Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-kwaang!!
Once the door started breaking, it couldn’t withstand the massive water pressure. It shattered like it had gone mad, and began sucking in seawater.
“Neighhh!”
The force of the water being dragged into the door was no joke.
Cheolma almost got caught up in it too, so Su-ho immediately unsummoned it, and he activated a skill so he wouldn’t get dragged in as well.
[ Saint Dome is activated. ]
As Saint Dome activated, a holy barrier formed, isolating him from the outside.
But not long after—
Kaang!
Unable to withstand the violent current, the Saint Dome was destroyed, and this time he used Blood Armor to form a Blood Suit and wrapped it around his body.
Naturally, he also created a hook beneath his feet and drove it into the wall.
Kwach!
Fortunately, the hook bit into the wall.
Then he curled up as much as possible and waited for all this water to drain out quickly.
The pressure was insane.
Even though he was wearing the Blood Suit, it felt like resisting a storm with his bare body.
But in the end, he managed to hold out, and the crushing pressure that had been slamming into his entire body vanished.
Only after all the water drained away was he finally able to breathe—the breathing he’d wanted so badly.
The moment Su-ho took off the suit, he drew in a huge breath first.
“Hoo-ah...!”
Refreshing.
If it had taken even a little longer, he would’ve started hitting his limit.
After enjoying the pleasure of clean air for a while, Su-ho tried using the Subspace House.
[ You cannot enter the Subspace House. ]
A notice saying he couldn’t enter.
Still not?
Seeing that, Su-ho’s brow furrowed.
‘Did it put a Subspace House ban over the entire gate?’
Ridiculous.
If it was going to impose a restriction like this, it should’ve given some kind of hint in advance.
Blocking skill use first without anything like that—how could he not be pissed?
This was the kind of phenomenon you’d only see in late-stage gates after the Great Cataclysm, which made it feel even more unfair.
He had only just entered the mid-stage of the Great Cataclysm.
‘Looks like it’s really adjusting the difficulty by focusing on me.’
Shaking his head, Su-ho headed to where the door had broken.
A huge hole.
That place, about the size of a pond, now lay calm, its surface reflecting like it really was a pond.
He couldn’t see anything inside.
No hint, nothing.
It was extremely unfriendly, but since it was a Big Gate, he accepted it for what it was.
‘Exploration is needed.’
[ Mana Detection is activated. ]
First, he activated Mana Detection and observed beneath the surface.
But even this time, he didn’t observe anything that seemed particularly unusual.
So he really had no choice but to go down himself?
But who knew what kind of place it was down there?
There were no life reactions like monsters, but still—it didn’t hurt to be careful.
After hesitating for a moment, Su-ho called that guy.
“Hey, mutt.”
“Yes, Master.”
A being that popped out the instant Su-ho ordered it.
It was the mutt Roynan from High Blood.
As Roynan appeared with proper etiquette, one knee down, Su-ho asked indifferently.
“You know how to swim, right?”
“Swim... is that what you mean?”
“Yeah.”
“Well... to be honest, I’ve never done it.”
“Then this is your chance to try.”
“Pardon?”
“Cheolma.”
“Neighhh!”
Cheolma was summoned.
Pointing at Cheolma, Su-ho said,
“Ride that down and check what’s below.”
“...Understood.”
Roynan answered with difficulty.
He couldn’t show that he couldn’t do it, or that he was scared.
If he did, Su-ho would roast him with sunlight.
He didn’t want that.
No—he hated it enough to die.
He’d always hated sunlight, but now that he wasn’t High Blood anymore, the pain hit him several times harder than usual.
And that was despite the fact that he had never once swum in his life.
‘All I’ve ever done is play in a bathtub full of blood—swimming, my ass....’
Still, what could he do? If he was told to do it, he had to do it.
The moment Roynan, resigned, tried to climb onto Cheolma—
“Neighhh!”
Puhk!!
Cheolma suddenly bucked and kicked Roynan hard with its hind leg, sending him flying back.
“Guuuh...!”
Hit in the solar plexus by the rear hoof, Roynan doubled over, clutching his stomach, and collapsed.
Seeing that, Su-ho asked Cheolma,
“What’s wrong?”
“Neighhh!”
At Su-ho’s question, Cheolma whipped its head away.
Su-ho laughed.
“You don’t want to carry him?”
“Neighhh.”
“That can’t be helped. I wouldn’t want to either. Still, for my sake, let him at least grab your leg.”
“Neighhh.”
“Thanks.”
“What the....”
Watching Cheolma’s reaction, Roynan was so dumbfounded he couldn’t continue.
No matter what, to treat me like this?
But when he saw Cheolma’s icy-sharp gaze and Su-ho stroking it, his anger and fighting spirit vanished.
‘Ahh, fuck my life.’
Soon, Cheolma entered the water first, and Roynan followed in after it.
Su-ho asked Roynan, now in the water.
“You good at diving?”
“I’ve never done it, but if it’s holding my breath, I can hold it for days.”
“Yeah? I didn’t know vampires had a function like that. Is it just you?”
“...I’m not sure.”
“All right. Anyway, go through the inside thoroughly and come back. If you come back empty-handed, you die.”
“...Pardon?”
“Why?”
“N-no, it’s nothing. I’ll find something.”
Soon, Cheolma and Roynan began diving.
After waiting for the two for a long time—
How much time had passed?
Bogu-ruruk—
Bubbles rose, and Cheolma and Roynan surfaced from the water.
“Neighhh!”
Cheolma made a dashing entrance.
In contrast, Roynan didn’t look so good, like he’d been through something down there.
“Hoo....”
Coming onto land, he brushed his wet hair back and let out a breath.
Seeing him, Su-ho said,
“Quit fooling around and report, quick.”



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