"By the way, Aiden, is this entire floor made of nothing but crystal?"
Hyacine asked curiously while boldly peering over the edge, showing absolutely no signs of vertigo.
"I heard there's some vegetation too, but..."
Aiden, equally fearless, responded while keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings. "According to the intel Eina provided, basically, yes."
As he spoke, he looked between the cliff face on their left and the magnificent open void on their right.
The precipices, the rocky terrain, and the very cliff path they were walking on... nearly every element of this floor was formed from a type of crystal dyed in a deep, pale blue.
Its color was far more profound than the crystals on the 18th Floor, and the surface bore faint striations. If it weren't for the characteristic crystalline reflection, one might mistake it for ordinary rock at first glance.
The light illuminating this vast floor emanated from transparent white crystals scattered all around.
They varied in size, some sprouting from the ground or walls like bamboo shoots, though their actual luminescence wasn't particularly strong.
Aside from the Great Fall shining with its blue-emerald brilliance in the distance, the entire floor was cloaked in a vast, hazy dimness.
The wind on the cliff path carried the moisture of the waterfall, cold and sharp, scraping against their faces like tiny blades.
The group chatted softly as they made their careful advance.
"Still... where exactly does the water from that waterfall go?"
Jeanne's azure eyes were filled with confusion. Looking at the massive, seemingly inexhaustible curtain of water in the distance, she couldn't help but ask. "With that staggering volume of water pouring down constantly, even if it punches through multiple floors, it feels like it would quickly cause a disastrous flood... It's hard to imagine the floor hasn't been completely submerged."
Her words highlighted an obvious logical paradox. Measured by mortal common sense, a waterfall of this magnitude was enough to create an ocean in a short amount of time.
"Heh, the average adventurer couldn't answer that question for you."
The one to answer her was the existence with the most unique identity in the party—the Goddess Astrea.
She was walking in the middle of the formation, well-protected by everyone, and was currently smiling as she revealed a secret known only to veteran adventurers.
"The water plunging down here actually flows from the bottom of the massive waterfall basin on the 27th Floor, passing through an ancient underground waterway, and travels all the way to the surface."
"The surface?" Everyone was startled by the revelation.
"That's right," Astrea nodded, a touch of nostalgia in her eyes. "You know the port city of Melén next to Orario, right? That's where Lake Lolog is. The endpoint of this waterway is that very lake."
She paused, then added with a slightly playful tone, "However, the exit of that waterway is currently sealed off, just like the entrance to the Dungeon. So... chances are, the Dungeon is simply reabsorbing the excess water itself now."
This half-serious explanation gave the group a newfound appreciation for the Dungeon's wondrous architecture.
"It's said that in ancient times, before the seal was put in place," Robin chimed in from the side, drawing on knowledge she'd acquired from their Guild advisor, Eina. "A massive number of aquatic monsters used this route to break out into the outside world, temporarily sweeping across the surface oceans and causing a massive catastrophe. That's one of the reasons the Guild strictly suppresses information about this waterway."
Chatting about these legends and secrets, they unknowingly reached the pitch-black cave entrance on the western wall in the distance.
The long, harrowing cliff path had finally come to an end.
Fortunately, the journey had been uneventful.
The Harpies and Sirens circling in the sky didn't seem to notice the tiny bugs inching along the cliffside, allowing them to enter the labyrinth's interior without a hitch, temporarily escaping the constant risk of plummeting off the edge.
From the entrance onward, the cave's structure split into several complex, intersecting horizontal tunnels. It looked quite similar to the middle floors' "Rock Cavern Labyrinth," except here, the walls, floor, and ceiling were no longer gray rock, but deep blue crystal radiating a faint, eerie light.
"Lady Astrea, please put on these clothes made of Undine Cloth first."
As soon as they entered the relatively safe cavern, Hyacine immediately pulled a neatly folded, silky blue garment from her backpack and handed it to Astrea.
Astrea didn't decline. She knew that in this cluster of floors known as the "Water Capital," Undine Cloth was essential equipment for an adventurer.
Not only was it effectively waterproof, keeping the wearer dry in the humid environment, but more importantly, this special fabric only revealed its true value once submerged.
It drastically reduced water resistance and pressure, providing massive convenience for adventurers moving underwater. It was even hailed as an absolute necessity when handling water-related commissions.
"Alright, thank you, Hyacine," Astrea accepted it with a smile.
Without another word, Hyacine gently pushed Aiden's shoulders, making him turn around.
Robin, Tifa, Daphne, and the others understood perfectly, silently forming a tight circle around Astrea, granting her a private space to change.
A few moments later, Astrea emerged wearing the Undine Cloth.
The form-fitting garment perfectly accentuated her flawless, divine curves.
However, she quickly realized a discrepancy.
"Are you all... not going to use them?"
She tilted her head, a hint of confusion in her emerald eyes.
She noticed that aside from herself, Aiden and the rest of the party had absolutely no intention of changing into similar gear.
Faced with the Goddess's confusion, Tifa and the others exchanged smiles—a look full of tacit understanding that only comrades could share.
"Lady Astrea, you don't need to worry about us," Tifa explained with a smile. "We are the 'Water God's' Familia, after all."
Daphne and Cassandra were no exception; confident smiles adorned their faces as well.
Who could have ever imagined that every single member of the Focalors Familia had been granted a special skill named [Divine Protection of the Water God] through the grace of their patron deity, Focalors?
Adventuring through this "Water Capital" was like a fish taking to water for them.
This was the true source of Aiden's confidence in leading a group of adventurers with an average level of Lv.2 straight into the deep floors.
With the [Divine Protection of the Water God], their combat prowess wouldn't suffer the slightest penalty in this water-rich environment. On the contrary, the environmental buffs would only make them stronger.
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