Chapter 19
Chapter 19
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Land of Ruin - 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[General] Title: Giant Moray Eel??? — Author: OilyFishLover I'm pretty familiar with fish-type monsters, but a giant moray eel? That's some seriously obscure shit. Is it maybe a named boss tied to this floor? — Blade of Ruin Any common weak points or something? — OilyFishLover ↳ Reply The head, yeah. — Blade of Ruin ↳ Reply The head? — OilyFishLover ↳ Reply Yeah, long skinny bastards usually have all their guts packed toward the head. — Blade of Ruin ↳ Reply Anything else? — OilyFishLover ↳ Reply Dunno. Gotta know its element, size, habits, etc. — Wallblood Invincible Size is over 100 meters, head looks sleek enough from afar to mistake it for a snake head. — OilyFishLover ↳ Reply Oh fuck, we're screwed then;; — Wallblood Invincible ↳ Reply Why? — OilyFishLover ↳ Reply That's an electric eel trait. — Wallblood Invincible ↳ Reply Oh shit, electric? Uses magic? Evade and... — OilyFishLover ↳ Reply Not Lightning, it's bioelectricity. Bigger the body, higher the output. At 100m, it's a walking power plant lol. — Gold Rush🔹 Got more intel?? — OilyFishLover ↳ Reply Yeah, want me to write it up here? — Gold Rush🔹 ↳ Reply Nah, I'll pin it, make a notice post. — OilyFishLover🔹 ↳ Reply Oh lmao [Notice] Title: !!!!!Boss Moray Eel Traits Predicted!!!!! — Author: OilyFishLover🔹 Just jotting down what I know, ignore the numbers. ① Head is definitely the weak point. ② Gills back there house the electricity organs (touch and you're fucked). ③ Dangerous even swimming nearby due to residual charge. ④ Gotta strike from above the head straight down. ⑤ Electricity isn't passive, more like a skill... like jacking off, needs a cooldown after use. — Apostle of Justice🔹 Good info. Thanks ^^ — ??(12.36) This guy's not a hoarder. — MouthShutLowKick This fucker got pinned for bullshit. — popapo01 What??? Boss fight already??? — Wallblood Invincible OK, gonna summarize and report. — Blade of Ruin Thx. — Bunny Duo(175.123) Noted. — ??(45.91) Raid already... ...
...
...
— MapleSyrup🔸 But who scouted that thing? Balls of steel. — Wallblood Invincible ↳ Reply Gal Lord! Lmao — MapleSyrup🔸 ↳ Reply ?? NPC did it himself? — Wallblood Invincible ↳ Reply Lol yeah, this place is really different. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The river cutting through the city's heart. At a spot where the waterway gently curved, there was a dock. The place that always carried ore and timber now swarmed with countless people.
Hundreds gathered.
Of course, they were the forces assembled to resolve this crisis.
...
> The murmur of voices rose.
-Got all your gear?
> -What the hell is going on...
>
-Huh? A moray eel?
The climbers and NPCs, comprising the troops, chattered about the situation while waiting. Flat, spacious cargo ships stood ready as well.
"..."
'Sturdy ships that haul ore and wood should easily transport a few hundred at once.'
Leaving them on standby.
I pointed to the map laid out on a wooden crate. Niva, the Sword Empress, the Hundred Swords Trio, Sir Jayden, and Luciana focused in. The spot was where the river notably narrowed.
Created by cliffs on both sides.
The so-called arterial sclerosis hypertension zone.
I indicated it and spoke.
"This is the narrowest point on the waterway leading to the lake. The river, usually hundreds of meters wide, shrinks to just 100 meters here in an instant. The current grows fierce too, of course."
The Sword Empress asked.
"Because of those protruding cliffs on both sides?"
"Yes. It's also the boundary where the plains stretching from the city front end, transitioning to the wetlands near the lake. This is where I plan to halt 'Hurekal'."
"Hurekal...?"
"Yes."
The shadow lurking in the lake—'Hurekal'.
One of the monsters recorded in the sage's tales.
I replied.
"A moray eel monster that's lived beyond the mist in the lake for ages. Poison courses through its entire body... It mainly feeds on sediment and corpses swept in by the waves, accumulating demonic energy inside to grow its bulk."
"So you've just left a monster that huge lying around all this time?"
"No."
"?"
This time, I showed documents from the grand library. On the aged paper was a bizarre illustration of the moray eel monster. But the noted length beside it was a mere 20 meters.
"Hurekal's original length was about 20 meters. It survives by consuming faint demonic energy carried in by sediment. Even its poison naturally disperses with the river flow. There was never reason to hunt it, so it was left alone."
The Sword Empress nodded in understanding.
"That's why it's been passed down as a tale for so long."
"To the Walled City, it was just a oversized sideshow."
"But why has it grown so suddenly?"
"Because the demonic energy surged."
"...?"
To the Sword Empress, who couldn't guess the reason, Niva spoke up impatiently. She pointed to pebbles placed on the map—marking sites of dungeon overflows.
"Its food supply exploded! Monsters normally turn to mana stones and vanish after time, so demonic energy shouldn't build up."
"!"
Dungeon overflow.
That had skyrocketed Hurekal's food supply.
Niva continued.
"Goblins keep popping up everywhere and naturally heading to the riverbank, some falling in now and then. So plenty to eat. It accumulated demonic energy directly by devouring them. Must've gained incomparable amounts compared to before."
"Artificially fattened prey...!"
Hearing the Sword Ghost mutter, I recalled a photo from my past life's internet: a plump squirrel happily patting its belly amid a grain truck accident scene.
'Plus now advancing goblins... like Hansel and Gretel following the candy trail.'
"..."
'Someone triggered the dungeon overflow to fatten it enough to swim upstream.'
The prime suspect was probably.
The already-dead goblin assassin.
'All part of the Black Church's scheme—.'
The Sword Ghost looked at me and said.
"So the goblin horde approaching now and Hurekal are totally unrelated?"
"!"
I answered.
"More precisely, the causality is reversed. It's not Hurekal summoning goblins; the goblins from the dungeon overflow are what have Hurekal advancing."
"Dungeon overflows head toward the floor's core."
"Exactly."
I addressed everyone again.
"So, everyone. I propose three objectives here."
① Defend the goblin horde ② Repel boss Hurekal ③ Destroy the dungeon overflow source "Maximize defense on the side paths beside the cliffs the goblin horde will cross. Those able to strike from range avoiding the poison will repel boss Hurekal. For the dungeon overflow source, prioritize mobility to destroy it."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Three missions intertwined no less.
Hearing that.
The Bow Ghost let out a groan.
"Defense, raid, and gimmick all mixed."
The Blade Ghost chimed in.
"Plus all three sites have hellish terrain difficulty... Not sure we can handle it."
"One's a narrow gorge, another's raging rapids, last is foggy lake scouting? Dear lord."
The Sword Empress looked at me.
"The giant moray—boss Hurekal will be my charge. Only I can walk on water temporarily and launch sword energy to evade the poison."
"..."
I was surprised.
'This lady can even do water striding? Straight out of a wuxia world?'
The Hundred Swords Trio sighed.
"We can manage sword energy or ranged attacks, but..."
"Only Master can walk on water."
"Guess side path defense is our lot then—."
Seeing that, I smiled faintly.
"..."
For some reason.
The line I was about to say felt like textbook NPC dialogue. Like an unavoidable story gimmick-resolving NPC.
I couldn't help chuckling.
'Am I destined to be the model NPC after all?'
Thinking that.
I spoke to the fidgeting climbers.
"Worry not, climbers. I can assist."
"How...?"
"A 'wall' to staunch the side paths, a 'pier' to halt Hurekal and serve as your footing... All conjured via my earth conjuration magic. Fight from atop them."
"!"
Hearing me.
The climbers' eyes widened.
'Clearing threats from the city is a model lord's duty. Removing unfair barriers for players is a model NPC's job.'
I declared confidently to them.
"I'll fight my way, alongside you."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After the lord's orders concluded.
The docked ships began to move.
A procession of vessels carrying countless climbers and soldiers setting out. The Walled City's folk gathered like clouds on bridges and roadsides, watching. Their eyes brimmed with worry.
-Giant snake, goblin horde...
-No! The lord said it's a fish!
-Hah, but it resembles the Great Catastrophe too much.
-Th-that...
The snake heralding ruin.
Fear of the black serpent was deeply etched in people's minds. Even with their steadfast lord leading, they couldn't erase their grim expressions.
They could only wave hands.
Praying for his safe return—
"May the Morning Star Goddess protect you..."
The moment someone murmured that, a desperate kid yelled from the bridge. He stared at the lead ship helmed by the lord.
-Lord brooo—!!
"!"
"!"
"!"
The crowd recoiled.
But the kid wasn't done.
-You can stop this Great Catastrophe, right?! No one dies like my mom, right?!
"Th-that brat—?!"
"Drag him out! Who taught him that?!"
"Daring to speak so casually to the lord...!"
As adults menacingly pulled the kid down.
Lead ship lord Lucius waved from aboard and answered. The crowd startled, listening intently.
"Kid, you're wrong!"
"!"
"This ain't a Great Catastrophe—!"
He shouted.
"This is 'forest cleanup'. Business as usual!"
So.
"Wait easy—!"
Don't fear.
The lord's got it covered.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Brief silence followed.
Then the crowd roared encouragement throatily. Toward their lord, younger than their sons or grandsons. Conveying boundless trust and love.
-May the Morning Star Goddess protect you—!!
-Return safe—!!
-We'll wait here—!!
Lucius waved sheepishly. Glancing at the climbers behind him staring blankly at the scene, he excused in an embarrassed tone.
"Festival got interrupted, folks were scared stiff. Not underestimating this quest or anything. Haha."
"..."
Thunderous cheers.
Wind whipping the river.
The lord's awkward smile amid it—.
Climbers muttered unwittingly.
'Different.'
This place felt... different.
And.
Click—!
Some secretly snapped shots via gallery function.
'Gotta post this later.'
Thinking that.
Of course, impatient ones uploaded right away.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Finally, the walls stood complete.
Both left and right sealed the deep cave-like side paths like fortresses.
Niva and I inspected the final conjuration site.
"..."
'Soldiers brought bows and crossbows for siege prep, but Hundred Swords members and top climbers will lead the charge.'
Sir Luciana, tasked with left side path defense, called out tensely, gripping her hefty axe, 'Steel Eater' in both hands.
"S-soldiers and climbers, all deployed! Awaiting orders!"
"..."
'Tense, huh.'
I instructed.
"Alright, hold position. Watch the opposite wall—react to Sir Jayden's signal. Stay vigilant for battle spillover from the central waterway."
"Understood—!"
"By the way, Lady Luciana."
"Yes!"
"What's that axe do exactly?"
"!"
I pointed to the axeman's legacy. Tension easing slightly, Luciana replied proudly.
"Just as named—it eats steel!"
"Eats steel?"
"Yes! The more crude goblin weapons it devours, the sharper and tougher the blade gets!"
"Oh, perfect chance to max upgrade it. Goblins coming in hordes."
"A-ah...! Right!"
"Just swipe safely from the wall. Sound good?"
"Yes!"
"Good, return with a powered-up axe safe."
"Will do—!"
Sir Luciana saluted crisply and returned to post.
Watching, Niva smirked.
"Morale boosting is an art."
"Lordly virtue."
"I see how you win folks over."
"Thanks."
I headed to the final spot.
The footing for the Sword Empress's group to face Hurekal.
'Pillars lifting platforms like past life's elevated highways. Hope it holds.'
Between cliffs.
Over the swift river, stone pillars rose dozens of meters high, spaced 10 meters apart, topped with wide platforms for footing.
A grid elevated highway.
This was the raid site to greet Hurekal.
'Dam form couldn't withstand pressure and shook.'
But flaw: one headbutt from Hurekal, and pillars crumble soon.
'Spaced to avoid total domino collapse, but...'
Longer the fight.
Less space for Sword Empress's group.
'Feels gamey.'
By then.
We reached them.
'Sword Empress already in lotus position. Total wuxia vibes.'
I addressed Sword Empress and trio.
"All prepared?"
"Yes, of course."
As Sword Empress replied.
The trio bowed heads too.
"We'll aid Master to the utmost."
"We're all fast on foot, so roam free for gimmicks!"
"Shall we slice some eel meat for you, milord?"
I chuckled at Blade Ghost's innocent jest.
"Hurekal's flesh is poisoned, inedible. Just return safe—that suffices."
"Milord...!"
Then to Niva.
"Time to go. Better start scouting first."
"Yeah, hold hand."
"Yes."
I took her hand.
Poof!
"!"
Lofty sky.
Mist-shrouded lake visible. Goblins still spawning like springs everywhere. Marching in ant-like lines.
'Clear from above. Destroy source, procession stops?'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "You've come."
"!"
"!"
"!"
Sword Empress rose from lotus. Nearby, the trio scouting surroundings stood by her side.
"..."
Sword Empress gazed into thick mist.
There, the eel's shadow slowly rose. Revealing itself to smash blocking pillars and piers.
-Grrrrr...!
"Massive."
One word.
She drew her sword.
And said.
"Let's begin."