With this skill, I can try something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I want to do it right now, but I have to take care of the problem in front of me.
“Aira, there aren’t any more drops, right?”
“Yes. Only squid tentacles.”
“Then let’s silence this dungeon. Ayane, lend me the staff.”
“Yes!”
I take the Moses’ staff from Ayane, and head towards the beach, where my sisters-in-law are waiting.
“Ah, you’re here.”
Takane has a tablet in hand, and I recognize who’s on it.
“Sakuya and Miki.”
‘Hello Amachi. Ayane, and everyone. I’m glad to see you’re doing well.’
‘Good job everyone, I heard what happened!’
‘Yes, they told us. Amachi, thank you very much for ending this stampede.’
Both bow, and apparently there were stampedes in various places involving water. The bottom of the sea, the bottom of lakes, and from underground lakes. Thankfully, they only happened in the outskirts of Japan, so economic damage was avoided, but there’s another problem.
The S rank adventurers arriving today could not ignore this commotion, and moved in to deal with it.
If this stampede was not stopped, it’s said that half the Pacific Ocean could have become a haven for monsters. Once a stampede happens, it’s not likely to happen again, unless the dungeon is left alone again for two or three months.
Monsters emerging from the sea once every few months is very troubling. If monsters pop out of another dungeon, and another, while one is being cleaned up, it could turn into a hellish cat and mouse game. If the clean up isn’t sped up, this could go on forever.
There will be more dungeons next year, so it’s a really good thing they were held back in the initial response.
‘I heard about you becoming a core holder and using that power to stop stampedes forever. The Houjouin family will do everything it can to assist you.’
‘And not only we the Saotome family, but the association of the first sector will help you. But first comes the location of the dungeon.’
I’m glad they’re fully on board, but that’s already settled.
“Ah… Sorry to put a damper on this, but we know where it is.”
‘‘Eh?’’
“And we’ll manage to enter it by ourselves, so please watch us.
That’s faster than explaining.
I point the staff in the direction the black needle of the dungeon marker is pointing, and unleash its power.
“Sea Split!”
Whooosh…!
I hear the water move to both sides, as the ocean floor is laid bare.
It’s about five meters wide, and it feels like I could make it wider if I put more strength into it, but then the magic energy cost would jump beyond my automatic recovery. My Magic Energy Super Recovery recovers eighty-four every fifteen seconds, and the golems take seventeen of it. That means the amount of magic energy I use freely should be kept to sixty every fifteen seconds.
The path made with Sea Split looks like it stretches to the horizon, but if I focus with Perception Strengthening, I can see a small cave far ahead. That must be the dungeon, and where Sea Split ends.
Thinking about how much power it takes, it would be easier to open a space around us, instead of something this large-scale, but I can’t control combat skills minutely like that. It’d be different if it was a spell…
I see my sisters-in-law and mothers-in-law looking shocked out of the corner of my eye, and after looking at everyone in turn, I run.
“See you later!”
““““Here we go!””””
‘S-see you later…’
Says Miki like she’s barely getting the words out, and we head to the dungeon.
We’ve been walking on the ocean floor for five minutes. There’s still seaweed and coral on the rock surface, and this really isn’t suited for walking, but thankfully, there are no fish. It looks like they were all taken by the water when I used Sea Split.
The fact that seaweed and coral weren’t affected gives me a glimpse of how dungeon living beings are categorized.
“Darling, is your magic energy doing okay?”
“Hn… I think it’s just enough to maintain this.”
“Can’t you deactivate it where we passed? That should ease the burden a little.”
“Hnn… It’s hard, because combat skills aren’t that flexible. And it would be a little dangerous to try, so let’s keep going like this.”
“How about riding Enki like on the third floor?”
‘Gogo?’
Enki raises its hand in my arms.
“No, it’s fine. The footing is all rugged here, and it’s damp even without the water. We’re not going too fast, and being careful, and I’m worried Enki will fall. Let’s just keep going like this.”
“Yes. At a safe speed. Still, Shouta, that is an incredible situation.”
“Hn?”
“Hahaha, true.”
“Like a new kind of monster.”
“Ahh… Is it that weird?”
“Everyone loves you, darling.”
They look at me and laugh.
I have Enki in my arms, Iris on my head, and Enril on top of it. And Seren is on my back like it’s covering me.
It was just Enki at first, and everyone was flying or rolling behind me. But then Iris said it wasn’t fair if it was just Enki, prompting everyone to come. They’re so spoiled, they remind me of someone…
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