The deeper he swam, the more his mind thought that the shadows were waiting Grimm, hoping for him to swim past without noticing only to leap out and grasp down on him, tearing the flesh from his body and devouring him completely.
He needed to stop watching bad horror movies.
The darkness was just that, darkness. Shadows cast by his Candlelight, nothing more.
It was more disconcerting to be left alone than it was to be attacked, he realised. Being left to his imagination down here, still occasionally forgetting that he didn't have to hold his breath, it was doing work on his mental state.
The whole water-breathing thing was still a tad bit weird. Consistently forgetting to breathe was starting to become a problem, and not just in the typical way it would be a problem.
Sure, not breathing came with a list of issues, but one that he only really discovered by experiencing it was that it was so damn frustrating. He knew he could breathe underwater. He'd done it before.
And still his body occasionally slipped back into old habits, and anytime his attention was focused anywhere else, he found himself suddenly without oxygen in his lungs.
He'd only just started getting the hang of remembering without direct focus, but it was quite literally like learning how to walk, or, well, breathe.
He hadn't been down here all that long, but it was labyrinthian in nature. He'd swam his way into over a dozen dead ends, frustratingly enough, and it looked almost as if he'd be swimming into a dozen more before he found whatever it was he was looking for.
And wasn't that the crux of the whole situation. He didn't even really know what he was looking for, not really. He could guess, he could look for clues, some kind of sign to point him in the right direction, but it was just that. Guesswork.
He had no concrete evidence that anything he was doing was the right thing to do, especially with how murky it was down here beyond the light cast by his submerged Candlelight.
So really his only option was to keep looking.
His original idea of using Jormungandr to scout had been flawed from the get-go, considering the sea serpent was far bigger than these tunnels, and as entertaining as it would be to get his new summon stuck in what amounted to a poorly designed natural plumbing system, it wasn't his greatest plan.
Naruto kept swimming, getting deeper and deeper, the water getting darker and darker as Candlelight began to get less and less effective the further he progressed.
His attention caught something, a shadow that didn't quite look like the rest, and he swam closer, bringing the Candlelight to hover just next to him, altering the shadow.
Not a dent like the rest. This was a hole, possibly what it was he was looking for. The only problem was that it was a bit of a tight squeeze. He was already weighed down by his shirt and pants, and whilst he'd stowed the majority of his clothes in his inventory, Crocea Mors was most likely going to get stuck. At the very least he'd have to put it away and take it out once he'd gotten through, but the idea left a sour taste in his mouth. Ever since he'd gotten his semblance he'd been loath to part with this weapon, as ingrained as it was in his own mind.
He did anyways, attempting to place the sheathed sword in his inventory.
It worked, in a sense. It split the weapon in two, the shielth and the blade becoming two separate items, stored in individual slots. Nothing to worry about, thankfully, but there was a mild moment of panic.
With that taken care of, Naruto braced himself, placing both hands against the edge of the hole and pulling himself in, a mild amount of vertigo quickly nullified by System Mind as he briefly forgot which way was up, before he squeezed through, Candlelight following closely behind as he quickly regained his bearings.
He'd thought it was just an opening with a small hole as an entrance, but instead it was something more.
It was oddly reminiscent of the tunnel the Shai-Hulud had dug underneath Mountain Glenn, perfectly round and gigantic, but where that had simply plunged through the ground on a horizontal plain, this was almost completely vertical, and full of sea water.
It was so deep and so wide, in fact, that even with the light from his floating semi-companion, it was nearly impossible to make out any detail on the cylindrical wall, only rough shapes.
Like, for example, about twenty feet below and a quarter-rotation away from him was a small outcropping with a strange rippling bubble around it.
Well, if that wasn't a clue to his next step…
Naruto swam closer, sticking close to the wall, even if he didn't have any evidence to the contrary. He didn't want to swim just out in the open, it felt… strange. Unnerving, in a sense, even if there wasn't anything there.
He closed in on the weird bubbly outcropping, and as soon as he was near he could feel a strange suction pulling him closer and closer.
Naturally, he tried to swim backwards. Anything down here was a threat, and that sort of thing was definitely not on his side, as far as he could tell.
Unfortunately for Naruto, the more he swam, the closer he got, and the stronger the suction became.
One foot breached the bubble, and it was all over, Naruto could no longer resist as it pulled him in completely, sucking him straight through and spitting him out on the outcropping with a wet splat as he suddenly found himself inside an air pocket.
[You have arrived at Floor 2!]
[Shortcut to Floor 1 has unlocked!]
Well, at least Naruto was done swimming through endless tunnels for now.
[Quest Created!]
[Dungeon Crawling: Expert]
[Clear the first five floors of any dungeon!]
[Reward: ?]
Man, Naruto hated when the quest rewards were hidden. It was a rare occurrence, and it bothered him. He wanted to know, damn him for being too curious!
He only had one way to find out, he supposed. He'd just have to clear four more floors.
Of course, that meant that he'd have to clear this floor, and that thought was what brought him to the present.
Where was he?
Well, he was presumably on the second floor of the dungeon, but where specifically? Was the second floor a single room, like the first? Was it a maze, like the tunnels he'd travelled through, the ones he'd originally assumed to be the second floor? Or was it something else entirely?
He could continue to ask himself questions, or he could go and track down answers. Naruto chose the latter, withdrawing Crocea Mors from the two slots it took up, drawing the blade from the shielth and moving his ever-present Candlelight through in front of him, illuminating the passage that lead away from the bubbled outcropping.
Water ran through, whatever mechanism that kept it from all pouring in not completely perfect, and Naruto could see where lichen was growing in patches on the rocky surface in the small streams and puddles left in the wake of wherever the water was headed. The passage wasn't completely flat, instead tilting down on the slightest angle.
Manually moving the Candlelight to float alongside him as he moved, Naruto wished he had night-vision. He doubted anyone would be selling those night-vision goggles from movies in Menagerie, considering the whole 'faunus have night-vision' thing, so he'd have to figure out another way at some point.
Following the passage further along, Naruto could see it widen out, like many other places down here, and he moved through, one hand staying on the handle of Crocea Mors, ready to draw it at a moments notice.
When Naruto stepped into a damp cavern similar in size and scope to the first floor, he wasn't surprised. When he noticed that all the black boulders were instead sleeping Ursa, he was slightly surprised. When he realised that they weren't sleeping, and instead were simply dormant, stationary and unmoving, eyes glowing yet making no movement, he was very surprised.
"What the…" He whispered to himself, waiting for the moment the trick would end and they would lumber towards him. It didn't come.
He moved quietly between them, trying to not accidentally disturb the peace, looking for whatever it was he was looking for.
Gods he wished he knew what he was doing.
Naruto looked at the closest Ursa as he moved past it, noting the lichen that had been growing on the walls, ceiling and floor of the cavern in patches had grown up and over the Ursa, patches of murky green plant matter splattered haphazardly across the dormant Grimm.
Naruto kept moving, headed for the other side of the rocky chamber. He hadn't managed to set off whatever it was that would wake the Ursa-
Naruto's recently re-equipped boot planted itself straight into a patch of lichen.
Many, many heads turned in his direction. Naruto swore, bringing Crocea Mors up to bear- er, up to face the awakening Ursa as they rose to their paws.
Naruto backed up a step, pointing his blade towards the nearest lichen-laden Ursa, though he was quickly finding himself surrounded.
Naruto really only had one option left, and that was to engage in combat.
He opened the fight with a horizontal swing, blade cleaving into the blackened flesh of the nearest Ursa, cutting deep enough to stall its attack as he twisted, spinning with his weapon to deliver a slash into one that had closed the distance behind him.
The Ursa, all level 60, took the hits with impressive resilience, only backing down after successive strikes, but there were too many for Naruto to keep up with, and despite the strength and dexterity he wielded Crocea Mors with, he just couldn't keep them from advancing on him.
So, instead of buckling under the pressure, Naruto leapt into the air, a half-flip allowing him to place his feet on the roof of the chamber, Surface Walk activating as he affixed himself in the best possible place to begin firing into the assembled lichen-covered Ursa.
He couldn't stay in that spot for very long, lest he get one hell of a headache as all the blood rushed to his head, but he hoped he wouldn't need to as he opened fire, tossing out Mana Lances at the Ursa beneath him, puncturing flesh and bone with the sharpened magic projectiles, and one by one the Ursa fell, leaving only the lichen where they disintegrated.
It didn't take him too much time to clear the cavern, and he found himself quickly dropping to the floor once more, resting in the knowledge that there were no more Ursa in the vicinity.
That fact was quickly confirmed as a notification popped up, momentarily startling him.
[Hallowed Bay: Floor 2 Cleared!]
[A chest has appeared in Floor 2!]
[You've gained 3,780,000XP and 33,000 Lien! You've acquired 18 Inert Dust, 22 Ursa Claws, 5 Ursa Pelts, 3 Ursa Skulls, 1 Grade II Gravity Dust Crystal, 2 Crimson Keys and 1 Cobalt Key.]
[You have leveled up and gained +5 Stat Points!]
Well, he appreciated that, for sure. The level was nice on it's own, as were the Ursa drops, but probably the most interesting to him were the keys. Without them, he couldn't open any of the chests that seemed to appear whenever he cleared a floor.
Speaking of which.
Naruto moved, scanning the cavern, and it took a little bit of time before he could actually make it out in the dim light.
Sitting there was a chest of dark wood and crimson framing, a bronze lock clamped down on the latch, keeping the contents secure.
Well, he had a key that would fit that lock, at least.
He closed the distance, bending down onto one knee and inserting the bronze-and-crimson key into the lock, giving it a quick twist as both the lock opened and the key disappeared, fading from reality.
He reached in and quickly withdrew everything he could feel, inspecting them as he withdrew them.
2 Hearthstones, 8 Mithril Ore and 24 Iron Ore. Nothing he hadn't seen before, but it was nice to have nonetheless.
What was somewhat important, moreso than some extra supplies, was the third floor opening.
It meant progress, first and foremost, but it also meant that Naruto was closer to getting better rewards. He had to assume that was what was in store, alongside more challenges.
He put his new acquisitions in his inventory, already heading back towards the entrance to this particular floor.
It meant he was going to have to go for a swim again, which he wasn't particularly fond of, as it meant he'd have to unequip a bunch of stuff again, and then most likely fight whilst being dripping wet, as he'd nearly begun to dry off at this point, but it was a null point.
He'd have to do it regardless, so he shrugged away his resignations, already stripping down to the bare essentials, leaving only his pants to protect his modesty, not that there was any real reason to do so, stowing his gear inside his inventory as he pushed through the bubble-like barrier, immediately feeling the pull lessen, shifting into more of a push this time as it effectively ejected him out into the watery column, slowly but steadily.
He could see beneath him another opening, and he swam towards it, powerful strokes allowing him to cover the distance easily as it snagged ahold of his form, pulling him through the barrier and into the corridor that led to the next floor's chamber.
Naruto had absolutely no idea what was awaiting him in this room, but he was about to find out.
Of all the things Naruto was expecting, this was certainly not one of them.
The third floor chamber was more like a dome than anything else, aside from what amounted to a deep chasm in the center, leaving only a ring of rocky ground that traveled around the edge.
That wasn't exactly strange, but what was strange was the fact that one side was completely walled off, leaving him only one direction to travel to get to what he assumed was the other side.
There was also a giant floating orange orb in the center of the chamber.
That was probably the strangest part, come to think of it.
Naruto continued to peer around the wall at the orange orb, a confused expression gracing his face. He wasn't entirely sure what it was, but the light it cast across the chamber was at least quite pretty.
His Candlelight was a bit more of a harsh blue light, artificial like a fluorescent bulb, but this was warm, and he could feel it as well as see it. The room was warm enough to begin to dry him out far faster than he'd been expecting, though to be fair that wasn't very much faster than anything else.
Naruto took a deep breath, a shrug, and then stepped out. There was really only one way to figure out what the orb was, other than a form of lighting.
The orb's light intensified in an instant, and a beam of orange energy blasted out, tracing across the stone walls and scorching them black as it hit Naruto in the side, even though he'd almost retreated back behind cover.
It hurt, and not in the way a small burn hurt.
Instead it felt like his entire nervous system had lit aflame, and he barely managed to prevent himself from stumbling back into the figurative, and literal, line of fire.
It had sapped him of half his Aura in just that single moment of contact. Naruto definitely did not want to experience that again.
He needed his shield, but even that might not be enough. The question was, could he hold a Mana Field that long? It was a long run, and he'd presumably be in sight of the orb the entire way, and considering how much damage it had just done…
He'd just have to move very, very fast, and make sure to keep his field up the entire time. It was a tough ask, especially considering that A; he'd never done anything like that before, and B; once he attempted it, he'd have to commit to it completely. It wasn't like he could get halfway and just turn back. This was an all or nothing plan, not that he had any better ideas.
Maybe if he took a proper amount of time he could think of something, but he was getting impatient.
"Screw it," Naruto said aloud, raising one arm. His Mana Field projected around him, following him as he moved, and he braced himself, ready to dash out of cover.
Unsure of how the Mana Field would handle with a Flash Step, Naruto realised that this test would most likely be either painful, or he'd complete the chamber. A deal of absolutes, so it seemed.
Not wanting to waste anymore Mana, Naruto Flash Stepped out from behind the stone wall, and the beam from the orb was already tracking him even as he moved, and the moment it made contact with his Mana Field, which luckily did follow him, he could feel his hold on the projected field immediately slip.
He had only a few moments before this beam of energy would bypass all of his defenses and incinerate him, and so he made a snap decision.
"Platinus! Harden!"
His voice was strained, but his Metal Elemental responded in an instant, forming in front of its master, accompanied by the sound of grinding metal.
Naruto felt his Mana Field break at the same moment, and Naruto winced, closing his eyes.
Nothing came, no pain, no burning, no incineration. Which was lucky.
He opened his eyes once more, and what had been a chamber filled with warm orange light was now a sizzling, dazzling light show as the beam cascaded bright orange light across the entire chamber in flashes.
Platinus was absorbing the energy, dispersing it throughout the Metal Dust that formed its nigh-indestructible body.
It couldn't hold the Harden skill for long, of course, but Naruto was more than happy to take advantage of it while he still could, Platinus moving in conjunction as the two traversed the stone ring, finally reaching the other side, where Naruto could slip back into some cover, out of vision of the orange orb of pain.
The moment Naruto was clear, Platinus slumped, dispersing into mist as it unsummoned itself, nearly at the breaking point.
Naruto was incredibly thankful for the Elemental, there was no way he'd have managed to complete this floor without it, especially not with how hasty he'd been.
He'd honestly not expected it to be such a harsh beam, even with the amount of damage it had done on that initial strike.
Of course, him reaching the other side had prompted a couple things. First was the notification that the fourth floor had opened, and that a chest had appeared on the third floor. Which, from the fact that there was a chest directly in front of him, he probably could have figured out on his own. Another Crimson Chest, from the looks of it. Thankfully he still had a key left.
Another thing was the groaning sound of stone grinding against stone, and Naruto looked to the side, noticing that a new entrance-way had opened, leading back out to a barrier that most likely lead back out to the flooded column.
Naruto would head that way in but a moment, first he had to unlock his second Crimson Chest of the past two floors. He was hoping for something a little more interesting than what he'd gotten out of the first, but he wasn't going to be picky.
He unlocked the lock with the disintegrating Crimson Key, and reached deep within.
18 Copper Ore, and a small red potion in a stoppered vial.
He quickly observed it, curious.
[Erythraean Vial]
[A vial of red liquid that restores 50% of total HP. Only usable in dungeons.]
Naruto let out a low whistle. That was definitely appreciated, if just for emergencies. At the very least it lowered the likelihood of him having to use a Hearthstone in an emergency, which he could certainly appreciate.
He sort of wished it was for Aura, considering his AP regeneration wasn't the strongest thing currently, and he'd lost nearly half of it in this chamber, but he'd take what he could get.
The copper ore wasn't the greatest reward, but it was still something. He wasn't going to complain, but he definitely had a feeling that the Crimson Chest was the lowest of the chest tiers.
Naruto stepped back from the disintegrating chest, now that it was empty, and moved through the newly opened passage. Whilst this floor hadn't taken anywhere near as long as the previous floor, it had certainly been more dangerous, and Naruto was somewhat worried about what was in store on the next floor.
He was hoping four of five wouldn't prove to be so much of a challenge, but then again, with the way his luck had been going so far…
Naruto pushed through the barrier, feeling it eject him back into the flooded column for the nth time, and he searched around for the newest opening.
Lower down he could see another opening, but this one was without a barrier, which was certainly intriguing.
It was also the only opening he hadn't already been inside, so he swam towards it nervously, peeking around the corner.
He could make out a faint glow at the other end, but it looked just like any of the other passages. Safe, or as safe as he could be down here.
Naruto swam through the passage and into the chamber on the other side, momentarily taken aback by the stunning beauty of the fourth floor.
Bioluminescent coral lined the walls, floor and roof, glowing a multispectrum rainbow that refused to dull or even be comprehended, and Naruto couldn't do anything to change that fact, in awe at the sight.
He was in awe up until a mass of scales rammed a large horn into his side, puncturing his Aura completely and tearing through his flesh like a harpoon, turning the water a misty red with his blood.
Naruto let out a watery scream of pain as he turned to look at what had gored him and was currently carrying him through the water.
[Elder Meregrimm]
[Grimm, Level 61, Rare]
Naruto placed the flat of his hand against the horn that was jutting from his side and quickly cast Mana Blast, hoping it would somehow tear him free, as he could not only feel his HP slipping away, but he could see it too, with how red the water was getting.
It worked, but not in the way he'd expected. The blast sent the Meregrimm careening sideways, throwing Naruto free from the horn with a literal gut-wrenching noise, as Naruto felt his insides become outsides.
His HP was down to less than 200, his AP was gone, and he wasn't regenerating anywhere near as fast as he needed to be. Naruto was very clearly in a lot of danger.
He didn't have any of his weapons, either, and he doubted he could swing Crocea Mors underwater anywhere near as effectively as he could on land, so he was down to just spells. He couldn't even drink the Erythraean Vial he'd just acquired, on the account of him being underwater.
And he was on the other side of the chamber from the entrance, thanks to being carried along by the Meregrimm's horn.
Naruto could see the Meregrimm doubling around, having recovered from being thrown off-course, that red-tinted horn bearing down towards him once more, and he reacted.
He just hoped the chamber was big enough.
Jormungandr formed in front of Naruto, two clawed arms grabbing ahold of the Meregrimm and stopping it just short of the horn puncturing his white scales, and his head came down, jaw widening as it opened wide.
Jormungandr bit down on the center of the Meregrimm with surprising force, and Naruto could see the water become blackened as the dolphin-like Grimm squirmed, attempting to free itself.
Naruto took advantage of the Meregrimm being trapped by swimming up behind it and putting all the time and Mana he could spare into charging up possibly the biggest Mana Pulse he'd ever made, putting just over a thousand MP into it before releasing.
It hit the Meregrimm in the side, between the gap in Jormungandr's jaws, and effectively vaporized the oceanic monster, turning it into a cloud of black smoke that quickly dissipated in the water.
It was after the Meregrimm was dead that Naruto allowed himself to relax, and that came with the feeling of incredible agony as his wounds, still healing slowly but steadily, became very apparent.
Naruto gritted his teeth hard as Jormungandr closed the admittedly small distance between the two, delicately brushing his head against Naruto's arm, the one that wasn't currently holding his large wound closed.
Naruto was more than happy to have some form of physical contact, and the fact that Jormungandr was trying to comfort him was a nice gesture for a giant sea serpent that just fit inside the large aquatic chamber.
This, Naruto supposed, seemed like as good a time as any to read his newest notifications.
[Hallowed Bay: Floor 4 Cleared!]
[A chest has appeared in floor 4!]
[You've gained 2,604,875 XP and 8,052 Lien! You've acquired 21 Inert Dust, 1 Elder Meregrimm Fin, 1 Elder Meregrimm Horn and 1 Opal Key!]
[You have leveled twice and gained +10 Stat Points!]
Naruto watched as Jormungandr moved his head, snagging the chest between his arms and quickly turning back to Naruto, presenting it to the still-bleeding teen.
Naruto figured that he might as well find out what was in this chest, and from the looks of things, considering the key he'd ended up getting, that this was an Opal Chest.
The lock was made of a golden material, as was the majority of the key, and both the key and chest had a large opal studded into it, the chest on the center of the lid, just above the lock, inside the pale wood, and the key had one imbedded into the handle, though it didn't last very long as he unlocked the chest, reaching within with his free hand.
Out of the chest he pulled a number of items.
[Opal Chest Rewards: 2 Hearthstones, 4 Uncut Onyx, 12 Adamantite Seeds, 3 Caeruleum Vials, and 57,347 Lien!]
[A title has ranked up!]
[Gold Banker has ranked up to Platinum Banker!]
[All Lien Drops +50%!]
Well, that was nice. Shame Lien couldn't buy him more HP, at least, he wasn't aware of how it could as of this moment, but still, it was nice to have a ranked-up title, even if it wasn't one he used often.
The other things intrigued him, too. The Hearthstones were always nice to have, of course, and the Uncut Onyx seemed interesting, but it was the Adamantite Seeds and the Caeruleum Vials that really grasped his attention.
Naruto ran his hand down Jormungandr's snout once more as he dismissed the summoned Sea Feilong, leaving him in the pretty-yet-empty bioluminescent chamber, and Naruto began the swim back towards the flooded column. God he hoped whatever the next chamber was wasn't full of water.
Or Grimm, for that matter.
As Naruto traversed the water, he began reading.
According to the description, a Caeruleum Vial was effectively the MP equivalent of the Erythraean Vial, restoring 50% of total MP when drank, but it only worked in dungeons. The more interesting of his recent acquisitions was the Adamantite Seeds, which apparently could be harvested once fully grown to get Adamantite Ore.
Naruto wasn't one-hundred-percent sure on what Adamantite Ore was, but his best guess was the mythical metal of Adamantine, much like the mythical metal of Mithril, of which the ore he already had a bunch of. Naruto was definitely breaking new ground.
Now all that was left was for Naruto to go into the fifth floor.
First, though, Naruto sat himself down on the lip of the outcropping, legs dangling into the flooded column until he tucked them underneath, closing his eyes and taking a deep, watery breath.
Naruto began his Meditation.