pearl of wisdom

[Season 2] Chapter 14 - Chthonian Voices

The short man stood in front of your team awkwardly, a heavy air in the room as everyone waited for him today something. Goseng stepped forward reluctantly, "Um, what's going on, sir? Where's our rival team?"

The ranker, Noma, scratched his rosy cheek, "Um. . . that's. . . The rival team. . . has run away."

"What!?" Goseng and Wangnan exclaimed

"I think they heard about Mr. Viole and Dragonhier being on your team and got scared." The ranker reasoned, clasping his hands together. You hummed, crossing your arms, "I assume we'll take another exam?"

"Haha, yes. Don't worry about your exam, I prepared another interesting one." And with they the ranker led you outside, onto a ship on the borderlines of the inner tower, leading you out to sea. Wangnan beamed, staring down over the rails at the shoals of fishes, "Ooh!! This is amazing!! It's the sea!!"

"Look at that! They're flying again!" Miseng pointed to the fish as she sat in Viole's shoulders.

"What!? Where!!?"

"This is awesome!!"

You stared at the faraway fish, their scales winking under the light, pearls of water leaving their tails. A smile remained on your face as you stood in-between Horyang and Wangnan, identifying all the fishes in your head. Your gaze flickered over to a humongous silhouette lurking under the azure waters. Rather shocked, eyes wide under your mask, you faced your teammates- "Hold on, everyone!"

And a giant rumble roared through the vivid waves.

"W-what's this quake!?"

"Wait there!!"

You grabbed onto the falling Prince, securing his weight as everyone else steadied themselves. "It's a zygaena."

"That's right." The ranker confirmed your statement as a large body casted a shadow over the boat. You helped Prince up as Wangnan stared at the creature, "That's a shinhueh. . . do we take the exam there?"

"Yes, that creature is called zygaena. It's like a mystical creature to the people on the 21st floor. All you have to do is go inside the body of the zygaena and find the flower of zygaena." The ranker instructed.

"W-wait! Go inside its body!?"

"Yes. You should go inside its body." Wangnan made a face. The ranker continue nonchalantly, "That's all you need to know. Good luck regulars."

With that the ranker kicked you all out of the ship onto a coral-red motorboat. Hurriedly, you created a bed of a school of fishes below everyone, slowly placing them onto the boat one by one.

"Thank you!" You gave Miseng a quiet smile, your gaze drifting back to the shinhueh as the currents dragged you closer to the creature. Behind your mask, you made an expression of worry, the heavy presence inducing apprehension into your blood, this is. . . another trap.

"This is terrible!!" Wangnan screamed, "Not good. . . this test is the worst. why do we have to go inside it. . . and find a jewel that doesn't belong to us. . .?"

You took your lighthouse- the image of a flower with rich blue gems the color of the sea at it's center, flashing onto your screen, "This is the flower of zygaena. It's a flower that grows a jewel that only grows inside zygaenas."

You glanced up at the creature, "Its' color is so unique that it's considered one of the most beautiful jewels. Currently, this jewel is very hard to find because it can only gorw in the zygaena's body and it's hard to find."

Your lighthouse then flashed to a pair of images of the turtle-like shinhueh, displaying both sides of it, "The zygaena has two blowholes, one on it's back and one on it's belly. Using these blowholes, we can safely enter the zygaena's body."