The atmosphere cooled down tremendously after sunset, more so than it usually did in the forest likely because they were close to the lake. Ryuu felt even colder when he remembered he would have to dive in the water. He briefly dipped his hand in the water to test how cold it was, and since he did, the mere thought of diving made his hair stand.

After weighing all the options, Ryuu only approached the lake after finishing dinner, as it could be his last one. It was well past nine when he finally reached the stony shoreline of the lake. 

The lake at night was peaceful and serene, its surface reflecting the silvery moonlight like a sheet of glass. The water lapped gently against the rocky and rugged shore, the sound blending seamlessly with the soft calls of different creatures. The shoreline was lined with large stones, smoothed by the water and blending in with the surrounding forest. Small, sharp stones create a hazardous path but also provide a natural chorus as the water washes away against them.
Some of the stones were large enough to sit on, while others were small and sharp, making it unsafe to walk barefoot.

“Your mission is here?” Kai had followed him after noticing his odd behavior. Conveniently, the curious dragon also chose to follow.

Initially, Ryuu was uneasy about leaving Askr with the thief whose name he hadn’t bothered asking. But Askr, although very much useless to the likes of professional hunters, mercenaries, and assassins alike, was trained well enough to defend himself against one person. And the person was tied up, barely awake due to the aftereffects of Nightshade. If Askr still couldn’t do the job, he was not worth the worry. 

Ryuu dragged out Q-tip from the gap of his collar with two fingers and handed it to Kai. “Yes, it's related to the lake.”

Kai took the cotton fairy which was reluctant to let go of Ryuu. "Stay with him. I can't take you."

Ryuu stood on a sturdy rock big enough to hold two people. He took off his shoes, gloves, and other miscellaneous things that were too troublesome to take into the water, leaving him to suffer the cold wind with just a layer of clothing. 

“Are you going to swim? The water might be cold for swimming right now.” 

“I know. But it should be quick.” Ryuu carefully walked along the large stones that were in front of him. The screen showed the green spot right at the point where the moonlight was reflected. 

[System: With your current abilities you can hold your breath for up to ten minutes. You should be able to retrieve the item within that time.]

‘Alright.’ 

“I guess it’ll take about ten minutes.” Both the system and its user were looking over a crucial fact, but that was not relevant at the moment. 

‘Here we go.’ 

Ryuu slowly walked into deeper water while stepping onto the stones. ‘Ugh. The rewards better be worth it.’ 

The dragon had flown along with him so far. “Don’t get into the water.” With the warning, Ryuu submerged his whole body into the water. 

It wasn’t as dark as he had anticipated. He thought it would be hard to see, but the projecting moonlight from above and biomolecules of unknown origin at the bottom made it ok enough to see. 

His body slowly dropped to the gravity as he moved towards the green mark. The pressure on his body gradually increased, creating a sense of weightlessness. At one point, he was walking over the sandy bed of the lake, pushing against the veil of water as he went ahead.

There was a pile of marble stones in the place the screen had marked. Ryuu began to dig through them in search of the object the system was going insane over. The rough stones were tiresome to remove while being under pressure. 

Under the rock pile, a small object had carved itself onto a larger stone. Ryuu couldn’t even grumble as he took the knife tied to his thigh. With it, he carefully began to carve around it. 

After persistent effort, the ordinary-looking iron key finally came out of the stone. Ryuu was suspicious if this was really the anticipated key.

[You have obtained The Key of Eunoia.]

‘I guess it is.’ 

On the seventh minute, Ryuu began to retreat. But it wasn’t going as he had planned. He was brought down here with the help of gravity and water pressure. But now when he tried to move upward, the water felt like a heavy weight, pressing down on him and holding him in place

‘Hey, system. There seems to be a problem.’

[System: Draw your knees to your chest while floating on your belly, bring your knees to your chest—]

‘You think this is the right time for a swimming lesson!?’ 

[...

Try to reach the stones. You should be able to climb up.] 

Ryuu was already trying. But the water pressed down on him every time he tried to go forward. The water resisted his efforts, like an invisible force keeping him captive.

He barely managed to go forward but it was still too far for him to reach. ‘How did I even manage to get down here?’ Even after flailing his arms and legs with all his might, he could barely float up. 

But with each passing moment, he found it harder to control his limbs. ‘Hey, do something…’

[System:!!!]

But what could the system do? It was only a screen with a mind at most. All it could do was give instruction, and for once, it seemed to have given the wrong instruction. 

‘Everything will be a waste if I die now.’ 

An utter waste. The efforts, and the hard work, all will be for naught. He should not have agreed to this reckless endeavor. 

While his mind continuously looked for a way to save himself, his body lost strength. His mind became hazy.

“Hah…” 

Water rushed in through his mouth and nostrils, causing immediate discomfort. ‘I miscalculated.’ He didn’t even calculate after hearing about the bribe reward. ‘I should’ve learned how to swim.’  The water felt cold and heavy in the lungs, causing a sharp pain.

Ryuu gripped tightly onto the key as his consciousness slowly began to fade. There was no way he was letting the hard-earned object go. Even as he died, there was no way he'd let go of something he had died for.

Yes, Ryuu had accepted that he would die. His lungs burned from inhaling water, and his limbs grew weak and slow.

But just had he began to succumb to the water, a hand reached down from above, grabbing onto the collar of his shirt. He couldn't see the figure in his half-conscious state but could guess who it was.

As the hands grabbed hold, his body was slowly pulled upwards. His body swiftly moved with the help and soon broke through the water's surface with a gasp. 

Ryuu was gasping for air, water, and saliva dribbling down his chin as Kai held onto him tightly, treading water to keep them both afloat. He was slowly pulled out of the cold embrace of the water. The cool air brushed against his skin like sharp ice. 

*Cough. Cough.* 

'I'm alive!' 

After coughing up most of the water, Ryuu looked to his side to thank his savior but stopped after seeing his expression. 

"Why?" The voice sent a shiver down his spine. "Why would you dive if you can't even swim?" Kai didn't yell, but the force in his voice was no joke. With the water dripping down from his hair and clothes, he looked like a water god who was here to place judgment on Ryuu. 

"Sorry-uh- I miscalculated," Ryuu muttered. Unable to meet his gaze, Ryuu tried to stand up, but he had no strength in his body.  So he ended up lying down instead. "I'm always dragging you into things. I'm sorry." Kai stared at him in disbelief. 

Q-tip landed on his forehead, looking down with its small eyes. The dragon was nowhere in sight. "I sent the dragon away, but this one won't leave." Ryuu didn't need him to explain why he did so. What Ryuu had done was akin to attempting suicide in front of a child. Although that wasn't his intention, it still didn't justify his action. 

'What were you thinking? What was I thinking?'

[System: ...

I apologize. I will make sure such a mistake doesn't occur in the future.]

In truth, Ryuu had always been lenient about his safety. Comparing the odds was the duty of the system. But the system was so focused on the need to acquire the key, that it had overlooked Ryuu's safety. If Kai weren't here, Ryuu would not have made it out alive. 

'Please do.'

"I will fetch your things. Wait here."

As Kai walked away, Ryuu lifted the metal key that he was holding tightly in his palms. The key didn't shine under the moonlight. It was merely a piece of metal, not even a design on the round, hollow head. 

The Key Of Eunoia. 

He had almost lost his life for this. What was so special about this old iron key?