I pushed myself forward, leaving that place behind.
The submerged passage stretched deeper beneath the underground river. Water flowed silently through the natural stone channel, while the surrounding Water Beast Qi became noticeably richer the further I traveled. The once dim passage gradually brightened as countless aquatic herbs rooted along the rocky walls released a faint azure glow, illuminating the water with soft rippling light.
The scenery became increasingly beautiful.
The current remained calm, carrying countless tiny particles of Water Beast Qi that shimmered like scattered stars beneath the water. With every stroke, my body moved effortlessly through the stream. I barely needed to force myself forward anymore. The water naturally supported my movements, allowing me to twist, turn, and glide in any direction with ease.
"...This seriously feels awesome."
A grin spread across my face as I continued swimming deeper.
Not long after, a much larger herb came into view.
It stood proudly between the cracks of a massive stone, nearly twice the size of the Pure Water Spirit Herb I had collected earlier. Its leaves were broader, its color deeper, and the Water Beast Qi gathering around it was noticeably denser, continuously flowing into the herb before slowly dispersing back into the surrounding water.
As I approached it, the familiar sound echoed inside my mind.
Ding.
The familiar blue panel quietly unfolded before my eyes.
[Water Vein Jade Herb]
Grade: Upper Middle Grade
Description:
A rare medicinal herb nurtured for many years within a concentrated Water Qi Vein. Constantly refined by pure Water Beast Qi, its leaves have begun to crystallize, placing it above ordinary Middle Grade herbs.
Effects:
•Contains a large amount of refined Water Beast Qi.
•Greatly assists the cultivation of water-attributed beasts.
•Gradually improves the purity of Beast Qi after repeated consumption.
•A valuable ingredient for advanced medicinal concoctions.
Danger: None.
Edible: Yes.
"...It's even better than the previous one."
There was no reason to consume it now.
I'd already filled my stomach, and herbs of this quality were far too valuable to waste on a moment of convenience.
I stretched my neck toward the Storage Bag fastened to my shell, nudged its opening open with my snout, and dropped the herb inside.
"...Good thing the old Skull bound this Storage Bag to my shell."
Otherwise, collecting things in a place like this would've been nearly impossible.
As the familiar blue panel quietly faded from my vision, a strange thought suddenly crossed my mind.
"...Wait a second."
Why didn't I think about this before?
Ever since obtaining the System, these blue panels had appeared whenever I encountered herbs or other unusual things.
I'd simply accepted them as normal.
But after seeing both the Status Window and the Skill Module...
"...Why wasn't this in either of them?"
If this really was a skill, shouldn't it have been listed alongside the others?
And if it wasn't a skill...
"...Then what exactly is it?"
A System function?
Or something completely different?
The question lingered in my mind for a moment before I shook my head.
"...Forget it."
I didn't have enough information to figure it out anyway. Standing here and thinking about it wouldn't change anything.
Sooner or later, I'd probably come across the answer myself.
With that thought, I pushed the question aside and continued swimming deeper into the underground waterway.
As the underground waterway stretched deeper beneath the mountain, the familiar blue panels appeared from time to time whenever another valuable herb entered my sight. Most of them were already above the quality of those I had collected earlier, and without hesitation, I plucked each one free before slipping it into the Storage Bag attached to my shell.
The further I traveled, the water itself seemed to change. It felt heavier than before, yet instead of slowing me down, my body adapted to it with surprising ease.
If anything, I was enjoying it even more.
A faint smile unconsciously appeared on my face.
Every movement of my limbs felt lighter. Thanks to Pressure Resistance and Qi Veil Art, the increasing pressure no longer felt oppressive. Instead, the deeper water almost felt... comfortable.
Swimming through the underground waterway was beginning to feel more natural than crawling across land. I barely needed to exert any effort. A simple flick of my tail was enough to send my small body gliding effortlessly through the current, almost as though the water itself had accepted my presence.
The passage continued widening the deeper I swam. The rocky walls gradually spread apart, allowing the underground waterway to become much broader than before. At the same time, the surrounding Qi grew increasingly concentrated. It no longer drifted randomly through the water. Instead, every strand slowly flowed toward the same direction, as though something ahead was quietly drawing it in.
Naturally, my curiosity was piqued.
Following the flow of Water Beast Qi, I swam toward what looked like another continuation of the passage. Nothing seemed unusual. The water remained crystal clear, and I couldn't sense anything blocking my way. Yet, just as I crossed a certain point, a powerful force suddenly struck the front of my shell.
Thud!
The impact caught me completely off guard.
My body was thrown backward several meters before I finally managed to steady myself, my limbs instinctively paddling against the water to stop the momentum.
"...What was that?"
Confused, I looked ahead.
The passage remained exactly the same as before. Clear water stretched ahead, yet there wasn't a single visible obstacle where I'd just collided.
Frowning, I slowly swam back to the same spot. This time, instead of charging forward, I cautiously stretched out one foreleg. My claw touched something that shouldn't have existed beneath the water.
It was smooth and completely transparent, yet undeniably solid, like touching an invisible wall hidden beneath the water.
The sensation immediately reminded me of a wall, except there was nothing for my eyes to see.
"...An invisible barrier?"
Before I had the chance to examine it any further, the golden patterns etched across my shell suddenly emitted a faint glow.
I instinctively lowered my head.
"Why is my shell glowing...?"
Thin streams of golden light quietly spread across every marking before flowing toward the transparent barrier. The moment the two came into contact, the entire surface rippled like calm water disturbed by a falling pebble.
"W-Wait... what's happening now?"
The ripples spread farther and farther until the barrier itself slowly separated, revealing a narrow opening. At almost the same instant, the previously calm water erupted into a violent current.
Before I could retreat, the rushing water wrapped around my body and dragged me straight through the opening. My tiny limbs instinctively paddled against it , but it was completely useless. Within a single breath, I had already crossed to the other side, and the transparent barrier silently sealed itself behind me as though it had never opened at all.
The violent current finally released me.
My small body tumbled across the smooth stone ground before I hurriedly planted my limbs beneath me. For a brief moment, everything spun around me, my head still dizzy from being dragged through the barrier so suddenly.
"...What... was that?"
I instinctively turned around.
The place where I'd entered was already empty. The transparent barrier had disappeared as though it had never existed.
Only after making sure nothing was chasing me did I slowly let out a breath, trying to calm my racing heart.
Only then did I notice something strange.
The moment I inhaled, an astonishing amount of Water Beast Qi naturally flowed into my body.
I froze.
The Qi here was unlike anything outside. Every breath carried astonishing purity, almost as though the Water Beast Qi had taken physical form, flowing effortlessly through my meridians the moment it entered my body.
Ding.
A familiar blue panel quietly appeared before my eyes.
[Pure Water Qi absorbed.]
Purity: ??%
The panel vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared.
"...Pure Water Qi?"
Before I could think any further, my eyes slowly wandered across the chamber.
The herbs growing here were unlike anything outside the barrier. Every single one radiated astonishing amounts of Water Beast Qi, their leaves shimmering with a soft azure glow that gently illuminated the underground chamber.
Yet none of them managed to hold my attention.
At the very center of the chamber stood a single flower.
It towered several meters above the still water, its thick emerald stem rising gracefully from beneath the crystal-clear pool. Layer upon layer of enormous sapphire-blue petals bloomed outward, each one as flawless as polished sapphire, yet as transparent as the finest crystal. Veins of silver-blue light flowed naturally across every petal, pulsing faintly like flowing streams beneath its surface.
At its heart rested a cluster of radiant golden stamens that emitted a soft, dreamlike glow, bathing the surrounding water in rippling moonlight. Every strand of pure Water Beast Qi within the chamber drifted toward the flower as though answering an irresistible call, circling around it in countless shimmering streams before quietly disappearing into its core.
The water beneath it remained perfectly still.
Not a single ripple disturbed its reflection.
I couldn't take my eyes off the flower.
Without realizing it, I blinked.
When I opened my eyes again...
there was only darkness.
"...What...?"