973 Chapter 973 Around the Lake Once everyone from the expedition squad had made it back to the shore and were on solid ground again almost everyone slumped over in defeat.
Their attempt to cross the expansive lake blocking their path towards the center of the island had ended in failure.
Encountering a single high level legendary grade beast had been harrowing enough, but the far lager and clearly stronger monster that arose from the depths after defeating the fortress turtle had shown them all that going over the lake would be fraught with greater dangers than anticipated.
Perhaps if they had been on solid land things would have been different, but too many of the members of the expedition squad were at a massive disadvantage in the water. Especially the members of Fianna's party.
Even Marcus had found that his lightning and fire magic were practically useless underwater. Had he used either of them their effects would have been diminished and he would have most likely hit his allies as well.
"I believe that I said that we should go around rather than risk cutting through! We know that there are greater dangers on this island than any of us could imagine! Taking unnecessary risks like crossing a humongous lake when we have no clue what is living in it could cost us lives!" Fianna said heatedly not long after making it back to the shore.
Among the four leaders of the expedition squad, she was the only one that dissented against the plan to cross the lake.
Evette and Cassius had been strongly in favor, while Mrazivy had gone along with them in order not to cause a tie and possible breakdown in leadership.
"Your correct Fianna, it was a mistake." Evette said with her head lowered. "I was too overconfident in my own abilities and the powers that this elite squad holds. So far, we have not encountered any creatures that could challenge us. The wendigo was certainly a threat, but only because of the indirect way it attacked. Just three of our members had been able to defeat it when engaging it in battle. I figured that nothing living in this lake would be at the level of that fortress turtle. Or whatever that monster was."
Evette clearly still looked shaken up by the encounter with the scaly humanoid monster that had appeared from the bottom of the lake and eaten the fortress turtle.
One look was all anyone in the expedition squad needed to know it was a magnitude of strength greater than the fortress turtle.
It had been too far away for any of them to try and appraise, but its very presence exuded overwhelming power.
If Marcus had to guess, he would say it was probably in the same league as Ardea, The Grand Witch of the Peaks and Lilia's master.
That would have put it somewhere in the upper eighties or lower nineties level wise and with the strength equivalent of a mythic grade beast.
Frankly a monster like that was not something the expedition squad could fight lightly. Maybe they could have won if they all worked together and used every bit of power they had, but almost certainly they would have incurred casualties even if they did come out victorious.
"Nobody died or even seriously hurt, and we got some intel on the creatures living in this lake. I still stand by my decision to try and cross. Who knows how long it is going to take us to go around it." Cassius said, showing none of the regret that Evette did.
Fianna stared at him with a cold glare because of his brazen attitude.
While it may have been true that nothing irreparable had occurred, the dangers to her party had been greater than anyone else.
"This is not the time for us to be fighting amongst ourselves." Mrazivy said, stepping in between Fianna and Cassius. "We encountered a heavy setback, but it is not like our mission has changed. If we cannot go across the lake, we simply go around. If we fine that this lake encompasses the entirety of the island's center, we can come back with more specialized adventurers and magical equipment."
Thanks to Mrazivy's intervention, neither Fianna or Cassius came to blows, and their argument fizzled out.
Both of them realized that it was unbecoming for them as leaders to worsen the situation.
With things having cooled down the expedition unit reorganized and began walking along the shore of the lake.
…
For six days they traveled with the lake to their side and no apparent change in direction.
They had been heading west the entire time, but the endless shoreline continued in roughly the same direction the entire time.
It was not until late in the evening on the sixth day, just before they were about to set up camp, that they finally spotted a change.
Every so slightly the edge of the lake began to curve.
'Looks like we have finally found what we were looking for.' Marcus thought, wearing a relived expression.
With how long their trek had been, he had begun to worry that the lake might extend all the way across the island and that they would have to return to the sand beach area to go around it.
Thankfully its already massive size did not extend that far. At the very least, they would know soon whether this lake truly made up the whole of the island's center, or if they could go around it.
"There is a clear area that is raised up above the rest of the surrounding area about nine hundred meters ahead. I believe that it will be an ideal place for us to make camp." Miguel said, relaying the information he was receiving from his summoned creature that originated from the island and could see farther than anyone else.
However, when they found themselves at the top of this small hill that rose above the rest of the surrounding area, the expedition squad was in for quite the surprise.
Clearly, they were not the only ones to have identified this as a perfect spot to rest, as there were signs of other people having been here recently.
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