The gigantic, strange-looking fish continued diving swiftly into the depths, with the two of them chasing after it like madmen. But suddenly, something strange happened—the fish began to vanish from their sight, as if everything that had just happened was nothing more than an illusion.
They had reached their absolute limits; it was time to return to the surface. All they could see was utter darkness, water engulfing them completely, and even the light itself was fading from their eyes. So they had to hurry back to regain their breath, despair weighing on their faces after losing their dinner.
The two of them began rushing toward the surface, but something felt terribly strange. No matter how hard they swam upward, nothing appeared—it was as though they were diving deeper and deeper into the abyss. Till reached his limit; his breath started to break apart, then his wings began to unfold as he tried to thrust himself upward with greater speed. Rian followed suit—his arms and legs became covered with crimson scales and sharp claws, then a blazing sphere of red energy burst from beneath his feet, trying to propel him upward even faster.
But the same scene repeated itself. There was no sign whatsoever that a lake's surface existed above them. The situation grew terrifying.
Finally, the two collapsed, returning to their human forms. Their bodies began to sink, descending deeper into the abyss, their breath completely gone. They were struggling only to stay alive. Just as they battled to survive, drowning with no way to renew their breath, a mysterious, unseen force surged forth—like gravity—dragging them deeper and deeper, while neither of them could resist.
Then a faint light began to glow beneath them. The deeper they sank, the brighter it became, until it shone so intensely they could no longer see.
As they collapsed and fell downward, blinded by the dazzling radiance, a strange feeling overcame them—not the sensation of drowning, but of falling. When Rian opened his eyes and instinctively inhaled air, he realized they were no longer underwater. Beneath him, he saw the ground, as if they were plummeting from a tall building. Till noticed it too. And all that burst from their mouths was a scream:
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Gaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"What is this?! What's happening?!"
Just before they hit the ground, Till transformed, spreading his wings and halting his fall. Rian, meanwhile, channeled every ounce of energy into his legs. Transformation marks appeared: claws and crimson scales. It was the only way to soften the impact.
Bfffffff! Rian crashed down like a boulder from a mountaintop, the thud echoing loudly.
Haaaaaahh… He gasped for breath, wiping the water from his face. "Hhhhey, that was close!"
But the relief lasted only a moment before it twisted into pain.
"Ahhhhhh! What the hell?!" A giant crab had clamped tightly onto his left arm and bit down hard.
"You little bastard, how dare you?!" Rian grabbed the crab with his right hand, pried it off, and slammed it onto the ground.
Till descended as well, landing gracefully with his gray wings, the perfect landing—unlike someone else.
Now that they had both arrived, it was time to figure out where they were and how to return. The sight before them was strange indeed: a vast chamber with a massive door directly ahead. When they looked upward, all they could see was the towering ceiling of this colossal room.
Together, they approached the huge door, curious about what lay beyond. But the stone door was immensely heavy. They pushed with all their might, yet it refused to budge.
"Well then, it won't open this way… I'll try it my way."
A gray aura began to glow around Till, focusing into his right hand. Feathers swirled and coiled around it, shaping into a massive drill—the very same drill that had once pierced through the chimera. He hovered back slightly, then dashed forward at full speed, thrusting his drill-hand at the stone gate.
A deafening crash rang out, as though a massive explosion had struck.
"Hahahahaha! You must yield, you damn stone gate, before your master!"
But before Till could finish his dramatic performance, the dust cleared, revealing a horrifying truth: the door hadn't moved an inch.
"Pffft—hahahahahaha!" Rian burst into laughter. "Looks like you've gotten weak."
He stepped closer to the door. "Alright, let me show you what a real attack looks like."
Rian retreated several steps back. The crimson aura around him began to blaze, igniting fiercely. He opened his mouth wide, gathering energy until a flaming sphere materialized before him.
"Haaaahh—Hvooooooh! Dragon's Breath!"
He unleashed it. A fiery lash of flame surged forward at breakneck speed, colliding with the stone door. The dragon fire and the stone clashed, producing a massive explosion that roared throughout the chamber.
End of Chapter