The Raid of the Kokokura Tribe
Malton's leadership shone brightly even amidst the chaos.
"Everyone, gather in one place! Bring the rafts together, and have the warriors form a perimeter on the outside!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"Amphibious monsters generally possess low intelligence, so remain calm! They may try to drag you down from beneath the water, so do not stand too close to the edges of the rafts!"
"U-Understood!"
The guild members hurriedly drew their weapons and braced themselves.
He truly was a former high-ranking adventurer; his command of the situation was flawless.
I, too, had been preparing from the very moment the Kokokura Tribe appeared.
"Hey, catch this!"
Whoosh! I threw a mooring rope to lash the rafts together. As I did, Radie, who was busy sniping the monsters' heads with her crossbow, called out to me.
"Doran-nim, should I release some poison? I have a potent toxin in my pack. If I pour it into the water, it should keep them at bay for a while."
"No, save it. Doing that might agitate other monsters in the area... Just keep a close eye on the battlefield and support anyone in danger. Be careful not to waste your bolts now, or we might run short later."
"Understood."
Radie nodded and nimbly scaled the mast to keep watch over the battlefield.
Resting my oar over my shoulder, I scanned the updated log window.
• A warrior clan composed of swordsmen, spearmen, and shield-bearers!
• They wield rusted scrap metal as weapons. The tips of their blades are crawling with rotting fish entrails, germs, and bacteria! Take extreme care to avoid infection!
• Thanks to their specialized webbed feet, they can walk on water. Occasionally, they crawl onto land to perform courtship dances on two legs.
Damn it... Nothing ever goes smoothly, does it?
Although the Kokokura warriors were only around level 18, one could never let their guard down when facing fish-men near water.
A simple level number couldn't account for the synergy they had with their environment, the unique challenges of fighting on water, and all the unpredictable variables that came with it.
Above all, the most threatening aspect of the Kokokura warriors was their sheer numbers.
—Kokoku! Koku!
—Kokokura croak!
"Get lost!"
I slammed my oar down onto the head of one that had recklessly leaped toward me.
The Kokokura's corpse floated to the surface, spraying slimy brain matter.
Seeing them up close makes them look way grosser... and the smell is rancid.
The visceral disgust of seeing human-like amphibians walking upright on two legs was no joke.
Suppressing my nausea, I swung the oar again. The impact popped a Kokokura's eyeball right out of its socket, sending it rolling across the logs.
I kicked the corpse away so I wouldn't slip on it, just as several others leaped at me like frogs.
I lowered my stance, planted my feet firmly on the deck, and swung the oar with all my might to intercept them.
With a dull thud, two of them were sent flying.
It wasn't a fatal blow, as one of them staggered back to its feet, but another heavy strike crushed its skull, killing it instantly.
I couldn't kill it in one blow. My Strength stat is still too low!
While a long-reaching weapon had its advantages, swinging a polearm naturally required a lot of physical power.
—Kokoku... Kwaaak!
"...Shut up!"
I shoved the tip of the oar into its maw, drew my sword, and slashed its throat.
Before the corpse could even collapse, another enemy lunged. The moment it entered my line of sight, I swung my sword without hesitation.
A flurry of spear thrusts followed, but I deflected them with the flat of my blade and cut down their vitals.
The next Kokokura that closed in was impaled through the chest by a discarded spit I kicked up and threw.
The cramped space on the raft is annoying.
But as long as I knew all of the Kokokura's attack patterns, dealing with this much was child's play.
Suddenly, a spear tip thrust upward from beneath the water. Anticipating their tricks, I stomped down on the scrap-metal shaft and countered with a swift slash.
Our eyes met, and a shield-bearing Kokokura hurriedly raised its guard, only to leave its lower body completely exposed to my blade.
Agitated swordsmen rushed me all at once, but they were instantly dropped by bolts striking them right between the eyes.
I drove my blade downward, piercing the heart of the final Kokokura, and the log window updated.
• You have successfully repelled the first raid of the Kokokura Tribe!
• You defeated the monster wave without taking any damage! For this remarkable achievement, your Charisma has permanently increased by 1.
• Your companion, Malieverton, displayed outstanding valor, single-handedly slaying half of the horde!
• Your companion, Radie, rescued several endangered guild members! For her exceptional support, her Insight has increased by 1!
• However, do not let this sweet victory make you complacent. Having tasted bitter defeat, the Kokokura Tribe will regroup with even greater numbers to hunt you down.
• The Kokokura Tribe now recognizes you and Malton as the leaders of your pack! You have been marked as their primary targets!
• Claim your rewards. Kokokura eggs are highly praised among gourmands!
"I guess that takes care of the immediate threat for now..."
Thanks to Malton and me drawing all the attention at the front of the rafts, fortunately, no one was injured.
However, as I wiped the blood from my sword, an unexpected side effect occurred.
"W-Wait, look over there... I thought only Malton-ssi was strong, but all of them are incredible..."
"Could those people be...?"
"The legendary trio?! The party that made a massive fortune from hunting golems!"
As the guild members whispered among themselves while looking our way, Radie nimbly slid down from the mast and whispered to me.
"Doran-nim, those people seem to suspect who we are. Shouldn't we make up an excuse...?"
"...No."
Since things had already turned out this way...
"Shh, keep it a secret from the others."
I placed an index finger to my lips and gave them a sly wink. The guild members' eyes went wide.
• The guild members have realized your true identity!
• The rumor of a trio earning a massive fortune in a single night is famous among the adventurers of the Achaia Guild! They will now follow your commands with absolute enthusiasm!
• All stats are increased by 2 until you part ways with these guild members!
Actually, this is better.
Crossing this swamp required a lot of cooperation.
If I could command them like my own limbs, our survival rate would skyrocket.
Utilizing our inflated reputation to lead them would make things much easier.
As I sheathed my sword with a flourish, one of the guild members approached, practically vibrating with excitement.
"I-Is there anything we can do to help right now?!"
"First, thoroughly check the rafts for any damage. It would be disastrous if we capsized out here."
"Understood!!"
"What should we do after checking the rafts?!"
"After that, everyone should inspect their weapons. If your clothes are wet, change into dry ones to keep your body temperature from dropping. There's no telling how many more of these battles we'll have to face."
Leaving the guild members to scramble and follow my orders, I stared at my log window.
Since it called this the first raid, the next wave will probably hit us soon. And Kokokura eggs... why does it have that nonsense about them being highly praised by gourmands?
Still, they might come in handy later, so I might as well harvest them.
I used my oar to drag one of the floating Kokokura corpses closer and drew my dagger. Radie watched me with a puzzled expression.
"What are you doing with that? Surely you aren't planning to harvest materials..."
"I am. Do you happen to have a spare container?"
"I have an extra glass jar... but is there actually any useful part on this monster? Amphibians rot quickly, and they don't even have hard scales, so they seem pretty useless."
"It's fine. See this?"
"Are those... eggs?"
When I parted the Kokokura's seaweed-like hair, clusters of tiny red spheres clinging to the roots were revealed.
[Common Grade]
• Highly favored by certain creatures!
As I scraped the salmon-roe-like eggs into the glass jar with my knife, the other adventurers watched with keen interest.
"Oh, so eggs were hidden in a place like that! Are they edible?"
"Edible? Well, technically yes, but..."
"He said yes! Hey, let's harvest some too!"
"Just pack them in! There must be a good reason for it!"
The highly excited guild members began frantically scraping eggs off the Kokokura corpses.
Even if they harvest that many, they won't have any use for them...
As I watched the scene with a wry expression, one of the guild members approached and bowed his head.
"Thank you for your help. If it had been just us, we definitely would have had casualties. Thanks to Doran-ssi's party, we managed to get through this crisis safely."
"It was nothing. It's only natural for fellow guild members to help each other. ...Is there something on your mind?"
"Yes, actually..."
The guild member spoke with a worried expression.
"During the battle earlier, I saw a few of those frogs jabbering to each other before diving back underwater. I couldn't understand their language, but the vibe was..."
"You think they went to gather their comrades for a counterattack?"
"Huh? How did you..."
"Because the Kokokura Tribe is incredibly persistent. Just as you suspected, they will raid us again soon. And they'll bring far greater numbers and better tactics next time."
"T-Then shouldn't we run away right now?! We got through it safely this time, but if a horde we can't handle swarms us..."
"Well, we'd be sitting ducks in the middle of this swamp, destined to become fish food."
"Ugh...!"
"Don't worry. If fighting on the water is disadvantageous, we just have to flip the board and lure them to a place that favors us."
Since I had decided to take the risk and cross the swamp quickly, I was already prepared for a showdown with the Kokokura Tribe.
When I turned around with a meaningful smile, the guild member's eyes filled with sheer shock.
His gaze was fixed on the space behind me.
For behind my back, a massive shadow was swaying, parting the water mist as it loomed into view.
🌿 Environment: A place teeming with wondrous flora, fauna, and natural environments.
⚠️ Warning: The waterways are intricately tangled. Take extreme care not to lose your way inside!
A massive mangrove colony, previously hidden deep within the fog, finally revealed itself.