CHAPTER 460: 460. REACHING THE DEPTH

A muffled underwater explosion echoed through the sealed room. Sparks burst from the toad’s mouth and nostrils like underwater fireworks, illuminating the chamber in flashes of electric light. The thick vines sealing the room trembled, reacting to the intense energy discharge.

The toad’s enormous body spasmed violently, its limbs twitching and tongue flailing in wild, uncontrollable convulsions. Its massive frame coiled up like a dying serpent.

Tyler’s Ball exploded *cough* Tyler’s Ball that is made of Ice Exploded into pieces. But fortunately they were safe.

"We should leave. Now," Tyler said sharply, still holding Lily’s wrist. Mana was clinging to his back like a koala, her long hair floating in the water behind her.

Without hesitation, they darted toward the other side of the chamber. The convulsions had stirred powerful shockwaves in the water, distorting visibility and hurling debris. Lily slashed open a thick curtain of vines with her lightning whip, creating a path into the next passage. The trio swam through swiftly just before the vines sealed up again behind them like the closing jaws of a beast.

Once they were a safe distance away, the currents around them began to stabilize.

"That was way too close," Mana muttered, still gripping Tyler. She gave his shoulder a light smack. "If you ever try something that reckless again, I am sucking out you dry so that you will never leave your bed again."

"Then I really need to pencil in more reckless decisions." Tyler muttered. Mana just bonked his head.

Tyler grinned. "See? No need to waste Aura. Just make use of copper pot and it’s—what was it again?—oh yeah, unlimited resources!"

Lily gave him a sidelong glance. "You’re lucky that actually worked. One misstep, and that thing would’ve turned you into soup."

"I didn’t plan to die," he shrugged. "I was just going to electrocute its tongue until it twitched."

"Well," Mana said, crossing her arms, "now it’s twitching all over. Good job."

Then she added with a pout, "You know, with that Copper Pot, we don’t need to come to crazy, deadly places like this. We could be sipping juice in a floating inn right now."

"True, but then we won’t reach Eternity," Tyler replied with a serious glint in his eye. "This is what sets us apart from other Immortal Practitioners in the world. We have clear advantage when it comes to resources."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Just be careful using that copper pot outside. Even though you already made soul contracts with all of us, Don’t just use it Unless it is absolutely necessary.

"I already gave you girls permission to use it as much as you want. I don’t even understand how this thing works. Where does it even gets its energy to replicate things." Tyler said.

Behind them, the sealed room began to repair itself. The sparks faded, the debris reassembled, and slowly, like a creature healing its wounds, the environment returned to its original state. The toad’s body twitched, and the bubbles from its mouth began to fade. Deep inside, regeneration had already begun.

Unaware of this, the trio swam deeper into the next tunnel, guided only by faint bioluminescent lights on the walls.

Half a day passed underwater since confronting Toad.

They encountered several mesmerizing sea creatures—giant jellyfish that glowed in pulses, tiny fish that lit up like constellations, and crystal corals humming softly. The Wyvern Nest felt more like an alien ecosystem than a ruin.

"Hmm... I wonder how this place was even created," Tyler said, gazing at a glowing orb-like fish swirling around him.

"I heard it from my father," Mana replied, her voice laced with a faint sense of nostalgia. "Long ago, during the Age of Gods, there were beings called Saints. They were somewhere between Immortals and Gods—stronger than any Immortal Practitioners, but not divine. One of them served under an ancient God and raised Wyverns as pets. He created this nest with a wave of his hand, carving these caverns beneath the ocean to house them."

Tyler’s eyes widened slightly. "So this whole place... was just a giant pet house?"

"Basically," she said, nodding. "The Saint who was under the God turn this place into a trial ground for adventurers. And so, the Wyvern Nest became a forgotten games that one needed to complete during those Games of God era. This place is for beings that travels around the world to catch the Eternity."

Lily, swimming just ahead of them, added, "There are no records of Saints now. Not even from a million years ago. If they ever existed, they either vanished with the Gods... or ascended beyond this realm."

"Hmm..." Tyler murmured. "That makes sense. Even the Legendary Mermaid Queen Lydia, never reached that level, right?"

"Correct," Lily said. "Even she plateaued below the threshold of sainthood."

Tyler frowned, deep in thought. "Do you really think the Gods left because they were bored?"

It was a question many in the Boundless World had asked for generations —one of the most controversial debates among scholars, cultivators, and historians alike.

The Disappearance of the Gods.

Some believed the Gods had simply grown weary of the endless cycles of games and got bored – leaving behind a world that no longer entertained them.

Others believed the Gods still watched from the farthest corners of the world— perhaps from the North Pole itself— waiting for a mortal worthy enough to stand beside them.

Mana shrugged. "Who knows? Gods play their own games. Sometimes, I wonder if we’re just a story they’ve already finished writing."

"Or a game they already quit," Lily added softly.

"Or just a Novel that Barely have any views." Tyler muttered.

He looked ahead as the corridor began to narrow again, light dimming. Despite all their strength and knowledge, the truth behind the Gods’ departure still felt far beyond their reach.

And yet —they were getting closer.

"Let’s focus on finding the Dragon Princess," he finally said. "I have a feeling she’s somewhere deeper. If my guesses are right. That dragon princess must be...."

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

"Alright... Is this the end?" Tyler muttered as he floated down with Lily and Mana. The path had finally come to a close, and they had arrived at the deepest part of the Wyvern’s Nest. How deep exactly? Hard to tell. The crushing pressure that should’ve turned them into jelly wasn’t even a concern— thanks to the strange properties of the Nest itself.

Before them stood a massive stone door embedded into the sea wall. It loomed with quiet authority, covered in ancient patterns and aquatic motifs.

Tyler glanced at the two girls. They nodded.

He placed his hand on the door’s weathered handle. It felt like pulling on the weight of the ocean, but with some effort, the stone groaned and creaked open.

Tyler’s eyes widened.

Behind the door wasn’t just more water— it was a shimmering bubble of air. A contained zone.

"A Safe Zone?" he muttered, stepping forward.

But Lily stretched out her arm, stopping him just as he moved.

"Wait," she said. "Don’t rush in. Observe."

They peered inside more carefully now. The space beyond wasn’t just a simple room. It was land. Grass-covered, sunlit land with scattered trees and a clear blue sky painted across the ceiling of this underwater world. It was utterly surreal, and the contrast with the murky depths behind them made it even more suspicious.

Then they saw them—two people standing near the edge of the bubble. Guards, perhaps? But they weren’t guarding anything anymore. As soon as Tyler made eye contact with them, the two figures bolted.

They turned and ran—not away casually, but with a kind of urgency that triggered Tyler’s instincts. And the farther they got from the bubble, the faster they seemed to move.

"Hm... That’s definitely weird," Tyler said.

"Tyler, take out your trident," Lily said suddenly, eyes narrowed in thought.

Tyler didn’t question her. He summoned his Abyssal Trident— black, sleek, and emanating faint tendrils of abyssal residue. With a quick motion, he hurled it toward the bubble. The projection of the trident phased through the barrier with no resistance.

What happened next made them all pause.

The trident projection didn’t slow down. It sped up— dramatically. As it moved further into the space, its speed increased exponentially, as if being yanked forward by the very fabric of the realm.

Lily’s eyes lit up with realization.

"This is a Secret Realm," she declared. "But not just any kind—it’s one where time flows differently."

Tyler blinked. "You mean... time inside moves faster?"

"Exactly," Lily said. "The guards weren’t running fast. Time around them was simply accelerating."

"That explains why the trident acted like a missile," Tyler said, watching as its glow faded into the distance inside the realm.

Mana floated beside them with a raised eyebrow. "So if we step in there..."

"Days could pass in minutes out here. Or worse—years," Lily replied. "Depends on the ratio."

Tyler exhaled. "Great. A time-warping realm. Just what I needed in my schedule of reckless decisions."

"You did say you needed to pencil in more chaos," Mana teased.

Tyler cracked a grin. "True. Well... Get ready to suck me up dry next time in my Bed."