Avani and her party were the first to enter the Ocean. Vondaire stood outside the door impatiently, watching the waves crash onto the sand bar. The ferry had left the second the heroes stepped off, as the captain likely wanted to avoid dealing with Owin more than she had to.

Siora, Nikoletta, and their party member stood awkwardly at the end of the sandbar, nearly in the water. Their new party member was a fresh faced magus who had yet to summon his own familiar. He hadn’t spoken a word and warily watched everything Owin did. He had barely hit level 30, so he wasn’t directly a threat, but all three Void Nexus heroes together would still be formidable, especially with how fast Siora and Nikoletta had been growing.

As soon as the half hour mark hit, Vondaire bowed. “See you two on the other side. Remember, Chorsay made me promise to wait. Do not make me wait long.” He stepped into the void before Owin could reply.

“We probably don’t need to give him a half hour,” Owin said. “I don’t think he’s going to do the quests.”

“We should give him the time. It’s a sign of respect,” Myrsvai said.

“We respect him?”

“He’s hog,” Suta said.

“Right.”

Owin walked back and forth for the entire half hour. Myrsvai sat and meditated with Suta sitting across from him, matching his posture and position perfectly. Before long, the magus stood and gestured for Owin to enter.

Siora, Nikoletta, and their magus watched impatiently.

“If you come after me—”

“I know,” Siora said.

“It might not be today, but I will kill you,” Nikoletta said.

“Good luck.” Owin stepped into the void.

Entering Ocean Dungeon

First Floor

A fish darted in front of his face, followed by a whole school that swam through the coral reef. Owin opened his map and was happy to see his old path still marked on his map. There was plenty more he wanted to see, especially since Ernie and Katalin weren’t willing to explore at all on the first floor. There was a chest guardian and a secret to uncover.

Suta and Myrsvai appeared beside him. They both looked about, taking in the colorful coral reef. Suta reached out and snatched a fish, but dropped it when Myrsvai bumped him with his staff.

Owin pointed to the right, immediately heading into the clouded section of his map. They rounded a mushroom-covered boulder and passed a group of spiky pink plants. Some leafy seaweed danced near the boundary wall.

“I’m going to the chest guardian first,” Owin said.

Myrsvai gestured for him to continue. Suta looked at just about every little thing they passed. He squatted to look at colorful pebbles, he poked the coral, ran his hand over leaves, scratched at the moss, and caught a few more fish before they reached the narrow passage Owin had seen from a distance last time. It was shaded from a massive pink flower-like coral that hung over the passage, making it feel like a tunnel.

Owin hadn’t seen the boss last time. Ernie had specifically gone the other direction to avoid wasting time, which didn’t matter in the end because they were still late with their delivery.

Owin walked confidently through the passageway and stopped as the shimmering boundary wall appeared before him. Did he go the wrong way?

Suta tackled Owin, throwing him to the ground right as a dark shape passed over. Owin rolled to the side and drew his lich bone knife.

Ocean Mob

Argyro

Diving Bell Spider

Level 10

Suta placed his hand on Owin’s arm. “Mine.”

“Let him work out some frustrations,” Myrsvai said.

The spider kicked up sand as it rotated. Its long, spindly legs stayed out far to the side as its mouth quivered.

“Disgusting,” Owin said.

Suta walked right up to the boss. It stabbed with a leg as soon as he was in range, but the familiar deftly brushed it aside. When he was closer, Argyro lurched forward to bite. Suta’s fist flashed out as he jabbed, catching the spider in the center of the face.

“That’s decent experience,” Myrsvai said.

Argyro fell to the ground, spilling blood from the hole in its face.

“You get experience for Suta’s kills?”

“Of course. He’s an extension of me.” Mysrvai limped forward. His prosthetic leg hadn’t been an issue before, but it was slipping in the sand. He muttered something and leaned against the rock. “Go ahead and open the chest.”

“Suta killed him. He can open it.”

“No, Owin. Go ahead.”

He looked back at the corpse of Argyro. It was obvious he was stronger, but he wondered if he could’ve even killed the spider in a single punch. Suta didn’t seem to think much of it because he walked along the boundary wall with his hand dragging over the barrier.

“Thanks for getting me out of the way,” Owin said.

“Spider wouldn’t hurt.”

“Probably not. It still helped.”

Suta nodded.

Owin walked over to the chest. It was the same chest he had seen by Baby Head and Chaeta. He flipped it open and found a pile of dungeon gold. “It’s just gold.”

Suta scooped it up, carried it over, and dropped it all into Myrsvai’s bag.

“I guess we’re holding onto the gold,” Myrsvai said.

“That’s okay. A lighter bag will help me jump around more.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Owin. Your bag is already full of potions.”

It was about as full as it could be to fit all of Miya’s health and mana potions. Myrsvai had taken about half, and Vondaire took a few even though they hadn’t been directly offered to him.

“Right.”

Myrsvai stood in the passage, under the shade of the coral, and looked out at the reef. “What else do you want to do on this floor?”

“We’ll have to fight the wandering boss, but first I want to find the secret.”

Myrsvai leaned on his staff to peek around the edge of the nearby rocks. “And how does one find a secret? Plenty know of their existence, but that does not mean they can find an entrance.”

Owin closed the chest. “I don’t know.”

“If we’re still here when Void Nexus arrives, we should be ready for a fight.”

Owin joined the magus and watched fish swim about the reef. Thinking about the mobs in the floors below made the fish seem so small and harmless. The cetanthro were big, angry creatures compared to the regular fish swimming about.

Suta snatched a fish out of the water and bit its head off.

“I can find it.” He led the way back into the coral reef and followed the right path, continuing through the unexplored areas. A little crevice covered in shadows caught his eye. Not as a secret, but as an obvious ambush location. “Suta, there’s an eel in there.”

Suta nodded and walked right up to the hole. Before he got too close, an eel lunged out and was caught by the face, unable to even open its mouth. Suta turned, holding up the eel. “Now what?”

“Kill it,” Myrsvai said. “You know this.”

Suta grabbed the tail of the eel and tore it in half.

“A simple spell would’ve been enough.”

“Let’s keep looking.”

“As we walk, Owin, what was that about Artivan?”

Owin waved him on. “I’ll tell you about the Sovereign One and the Doomed Harbinger.”

Myrsvai and Suta listened closely to Owin’s story as they walked. Myrsvai had already heard the main story about Artivan back when Owin had first joined the Nimble Hogs, so there wasn’t too much information to share. They discussed the possibility of Artivan’s survival as they cleared more of the map, looping back to the entrance before running into Amkati.

Owin leaned against a mossy boulder with his index open. They had swerved through the coral reef, making a small loop back to the chest guardian. If they went back the way they just came, they would eventually end up in new areas that Owin had yet to see. If they went to the other side of the floor, they would follow Ernie’s preferred path.

“Let’s follow the path I went last time. There are only two places I haven’t really seen. One of them is a snail that Ernie didn’t let me fight.”

Myrsvai opened his own map. “Do you have an idea where this secret might be? I would like to see them for myself as well, but I’m unfamiliar with any in the Ocean.”

“I thought it might be by the snail.”

“Suta, what do you think? Insight or summon?”

Suta climbed on top of a mossy rock and over a piece of coral. “Summon.”

“Summon what?” Owin looked between the two. “Isn’t Suta summoned?”

“Certainly is.” Myrsvai waved his staff through the water. “I am uncertain about summoning a demon into the Ocean. They certainly won’t enjoy the water.”

“Suta doesn’t seem bothered.”

“The difference is that Suta is an abyssal familiar. He is part of me combined with demonic qualities, though he is not a demon. With Repeated Summoning, I can have Suta in our world and pull a demon from the Abyss.” Myrsvai raised his staff. Abyssal fire spun around the wood and engulfed Myrsvai’s gauntlet. The water did nothing to suppress the colorful flames. As soon as he hit the butt of the staff on the sand, a circle of the same fire appeared a foot in front of Owin.

“There are different types of demons. The one I am hoping to find is an old ally who can assist our search.”

A black hole that looked like the void nexus doorways formed in the center of the circle. A red hand reached out and clawed at the sand. A second, then third, fourth, and fifth hand appeared and pulled the demon from the portal. As soon as its long, pointed tail emerged, the portal closed and the flames vanished.

The demon was about eight feet tall with two hairy, hoofed feet. On its left side, it had three arms connected at the shoulder. On its right, it had an arm that split at the elbow into two separate hands, each one bigger than any on its left. It kicked at the sand and looked down at Owin. On its back, between its folded wings, was a massive double sided axe. On its hip were three identical swords, all sheathed a clump.

Master Demon

Thalgodin - 70% Manifested

Summon of Myrsvai Ryllsion

Level 50

“Is this why you’ve dragged me from my home, Myrsvai?” The demon’s voice was deep and loud, even in the water.

“No. This is our party member, Owin.”

“Hm.” Thalgodin reached back with his right arm and grabbed the axe with both hands. He looked about with a scowl. “The Ocean Dungeon.”

“Indeed. We need your assistance.”

Thalgodin glanced once more at Owin before walking back to Myrsvai. Suta hopped off the coral and landed gently beside the demon, who didn’t react at all. “Assistance without an enemy to fight? It has been nearly a year since you last summoned me. Yet, my kin have tainted your familiar.”

“Tainted?” Suta put up his arms, ready to fight.

Thalgodin dropped to one knee and placed all three hands on top of Suta’s head, stacked atop one another. Abyssal flames flowed over his hands like lava, fully covering Suta.

Owin felt the urge to dive in and disrupt whatever was happening, but both Suta and Myrsvai were incredibly calm. The power of whatever was happening caused the water to shake and swirl, forming a sort of whirlpool.

By the time Thalgodin moved his hands, Suta glowed with the same shining color of the flames. It soon faded from his skin, leaving only his eyes shining.

“What did you do?”

Thalgodin glanced at Owin. “Empowered him.”

“Familiars can be enhanced by other creatures,” Myrsvai said. “If I was an elemental magus, I could bring Suta to the Tundra or the Subterranean dungeons to find ice or fire elementals to assist, or I could summon an elemental that would add its own power to his. In this case, Thalgodin and Suta are well acquainted.”

“Do you know the Malignant Spirit?” Owin asked.

All three turned to him like he was an idiot. He had hoped that would happen less with higher intelligence and wisdom, though some things never seemed to change.

“Yes. Baron of the Soundless Forest. A Lord of the Abyss.” Thalgodin’s axe glowed with red energy. “What is it you need, Myrsvai?”

“We’re looking for a secret.”

The demon nodded slowly. Its huge horns cut through the water. “I know of the secrets. The three of us should find a hint with ease. Can the goblin assist?”

“Not with this.”

Owin frowned.

“Let us hunt.”

The energy from his axe shot like bolts from a wand into Suta and Myrsvai. Their eyes took on the same red, shining brighter than he had seen them before. Suta’s eyes were a spiral of colors.

Suta hurried past and grabbed Owin’s arm, dragging him along. They passed into the narrow area where Owin had first run into a gnarled moray. Suta ran past it quickly enough that the mob completely missed. Thalgodin brought his axe down in a quick swipe that cut the eel in half.

“What are you looking for?” Owin asked.

“Something I wouldn’t normally notice. Thalgodin is a neural demon from the Plains of Awakening. There is nothing with better vision than him and his kin.” Myrsvai lagged behind, still struggling a bit to walk on the sand.

Thalgodin and Suta looked in opposite directions from each other. Even as they swung their heads about, they were in sync, always keeping both sides covered.

Owin walked beside Myrsvai, matching the magus’s pace. Myrsvai was also looking around, but seemed less intense compared to the demon and Suta.

“I feel useless right now,” Owin said.

“I may have summoned both, but they are capable of far more than I am. Our times will come.”

They continued around a huge rock, past more coral and schools of fish. The sun shone through the surface of the ocean, giving them plenty of light when the plants weren’t growing overhead. Ahead was a mountain Owin recognized from his previous trip. He had passed it, and there was another gnarled moray hidden around the side.

Thalgodin stopped and pointed his axe at the mountain. “This is a cathkabel fortress.”

“The secret is a cathkabel fortress?” Myrsvai walked past the demon, right up to the edge of the mountain. Coral, leafy plants, and moss grew all over, hiding whatever might lie underneath. He reached his staff through and tapped, hitting something made of metal.

“That’s the secret?” Owin swore it had just been a big mound of stone. Even the map showed it as stone and plants, though the map didn’t really reveal the labyrinth either back in the Great Forest. “Where’s the door?”

Suta grabbed a small boulder and moved it aside. At the same time, Thalgodin chopped through a piece of coral. As it fell, the black doorway leading into the secret became visible. It was small enough that the demon would have to duck. Even someone like Artivan would have been too tall.

“I guess we found it,” Myrsvai said. “Ready?”

Owin led the way, confidently stepping through another dark doorway.