By Zephyria 
The magic circle on the floor finally came into view.
The floor, carved out to be concave, was deeper inside than outside. Hundreds of Mana Stones were densely embedded at uniform intervals along the smooth edges, devoid of even the common water moss. Mana, seeping from the red, blue, and yellow Mana Stones, desperately held the formation together.
Mage Boulder, his mouth agape, crawled on his knees and traced the magic circle on the floor with his fingertips. Various concentric circles and geometric patterns glowed with their own brilliant colors, adding a sense of mystery to the dark, watery hue.
[Can you undo it?]
[Well… ha, it’s quite intricately twisted. It’s designed to connect organically with the magic circles in the outer regions, but it seems they’ve added a few auxiliary magic circles in between. Just by looking, I can see more than sixteen magic circles… I can’t do this alone. I should have asked for four more Wizards per squad. No, two… if only I had two more.]
So that’s how it is.
Could I be of any help in this matter? Just in case, I lightly tapped one of the Mana Stones with the tip of my sword. A weak repulsion pushed back against my blade. Thinking I might just put force into it and break it, I tightened my grip on the sword hilt, and Mage Boulder scrambled over, clinging to my forearm.
[Wait! Just wait!]
[What is it?]
[Even if it’s just us, you saw it earlier, right? A Mana wave strong enough to make us stagger from this distance. If we break this Sealing Formation, it will naturally affect this entire reservoir! We have to disarm it using the proper method! The knights in the outer squads could be in danger!]
[You said you can’t do it.]
[That’s because! But! Still! That!]
Mage Boulder dangled from my arm like a cluster of fruit. As if finding it amusing, the Undines that had been hovering around the group also clung to my arm and shoulder, playing around.
The Oasis, still trapped within the pillar of light, had its eyes closed. Rainbow-colored droplets hung from its eyelashes before disappearing like tears. Deciding that whining any further would achieve nothing, I was about to say something when Mac Weaber scooped Boulder by the waist and pulled him away from me.
[Gotcha.]
[Whoa? N-no! Lord Ernhardt! That was only 1st Circle magic-level Mana earlier, so it was okay! This time, it’s going to be a real, real disaster!]
What did I even do?
The one causing trouble was actually him, yet he treated me like gunpowder. Dumbfounded by Boulder’s absurd attitude, I stood still. Mac Weaber gently swayed Boulder’s shoulders back and forth like one would soothe a child, speaking in a calm voice.
[Now, now. Don’t get excited, Wizard. You just do your part as a Wizard. I didn’t say you had to solve it all by yourself. Tell us which knots, if any, would be significantly impacted by cutting or breaking them, and we’ll find a way to handle it.]
[Yes. But truly, this is a very delicate, sensitive, complex, and beautiful magic circle. Please, no matter what, don’t break it with force, even if it takes time…]
[What do you intend to do with the enemy’s magic circle preserved?]
[Please! Handle it carefully so it doesn’t explode!]
I had no intention of ignoring the Wizard’s words.
I simply nodded in understanding, dismissing him to do his work.
Mac Weaber and Leon scurried around, searching for various spell formulas and equations, following Boulder as he moved around the square corners of the 10-meter-sided base, keeping track of him. The rest of the group stood at a distance, careful not to step on the magic circle, and gazed at the sleeping third god.
Only then did Elvin’s somber expression catch my eye.
[Lord Brooks.]
He didn’t look at me. He let out a sharp, almost broken whistle. The melody, more tender and mournful than his usual speech, wasn’t coming through the Communication Artifact. I could sense it through the vibrations in the water, as if my fingertips had ears.
Curious about what he was doing, I looked at Hugh Benson. He translated in a whisper. The way he twisted one corner of his mouth suggested he was looking at something he found extremely displeasing.
[It’s just… I changed the lyrics a bit. To wake him up.]
[Ah…]
[You’ve lived your life half-listening to Divine Revelations, so perhaps it’s rather touching.]
[Did the Oasis teach you how to sing like this underwater?]
[…Yes.]
For the first time in a long while, I heard Elvin Brooks speak the Imperial language. He still hadn’t taken his eyes off the Oasis’s serene face. Remembering Elvin Brooks, who had been so composed when I last encountered the Oasis, made his current state seem even more awkward.
Elvin murmured in a calm voice.
[I haven’t seen this… appearance in a long time.]
[Have you encountered an Oasis in this… form before?]
[When I was young.]
Elvin Brooks was still looking up at the Oasis’s face.
[When I was an Un-Kolpian.]
Where had I heard that word before?
Without needing to think long, something came to mind.
I had met a man named Nadi in Owen, who was involved with the third god. Nadi was called the most beautiful devotee and lived by the Oasis’s side. It was Elvin Brooks who pointed out and informed me that Nadi was an Un-Kolpian, a child of the desert abandoned to the Oasis at birth.
[Then, perhaps, Nadi and Lord Brooks…]
[No. We didn’t know each other.]
[…Hmm.]
The conversation didn’t continue.
I, too, felt no inclination for casual chatter, concerned as I was for Ruben, so I didn’t ask anything further. Wondering if there was anything I could do to help, I moved closer to Boulder.
From a distance, I caught a glimpse of Hugh Benson patting Elvin’s back a couple of times.
❖ ❖ ❖
Another hour passed like this.
Each moment felt like three years. I was so restless, unable to bear the wait as the magic circle was painstakingly undone.
Previously, when I had to disarm Gano Paquin’s seal, I had to carry Mage Boulder and run, so I was too rushed to feel bored. But now, I had to stand by and watch Boulder and the knights dismantle the magic circle, making it incredibly tedious. I wouldn’t have felt this anxious if an enemy were attacking us.
After watching for a while, I pushed off the floor and floated up. Samantha Andrei, who had been watching the magic circle being dismantled, turned to Ikyun.
[Are you leaving?]
[Yes. I’ll be back soon.]
[We’ll call you if anything happens.]
From the floor here to the surface was at most 400 meters. It was within the range of the Communication Artifact.
Thanks to that, I was able to occasionally surface and summon Sylphs while waiting for the magic circle to be disarmed.
Unlike intermediate spirits, lesser spirits like Sylphs couldn’t be separated from their master by a great distance, but they could eavesdrop on the sounds of the wind.
As I emerged from the deep water, submerged up to my chest, the Sylphs waiting for me burst into laughter and circled above my head.
[He’s here! He’s here again!]
“Yes. Is Ruben still fighting?”
[Yeah! He’s very busy. Five, five, five.]
“The numbers have increased?”
[I don’t know! It’s five.]
It was close to midday. The sky still shimmered with an ominous light.
As dark as the water was, the outside was also dark. The vast water seemed to swallow all sound, leaving everything in silence. I idly flicked the surface with my fingertip, knowing full well it was a trivial prank.
In the center of the enormous artificial lake. No matter how much I enhanced my Eye Force, I couldn’t see the shore.
Half-submerged in the frigid water, I wiped my face with my wet hands. Still, I felt suffocated, as if I were submerged in very deep water. Knowing that Lady Yeldidus’s assigned Nereid was by Ruben’s side, and that if any danger arose, they would all flee into the water to me, I was still anxious.
Just then, a geyser of water erupted in the distance.
I counted to five internally, and the vibration reached me. The earlier vibration must have appeared like this too. If the disarming of the magic circle was this visually apparent, it would surely be noticed by the enemies. What were they hiding that they weren’t pursuing us immediately?
I urged the Sylphs to go and get new information. Each time I gently tickled their heads with my fingertips, their thin fur, like that of a wet dog, became damp. It hadn’t been long since these indistinct spirits had gained such clear physical forms.
Is this also my fault? Amidst my distress, Samantha’s voice echoed inside my ear.
[Lord Ernhardt!]
I touched the communication device and replied.
[Yes. Shall I go down?]
[Yes! The struggle you were witnessing just now has also been resolved. Only one of the four corners remains, and once the northern magic circle is disarmed, we should be able to release it. It would be best if you came down yourself…]
[Understood.]
If the knights heading from south to east and those heading from west to north are moving at a similar pace, the northern auxiliary magic circle will be disarmed soon. The moment the Oasis’s seal is completely broken, I must protect them from the front.
I plunged my head straight into the water.
I arrived at the floor where the group was gathered. The surrounding ripples were unusual. Standing right next to the constantly erupting water source, the currents pushing outward from the Oasis made it difficult to stand upright.
[When did this start?]
[There was another Mana wave just before. It started gradually after that, and the current became this strong in two minutes. We waited for Lord Ernhardt to arrive, fearing it might be dangerous to do anything more.]
[Lord Ernhardt, do you see that line stretching from the upper left to a little below the right! The Mana is spiraling and reaching that red Mana Stone!]
[Yes.]
[If you look closely at that Mana line, there are five knots. Do not touch the second and third, but sever the fifth, first, and fourth in that order.]
[5, 1, 4.]
[Yes. Like that!]
If I cut only this, the Oasis’s seal will be completely broken.
I don’t know if the third god will be an ally or an enemy. The one floating gently was still quiet and still had its eyes closed. Was it my imagination that its pale face looked sad?
Leon, who had been obediently doing as he was told, let out a weak sound, unbefitting his size.
[Should we step back?]
[…Just stand behind me.]
After all, the safest place in this location was behind my back, wasn’t it?
I calmly regulated my breathing in preparation for any eventuality.
506 – WNC Title Not Provided
Mage Boulder’s words followed, and I severed the fifth knot.
Even though I was already submerged, a powerful pressure washed over me, as if I’d been struck by a colossal tidal wave. I, who had cleaved mountains of waves with my sword, was pushed back seven paces. The fact was so unbelievable I gaped.
I held my sword upright before me, blocking, and looked back. My companions, clinging to each other to stay upright, all wore looks of bewilderment. Still, it was a small mercy that everyone managed to stay on their feet without toppling.
[Is this right?]
[Yes! It’ll hit harder if you untie the next one!]
What’s coming?
Mage Boulder’s beaming smile and sparkling eyes were highly suspicious.
But there was no putting it off.
He said the next one was the first knot. Though called the first, the distance between knots ranged from a mere meter to three meters. I found the uppermost knot and, cutting through the swift current, pulled myself upward.
Then, I slashed with my sword.
Swoooooosh!
Water rushed in instantly, without regard for my nose or mouth.
[Waaaaaah!]
[Eeeek!]
The Undines protecting the companions had been unable to endure it, letting out strange screams as they were swept away. Once the air bubble around my head vanished, the current was so strong I couldn’t open my eyes. The companions, startled by the sudden turn of events, flailed in panic.
In a frenzy, I grabbed Mage Boulder by the collar and flung him towards the surface.
I was surprised by his unexpectedly solid weight. It seemed others, who had instinctively grabbed Boulder to save the Wizard, had been thrown with him. I wanted to open my eyes and check, but I could only manage to push away the fierce current and sharp, splintered ice fragments.
I swam for my life, but couldn’t tell if I was rising or sinking. I floundered, having lost my direction, until my feet touched a solid bottom. With all my might, I kicked off it and shot upwards.
The surface and the depths alike churned with crashing sounds. It rippled and surged like a sea in a downpour. The Undines, who had been pushed far away, circled in round shapes, hovering nearby to prevent the companions from drifting too far.
The force emanating from the depths below kept pushing the water away, so the storm and the waves hit us head-on. A terrified-looking Undine clung to my cheek. Thanks to it, I could open my eyes and see ahead. I swam in the direction it guided me.
Meanwhile, only the circles drawn by the Spirits remained calm. It was like an aquarium submerged in the turbulent sea. Though the water was shallow, it allowed me to regain my senses.
I counted the number of heads of my companions, who had poked only their faces above the surface like turtles in a fishbowl.
“Gulp! Cough, harrk!”
“Ah, damn it, what is this.”
“Is the Wizard conscious?”
“Ah, he looks like he’s fainted. He’s all limp.”
“His breathing.”
“It probably didn’t fill his lungs. We covered his nose and mouth the moment it happened.”
“Didn’t Spooner kill him?”
“…What? Me…?”
“Don’t make any strange jokes. I’ll try to help him.”
“You seem intent on turning a patient into a critical one…”
Mac Weaber and Andy Spooner were busy tending to Mage Boulder. Andrei went behind Boulder and embraced him. I watched to see what he was doing; he was pressing hard on Boulder’s abdomen and solar plexus, trying to expel all the water from his mouth.
Hugh was clinging to Elvin’s back, coughing incessantly. And the last one.
“Where is Leon?”
Leon had been with me since very early on. He was a generous man who, under the guise of his humble status, always tried to take on all the difficult and rough tasks. How often did one find someone who had reached the realm of Sword Master yet cared more for others than himself?
He was so devout, worthy of the sun’s blessings, that I trusted and relied on him more than others. If he had been lost in battle, it would have been one thing, but I couldn’t bear to lose him in such a trivial accident.
Terrified, I plunged my head into the water. The Spirits still couldn’t go beyond a certain depth. The water outside their circles raged. Among the swirling dark shapes, I couldn’t distinguish between the corpses of Mermaids and Leon, so I just grabbed them and pulled them to the surface.
I suffered three such disappointments. As I plunged into the water again, something grabbed my nape. Hugh Benson gestured with his chin, and I looked over. Elvin Brooks, whom he had somehow rescued, had a limp Leon draped over his shoulder.
Mac Weaber holding Leon and using a healing artifact blurred before my eyes before coming into sharp focus. Relieved, Hugh Benson gave my limp shoulder a firm squeeze and pushed me forward to regain my senses.
Around that time, Boulder also regained consciousness. He shook his head vigorously, his face a mess of red, and shivered.
“Is it over…? Already…?”
“What nonsense are you spouting.”
“The Mana that was entangled… it seems almost, almost all of it has been released.”
“What you mentioned earlier… the fourth knot. That’s the only one left to untie for the seal to be completely broken.”
“Yes, yes. That is true, but…”
Still, seeing everyone unharmed put my mind at ease. I beckoned the Spirits, who had been laughing heartily before suddenly becoming dejected and then bursting into laughter again, and chided them.
“Can you go inside there?”
[Ughh. Too fast, can’t go. Whoosh whoosh flying.]
[It’s a storm! It’s a waterfall!]
[No, waterfalls come from top to bottom. This is waves!]
[Can’t go in strong waves.]
“…I see.”
I couldn’t rely on their help.
“Then I will go in alone, quickly cut the knot, and come back.”
What did he mean by ‘harder’? If I did this one more time, someone would die. I was confident I could endure being hit a few times roughly. What I feared now was not being able to guarantee the lives of those here.
At that, Hugh Benson immediately gestured towards Elvin. Elvin, who approached skillfully parting the water with both arms, met my gaze. Hugh, as if it were natural, placed Elvin beside me.
“In the water, this kid is the best we’ve got.”
“…”
“So take him with you.”
“Huh?”
“I saw you get lost in the water, unable to find your way, you brat. This one can hold his breath underwater for a long time and can handle himself, so drag him along. I and the others will hold the fort up here, and if it gets too much, we’ll spit you out.”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
I ignored the companions’ worried gazes as they looked at Ikyun. As I gripped my sword hilt, intending to dive deep headfirst, Mage Boulder trembled and chattered.
“The second and third, absolutely! You must not touch them! If they break first, the Mana passage will be severed and amplified, rotating in reverse, and the gathered energy…!”
“I know.”
The floating beings gathered closer, as if to protect each other, and retreated backward. My head nodded involuntarily at their satisfied expressions.
Elvin Brooks was indeed very skilled at diving, just as Hugh Benson had boasted.
I received help from his hands, which pushed and pulled me, moving through the current not just with brute force but with skill, bringing me to the correct location. In an instant, we reached the epicenter of the commotion.
I was running out of breath. Without waiting, as I had intended, I brought my sword to the fourth knot. Even underwater, my sword glowed blue.
Gooooo.
A swirling vortex formed in a chilling shape. The current, as if to push me away from touching it, nudged me. I slammed my feet firmly onto the bottom, sinking them up to my ankles. Infusing my sword with energy, I swung it as if to push away quickly. It didn’t cut in one go, so I used force like sawing, repeatedly, two or three times.
Ding.
A sound like a snapped instrument string rang out, and the moment the last knot was severed.
An immense burst of light filled my vision.
Without hesitation, I retreated. Water streams, following the outstretched hands of the Oasis, twisted and writhed, trying to grasp me. Elvin Brooks crawled to the Oasis’s side and tried to speak to it, but it was no use. The god paid Elvin no mind.
The god’s crimson-glowing eyes glared at me.
Without lingering, I kicked off the bottom and shot upwards. I had once thought this water was black. It had been mere moments ago, yet it felt like an eternity. Even with my eyes closed, a kaleidoscope of colors shimmered in my vision as if I were awake.
“Phew…!”
Ten seconds that felt like ten years.
A colossal body, which had followed me to the surface, waved a large hand as if to grab me.
Its flamboyant appearance and skin, shimmering with multicolored light, were the same underwater and above, but its dark blue hair, plastered wetly to its cheek, was grotesque. I stared at the fins that sprouted where its ears should have been, fluttering in the breeze.
I gazed into its wide-open eyes. The eyeballs, originally silver-gray, were now entirely blood-red and gleaming. Something was wrong. It was not an ally, but an enemy.
I recalled the profound fear I had felt the first time I saw the Oasis. I also remembered the god’s gesture, tapping its thigh with a delicate hand while smiling brightly. I remembered its mischievous voice whispering, and its shoulders shrugging as if perplexed.
Ignorance is fear, but knowledge is wonder. Now possessing tens of times more Mana, I could fully read the aura of the mad god standing before me. The power it held was truly wondrous. And now, I was capable of facing it.
I flung myself in the opposite direction of my companions.
As the enraged god’s palm struck the surface, water droplets moved as if alive, trying to trap me. I cut through them with a single slash and fell back, but the wind supported me from below. It was a Sylph. Thanks to the Sylphs’ help, I could barely stand in mid-air.
From that position, I looked up at the god.
What would it feel like to see a waterspout up close?
The Undines cried incessantly, fluttering around us annoyingly. I didn’t know what made them so sad and distressed. My head was filled with the sounds of rain, water, and weeping, threatening to burst.
[No! No, the spring is in pain.]
[This shouldn’t happen, pretty human, you’re bad!]
“Go to the back.”
[I don’t want to…]
“I said go. Hurry!”
[Go! Go away!]
[Don’t hurt Pinky!]
The Sylphs chased away the Undines who were trying to cling to my clothes. Almost simultaneously, a tail the size of a house swept towards me. With the Sylphs’ help, I somersaulted in the air. I fell back in a wide arc, then changed direction in mid-air and retreated to the side.
BOOM!
The god’s tail, unable to catch me, struck the surface. The world shook. The towering jet of water poured down like a torrential rain, pressing me down, and a colossal roar, so loud it made my entire body tingle, pushed me away.
I saw the curse bound around its neck. I could also see and read the dark, murky energy spreading from its seven orifices. I had thought that by coming this far, I would see where its Origin was buried, but I only learned that gods, like Mermaids, could mutate.
A god does not die unless it kills itself.
Therefore, if it is to regain its senses, I must exert some effort.