand with his dislocated hand behind and his rapier in front to parry its attack but he couldn't keep up the attacks with a dislocated arm. The Elder Guardian is able to knock his rapier off his hand with a swing from his tail. He was about to charge towards him once again but Gale was able to pull him off from safety as it rams right into the prismarine wall behind him. As the room shook, the prismarine starts to crack as bits and chips of it started to fell off.

"That's it! Let them break it for ourselves!!" Gale get a sudden brainwave. He knock the Elder Guardian who is stunned from the impact out cold with the handle of his halberd. The second Elder Guardian let out a low growl as it flap his find and swing his tail furiously, it's body expands as his eyes turn blood red, this is a signal that he is about to charge.

Gale stood right in front of the structure and when it rams towards him, he do a quick barrel roll and manage to dodge the ram barely as the hit shatters the prismarine wall of the conduit, as the wall finally gave up, they could finally see the cube like item in the middle of the conduit, covered by nautilus shell. Gale finish off the stunned Elder Guardian with a huge swing of his halberd while Edward swam towards the Heart of the Sea as he break off the nautilus shell covering it before finally taking out the Heart of the Sea, as soon as the he touches the Heart of the sea, a bright light flashes, sending an echo throughout the monument and even the ocean, signaling that someone has presume the ownership of the relic. He immediately put the sphere in his case as they hurried their way out of the room as the traverse the maze like corridor of the Ocean Monument before finally making their way out to the open sea. Hordes of Guardians were right on their tail.

Five minutes left.