61. SWIM OR SINK

The town bell is atop a tall stone building, with a semicircular threshold at the bottom of the structure. There appears to be a portal there, and of course the Mayor is standing next to the portal threshold, which only opens at the start of the main game.

Players of level 16 and above gather near the bell of the town, their number quite large. Each player steps forward, and a holographic screen automatically appears as they face The Mayor.

"Proceed," the Mayor says flatly, after seeing that each player has brought the necessary items.

The players then enter the portal.

Looking at the high-level players, their faces appear more confident, though some seem tense. Most, however, seem convinced that they can complete the game and win.

"My hands are cold," Dane whispers as he rubs his palms together. "It's very tense."

"Stay calm and focused," Garreth reminds him.

The line of participants quickly enters the portal, and soon it's Ethan's turn, along with his teammates. Chloe gently pats the twenty-two-year-old man on the back. When Ethan turns around, Chloe just smiles confidently.

"We'll be fine, Ethan," Chloe says.

"Yeah, thanks," Ethan nods.

Suddenly, Miriam grabs Ethan and Chloe's hands. "Come on, hold hands now."

"Jesus, in front of those players?" Garreth exclaims.

"If you want to be separated from the team, that's up to you," Miriam replies casually.

Some of the players behind them chuckle as they see the five figures holding hands like a group of preschoolers. But Miriam doesn't care about the mocking or teasing looks, because these players aren't necessarily going to be able to play the main game smoothly.

As Ethan and his friends step forward to face the Mayor, holographic screens automatically appear in front of each of them. The Mayor checks the completeness of the items needed for the next main game mission. Seeing that everything is in order, the Mayor nods briefly.

"Proceed."

The five of them are still holding hands as Ethan steps into the portal. Ethan feels dizzy as he enters the dark void and his body floats in the darkness. He closes his eyes and imagines his mother's face.

In his heart, Ethan is determined to conquer level 16 of the main game. He has to do it!

...

The biting cold wakes Ethan, who has just regained consciousness. He finds himself in the water and coughs. The water enters his lungs, causing intense pain.

Ethan almost loses control until he feels Miriam's firm grip.

Then Ethan holds his breath and feels Miriam pulling him up. There are stairs almost underwater and Miriam pushes Ethan up.

As soon as he inhales air, Ethan breathes rapidly. Ethan's hands grab the railing of the stairs and he continues to step onto the floor, which is already covered with water up to his knees.

Ethan immediately scans his surroundings; he's in a narrow hallway that goes on forever, with no windows and no light. The only illumination comes from a faint safety line, almost submerged by the current.

A holographic screen immediately appears, showing Ethan's status.

[LEVEL GAME 16: SWIM OR SINK]

[Name: Ethan Mannon]

[Age: 22 years]

[Classification: Tank]

[Status: Novice +4]

[Gold: 167,400]

[Armor: Shield Treachery's Iron Bulwark level 25]

[Item: Harpy's Wing, Wizard's Crystal, Blue Beacon Spark]

[Power: +200]

[Buff: Harpy's Inferno, Wizard's Lumen]

[Skill: Eternal Shield +5]

[Special Item: Skip Level +1, Time +2 hours. One role +1. Albert Inherit Sword’s level 2]

One by one, Ethan's teammates emerged from the water, their faces showing holographic screens. They all wore the same expression of fear and incipient panic.

"Oxygen tanks!" shouted Miriam, her body visibly shaking.

Everyone grabbed oxygen tanks from the holographic screens and quickly put them on. Miriam rushed to the end of the corridor where a closed door stood, water seeping through its cracks.

"Hold on!" shouted Miriam.

With Ethan's help, Miriam opened the door and a torrent of water rushed toward them. Dane was almost swept away by the current, but luckily Garreth grabbed his arm.

They entered the next corridor, which was just as dark, with water still pouring in from several directions. Garreth pointed to another set of stairs about five feet in front of them.

"Where are we going?!" Dane panicked.

"Upstairs, find a way out. Otherwise we're going to drown with this ship," Miriam replied.

Dane's face turned pale, and his lips began to turn blue with shock. "Drown?"

"Swim or sink," Garreth remarked.

They struggled to make their way to the stairs, fighting against the rapidly rising water. As they climbed the stairs, they had to fight against the water flowing down from the upper floors.

"Move! Move!" Ethan urged.

But they found it difficult to keep moving forward as the water kept pushing them down. The darkness and slippery stairs caused Ethan's teammates to slip one by one.

Ethan pulled out his shield and held it in front of him.

[Activation Skill: Eternal Shield +5]

A shield much larger than his usual one appeared, deflecting the water away from them and allowing Ethan to continue up the stairs.

"Come on! Forward!" Ethan commanded.

They climbed the stairs and entered another corridor where the water had risen to neck level. Garreth quickly put on his scuba gear and signaled to the others. Without hesitation, Garreth dove into the water and disappeared.

The others followed.

From the other end of the corridor, which led to another set of stairs leading up, Garreth could be seen waving his hands.

"Come here! Quickly!" Garreth yelled.

Chloe immediately dived in and pulled Dane's arm, followed by Garreth. Miriam and Ethan followed. Ethan felt the biting cold as the water enveloped them.

"Man, it's so cold," Ethan shivered.

"Come on, E! Don't give up!" Miriam encouraged.

When they reached the stairs, Garreth stared at the closed door above them.

"Four more floors and we'll reach the cabin area. Hopefully the water hasn't flooded all the areas up there," Garreth said.

"There's no windows or anything here," Dane pointed out. "How are we supposed to see the situation outside?"

They hurried up the stairs, the relentless flow of water never ceasing.

"It's a ship, though I'm not sure what kind. But it looks like half of it is already sunk," Garreth explained.

"Cruise," Miriam replied. "It's a cruise ship."

"Classic," Chloe groaned.

"Come on, five more floors! We have to hurry!" Garreth reminded them.