The Plesiosaur's head suddenly thrust out of the water, rising high before crashing heavily down to one side again. Its shell was already covered in wounds, its paddle-like limbs twitching beneath the water as its tubular body rolled over. After a while, it lay still, as though some enormous hand were slowly dragging it down to the bottom of the sea, leaving only a whirlpool spinning on the surface.
But there was still no sign of Allen. Albert was frantic, his eyes reddening and his nose stinging. He ran and crawled toward the underground riverbank. Splash, splash, splash—it was Allen! Riding Neptune, Allen shot out of the water and soared into the air. Overjoyed, Albert ran forward to greet him.
Allen gracefully traced an arc through the air and flew toward Albert, accepting the embrace and concern of his family. Albert carefully looked Allen over, and only after confirming that he was merely bedraggled and uninjured did he finally relax completely.
"Allen, it's wonderful that you're all right! I never expected that, at such a young age, you'd not only be brave and resourceful, but also possess such powerful magic. The Incantations you cast were astonishingly strong. I wonder what happened to that Plesiosaur?" Albert spared no praise for his younger brother.
"It probably sank to the bottom of the river. The whirlpool's pull was too strong, so I didn't get a good look." Allen would never tell Albert that he had already stored the Plesiosaur in the system inventory!
After tidying themselves up a little, the two rode Neptune and continued onward. After flying for some time and passing through several enormous caves, they came upon broad stairways several stories high that extended into the depths of the earth. The steps were extremely steep, and a moment's carelessness could