"Oh?" Sab noticed something, "Guys, check this out!"

"No way, already?" Sheep could hardly believe his Eyes.

"Oi! Ain't that onna' dem bricks we smashed up tharr?" Nerys pointed to the surface.

Somehow, they had already reached the Shrine's bricks, meaning they were but a few small layers of brick away from digging their way inside. Granted, they were digging for quite a while, but there was no way they already made it to the fourth floor.

"Sheep, how do you feel?" Sab turned to him.

"Still fine, I guess the golden/White part inversion only happens inside the Shrine's interior." He shrugged back, "I do feel a tad cold though."

"Just to be safe, please go back up to the surface."

"On it."

Right now, any single pickaxe swing could be the one to send them dropping down directly into the Shrine. If Sheep were to fall down as well, he'll most certainly die within a second. Having him remain at the surface also had the benefit of him keeping guard just in case Migu or someone else left the Shrine from the top.

"Jus' euwe n' me nau, laddie!" Nerys patted his shoulder.

"...Depending on what floor we end up digging into, this could range from pretty safe to extremely dangerous." Sab remained alert, "How are you at fighting?"

"Oi've 'ad me farr' sharr' a' scuffles, Oi did!"

"And what's your opinion on bugs?"

"Bogs?"

"No, bugs." He repeated, "Insects."

"S'wot Oi sed." She shrugged, "Bot 'ave no ferr! Oi loike bogs!"

Surprisingly enough, her answer was the opposite of what Sab generally expected a girl to say. Then again, given it's Nerys, maybe the answer is completely expected? In any case, this was good news to hear. If they do happen to run into a bat roach, at the very least he can rest assured she'll remain calm and won't panic.

"We might run into a beast of sorts down there." Sab continued digging, "Or well, more like a few beasts."

"Wot koinda' beastie?"

"Honestly, even I've never seen it before." He shook his head, "But Sheep told me that inside the Shrine's third layer exist a bunch of giant bats with cockroach heads."

"Oh..." She raised an Eyebrow, "Thassit?"

"What do you mean That's it?" He turned to her in confusion, "Doesn't that scare you?"

"I be afraida' nuthin' bot illness!" She revealed, "When're out on n' expedition, ye' dun' got much medicine. Them's the days prayin' ta' God is yer' only option."

Of course, she was a seafarer in her past life, so it would make sense that she was hardened to all sorts of atrocities. But Sab had plenty of difficulty trying to understand just what she meant exactly.

"You mean like scurvy?" He raised an Eyebrow.

"Only an idjit would make tharr' crew live thru' that." She shook her head, "Get ye' sum' fruit onboard and ye' be fine."

"Then what? Tuberculosis?"

"Possibly, bot' Oi' mean tha' toipa' illness that be present all throughout the ages." She explained, "A terrifoin' sickness that steal ye' strength n' hotness from ye', leavin' ye' nuthin' bot a carcass aloive."

Her description was gruesome and tense, and her voice shivered even as she faintly recalled the affliction. An illness all throughout the ages, with symptoms like that—what exactly could she be referring to?

"No way you're talking about the common cold." Sab slumped forward.

"Aye!"

Tossing the pickaxe aside, Sab grabbed his face with both hands before pulling down. His groans were loud and sounded genuinely annoyed to hear her biggest fear is something so easily treatable.

"Just drink some tea and sleep it off!" He shouted at her.

"Ah, bot' Oi can't sleep with tha' shivarrs'..." She whined, "S'too cold, laddie."

"Then cover yourself up in blankets, I dunno!"

"No no, blankets raise ye' temperature!" She wagged her finger at him, "Thass' tha' dilemma, y'see? Ye' be cold, but ye' also be burnin' up! One a' loife's greatest mysteries..."

"Except it's really not." Sab shook his head, "Just take some antibiotics and you'll be fine in a day."

Just then, she stopped to look at him. Tilting her head lightly, her puzzled expression overwhelmed Sab with a feeling of guilt. Of course, if she's from the past, then maybe something as trivial as a cold could be seen as a proper bother. Seafarer or not, back then they probably didn't have any antibiotics, so all they really could do is resort to home remedies and pray it gets better.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"In my era, that's one of the easiest illnesses to cure." Sab spoke quietly.

"S'at so? Locky euwe!" She smirked.

"Yeah, you don't have to worry though." He picked up the pickaxe again, "In Heaven, our bodies can't get sick."

"Yeh, that be the case." She nodded, "So, ye' gon' dig us down now?"

"On it..." He grumbled.

Despite this, it didn't even take him ten swings before the floor below them gave way. They fell down inside the Shrine's hallways, but upon closer inspection, they appeared to be in the corridors of the first floor.

"Sigh, guess we ought to keep digging through." Sab raised his pick again, "Sheep said that the first floor is made up of stone bricks."

"Mutton did?" She raised an Eyebrow, "And the otharrs'?"

"Floor 2 is a trap infested crystal cave, floor 3 is the jungle layer with those bugs..." Sab recounted, "And the final floor is unique, he says."

"Unique?"

"I dunno, when I asked him he just brushed it off." Sab began to dig through the first floor's brickwork, "But we're looking for the beds inside the fourth floor. Hey, you continue digging down further and I'll go tell Sheep of our findings."

"D'ohh, euwe jus' dun' wanna dig no moor!" She pouted.

"Cut me some slack, I've been digging for a while now." He chuckled, "Then, I'll be back soon."

"Yeh, yeh. See ya'!"

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***

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"Yoyoyo!"

"Bah!"

Sab flew straight out of the hole, overshooting the surface by a couple hundred meters at least. By the time he slowly glided down to Sheep, he had already forgotten what he had wanted to say.

"..."

"....O-Oh right." He shook the confusion off, "Sheep, we figured out what's under the bricks."

"Yeah? Do tell."

"We got both lucky and unlucky in a way." He explained, "On one hand, we hit the very first floor, on the other hand..."

"It's only the very first floor." Sheep then sighed, "So wait, where's Nerys? You didn't leave her alone, did you?"

"She's still digging a hole straight down."

This odd idea was met with heavy critique. Sheep could only wonder why they didn't just continue down the Shrine the intended route.

"That would defeat the purpose, genius." Sab rolled his Eyes, "We need a straight shot to the fourth floor's beds so I can carry them out without issues. The less turns we have to make on our way back, the better."

"But there's no way we hit the nail on the head when it comes to hitting such a tiny room directly, right?"

"When'd you get so stupid?" Sab suddenly asked.

"What!?"

"Dude, we'll dig down until we reach the third floor!" Sab explained, "Then I'll use my wings to speed through the rest of it and make it to the fourth floor. Easy peasy!"

Once again, Sheep was stupified by Sab's logic. By all means, he was right on every account, so Sheep really didn't have any comebacks at the ready. Listlessly standing around near the hole for a while, Sab felt it necessary to ask how it went on Sheep's end.

"And what about you? No one came through the Shrine's doors?"

"Nope, I've been floating ever so slightly above the ground to make sure the ice-wall doesn't trigger." Sheep shook his head, "That way I can see the invisible forcefield instead and, in other words, get a clear view of who's inside the barrier."

"Finally, the smart Sheep I know is back!" Sab joked, "In that case, I think it's about time I go back down and help Nerys. She's probably already crying herself a river over having to dig."

"Pheh! You made her dig again?!" Sheep burst out laughing, "I wish I could see that, if only once more."

"I'd rather she pull her weight properly instead of whining all the damned time..."

"Now now, I'd help you if I could, but..." Sheep jokingly showed off all of the bruises he had sustained from the fight with Energy.

Unlike Sheep, Sab has still yet to meet the incredible figter that is Energy. With each person describing him, his fear for Energy just kept growing over time, and now it's starting to reach unbelievable levels.

"Ugh, I so don't wanna have to deal with that guy..." Sab peeked down the hole.

"There's a chance Elegy and Hats already met up with him and beat him." Sheep figured, "You never know."

"Blind optimism won't get me anywhere."

"Then wallow in your pessimism, I dunno." Sheep daintily shoved him as a joke, "Go on now, it's up to you."

"R-Right." Sab then gulped before hopping inside, "Nerys, I'm gonna piggyback off of your pious prayers, so let's hope we don't run into that bastard...!"

Laughing at the wimpish pleas of his friend, Sheep once more found himself waiting outside alone. This little friendly chat with Sab really killed some time for him, so he was quite sad to realize it was already over. For a people-pleaser like Sheep, being told you have nothing to do but essentially wait is more than humiliating. As for Sab...

"Euwe're back, laddie!" Nerys immediately shoved the pickaxe onto him, "Look, look! See wot' Oi did!?"

"You..." Sab felt a vein pop, "You didn't even dig out of the first floor, you moron!!"

Taken aback by his sudden and loud screeches, she paused with a cute frown before breaking out into tears.

"Wahhh~! Euwe dun' gotta' shout~!!"

"And how else are you gonna learn to do your task properly!?" He shot back, flicking her on the forehead just to add more damage to his lecture, "We're in a race against time, you old-timey scallywag!"

"GASP!" She stood petrified at his words, "Euwe. Did. NOT!"

"Oh I did!" Sab flaunted the use of such a word, "And I'll do it aga-OOF!"

One steady punch to the face shut Sab up real quick. After that followed a second punch to the gut, then the ribs, then a kick to the groin. Some of these bounced off of his golden rings, but most were just as painful as they had sounded. And of course, gentlemanly as he was, Sab refused to hit a girl back, deeming the fight totally unfair.

"What's 'rong, dolt!?" She hissed, "Call a leidy that godfer'saken warr'd n' ye' wun' even foight back!?"

"Gah, Nerys, stop that!"

"Thassa' word beyond all offense, laddie!" She kept hitting him repeatedly, "Ye' better learn not ta' use it lightly, err' Oi' moight not hold back next toime!"

"Wait, this isn't you at your full-strength!?" Sab yelped, "Ow!"

Truth be told, Sab felt he would lose even if he had the privilege of fighting back. Nerys' fighting style was tight and without many extra moves. Her punches were fast, strong and precise, and due to the speed at which she pulled back after said punches, one could even go so far as to say her defense had no openings.

"Nerys! Okay, stop, if you keep hitting me, I won't have the strength to keep digging!"

"Hngh... Had... enaff' yet?"

"I did, I won't ever call you that word, never ever!" He groveled at her boots, "So please, save your strength!"

Save her strength, Sab smirked just thinking about it, for Energy! A stroke of genius, all he has to do is sic Nerys on the bastard and he can just watch from a distance if there ever comes a time they have to duke it out. This plan, of course, was not yet shared with the female fighter to be, however, because if he did reveal it to her, Sab wouldn't even live long enough to reach Energy at all.