I Have a Task Log

"Help? You think that’s funny? Ha! *Cough, cough.* Me, need help?" Dorn shot back, sputtering on water.

Kase and Colin exchanged a glance, then each grabbed one of the Dwarf’s arms and started carrying him.

Though the guy talked tough, once he was off his feet, he quietly let them move him.

Besides, the Dwarf might have been short, but he was incredibly heavy. Colin’s arms were already starting to go numb after just a few moments.

Fortunately, the water level began to recede after a moment.

Colin immediately dropped Dorn, letting him walk on his own.

They walked another ten-odd meters and up a small incline, and the water finally disappeared completely.

The group found themselves in a modestly sized room.

Before Colin could get a good look, Ale, who was behind them, shook her head like a kitten getting out of the water. Droplets flew from her golden hair, splashing everywhere.

"Oh, sorry." Seeing her companions’ resigned expressions, Ale quickly used [Magic Tricks] to dry their clothes as she spoke.

Once his clothes were dry, Colin walked further into the room and surveyed his surroundings.

The room had four stone doors, each engraved with carvings that seemed to represent liquids.

"This looks like a small shrine," Colin said, stroking his chin. "Is it for worshipping the Deity of the Sea? Or dedicated to a Water Element?"

"I can faintly smell a hint of decay. This might be an altar dedicated to an Evil Demon," Orelia offered a completely different opinion. "Water and an Evil Demon... I’m guessing it could be the Faceless King."

"Great, another Demon Lord," Colin sighed. "How are there so many different kinds of these damn things?"

"Disorder and chaos are the hallmarks of those disgusting creatures, Mr. Colin," Orelia said. "We have to be careful. There are probably Oozes around."

The Faceless King, also known as the King of Slimes.

He hated everything with equal measure and had almost no thoughts beyond destruction and decay.

This Abyss Lord rarely recruited any followers and had no true allies, surrounded only by the Oozes he had corrupted. Even so, many a mad mortal still offered him sacrifices, just to obtain a sliver of his foul Power.

"So we’ll be careful. It’s not like we have any other choice," Dorn said, walking up to one of the stone doors to examine it.

He pulled two thin wires from a side pocket of his pack, fiddled with the lock for a moment, and then pushed the stone door open with a single motion.

Behind the stone door was a strange pool. The water within was black and foul-smelling, and the stench immediately made the eyes of everyone at the entrance water.

"Is it possible we’ll get to the next level and find a dead end?" Colin asked, squinting.

"Unlikely. The rooms here shift, but they still follow a certain pattern." Dorn waved a hand in front of his face. "Dammit, are these Cultists sick in the head?"

"Would they be Cultists if they weren’t?" Colin retorted.

Dorn chuckled. "Good point."

He then repeated the process, prying open another stone door.

The room behind this door was quite cramped. Lined up against the walls were numerous triple-decker beds made from fungal planks, while a pile of ransacked junk lay in the middle of the room. Nothing seemed particularly noteworthy.

"Don’t tell me we’ve run into a once-in-a-century dead end..." Dorn grumbled.

The group entered the room to inspect its contents.

Spiderweb emblems were clearly visible on the triple-decker beds. Colin walked over to one and touched the half-rotted blanket.

The blanket felt strange to the touch—cold and stiff. It seemed to be made from the silk of some creature, but it felt completely different from normal silk.

"Could a group of Drow have lived here once?" Colin asked.

Hearing this, the others gathered around to feel the blanket and examine the furniture.

"I think it’s possible. Look at that stone spider carving on the wall."

"I recall that some Drow do worship other Abyss Lords with the Spider Queen’s permission, right, Colin?"

"But that’s strange. The Spider Queen shouldn’t tolerate those Evil Demons. The Divine Emblem here doesn’t depict the Faceless King as being subordinate to the spider."

"I remember the Gray Squad on the ship did mention this. Remember that Minotaur?" Colin said. "He said that worship of other Abyss Lords had become much more common among the Drow."

At his words, Orelia and Ale shot him resentful looks. Orelia spoke up, "While you were casually chatting with the Minotaur, we were stuck talking with Lady Sirikxia."

"Fair enough..."

"What’s a Spider Queen? Is it a giant spider?"

The group, deep in discussion, fell silent and turned to look at a confused Kase.

"In any case, it’s not our problem right now," Colin said. "Let’s see if there are any other exits."

Dorn immediately turned back to work on the last stone door.

The others stood to the side and, after some explaining, managed to get Kase up to speed on their conversation.

After a moment, the stone door opened.

The room behind the door was also devoid of life. On the opposite wall was another stone door, already open. In the center of the room stood a small, stone-carved altar, and upon it rested a fist-sized, porous lump of golden material.

The group walked into the room to have a look.

Colin noticed a huge, circular symbol carved into the wall opposite the altar. In the center of the circle was a giant maw full of sharp teeth, and the entire symbol was covered in eyes.

Patches of black mold grew on the symbol, making it look all the more grotesque.

Dorn went to inspect the open door on the far side.

He cursed under his breath, "Dammit. This door was definitely forced open. Those bastards who got here first closed all the doors behind them as they left. They’re deliberately making trouble for anyone following."

"Maybe it’s one of the unwritten rules of being an Adventurer," Colin said.

"I wish they’d factor in these stupid unwritten rules when they’re busy patting themselves on the back for being ’heroes’," Dorn grumbled.

Colin wasn’t particularly bothered.

They had seen far worse people—like Finn, the Viper Association member who had attacked them before.

The two of them turned around to see the others staring intently at the golden substance on the altar.

It looked like a piece of reef from the seabed, full of holes and embedded with bits of rock. There were also signs that it had been twisted, as if someone had wrenched a piece off.

Noticing Colin’s gaze, Ale said, her eyes glued to the golden metal, "This is real, solid Gold, Colin... Mr. Colin."

With that, she stepped forward and tried to pry a piece off, but the thing didn’t budge an inch.

"It was probably melted and poured on top," Dorn said, taking a crowbar from his pack.

With practiced coordination, Kase slammed his axe into the edge of the Gold, knocking a spray of gold dust to the floor and creating a small crack. The Gray Dwarf immediately jammed the crowbar into the new opening.

The two of them then began to heave at the lump of Gold, but even after straining for a good while, it refused to move.

Seeing this, the other three came forward to help.