Chapter 342
Chapter 342
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 342
>Chapter Title: The 31st Horse Overturns the Game Board
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However, Kang Seol's group was caught up to again exactly on the second day.
‘Why?’
The pursuers' speed was excessively fast.
For the crows to serve as eyes, they needed to avoid drawing attention, so his crows were observing the pursuers' path and speed from a safe distance.
‘Their speed is much faster. I don't know why, but.’
He could tell their speed was fast, but not the reason behind it.
The tropical rainforest imposed restrictions on movement just by its terrain alone. Straight-line travel was rare.
Twisty and tangled paths fit it like a glove.
‘They passed all the traps I set to hold them back?’
It seemed they had effortlessly bypassed every measure Kang Seol had prepared to slow their advance.
Boom...
Booom...
Kang Seol guessed the reason from the vibrations transmitted through the ground.
‘I get it now. Why they crossed so quickly.’
Kwaaaaaah—!
A resounding roar.
Monsters presumed to be ogres or cyclopes were leading the way, clearing a path for the orcs.
They were predators of the forest.
Ogre and cyclops hides were among the toughest. Their strength allowed them to fell trees of any thickness without tools.
With such creatures at the forefront blazing the trail, they had pursued Kang Seol steadily without much hindrance.
No, according to the information from the crows, swarms like this overflowed in the Sleepless Forest.
‘Not just one group... quite a few this time?’
They hadn't pinpointed Kang Seol's location yet, scattering in all directions.
Still, it was unsettling.
Tantuinu said,
“They've chased us all the way here. To shake them off, we need to make our stand right now. If we mess up...”
Jamad dismissed her opinion.
“No need to worry.”
“......”
“Trust Kang Seol, young dragon. He's trustworthy.”
Tantuinu sighed.
“...Then I'll trust him. Just as your mother trusted you, and you trust him... I'll trust him too.”
Kang Seol was wading through a swamp up to his ankles, surveying the surrounding terrain.
“...What are you doing?”
“Just checking for a moment.”
“Checking?”
“It'll only take a second.”
After tapping various trees here and there, Kang Seol returned.
“All living trees. You're right—we need to play our trump card here. We'll shake them off right here.”
“Combat?”
“We'll conserve our strength.”
“You can shake them off without using strength?”
“It'll be a bit precarious instead.”
“How...”
Thud... Thud...
Kang Seol's expression changed.
“They're coming. Get ready to run.”
Crunch...
Craaaack...
The giants bursting through the trees all had a single eye.
‘Cyclopes, huh.’
Kraaaaaaaaah—!
“There they are! Over here!”
Thud thud thud thud thud...
Kang Seol's group turned and started running.
“Chase them!”
“Grab them!”
Kang Seol smirked and picked up speed.
It was hard to move at full speed in this ankle-deep muck, but the bulkier foes struggled even more with mobility.
The farther Kang Seol's group fled, the deeper into the swamp the orc and cyclops horde ventured.
The water wasn't deep, and there was solid ground to step on, so if they kept going like this, the distance would close again the moment they exited the swamp.
But.
‘...Not on my watch.’
Kang Seol kept running while eyeing the surrounding trees. This was a grove of a particular species.
Normally, it would be like any other swamp, but today would be very different.
Whoosh...
Kang Seol glanced back to see a large force pursuing them along a straight, flat path in the swamp's center.
‘A bit more... just a little more...’
Kwaaaaaah!
Unable to hold back, a cyclops hurled the club it gripped.
Whooooosh—!
Splashhhhh—!
The club plunged harmlessly into the swamp, only obstructing the orcs' path.
‘Perfect!’
Kang Seol snapped his fingers.
Twaaang—!
Whirrrrl—!
Coco and Kukuru appeared.
“This is...”
“Ride them!”
Coco and Kukuru were excellent for travel, but their summons had been delayed due to the swamp terrain.
Now, with a straight path cleared, there was no reason not to call them.
“Urk...”
“Coco! Kukuru! We need to reach the other side as fast as possible!”
Grrrrowl...
Splash—!
Coco and Kukuru charged ahead, but the situation hadn't dramatically improved.
They were still being chased, still exposed.
Tantuinu sensed things weren't going well.
She steeled herself and said,
“I'll block the path...”
“Quiet. Focus on riding.”
“......”
Kang Seol pulled a sack from his inventory—the one he'd acquired two days ago—and tore open its mouth.
He'd already decided by the time he ripped it.
[Large forces are pursuing through the swamp. How will you respond?]
...
He didn't need to look at the choices.
He already had his plan.
Pffffffft...
Racing at full speed, the torn sack inevitably spewed its contents.
Seeing the ankle ulcer remnants pouring out, Tantuinu recalled what Kang Seol had said two days prior.
- Some folks are obsessed with this gross stuff, no matter how revolting. That's what it's for.
Bubble...
Bubble...
As the remnants they left behind mixed with the water, bubbles began to form.
‘...Reaction's here.’
This swamp hosted two main tree species. He'd confirmed it via prior scouting.
One was the tear tree.
Bubble... Bubble...
The tear trees began greedily sucking up the ankle ulcer remnants.
Pssshhhhhaaa—!
“What...”
“Water! The water's rising!”
The orcs finally looked around. They hadn't noticed when the level was low, but as it rose, they realized they were surrounded by hills. In other words, they were trapped in a massive pit.
“Why! Why is the water rising?!”
“I don't know! Run! Just run!”
The tear tree reacts to ankle ulcer remnants by absorbing nutrients and expelling massive amounts of water.
Nature's cycle demands output for every input.
Normally, even tear trees would moderate their intake to avoid flooding, but faced with their favorite food, they devoured it voraciously.
Thus, the water level rose rapidly.
Splashhhhhhhh...
“Pblb... Pbblb...”
“I-I can't swim!”
“The water... the water's surging!”
“Those who can swim, support the others! Grab the trees! Don't get swept away!”
The sticky ground vanished, the change so sudden it felt like plunging into a deep river.
That much water was gushing from the tear trees' roots, spraying like faucets.
While they flailed in the rising flood, Kang Seol and Tantuinu had already reached the opposite side.
Coco and Kukuru's speed boost had paid off.
“Haa... haa... Clever trick, Kang Seol. But... they won't go down that easy.”
Tantuinu let out a sigh-tinged remark.
Indeed, the gains fell short of expectations.
They'd drowned about half the force, but the rest clung to the trees for dear life.
Moreover, cyclopes were still stomping this way.
“Hurry...”
“Not yet.”
“......”
“Not over yet.”
“...What?”
Tantuinu gave Kang Seol a puzzled look, then shifted her gaze back to the swamp.
He calmly stared at the water's edge even as cyclopes charged, radiating terror.
Kwaaaaaah!
Their intimidating rush sent chills through her body, but they were just brute force—larger than ogres, yet dumber.
‘Reaction coming soon?’
Tear trees were indeed hazardous here. But they alone wouldn't kill—just trap.
If you could swim, you could escape.
But another tree lived here besides tear trees.
Kang Seol muttered,
“Breathe now, trees.”
He awaited the terror from the other tree.
Ordinary trees rot when submerged. But one swamp-dweller, the deep-breath tree, survived via pneumatophores—upright roots reaching above water for air.
These pneumatophores rivaled ore in hardness, harmless in low water since they barely needed to extend.
But in floods, it changed.
Deep-breath trees thrust pneumatophores up to reach air, and with tear trees causing a sudden surge...
‘They extend with force.’
Pushing those long roots to the surface.
Pssshhhhhaaaaaa—!
Pneumatophores erupted from the water in unison.
“Gack... guuuuuh...”
“What the...”
Any creature left in the water would be skewered and die instantly.
The swamp bloomed with flowers of death.
Kraaaaaaaaah—!
Even a cyclops with its foot flesh pierced faltered and fell.
Pssshhhha—!
Its massive bulk crashed down, yet the pneumatophore didn't snap—instead piercing to its heart.
“...Impossible.”
The swamp dyed red, all but orcs huddled in terrified treetops slain.
No one could deny the gruesome horror.
“...Ghastly.”
Tantuinu glanced at Kang Seol.
For a dragonkin girl, watching a human who crafted this hellscape was hard to stomach.
He'd surely regret it, trembling in remorse.
Most humans she knew were like that.
Perpetrators who fled their own messes.
She worried for Kang Seol.
Hence, her observation.
Humans were fragile, in need of protection.
If this broke him, purifying his mind was a companion's duty.
Her gaze reached his eyes.
But...
The eyes gazing at the swamp were far from what she'd imagined.
Heh...
Kang Seol curled his lips in evident satisfaction.
The troll who'd come at his mother's plea for aid felt the same.
“Pretty good trick.”
“Right?”
Tantuinu asked Kang Seol with bewildered eyes.
“...Doesn't it bother you?”
“...Hm?”
[Eliminate large forces using environmental damage.]
[Achieve special feat 'Natural Causes'.]
[Acquire special title 「Environmental Protector」.]
Kang Seol checked the messages and replied with satisfaction.
“Let's go. Once we reach the underground garden, the path will open.”
“......”
Tantuinu was beginning to understand, bit by bit, why her mother Tancrid had entrusted her to them.