Chapter 340
Chapter 340
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 340
Chapter Title: Golden Toad King
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The northern boundary of Paju twists and turns in sync with the winding flow of the Imjin River.
When the Imjin bends north, the border juts out that far north; when it curves south, it dips that far south.
It reminds me of the [Paju Yeonam Riverside Town Apartments] where I once smashed some ghouls.
Munsan, where those apartments were, was exactly like that—a deep indentation facing north.
In that sense, Jeokseong Township is a lot like Munsan.
A terrain that digs deep toward the north.
A place enclosed on three sides by the Great Wall of China along the sharply curving Imjin River.
‘But Jeokseong Township is a more dangerous spot than Munsan.’
For one, it’s the northernmost point in Paju, and with Papyeong Mountain, Bihak Mountain, and Gamak Mountain blocking the area below, transportation is a nightmare.
“Alright. Let’s get started.”
But today’s destination lies even farther north than Jeokseong Township.
Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province.
Yeoncheon County, located beyond the Imjin River, is mostly blocked off by the Great Wall, making it inaccessible altogether. However, due to the straight-line structure of the wall contrasting with the river’s meanders, there are isolated spots where humans can set foot.
One such place is [Gorang Port], right up against Jeokseong Township.
In the world I came from, [Gorang Port] had been developed into a tourist site called [Gorangpogu Historical Park], but in the [Cthulhu World] of 24 years ago—struck by the Great Collapse—it never got that chance and became an unreachable zone.
[Your followers chant your name.]
“[Golden Toad King]! [Golden Toad King]!”
“Grrrruk! [Golden Toad King]!”
My name isn’t ‘Golden Toad King’...
Whoosh!
A massive water column erupting toward the sky.
Amid the churning waves emerges vivid red skin dotted with black spots—or sometimes yellow or black stripes.
“Grrruk! In the name of the [Golden Toad King]!!”
These half-human, half-frog hybrids, once part of the [Shangbulsa] cult—
They race across the surface of the roiling Imjin River.
Boom! Crash! Boom!
Let me say it again: they’re running.
Not swimming.
Amphibious humans skimming over the water with water-striding lightness skills.
Previously devotees of [Sangdubul], they now serve the [Golden Toad King]—that is, me—and their destination is that [Gorang Port].
“How far from the city are we that it looks like that?”
I’ve never actually seen [Gorangpogu Historical Park] from my world in person, but it sure as hell didn’t look like that.
Gigantic decommissioned destroyers piled up like mountains, capsized.
Metal reinforcements crudely lashed together to hold those destroyers in place.
“Could pass for a post-apocalyptic warlord’s stronghold.”
No post-apoc warlords show up, but similar types do crawl out of the woodwork.
[Gorang Port] in the [Cthulhu World] is a den for criminals in league with otherworldly hybrids.
“This is our turf! You damn frog freaks!”
“We’ll smash you flat!”
Cartoonishly generic thugs burst from [Gorang Port]—mohawked criminals roaring down the Imjin on motorboats rigged with machine guns.
“Block them! Those frog bastards!”
“Fire! Kill ’em!”
Rat-tat-tat-tat!! Da-da-da!!
Bullets rain down on the frog-humans.
But that’s no big deal.
“Haaap!”
A hulking amphibious human with striking black stripes on his green-golden skin unleashes a palm strike.
Kablooey!
A deafening explosion, and a water column shoots sky-high.
Shangbulsa’s ultimate demon spawn, the chieftain of the amphibious humans: Gu Seongmawa.
“Hap!”
In perfect sync with Gu Seongmawa’s preemptive strike—
The warrior monks unleash the One Hundred Eight Arhats Formation.
Impressive.
Unless their boss steps up, no need for me to...
[System: Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Sacrifice’ activates.]
“Yeah, no rest for me.”
Kablooey! Kablooey!
Thunderous booms ring out right on cue.
“Grrruk! You half-baked amphibians!”
A guttural growl pitched higher than the frog-humans’ throat-rumbles.
A grotesque figure neither human nor fish perches atop an upturned destroyer.
Name was Sanye, right?
A bizarre form plastered with clamshells and conch shells on its face. Rolling, bulbous eyes. Gills dangling like fins.
“Grrruk! You’ll regret crawling into Lord Dragon King’s outpost!”
Sanye is a deep-sea human hybrid from Insuma Village.
A relative of Yongsu’s, and the admiral lording over the human criminals in [Gorang Port].
“Hmm. Side by side, the deep-sea folk look way more monstrous.”
Unlike the sleek, arrowhead-frog-skinned monks of [Shangbulsa]—
Deep-sea humans are covered in rough scales... closer to fish, really.
Probably classified as fish, not amphibians.
[System: Penalty trait ‘Feast’s Sacrifice’ activates. An abyssal being bestows grace upon its kin.]
“Oh?”
So that’s why that deep-sea idiot was standing like a fool on the destroyer—he got a gift.
Rumble rumble!!
The destroyer lurches—and a mountain of a claw erupts forth.
Reminds me of the shark-octopus-crab Yongsu brought last time.
“That a crab?”
Grumble!!
A crab it is.
But instead of a conch shell, it’s wearing an upside-down 130-meter behemoth destroyer like a hat.
A colossal—truly colossal—conch crab fully reveals itself.
“Groooohahaha! See that? Lord Dragon King’s grace! You lowly frog scum! I’ll crush you all!”
A fish-human discriminating against frog-humans.
“Anyway, my turn.”
[L-Grade Apparel ‘Wings of the Night Veil’ unique function, ‘Wings of the Heavenly Demon,’ activates.
// Wings of the Heavenly Demon: Auto-casts ‘Flight’ spell.]
Soaring into the sky, I trigger my prepped spells.
“Well, the most straightforward attack is probably fastest.”
[Meteor Summon]
[Wave of Despair]
Gigantic meteors plummeting from the heavens.
A massive water column surging toward the sky.
Kaaaa-boom!!
* * *
[Achievement unlocked! You have made ‘Gorang Port’ your stronghold. You acquire the ‘Rare Achievement: Shadow Trader.’
Achievement reward: Gain exclusive trait ‘Smuggler’s Stronghold (Great Wall) Management’ and bonus experience.]
Now I have four strongholds at my disposal.
The Ravenous Manor. The Tanheon air-raid shelter. Cheontae-dong, under Blood Demon Cult control.
And right here: [Gorang Port].
Securing Gorang Port unlocks unique perks impossible elsewhere.
[Exclusive trait ‘Smuggler’s Stronghold (Great Wall) Management’ activates.]
[‘Gorang Port’s’ trade contacts, treasures, resources, and infrastructure are transferred to you.]
Snatched a smuggler’s den, so now I can smuggle too.
Makes me part of the underworld, but it’s basically shop-opening content... right?
[Due to ‘Faction – Insuma Village’ relation ‘Blood Feud,’ Gorang Port infrastructure is restricted.]
[Due to ‘Faction – DMZ’ relation ‘Hostile,’ Gorang Port infrastructure is restricted.]
[Due to ‘Faction – Triad Society (Black King)’ relation ‘Hostile,’ Gorang Port infrastructure is restricted.]
[Due to ‘Faction – Triad Society (Red Head)’ relation ‘Hostile,’ Gorang Port infrastructure is restricted.]
Thanks to all the bad blood I’ve racked up everywhere, not many trade partners left.
I could force it with Bongil Cheonpa... Oh, Holistic’s on the tradable list too.
[Due to ‘Faction – Triad Society (Blue Tiger)’ relation ‘Hostile,’ Gorang Port infrastructure is restricted.]
“Wait, why are Blue Tiger hostile?”
[‘Jung Hyun-ah, Blue Tiger Gang Heir’ relation adjusted to ‘Blood Feud,’ so ‘Faction – Triad Society (Blue Tiger)’ relation adjusted.]
[Tip: Want to mend ties with a faction? Meet their demands or attack their enemies.]
“Ay, even giving tips now? I’m flustered.”
Ah, troublesome. So troublesome.
Guess I’ll have to meet up with Hyun-ah or Tae-won soon and sort it out.
Not like I took this place to run smuggling ops anyway.
“Hmm, Gu Seongmawa. Help me out.”
“Gruk. Help? With what?”
Hearing me, Gu Seongmawa blinks his bright red round eyes and lumbers over step by thudding step.
Unlike the other amphibious humans—who look mostly human aside from their skin—Gu Seongmawa’s appearance is truly one-of-a-kind.
Height... about 2.5 meters?
Sounds underwhelming in numbers, but having a 2.5-meter (hybrid) person in front of you is a sight.
Gu Seongmawa hates wearing clothes.
Says it interferes with skin breathing.
His arms—like slabs of horse thigh stitched on—and the vast shoulders ripple with muscle under glossy green-golden skin...
Tough to pin down with words.
That upper body alone is three Kim Shin-hwas worth.
And below that insane inverted-triangle torso, tight jeans hug his waist.
That’s his entire outfit.
“I’m looking for something. Call your kin and help search.”
“Search. Gruk. Clan. Got it.”
* * *
“Found it.”
I hoist up a large glass jar and peer inside.
Gem-like orbs wriggling in frothy mucus.
[Quest completed!
[Search Quest: The Mermaid’s Lost Treasure]
Reward: 8,250,000 XP + Mission performance bonus]
These are [Mermaid Eggs].
Taking the stronghold was a side gig; this was the real goal. Hand this to Tudor, and today’s done.
“Looks like they’re all unfertilized.”
Lucky—or not the best word for intelligent beings. Anyway, mermaids sometimes show up, but not today.
“Deep-sea folk?”
Gu Seongmawa, bending low, fixes his vertical slit pupils on me.
Hmm, double eyelids like a frog.
“No. These aren’t deep-sea eggs. They’re mermaid eggs.”
“Mermaid? Fish. Human?”
“Hmm, upper body human. Lower body fish—human.”
“Human. Fish.”
“Yeah. That.”
Not sure if he gets it, but close enough. Unlike deep-sea folk—who defy categorization—mermaids are the real deal.
And one more thing.
I also found [Mermaid’s Tear].
A lustrous pearl brimming with ocean magic.
“Good. This was actually the priority.”
This is what I need to escape this world.
“Almost got everything. You take over here, Gu Seongmawa.”
“Take? Here?”
“Yeah. You needed a stable wetland, right? Live here with your kin.”
Third reason I bothered smashing this place.
Gu Seongmawa’s crew needed a home. Win-win: I get managers for the stronghold, they get a place to stay.
“Gruk, wetland. Our land.”
Gu Seongmawa nods and drops to his knees.
“[Golden Toad King]. Our god. Thank you.”
Ugh. What do with this muscle-mountain frog?
“Not a god, so get up. Dummy.”
“But doctrine. Needed. Our path. Tell us. [Golden Toad King].”
Doctrine?
Reminds me of those cultists with [Filial Piety and Service] as their creed.
I scratch my head a bit, then answer.
“Eh, let’s do [environmental protection]. Protect the environment. Preserve nature. Build the future. Smash anyone polluting it.”
“Environmental protection. Good. We protect.”
“Perfect.”
‘Now just hit the pawnshop for some gold, and we’re set.’
A few days ago, I fully deciphered the [Rakrex Grimoire] and found my escape route.
Surprisingly simple.
The exact method Akiyama used.
An item from legend that opens a hole back home.
[Golden Hairpin].
So I’ve been gathering materials to craft the Golden Hairpin.
Of course, finishing it doesn’t end everything.
Damn.
There’s one problem.