Chapter 368: Eighty-Fourth Floor, The Corpse of the Dead God (2)
As soon as I emerged from the lava—in a swirling column of fire, no less—I wasn’t greeted with a flurry of handshakes. Nor did I face a wave of questions.
Though countless eyes lit up when they looked at me, all I received were cheers and distant applause.
It wasn’t that they feared mages or didn’t know how to respond. More likely, Remtal had done an excellent job managing their expectations beforehand. I had no idea what exactly he had told them, but the gazes directed my way, filled with awe and gratitude, were enough to lift my mood.
The fact that they aren’t swarming me with attention really is a bonus.
Despite having expended a great deal of energy to make it back up, I couldn’t afford to simply stand around and recover.
I shot up while holding the horn, and I didn’t even have the luxury of activating Shadow Veil to block the light. Everyone saw the bluish-gold glow.
Remtal approached with a gaze full of hope and, after sincerely thanking me for my efforts, asked, “Did you locate the trench and resolve the issue?”
Unfortunately, I could only shake my head. As for the glow, I merely described it as a force from ancient times.
I had hinted at this before descending, so Remtal simply nodded. Still, a trace of disappointment showed on his face. He seemed to have plenty of questions, but seeing how worn out I was, he didn’t press further and turned away instead.
That night, the submersible remained where it was.
It is about time for a proper rest anyway.
The submersible resumed its course at dawn the next day. I had slept enough and recovered my stamina, so I climbed back up onto the deck.