It didn't take long for the group to assemble.

  The party now numbered ten in total: four guys and six women. Besides Kael, there were the three from Orion's crew: Orion the diviner, Angler the warlock, and IronShell the monk.

  The other six were from Crimson Bloom: Hazel, a Protection Warrior who had completed her First Advancement; Lunara, a mage; Rena, a priest; Starbloom, a warlock; Glytter, a druid; and another mage named Bronwyn. It was Bronwyn’s first time running with Kael’s group, and she was a little shy.

  When Orion saw Kael summon such a lineup of beautiful women with a single message, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. The girls offered him polite, dismissive smiles before turning their full attention back to Kael.

  With Lila absent, Rena naturally stepped into the role of the girls' de facto leader. She walked up to Kael’s side.

  "So, Sir Dawnbreaker, what's the plan? Which dungeon are we hitting?"

  "We're heading to the Verdant Pool underwater cavern," Kael said. "It's not an official dungeon yet. We're going to be the ones to clear it first."

  "Underwater?" a few of them echoed in confusion.

  Orion sidled up to them. "Yeah, about that. According to my extensive research—aka the game forums—I'm toast in under a minute in the water. How the hell are we supposed to fight?"

  Kael just smiled, opening his inventory. He'd spent the points earned from the two major battles at Blackwind Brotherhood and Starlight Village on a stack of [Gills Potions]. He had bought forty in total, used one when he swam to Beryl Creek, and had thirty-nine left.

  He distributed them to the party. "Don't drink these yet. Wait until we're at the edge of the Verdant Pool, right before we go in."

  "Got it."

  With that, the ten of them set off. The path was dotted with other players, some tending to their homestead plots, others grinding mobs for experience. The crowds only began to thin as they neared the Verdant Pool, an area known for its level 25 monsters and the occasional elite soldier left over from The Warchief's old armies.

  For the average player, it was strictly party-only territory. But for Kael's squad, where everyone except the level 20 Bronwyn was over level 25, it was a cakewalk. Kael barely had to lift a finger, simply directing his phantoms to help them clear a path through the trash mobs.

  Along the way, he took the opportunity to observe Angler and IronShell's combat styles. Angler focused on Voodoo dolls and a variety of curse-based skills.

  IronShell, on the other hand, didn't seem to have any offensive abilities at all. He just charged into the thick of the mobs and let them beat on him, going in fresh-faced and coming out looking like he'd gone ten rounds with a heavyweight.

  The girls watched, bewildered.

  "Hey, Dawnbreaker," Rena asked, "why isn't that bald guy wearing any gear?"

  Hazel was just as baffled. "Yeah, seriously! How is his defense so high with no armor?"

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "Maybe he's a special class that can't equip armor?" Lunara suggested.

  Kael chuckled and explained. "IronShell is a monk. He's building up his inner energy. The fastest way to do that is to take damage. The harder he gets hit, the more powerful his energy becomes."

  Rena's eyes widened in understanding. "So he forgoes armor to build his power faster."

  Hazel blurted out, "Then why doesn't he take off his pants, too—"

  The words hung in the air. She froze, realizing what she'd just said. A quick glance around confirmed that, yes, everyone was staring at her. A deep blush flooded her cheeks. Head down, she suddenly charged toward the front of the group.

  "I'll go pull the next pack!"

  The rest of the party broke into muffled laughter.

  They reached the edge of the Verdant Pool without further incident. Kael gathered them by the shore. "Alright, everyone drink your potions. It's also pitch-black down there, and standard light sources won't work, so stay close to me."

  "Roger that!"

  Kael led the way, downing his Gills Potion before sliding into the water. The others followed suit, one by one, plunging into the depths.

  For most of them, it was their first time diving. The underwater world was breathtaking. Schools of exotic, non-aggressive fish—rare specimens in the real world—swam around them, creating a vibrant, living tapestry.

  As they descended deeper, the light from the surface faded until they were enveloped in darkness. Kael swapped his equipped trinket from the Heart of the Ocean to the Tidal Glow. Instantly, a soft luminescence radiated outwards, illuminating a 40-yard radius around them.

  Combat underwater came with a whole new set of rules:

  Movement and attack speed were significantly reduced.

  Physical stats like hit rate and critical strike chance were lowered.

  Most spells were unaffected, but some gained powerful new properties.

  For Kael, his normal 0.8-second shot time was now a sluggish 1.2 seconds.

  After swimming for about ten minutes, they finally encountered a hostile creature.

  "Whoa, look at the size of that turtle!" Hazel pointed into the gloom.

  Following her gaze, they saw a massive turtle, as large as a small room, lurking forty yards away.

  [Enraged Snapping Turtle (Elite)] Level 28

  HP: 800,000

  Physical Attack: 6,200

  Physical Defense: 5,200

  Magic Defense: 900

  With 5,200 physical defense, the turtle was practically immune to physical damage for most players. Fortunately, the party was heavy on magic DPS. Kael checked everyone's positioning, found it satisfactory, and gave the command.

  "Ready? I'm pulling."

  "Ready!"

  Kael drew his bow. An arrow shot through the water.

  -8753

  The giant turtle roared silently and charged. On land, it would have been a lumbering beast, but here in the water, it was terrifyingly agile. It closed the 40-yard distance in less than three seconds, ramming its head straight into Hazel's shield.

  -1745

  The rest of the team unleashed their attacks. Orion produced a blue, glowing glyph from his fingers and flicked it at the turtle. It erupted in a flash of blue light, and the sound of crackling electricity filled the water.

  Zzzzzzt—

  -1734

  The bolt didn't just hit the turtle; it arced to the surrounding ornamental fish, stunning them senseless. His lightning glyph had gained an AoE effect underwater.

  Lunara followed up with an ice spell.

  -875 (Frozen)

  On land, the spell would have only applied a slowing debuff. Here, it encased the turtle in a solid block of ice.

  Beyond the altered skill effects, movement was completely different. On the ground, combat was a two-dimensional affair of strafing and the occasional jump. Here, they could swim up, down, and all around, adding a vertical axis to the fight. For the first-timers, it was an entirely new and exhilarating experience.

  They attacked and bantered at the same time.

  "Fighting underwater is actually pretty cool."

  "Right? My spell is an AoE now!"

  "Haha, this big turtle is so dumb. All it does is headbutt Hazel."

  As if it heard their mockery, the snapping turtle suddenly retracted its head and limbs into its shell and began to spin.

  The shell spun faster and faster, pulling the surrounding water with it. A massive whirlpool formed, sucking everything toward its center.

  Hazel, right at the front, was the first to be caught. She was yanked off her feet and thrown violently upwards into the churning vortex.

  "Aahh! Dawnbreaker, help me!"

  Her scream was cut short as the current ripped her away into the darkness.