Watatsumi Island, Sangonomiya.
With Nolan around, returning here from Inazuma City didn't require something as slow as a carriage. By unfolding his inner world, he carried Kokomi and the shrine maidens, and in no time at all, they had traveled back.
"It's still early. No need to delay—let's head to Enkanomiya right away," Nolan said to Sangonomiya Kokomi.
According to Kokomi, the reason Watatsumi Island was undergoing "sanctification" was because the spiritual veins beneath the island were draining their essence down into Enkanomiya.
If left unattended, then in just a few centuries, the fertile land of Watatsumi would wither into a lifeless white desert.
That's why, every few hundred years, it was necessary to descend into Enkanomiya to retrieve a Coral Branch, left behind by the great Watatsumi Omikami, which suppressed the "Bathysmal Vishap Herds" sealed there.
By using the Coral Branch to hold the Watatsumi Sacred Rite, the lost essence would return from Enkanomiya to the surface.
The objective was simple: obtain the Coral Branch from Enkanomiya.
But certain dangers could not be ignored.
To enter Enkanomiya, they had to undo the barrier that severed it from the surface. Yet Enkanomiya was teeming with monsters.
If the barrier were removed, and the monsters poured into Sangonomiya in large numbers, it would spell disaster for all of Watatsumi Island.
Moreover, those Coral Branches were not just ritual tools—they suppressed the Bathysmal Vishap Herds. Though there had once been many, thousands of years had already passed, and a branch had been taken every few centuries.
This meant that the suppressive power was weakening, little by little.
No one could guarantee that retrieving another Coral Branch this time wouldn't reduce the suppression to the point that the Bathysmal Vishap Herds broke free entirely.
If they ever made it to the surface, that too would be a catastrophe.
Watatsumi's army was disciplined, but against endless monsters—against Bathysmal Vishap Herds themselves—they would be nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Even the most brilliant strategies could do little in the face of such overwhelming force.
Kokomi, being the farsighted strategist she was, considered everything thoroughly. She knew full well that if Watatsumi were unlucky enough to face the worst-case scenario, the island could never endure it.
Thus, she had to ensure that even in the worst outcome, those monsters and dragonheirs would not be able to threaten Watatsumi.
And for Kokomi, securing such a "guarantee" wasn't difficult—she only needed to ask Nolan for his aid.
"Agreed." Kokomi, equally invested in resolving the island's sanctification, nodded. Then she addressed the shrine maidens:
"You may all return and rest. I'll be going to Enkanomiya with our adventurer guest."
"Yes, Lady Sangonomiya," the maidens replied in unison, before taking their leave.
They had journeyed with her all the way from Watatsumi to Inazuma City—certainly a tiring mission. Now that they had returned, a few days of rest was well-earned.
"Then, Nolan, let's first go obtain the Spirit Pearls," Kokomi said.
To break the barrier and enter Enkanomiya, they would first need to undo five seals that maintained it. Those seals were bound by Spirit Pearls.
The whole process was somewhat troublesome—five different locations had to be visited.
"You're forgetting something," Nolan shook his head lightly. "I can traverse space. I could slip directly through the barrier into Enkanomiya. There's no need to undo it.
"After all, once it's undone, you'll just have to reseal it later—what a bother."
"I know that," Kokomi said with a faint smile, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "But this barrier was designed to block space-warping. In theory, slipping through should be impossible."
"That's not certain." Nolan smiled. "Even if it does interfere with space, it depends on the strength of that interference.
"For someone well-versed in space traversal, there might still be a way to force a passage.
"Let's go take a look on site first. If it works, we'll bypass the barrier entirely and save ourselves the trouble."
"Oh? You seem rather confident in yourself." Kokomi's eyes glimmered. She recalled how earlier that morning, he had sparred with the Shogun herself.
For the Shogun to break into a sweat meant that duel had been at least evenly matched.
With that kind of strength, perhaps he really could ignore the barrier's spatial interdiction.
Enkanomiya lay not far from Sangonomiya. Before long, the two of them arrived.
The place gave the impression of a colossal vortex in the deep sea, as though it could swallow all things.
Extending his spiritual perception, Nolan confirmed: a barrier indeed severed the whirlpool below from the Sangonomiya above.
Yet structurally, Enkanomiya and Sangonomiya were simply underground and surface layers of the same land.
No matter how formidable the barrier, as long as it hadn't physically separated them, the spiritual veins of Watatsumi would always flow downward into Enkanomiya—like water always flowing to the lowest place.
Nolan tested his space-warping abilities. The barrier's force was indeed weaker than his own. If he wanted to, he could force his way through.
The only issue was that the barrier might distort his passage, causing him to arrive off-target.
If he were alone, that wouldn't be a problem. But since he had to bring Kokomi along, he had to consider the danger of her landing in a perilous place by accident.
After a moment of thought, Nolan unfolded his Unobservable Barrier. Unsurprisingly, it ignored the existence of the barrier before them and spread straight into Enkanomiya below.
He tested shifting within it—and confirmed that the barrier could not affect him at all.
After all, transfers within the Unobservable Barrier were not true spatial warps, so the barrier that cut off Enkanomiya from Sangonomiya naturally couldn't affect him.
Nolan turned to Sangonomiya Kokomi, extending his hand.
"I've tested it—no problem at all. Still, just in case we get separated, please hold my hand."
Of course, within the Unobservable Barrier, there was no real need to hold hands to transfer safely.
But he simply wanted to close the distance between them—that was the real reason. Kokomi, however, understood that spatial interference could cause errors in teleportation, so she had no reason to doubt him.
She extended her left hand, clad in a white half-glove, and lightly rested it in his palm.
Feeling the soft touch of her fingers against his own, Nolan subtly tightened his grip, and activated the transfer effect of the Unobservable Barrier.
Without a sound, their figures vanished—and reappeared in what looked like a cavern.
In the middle of the cavern was a pool, where manta ray–like fish swam, some deep blue, others golden. Their appearance was rather beautiful.
"These are Fomalhaut Rays, a species unique to Enkanomiya. It seems we truly did arrive smoothly," Kokomi said in mild surprise as she gazed at the pool.
She had read about Enkanomiya in books, and this rare fish had left a strong impression on her.
A faint joy rose in her heart, along with a trace of goodwill toward Nolan.
After all, being able to enter Enkanomiya without dismantling the barrier had saved her considerable trouble.
And she didn't have to worry about ferocious monsters spilling out because of the barrier's removal and threatening Watatsumi Island.
[Sangonomiya Kokomi Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtain 360 Affection Points, Current Affection Level: Lv.7 (610/700)]
Seeing the notification flash across his character panel, Nolan smiled.
"As long as the location is right, that's what matters. Looks like there's an exit ahead—let's head that way."
The two of them were standing atop a giant shell protruding from the cavern wall. These shells resembled the ones above in Sangonomiya—no surprise, since both places were essentially the same land, just at different heights.
He surveyed the surroundings. The water in the pool flowed outward through a small stream. If they followed it, they should be able to exit the cavern.
"Mm." Kokomi nodded. She glanced down at her hand—Nolan was still absentmindedly holding it. With a soft laugh she said, "Ahem, perhaps you can let go now?"
"Ahaha, sorry." Nolan released her hand with an apologetic smile, then stepped along the wallside path toward the stream, motioning for her to follow.
"Oh? Why do you sound guilty? Don't tell me you were holding my hand on purpose just now?"
Kokomi's sharp insight caught the awkward shift in his tone as he tried to change the subject.
"No, of course not. I was just distracted by the rays back there and forgot, that's all."
Nolan shook his head calmly.
"No need to be nervous, I don't mean to blame you." Kokomi chuckled lightly behind her hand.
He had done it, yet lacked the courage to admit it, fumbling instead to draw her attention elsewhere.
Truly, this man was rather amusing.
[Sangonomiya Kokomi Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtain 320 Affection Points, Current Affection Level: Lv.8 (230/800)]
Though the increase in affection pleased Nolan, the fact that Kokomi had seen through his little ploy left him feeling awkward.
A mix of delight and embarrassment swirled within him—perhaps this was what they called bittersweet emotions.
After a short walk, they emerged from the cavern, following the stream. The moment they stepped outside, their vision opened wide.
They were in a vast underground expanse. The ceiling and walls on either side were solid like a mountain's interior.
The ground below, sunken like a basin, was entirely flooded, forming a shallow lake.
Though sunlight could not reach this place, it was not pitch-black—dim, but not oppressive.
On this watery plain, Nolan spotted a strange creature. Its four limbs pressed against the ground, its massive tail arched upward, and a dorsal fin rose along its back.
He knew these creatures well.
When he had once explored Enkanomiya in the game, he had encountered them: monsters that burrowed through earth and water, lunging at prey—Bathysmal Vishap Herds!
Back when he played, he had found them maddeningly annoying, and after finishing the related quests, he had little desire to revisit Enkanomiya.
"There really are Bathysmal Vishap Herds here. We must be careful not to be spotted," Kokomi warned, her lips parting gently.
But even as she spoke, a purple and an icy-white Bathysmal Vishap Herd had already noticed them.
The two beasts dove into the ground and rushed forward with terrifying speed.
The underground expanse was far too quiet—their unguarded voices had naturally drawn the monsters' attention.
And being monsters, aggression was only natural.
Spotting two strangers near their territory, the drakes had but one thought: future rations.
Life in Enkanomiya was harsh, resources scarce—so of course, they would never let a potential meal slip away.
"This is bad. If we fight here, the noise will attract even more drakes," Kokomi said anxiously.
She had never seen one with her own eyes, but Sangonomiya's records detailed them well—she understood their habits.
"Oh? That sounds like a blessing in disguise."
Nolan eyed the two drakes as they erupted from the earth, claws wreathed in crackling lightning and icy chill as they struck down at him.
But before the claws could land, a translucent barrier rose, easily stopping their assault.
Bolts of lightning and frost spread across its surface, but could not harm it at all.
The golden Eye of Judgment opened, and bright numbers appeared above the drakes' heads:
[Level: 66]
[Level: 67]
Strong, yes—but mere mid-sixties could never hope to threaten Nolan's barrier.
He let them continue their futile strikes, waiting for more drakes to gather.
After all, defeating just one or two meant only a few thousand Adventure EXP. But if enough came…
That would be a mountain of EXP. In fact, he worried the commotion might not be enough to lure more!
Kokomi, of course, knew that with Nolan's strength, even swarms of drakes were nothing to fear. Otherwise, she would never have asked for his help.
But slaughtering them en masse risked driving them into a frenzy across Enkanomiya.
If that damaged the ley lines, preventing the lost essence from returning to Watatsumi Island—it would be a disaster.
Hearing her explanation, Nolan immediately froze the two drakes midair, halting them so they wouldn't draw others.
Better to heed Kokomi and finish their real mission first.
As for farming drakes for experience—there'd be time after they secured the Coral Branch and restored Watatsumi's essence.
"Phew, thank you," Kokomi said with relief, watching the immobilized monsters.
[Sangonomiya Kokomi Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtain 300 Affection Points, Current Affection Level: Lv.8 (530/800)]
(End of Chapter)
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