Chapter 251
Chapter 251
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 251
Chapter Title: The Slaughterer of the Beach
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It wasn't long before we spotted a group of fishmen.
—Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Grahhh!"
"You goddamn fish-head bastards!"
"Damn it! Nelson!"
The fishmen and soldiers were tangled up in a fierce melee. The city guards, armed with shields and swords, were desperately hacking away at the seaweed-wrapped tridents and counterattacking, but they couldn't overpower the savagely roaring fishmen charging at them.
Monsters wielding weapons were far trickier than imagined. The soldiers, outnumbered, were getting torn apart.
"Darky. When I give the signal, yell loud enough for those guys to all run away."
"Got it."
Winia, staff aimed, began chanting rapidly.
—Whoosh!
As the destructive incantation began, a red magic circle materialized. From within the geometric patterns of circles and stars, crimson magical flames started to rise.
A big one?
She finished the chant faster than expected.
"Now."
Winia murmured in her hyper-focused state.
"Ruuuunnn awaaaay!!!!! Big one's coooming!!!!!!!!!!!"
I unleashed a lion's roar with a lungful of air pushed to its limit. "Wh-what?!" Startled by the blast, a soldier glanced our way, then dropped his weapon and bolted.
"A-a mage!"
"It's a mage!"
The fishmen paused mid-thrust with their tridents, staring blankly at the fleeing soldiers. These bastards had sluggish reaction times.
—Gweeek?
These carp-headed fuckers.
Just as they realized what was happening and turned toward us, kicking off the ground—
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Fire Blast Over ten fireballs launched in rapid succession!
—Fwoom! Fwoom!
—Fwoom! Fwoom!
It felt like the world lit up in an instant.
Over ten fireballs shot out from the magic circle in flashy arcs, slamming into the fishmen's heads, mouths, and chests like guided missiles before exploding.
—Gwee, gweeeeeek!
They looked like flaming serpents swimming through the air, striking their prey. The heat and afterimages left a delightful grilled mackerel scent in the air.
—Sizzle!
Nearly ten fishmen took direct hits from the fireballs, rolling on the ground. Some even tumbled about engulfed in flames. Mages were indeed the best in this world.
"Our Winia's amazing."
"Finish them off."
I went with Cloudy to cut down the fallen fishmen. Stomping on ones half-charred black wasn't hard.
—Crack!
Cloudy didn't even use her sword. She just crushed their necks underfoot, severing heads from bodies. I simply stabbed them with my sword, then slowly sliced off the heads.
"Th-thank you! O great mage!"
"Mighty mage!"
The soldiers finally rushed over, panting, and expressed their gratitude to Winia. She smirked and ordered them to clear the bodies of their fallen comrades.
I watched for a moment before asking the soldiers,
"Excuse me, soldier. Got a question."
"What is it?"
"Do fishmen have venom?"
A crucial question for me.
They must know, living by the sea.
"Pardon? Venom? Not sure."
Damn it.
"Tch... I see. Oh, and we'll take the fishmen heads."
"Of course!"
They didn't seem to care about the bodies. They just wanted to recover their dead comrades, grab weapons, and retreat quickly.
I collected all the fishmen heads on site and stuffed them in the bag. Fifteen in total. Winia roasted about ten; the soldiers had killed two.
"Already full."
Fishmen heads were bulky; carrying them like this would be a hassle. What to do? I asked Cloudy.
"Get some rope and string 'em together?"
"Oh, good idea."
We soon found an abandoned pile of rope in an alley corner. These things were everywhere. I grabbed the rope, stuffed it in the bag, and moved on.
The lower we went, the more people there were.
Busy soldiers darting about. Adventurers like us hauling fishmen heads. Total chaos. Down by the shoreline, it was outright war.
No easy pickings there.
"Looks like we head to the city. Nothing worth grabbing here. Let's go."
As Winia judged, we headed toward the city where we'd been sightseeing. It was a mess here too.
"Gaaahhh!"
An apron-clad fishmonger was filleting a fishman with a massive cleaver. Lost to madness, he screamed while hacking at an already dead fishman's head.
"This is my shop! No one's taking it!"
He bellowed like a beast after the final blow. The fishmongers had fortified the market with their tools, battling fishmen.
—Gweek! Gweek!
"Darnep! Harpoon! Get my harpoon!"
"Got it!"
Used to gutting fish for a living, they handled blades expertly. This was battle-honed butchery technique.
Smashing whale knives into heads scaling barricades, skewering jumping ones with harpoons and toppling them. Serial killer precision.
"Better than most adventurers?"
Cloudy marveled at the sight.
"Yeah."
Seafarers, alright.
"This way! Breach here!"
"More planks!"
The fight was intensifying... Wait.
Fishmongers might know about fishmen venom.
"Let's save 'em."
I turned to the girls.
"What'd you say, darky?"
"Save those merchants."
"Doesn't matter to me... but why bother?"
"No reason needed for good deeds. Come on. Let's wipe 'em out."
About two platoons of fishmen invading. Taking them all at once would be tough, so we took position in a suitable alley.
"Sis, darky. I'll fire one off first, then handle the rush."
"Okay."
"Trust me."
Red mana flowed around chanting Winia. Flame Arrow? Powerful fire spell that flies like a missile and explodes.
As expected, fiery arrows formed. Winia calmly aimed at the fishmen and fired at the perfect moment.
—Fwoosh!
The flaming arrows streaked, hitting the clustered fishmen and exploding massively. Some flew burning; others rolled from embers.
—Gweeeeeek!!
—Gweek!!
Screaming fishmen.
The merchants cheered.
"Magic! A mage!"
"Here to save us!"
"Hooray!"
Mages got cheers everywhere.
Winia smiled, pleased by the praise.
"Heh heh. See that, darky? Impressed?"
"Totally badass. Should've become a mage."
"Can't. Head too thick."
"What?"
"It's fine. I'm the smart one."
She tiptoed and patted my head.
"Hey, damn..."
She was begging for a scolding... Anyway, excited fishmen charged us. "Cloudy." I called low. She drew her curved swords in both hands.
"No mercy. Wanted to show you my swimsuit more."
"You've shown plenty in the room."
Not just slingshot bikinis—micros, tank tops, one-pieces. Bought a lot, but only worn in bed, not beach.
"On the beach."
"Urk! My heart!"
—Gweek!!
Fishmen incoming.
I unleashed my boiling impulse.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Irresistible Impulse Déjà Vu!!!! Mana surges through the body! Senses sharpen! Strength rises!
—Flash!
Cloudy raised her sword. I spread the gathered mana through my body, focusing on battle. Senses sharpened. Strength surged. Sword swings accelerated. Dynamic vision transcended human limits.
—Gweek!
A fishman thrust its trident.
The fork-like prongs extended lethally—impossible for a normal person to handle. But my body was honed by Ilshin Kwonbeop, Taekwondo, Heavenly Demon Divine Art, and swordsmanship.
Side-step forward, smack the shaft down, lay the blade flat, and sever the neck.
—Gwack!
With our alley position, no flanking worries. Meanwhile, Winia lobbed fireballs skyward from behind. They arced down, roasting rear fishmen.
One fishman, back aflame and berserk, trampled a fallen comrade and swung its coral sword confidently. —Clang! I deflected with my gauntlet and stabbed its gut.
You trusted those scales too much.
Truly reliable armor is plated steel like this. It covers mistakes and boosts confidence.
Scales might work in water, not on land.
I yanked the blade free.
The gasping fishman stared at the sky, then collapsed.
—Splash!
Cloudy turned the spot into a slaughterhouse on the fly.
Fishmen couldn't touch her. She diced them at terrifying speed, effortless as slicing tofu with a cutter.
—Plop.
Falling fishmen chunks.
A nearby fishman, seeing its ally dismembered, raged at me but leaped at Cloudy instead.
"Distracted mid-fight with me?!"
Irked, I stabbed its side. —Gweeee...! It flapped in agony mid-fall.
That was it.
Cloudy's sweep left only blood and guts. Blood-soaked, she tugged her collar.
"...My new clothes are bloodied."
Regret in her tone.
"It's fine. I'll buy another."
"Should've worn the swimsuit."
Not some summer skin—fight in a swimsuit?
Absolutely not.
"No way, Cloudy. Swimsuits have no defense. What if you get hurt?"
"I'm fine. Won't get hurt."
"My heart would."
"Aww. C'mere, Katt. Hug."
"Ooh!"
"You two are something."
I hugged Cloudy. Even bloodied, she was sexy... but fishy smell. These damn fish bastards.
Anyway, approaching the merchants, they welcomed us warmly.
"Thanks for saving us! We lived!"
"Protected the market! Truly grateful!"
They cheered, harpoons and cleavers in hand.
"Haha, calm down. Anyone hurt?"
"Thanks to you!"
Looking around, merchants had cleared barricade gaps for entry, dragging fishmen bodies inside. Planning to decapitate?
"Hey, question."
"Ask away!"
"Do fishmen have venom... Huh?"
The ones dragging bodies swiftly chopped them, skinned scales, and tossed into boiling cauldrons.
What?
"...Can you eat fishmen?"
"Of course! Unique taste, but pretty good!"
"Kieeeek!!!"
"What's wrong with you?!"
I bolted to the fishmen bodies like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Sobbing joyfully, I whipped out a knife and sliced meat from a suitable corpse.
Red raw fish.
Sliced to perfect bite-size, I popped it in my mouth.
"No! Darky, don't eat!"
"Katt!"
The girls, mid-decapitating, freaked and rushed over. I toyed with the flesh on my tongue, slid it to my molars, then—
—Chewed.
"Nguuuuuh???!!!"