Chapter 52: Materials Assembled
Standing at the bow, Enber gazed intently into the distance, realizing Miss Gwyn hadn't exaggerated—the island ahead was indeed quite "small." Spanning only a few miles, it was barren and devoid of vegetation. Rather than calling it an island, it would be more accurate to describe it as a large rock formation.
In the vastness of the sea, such a tiny island was like a grain of sand in a desert. Without a guide, even with coordinates, Enber doubted he would've found it so easily.
After ordering the sailors to anchor the Aarunheim in a safe area free of reefs, Enber, Xio, and Miss Gwyn left the ship and set foot on the island. Guided by Gwyn, they soon reached a massive rock formation.
Pointing to the ground where traces of soil were clearly disturbed, Miss Gwyn said, "The cave entrance is right here. After barely escaping last time, I covered it with a mat and more dirt."
Enber examined the area around the rock without hastily digging. Instead, he activated his Pure White Eye, using its scene recall ability to investigate.
Once he was certain no one else had been there, he moved the dirt-covered mat aside, revealing a pitch-black hole in the ground.
Miss Gwyn glanced at Enber, then raised her gun in one hand, lifted a lantern with the other, and led the way into the cave. Enber and Xio followed closely behind—one gripping his sword-cane, the other her revolver—ready for any unexpected danger.
The cave sloped downward gradually, not too steep but treacherous enough to cause a fall if one slipped.
After passing through the narrow initial section, roughly a hundred meters long, Enber's view suddenly expanded as they entered a large, naturally formed cavern.
The cavern, four to five meters high, continued to slope downward. Except for the stone wall near the entrance, it stretched out in every direction, vanishing into the darkness.
"Left and straight ahead lead to a few other passages, but they're dead ends. There were some creatures at the end of each, but I dealt with them last time," Miss Gwyn explained. Then she pointed to the right and added, "Only the right side connects to a spiraling passage that goes deeper. We only made it partway before we were attacked by the Dragon-Eyed Serpent."
What she described matched what Enber had read in The Cave Adventures.
He nodded silently.
"Would you like to explore the other passages first?" Miss Gwyn offered, unaware of his foreknowledge.
Enber exchanged a glance with Xio, then shook his head with a smile. "Let's go deal with that Dragon-Eyed Serpent first."
The main reason he had come here was to obtain the Keeper of Knowledge's primary material—everything else was secondary.
"Follow me, then," Miss Gwyn said seriously. "And be careful. The creature is skilled at ambushes—it may already be watching us."
She took the lead, carefully holding her lantern high.
About half an hour later, the three reached the edge of the cavern. They stood before a two-meter-high, five-meter-wide passage that spiraled downward, its thick stone walls damp and rough.
"This passage is long and descends deep. Last time, we only made it partway before that monster blocked our path," Miss Gwyn said again, a trace of resentment in her voice. The closer they got to the place where her companions had died, the more her emotions stirred.
Enber didn't try to console her—if it had been his friends who'd fallen, he would have felt the same. The best way to help was to aid her revenge.
This time, Enber insisted that Miss Gwyn stay behind him. She was only a Sequence 9 Warrior and lacked powerful mystical items—if ambushed, she'd struggle to defend herself.
Taking the lead, Enber held his sword-cane ready, occasionally activating his Pure White Eye for a second or two to scan ahead through scene recall.
After another ten minutes, a chilling chant echoed through the tunnel:
"Lotha…"
The ghostly, ethereal tone filled the passage—hauntingly beautiful yet bone-chilling, cutting straight into the mind.
Enber froze. Countless chaotic thoughts surged through his mind, like an overloaded server. Fortunately, he was accustomed to such sensations from using the Pure White Eye to analyze items. Snapping back quickly, he reactivated his ability just in time.
A massive, blue-green serpent's tail shot out from the shadows, lunging toward him!
Smack!
In an instant, Enber activated the Wind Blessing with his Sea Wind Hat, summoning a gust that formed a wind barrier to block the strike! The serpent's tail recoiled after the failed attack, forcing the monster to reveal itself.
It was enormous—over ten meters long, covered in dark, glossy scales. Its molten, lava-like eyes glowed faintly as it hissed, the slit pupils fixed coldly on them.
Miss Gwyn and Xio regained their composure quickly, weapons at the ready, with eyes sharp.
Enber quietly exhaled. Though the first clash seemed even, he had only defended on instinct—while the creature had attacked with full force. That revealed a gap in strength.
This serpent's size is intimidating, but its strength seems only around Sequence 7, Enber thought as he analyzed its weak points through the Pure White Eye. Adjusting his hat, he summoned dozens of wind blades that shot toward the serpent.
Despite its scales, the serpent's flesh couldn't withstand the slicing gales—deep cuts opened across its body.
Hissing furiously, it reared up, its molten eyes burning brighter.
It was far less resilient than the earthbound spirit left by Jane's father in Saint George's District, Backlund. Furious, the Dragon-Eyed Serpent slammed its tail wildly, sending sprays of blood flying—blood that twisted into tendrils, lashing out like whips.
But under Enber's control of wind, the blood tendrils reversed midair, striking the serpent's own body!
At that moment, Enber deactivated his Pure White Eye—he had already located the serpent's weakness. Condensing a sharp wind blade, he aimed precisely at the vulnerable spot on its lower neck, shattering the reverse scale.
"Guhh—!" The serpent's pupils contracted in panic. Its fury turned to fear as it began to retreat.
"Xio!" Enber called, tossing his sword-cane into the air.
"Got it!" Xio shouted, leaping up to catch it. With Enber's wind pushing her upward, she reached the serpent's neck in an instant.
Dodging a final tendril through sheer premonition, she drove the blade into the exposed weak spot!
The molten glow in the serpent's eyes dimmed.
Its scales began to peel off one by one as its colossal body shriveled and collapsed.
Xio landed lightly on the ground, her movements fluid from the Ring of Premonition's effects. She quickly adjusted her sailor's cap to hide any abnormality.
After waiting a few moments, Enber confirmed the serpent was truly dead. He approached, extracted its massive, lava-like eyes, and placed them into a prepared tin box.
These eyes—capable of deciphering others—were the serpent's greatest asset. Unfortunately, lacking intelligence, it had never made full use of them.
"With these, I finally have everything I need for the Keeper of Knowledge potion," Enber thought with quiet satisfaction. "Once my Student of Ratiocination potion is fully digested, I'll be ready to advance to Sequence 7."
Just then, a muffled sob sounded behind him. Turning, Enber saw Miss Gwyn kneeling, tears streaming down her face, yet smiling in relief.
Since the death of her companions, she had shown remarkable resilience. But now, with her enemy defeated, the mix of sorrow and joy overwhelmed her.
Enber and Xio said nothing, letting her release her emotions in peace as they collected the serpent's remains. Besides its eyes, its scales and skin were valuable too.
After a while, Miss Gwyn composed herself, wiping her tears with a small, embarrassed smile.
"Sorry… I must look a mess."
"Not at all. I understand how you feel," Enber replied, handing her the serpent's skin. "Here's the trophy we agreed upon."
While formidable in life, the creature's remains had shrunk considerably in death, leaving only about two meters of skin—a shadow of its former glory.
"Thank you," Miss Gwyn murmured, accepting it with a faint blush. She knew how valuable the material was and felt undeserving, having contributed little in the fight.
"Well, we've dealt with the serpent," Enber said. "How about we see where this passage leads?"
Both women nodded, and they continued down the spiraling path.
In under ten minutes, they reached a chamber with a five-meter-wide pool and a small nest beside it. Scattered around were remnants of human belongings—likely from adventurers who'd met their end here.
Enber sifted through the pile: tattered clothes, mundane weapons, and worn backpacks. But at the deepest part of the nest, two strange substances caught his eye—a deep-red, jelly-like lump and a translucent, jellyfish-like material.
"Those should be the Beyonder characteristics of Jones and Roy," Miss Gwyn murmured solemnly. "Two of my former companions—one a Sailor, the other a Hunter. They were killed by that monster."
Enber turned to her, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"You seem well-versed in the concept of Beyonder characteristics."
After all, even a second-generation Beyonder like Xio hadn't known about them until meeting him.
(End of Chapter)