“That High-tier Legendary mage held a highly esteemed position in the City of a Thousand Towers.”
Freya's voice echoed through the dim seabed.
“His disappearance caused a massive upheaval.”
“The City of a Thousand Towers was furious, and the City-State Alliance Council paid close attention to the matter as well.”
“Various factions sent one wave of people after another, hoping to find him in these black waters.”
“Among the followers were no small number of powerhouses.”
“There were Legendary mages specializing in water-element magic.”
“And scouts with extraordinary perception capabilities.”
“They even brought a divine artifact with them for the search.”
Theia couldn't help but cry out in surprise, “Another divine artifact?!”
She was so shocked because the number of divine artifacts on the Akara Continent was minuscule.
From what she knew, there were fewer than ten officially recognized divine artifacts on the surface.
Freya looked at her with a hint of surprise.
“You've seen a divine artifact?”
Lin Gui immediately took over the conversation:
“It was the divine artifact used by the Saintess of the Holy Church of Light when she performed a Prophecy.”
He didn't want to bring up Caleb or the divine artifact that wasn't among the Top Ten. That would bring too much trouble.
“Which divine artifact did they bring?” Lin Gui steered the topic as he spoke.
“The Omniscient Astrolabe,” Freya replied.
“A divine artifact capable of sensing the energy fluctuations of all living beings within a ten-kilometer radius.”
“With it, the City-State Alliance Council can predict the movements of the Dark Tide a month in advance.”
“To find that mage, the Tower Master of the City of a Thousand Towers personally traveled to Dawn City.”
“He implored the Council to lend out this divine artifact.”
“Hoping to find the location where the mage had sunk...”
“With the Omniscient Astrolabe, covering this sea area was supposed to be easy.”
“Sensing the traces of a Legendary mage on the outskirts should have been child's play.”
Theia listened intently and followed up with a question:
“So, did they find him in the end?”
Freya paused for a moment.
The silence of the seabed seemed to grow even heavier.
“They didn't.”
“The ones who came with the Omniscient Astrolabe...”
“Stayed in these waters for a very long time, but eventually returned empty-handed.”
“Supposedly, they appeared terrified when they left.”
“As if through the Omniscient Astrolabe, within this forbidden sea...”
“They had sensed some kind of terrifying... existence.”
Freya's tone was deliberately low and eerie.
Combined with the oppressive darkness of their surroundings.
Theia shrank back in fright, glancing nervously around.
As if something truly were peering out from the depths of the darkness.
It wasn't until Freya couldn't help but let out a light chuckle.
That Theia realized she had been played.
“Captain Freya!” She stomped her foot indignantly.
Her cheeks turned slightly red from embarrassment and annoyance.
“Making that kind of joke in a place like this is too much!”
Seeing Theia reveal such a rare, girlish side.
Even Lin Gui, whose face was always taut, found the corners of his mouth twitching upward almost imperceptibly.
This brief moment of laughter and banter slightly dispelled the oppression of the seabed.
Freya gave a shallow smile.
She indeed wanted to use this method to slightly alleviate the pressure brought by the deep sea.
At a depth of thousands of meters, surrounded by eternal darkness.
Even with companions by one's side, it was inevitable for one's mind to be highly strung.
One might even suffer a breakdown.
It had to be noted that this undersea journey would last for quite some time.
She began to recount interesting things she had encountered on previous transport trips.
Thrilling adventures and sights seen as a Legendary powerhouse.
The others also cooperated tacitly, sharing their own experiences.
Eli the scholar pushed up his glasses and spoke of legends concerning an ancient sea kingdom he had found in old records.
Vice Leader Aubrey recalled his experiences as a young shield warrior battling the demon legion at the border.
Betty blushed and whispered complaints about jokes resulting from her mistakes while learning magic.
Alvin the scout, Dulu the assassin, and Laisa the ranger ahead did not join in.
They had to remain fully focused.
Under the rule of absolute sinking, the seabed harbored lethal dangers.
Beneath the seemingly flat silt, bottomless pits could be hidden.
Once one slipped, they would be dragged toward the abyss by an invisible force, with no possibility of survival.
They carefully tapped every inch of the ground ahead with their weapons.
Cautiously guiding the team around those traps that devoured life.
Between their talks and laughter, the team crossed rugged underwater mountain ranges.
They passed through valleys filled with eerie, pale coral.
They even encountered an ancient sunken ship half-buried in the mud and sand.
Theia's sharp eyes penetrated the darkness and discovered a wooden crate among the wreckage of the hull.
After opening it, it turned out to contain some jewelry and gold coins.
Theia's entire being grew excited, her eyes sparkling.
Freya generously indicated that it all belonged to her.
“Though it's called treasure, the actual value is likely less than ten thousand gold coins.”
She could tell at a glance that it was a sunken ship from the Golden Age.
“Gold coins from the Golden Age have severely depreciated in the City-State Era.”
“A few hundred or a few thousand gold coins were a fortune back then, but now...”
She didn't finish, but everyone understood.
Now, in the outside world, it costs hundreds of gold coins just to buy a piece of pork.
Theia's money-grubbing appearance brought smiles to the members of the North Wind caravan.
Only Laisa, the Forest Elf ahead, furrowed her brows.
The term 'money-hungry' truly didn't sit well with an elf who revered nature and art.
The doubts in her heart deepened by several degrees.
The team talked and laughed, constantly moving toward the central region of the Silent Sea.
After an unknown amount of time.
Stonefang, the goblin chief leading the way, suddenly raised his hand, signaling the team to stop.
He gathered everyone, his face grimmer than it had ever been.
“Ahead is the Silent Abyss.”
His voice was low and serious.
“Everyone must follow my footsteps closely.”
“Do not, under any circumstances, take even one extra step outward.”
Stonefang's exceptionally grave expression made Lin Gui and the others, who were participating in the crossing for the first time, feel a sense of alarm.
They quickly understood why this experienced leader was so nervous.
The perils of the so-called “Silent Abyss” far exceeded their imaginations.
The sea floor beneath their feet suddenly narrowed.
From the originally relatively wide seabed plain, it shrank into an extremely narrow and steep rock ridge.
The width could only accommodate three or four people walking side by side.
On both sides of the rock ridge were massive pits that were bottomless.
It was a kind of pure darkness that swallowed everything.
The light from the magic lamps was seemingly absorbed the moment it entered, illuminating no outlines whatsoever.
There was only a heart-wrenching void.
At this moment, they were like people walking on the spine of an incredibly treacherous mountain peak.
And on both sides of that “peak” were bottomless chasms.
Even more unsettling was the downward suction.
In other parts of the Silent Sea, one only felt that their body was heavy.
But here, it felt as if invisible hands were reaching out from the abyss.
Trying to drag them into that eternal darkness.
Every step had to be taken with absolute firmness.
One's focus had to be highly concentrated, without the slightest distraction.
Stonefang, the goblin chief, walked at the very front.
His crimson eyes were glued to the narrow path at his feet.
Every step he took was done with extreme caution.
Behind him, the warriors pushing the train were drenched in sweat.
Their feet sank deep into the sediments on the surface of the rock ridge.
They struggled to maintain balance, preventing the heavy train from shifting in the slightest.
The entire team was silent.
Only heavy breathing and heartbeats echoed above the deathly chasm.
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