58
My Villains Chapter 58
16. Missing (2)
It was a sewer landscape that was starting to feel tedious - darkness without a speck of light, the intermittent sound of dripping water, the smell of blood and rotting flesh, and corpse worms crawling out from somewhere just when you thought you'd forgotten about them.
The sewer wasn't a maze but a managed facility, so although complex, it had a somewhat regular structure.
Moreover, having become familiar with the path through three or four searches and explorations, I could lead the way even without a map.
We hardly encountered any monsters except for the occasional bloated and burst zombie that appeared. This was probably thanks to diligently cleaning up while going back and forth through the sewers.
Due to these factors, we reached the 4th underground floor in less than an hour.
It was the very floor where we had killed Tobald and his subordinates and discovered the secret passage.
At this point, there are three major threat factors I'm considering.
The first is obviously the monsters in the sewers. Not only the black slimes and giant alligators we've already encountered, but there's a high risk of danger if we run into something like a 'leech golem'.
Next are the bandits. Since we caused a commotion by breaking through the secret passage twice, unless these guys are birdbrained, they must have taken some special measures.
If those special measures were to close off the passage, that would be fine, but if conversely they're trying to infiltrate through the sewers, there could be bandits here.
Lastly, there's the city's inside collaborator... Even if he sent his subordinates down as quickly as possible, I don't think they'd be ahead of us. It should be fine for now.
I strained my ears while holding my breath, but I couldn't hear any particular signs of life.
Since neither Mr. Luke nor I had any particular skill in tracking, we couldn't find any traces of Ellen either.
There were footprints and such here and there, but there was no way to know when or by whom they were made.
For now, we need to get to the secret passage as quickly as possible.
In the game, the size and composition of the mini-dungeon 'Sewer' was randomly determined for each server.
It could be composed of 2 layers of surface area (Ancient Empire's sewers) and 3 layers of deep area (Rotting Cavern), or it could be 5 layers of surface area and 1 layer of deep area... There are various possibilities.
From what we've confirmed through searches and blueprints so far, in this world, there are 4 layers of surface area.
Since the total size of the sewer is a minimum of 5 layers and a maximum of 8 layers... The deep area could be a single layer, or it could be 3 layers. I hope we don't have to go to the deep area if possible.
Anyway, on the 4th underground floor, which is the lowest layer of the surface area, there was one staircase each in the northwest, northeast, and south, centered around the 'Caretaker's Room' in the very center.
Of course, this is just based on the blueprint, and due to the long passage of time, only traces remained of the 'Caretaker's Room' and the northwest staircase.
We used the northeast one of the two remaining staircases.
We came down the most familiar and comfortable path, but it was a bit far from the secret passage to the west.
Would Ellen have followed this path too?
Hmm, if it were her, she might have used the southern staircase, which is relatively closer to the secret passage.
Is that why we couldn't find any traces of her?
Distracting thoughts muddle my mind.
As I was walking lost in thought, Mr. Luke, who was following behind, opened his mouth.
"Do you hear anything?"
"...No, not yet. I don't hear any signs of life."
After listening for a moment and answering, Mr. Luke heaved a deep sigh. When I glanced back, his face, deeply shadowed by the torch, was full of worry.
Somehow feeling curious, I spoke as I continued walking.
"Do you have a granddaughter by any chance?"
"Hmm? A granddaughter?"
"Well, if not a granddaughter, then maybe a grandson..."
Receiving my question, Mr. Luke made a sour expression.
Oh, was this an inappropriate question?
Mr. Luke shook his head with a bitter smile.
"No. I don't even have a daughter, let alone a granddaughter. I never married, you see."
"What?"
A person who looks easily over sixty saying he never even married? Hmm, he doesn't seem to have any particular issues though.
"Ah, is it perhaps because of the teachings of the 'Golden Gate'?"
Again, Mr. Luke gave a bitter smile.
"Well. In a way, you could say that."
"Ah..."
I wanted to keep asking, but I decided to stop. It was difficult to judge whether this was an inappropriate question or not.
"But why do you suddenly ask such a thing?"
"It's nothing really... It's just that you've only known Ellen for a short time, right? But you're worrying so much about her, I wondered if you were thinking of her like a granddaughter."
"I see."
Mr. Luke opened his mouth as he climbed over some fallen debris.
"A granddaughter. I'm not sure, but even if I had a real granddaughter, I don't think I'd be this worried."
"Uh- what?"
"Didn't I say? Miss Ellen is the possessor of a rare soul. She's not someone to be lost in a place like this."
"Oh..."
...As expected, Mr. Luke doesn't seem quite normal either. Is this how all hero characters are?
As I was thinking that and closing my mouth.
Splash.
"...Hm?"
"What's the matter?"
I stopped abruptly and put my index finger to my lips, signaling Mr. Luke. Seeing me straining my ears, Mr. Luke also held his breath.
.......Arrrgh,............
Kerrrh.
What on earth is this sound?
The low sound coming from the front was a strange noise, as if water was bubbling.
Would the conversations of people with water filled up to their lungs sound similar to that noise?
In addition, there was an intermittent splashing sound, as if someone was beating the floor with a wet towel.
"Get ready for battle. There's something ahead."
I whispered that and handed the torch to Mr. Luke.
While Mr. Luke adjusted his grip on the six-foot staff and the torch in both hands, I drew my falchion.
Shing.
Was it thanks to sharpening it on a whetstone whenever I had time and wiping it with an oiled cloth? The blade of the falchion scattered the pitch-black darkness, flashing red light noisily.
I coated the blade with blood after gesturing to Mr. Luke to keep a suitable distance.
The light reflected off the armor and scattered here and there, but due to the many scratches and dents, it wasn't too serious.
-Agrrhg, Grhoog, Gerererek.
I moved my steps stealthily like a burglar cat, listening to the gradually growing sound. After a while.
-Ghrrrug!
Though the voice was unintelligible, it wasn't difficult to read the wariness contained within it.
The bubbling noise subsided, and as if to replace it, a fishy smell began to assault my nose.
Bizarre voices, splashing footsteps, and an extreme fishy odor.
It wasn't hard to guess their identity.
...But why are these guys appearing here? They should be the subordinates of the 'Priest', right?
Pushing aside my confused thoughts, I hid in a 90-degree bend in the passage and waited for them to reveal themselves.
I had Mr. Luke wait about 20 meters behind with the torch. As the darkness deepens, visibility decreases...
After a moment, I held my breath, pressed against the wall as the footsteps drew closer.
Finally, as something rounded the corner and revealed itself, I thrust out my falchion without hesitation.
Thwack!
"Karrrgh!"
As the blade embedded in its neck drew red blood, the monster let out a single scream and fell backwards.
The monsters following behind leapt up and let out eerie screams, quickly taking battle stances.
They were monsters that made you want to vomit just looking at them.
They walked on two legs and held weapons in their hands, but their grotesque appearance could never be mistaken for human.
With massive bodies about my eye level, dirty brown scales covered their entire bodies.
Their large, bulging eyeballs looked like those of corpses, and gills flapped around their jaw area.
White fins sprouted along their arms and spine, and their huge mouths, capable of swallowing a human head in one bite, were filled with sharp teeth.
Their hands, which held rusty iron swords, bone harpoons, or iron skewers, had webbing between each finger.
Their identity was the 'Walking grouper', a branch of the 'Merfolk' race.
Among Dark World users, they're commonly called 'Groupers'. The sight of about ten of them rolling their eyes and screaming was-
"Ugh, disgustingly gross."
Perhaps due to my experiences so far? It seems I've learned to express my disgust as anger.
Before the nearest one could thrust its bone harpoon, I deflected it with my shield and swung my falchion.
Crack!
"Gregh."
Its head split in two, causing it to collapse without even properly screaming.
Its eyes, unable to close due to lack of eyelids, seemed to glare at me.
Ugh. I feel like throwing up.
"Come at me, you fish bastards!"
As my shout echoed through the narrow passage, the groupers opened their mouths as if not to be outdone.
-Gurrrgh!
Ugh, what kind of vocal cords...
When they all let out gurgling screams at once, it felt like my head was ringing.
I gritted my teeth and charged at them.
"Keregh!"
"Uhgrrr!"
They too came at me swinging their weapons, but unlike their threatening appearance, their weapon skills were terrible.
Clang!
I deflected their attacks with my shield, took hits on my armor, and swung my falchion.
One grouper raised its sword in an awkward defensive stance, but my falchion broke through the rusty blade and split its gills.
I kicked away the one that fell rolling its eyes, then lunged to the other side, instantly slicing the necks and chests of two groupers.
That's when it happened.
"Arghun, Rahuk, Terrgh!"
I turned my head at the strange rhythm to see a naked woman glaring at me while holding a staff.
No, not a naked woman - but a merperson with a strange appearance.
At first glance, she resembled a beautiful woman, but her hands and feet had webbing, and golden scales sprouted on her pelvis, shoulders, and genitals.
Without a shred of cloth, the curves of her beautiful female body were fully exposed.
Her long, thin hair fluttered messily as if submerged in water, and where ears should have been, round fins protruded.
She had the eyes, nose, and mouth of a beautiful woman, and skin as white as snow, but without any hint of blood color, giving off an eerie feeling.
"...Golden molly?"
It was a particularly rare monster even among randomly appearing named monsters.
Her ability is...
"Shurhaan!"
With a sharp shout, a stream of water gushed from the staff made of coral, bones, and seashells.
"Kuk, keureuruk!"
The water stream, aimed precisely at my head, boasted tremendous water pressure.
In the moment I lost balance and staggered as if hit by an iron club, the violently gushing water began to pool on the floor instead of flowing away.
As if blocked by an invisible wall, it rapidly filled the not-so-wide passage.
"Puhak."
I quickly turned my head and raised my shield to block the water stream.
Taking advantage of that gap, a grouper that had taken position behind me aimed for my back with an iron skewer.
I swiftly moved my left foot while simultaneously bringing down my falchion on the spear shaft.
Crack!
There was no time to finish off the one who lost its weapon.
The Golden molly was still shooting water streams, and another grouper was charging at me.
I hurriedly swung my falchion to deflect its sword, but- Splash!
As if it never intended to use its weapon in the first place, it opened its mouth wide and lunged at me!
Crunch!
The grouper's mouth instantly crushed my head.