Chapter 83

I stood there, kicking away the small Ygrosh centipedes that were making noise and wriggling around with my feet. My target was the centipede that was trying to lift its long body, which was over seven furlongs long. Just as it was about to lift its body and bring down its sharp claws, I quickly moved in and thrust my spear into its heart.

"Haah!"

As I pushed the spear in, the centipede, foaming at the mouth, writhed and sank.

"Sir, you're too close!"

While scolding me, Chaos shot arrows at the centipede on my left, piercing its eyes. Whether it felt pain or not, the centipede arched its body, spewing blue blood, and revealed its belly.

"Even if you try not to miss!"

Chaos shot another arrow, and the centipede, now blind in one eye, was pierced through the heart and fell. The outer shell was hard, but the inner part where the legs grew was relatively soft and had gaps. Chaos, a versatile archer, could attack from a distance without getting close like me. Moreover, with the unique magic of the Windman he had activated in his right eye, his accuracy was terrifyingly precise.

"I'm not as good with a bow as you are!"

"What do you mean not good? You're called the Great Bow of Fudur."

"Mine is just brute strength. You're a genuine Van title holder. I'm better suited for close combat, there's no helping it!"

I pulled my spear out of the centipede I had just killed and, with the greatsword in my left hand, slashed at the base of the neck of another centipede that suddenly emerged from under my feet.

"Again, so sloppy... Try to capture the ones that look tasty alive."

Ignoring Chaos's complaints, I counted the number of the eerie blue-white eyes of the centipedes glowing in the water. A particularly large eye slowly crossed among the smaller ones. I couldn't see any signs of the knights struggling within the visible range, so I decided to assess the situation.

"Each squad leader, report your status in order!"

As I asked for reports through the resonant stone, the status of each squad leader of the main force came in one after another.

"First squad, Seiryl, no casualties! Currently engaged with three centipedes."

"Second squad, Ambry, no casualties! Heading to join Seiryl's squad."

"Third squad, Ganoa, one minor injury, no other casualties! No centipedes over five furlongs in sight."

"Fourth squad..."

It seemed the main force still had plenty of strength left. There were no squads that had been completely overwhelmed, and after hearing most of the reports, I looked at the water again.

(About ten centipedes over fifteen furlongs in this area? They seem to be growing well this time... but there are fewer than I thought.)

It had been about two hours since the centipedes over five furlongs started landing. I had been culling them while keeping their numbers in check, but it was about time for the target of this operation to show up.

"We are at a disadvantage in the water."

Chaos shot a few arrows at the centipedes swimming leisurely in the water, but they didn't seem to reach due to the water's resistance. As the glowing eyes passed by as if nothing had happened, Chaos clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Indeed. But we can't dive either."

"But why? I feel like they are wary of something else... just a hunch, but..."

I felt the same unease that Chaos was sensing. Normally, this would be the time when the larger ones start laying eggs. However, the behavior of the centipedes over twenty furlongs this time was strange, and they weren't coming up as expected.

(They don't seem to be wary of us... what are you wary of?)

While I was thinking, the centipedes continued to attack with their jaws, claws, and poisonous tails. Since dealing with the smaller ones wouldn't get us anywhere, I decided to give the knights a break.

"No centipedes over twenty furlongs have been confirmed so far. The main force will withdraw in shifts. Squads one to four, conduct necessary resupply. Prioritize treatment for the injured. Those from Ygrosh Fort, Azaro Fort, and East Elsenie Fort, follow the instructions of your respective fort commanders."

As the lights were launched, the shore, illuminated like daytime, welcomed the processing team pulling carts to replace the extermination team. They would carry the corpses of the centipedes we had killed to a place where the monsters gathered around Ygrosh Salt Lake could eat them. Since they couldn't handle all the corpses, the rest would have to be burned after the sun rose.

"Chaos, bring my drake."

"A drake?"

After giving orders to the knights, I watched them withdraw to the tent where the rear support team was waiting, then asked Chaos to bring my drake.

"Yes, I'm going to check the water from above. Gyl, how's the situation on your end?"

I called Gyl, the commander of Ygrosh Fort, who was at the western end of the spawning ground, through the resonant stone. Gyl, who responded immediately, also seemed to sense something different.

"It's Gyl. There are far fewer individuals that can be called large than expected."

"Indeed. Do you have any idea why?"

"Still a guess, but I think they may have found another spawning ground, and I'm considering sending a survey team to the southern shore of the salt lake."

"Interesting. I'll check the water from above."

Chaos, who had been listening to our conversation, bowed and turned around. The small centipedes moving along the wooden stakes were being preyed upon by the monsters waiting for them, and the number of monsters seemed to be decreasing as they were satisfied. The defense of the monsters was left to Ducas and his team from East Elsenie Fort, and the ironclad defense formation was not disrupted.

However, it was hard to imagine that nothing would happen until dawn. The night wind would sap our strength as it hit our wet bodies, and I was driven by the urge to boil the centipedes swimming in the shallow areas to take the warmth.

(Well, patience. I don't have the firepower to boil the salt lake, or do I? I've never tried, but within the visible range... should I try?)

While I was thinking about such futile things, Gyl's panicked voice came through.

"Urgent message! Urgent message! A little south of the western end, Ygrosh Fort unit, encountered a large centipede! Six individuals over twenty furlongs, one estimated at fifty furlongs! Urgent, request for support! Request for support!"

The moment I heard the report, the hair on my body stood on end.

(Fifty furlongs? Excellent!)

It seemed Gyl's prediction was correct. The centipedes, which seemed to have a certain level of intelligence, had significantly changed their spawning grounds.

"Main force, turn around! Squads five, six, and seven, do you have any strength left? I'll leave this area to you! I'm heading to support the Ygrosh Fort unit! Squads one to four, who are resupplying, prepare immediately and head to the western end on your mounts! Squads eight and nine, stand by while resupplying, and I'll assign tasks based on the situation!"

It was too far to run and would only waste more energy. I called Chaos.

"Chaos, pick me up with the drake!"

"Again, during this time?!"

"It will take longer to land!"

While grumbling, Chaos skillfully glided my drake towards me at the perfect angle. He must have been using a dragon whistle, as his own drake was also following behind. Unlike last time when I was snatched by a fire eagle, this time I would cling to the drake's legs. I might get injured if I fell, but as long as I didn't fall, it would be fine.

"Sir, here we go!"

Chaos lit the light attached to the drake's horn. I reached out and clung to the drake's legs with both hands and feet.

"Sir, are you still hanging on?!"

"I'm not falling. Take me to the western end. I can see it, there!"

Illuminated by the lights rising from the dark ground, the eerie shape of the large centipede loomed. The fifty-furlong-plus centipede, which had grown abnormally, was using water magic to create a whirlpool and was swinging its claws at the knights who were fighting back.

"What, what is that size?"

"I don't know, but we have to take it down before it escapes. It seems to have more than two hearts... What do we do, Chaos?"

"What else, we have to do it!"

The first heart of the centipede was right below its neck. The second was at the base of the eighteenth pair of legs from the top. The third and fourth were hard to pinpoint.

I looked around for a knight who seemed to have enough strength left to take on the large centipede. The knights of Ygrosh Fort were out of the question. The main force I had called hadn't arrived yet. The drake squadron commander, Myran, wasn't even here. They weren't exhausted, but they were focused on their own targets. However,

(Is that a Garrot Rock? The purple identification light means it's from Azaro Fort.)

Riding large warhorses called Garrot Rocks, the guerrilla unit led by Yanish from Azaro Fort was galloping along the shore. I called Yanish using the resonant stone.

"Yanish, I'm leaving the lower heart to you!"

"Hey, Sir, you're in the air... Sir, how many hearts does this thing have?"

"I don't know, use your judgment!"

"Got it, got it! Alright, boys, Sir's orders, let's kill it!"

The bloodthirsty men from Azaro Fort galloped their Garrot Rocks towards the large centipede. While their eagerness to kill was good, they tended to lose themselves in battle. It was a concern, but there was no other choice.

"Then, Sir, where should we land?"

Chaos's voice brought me back to reality.

"Let's see... I want to go for the first heart. You take care of those eyes."

A steel net was being thrown at the large centipede, but it was being blocked by water magic. However, Yanish and the knights of Ygrosh Fort were doing a good job of drawing the centipede's attention, and they hadn't noticed our movements.

"Alright, let's go straight under its jaw."

"Wait, how am I supposed to blind that crab?!"

"What, you don't want to eat it?"

"Of course, I do... right now!"

"You're crazy, I'm quitting as your aide!" Chaos, who complained, stuck to the back of the drake and increased the flying speed. Just as we were about to be noticed and become prey to its jaws and claws, he had his own drake circle above the centipede's head to distract it.

I was aware that my orders were reckless, but Chaos was a capable man. This rare friend, who had never betrayed my trust, did a good job again.

"I'm taking that heart!"

Just as the drake passed under the centipede's jaw, I released my grip and, drawing my greatsword, dove straight into the middle of the jaw. At the brink of life and death, I quickly cast a spell to wrap the greatsword in white flames.

(I got it!)

Even at fifty furlongs, the inside seemed softer than the outside. The feeling of the sword piercing the hard shell was transmitted, and I thrust my arm in with the sword, increasing the magical firepower. The smell of the crab meat cooking was fragrant, and I swallowed hard.

Whether from the shock, pain, or heat, the large centipede started thrashing, hanging me by the sword. It tried to scratch my throat with its claws, so I decided to withdraw before taking a hit.

(The water is cold in the autumn night... but there's no choice.)

I left the greatsword in and let go of the hilt, falling into the water. On the way down, I saw Chaos aiming for the centipede's eyes.

(That smell was so good.)

It seemed the smell of the cooking crab had seeped into my nostrils. As I sank to the cold bottom of the salt lake, I felt hungry.

1 furlong is 1 meter

1 fim is 1 centimeter