23
My Villains Chapter 23
7. The Sewer (1)
Cool dawn air.
The morning in South Harbor was refreshingly crisp, unlike what one would expect from a port city.
Instead of the humid wind blowing from the sea, it must be due to the north wind that swept through the dense forest in the distance, embracing the city.
Inhale, exhale...
Taking in the morning air with a light bag slung over my shoulder, it felt like I was out for a morning hike.
Walking with the fortress wall on my right, memories of walking the Seoul City Wall Trail briefly flashed through my mind.
Of course, unlike the Seoul City Wall built with large blocks of granite or gneiss, South Harbor's wall was constructed by neatly stacking reddish-brown bricks about the size of a head, so its appearance was completely different.
Moreover, the red stains scattered here and there and the soldiers looking down with sharp eyes from atop the wall created a palpable tension unique to a besieged city.
Despite this sense of realism, I took a deep breath and stepped forward vigorously. Phoenix's lungs, incomparably stronger than Kim Seung-soo's, drew in a full breath of fresh air. As my whole body was filled with vitality, it felt like my mind was waking up.
But somehow I sensed a sullen gaze.
The owner of that gaze was the repaired wand stand, no, the porter.
Instead of saying ‘What are you looking at, punk?’ as usual, I smiled and spoke to her.
"Hey, you should take a deep breath too. Isn't it refreshing?"
"...You should enjoy things as they are. If you try too hard to savor and appreciate more, you're likely to lose balance."
Unlike my light attire, Ellen was carrying a backpack larger than her own body. With puffy eyes, she pretended to be serious and ex... no, explained,
"Magic, martial arts, politics, academics... Balance is most important in all fields."
"Ah, is that so?"
"Yes. So you too should meditate regularly to observe yourself and learn to maintain balance, ack."
In the end, unable to resist the urge, I reached out and pinched her cheek. There wasn't much flesh, so it wasn't very satisfying...
"Ouch!"
Ellen screamed, grimacing in pain as her cheek was pinched. Then, every time I pulled up on the pinched spot, she would rise on her tiptoes and stamp her feet.
Heh, her reactions are truly excellent.
"Ow, Haima!"
"So, someone who maintains balance so well ended up bedridden all day from overexertion?"
Ellen bit her lower lip, swatted away my arm, and shouted with a flushed face, "I told you not to do this!"
"Oh my, so energetic. You must be fully recovered then?"
"...Ugh, how annoying."
She then turned her head away abruptly.
This brat, at least she seems to know to be grateful since her tantrum has lessened a bit. How touching.
At that moment, perhaps bothered by the sound of our squabble, travelers covered in blankets lying in the alley across the wall stirred and cursed, "You bastards, what's with the commotion at dawn!"
"Keep your damn mouths shut..."
Are these guys crazy? Is this their bedroom or something? I should report these homeless bastards to the guards if we run into them on the way.
Come to think of it, the number of travelers who look like homeless people has increased considerably over the past few days.
As the city's blockade has prolonged, travelers staying in South Harbor have essentially fallen into poverty.
With most prices, including food, skyrocketing, even residents are struggling with the cost of living. Those without a foundation here, like travelers, mercenaries, and peddlers, are bound to see their wallets dry up quickly.
The Ship's Horn Inn was struggling just the same. They halved the room rates in exchange for more expensive meals, but there were still no guests.
Last night, I even had a 4-person room all to myself. Same for Ellen.
One of the other 4-person rooms was completely closed, and only two merchant remained in the last one.
The situation seems quite serious.
On top of that, Grania's gang left the inn, saying they received a request from the lord of the castle. Apparently, they plan to stay at the barracks near Salt Castle?
I'm not sure whether my actions towards Gillius influenced their departure or not.
"Hey, let's go quickly."
While thinking about this, I pulled Ellen along and hastened our pace. I didn't want to cause a disturbance and waste time.
Not only for progressing the scenario, but also because we might soon end up on the streets like those guys, so I felt urgent.
I only have three silver coins and six copper coins left. If I don't want to become homeless, I must earn money no matter what!
...Sigh, what a situation this is. In games, you rarely struggle with money like this since you don't need to eat or sleep.
It feels all too real now.
As I was thinking this, Ellen and I arrived at the entrance to the sewer.
The sewer entrance was along the northern city wall, looking like a single-room toilet built with bricks.
In front of the entrance, two soldiers - one who looked middle-aged and another who seemed young - stood guard with spears.
...Haa, originally you'd come running here as soon as Chapter 2 starts, but we're only getting here now.
I sighed lightly and asked Ellen, "Are you ready?"
Ellen nodded with a stern expression and answered.
"Yes."
"Alright, let's go."
We steeled ourselves and moved forward.
As we approached the entrance with determination, we had to listen to a long lecture, "...Of course, if it looks like it's going to rain, get out immediately. The water level rises quickly here since it's connected to the sea, so you could drown. And I'll say it again, come out through the same entrance you went in, okay? Don't try to come out through a different exit and end up breaking boards and paying fines. A few months ago, some idiots even lifted up the floor stones to get out. By the way, if you do anything that crazy, you'll go straight to jail. Got it?"
"Ah, of course. Don't worry about it."
I smiled good-naturedly, but this meticulous guard's chatter wouldn't end.
"Bring back any useful items you find. If you kill ratmen, don't forget to cut off their tails and bring them back. There's a bounty of one copper coin per tail."
Ratmen tails. I should remember that.
The guard was certainly talkative, but I didn't want to dismiss his chatter as nagging or meddling. It contained a lot of precautions and useful information.
"And let's see - there are no recent fugitives with bounties. Ah, try not to go down to the 3rd floor if possible. Don't even look below that."
"Below that? I guess the 3rd floor isn't the end?"
I asked lightly as if probing, but the guard kindly answered with a shrug, "I've heard there are up to 4 floors. I'm not sure about anything beyond that. Really, why would anyone go that far down? This isn't a wizard's hideout or a gold mine."
"Well, that's true."
So there are at least 4 underground floors then. Hmm.
In the game, the sewer was a mini-dungeon that went down at least 5 floors, maximum 8 floors underground. And the structure of this dungeon is divided into the surface layer and the deep layer.
The surface layer is the 'Ancient Empire's Sewer' which spans from a minimum of 2 floors to a maximum of 5 floors.
It's the image of a sewer that you typically imagine - walls covered in plaster, walkways for maintenance workers, and waterways flowing through the center, all spreading out like a spider web.
The deep layer is the area that extends below the upper part, the 'Rotting Cavern'.
Depending on the campaign, it could be a single floor or up to 3 floors.
The structure is always formed almost randomly, and since it's not an artificial structure, it's quite difficult to find your way around.
In fact, it's an area not related to the main scenario, so there's no need to go down unless you're aiming to farm experience points or items.
According to the guard, it means at least up to the 4th floor is the Ancient Empire's Sewer... Which isn't very good.
In the game, the sewer was an increasingly annoying place the longer it got.
It was so dark that your eyes would quickly tire if you didn't increase the gamma, and with limited visibility, you'd often fall victim to enemy attacks.
Moreover, this is reality. It means the terrifying penalties of hunger and fatigue are added on top.
It doesn't seem like it will be easy to break through. We'll have to proceed cautiously.
So Ellen and I, guided by the guard, descended the stairs leading underground.
It's already been ten days since we arrived in South Harbor.
We've finally entered the sewer, the true beginning of Chapter 2.
...This is just the start. When am I going home?
In the deep darkness.
The bull's-eye lantern illuminated a cone of light up to about twenty meters ahead.
Following that light, we slowly made our way through the darkness.
"Ugh. It stinks to high heaven."
Even at my muttering, Ellen kept her mouth shut tight and just kept walking.
The kid with the huge backpack was clutching a stonebow loaded with steel bolts tightly in both hands.
Her blue eyes flickered with anxiety as she looked around in all directions. Meanwhile, her left hand would pinch her nose, then support the stonebow again when her right arm got tired.
...Wait, that stonebow doesn't look like it weighs even 2 kilos? Is she struggling to hold that with one hand?
"...Sigh."
Alright. It's my fault for not allocating her stats.
That aside, what are we going to do about this smell? We should have gotten masks or something.
Why didn't this idiot (me) prepare for the stench when entering the sewer?
...The answer lies within the question. The correct answer is because I'm an idiot.
Being an idiot, I was currently holding a round shield and a lantern, so I had no hand free to cover my nose. So the smell wafting from the dirty water trickling by invaded my nose unfiltered.
It was the stench emitted by all sorts of filth - sewage flowing from the city, unidentifiable animal carcasses, stains on the walls that might be water marks or something else.
The underground first floor we just passed through had quite a few patrolling guards, and torch stands placed here and there. Heavy doors were installed on the stairs leading to the lower floors to prevent animals from entering.
However, this place, the second underground floor, was different.
This was a space where no trace of human presence could be found.
The sound of water trickling, raindrops hitting the ground, many-legged insects scurrying about, mice squeaking, and occasionally a buzzing sound that almost seems like a scream...
Despite all these noises, I felt this space was desolate.
It's fortunate there were two sets of footsteps; if it had been just mine... It might have been a bit eerie.
"Hey, but..."
Just as I was about to speak, the bull's-eye lantern illuminated something dark.
The shadow created by the blocked light was... Shaped like a person. A person lying on their side, back turned.
"Ellen."
"...I see it."
Her voice was so quiet that it was a bit difficult to tell if Ellen was calm or frightened.
However, glancing sideways, I saw she was aiming her stonebow in a convincing posture.
That's somewhat reassuring. Well, she did practice quite diligently.
"I'll check it out, cover me."
"Okay..."
I put down my backpack and placed the lantern on top of it. Of course, I made sure to check the range of the light.
Shing.
The sound of drawing my falchion echoes eerily.
I stiffened my posture and moved forward stealthily. I intended to approach and check as discreetly as possible.
The place where the unidentified someone was lying was the hub of the sewer. It was literally the central axis of the wheel where several sewers converge. Since it had been a straight path after coming down to the second floor, this was also the first point where the path split.
After checking the surroundings, I focused my gaze and saw that next to the lying person was something that looked like a long, wet leather bag.
...What is that?
As I approached within 4-5 meters of the person lying there.
Splash.
Ugh, I must have stepped in a puddle in a slightly shadowed area. Just as I was about to move my feet again.
Rattle rattle.
With a chilling sound, the person, no, the corpse suddenly flipped over.
"Aaaaah, fuck!"
Startled, I literally jumped up and hastily stepped back.
The light from the lantern was illuminating the corpse. The corpse's stomach was split open, and all the internal organs had been eaten away. And the thing that had eaten those organs was now howling grotesquely while looking at me.
Screech!
What I had mistaken for a wet leather bag was actually a 'carrion worm'!
It had countless legs, a dark brown shiny shell, and a circular mouth filled with sharp teeth.
The creature had raised about half of its long body upright.
"Damn, it's huge..."
Yes, it was incredibly large. Its raised head reached about the level of my solar plexus.
And like most arthropods, it was unbelievably disgusting in proportion to its size.
"Ugh..."
As I was shuddering with goosebumps, it started charging fiercely, making a clattering sound with its dozens of pairs of legs.
It wasn't fear, but disgust that made me want to run away.
But the strength I felt in my grip, the vigor coursing through my body, and the killing intent I had gained from the battlefield stopped me from retreating.
At the instinctual level, a voice burst out saying there was no need to be afraid of a mere worm like this.
Right, it's just a slightly, no, quite larger bug! It was just a mob in the game, wasn't it!
Just as I stopped backing away with that thought.
Twang!
From behind came the sound of a taut string being released, followed by a heavy impact. And then.
Thud!
"Ugh!"
Damn it, the bolt Ellen shot hit me squarely in the back of my knee!