Chapter 99
Chapter 99
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: The Sinking Lake
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I thought Cow King's lair would be filthy and barren, but contrary to my expectations, dense trees and bushes filled the surroundings.
After seeing nothing but gray, the fresh green expanse was so refreshing it cleared my eyes right up.
The forest encircled a large lake in a rounded embrace.
Jade scanned the area and asked in a quiet voice.
"Is this the end of the swamp?"
The lake was absurdly clear, like looking through glass—the bottom was completely visible.
Ruby quickly gauged the lake's size with her eyes. Circular in shape, roughly three miles from one end to the other, just under ten shifon by elven measure.
"To be precise, this isn't the end of the swamp—it's right in the center."
Merald replied.
A relatively small island sat in the middle of the lake. But even that island wasn't tiny, with a diameter of about half a mile.
The island was thick with short trees. From this distance, Ruby could tell they grew packed so tightly there was no room to step.
'An unnatural space.'
Jade pointed toward the island in the lake.
"Is that the Torogar ruins? It's not what I imagined."
"It's not even the place I knew. It wasn't like this before."
Merald stared piercingly at the lake as he spoke.
"What was it like before? Is the weird part the lush forest smack in the middle of the swamp, or the deciduous trees like those hackberries on the island in the lake's center?"
Jade asked sharply and specifically.
Merald pointed out the trees one by one as he replied.
"I've been meaning to mention it, but that was the part I glossed over—the trees. I figured you wouldn't care, but you knew. As you said, all those trees couldn't grow in this region. And the ones that should have been here are all gone. That's connected to the strangeness I mentioned."
"What is it?"
"It's not that obvious to humans unfamiliar with forests, maybe. Look closely. And listen closely. There are no birds in this forest. Not even insects. In Elforest, the only place this devoid of life's sounds is the northern ice forest. Even that's got some animals this season."
Jade perked up her ears and nodded.
Ruby had noticed that part the moment Merald started explaining, so she half-listened. She clutched her head and began observing the island in the lake's center.
'My delusions and memories are starting to tangle again. I've already fought Cow King on that island. That's where I died.'
Merald's explanation continued, but Ruby paid no attention.
"One more thing—imagine looking down from the sky and tracing the forest's shape. Can you picture it?"
Merald traced a circle in the air with his finger.
"This forest forms a perfect circle. So does the lake. A circular lake right in the center of the circular forest, with an island precisely in the middle. Nature doesn't make terrain like that. Before, the forest was normal, the lake's shape irregular, and the island wasn't so round. Those trees weren't there either, of course."
"You're saying this massive lake and forest were artificially made? Even the island?"
Jade asked in surprise.
"Not every part, but yeah, it looks like someone tampered with it to some degree."
Saf stood at the water's edge, craning her neck to peer down. The water was so transparent that from the side, it felt like standing on a cliff.
"Now that you mention it, I don't see a single fish in the lake. It's kinda creepy."
Jade pointed at the lake bottom.
"So where are the Torogar ruins exactly? Under the lake? I was picturing ancient relics and abandoned buildings for 'ruins'…"
Merald answered.
"Strictly speaking, this whole area nearby was Torogar. Geologists say an earthquake about a thousand years ago sank it. That's how the swamp we passed through formed too—all the ruins are down there."
"But I thought the angels did the swamp as revenge?"
"It's up to you whether to believe the scholars or the old folks with their legends. I've told you both."
"So the scholars say the lake formed from that earthquake too?"
"The lake itself might have, but when I came long ago, it wasn't this deep."
"So the lake and island were there originally, but now the water's way deeper and the island's bigger than you remember?"
Jade summarized what she'd heard.
"Before Comora showed up, back in peaceful times, the 'lake' was barely worthy of the name—only a bit bigger than the swamp you saw on the way here."
"Buffalord said Cow King and the hellgate were in the swamp ruins…"
Jade gazed down at the ground as she continued.
"Putting together everything we learned on the way… if it's not buried under the ground we're standing on, then that lake's the most likely spot."
"And taking it one step further, that lake's gotta be an artificial moat they made…"
Merald tilted his head.
"But… what?"
Jade pressed for the rest.
"I can't jump to conclusions. It's weird, sure, but too clear and clean."
"I thought demons were supposed to be filthy, dank, and ugly from a human perspective?"
"In my case, it's from experience. Comora are always grubby and stinky. The cave where they made Heldra and the rest—step inside, and 'evil aura' clues just poured out. But not here. Nothing like that."
Merald glanced at Ruby, who was still clutching her head.
"I'll scout the area for a bit. We need to confirm if this is Cow King's base before planning next steps. Can't just swim to the middle of the lake and risk something going wrong."
"It is."
Saf's sudden words halted Merald just as he started walking along the shore.
"The stench is coming from here."
Saf pointed expressionlessly at the lake bottom.
"You sure?"
Merald asked.
Saf hesitated to reply, so Ruby pulled her hand from her head and spoke.
"Don't ask her if she's sure. That's when it gets uncertain."
"Huh?"
Merald turned, not understanding, and Ruby snapped.
"If Saf says it, it's true. No need to check."
Ruby strode toward the lake without any preparation.
"And based on my memory—no, experience—no, delusion or prophecy—that island's the one. I fought Cow King there. Or I will."
Merald planted his hands on his hips in a stiff stance and warned.
"Stop with the nonsense and halt. We need to approach with caution."
"Why're you overcomplicating it since earlier?"
Ruby tapped the sword on her back as she continued.
"I've got a weapon that can take out demons right now. I'll wipe out everything in there with this, and it's done. Might feel anticlimactic after all your agonizing, but I don't even need Jade's magic anymore."
Ruby gave Merald a long speech, then turned to Jade.
"What do you think? No need for you to risk yourself now. Pretty great, right?"
Before Jade could reply, Ruby turned away.
Merald shouted in a firm tone.
"Don't get cocky. You don't know how many troops are in there or what traps they've got. The boss who used even Heldra as a tool is inside!"
"If I'd had this sword, I'd have sliced Heldra up like butcher meat the moment we met. The only opponent on my mind is Cow King. Obviously, right? Once he's dead, the other demons—or Comora, elven-style—all done. Why bother picking off the small fry one by one?"
Ruby spoke rapidly.
Merald retorted in a curt tone.
"You sound confident you can beat Cow King."
"Of course. I've never lost."
"I heard you lost once and got locked away for five hundred years as punishment."
Ruby glared at Jade and Saf.
Both flinched simultaneously.
Merald continued steadily.
"No need to take it out on them. I dug it up because I wanted to know. You've been reckless and unplanned so far, but while I'm guiding, you follow my lead."
Ruby shifted her gaze back to Merald.
"Funny. Who's giving orders to who?"
"Me to you."
Ruby stepped ankle-deep into the lake and stabbed her raised sword into the ground. The blade sank in, submerged about a handspan.
"You're not still delusional that you're on top because I took one hit while poisoned, are you?"
Ruby asked threateningly.
Merald showed no sign of yielding.
"I don't rank superiority by who's stronger or weaker. Only efficiency in getting results."
Merald pointed at Jade and Saf with his thumb.
"I want those two unscathed when this fight ends, and I know your combat skills will be a huge help. But I'm worried your impulsive actions could throw unpredictable variables into the battle. In that case, better me leading you than Jade, the only one you listen to."
"Efficiency? Nice word. I like efficiency too. Then hear the most efficient plan: I go to those ruins right now, smash Cow King, and done!"
"You don't even know what he looks like or his powers. Or are you just arrogant enough to win regardless?"
"I know!"
"You do?"
"I've fought in there several times."
Ruby jabbed her own head.
"And the result?"
"I'll win."
"I asked for the result, not a vow."
Merald went on.
"Another thing: what if Cow King puts some Buffalord-lookalike on a fake throne, while the real one's disguised as a mouse?"
Merald continued so fast Ruby couldn't interject.
"Remember Captain Byuren? Local elves have different info on Cow King than us. Means we know nothing about his true nature! While you're celebrating catching the wrong one, the real deal slips away—could happen."
"If it's a mouse, that's Mouse King! You don't even know that, flower boy?"
"Don't demons hide their names as standard?"
"I know! I've seen it."
"With prophecy powers?"
Merald asked sneeringly.
Red light poured from Ruby's eyes.
"You two, stop it!"
Jade stepped toward Merald and continued.
"I didn't expect you two to laugh and bond, but I figured you'd at least unite against a common enemy. Guess I was too optimistic."
Jade blocked Merald completely and pleaded with Ruby.
"This won't stop the fight, but please don't."
Ruby grabbed her transparent neck collar, making it visible.
"What, gonna tighten the collar if I don't obey again?"
"It's a request."
"Hmph! Does he think requests are magic words?"
Ruby snorted.
Jade turned to Merald.
"No need to tell you fighting Ruby here isn't efficient, right?"
"It's not a fight,"
he said, but Merald's voice still held irritation.
Ruby was about to unleash a few curses at Merald's tone when a sound from behind stopped her.
The lake surface bulged, sending up a water spout twice Merald's height. In an instant, it formed a humanoid shape with a round head, arms, and torso.
No legs—the body connected directly to the surface. It glided silently toward Ruby, picking up speed.
"Ruby! Dodge!"
Merald snatched the bow from his back in a flash and warned.
"Dodge? Why should I? That thing should dodge me."
Ruby yanked the sword from the ground.
The water giant slid in fast and swung a fist at Ruby.
As it swung, the rest of its body shrank while the fist ballooned hugely. It had concentrated its water into the fist.
Ruby swung her sword at the water giant. But the blade passed right through the water.
With nothing to catch on the tip, Ruby stumbled forward. The giant's fist clipped under her chin.
The heavy impact sent Ruby flying from the shore into the forest.
The moment Ruby got hit, Merald loosed an arrow. It too passed through the giant and splashed into the lake.
The giant slid to where Ruby had stood. The waves it brought crashed fiercely against the shore.
The giant couldn't come out fully—it circled the water's edge a couple times left and right, then sank back in.
The surface churned like a boulder had been thrown in, and the giant vanished.
Ruby lay sprawled nearly thirty paces from the lake. The struck spot throbbed—the impact as bad as a hit from Heldra.
"You bastard!"
Ruby sprang up like a弹, rushing toward where the giant had sunk before anyone could stop her.
"Danger! Don't go!"
Merald yelled.
Ruby ignored him and dove into the water with a splash. But not two seconds in, she leaped back out.
"What is this water?"
In her panic, Ruby spoke before fully exiting, swallowing a mouthful.
She coughed and spat it out.
"Ruby, you okay?"
Jade started toward her, but Ruby warned.
"Don't come near the water."
Jade stopped immediately; Saf, following, halted a short distance away.
Merald approached Ruby instead.
"What's with the water?"
"It sinks."
Ruby shook her wet hair irritably.
"Not talking about first time feeling water sink like it should—what do you mean?"
Merald asked dead seriously, no trace of joke.
"No buoyancy at all—feels like walking flat ground underwater."
Ruby tossed a small twig nearby into the water. It sank like a lead ball with a plop.
Merald rubbed water from Ruby's hair between his fingers.
"Looks normal at a glance, but something's off."
"Tastes like regular water too."
Ruby smacked her lips.
"Anyway, explains why the water's so pristinely clear. No leaf floats—not a speck of debris. Everything just sinks."
Three water giants like the one before rose above the lake surface.
Jade and Saf freaked out and backed further away.
Merald nocked an arrow and fired. It pierced a giant's face and flew off.
"Waste of arrows."
Merald retreated step by step; Ruby quit being stubborn and followed.
The water giants approached the shore, then vanished into the water again. Rough waves hit the shore once more, then calmed quickly.
Merald warned.
"When it swings, the body shrinks, and it won't come out of the water—it's a magical water construct. Fists or blades are useless. Even if you destroy one, they'll make more."
"I knew that from the start. I didn't dive to fight the giant—I thought there'd be a mage somewhere inside and went for that."
Ruby shook her soaked head vigorously.
"So 'you bastard' was aimed at the invisible mage? I thought you meant the construct."
Then, with a small splash, something rope-like popped up at the water's edge.
Ruby gripped her sword two-handed, bracing for attack. What she'd thought was rope was a waterweed with a round water orb at the end.
The orb-tipped end wriggled like a snake hunting prey.
"That guy again."
Ruby swung her chain lightly, snagging the weed. The water bubble burst with a pop; the weed got dragged out on the chain.
Ruby ran her hand along the chain to inspect the weed.
"Hm? Not like the one from last night?"
"That had an eyeball. This just has a water droplet."
Moments later, as if taunting, about twenty water orb-eyed weeds poked their heads above the surface.
Ruby tested by stepping sideways. The orb eyes followed her exactly.
Ruby muttered sidelong.
"Same spell from another mage, or different spell from the same one?"
"Remember that other gaze spying on us yesterday?"
"That's it."
"They can attack us, but we can't hit them. They're watching us; we're blind to them. Can't fight like this."
"What's your point?"
"Let's make a plan."
Merald said heavily.
Ruby went quiet a moment, then turned so the weed eyes couldn't see and spoke.
"One thing clear: following your plan doesn't make you boss."
Merald nodded at Jade.
"Jade's the leader. Jade decides the plan too. I'm happy just proposing."
Their intense stares pinned Jade; she crossed her arms instead.
"If you're gonna stare at each other that obviously, at least say it where I can hear!"
"Fine. Jade's leader—decided."
Ruby stated flatly.
"Not permanent."
Ruby nodded emphatically at Merald's words.
"Obviously."
Jade said with a sour face.
"What are you two even talking about?"
Saf innocently relayed what she'd heard.
"The bride's the captain."