However, to her surprise, they found something within just a few minutes of searching the bottom of the Divine Lake.
Without wasting any time, they both made their way toward the hole. Recognizing that it would still take some time for the others to reach the lake's bottom, they arrived at the edge of the hole and gazed down, their breaths catching at the depth it seemed to reach.
Despite his strength, Orion decided that taking unnecessary risks wasn't necessary.
They both agreed it would be best to wait for the others to arrive, ensuring that they faced whatever challenge lay ahead together.
"Huh!" Orion thought in surprise as he stared at the large hole before him. He could feel a powerful suction force originating from the bottom of the pit. Realizing the danger as the suction force intensified, Orion's eyes widened, and he immediately tried to swim forward while pulling Princess Crystalia, who had also detected the mysterious suction.
However, it was too late. The mysterious suction force rapidly grew stronger, holding them in place momentarily before it surged even more, forcefully dragging them backwards.
Flintor, who had just reached the bottom of the Divine Lake, was alarmed by what he witnessed.
'PRINCESS!' he screamed in his mind as he saw both Orion and Princess Crystalia being drawn into the pit.
Gritting his teeth, he surged forward, realizing that the mysterious suction force was still intensifying.
As he entered the zone of suction, he chose not to resist and was immediately pulled in.
The rest of the participants, having observed their princess and the foreigner being sucked into the enormous hole, hurriedly swam towards its location, and, one by one, they were also drawn into the gaping void.
The pixies, on the other hand, remained in place, observing with reverence, seemingly unaffected by the mysterious suction force.
….....
Within a dark, narrow cave, a water stream emerged from the cave's ceiling, appearing as dense as the Divine Lake but distinctly unique.
It had several threads of white and black light that seemed to float within it.
The stream of water expanded, and both Orion and Princess Crystalia tumbled out of it, landing flat on the ground.
Orion winced uncomfortably as he hadn't anticipated the rough landing. He quickly freed Princess Crystalia from his embrace before slowly sitting up.
"Are you okay?" Princess Crystalia asked with concern in her voice, as Orion had shielded her from the impact since the moment they were drawn into the deep hole.
"Don't worry about it, I'm okay," Orion reassured her. Unexpected as it was, an impact like that wouldn't harm him.
"Where are we?" he asked, surveying the enclosed cave.
The jagged, rough rocks surrounded them, and the cave was illuminated solely by the mysterious threads of black and white light suspended within the water.
"I don't know," Princess Crystalia admitted, shaking her head with concern.
She gazed around the cave, hoping for some clue or familiarity. If only she could remember how she had received the mysterious blessing of the guardians, then perhaps she'd have a better idea of what to do.
Just as she was about to speak again, the water above them expanded once more, and almost instantly, a figure dropped down with a resounding "thud."
Seeing that it was Flintor, they allowed him to rest and recover. However, when they noticed the water expanding again, they immediately pulled him out of harm's way and watched as several figures dropped into the water one by one.
Initially, it wasn't a problem, but as more and more entered the cave, Orion quickly realized they were running out of space.
Orion's mind raced as he pondered what to do, and he decided to explore the surroundings to see if he could find a solution.
However, at that very moment, an ancient voice slowly echoed from the air above them.
"Hmm! Considering that this is your final opportunity to escape this mountain, I must admit that I expected more of you to arrive. But I shouldn't have expected much from such a treacherous race."
Orion and everyone else in the enclosed cave froze in their tracks, their eyes darting around as they tried to locate the source of the voice.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Orion demanded, his voice echoing loudly through the cave as he scanned the area for any sign of the speaker.
"Hold on, let me clear the walls and make enough space," the ancient voice resonated again.
A slight tremor passed through all of them, and then the rocky and jagged walls vanished, replaced by a vast, expansive rocky plain that seemed to stretch on endlessly.
As they tried to comprehend the sudden transformation, a pair of mysterious eyes materialized in the sky above. These eyes, while human-like in shape, held a mesmerizing, golden hue that captivated their attention.
The ancient, dignified voice echoed once more.
"Treacherous race, do not be afraid, I am merely a wisp of a residual soul left behind by the Aegis of the Arctic Deity that watches over this mountain and trial ground," the ancient voice, with its dignified tone, suddenly paused. Its large eyes narrowed as it fixed its gaze upon them.
While its eyes seemed to be scrutinizing all of them, Orion couldn't shake the feeling that the eyes were locked directly onto him.
Suddenly, it felt as though a violent flood of seemingly endless magical energy had been unleashed from the heavens. Before this overwhelming aura, every person was forced to their knees, unable to bear the immense pressure bearing down on them.
In this challenging moment, Orion stood as the sole individual capable of withstanding such immense magical pressure.
"You! You don't resemble a Prismerion," the dignified voice resounded again. "Who are you? Why are you here?".
Orion felt an intense scrutiny as if his very being were being probed under the piercing gaze.
Despite the immense magical pressure pressing upon him, he refrained from making any sudden moves or activating his gift, sensing an ominous warning within.
