Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: The Subterranean Feast
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[Chapter 152 - Subterraneans (4)]
Children adapt remarkably quickly.
The initial shock was fleeting, and the two kids soon grabbed some soldiers, grilling them about what the surface world was like, just as the adults had done.
Having been through this once before, the soldiers explained patiently while a few of the subterranean folk who'd heard the story first chimed in boastfully from the side, creating a cheerful atmosphere.
Amid the lively mood, more sentries appeared several times as they ventured deeper inside.
These were a bit older than the kids guarding the front but none looked over twenty.
Considering that most of the warriors who'd raided the nets were in their twenties or thirties, it was easy to guess their deployment criteria.
‘Kids on watch, adults on patrol and attacks... and the elderly guard the home base?’
At that moment, Timak, leading from the front, halted.
“We're here.”
Contrary to his words, the surroundings were just an ordinary corridor.
There were notably more obstacles like boulders and scrap metal strewn about, but it didn't look inhabited.
“This place?”
“This is the entrance. The actual way in is hidden. Can't just leave it anywhere or the net bastards would barge right in.”
He spoke jokingly, then Timak stroked a blank wall and pressed or twisted several spots.
Seconds later, mechanical whirring echoed from within, and the wall slid open smoothly.
Several people gasped in admiration.
“Whoa.”
“Like magic.”
True to the description, beyond the magically opening wall lay a cavern nearly as vast as the main passage.
Timak declared proudly.
“You've had a hard journey. This is our nest!”
* * *
The subterranean home base they'd finally reached seemed far more livable than Arsen had anticipated.
Unlike the pitch-black passages, a rare light source glowed from above, and the stone-and-metal houses looked mostly neat and tidy.
Smoke rose from a few spots where cooking was underway, only to get caught in strange air currents midway and whisked away somewhere.
Evidently, some ventilation system was operating up top.
The residents stared wide-eyed at the sudden arrival of Arsen's group, much like the kids earlier.
Whenever the mages caught their gaze, the folk dropped to their knees in bows, and some mages waved back, clearly delighted by the reaction.
After asking Latis to rein them in, Arsen turned back to Timak with a question.
“Everyone looks well-fed. I figured there wasn't much to eat besides magic beast meat.”
“We eat moss and mushrooms too. The kids throw tantrums if it's not meat, though. I'd recommend plenty of veggies here. Meat alone doesn't build stamina as quickly as you think.”
He chuckled like a grandfather advising his young grandson.
Then again, with Arsen in his late teens and Timak looking about fifty, the age gap was just right.
By surface standards, if Timak had married young and had kids early, he could have a grandson Arsen's age.
“Alright, time to find a decent spot to stay.”
* * *
Naturally, a settlement of about a hundred couldn't suddenly house over seventy more, so they pitched tents in an open area to make a temporary camp.
A few vacant houses were assigned to knights and mages, letting them stay indoors.
And the largest house, assigned to Arsen.
Inside gathered Eloise, the knights, and the Starbud elders. Arsen surveyed them all before declaring.
“We need to think about our next move.”
“Whether to turn back or push through?”
Arsen nodded at Latis's spot-on question.
“Yes. We'll need more intel, but according to Timak—their lead knight representing them—to reach our destination, we have to break through the net folk's base. Bypassing without fighting seems impossible.”
Once he finished, Eloise raised her hand with her take.
“Wouldn't it be better to just head back? We've traveled on the surface plenty, and those net folk might be way stronger than we think.”
“Absolutely not.”
Latis opposed her firmly.
As eyes turned to him, he explained calmly.
“It's been a while since our southern kingdom spy died, so current dispositions are unclear, but we know their capabilities. I can say for sure: attempting a frontal breakthrough on the surface is suicide.”
“Why is that?”
At Anun's question, Latis hesitated briefly before revealing it cautiously, like sharing a secret.
“Among the relics the old Giant King stole from us in that raid is a portable transfer gate. One of the driving forces that let him establish his kingdom.”
“Portable...”
No one here was ignorant of transfer gates, nor had anyone failed to use one.
Thus, they grasped how terrifying the notion of a portable transfer gate was.
“You don't mean they've deployed them across estates?”
“That's highly likely. They had at least eight, so imagine knights from eight estates charging in together. Crossing the kingdom would be suicide.”
Assuming a dozen-plus knights per estate, that was around a hundred—daunting odds.
Tack on ten soldiers per knight trailing them, and you had about a thousand.
Factor in how Starbud's dozens of mages would be next to useless against human knights, and the disparity grew. Bazkal whistled.
“Better to fight the net bastards then. At least they're weak to magic. They don't chase on mounts either.”
“Plus, we have allies to fight alongside now.”
Anun stroked his goatee as he added, and Eloise nodded readily, no fight left in her.
Seeing this, Arsen declared quietly.
“Very well. We'll tell them we're cooperating to fight together, but prepare for the possibility we might not fight.”
“Why?”
When Eloise asked from beside him, Arsen replied evenly.
“If there's a way around the net folk, there's no need to fight.”
“Huh? Bro, but then these people...”
Bazkal sounded uneasy, but Arsen shook his head firmly.
“Timak said flatly there's no path south through the passages. If there's a way down, he lied to drag us into their war. Should we risk comrades and subordinates for someone who lies for his own gain?”
“Well... but...”
“If he didn't lie, we'll help and fight together. Morally right to aid fellow humans, and practically, breaking through the underground passages without their help would be tough.”
He glanced around before adding.
“Seems we're agreed fighting the net folk beats retreating to the surface.”
Confirming silent nods all around, Arsen stated firmly.
“To sum up: we'll unite with the subterraneans to drive out the net folk as a baseline. But if we learn a way south without fighting while we gather combatants, we'll scrap the battle plan.”
No one objected.
* * *
Over the next few days, Arsen's group stayed as guests in Timak's base.
They patrolled the area with subterranean help, hunting magic beasts and foraging for food.
Partly to replenish supplies strained by the seventy-plus mouths, partly to prepare for arrivals from other settlements.
The folk's meat was mostly magic beast, with rare mole as a treat.
No one in Arsen's group enjoyed the mole, but the subterraneans savored it.
Veggies were mainly moss and mushrooms; a potato-like plant thriving without sunlight served as staple.
Surprisingly, vines bearing grape- and watermelon-like fruits provided fruit too.
Their booze, distilled from that potato analog—call it underground potato—was vodka-strong.
As days passed, people trickled in from nearby settlements Timak had contacted.
At first, just one or two warriors to verify his claims, but soon groups with knights and mages arrived.
Once enough had gathered, Timak threw a feast.
“Eat, drink, and make merry! To our guests from afar, the heroes from the surface!”
“To them—!”
After the roar, everyone guzzled booze, stuffed themselves, shouted, and danced.
Ostensibly to welcome the great surface warriors, it was really to unite warriors from scattered settlements.
To instill camaraderie before battle.
“One more!”
Bazkal bellowed heartily, raising his bottle.
A subterranean knight—one they called guardian—poured for him.
The third knight guarding this base, named Yurem.
“You always drink like a champ! Do all surface folk chug like you?”
“I'm a bit special!”
“More like those guys over there too!”
Yurem laughed heartily, pointing at Anun and Rino.
Knights and even soldiers matched drinks with the local warriors, heating up the mood.
Most arrivals from other sites were knights or mages; regular warriors were fewer than expected.
Each needed defenders back home, and Timak's settlement lacked food to sustain a massive force anyway.
“Lightning spells risk exploding underground. Better use other spells for offense...”
“Whoa, didn't know there was a trick like that...”
Mages from other settlements lagged in raw knowledge behind Starbud's but had underground casting tips.
They swapped techniques in high spirits.
Arsen joined the leaders' table, bonding over drinks.
The chiefs took kindly to this young surface guardian leading dozens of mages.
He probed gently about southern bypasses but gleaned no leads.
Talk centered on the net folk's brutality and the havoc they wreaked.
Per the chiefs, the net kingdom ruled this underworld supreme; to them, humans were talking magic beasts—frontier barbarians at best.
When slaves ran low, they'd raid, capturing or killing; humans fled, shifting settlements to fringes, ever deeper fringes.
At this point, half-farmed.
One escapee ex-net slave let Arsen ask about the net king.
The man shook his head.
“The net king? Dunno much. They hardly talk to slaves. Just make 'em work; beat or eat 'em if they slack.”
He said net folk were paranoid about conversing with or revealing culture to humans.
Humans were livestock: food and fine-tool makers.
The grim tale drew roars of fury from nearby leaders.
“Exterminate the net bastards!”
“Wipe 'em out, not one left!”
Then, over the outraged chiefs' shoulders came a call for Timak.
Turning, Arsen saw a middle-aged man with an unloaded crossbow slung over his shoulder running up.
“Timak! People from Gem Eye are here!”
Leaders and feasters alike froze, chatter dying.
They hadn't reacted so to prior arrivals, so Gem Eye must hold special weight.
Arsen steadied his breath, sobering up, and rose slowly.