<h4>Chapter 94</h4>


    Frances ced her hand on the crystal orb that controlled the Aquamarine.


    “I’ll start mapping out the area around us first. Having a rough understanding of the terrain will prove helpful.”


    At that, a question crossed Leonard’s mind.


    “Huh? I thought we couldn’t use search-rted magic inside the Rift?”


    “Direct search magic doesn’t work, true. But the magic forms integrated into the Aquamarine can send forth sound waves to map out the surroundings through their echoes. While the magic itself may be nullified, the phenomena resulting from the magic are not.”


    “Echolocation, huh? Quite ingenious,” Leonard remarked, recognizing the method.


    Masters of sound arts often did this, as they relied less on sight and smell because they could perceive their surroundings with their entire bodies.


    “To rify, individual mages can’t work with this, alright? Processing the data from a radius of hundreds of meters and converting it into a map requires specialized artifacts or advanced exploration equipment like what we have on the Aquamarine,” Esther added.


    She was also spot on. Even the infamous Seven-Tone Assassin, a master of sound maniption and one of the Four Evils, had been ambushed and killed by an archer at the Peak Realm. Had he detected the arrow shot from over two hundred meters away, he wouldn’t have met such an end.


    The effective range of echolocation was limited to several meters, and even for masters, the image would get blurry after a few dozen meters.


    “Activating Sound Detection Device,” Francesmanded.


    Ultrasonic waves, imperceptible to the human ear, were emitted discreetly from the Aquamarine’s hull, bouncing back within seconds. The ship swiftly processed the immense amount of information, rendering the nearby terrain on the surface of its crystal orb.


    “Is it a city?” Leonard muttered.


    “It looks like a city to me too, though the architecture is unfamiliar,” Frances responded.


    Everyone else exchanged their opinions as they nced at the map rendered by the sound waves.


    Amazingly, at the bottom of the deep sea where the otherworldly species of the Abyss of the Demon Octopus resided,y arge and grand city. The bell tower that appeared in the reports was just one of the many structures within this city. If this city were onnd, it could be described as a foreign metropolis.


    “This isn’t good... or maybe it’s a stroke of good luck amid misfortune?” the Chief Elder of the Magic Tower observed.


    With his own insight, he exined what he had deduced from the scene, “We knew the Demon Octopuses were intelligent, but I didn’t realize their civilization was this advanced. The low frequency of exploration seems to have worked in our favor here.”


    “Why is that?” Leonard asked.


    “That Deep Sea city isn’t a garrison. It’s more like a residential area.”


    Frances’ eyes widened as she understood what Russell meant. “You’re saying they’re like settlers? By investing everything in elerating the Corrosion, they neglected their internal defense, right?”


    “As expected of Njord’s daughter, you’re quick-witted. If they were a benevolent race, there might’ve been some chance for negotiation... but Demon Octopuses are notoriously cruel and fanatical worshippers of the cruel Outer Gods,” Russell said.


    “In that case, we should seize this opportunity to send them back where they came from,” Frances dered.


    They hade with the intention of sealing the Rift, and now they had a solid justification. If left unchecked, the precursors to a Corroded Realm would emerge within months, at most a year or two. From then on, it would be several times more difficult to subjugate it, even if it was a Rift designed for residential purposes.


    If another Corroded Realm appeared in the Fifth Sea District while Bermuda was still unable to fulfill its roles, utter chaos would ensue.


    With her resolve steeled, Frances raised her voice. “From this moment forth, wemence Operation Rising Sun!”


    All the team members, fully armed, awaited her orders.


    Responding to the changed atmosphere, Frances shouted, “Everyone, to your positions! We’ll hold off the Demon Octopuses until Leonard and Russellplete the mission!”


    * * *


    As the Aquamarine Expedition Team prepared for battle, Leonard and Jack Russell stood on the deck, staring into the imprable darkness less than ten meters ahead. Though they were deep in the sea, the darkness was unnatural; it even blocked their mana senses.


    Feeling it as well, Russell muttered, “This must be the Outer World Order. I can’t believe my mana mastery can only extend thirty meters. Navigation will prove difficult if we don’t find a way to gain visibility.”


    “Won’t night vision work?” Leonard asked.


    “Hmm, this darkness isn’t just ack of light. Rather, it’s a magical phenomenon. We’d have to generate light to drive it back or scatter it like we do with mist,” Russell exined.


    Leonard nodded in agreement. He had tried using one of the internal energy cultivation techniques, the Vision Arts, but it couldn’t prate the darkness. His night vision and prating sight were utterly ineffective, confirming the abnormal nature of this ce.


    Yet, neither of them was worried. They intended to use one of the methods Russell had mentioned earlier.


    “How long can you maintain it?” Leonard asked.


    “Two hours,” Russell replied without hesitation. “The Aquamarine’s engine can sustain the spell, so I just have to activate the magic form. Considering that they might have to fight on the deck, it shouldst at least two hours.”


    “What if it takes more than two hours to eliminate the Rift Guardian and destroy the core?” Leonard inquired.


    “If possible, it would be best to take care of that right away. If not, we’ll use teleportation magic to return to the ship and n for another attempt. The Corrosion will take a few more months at least, so we can make a request to Bermuda to deploy another Rank A expedition team to clear it out. We don’t have to solve everything ourselves,” Russell assured him, pushing his sses back on his eyes.


    The defenses of the Abyss of the Demon Octopus—more urately, the Deep Sea City—were almost nonexistent. Aquamarine couldn’t have asked for a better moment to strike; the creatures werepletely off guard, likely from theck of recent intrusions.


    —Leonard, Russell, can you hear me?


    Frances’s voice came through the ship’s broadcast system.


    “I hear you.”


    “Loud and clear.”


    —We’re starting Operation Rising Sun now. Russell, please activate the magic form as soon as you’re ready.


    “Understood,” Russell replied.


    —And Leonard, I know your skills are far superior to what I anticipated, but please don’t overdo it. The sess of this mission is far less important than your well-being.


    “I’ll keep that in mind,” Leonard said curtly.


    —We’ll hold out until you and Russellplete the mission objective or return to the ship. Well then, I wish both of you the best of luck!


    With those final words, Frances’ voice cut off.


    For some reason, Russell looked at Leonard and grinned slyly. “You’re quite popr. With your looks and skills, it’s no surprise.”


    “Russell, Captain Frances is not someone who lets personal feelings interfere.”


    “I’m well aware she’s a genius, but she’s also a young woman. It’s natural for the young to be driven by passion.”


    Leonard was about to retort, but then he recalled his own experiences as a youth and held his tongue.


    “...Well, maybe you’re right.”


    “Hmm?” Russell seemed intrigued by Leonard’s candid response but knew it was time tomence the operation.


    <i>Rumble...!</i>


    Seven Circles rotated inside the Archmage’s body, extending his mana mastery to intertwine with the world. Not even the Rift’s environment could suppress Russell’s mana mastery; it only slightly reduced its range.


    The Archmage’s mana masterypressed the darkness within his range, dissipating it. In an instant, the visibility expanded by dozens of meters, revealing the lurking shadows of the enemies.


    However...


    “Dawn,e forth.”


    It was toote to hinder the ss 7 Archmage.


    “O chariot that concludes the night, light that has circled the sea of stars since the beginning, lend me your power. I will cast your radiance upon the ocean’s depths where no light reaches, dispelling the darkness of this other dimension and summoning the clear light.”


    Though the Rift’s interior was akin to another dimension, it did not mean that only the Outer World Order could be exerted here. The Archmage, a being that was simr to a proxy of the universalw, could still repel the invaders’ws.


    And the most lethalw for the Deep Sea City was the phenomenon they had burrowed deep to avoid.


    “Arise, Helios!”


    At Jack Russell’s incantation, a dazzling orb of light emerged above the Aquamarine. If the Three-Legged Crow that Leonard had used against the Fifth Shadow was merely a bomb of condensed power, then the sun created by Helios was a sustained power cyclesting several hours.


    The Deep Sea City, shrouded in cold darkness, was suddenly bathed in sunlight, and screams of agony and terror erupted from the city of the Demon Octopuses.


    It was as if they were being branded with a red-hot iron, the pain and fear saturating their cries. The light and heat of Helios were evidently the natural enemy of the Demon Octopus species.


    Russell, watching the Deep Sea City, grinned. “Just as expected. They’re swarming toward us.”


    “They’re not fleeing,” Leonard noted.


    “They’d hide from a powerful intruder, but if you set their home on fire, they’lle out to extinguish it. Anyone seeing this would assume that the source of the light is the Aquamarine.”


    The Aquamarine was undoubtedly a formidable vessel, but it couldn’t directly subjugate the Rift Guardian or the core. The Demon Octopuses had no reason to avoid a full-scale battle if there was no risk of the Rift being sealed.


    Rather than letting their carefully constructed homes be destroyed, they would desperately try to get rid of the Aquamarine, even if some of their kin would be sacrificed in the process.


    That was precisely what Jack Russell and Leonard were counting on.


    “Floating Board.”


    As soon as he had finished the incantation, a circle-shaped foothold simr to what Leonard had seen at the Magic Tower appeared.


    It was a flying disc. Though it could be used from ss 4 onward, it was challenging to control and quite slow. The caster had to at least be ss 5 to manage to fly a little bit slower than a bird.


    But what if a ss 7 Archmage was to personally control it?


    “Come on. Get on and guide me to where the core is.”


    “Understood.”


    Leonard pointed in the direction indicated by his mana senses, then voiced a thought that had urred to him. “Russell, can you control the flying disc, attack, and defend simultaneously?”


    “I have a few artifacts for defense.”


    “What about your means of attacking?”


    “I didn’t bring any, as I haven’t had an aerial battle in a long time,” Russell replied calmly, looking back at him.


    “I’ll handle most of the attacksing our way, but any that need intercepting is your responsibility. Can you manage?”


    “That’s sudden,” Leonard responded, taking out four more swords from his subspace pouch. He deemed the situation too precarious to use just one sword.


    “Well, it won’t be too difficult,” he said nonchntly. Sheathing the extra swords on his back and waist, Leonard was now armed with five swords.


    “Good. Then, shall we take off?”


    The Floating Board carrying them shot off from the deck. Soaring rapidly to a hundred meters high, the disc maintained its speed as it transitioned to horizontal flight.


    Reaching two hundred knots[1], far surpassing Aquamarine’s top speed, the flying disc flew northwest.


    1. 370 km/h or 230mph. ?