We had no idea how to open the door. There was a key, but we couldn't find the keyhole. Kyle walked forward and took the key from the door, then another screen popped in the air.
[You have acquired the Key of the Waterborne Abysmal Door]
Man, they state the obvious, aren't they?
I stared at the key and waited for what would happen next. We all stood there with bated breath. The lack of information about that door and the uncertainties that lingered on us were making everyone nervous.
There's a chance we won't make it alive…hah…
I shook my head to erase those negative thoughts. But I corrected it.
There's a chance they won't make it alive – emphasis on 'they'. I ruffled my hair frustratedly. Nothing will come good of it thinking about something that hasn't happened yet.
"It's moving."
I peeked over Kyle's shoulders and saw the door move. The space in the middle of the double doors warped, and then after a few seconds, a keyhole appeared.
"So, the keyhole will only appear if you take the key from the flower."
"Seems so."
I glanced around me. Everyone was wearing a nervous yet excited face. I grinned. These people really became hungry for battle. I do hope their arrogance won't kill them soon. I nodded at them and said, "Let's do it."
Vice Mayor Aina gave a touching speech I almost teared up. Serin came to me and Ryder to bid us good luck. I ruffled her hair. For once, she combed them, but how come I suddenly missed her disheveled look?
I chuckled inwardly. Then, I patted every one of my members on the back, saying lightly, "Don't die."
They all flinched, except the commander, and returned my subtle smile after nodding. I nodded to Kyle, so he whirled around and put the key in the keyhole.
The ground shook as the double doors slowly scraped the asphalted road and created a heavy creaking noise like someone opening the door in a horror movie. I gulped and stood tall. Blue smoke seeped out from the gap.
Kyle glanced at me before he stepped forward, leaving all of us with his determined and confident curt speech, "Let's finish this!"
Yeah. We better hurry. If there are monsters inside, they might rush to the open door and sneak out. I followed Kyle and the three came after me.
As soon as I stepped inside the door, my eyes were greeted by a bright light. I instinctively covered them with my arms. Why so bright? Have we perhaps entered the gates of heaven instead?
The light gradually subsided and my vision adjusted. I looked around since I didn't see my companions. I walked forward. But that f*cking step was a wrong move.
Splash!
"WHAT THE F*CK?!"
The hard ground disappeared and I sank into the water so suddenly! The water was shallow, it only reached my neck, so I was able to breathe properly. I paddled my feet and walked to where I came from.
I'm sure I was standing on something! How come I see no ground at all?! I swam forward, my head peeked underwater, and there I saw a sinking withered king lotus leaf.
That's where I was standing. Alexis is right, this place might be a pond. But aren't they normally packed with those large leaves, how come there was only one? I didn't ponder about that too deeply as my priority is to find my missing team members.
"HELLO? COMMANDER? RYDER? ETHAN? EVA?? Is that her name?"
No one answered. Where the hell are they?
I kept swimming around, finding anything I could grab on and stand upon. I have a feeling there's something weird that will pull me into the deep, and heck, it's scary just to think what it could be. What if it's a giant anaconda?
"STERNE!"
I looked back and saw Kyle floating a few meters away from me. I shouted back, "THE OTHERS?"
"I DON'T KNOW! I JUST ENTERED THEN I FELL INTO THESE—PWAH!"
"COMMANDER!"
Something pulled him under. I inhaled deeply and then went into the water. My eyes widened after witnessing what pulled Kyle.
Seaweeds?
No. It's a freaking lotus seedpod! The stem wrapped around Kyle's ankles and the pod was shooting seeds from the receptacle.
Kyle struggled and tried to evade the seeds, but when one landed on his arm, the seeds exploded and the water surrounding him turned green. Then, Kyle lost consciousness.
I quickly swam to him, pulled the sword from my inventory, and slashed the stem.
[Weapon
The pod stopped attacking. I swam above, pulling Kyle up.
"Pwah!"
Damn, he's so heavy! I slapped him many times but he wasn't responding. What was with the seed anyway? When did the lotus seed become formidable like that? I used to do it when I was younger!
"Sir Atlas!"
My head spun in the direction where the voice came. Eva was waving her hand inside a…large bubble…? Is that her ability?
Three huge and transparent bubbles containing Ethan, Ryder, and her were moving toward us. I sighed in relief after seeing them alive. I almost assumed their deaths by drowning after getting shot by the gun-like seedpod.
Slowly, my body clinging to Kyle floated as the water rippled and a large bubble appeared, devouring us inside. I finally get a proper look at the surroundings. The place doesn't look like a pond because the water seemed endless.
There was nothing beside them and a wriggling monster underneath. This is a B-rank door?
Eva spoke, "We were looking for the two of you. What happened to the commander?"
"You weren't attacked?"
Ryder chipped in, "Attack by what?"
So, they weren't. Lucky them. "A monster plant is underwater. It dragged Kyle and he got hit by its seed. It seems poisonous."
I checked Kyle's pulse. Luckily, he was still breathing. His lips were pale and parts of his skin where he got hit by that exploding seed were turning green as if algae were creeping underneath. I tried to wipe it but nothing happened.
Dammit. Why did no one think of bringing a healer? What if this thing kills him? To be killed upon entering the door is a bad record, Kyle, wake up!
SLAP!
"F*ck you, Sterne. That hurts!"
"You weren't waking up! How are you feeling? You lost consciousness after getting hit by a lotus seed, do you remember?"
Kyle grunted as he sat up. He momentarily looked shocked after realizing we were sitting in a floating bubble.
"Commander, I'm glad you're fine."
Kyle nodded to Ethan. He touched his greenish forearm and cursed, "It's numbed. I can't feel my hand."
"It means that seed has paralysis effects. Make sure not to get hit by them," I looked at the others, "Now that we're united, let's think of a way to fight that plant. Eva, can this bubble submerge us underwater?"
"It can. But it'll be hard maintaining the bubble this large."
Kyle, "Then just make it possible for us to breathe underwater. Besides, it's hard to fight if we're stuck inside this bubble."
"Ethan, can you freeze the entire pond?"
Ethan looked at me, "It's still too wide for me, sir, but I can freeze part of it."
"Then, Ethan, you'll be our support. Freeze the part where we'll land. What's underwater was probably trying to drag us since fighting underwater will be difficult. We have to bring it out in the open. Commander, can you still fight?"
Kyle smirked and arrogantly answered, "Who do you think I am? This is nothing."
"Then, you and Ryder will have to drag that monster—!"
The water rippled violently.
Ryder shouted, "Look out!"
Evan quickly manipulated the bubbles and sent us away from the whirlpools. But the current was just pulling us into the middle. Eva was struggling to keep us out of the way, but she looked like she wouldn't hold up any longer.
I shouted at Ethan, "Fray! Give us a solid landing! Eva, you can let the bubbles pop!"
Ethan, "Right away!"
Eva nodded. Ethan made stepping ice blocks floating on the water. I immediately jumped as soon as the bubbles exploded. Ethan targeted a still water surface, far from the whirlpools, and made a large iceberg.
We quickly jumped and safely landed on the thick ice. I ruffled Ethan's head, feeling proud that he could create something so big like that.
He scratched his head and said, "This block can last us minutes, as long as it doesn't crack."
"That's already a lot. Great job."
Kyle swooped in and asked, "What are those whirlpools?"
His question was immediately answered when tall and thick stems slithered up in the air. Its heads were like white lotus buds and looked pretty, yet as soon as it bloomed and opened, sharp teeth like those of a Venus flytrap unfolded from every petal.
Besides the flower stems wriggled up small stems holding up the paralyzing seedpods. There were too many of them.
Kyle glanced at me and asked, "How are we going to kill them?"
"No matter how you cut a stem, it'll only grow back. To kill a plant, you have to pull the root out from the ground."