The storm raged on the sea, showing no signs of stopping, and even the island standing in the ocean for who knows how long seemed to sway.

Deep within the island's labyrinthine underground, a place unknown to most.

Some adventurers found themselves in equally dire straits!

Rumble rumble... Rumble rumble...

Thud thud thud...

The sounds of roaring water and hurried footsteps intertwined.

"Damn it, how can such a huge creature survive in this barren underground space?! Does it eat its own tail every day?"

"Stop talking, run faster!"

Aiven and Milan were pulling the weakened Gary through the pooling water as they raced for their lives. Under the strong physical attributes of the extraordinary knight, Gary's robust body seemed to float like a kite.

Behind them.

Scratch—

A swipe missed, leaving three long claw marks on the rock wall.

In the darkness, a monstrous aquatic lizard, taking up most of the corridor, with a bony helm atop its head, spikes along its back, and draped in dark green scale armor, was in relentless pursuit.

As per human extraordinary level, this formidable beast was at least at peak knight level. Even in these strange ruins, growing to such an imposing size evidently placed it at the top of the food chain!

Never mind that Gary was in bad shape; even if he were at his top state, the three of them together wouldn't stand a chance against this massive, thick-skinned demon in such a cramped space.

Earlier, to avoid retracing their steps, they decided to push forward, attempting to exit directly from the corridor connecting the seventh and initially the tenth halls. However, after passing through the eighth essence hall "Radiance," they surprisingly did not reach the seventh essence hall "Victory" as expected.

As they walked, the trio was astonished to discover that the corridor ahead had suffered widespread fracturing and subsidence, now connected to a completely "unknown" area! With numerous diverging paths, it was no longer the twenty-two paths that were so regular initially.

But.

Before they could decide what to do, a giant lizard lurking in the dark, having waited long enough in ambush, launched its attack first.

Fortunately, Aiven's "data visualization" had already marked its outline in advance, preventing a successful ambush.

With no options, the three had to rush into a randomly chosen path.

"Milan, quickly, use divination to see which way we should go!"

"There's a big monster right behind us, how can I perform divination like this?! Hey?! Hey?!"

Just as Milan began to refute Aiven, he was hefted onto Aiven's shoulder by the collar.

"Leave the running to me, just hurry and divine!"

Although the knight's body attributes were at most several times those of ordinary people, the extraordinary transformation allowed for a substantial systematic enhancement. They could utilize what seemed like modestly enhanced attributes to their maximum potential, far more than just slightly better than ordinary people!

Like how Aiven was now carrying two people yet still running away expertly!

"Faster, run faster! I can almost smell the stench from its mouth..."

Splat—

A large gush of foul-smelling green slime splattered behind them, dissolving a patch of the rock wall.

[Sword Style: Jumping Wave!]

Aiven used the secret swordsmanship to propel himself rapidly, gaining a significant distance from the giant lizard, granting Milan some peace of mind to focus on divination.

"The locations indicated by the divination of both the key and the exit overlap, but it's clearly not where the theoretical inverted tree pinnacle first essence 'Crown' is, it's further below!"

Perched on Aiven's shoulder, Milan quickly relayed.

"No matter, escaping is the priority!"

Following Milan's directions, Aiven sharply turned at the next intersection. The passage here was noticeably less refined than the previous halls, with many areas even retaining signs of incomplete construction.

"It's underwater!"

"Alright, hold your breath! Three, two, one..."

At the end of this path appeared a small pool of accumulated water, seemingly driven by pressure difference, bubbling with water flowing out to form a fountain, at least indicating that the water below connected elsewhere.

Splash!

Underwater.

At the crucial moment, Milan's divination art didn't let them down. In the relatively clean seawater, a sloping downward corridor emerged, clearly showing signs of human excavation.

Seeing the extensive cracks and subsidence on the previous walls, it was evident this relic had undergone some calamity. That unknown calamity had altered its structure and started causing leaks, and it was seawater...

Not long after submerging, they heard the grinding of claws on rock from above.

This underwater passage hadn't been designed for such colossal creatures to pass. Although enraged, the giant lizard couldn't fit through.

Temporarily safe, the three swam towards the corridor's other side. As expected, various marine fish occasionally swam by, confirming this led to the open sea.

Swimming was a basic skill for the Navy, and as extraordinary knights, the trio's capabilities far surpassed any so-called swimming champions.

Even pushing against the reverse sea current, within a mere minute, they reached the other end of the passage.

During this time, they were immensely grateful for having a "lighting technique" capable of use underwater. If they had relied on torches, those might have extinguished, causing them to lose their way or even become separated.

Splash—

"Huff...huff..."

The three emerged from the other end of the passage, only to find a scene unlike the open sea they had imagined. It was another vast underground cavern!

There was ample water surface and air here, likely because a pressure difference between the two sides of the passage caused water to flow from this side, providing a food source for creatures living on the other side.

Not dwelling on its principles, they climbed ashore, their joints cracking and muscles vibrating, dry clothes quickly forming from the rising white mist. However, a layer of white salt clung to them, causing some discomfort.

"What is this place?"

Milan looked up at the rocky walls, dozens of meters high, catching the fishy breeze. This place was clearly connected to the outside world, at least there was no worry of being trapped forever.

"Shhh—"

Aiven gestured to the other two.

Milan and Gary followed Aiven's finger glance, and were instantly startled.

On the opposite side of this expansive space, the rock walls were dotted with caves of various sizes. Each cave was supported by elegant, classical Tuscan semi-embedded columns, stacked in layers like steps, making up three tiers.

The outside of each tier was lined with numerous marble sculptures of muscular male figures, some barehanded, others holding various weapons, seemingly ancient guardians of this underground space.

The design was identical to those destroyed by pirates in the first two halls.

However, in the eyes of Aiven and the others, the once finely crafted sculptures had long been weathered and eroded by water, becoming mottled and crumbling over time.

They signified past prosperity while engraving current desolation and solitude.

Yet one aspect starkly contrasted the mottled antiquity: the sculpture on the top tier, almost reaching the ceiling of this space—a crown-shaped sculpture.

Carved from immaculate white stone, three sharp horns of a gigantic crown resembled spear tips, unsullied by dust, bearing no trace of time.

Thump... Thump...

Gary and Milan did not have a strong reaction, but Aiven's heart raced violently upon seeing the architectural structures, especially that pristine crown sculpture.

The spiritual sensing, emerging ever since arriving on this island, was now exceptionally intense.

Proceed! Proceed!

Considering the previous strange plant roots and the giant lizard's actions, it seemed deliberate. Their journey, although dangerous, never reached life-threatening levels, as if they were being intentionally herded here.

As for those frog-like fish-like little creatures? Already pixelated creatures, not worth concerning over.

Aiven hesitated, but the owner of this place seemed even more impatient than him.

As soon as they entered this space, a breeze only perceptible spiritually emanated from the direction of the three-tiered cavern.

With a chill creeping in their hearts, a tall man in a robe suddenly appeared before them, a translucent figure. Silent, he extended his semi-transparent right hand towards the caverns in a welcoming gesture, like a silent film image.

Despite his eerie appearance, his grace and ease seemed intrinsically etched into his being.

"Who... are you?"

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