Richard had no idea what Molly was thinking. She pointed toward the well and said, "Go in. Sink to the bottom of this well, and you'll reach the ruins."
With that, she leaped into the well. A layer of Sky-Blue Energy wrapped around her body, cutting off contact with the water as she sank rapidly.
The others followed her into the well, with Richard bringing up the rear.
Splash!
Wrapped in golden energy as he entered the well, Richard felt the gravity around him suddenly increase by more than double, vastly exceeding the buoyancy. It was as though invisible arms were dragging him downward.
After descending like this for roughly thirty meters, the surrounding pressure rose to the equivalent of three standard atmospheres. The ground beneath his feet suddenly softened slightly. He passed through a layer of water film and entered the air, then touched solid ground.
Looking around, Richard saw that he was already standing in a hall. A skylight in the ceiling led straight to the well outside; clearly, this was how he had entered just now. Magic patterns were carved into the hall's four walls, stabilizing and preserving the air within, preventing the well water from flowing in. It was a rather ingenious design.
Molly and her group had arrived in the hall ahead of him. Since this was not their first time entering, their curiosity had long since faded. Without taking more than a few glances, they turned and headed toward one side of the hall.
With a creak, they pushed open a stone door, revealing a deep passageway. The group filed inside, and Richard followed.
The passage sloped generally downward, somewhat similar to the corridor from the first Ancient Ruins Richard had explored. After walking for more than half a day, Richard estimated that they