Holding my breath, I’ve never swam before so my movements looked sluggish.

Glancing over at Vertere, he made a sphere around him.

Changing my trajectory, I entered his bubble.

Gasping for air, I smacked him on the head.

"Why didn’t you say anything about the fact that you could’ve made an air pocket!" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"You should’ve asked in the first place." Vertere nodded with a irritating smug look on his face.

Soon we reached the bottom.

Pulling Alleus inside the air pocket, she began coughing.

"I was about to run out of air!" She then breathing heavily.

Following Incus who was swimming around, she eventually stopped over a circular metal with an intricate carving of Queen Evecles.

Incus then held onto a handle on the edge.

Planting herself to the ground, Incus began to pull up the manhole but was running out of air as she pointed at her lungs and mouth.

Wincing, Queen Evecles kissed Incus, transferring air.

"W-W-What! They kissed!" Alleus pointed as she shook me by the shoulder.

After being given air, Incus pulled the mighty sheet of steel.

We were then being pulled as water flowed into the manhole.

Commanding the dragon scales to hold us together, I entered through the manhole.

Falling into a river of water, we swam onto a elevated walking platform.

Retracting the dragon scales, the length of the cloak went back to it’s original length.

Waving her hands, Queen Evecles made the water close the manhole cover.

"Why didn’t you just do that from the start?" Incus asked.

"I’m not suctioning the water, I’m just pushing it to close." Queen Evecles then sank her foot into the man made river in the sewer.

"Purify." The water then glowed in a trail, and the water became clearer.

"We’re done now, lets get going... this place stinks." Queen Evecles covered her nose.

"Not yet... I’m sensing something deeper down." Incus summoned a hero sword and began walker deeper into the sewers.

"I don’t sense anything? Maybe the stench is just getting to your head." Queen Evecles waved a hand in the air, swatting away the stench.

"Scales, turn into breathable masks and cover our faces except Lieur and Queen Evecles." The scales then flew to faces, wrapping around our mouths and noses.

"Great thinking partner, I thought I was going to suffocate..!" Alleus chuckled.

"Why didn’t you do this sooner!" Vertere asked in outrage.

"You didn’t ask." I scoffed before glaring, "Anyhow, prepare for combat. Don’t do anything reckless, stand back if you’re in any danger."

Pulling out their weapons, we carefully walked deeper into the sewer tunnels.

My breath grew shorter with weariness.

Continuing are journey, I grew doubtful on whether there actually was something... but we’re in a novel, so whatever Incus says should be taken to heart.

As the amount of steps we’ve taken increased, the tunnel walls became much more unmaintained.

There were cracks, and broken sewage pipes broken, not only that but the air became thicker.

"Get back!" Incus shouted, she protected Queen Evecles with a hand and pointing her blade with the other.

A blade then clashed against the hero sword Incus was holding.

"Who dares to attack!" Incus pushed the attacker back.

"Don’t come any further." Said the mysterious figure, before leaping away backwards in a haste.

"Come on let’s chase after them, make sure to prepare a few attacks." Incus commanded, as her strides gradually widened.

"O-Okay..!" Queen Evecles swiped her hand as the water from the sewage floated up behind her.

"Vertere, how is it possible that she can use magic without chanting? Aside from the purifying she does?" I asked, carrying him over my back.

"She must be a genius and the expenditure of mana for such things doesn’t concern her." Answered Vertere, "The time she spent as an immortal must’ve not gone to waste."

Incus then abruptly stopped.

"Scales of dragon, turn into a full body clothing." Dispersing, the dragon scales loosely wrapped around her, it looked like a hooded full body pajama, "Maybe a quick stop to get some armor beforehand would’ve been the ideal move."

The tunnel gradually grew darker, and Incus summoned a different hero sword.

"...Excalibright." An armor made of light then conjured on Incus, the same armor that stopped the demon raid from the shadow demons.

"Stick close, don’t stray too far." Incus said in a stern tone.

Slowing our pace, a deep cliff appeared before us.

"What is it?" Queen Evecles asked.

Taking off a glove of the light armor, Incus dropped it into the cliff.

As we watched the cliff be illuminated, there were multiple holes that inhabited a band of gruff looking people.

"W-Who are those people..?" Queen Evecles paled in confusion.

"We won’t know until we drop in." Grabbing Queen Evecles by the wrist, Incus jumped into one of the holes.

"Don’t turn on the light... hide...!" Said a loud whisper.

Incus suddenly dashed forward, grabbing a young woman from behind the neck.

"Don’t bother hiding." She then pointed the tip of her blade at a group of children hiding.

"Wait! Don’t do anything too rash, we’ve yet to learn who they are! So point your blade away." Queen Evecles slowly approached.

Seeing that Incus listened to her command, Queen Evecles sighed:

"Good—"

"Number twenty one has been breached, commence attack!" A barrage of flaming attacked then flew towards us.

With a swishing motion of her hands, Queen Evecles stopped the onslaught of attacks.

"They blocked the attack sir!" A voice shouted.

"We have no choice, bring out the cannon!" A voice shouted in response, the sound of something rattling echoed.

"Answer me now, who are you unless you want to die alongside us." Incus pulled the young woman in closer, "We can protect ourselves, but can you?"

The young woman hesitated but then answered when Incus pointed at the children.

"We’re dwellers who came here without clearance!" The young woman shouted loudly in response, her face in a cold sweat.

"Good girl." Incus then let her go and walked up to queen Evecles, "Take down the water."