Chapter 15: The Falling Water

“Probably fully cooked, maybe even a bit overdone. Young dragons shouldn’t watch this; you’d better close your eyes.”
Linde lay on the ground, pressing his ear against it, tapping with his fingers—tap, tap—carefully distinguishing the differences in sound.

“Then I’ll stand in front of you two. I’m bigger, so I’ll take longer to get roasted by the fire. You’ll have more time to survive.”
Victoria drooped her head, her tail limply dragging on the ground.

So many adult red salamanders, each capable of spitting fireballs that could fill the entire tunnel. Not to mention their larger size compared to her as a young dragon.

Her little mind couldn’t conceive any way to escape.

Maybe I should hide the Book of Worlds in some crevice. Perhaps future dragons will find my notes and learn about my first life as a treasure hunter.

The second half of that life, however, turned into tender, fragrant dragon meat.

“Hey, silly dragon, stop hammering those rocks! Come over here, I found a path.”

“Really?”

Victoria immediately stopped digging and scampered over to Linde.

“The sound of the rocks here is different when tapped, and there are ventilation holes. There might be a special area below.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s dig!”

“The difference between humans and animals is that humans make and use tools. You have to use both your hands and brain, my friend.”

Linde opened the restoration toolbox and pulled out a wooden pickaxe, swinging it in his hand.

Though wooden tools are less efficient for mining stone and wear out quickly, they’re still far better than bare hands.

Time was tight; there was no room for error.

Dig!

Returning to the pure joy of my original world—

Mining blocks.

No matter if they’re blue, green, red, yellow, wood, gold, or iron, stuff them all in my inventory.

The urgency of the pursuers closing in sent Linde’s adrenaline soaring, and the pickaxe in his hand nearly sparked with each swing.

After breaking three wooden pickaxes, he finally carved out a hole just big enough for Victoria to pass through.

The tremors behind them grew ever closer. Even standing still, their teeth chattered with the ground’s vibrations.

There was no time to enlarge the hole any further.

He urged Victoria and Hirona, “You two go first. I’ll cover the rear.”

“I’m staying with you. If we leave, we leave together.”

Victoria stretched her neck stubbornly.

“Now’s not the time for sentimentality. Whether you can even fit through this hole is questionable. If you get stuck, I can still kick you out from outside.”

“I know my limits. Don’t worry about me. Once you’re down there, I’ll jump in too and catch up with you soon.”

“Then it’s a promise—you mustn’t get hurt.”

“Mm.”

With Linde’s assurance, Victoria grabbed Hirona and crawled headfirst into the hole.

The worry Linde had anticipated never came to pass.

But he wasn’t happy.

He got stuck halfway—his waist couldn’t pass through, not even his hips.

Though he wasn’t sure exactly where a dragon’s waist ended, it didn’t stop him from complaining:

“Which little dragon family lets their kid get this fat?”

“If you keep insulting me, I won’t play with you anymore...”

“Enough nonsense. Take a deep breath, suck in your belly—I’ll help you through.”

“Gently, gently... That force feels... wait, I can’t take this!”

“Ahhhhh!”

As the young dragon’s anguished screams faded into the distance, Linde peered into the bottomless tunnel.

He had no idea where it led.

When he saw a massive red salamander blocking the way they came, he took a deep breath, his thoughts clearer than ever.

First, fill the bucket with water, then jump through the hole, and finally block the entrance with the dug-out rocks.

Without hesitation, Linde grabbed the wooden bucket he’d made and scooped water from the underground river.

A fireball grazed his clothing, hitting the water’s surface and instantly vaporizing it into a thick white mist.

Fortunately, Linde didn’t lose his sense of direction in the steam and still remembered the way back.

“Dead legs, run!”

Soon it wouldn’t be just one fireball; it would turn into a bullet-hell shooting game.

Nine years as an Oriental veteran player doesn’t mean I can speedrun real life...

The short stretch of tunnel felt far longer than expected.

Barely dodging the next few fireballs, he was only three steps from the escape hole.

But in the next moment, a precisely aimed fireball soared toward the entrance.

If he charged forward, he would be hit without question.

But if he stopped, endless fireballs would rain down, making any escape impossible.

In an instant, Linde made his choice, pushing off with his feet and leaping forward in faith.

[Mirror activated]

[When about to receive damage, all attacker’s attacks are perfectly reflected back, consuming energy based on attack strength.]

The fireball aimed at him bent at an almost impossible angle, then made a full circle, striking its original caster.

What happened afterward, Linde didn’t know. He had already jumped into the hole.

Only then did the system notify him, [Ten reputation points consumed].

Even the joy of escaping death didn’t make him forget the last thing he had to do.

With his other hand, he hurled mini rocks one by one, blocking the hole.

Years of gaming experience with lightning-fast reflexes shone through at that moment.

After completing the final step, his tense nerves suddenly relaxed. He let out a long breath and began free-falling under gravity.

Wait!

This wasn’t the last step yet.

Linde suddenly realized and prepared for the classic landing.

After the long tunnel, he fell into a spacious underground chamber.

Below, Victoria’s voice came:

“Don’t be afraid, Linde! I’ll catch you—probably...”

He decided to rely on himself instead.

And the speed of his fall was so fast that even if Victoria gave her all, it wouldn’t be easy to catch him.

“Chirp chirp.”

“Hirona, you said a little to the left, right?”

“I feel like I missed it. Maybe move a bit to the right...”

“Tweet tweet.”

“Don’t be afraid! Linde, I’m sure I can catch you!”

Victoria repeated, not sure if she was speaking to Linde or cheering herself on.

As Linde fell toward her, she stretched forward with all her strength, ready to catch him.

But the next moment, there was no contact on her arms—only the rush of air.

Victoria’s eyes widened, and blood seemed to reverse course in her body, a chilling cold spreading through her limbs.

“Linde!!!”

She cried out.

Splash!

The sound of water echoed, drowned out by the young dragon’s heart-wrenching sobs.

Hirona glanced at Linde, safe and sound, then silently walked over, staring with her at Victoria, who was broken and drowning in tears.

“It’s my fault... I couldn’t catch you. Boohoo... If only I could do it over...”

“Hello~”

Little Pink’s voice came at just the right moment.

“Huh?”

She rubbed her swollen eyes, looked down, and met Linde’s helpless gaze.