I Transferred to the SSS-rank Crafting Field - Chapter 22 - Finding the Hidden Mermaid (5)

Chapter 22

05 – Finding the Hidden Mermaid (5)

“Huh? Why isn’t it here?” I was confident in being able to find my way–I was sure this was the right place.

I arrived at the location Choi Kwon-young had told me, but there was no sign of the coastal cave. Instead, a rugged, weather-eroded cliff awaited me.

The closer I got to the edge of the triangular cliff, the wind blew strong enough to make my body waver. At the bottom, the blue-black sea water splashed violently.

‘He said he found it by chance.’

If so, then the cave was likely able to be seen at first glance. Holding onto that ray of hope, I looked around, but I couldn’t see anything that resembled a cave.

“Don’t tell me…”

My keen Hunter’s intuition–which almost always ran true–sounded a mental alarm.

Even though I searched every corner, I couldn’t see a cave; it became even more difficult to ignore my blaring intuition.

“How do you accidentally come across a cave on a cliff?”

Stretching both arms out and balancing myself, I stepped carefully towards the edge of the cliff. I almost tripped from the sudden gust of wind that blew forth at that moment; my steps slowed even more from fright.

I couldn’t imagine how Choi Kwon-young, who was much larger than me, managed to pass through here. Perhaps when one reaches S-class, that person can confidently and leisurely walk with their arms crossed despite the danger of falling.

As I approached the edge, the stone crumbled and fell apart with every step I took. The sound of the wind slamming the cliff–rather than the height–increased my fear.

I lowered my body and placed my palms on the ground as I peered down the cliff. “I can’t see properly from this angle.”

The further I went, the more daunting my situation became.

The top of the cliff protruded out, so I couldn’t see the bottom.

In this case, I had no choice but to go down and check. The thought of descending from this height for a pin-hole-sized opportunity was already making my head spin.

I thought about leaving this to the other party members, but I was the most suitable candidate with my Ranger skills–

–I was, of course, excluding those two that left through the portal.

Putting aside his questionable personality for a moment, Yoon Suho also didn’t have any special skills that augmented his mobility. And, as I saw the other day, Cha Taeyang’s movement skill was not suited to vertical movement.

“As expected, I’m the only one who can do this.”

I sighed at this inescapable reality and activated ‘Master of the Hunt.’

A bracelet made from mana appeared on my wrist; the chain hook connected to that bracelet was driven into the edge of the cliff.

‘I didn’t expect to use this skill in this way.’

I was relieved that at least I had it.

This skill was normally used to climb over high walls or to drag myself onto the top branches of a tree.

To think that I would now entrust my body to a single, thin chain… To think that I, who had never even bungee jumped, would opt to free fall…

I must have gone crazy.

“If you have time to complain, you should move instead, Yoon Gaho.” I comforted myself and tried to think positively. But, instead of a calm exhale, I could only sigh. Just in case, I also activated ‘Cat Walk,’ which increased my agility.

I didn’t want to see these annoying system messages today. I waved the messages away as I glanced down. “Hoo, shall we go?”

I took a deep breath and threw myself off the cliff.

I couldn’t even scream. The taut chain pulled me tightly, and my body swayed in the rough sea breeze. I could not dare to open my tightly-shut eyes until the swaying subsided.

“I-I wouldn’t be able to do this twice.”

I tried to turn my gaze away from the black, turbulent sea that looked as if it would swallow me whole.

Slowly, I adjusted my mana and increased the length of the chain.

I wondered how far I descended as I alternated between my wrists, changing my grip to alleviate pressure.

The pitch-black sea that was once distant had become considerably closer when I finally saw the coastal cave that Choi Kwon-young had mentioned. Honestly, I thought I had made a fool of myself when I couldn’t find it even after descending halfway down the cliff. But, sure enough, it really existed.

“This is killing me, seriously. I’d rather fight something.”

As soon as I arrived inside the cave, I slumped down on the ground, back against the wall.

‘How on earth did he accidentally find a place like this? Was he floating on the sea or something?’

I rubbed my stiff limbs; my self-pitying thoughts turned towards what strange hobbies Choi Kwon-young could have. Not much time had passed, but I was already exhausted.

“Still, I should finish my job.” I moved my tired limbs through sheer force of will.

Though it was daytime, the structure of the cave obstructed the light. Therefore, the cave became darker the further I traveled inside. I took out a flashlight that I had prepared for such situations from my windproof pocket. The flashlight wasn’t very powerful, but it was enough to illuminate the surroundings.

***

“When will this come to an end?”

Despite my slow speed as I carefully and meticulously searched through every nook and cranny, I couldn’t see a single blade of grass, let alone any scales.

I looked back to check where I had come in from, but there was only darkness, front and back.

I would have been less scared if there were bats or something. The fact that this cave felt truly empty heightened my fear. I felt that something dreadful may be at the end of the tunnel.

“I should have heard more about this place from guild-leader-nim.”

Because he had described this place as a coastal cave, I couldn’t help but imagine a small, cozy cave on some beach. I had arrived with a light heart, but now I was enduring difficulties because I hadn’t pressed him for more information. But, now that I had come this far, I couldn’t go back without something to show for my efforts.

I moved on, relying on my tiny light.

As I walked a little further, I encountered my first steep descent; the journey thus far had been nothing but flat ground. I slowly descended by holding the wall; as I lowered myself, the space around me–which was narrow enough that I could barely spread out both arms–gradually widened.

After walking for five more minutes, I saw a faint light from afar.

“Is there something there?”

I felt both delight and caution at the thought of encountering something in this totally dark and desolate cave. There was no mention of any danger, but that was based on Choi Kwon-young’s standards. I didn’t know if that would still ring true for someone like me, a C-rank hunter.

“Well, there’s nothing bad about being cautious,” I prepared to draw my equipment at any moment and slowly crept over to the source of that light.

“Wow… What did he mean there’s nothing here? That guy has no eye for aesthetics.”

As the cave gradually brightened, my field of view widened. Beneath my feet, a massive cavern was revealed. There was a large lake, as large as a public square, in the middle of the cavern.

Unidentifiable stone structures were submerged beneath the crystal-clear lake.

Fist-sized mana stones were embedded along the walls of the cavity and emitted a faint blue light. The light shimmering off the lake’s gentle, lapping waves was breathtaking.

“Ah–wait a minute.” Something had flashed amongst the refracting light of the mana stones.

I climbed down the wall of the cavern using the same technique I had used to descend down the cliff. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I quickly approached the bank of the lake. I bent down and examined the floor.

Pieces of scales–so fragmented that one couldn’t identify them at first glance–littered the area.

“As expected… This is it.”

The same item Choi Kwon-young had shown the team.

As I walked along the lakeside, I discovered several more scale fragments. “Why would there be mermaid scales in a place like this?”

While circling around the cavern and pondering for a long while, a sudden scent brushed against my nose. I dipped my fingertips into the water and tasted it.

There was no doubt–this was seawater.

“It’s not just a lake! It’s connected to the sea.”

The real clues must be underwater. If I went in and explored, I might be able to discover more.

However, the lake was excessively clear and transparent, making it difficult to determine its depth properly without proper equipment. I had heard that damage dealers like Choi Kwon-young who specialized in water combat could move freely underwater. It would have been great if I had such a skill, but…

“Unfortunately, I have none. None!”

I turned on ‘Explorer’s Eye’ with a bit of disappointment in my heart–who knows, maybe it had a function I was unaware of. A magical symbol, resembling a scope or a monocle, appeared in front of me.

“Mmm, I guess this really was useless.”

If there really was something here, Choi Kwon-young would have said something.

Just as I was about to cancel the skill–since I had discovered nothing special–I saw some faint outlines. A mana circuit?

There’s a mana circuit in a place like this?

“Well, given that the mana is flowing, I think I can work something out.”

A mana circuit was engraved on the circular stone pillar placed in the middle of the lake–I didn’t know what function it served, but it was worth investigating.

“The question now is how to get down there.”

With my lousy lung capacity, I’d run out of breath before I ever reached my destination.

Unlike those Hunters who romped around in water-attribute fields, I had never fought at sea. And the auxiliary items I would use in this situation….

“Ah! Wait, speaking of that…!”

I took out a handful of the Umanta petals that I had received after clearing the 19th floor.

Umanta flower petals were material ingredients widely used in intermediate or higher level armor. By processing them in a special method and used on a weapon, the petals can provide the additional effect of a protective barrier for the user.

Shortly after chewing and swallowing the handful of ivory petals, a transparent sphere–like a bubble–enveloped me.

“If I use all of them, I’ll have about 20 minutes. I should hurry.” I placed the rest of the petals back in my inventory and dove into the water.

I could feel the sensation of the cold water against my skin but, thanks to the protective effect of the Umanta flower petals on the user, I could breathe comfortably as if I were on land.

I don’t know the exact principle or science behind the barrier, but it saved my life.

With my mediocre swimming skills, I swam towards the mana circuit.

When I reached the bottom of the lake, I couldn’t hide my astonishment. “What the hell happened here?”

Gray scales were mixed with pieces of unidentified shells, all piled up high enough to look like a small hill. Were all of these mermaid scales? Choi Kwon-young was right to be suspicious of this. “If there were this many mermaids living nearby, but no one knew about them? That would be suspect in anyone’s eyes.”

From the surface, it all looked like sand. For there to be so much…

Where did all the mermaids go? Why were Sheila’s NPCs hiding the existence of the mermaids? Wish? Price? What did that mean? And what on earth was this place?

The countless questions made me dizzy.

TL: Hey guys, Just a quick FYI. I’ll be mostly absent for a few days before July and the first week of July. I’ll be in Korea that month, but I’ll be in and out of the hospital mostly >.< I’m getting a mini-tumor in my head removed. Hopefully.