In an instant!
A passage that seemed to lead straight into the abyss appeared directly beneath Lake and the others.
However...
Before Hill, Andy, and Seifer could even cry out in alarm, Lake merely willed it, supporting their bodies.
"W-Y-F!"
Seifer looked down at the passage leading into the abyss beneath their feet and could not help cursing. "Couldn't you give us some kind of warning sign?"
Hill and Andy looked at Seifer strangely.
Give them a warning sign?
How?
Draw an arrow on it and add: "Careful, this leads to Midgard's Origin Land"?
Surely no one could be that stupid.
Lake shrugged beside them. "Fine, then. Are you ready now? If you are, we'll set off."
Seifer took several deep breaths.
Hill seemed to have thought of something and looked at Lake. "Wait, Lake."
Lake looked at Hill.
Hill frowned. "I remember you once said that if such an Origin Land truly existed, and Midgardians really lived there, then there was only one possible reason they had gone in and never come back up. The only reason. It wasn't that they didn't want to come back up, but that they simply had no way to."
Lake nodded. "That's right."
The Origin Land had now been confirmed to exist.
Then...
There was only one reason why the Midgardians who had descended there over the years—or, more accurately, those who had once visited the Origin Land—had never appeared on Earth.
They could not come back up.
Lake looked at Hill and smiled. "Are you worried that we won't be able to come back up?"
Hill said, "We have to consider that possibility."
Lake smiled. "Don't worry. I'm confident. So... can we go down now?"
Seeing this, Hill said nothing more.
As soon as he finished speaking.
A hum rang out.
A