Chapter 82

Chapter 82 The procedures were completed the very next morning.

—Aquamarine is officially recognized as a Rank A expedition team, effective immediately. Exploration of the Fifth Sea District, Aiolos, is now authorized.

“Yes! Thank you!”

As soon as she woke up, Frances contacted Bermuda and confirmed that all procedures for the Rank A promotion had been completed. Then, she quickly called all the members to the meeting room.

Leonard and Marianne, who had been swinging their swords in the training room since dawn; Galano, who was working on getting back in shape after a long period of indulging in alcohol and idleness; Ninian carrying the half-asleep Vivian; and Esther and Lorelei, who had become good friends in just a day.

Jack Russell couldn't be summoned unless it was an emergency, so the gathered members consisted of those seven.

“Good morning, everyone!” Frances greeted them brightly as she walked up to the podium.

“As of today, Aquamarine is back to Rank A, and we are now qualified to explore the Fifth Sea District! So, we’ll be exploring a few small-scale Rifts as a trial run!”

“What, so soon?”

“Actually, it’s about time! We’ve been completely idle for too long. We need to hurry and regain our edge!”

For Esther, Jack Russell, and Lorelei, who had joined Aquamarine just the day before, the pace was overwhelming. Even though mages were known for their quick thinking, setting out without even a proper practice run to get their chemistry straight felt reckless.

But deep down, Frances was confident. It had been an eight-year hiatus. Trying to fill that gap through normal means would take years. They couldn't take their sweet time as they had to prevent the Fifth Sea District from undergoing Corrosion as well as punish the traitors from the Council of Atlantis.

At most, they had about ten years, and at the shortest, only around five before a Rift Break occurred. She had to complete the expedition team before that happened.

“This isn’t a full-scale expedition, so it should be over within a week.”

Leonard, pondering her words, asked, “What’s the difference between a full-scale expedition and a non-full-scale one? I heard the Fifth Sea District is vastly different from the previous ones.”

“Oh, I didn’t explain enough. Let me start from the beginning and clarify things!”

If one were to explore Aiolos, they had, broadly speaking, three ways to go about it.

The first method, and the most common one, was to look for the natural resources or hunt the monsters within the Rift and escape with valuable loot. This allowed expedition teams to slow down the Rift’s expansion while constantly filling their coffers. Most expedition teams fell into this category, and they were often referred to as Miners.

The second method was to secure information or specimens of the Rift’s terrain, ecosystem, or otherworldly creatures and escape. This type of exploration had come about before the first one, and the teams that employed it were usually called Scouts.

“The expedition we’re attempting this time follows the second method! We’ll gather as much information as possible within a set amount of time and escape from the Rift without casualties!”

It was more of a trial run than a proper reconnaissance mission.

“Thanks to the bonus from the staked duel,” Frances continued in a somewhat excited tone, “our finances are solid for now, so we don’t need to worry about money for a while. Let’s explore the Rifts by trying the second method, and if possible, the third!” S~eaʀᴄh the nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“...I can guess what the third method is.”

“Right?”

Frances, who had intentionally left out the explanation of the third exploration method, smiled mischievously at Leonard’s anticipation. It was also the ultimate goal of the Aquamarine Expedition Team.

“The third exploration method is the complete dismantling or sealing of the Rift. You have to find and destroy the core within the Rift. It’s the most challenging method. Finding the core itself is extremely difficult, and there are many powerful otherworldly creatures and obstacles around it.”

She continued her explanation. “Each Rift contains at least one Rift Guardian, capable of fighting against Master Rank experts. They don’t leave the vicinity of the core, so it’s quite rare to stumble upon them with the first and second methods of exploration.”

“I see.” Leonard nodded in understanding. If sealing a Rift was merely a matter of profit and loss, there would often be instances of someone ignoring orders and destroying the core. But the fact that only Aquamarine could do it indicated that sealing the Rifts itself required immense power.

“A Ma-Master Rank monster... How do we deal with something like that...?” Lorelei trembled at the thought.

Frances, realizing her mistake, added quickly, “Don’t worry. The Rifts we’ll be exploring are lower in level, so we won’t encounter such strong Rift Guardians.”

“Really...?”

“Trust me! I can give you even more details!”

As Lorelei shrank back with a soft whimper, Frances pulled out several sheets of paper. She handed one to each member, all of them containing the same information. Leonard quickly scanned the text as he received his.

The papers contained descriptions of three types of Rifts.

***

1. Sea Orc Den

―An island mainly inhabited by mutated orc variants, sea orcs. In order to enter the rift, it is necessary to break through the defense line of the sea orcs. The sea orcs are a rank higher than their original counterparts, averaging in the upper Rank C. Mature Demon Tier and True Demon Tier sea orcs are frequently seen, and it was once reported that a Commander Rank sea orc is at the Chaos Demon Tier.

Size: Rank C

Difficulty: Rank B

Danger Level: Rank B+

Expected Reward: Rank D-

Overall Evaluation: Despite the high difficulty and danger level, the profitability is minimal, leading to a dangerously low exploration frequency. Although this Rift is not at immediate risk of Corrosion, prompt action is nonetheless advised.

2. Abyss of the Demon Octopus

―A mysterious bell tower located in the deep sea, home to an otherworldly species that can only remain active within it. They wield a mysterious form of otherworldly magic, have octopus-shaped heads, can unleash powerful shockwaves, and are resistant to both sharp and blunt weapons. Even those at the External Force Tier can have their bones broken if grabbed by their tentacles. This species is classified as lower Rank B.

Size: Rank B

Difficulty: Rank B

Danger Level: Rank A-

Expected Reward: Rank B

Overall Evaluation: The extremely limited visibility within the Rift results in low completion rates for internal maps. The corpses of the demon octopuses are highly prized by the Magic Tower, but the challenging exploration conditions lead to average profitability.

3. Corrupted Spirit Legion

―A place inhabited by otherworldly spirits, ethereal beings that possess the power to corrupt everything they touch indiscriminately. These spirits, although amorphous, usually take the appearance of knights, attacking anyone who ventures into the Rift. Information about this Rift remains scarce.

Size: ?

Difficulty: Rank B+ (Temporary Rank)

Danger Level: Rank A (Temporary Rank)

Expected Reward: ?

Overall Evaluation: Since the entire interior of the Rift is filled with corrupted power, Anti-Magic artifacts are essential. The spirits are so numerous that they are considered a legion. No further details are available.

*

Interesting.

Leonard nodded as he went over the information regarding the Rifts, unable to hide his curiosity. While he had encountered mutant orcs before, he had never faced creatures like demon octopuses or corrupted spirits. They seemed unrealistic, just like the monsters that appear in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Leonard was eager to use his blade on those monsters. Just like when he had first witnessed Gravity Ball, his instinct as a martial artist to confront the unknown flared up.

“Have you finished reading?” Frances asked.

“There are three types of Rifts along our route, but we won’t be able to explore all of them. Time constraints and our current lack of team cohesion are significant factors.”

Esther, who had been quietly listening, raised her hand and spoke, “Numbers Two and Three have very limited preliminary information and seem prone to unpredictable situations. They sound dangerous.”

“Sister Esther is right! So, we’ll prioritize exploring the Sea Orc Den first, and we’ll only approach to scout the entrances of the other two Rifts if we have enough time.”

“Considering the danger level of the first Rift, it seems that quite a lot of monsters have emerged there. But if our combat abilities are sufficient, we should be able to manage.”

The low exploration frequency of the Rift meant that the monsters inside hadn’t been culled regularly. The numbers and strength of the monsters directly increased a Rift’s danger level, allowing its contamination to spread and potentially result in Corrosion.

Nodding in agreement, Frances said, “From the Central City Atlantis to the Sea Orc Den, it will take about six hours to arrive. We won’t enter immediately upon arrival, so until then, everyone can take care of their own tasks.”

With a clap of her hands, Frances dismissed the meeting, and the adventurers dispersed from the meeting room. Ninian and Vivian headed to the dining hall, likely to get breakfast, while the two mages resumed their discussion in a corner. Galano returned to the training room, and Marianne moved to stand next to Frances.

Lastly, Leonard approached Frances.

“Fran.”

“Leonard? What is it?”

“May I observe the navigation from the control room?”

As always, Leonard tried to satisfy his curiosity. He had kept to his room after being rescued, and he had only seen the control room once they were nearing the docks of the Central City Atlantis. He had never properly seen Aquamarine during a voyage.

“...Sure. Would you like to come up with me?”

“Okay.”

Frances, Leonard, and Marianne headed from the meeting room to the control room. The dynamic between them had completely changed. If before they had a host-guest relationship, now they were essentially the founding members of the newly revived Aquamarine.

With a slightly stiffer stride, Frances sat at her seat and placed her hand on the crystal orb. Then, she proceeded to speak.

“This is Captain Frances addressing all members. Aquamarine is now departing for the Sea Orc Den located in the Fifth Sea District. Please be cautious as the ship might shake or sway upon departure, so please make sure to take all necessary safety precautions.”

Although not visible from the control room, her voice resonated throughout the ship, heard by every member. Only Russell, who was engrossed in his research in his cabin, seemed puzzled by the sudden departure.

“Connect us to the Dock Monitoring Team.”

“Yes, milady.”

Marianne followed the command and completed the final procedure.

—This is the First Sea District Orichalcos’s Dock Monitoring Team Headquarters. State your purpose, vessel anchored at Pier 37.

“Expedition Team Registration Number A-007, Aquamarine. Departing for exploration of Aiolos.”

—A-007...?!

After a brief pause, the voice on the other side of the crystal orb returned, the person on the other end now clearly perplexed.

—...Confirmed. A-007 Aquamarine, wishing you a safe voyage.

“Thank you.”

Frances, smirking at the surprise of the other person, infused her consciousness into the crystal orb connected to the ship. Thanks to the wonders of magic engineering, the ship would now respond to its master’s will.

“Takeoff!”

As soon as the containment structures fully opened, Aquamarine’s hull shot out like an arrow. The burst of air from the rear of the ship propelled it forward, reaching an astonishing speed in seconds—something a sailing ship with oars would have taken several minutes to match.

The magic circle engraved on the hull not only mitigated water resistance but also converted it into additional propulsion.

...This is unbelievable.

Leonard’s jaw hit the floor as he observed the incredible acceleration of the ship through the glass walls of the control room. Even the fastest sailing ships, rowed by murim’s martial artists, would seem like turtles compared to Aquamarine.

To keep up with it, he would have to jump off the ship and cross the sea on duckweed using Lightness Art. However, not even he could keep that up for hours on end, making Aquamarine truly impressive.

“Hehe.” Frances, seeing his reaction, boasted, “Do you feel it? The magnificence of Aquamarine? We haven’t even used half of its functions yet!”

“...It’s remarkable.”

“I’ll show you more features on our way to the Sea Orc Den, so watch closely! I’ll make sure you never think of it as just a big ship!”

Leonard, somewhat taken aback, asked, “You still remember that?”

“Of course! Aquamarine is the best ship in the world! I can’t forgive anyone who tries to deny that!”

Despite her seemingly indignant attitude, Frances was excited as though she had just embarked on her first adventure. This was the moment her journey, and the journey of her expedition team, truly began.

The curtains to Frances Ler von Okeanos’s adventure had finally been lifted.