Beyond him, the dungeon kept going. The slope was more steep than before but also less obstructed by spires. Stephen kept going, taking his harpoon in the same hand as his shield, not trusting the path to allow him to carry his bag. His slingshot was in his right hand, the pouch of rocks strapped to his belt. He slowed down at some point as the path became more abrupt. He was wary of the enemy being able to see him before he could himself.

A light could be seen below, marring the walls, as a faint and moving reflection. It reminded Stephen of reflection from water, making the presence of a lake or another similar body of water possible.

Because this path went downward so much and the other way at the branching point instead went upward, Stephen had another theory about the dungeon layout. One which was preferable to a labyrinth. In fantasy stories, most dungeons had a top-to-bottom layout. As such, it should mean that Stephen, by going down, was getting closer to the portal leading to the next floor.

Since the main quest only asked him to reach the portal and return to his entrance, it would be good news since he didn't have to explore the rest of the dungeon. On the other hand, if he didn't explore the entirety of the dungeon, he would probably lose out on rewards. There was a last troubling issue. With the dungeon's layout going from top to bottom, it applied both to its pathways and occupants. Meaning that Stephen's battle against the twenty and some frog people he had in the large cavern might be easier than his next one. The effortless cave he just went through wasn't considered, as the foes didn't even wield weapons.

While Stephen was lost in his thoughts about how to proceed, the dungeon decided to force him to move forward. Indeed, as he had feared, the enemies could see him from below, and one of the frog humanoids went close enough to the path to do so. The enemy's cry allowed Stephen to locate his foe, which he pelted with his slingshot. Another two frogs people revealed themselves shortly after. All were armed with spears and wearing leather pieces of armour. By the time Stephen deemed it too risky to continue shooting rocks, he had already succeeded in killing the first enemy while the two others were slightly wounded. Their padded feet lowered the advantage Stephen might have had due to his above position since the slipping slope didn't hinder them, but Stephen could still leverage his weight against them. That, plus his extended range, was enough to quickly deal with those two frogs.

He was almost surprised by the small number of foes. Only to realise, as he had arrived in the cave, another two enemies were present.

They didn't seem in a hurry, content to stay on their spot and wait to be attacked. Stephen could understand. Both frog people were much more imposing than their brethren and better equipped. Their passiveness was good, as it meant more time to catch his breath after his short fight and the opportunity to observe the cavern.

It was a circular cave, much larger than the one he had left but not as much as the one where the cages were. It was around fifty meters in diameter, occupied mainly by a lake, just behind the two frog soldiers. The shore was barely ten meters large, further reduced by the many spires which grew from its floor. Or those which fell from the ceiling, obscuring sight and movement alike. They were mostly present along the walls, though, so it was almost possible to walk without detours along the lakeside. The lake was the cause of the reflections Stephen had seen before on the walls. It was even more apparent here, casting ribbons of light across the cave, reminiscent of auroras, made of blues lights instead of greens. If the dungeon wasn't a death trap for anyone unprepared, this cave could have certainly become a popular tourist spot. The water was so clear that looking into the lake's depths was possible. Despite no lives occupying the waters, currents still disturbed the depth, unlike the stillness visible on the surface. On the bottom, directly across from his spot, Stephen could see an underground waterway, its depth seemingly darker and purplish in contrast to the light milky blue of the lake's waters.

The absence of other paths and his previous theory about the dungeon's layout going downward made Stephen think about the portal's colour he had seen in his basement. When locked, the energy amidst the gateway was purple. A portal to be present somewhere in this lake's depths would make sense, albeit a dreadful possibility. Any exploration, or worse, fighting to be made underwater, would become akin to a death trap for the human.

Despite the terrifying prospect for the future, the sight was mesmerising. It was such wonders which reinforced Stephen's desire to explore this dungeon. As for how he would deal with a water environment, that was a concern for the future. He already had enough problems for now. With the knowledge of extraterrestrial lands within reach, he couldn't allow himself not to try to explore them. Giving shape and colour to fantastic worlds, giving life to dreams, was a large part of his job until now. It still was. To earn access to such an opportunity, where anything imagined by humanity in their fiction might exist, was too big to ignore, even if some of those horrors might prove to be glimpses of a faraway reality instead.

Sure, it was risky, and he might die for it. But he would never forgive himself if he gave up on this.

The last two foes stood side to side, unmoving, as they watched the human intruder. Daring him to ignore them and rush for the portal, most likely lying beyond them, the objective of the main quest.

Unlike the frog-like beings Stephen had met up to this point, which only measured between four and five feet, those two were taller even than him (5,6 feet), around six feet. They were also bigger than their brethren, without being bulky. As for their equipment, it included pieces of metal in addition to the leather. More specifically, metal bracers and a heart protector. The rest of their armour, or clothing, was made of leather. In terms of weapons, they were a mirror of each other, wielding a half-moon shield on the side nearest the other, just big enough to cover their torso. On their outer side, a sword rested on their hips, their hand atop its pommel.

It was a bad match-up for Stephen, who could see how shield-bearers would be troublesome to fight. He dared not hope for them to be slower since their larger build might reduce the strain imposed by their shield.

Despite his dread for the approaching fight, he felt he was also anticipating the thrill of it. It brought him back to the moment after his first real fight inside the large cavern when his heart was pumping loudly against his ribs, his blood boiling. When he lost himself in a trance at the end of it, slaying his foes one after the other. It was exciting to know he had it in him to put his life on the line and emerge victorious. It was also proof that he could pursue his self-imposed quest for power.

Not wanting to fight too close to the lake's water, Stephen took hold of one of the spears left on the floor from his previous skirmish and aimed at the opponent on his right. His spear was resting against the wall, ready to be grabbed as soon as he drew aggro from his foes.

Their armour and weapons might hinder them, but they remained frog people. For them to not be skilled swimmers would be ridiculous. Stephen firmly believed he would be doomed if he ended up in the lake.

As the looted spear sailed through the air, Stephen didn't wait for the result, not expecting it to deal any damage. He already has his other spear in hand, his shield firmly secured on his other arm, ready to battle his foes. Unsurprisingly, the projectile was diverted, barely denting their shield. Both shield-bearer came forward to fight Stephen, yelling unintelligible things. He did the same, both to encourage himself and as an answer. He might be a human living in modern society, but roaring against an enemy still felt intuitive.

Although his previous tactic of bashing his opponent with his shield and taking advantage of his weight wouldn't work, Stephen still imitated some of it by going for the right-most foe. Once again, it was better to ensure his shield arm was on the side facing his enemies most of the time. Because of this, he had previously targeted the one on his right, wanting to know how aggro would work. Earlier, he had already raised the alarm among the group such that all fighters went to confront him. As for the fight against the five cultivating mushrooms, they weren't regrouped, preventing Stephen from seeing any pattern.

As it was, the one enemy he had attacked had a slight advance on the other, barely a few steps. It was still exploitable in Stephen's mind. Since he could engage his first opponent one on one, it would allow him to control the rhythm of the battle.

Taking further advantage of his extended range, Stephen made a feint for a blow overhead, forcing his enemy to lift his shield and block his sight. Only to reach downward, aiming at the legs. The strike still deviated, the half-moon shape of the shield allowing the opponent to see the feint in time. As such, the spear only gouged out the side of the leg instead of impaling it.

The counter-attack was parried away, Stephen charging towards his right, hidden behind his shield, before striking one last time during this short duel. He succeed in drawing blood from his foe's left shoulder. After that, Stephen had to keep himself on his toes, as he needed to maintain the distance without getting too close to the lake. He was forced to give up his spear because of the environment rather than a lacking grip. Unlike the first time it happened in his first battle against the frog people. Weaving through the spires lining the shore allowed him not to face his enemies while unarmed until he could unsheathe his machete. It also made it easier to separate the duo.

When the two enemies tried to pincer him at some point, Stephen took this chance to charge at the one he had already injured at the beginning. He bashed against the other's shield and pushed his opponent backwards, then dealt a crippling blow by skewering him in the waist. Unfortunately, its ally had gotten close by that time, forcing Stephen away. That's when the wounded frog soldier ran away, or at least it was what Stephen initially thought it did.

With the sound of water splashing, he started having doubts. He had already gotten wounded in several parts, mostly his limbs and a gash on his waist. If reinforcements were called, it would be a disaster for the human delver. At this point, the fight had already moved twenty meters away from the entrance. To go back in time before whatever event the running foe would spring up would be a challenge. One Stephen didn't believe he could undergo. Rather than that, it seemed better to seek to finish the opponent before him.

Now that it was a duel, Stephen was confident he could emerge victorious. It was still a struggle as he had lost his range advantage since the first duel, but he prevailed over his foe.

Not lingering around his opponent's corpse any longer, Stephen rushed towards the entrance, wanting to get closer to a retreat and the spears lying out on the floor.

That the cave section was more open had pros and cons. While it would rob him of obstacles to run around and put between him and his opponents, it would also give him a better vision. Something he desperately needed to know why the frog soldier had decided to dive into the water.

As it turned out, the answer wasn't as dreadful as he had thought. The frog soldier had come back alone but fully healed. Stephen knew it was the same as he faced before, as the equipment was still damaged. His annoyance only lasted a moment before he focused on why it happened. The lake's waters.

The elation Stephen felt upon realising this was liberating. He didn't have to worry about his wounds. Or of his lack of skill while applying first-aid. He could heal himself and fully recover from all the injuries he had suffered since entering the dungeon. Or maybe even those dating from before.

Yelling, Stephen charged at his last foe. The war cry was loud enough to startle the frog soldier, who paused momentarily in his steps. It allowed the human to take the initiative, dealing a flurry of four strikes and breaking his foe's already damaged shield before a lull occurred. Undefended, the frog soldier had a hard time surviving, yet didn't try to run for the waters any more. Emboldened by the possibility of getting magically healed after the fight, Stephen took more risks. Trading blows rather than striving to dodge or parry every time. After a successful strike on his opponent's sword's arm, Stephen managed to disarm him, making the following death a formality.

Victorious, Stephen approached the shore, slightly to the left side, away from the entrance. If he wanted to enjoy the lake's waters, he would need to remove his armour unless he wanted to risk drowning. By getting on the side, he could hide them from the entrance using the stalactites arrayed on the ground. He doubted any enemies would show up since it never happened until now, but better be safe than sorry. He was more worried about the outside than the lake's inside, as the water's transparency made it easy to see everywhere. The only exception was the waterway on the far side of the lake. Or so he thought.

While he got ready to enter the water, Stephen saw another current than the one supposedly leading to the underwater portal. It was situated opposite him from the entrance. Unlike the other, though, where Stephen could see the water going away, the water came from the passage. It was a small tunnel, barely big enough for him to crawl through.

Stephen still went forward with his idea, as his wounds needed help. He believed he could get out of the water fast enough to reach for his weapon if he saw an enemy. Unsurprisingly, the water was icy cold, not that it deterred Stephen from submerging himself. He immediately felt the virtue of the waters, a tickling warmth flowing through his body from his every wound. His gaze, meanwhile, never left the underwater tunnel. As it turned out, it led upwards, the inclination high enough to make Stephen think of it as a slide.

One Stephen had no intention of exploring. Nor could he even if he wanted to. If the limestone wasn't enough of a problem, from how slippery it was, the tunnel was also flooded with water, making it unlikely for anyone earthbound to go up against the current. Worst of all, since it led upwards to a section of the dungeon Stephen hadn't yet explored, it meant it would be guarded. As such, even if by some ways he did succeed in going up, he would arrive in a cave populated by enemies. Either unarmed, unprotected, or soaked with so much water, moving would be a chore.

It was better to ignore it while keeping it in mind when he explored the rest of the dungeon.

Now that he was inside the lake, he could look into the waterway from where the purple light came. Stephen swam towards the lake's depths, aware that his wounds would take some time to heal. He could feel it through his skin and muscle,

The path underwater was quite large, enough that standing up was possible. Further ahead, it went slightly up, leading to a small cavern only large enough to house the portal. Like the others he had seen until now, it was a large structure, the opening alone being two by three meters. He couldn't tell if the runes on its edges were the same. The water from the lake flew through the portal, only filling half a meter and seemingly unhindered. A massive relief for Stephen, as it meant he wouldn't need to fight underwater. Or at least not as soon as he entered the second floor. Stephen emerged shortly to catch his breath, then approached the portal to complete part of his main quest.

The notification wasn't surprising:

Dungeon Portal #QUEEN-FLOOR_2

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Status: Opened

What was surprising was not to have any notice about his progress related to the quest.

Left without choices, since Stephen absolutely didn't intend to cross this portal, he returned to the lack and the shore. Since he had reached the gateway leading to the dungeon's second floor, he now had to survive long enough to return to his world. With his body fully healed, he only felt mental fatigue. Although he wasn't sure how much time he had already spent inside the dungeon, his guess was around five hours. A short enough time that he was more confident of his eventual success than ever. Especially if he could keep using the lake to heal himself between fights.