Hearing that they wouldn't need to jump into the water right away, everyone resumed their pace.
The tunnel... no, perhaps it was more accurate to call it a riverbank now.
Keeping the rushing water in their left peripheral vision, they carefully progressed along the solid ground.
This underground river was roughly as wide as the bank they walked on, running quite deep, with a rapid, turbulent flow.
If they carelessly treated it like a regular stream and slipped, the consequences would be dire.
"If you accidentally fall in, you must figure out a way to get back to shore immediately."
Robin issued a stern warning. "There are a ton of monsters in the water. Even though we all possess the [Diving] development ability, we lack actual underwater combat experience. It's best not to casually turn the water into our battlefield."
This was a universally accepted truth among adventurers.
Aquatic monsters could unleash overwhelming latent power in the water, whereas land-based adventurers suffered the exact opposite effect, their mobility severely restricted.
Of course, with the entire Focalors Familia possessing the [Diving] ability, they didn't have to worry about their combat effectiveness plummeting completely.
Hearing Robin's warning, Astrea, who had been curiously observing her surroundings, couldn't help but shoot Aiden and the others an astonished look.
She naturally knew just how rare the [Diving] development ability was.
Normally, only Familias that dealt with water year-round—like the Poseidon Familia by the sea—or adventurers specializing in underwater gathering quests had a chance to awaken this ability upon leveling up.
Yet, the Focalors Familia... a group of people who seemingly had absolutely nothing to do with water, had somehow managed to acquire the [Diving] ability across their entire roster?
However, Astrea was a deity who had lived for hundreds of millions of years; she instantly quelled her curiosity.
Every Familia had its secrets. Just like her own children, Alise and the rest, they too had trump cards unknown to outsiders.
As an outsider herself, she had no intention of prying. She simply marveled internally, assuming it was some rare skill or magic she was unaware of that allowed teammates to share development abilities.
After all, if skills that directly boosted experience point acquisition existed, something like this wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
"I'm actually quite eager to train my underwater combat skills," Aiden said, glancing at the surging underground river beside him. A smirk full of challenge tugged at his lips. "But there's no rush right now."
While having the [Diving] ability meant they wouldn't drown like rats, being unfamiliar with fighting in a three-dimensional underwater space was still a massive handicap.
Practice was mandatory, but absolutely not during their first excursion into the deep floors when everything was still completely unfamiliar.
Once everyone had reached a higher level and become more accustomed to the Water Capital, there would be plenty of time to return and conduct targeted underwater combat training.
Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts, carefully advancing along the riverbank—
Splash!
An ear-piercing splash erupted without warning at the rear of the formation.
A massive, grotesque fish burst from the water. Its gaping maw, lined with razor-sharp teeth, traced a lethal arc through the air, lunging straight for Cassandra, who was walking near the back.
"Eek! Kyaaaaah!?"
The sudden ambush caused the already fragile-nerved Cassandra to pale in terror. She let out a short shriek, her body locking up completely from the fright.
However, the danger never got anywhere near her.
Jeanne, who had been guarding the center of the rear line all along, reacted with speed that defied imagination.
The very instant the monster fish leaped from the water, the battle flag in her hands shot backward like a venomous dragon striking from its cave.
Schlick!
The flagpole, wrapped in holy light, drove flawlessly into the monster fish's gaping mouth and pierced straight out the back of its head.
The giant fish didn't even have time to utter a cry before its massive body rapidly dissolved into a puff of black ash mid-air. Only a faintly glowing Magic Stone remained, landing on the ground with a soft clack.
"That's a Raid Fish. A very common ambusher in the deep floor waters."
Robin's calm voice chimed in just in time, detailing the monster's species and characteristics. "Stay sharp. From this point on, we could be subjected to this kind of underwater attack at any moment."
"Are you alright, Cassandra?" Jeanne retracted her flag and turned around, a trace of concern in her azure eyes as she looked at the pale, lingeringly terrified girl.
"I-I'm fine... thank you, Miss Jeanne."
Cassandra patted her chest, forcing a strained smile, her gratitude entirely genuine.
"It's my duty."
Jeanne offered a gentle, reassuring smile. That sense of composure and unwavering resolve instantly flooded Cassandra with an unprecedented sense of security. "Don't be afraid. I will protect you all."
Daphne, walking near the front, glanced back. In that split second, she herself had been startled, her body reacting half a beat too late to mount a defense.
Thank goodness Jeanne was there.
However, a complex, indescribable emotion welled up in Daphne's heart.
She couldn't shake the feeling that, excluding herself and Cassandra, the core members of the Focalors Familia possessed psychological fortitude that was terrifyingly high—far beyond any adventurer of the same level she had ever met.
Whether it was the strategizing Robin, the seemingly delicate Hyacine, the composed Tifa, or the currently unflappable Jeanne, it was as if they were entirely accustomed to any and all crises. They maintained absolute calm in any situation and hadn't made a single error born of panic thus far.
Daphne considered herself highly capable, yet even she had frozen for a second under the sudden ambush. Jeanne, however, had assessed the situation and executed the kill in a fraction of a second.
That near-instinctual reaction speed and iron-clad psychological fortitude left Daphne feeling profoundly inadequate.
But by the same token, having such a reliable Guardian as Jeanne protecting the rearguard made her feel incredibly safe.
The party pressed on, and their journey unfolded exactly as Robin had predicted. They were subjected to relentless attacks from the underwater Raid Fish.
Unlike the Metal Blue Crabs, which could operate on land, these purely aquatic monsters supposedly spawned directly from the crystal walls inside the river or from the riverbed itself.
Unlike on land, where open sightlines allowed one to spot anomalies in advance, the water was different. It was exceptionally difficult to track these newly spawned monsters with the naked eye through the murky, churning rapids.
Even if one managed to sense a sliver of bloodlust or presence, pinpointing their exact location was nearly impossible.
Beneath the rolling currents right beside them, there could very well be dozens of monsters lurking at any given moment, just waiting to deliver a fatal strike.
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