Going Under

Although the geographical land provided benefits to a specific branch of elemental magic, it wasn't necessarily required for other mages to rely solely on using it. This especially applied to Judy, who was more proficient with casting fire and air related spells.

Before coming here, Judy's teammates only recommended for her to use the water spells that she was most confident in depending on the situation. It had been previously agreed that none of the members should let the benefits of Everrain dictate their usual styles of combat. In the end, the decision was that each mage, with Leo included, would simply take advantage of Everrain's abilities only when they personally deemed it suitable.

While Judy didn't speak this aloud, she was secretly appreciative of the autonomy granted to her in the team. It represented both trust and consideration of her magical prowess, unlike those whom she had once been scorned by.

Realizing that her thoughts were getting distracted, Judy gave her head a brief shake before concentrating on the matter at hand. The situation was now only slightly favorable for her team. The majority of the Redhorn Crocodiles only steadily dwindled in numbers, and it didn't seem like any new members of the species were coming to take their place any time soon.

Overtime, the effective teamwork of the adventurers managed to persevere against the tide of monsters swarming through the swamp. Thanks to Sarah's protection, not a single person got hit by a poisonous spike. Gradually, peace returned to the surrounding scenery.

"Whew, what a ride," Alex sighed as he cleaned the blood-soaked blade of his sword.

Scattered around the area, corpses of Redhorn Crocodiles lay strewn in mutilated fashions. Standing several feet away, the rest of the team were checking up on each other.

"None of you guys got injured, right?" Leo asked while scrutinizing the bodies of his friends and the researcher.

"Hehe, not a hair on me was scratched." Brian rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "After watching all of you fight, I really must say that I'm rather impressed with your capabilities. Compared to those mercenaries, who had a larger group, you guys appear to be quite exceptional."

"Thank you for the praise," Judy responded with a bracing smile. "Each member of our team has gone through several obstacles as adventurers, so this should really only be considered a given."

Sarah cast a confused glance upon her friend before stating, "But didn't Leo apply to be an adventurer just a few weeks ago? He isn't that experienced, though."

Judy nearly choked before sending a speechless side-eye towards Sarah. It was obvious that she had previously been trying to establish a confident image to their employer just a moment ago. Doing so could have helped assuage any worries the latter might have regarding this expedition.

"Ahem, let's rest for now," Leo coughed to change the flow of the conversation.

Right now, he could see Alex walking towards them with a few blood stains on his body.

"Are you feeling well?" Leo inquired about their team leader's condition. "How's Madelin's armor holding up?"

"Quite amazingly, actually," Alex praised with a small bite of grudgingness. "The guy may be crazy, but his products really are some of the best in Victoria City. I could hardly feel any sensation when those monsters attacked me!"

"That's good news to hear," Leo sighed in relief.

Just now, he used his appraisal to scan the armor and felt surprised at being unable to locate a single mark anywhere.

Because the team's previous quest had involved a lot of searching and not much physical confrontation, Alex didn't get an opportunity to showcase the extent of his tailored-made warrior equipment. Leo did once fairly state that their enchantments were quite advanced compared to his own personal level, but it was still a much more exciting experience to witness the superior craftsmanship with one's own eyes. Having fought the closest to Alex, Leo could feel that Madelin did an excellent job with this recent work.

"So, how far is the destination point from here?" Judy asked Brian after she wrestled her down her complicated mood.

Before those monsters emerged, they had been explicitly following the directions Brian gave them during the period they set out. Right now, they were supposedly near a hidden entrance that would take them to the newly uncovered section of one of Everrain's rural areas.

Taking his time pondering, Brian began closely scrutinizing the details of the geographical surroundings. After a few seconds passed by, he made a confirmation.

"It should be right next to that big swamp tree." Brian pointed towards a specific spot a distance away. "A hole concealed by magic has been dug there. It'll bring us to a completely different zone."

"Perfect," Alex remarked, following the researcher's gaze. "Since no one has gotten hurt, let's not waste too much time sitting around."

"Ah, but before we head over," Sarah suddenly interrupted, "might I suggest we wipe ourselves up a bit first?" She then carefully gestured to everyone's feet. "I'm sure Leo wouldn't like it if we accidentally brought mud onto his invention, right?"

Her words temporarily divided the group's attention to other matters.

'Oh, she's right.' Leo suddenly took notice of the mud stains on his shoes and realized that he almost forgot about how dirty the swamp was. 'Guess I have to use another water spell again.'

After using magic to clean off some of the muck stuck onto their bodies, the group reentered the carrier and used it to efficiently travel across the rough terrain. While heading to their destination, the carrier's bottom sets of wheels, which had been previously quite sturdy, now moved with a certain mold of flexibility. Whenever they bumped into a root or mound of earth, the wheels' outer exteriors would automatically squish inwardly, forming matching imprints in their shapes upon contact, to compensate for the obstacles in their path.

This is another component of this invention's various transformations. Since Leo made sure to prioritize a certain amount of comfort upon exploring for adventurers, this sort of feature should also not be neglected. Although it could not completely circumvent the effects of uneven terrain, such as openings in the ground itself, it was still better than nothing.

Once the carrier followed the directions that Brian pointed out, it then stopped by the trunk of a large tree that looked to be leaning backwards.

Brian carefully stood up from where he sat and squeezed his body between the other seats to position himself closer to the front. Casting his own spell that was exclusive to his organization, the entrance to the hidden entrance was eventually revealed to the team.

Lying below on the dirty soil, a wide circular hole appeared between the entangled roots of the giant tree, revealing a smooth ramp that wasn't too steep for individuals to enter.

"This is a spell that carefully conceals the appearance of the entrance to prevent outsiders from wandering in," Brian explained. "And it also prevents light from peaking through to alert the attention of those inside."

After this was done, the carrier slowly began to tread down the hole's ramp. Meanwhile, everybody was prepping themselves for unexpected danger. Because of the darkness within the interior, Sarah decided to cast [Light Orb] to illuminate the pathway.

During the first several minutes of travel, with Leo carefully guiding the carrier at a consistent speed, traces of dampness could be felt along the wet sides of the hole. By the time all of them were about to touch the bottom, the scent of moss and other smells managed to reach their nostrils. Eventually, the sights of new flora could be witnessed planted around at the end of the hidden pathway.

'We finally made it.' Leo unconsciously stopped his vehicle and maintained a heightened awareness. 'So this is where those mercenaries got traumatized...'

"This should be it," Brian announced in a low whisper. "Last time I came here, I was only able to chart out a decent enough map to find a way back around the entrance. I recommend we should explore this place cautiously, especially since there are still some unknown territories I've yet to jot down."

Alex nodded to show his affirmation.

"Don't worry. That's been our plan since the beginning."

The moss located around the end of the hole contained fluorescent properties that allowed them to glow within the dark, making the use of casting light with magic no longer required. As the team travelled further in, they got a wider view of the expansive location.

Similar to the wetland above, the underground area of this place also appeared to possess its own ecosystem. Not only was there plant life to be found, but there were even small tracks of hidden animals roaming about. In addition, the place was considerably quite spacious in size. The more the group got deeper inside, the more they could get an idea on how far the whole place stretched out beneath the earth.

It was a wonder how long this area had been quietly growing here without being discovered by this city's residents.