Chapter 1239: Depth of Banquet

The clone hovered silently as it looked down into a massive pit nearly a kilometer in diameter. Within it, countless creatures moved in and out without pause.

Their forms varied ranging from demis, sea monsters, and other aquatic beings with each disappearing into the depths or emerging from the pit.

"Finally found a settlement."

Souta muttered under his breath before bending his knees and launching himself toward the passage. Although he wasn’t completely certain, there was a high chance that a city lay hidden beneath it.

Swoosh!

Like a torpedo, he shot forward, cutting through the water at tremendous speed.

He followed the stream of figures entering the passage, blending in with the others as he approached.

The moment Souta crossed the threshold, the surrounding environment changed dramatically. The temperature plummeted, while the water current and pressure intensified to a terrifying degree.

Any species not adapted to such extreme conditions would be crushed in an instant.

Souta slowed slightly and observed his surroundings.

The passage was enormous. Countless creatures of different species swam in and out, moving with practiced ease. Structures had been built directly into the walls, their surfaces etched with intricate runes that faintly shimmered in the darkness.

A humanoid creature with blue skin and gills along his neck swam up beside Souta. After giving him a brief look, the man spoke. "Brother, is this your first time here?"

Souta raised an eyebrow and glanced at him. The fact that the man was using the common language surprised him. This meant these people were not as isolated as those of the Land of Fire Light, they maintained contact with the continents above.

"Yes," he replied.

"Oh? So that’s why." The man nodded in understanding. "I thought you looked unfamiliar. Are you a land dweller, by any chance?"

"Yes. Is there a problem with that?" Souta asked calmly.

"No problem at all." The man’s gaze remained fixed on Souta, curiosity and amazement mingling in his eyes. "It’s just my first time seeing one. By the way, I’m Rhukan Tul, an Aquran."

Aqurans were a demi that lived in the deepest parts of the oceans and seas. Aside from their adaptations to underwater life, they weren’t so different from the demis on the surface. They possessed blue or purple skin, gills along their necks, pitch-black eyes, and a fin protruding from the back of their heads.

"I’m Atos," Souta replied with a faint smile. "A goblin."

"A goblin?" Rhukan blinked in surprise. "I’ve seen sea goblins before, but this is my first time seeing one from the surface. No wonder you’re so small. Amazing."

Rhukan laughed as his eyes drifted downward, measuring Souta’s height which barely reached his legs.

"..."

Souta resisted the urge to smack him on the head. This was only a clone; his true body was much taller than this.

Still, as he observed more carefully, Souta discovered that Rhukan was a Fifth Shackle Realm expert. Several others passing through the passage were also at the Fifth Shackle Realm, and there were even a few who had reached the Sixth Shackle Realm.

Whatever lay beyond this passage was clearly no ordinary place.

At the very least, its power rivaled the Everlasting Kingdom at its peak with an Eighth Shackle Realm standing at the top, supported by several Seventh Shackle Realm experts. Perhaps it was even stronger than the kingdom itself.

That possibility alone was enough to greatly pique Souta’s interest.

"By the way, what brings you to this place?" Rhukan asked.

"Nothing in particular." Souta replied nonchalantly. "I just want to see new things and explore unfamiliar lands. To be honest, I came here without knowing what lay on the other side."

"Oh? An adventurous spirit!" Rhukan laughed. "I like that!"

The two continued swimming through the passage, though it was mostly Rhukan doing the talking while Souta responded only occasionally.

Before long, they emerged on the other side.

What unfolded before Souta’s eyes was a vast expanse, far greater than he had imagined. The space was so immense that it could easily contain thirty Land of Fire Light.

"Welcome to the Depth of Banquet," Rhukan said with a smile.

"The Depth of Banquet..." Souta murmured, his gaze sweeping across the scene.

Directly beneath them floated a colossal transparent sphere filled with countless exquisite structures. Air was contained within, and two massive passages on the eastern and western sides allowed creatures to enter and exit freely. The environment inside was stable enough to sustain ordinary surface dwellers.

Surrounding the sphere were dozens of gigantic corals, each towering up to ten kilometers high, with the largest reaching nearly twenty kilometers. Cities and facilities had been carved into these massive formations, serving as homes for sea monsters and various races alike.

Above them, the ceiling was embedded with enormous luminous crystals, radiating light across the entire space. They served as the sole source of illumination for the Depth of Banquet, bathing the underwater metropolis in an ethereal glow.

"The one below us is Wave Bond City, one of the Eleven Cities of the Tarant Nation," Rhukan explained as he looked down at the city beneath them. "The Depth of Banquet houses three countries. Don’t underestimate them, although none of the three are considered Large Countries, they still possess formidable military forces and powerful artifacts."

Souta nodded thoughtfully before asking, "Are surface dwellers rare here?"

Rhukan glanced at him before replying, "Extremely rare. A few have visited in the past, but I’ve never met them personally. Ordinary surface dwellers simply can’t survive here. Only those with sufficient strength can endure the cold temperatures and immense water pressure."

"I see..." Souta nodded again. Then he turned toward Rhukan and said, "I’ll head down to the city. Where are you going?"

"To another city." Rhukan gave a brief nod. "Very well, then. I’ll be on my way. If fate allows it, we may meet again."

He raised a hand in farewell before turning around and swimming off in the opposite direction.

Souta watched Rhukan’s retreating figure for a moment before shifting his gaze back toward Wave Bond City, the vast underwater metropolis awaiting him below.

...

After parting ways with Rhukan, Souta headed straight for Wave Bond City. The city was not limited to the massive transparent sphere alone as it also encompassed the colossal corals surrounding it, forming a sprawling underwater metropolis.

Structures of all kinds were built throughout the area. Stalls lined the pathways, selling countless goods, many of which were unique to this place and unseen on the surface.

’The atmosphere here is completely different from surface cities,’ Souta thought as he moved through the streets.

He continued strolling through the city until he reached the enormous transparent sphere. Concealing his presence, he approached one of the passages at a measured pace.

Two fourth-stage monsters stood guard at the entrance. When they noticed Souta, they showed no reaction at all, merely assuming he was a surface-dweller tourist.

There was no need to verify the identities of those entering. After all, countless monsters lived here, and formalities such as paperwork held little meaning to them. Even after gaining intelligence through evolution, most monsters still couldn’t be bothered with such matters.

After passing through the passage, Souta swam upward and slowly emerged from the water. His feet touched solid ground, and he took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air.

’Finally...’

He looked ahead and immediately took in the towering structures built by the sea folk. Most demis lived inside the sphere, while the majority of monsters preferred the outer regions. Even so, a considerable number of monsters still roamed within the sphere itself.

Several demis emerged from the water behind Souta. They glanced at him briefly before continuing on their way as if nothing were amiss.

Souta, however, noticed their looks all too clearly.

’This place isn’t as peaceful as I initially thought.’

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

Some of those gazes carried undisguised hostility, despite this being their first encounter with him.

Still, before taking any action, he needed to understand the structure of this country. Only then could he decide on his next move.

He would wait and watch for the right opportunity.

...

Wave Bond City, Bubble Bond Area.

The Bubble Bond Area was the name given to the massive transparent sphere that housed the majority of the demis. Although it was only one section of Wave Bond City, it was still vast enough to accommodate more than a million inhabitants.

Twisted Forest.

This region earned its name from the gigantic weeds that towered over fifty meters high, their twisted stalks intertwining and blocking out the light above. Acting like a massive canopy, they prevented sunlight from reaching the ground, plunging the area into perpetual darkness.

A young boy, no more than seven or eight years old, stood behind an older man, his face pale with fear.

The boy and the man shared the same physical traits: purple skin, dolphin-like ears, gills along their necks, and fins extending from their wrists.

They were aquatic demis, though of a different species from the Aqurans.

They were known as Searans.

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