#36 Island Cleanup (2)
#36 Island Cleanup (2)
Even a fairy dragon has physical limits when it comes to growing by consuming impure matter. I stashed the remaining flesh chunks in Stowage to feed Perry when it needed them.
[Stowage (E) Lv.2 proficiency at maximum. Stowage (E) Lv.2 → Stowage (E) Lv.3]
A larger capacity every time Stowage levels up. Right now the storage volume was about ten liters — roughly the equivalent of five two-liter water bottles.
'Perry, though.'
The little scamp had kept growing in the meantime. Already over four hundred grams. A staggering growth rate. At this pace, it wouldn't be long before it cleared a full kilogram.
"Kyuuu?"
I looked down and the little guy cocked its head. Holding the bite-sized chunks of flesh I'd cut for it in both hands, it ate with such innocent delight that I couldn't help stroking it.
'Grows by consuming impure matter, huh...'
Didn't quite fit the connotations of the word "fairy." Then again, this was the first time I'd ever seen the thing eat at all. Most Spirit Realm creatures seemed not to take meals — apparently mana sufficed as a substitute.
'If you stop and think about it.'
The flesh mutated by the unfinished product had once been human. That made it a little unsettling. A moral qualm about the ethics of feeding it to Perry, and an uneasy suspicion that the unfinished product's influence might rub off on it.
'Going by how eagerly it's eating, it seems fine.'
Its growth was progressing smoothly, so there probably wasn't any major issue. I'd circled every inch of Deokjeok Island and detected no other human presence. There were no humans left on this island.
'...No one's coming to clean up?'
Under normal circumstances, someone would at least be sent to handle the aftermath. I waited until Perry patted its stomach, then swam for the next island. I had no map, so I couldn't tell which was which, but it didn't matter.
'I'm cleaning all of them out anyway.'
I swept up the underwater monsters as I made my way to the nearest island. I shook my body dry and Perry vanished into the distance in a single bound.
"Kyu! Kyu!"
Blink. A skill so absurdly broken it was hard to believe it was ranked only D. Naturally, I'd searched for it in hopes of picking it up myself, but it wasn't in my skill list. Some kind of restriction must have been in place — the same way I hadn't been able to acquire vision-type skills right away back in my slime days.
'That part's a little disappointing.'
Whether Perry, now looking like a drowned rat, was sulking or not, I activated Detection and locked onto presences. The numbers were higher than I'd expected. I flicked my eyes at Perry, and the little guy took to the air.
"Kyu!"
In the meantime, I slipped in using Stealth. I worked my way through the ones scattered across the little island, handling them one by one. They didn't have tails, but among the rank and file, these were reasonably capable. Before long, I found a building at the island's center.
'The rest are in there.'
Forty-seven in total. I'd dealt with six on the way in, so forty-one. I'd thought the numbers were surprisingly high for such a cramped island, but most of them turned out to be ordinary civilians. It wasn't quite a Blind Spot breeding pen, but they'd locked people up in something resembling a prison. Only three guards were posted outside — aside from the ones I'd already handled — and resisting hunters was flatly impossible for the prisoners.
'Lunatics.'
With sea monsters lurking around, the only usable boats would be rowboats. How they'd managed to bring people here in the first place was another mystery. I confirmed once more that no other presences existed, then deployed my Spiritual Field.
"...Why did it suddenly get so dark?"
Shadow seeped steadily outward, worming through the door gaps and seizing the building's interior. The darkness swallowed the windows, and soon my Spiritual Field devoured even the light inside. Lightbulbs shattered and crunched, and absolute darkness descended.
"What the—?!"
Amid the panic, I snapped and twisted the neck of the one reciting an incantation first. He hit the floor with a wet gurgle, spine flat against the ground. The remaining two scrambled to flee the building.
"Second floor! Go, now!"
Halfway up the stairs, they realized something was stirring in the dark. They shrank back with instinctive terror, and the moment they met the crimson glare of my eyes, they froze as if struck rigid. Their heads went blank. They tried to rally their mana and resist, but their bodies wouldn't respond. Why? They looked down. Heart and lungs had been pierced simultaneously. They'd been struck without ever perceiving it. The two Prodigal Sons exchanged a look and let out hollow laughs. Then, like puppets with their strings cut, they crumpled lifelessly and never rose again.
'...This place is done, anyway.'
Taking out the bastards was the easy part. The problem was cleanup. One or two prisoners I could manage, but moving all of them to the mainland was impossible. Still, I couldn't just leave them locked up. I smashed the cell doors, withdrew my Spiritual Field, and sank beneath the surface. Soon enough, I sensed the rising murmur of commotion.
'Cleanup can wait.'
The more urgent task was sweeping the neighboring islands.
***
Gusts tore at eyeballs. Shadow and tentacles reaped lives without mercy. Men screamed and begged for their lives, but the Wolf showed none.
"......!"
At last, the Wolf snapped the final Prodigal Son's windpipe and loosed a short breath. The fifth island was cleared. Checking a map the bastards had been carrying, he confirmed that this particular island was called Seongapdo. Tracing back the route he'd taken so far, he mapped it out.
'Mungapdo. Gureopdo. Baekado. Uldo. Seongapdo.'
He'd effectively carved a wide semicircle along the outer edge.
[Destruction Probability 96.06% → 95.27%]
[Karma +0.79%]
That was the Karma earned from clearing five islands. It felt paltry for razing five islands, but substantial when compared to what Broken Finger had yielded. He'd rather clear multiple islands than fight that bastard again. A single rank-and-file thug barely produced any Karma. Gu Ma-jun had also been a rank-and-file member, yet the Karma from him had been somewhat larger — probably because he'd prevented the man from infiltrating the Temple.
While he was mulling that over, the radio crackled to life.
[Code 3]
It repeated that single word over and over. Impressive that the signal reached this far. He'd wanted to jam it, but the device was unfortunately built for reception only, so that was impossible.
'Don't they find it inconvenient?'
Being in a position where you do nothing but receive orders. Their discipline was remarkably thorough, even stationed on an island. He shook his head slowly and replayed the radio's message in his mind.
'...Code 3?'
He checked the map and saw that the island it referenced was quite a distance away. Studying the map made him frown.
'Way more islands than I thought.'
Including Soyado, which lay just below Deokjeokdo, there were roughly seven or eight more islands. If Prodigal Sons were hiding out on each of them at the current density, he might scrape together another percent or so of Karma. Still, he had no idea what Code 3 signified. Around now, they'd have realized something was going horribly wrong. They were surely plotting something... He stowed the map and radio and leaped back into the sea.
'Doesn't matter anyway...'
The bastards were scattered across islands. If they wanted to pull something, they'd have to gather somewhere. My eyes gleamed.
***
"Row faster, faster!"
The order that had been issued was Code 3. It signified an attack. Hunters must have caught wind of them, but how so soon?
'I heard Gwanghwi and Dawn made it as far as Deokjeok Island, but...'
He hadn't expected them to move this quickly. He'd figured it would take at least a few more days. If it was the Gowon Clan or Dawn, they had more than enough combat strength to wipe out their people scattered across the islands.
'...The Neverland raid should be coming up soon.'
The tail bit his lip anxiously. Somehow, they'd managed to spare the personnel. While the rank and file rowed, he frowned.
'Angler shark?'
It must have noticed the rowing. The lack of a motor didn't guarantee safety. Stay near the surface and they'd detect you. The tail began an incantation — then paused, puzzled.
'Gone?'
An angler shark had definitely been approaching, but somewhere along the way it had vanished. A relief; they'd dodged an irritating situation. The rank and file, oblivious, kept rowing vigorously. No point borrowing trouble. The tail quietly shut his mouth.
'.......'
They'd pass Jawoldo soon, so Yeongheungdo wasn't far now. Just a little further — and the boat suddenly heaved.
"?!"
At first he thought it was a wave. It wasn't. The moment he spread his mana to sense the surroundings, he felt something beneath the surface.
"Damn it..."
Was it the angler shark from earlier? No. The presence he detected was much smaller. A hole had been punched through the boat — probably during the earlier collision — and water was rushing in. He ground his teeth, knowing it would sink in moments.
"Fereastra de gheață!"
A short incantation, a spell easily manifested. The ice spike he materialized was about to strike something — then the boat capsized.
'......!'
He'd kept Swimming and Diving active as a precaution. Underwater, the tail's eyes flew wide.
'The Wolf?!'
A black wolf was butchering his subordinates beneath the waves. Countless tentacles lashing out, and from them, shadows branching out further still. The tail swallowed hard and locked eyes with the Wolf — with those crimson eyes brimming with killing intent — and his throat constricted.
"......!"
In that instant, the tail understood. The reason Code 3 had been issued. The ones raiding the islands weren't hunters from Gowon or Dawn. It was this Wolf.
'That bastard is the...!'
This had to be the Wolf Dawn was rumored to be chasing. He'd caught word that it was pursuing them, but he'd dismissed it as nonsense. As if that made any sense.
'It was real.'
The creature apparently had Swimming and Diving skills, gliding freely through the water. Before the question of why the Wolf was even here could fully surface, the tail shot toward the surface. He thrust his arm downward and launched the ice spike he'd kept ready — and some unfathomable vortex shredded it to splinters and scattered the pieces.
'......!'
Ice particles dispersed. The sight left exactly one thought in the tail's mind: he had to run. Jawoldo — if he could just reach the nearest island, he might survive somehow. But he could not swim. Even with Swimming and Diving skills, escaping this colossal vortex was impossible.
Tumbled and spun countless times by the whirlpool, the tail finally lost the battle and gasped — and somehow, his lungs filled with air. Underwater, yet he could breathe. How?
'Did I break the surface?'
Realizing he was above the water, the tail allowed himself a flicker of hope that he might escape — then he felt a foreign pressure around his waist. He looked down and saw that the Wolf had hoisted him up with its tentacles.
'Damn it.'
Far from escaping, he'd been completely caught. The tail tried to rally his mana and crush the tentacles, but then he noticed the shadow already pressed against his throat and swallowed. Terror flooded him — one wrong move and he was dead — along with a single question. Why hadn't it killed him? And that question vanished a moment later.
"—Answer me. What is Code 3?"
The Wolf's voice posed the question, and the tail's disbelief evaporated. The Wolf was intelligent. A creature with clear intent, hunting them deliberately. The moment he understood, his throat tightened around a hard swallow. How could he get out of this — the hand he was forming into a seal was crushed on the spot.
"......!"
Shadow bit into his neck and drew blood. Chewing his lip, the tail finally accepted that he had no choice.
***
[Intimidation (E) Lv.6 proficiency at maximum. Intimidation (E) Lv.6 → Intimidation (E) Lv.7]
The bastard spilled everything he knew. The title's effect, stacked on top of Intimidation, was undeniable. It was also currently my fastest-growing skill, given how often I'd been using it.
[Destruction Probability 95.27% → 95.06%]
I'd only taken down four or five, including the tail, yet I'd earned over 0.2 percent Karma. Tails definitely yielded more Karma than the rank and file. I finished strangling the man and swallowed a groan.
'Gathering in one place, huh...'
All Prodigal Sons stationed on islands in the West Sea were to assemble immediately at Yeongheungdo. That was what Code 3 meant.
'Kyuuuu!'
Perry patted my head from above. I opened Stowage and handed it a chunk of flesh. The moment the little guy wolfed it down, I deployed Detection. I gave a nod when I sensed no more human presences. I had no idea how many would gather at Yeongheungdo, but as long as no executives were among them...
'Unless there's something like ten more tails.'
There was nothing to hesitate about. If they gathered, that only made them easier to wipe out. I immediately set off for Yeongheungdo.
***
"Old-timer. Been a while."
Kang Tae-ho offered his greeting, and Baek Gun-tae — Clan Leader of Yongma's Geoam — gave a nod.
"I can see that. What kept you?"
"Got held up on the road."
"What about your Clan Leader?"
"The big man isn't coming today."
Baek Gun-tae's expression soured.
"Gowon's already a no-show. Dawn stepping out like this makes things difficult."
"Don't you worry about that. Think I came all this way for nothing? I came to handle things myself."
"...If you're putting it that strongly."
He still sounded skeptical, but Kang Tae-ho had the standing to represent Dawn. Baek Gun-tae nodded and crossed his arms where he sat.
"How many?"
"Everyone A-rank and above except one. Ten B-ranks. Below that, figure about twenty."
"Okyeon and the Hermit's Forest are coming too, not just Dawn."
Okyeon — Daegu's representative clan. They'd handed the Forest Dungeon over to the Temple, so apparently they'd been gearing up for the Neverland raid all along. Kang Tae-ho nodded calmly and asked,
"How many?"
"Not as many as you lot. The Hermit's Forest is sending three, including their Clan Leader. Okyeon's sending about ten."
"That's it?"
"Everyone's waiting for the next chance."
A complicated expression crossed Baek Gun-tae's face as he lit a cigarette.
"Everyone knows full well Changseon's been laid out. They also know Gowon won't be joining."
"...So they all pulled out, is that it?"
"That's right. The Temple's just testing the waters."
A dungeon that had gone uncleared for over ten years. Nothing new there. The obvious calculus was that without Gowon, the chances of clearing it dropped steeply — better to bow out than join a doomed effort. Kang Tae-ho twisted the corner of his mouth.
"Then they're all going to regret it."
"...I wonder."
"I'll say it plainly. This time, I intend to clear it. So you'd better prepare yourself properly."
"......."
Baek Gun-tae crushed out his cigarette in the ashtray and sighed.
"...The Squares aren't participating either."
"I didn't ask them to."
"Do you really think it's possible?"
Neverland — the most malicious of the uncleared dungeons. By now, many voices argued that clearing it should no longer be the objective; simple containment was enough.
"It's different from back then. Now we have information."
"You know perfectly well we've never even managed to enter the 5th Sector."
Kang Tae-ho nodded, unfazed.
"...Truth be told, I'm not comfortable with this. I can see what's driving you to push this hard, but if it fails, have you thought through the fallout?"
If they succeeded, they could turn the whole mood around. But if they failed? After the Night of the Great Battle in Daejeon and the Academy raid, one more dose of despair could plunge things into truly unpredictable territory.
"Everyone already figures this year is a lost cause. Tae-ho. Think about it rationally. Better to commit harder next year and—"
BANG. His fist smashed the table. Baek Gun-tae frowned. Kang Tae-ho let out a harsh snort, his expression twisting.
"You want me to settle for that?!"
"......."
"I know you're right, old-timer! My head isn't completely empty, you know. But if we don't even try—"
"Hm..."
"—what's the difference between that and admitting the bastards are running us ragged? That much, I absolutely cannot stomach."
Baek Gun-tae's brow stayed knitted.
"This isn't a dungeon so easy it'll bend to sentiment."
"I've got my own ideas."
Kang Tae-ho's gaze was fixed straight ahead. Failure was no longer a factor in his equation.
"...If you're going to push it that far. I'll let the Temple know."
"Oh, come on. If I say I'm going, the old lady will show up anyway, won't she?"
"Well, that's true."
Kang Tae-ho let out a dry chuckle at the shameless answer.
"Sorry about the table. I'll pay you back. How much?"
"Twelve hundred."
"Now that I think about it, I forgot my wallet. I'll get you next time."
"Like hell you ever will."
Kang Tae-ho rose from his seat, a little sheepish, and set his hand on the doorknob. He looked back over his shoulder.
"Anyway, the point is: get Geoam ready."
"I was already planning on it without you telling me."
"Good, then."
Left alone in the room, Baek Gun-tae muttered to himself.
"Damned stubborn bastard."
Then he started rifling through the stack of documents that had been sitting on the now-shattered table.
"I wonder. What's left of the clans..."