Building The First Adventurer Guild In Another World

Chapter 312: Upside-Down Sea

In another part of the Vault, but instead of the oppressive, suffocating rocky mountains they had encountered before, it unveiled a realm both strange and beautiful, so enchanting that it felt almost unreal, as if a piece of the ocean had been reshaped into a dream and deposited here.

An expansive blue forest stretched out endlessly in every direction, softly glowing as if it were alive. The landscape was decorated with structures resembling giant corals instead of trees, towering and curved, their smooth surfaces shimmering with a gentle light.

Their branches reached skyward like delicate hands, while the atmosphere around them felt heavier and denser; a faint wetness brushed against their skin like a gentle tide.

The ground beneath their feet was not soil or stone, but instead a smooth surface reminiscent of layered polished shells, reflecting the forest’s blue glow in soft ripples with each step, creating a surreal sensation that the entire world was quietly breathing beneath them.

At the heart of this wondrous world stood an incredible sight: a massive waterfall, but not the kind that cascades down. Instead, water surged upward from a wide circular basin nestled in the ground, spiraling into the sky like a twisting pillar of liquid light.

The water glowed with a deep blue hue as it climbed higher, eventually disappearing into a distant ceiling above, as if feeding something beyond sight. The sound was a constant deep rush that enveloped the area, loud but not overwhelming, resonating in the chest like the persistent tide of an endless ocean.

Droplets hovered around the waterfall, not falling but drifting lazily like tiny glowing orbs, catching the light and casting soft patterns across the forest, giving everything a dreamlike quality that made it difficult to believe it was real.

Above them, where one would expect to see a traditional sky, there was something even more peculiar. Instead of clouds or a void, a vast expanse resembled the surface of an ocean turned upside down, shifting slowly with deep currents that moved like giant waves, yet they did not crash.

Within this "sky," shapes glided, long shadows moving through the blue depths like creatures swimming in water. If one looked closely, they could discern enormous fish-like forms, their bodies glowing faintly as they drifted across the sky like inhabitants of a sea of their own.

This place bore a sense of calm mixed with the unsettling awareness that they were still in the Vault, a realm where normal rules did not apply.

However, that moment of awe was swiftly shattered as chaos erupted in the midst of this breathtaking setting. The serene glow of the forest was pierced by the sounds of battle: loud impacts, splashes of liquid, and sharp cries echoed throughout as Sage and his group fought against an unending swarm.

The enemies before them were unlike anything they had encountered before. At first glance, they resembled mermaids, but a closer look revealed a far more nightmarish reality.

Their upper bodies were humanoid yet grotesquely distorted, with skin that was pale and rough, interspersed with patches of scales that shimmered under the blue light.

Their faces were stretched in unnatural ways, sharp teeth bared in a perpetual snarl, and their eyes glowed faintly, giving them a puppet-like appearance rather than that of living creatures.

Their lower bodies were long and sleek, reminiscent of fish but covered in thicker scales, allowing them to maneuver swiftly through the bizarre environment, gliding effortlessly across the ground and through the air as if swimming in an unseen sea.

Each creature wielded a crude stone spear, jagged and uneven, yet dangerous in overwhelming numbers. It was indeed their sheer quantity that added to their terror.

They descended in waves from every direction, emerging from the glowing forest, dropping down from overhead, and surging forward in unending lines, showing no signs of relent.

Individually, they were weak and nowhere near the strength of the beasts Sage and his companions had previously battled. However, together, they formed a relentless tide, pushing forward without stopping, forcing the group to keep moving and fighting, never granting a moment’s rest.

At the forefront of the melee, Mina was a whirlwind of destruction. Her small frame seemed at odds with the chaos she created as she swung her massive shield with unbridled energy, each strike sending multiple creatures flying before they exploded into sprays of blue blood, splattering the luminous ground.

Her golden eyes sparkled not with fear but with a mixture of anger and disbelief. With a fierce slam of her shield, she sent a shockwave through the cluster of enemies, scattering them in a grotesque mixture of limbs and liquids.

"Petty uncle Sage!" she shouted, her voice slicing through the tumult as her gaze swept over the swarm, her expression a blend of betrayal and indignation. "I thought mermaids were supposed to be beautiful, how come these are so ugly? I can’t sleep anymore!"

Sage, positioned at the back, remained calm yet fully engaged. His hands moved fluidly as magical circles flared to life around him in rapid succession, glowing brightly in layers of red and gold.

He gathered energy without faltering, unleashing a fireball that transcended the ordinary, a massive sphere of blazing heat, like a miniature sun, that zipped forward to obliterate a dense cluster of creatures, incinerating them instantly into nothing but vapor, leaving behind only a faint hiss.

"Me too," Sage replied, maintaining a serious tone despite the chaos. "I thought mermaids would be beautiful. At least I could find one to marry, so you’d have an aunt to play with and maybe a little cousin someday. But now, damn it, I can’t even continue!"

The others were momentarily at a loss for words. In the heat of battle, several Adventurers froze, their faces blank as if they couldn’t quite process what they had just heard.

But reality quickly snapped back into focus as another wave of creatures surged forward. Gregor, who was slicing through enemies with powerful, precise swings of his blade, reached his breaking point.

His teeth clenched tightly as he unleashed a sweeping arc of compressed wind, the attack cleaving through more than a hundred creatures in one go, blue blood and torn flesh scattering across the glowing terrain.

"Can you two stop talking and focus on the fight?" he shouted, frustration lacing his voice as he stepped forward to cut down another cluster with a sharp downward strike. "You’re making me sick!"

Mina glanced over at him while continuing her assault, her small face twisting into a smug grin as she retorted, "Hey green hair! Stop shouting or has your weird fantasy about mermaids been shattered too?"

Gregor’s face flushed an awkward shade; for a moment, it seemed like she’d struck a nerve. He fell silent but swung his blade harder as if channeling his irritation into each swing, which only made Mina grin wider as she returned to her rampage.

Around them, the battle raged on without pause. Vanthrice moved like a blur, her bronze spear flashing in quick strikes that pierced through multiple foes with each fluid motion.

Her expression was tight and clearly annoyed; she fought with an intensity that suggested these creatures had personally offended her. Brutus stood firm beside Mina, delivering heavy blows that crushed anything that dared come too close.

Meanwhile, Caelis provided support from behind, timing his attacks perfectly to assist Sage’s spellcasting and ensuring no enemy broke through their formation.

At a distance stood Valeria, arms crossed and watching the chaos unfold with an icy calmness that seemed to deter any threats from approaching her.

Yet even she wasn’t entirely unaffected; every so often, the corners of her lips twitched slightly and her eyes narrowed just enough to reveal her surprise at the banter between Sage and Mina amidst such turmoil.

The swarm pressed on, endless and relentless but the group held their ground against wave after wave of attackers. The once-beautiful blue forest around them began to stain with creature blood as it transformed into a battlefield littered with bodies and fading light.

And still, the fight showed no signs of ending.

The tide kept coming.

With each step deeper into this chaos, it felt increasingly like this was merely the beginning.