In the depths of the sea, undercurrents surged.
In the dead silence of the darkness, only the ticking of instruments could be heard through the headset; the overhead light, swinging with the movement of his head, slowly swept around.
It could only cast a fleeting patch of greyish-white light.
Nothing was visible.
In a trance, it seemed as though strange illusions jumped out from the waves, but when he focused and looked closely, they disappeared without a trace. Only the vast, empty darkness remained.
The descent continued.
As if heading towards Hell.
Within the face mask, only heavy breathing could be heard.
"Number Fourteen, report depth status."
"Current depth seven. Stabilization valve operating smoothly. All normal."
"And the coordinates?"
"Coordinates show no drift."
"Maintain speed. Next, you'll rendezvous with Number Twelve and assist him with the framework installation."
"Understood."
"Report briefly every minute. The command center will monitor your mental state at all times. Remember, do not converse with anything that shouldn't be here. Understand?"
"Understood."
Number Fourteen took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind, then slowly followed the rope toward another beam of light. The two figures collided in the deep sea, then bounced apart.
The figure opposite reached out and grabbed him.
"Are you from the Legion? That's rare..." A youthful voice came over the radio. "I thought another Scholar would come to assist me. What should I call you?"
"Tony," Number Fourteen said. "Just call me Tony."
"Alright, Tony, I am..."
"Don't say your name," Tony interrupted. "Just pick a codename. That's enough. We're below standard operational depth here; don't reveal any personal information."
"...Uh, okay." The Scholar on the other side seemed to shrug through his diving suit. "Then call me Mr. Serious, because I'm very serious."
Damn, another stupid rookie.
Tony rolled his eyes and touched the strap at his waist, where a handgun was holstered.
After Alchemy modifications, it could barely be used at this depth, and its effective range was quite limited. It was generally called the 'Everybody's Happiness Gun,' meaning that if a rookie was about to cause some fatal trouble, or was on the verge of it, one should quickly seize the opportunity to make him 'happy.'
That way, everyone else could return alive and continue being happy.
"Where's the gear?" he asked.
"Below." Mr. Serious pointed to the rope supporting them and the heavy object suspended beneath it.
"Don't be nervous." As if thinking Tony was afraid, Mr. Serious said casually, "It's a simple job. You keep watch, I'll go down and press the start button, and that's it. I really don't know why such a simple task requires two people."
Because if you die, I have to replace you and keep working, you idiot.
Tony sighed, switched channels, and asked Command directly, "Are you serious? Pairing me with this dunce?"
"Circumstances are limited. He only recently became a Scholar. You'll have to guide him," a gentle female voice comforted. "It's a minor task. Let him get acclimated first."
"Seriously, Miss Ai, I was just spouting nonsense when I was drunk last time. Please don't take it to heart."
"Hm? What did you say?" the person in Command asked, puzzled. "You don't think I heard some nasty rumor and am deliberately giving you a hard time, do you?"
"..."
Tony said no more. Swallowing his exasperation, he sighed heavily and reported, "Number Fourteen, status report complete. Over."
"Wish you a smooth journey."
With a farewell that could almost be called gentle, the command center's channel disconnected.
Tony was switched back to the original channel, forced to continue enduring Mr. Serious's incessant chatter.
Damn it! Are you a chatterbox, man? Please, just stop talking, will you...
Fortunately, every descent has an end.
A heavy thud echoed from below, audible through his helmet.
They'd hit bottom.
Immediately after, the huge cargo container shattered, heavy steel plates scattering in all directions, revealing the massive instrument within. Blinding lights flared from it, illuminating the grim scene around them.
It was the ruins of a city.
A city that had sunk to the bottom of the sea.
It was as if not much time had passed: the colors on the billboards hadn't completely faded, and the streets were still cluttered with abandoned cars.
Behind the shattered windows of a supermarket, food sealed in packaging floated in the water, suspended in the silent darkness.
"This is Stone City?"