Chapter 36

The sailors who had defeated the Kraken, boasting of its unparalleled durability and the strength underpinning its massive body, had no time to bask in the glory of victory. Orders were rapidly exchanged on the deck.

"Quickly assess the damage!"

"Move the injured to the lower deck, and the foreman, report the number of those still standing!"

"Is the spare sail and rigging ready yet?"

"What about the flooding in the hull?"

"The influx of seawater has been stabilized."

"Do not let your guard down. They will be here soon!"

The Kraken had exhausted its strength at sea, and the battle was supposed to be over. Despite this, when Worm heard the ominous words, he approached the deckhand.

"What do you mean, after the octopus, sharks are coming next?"

Worm, reminded of the hastily produced marine panic films, said with a sigh.

"There are no large sharks in these waters... or so we thought. More importantly, the sea goblins are coming."

"Sea goblins... oh, I see. Never mind. I can see them."

Worm, who had intended to ask for more information upon hearing the unfamiliar term, saw the army surging through the gaps in the waves. They had deep green skin similar to goblins, rows of teeth reminiscent of carnivorous fish, and dorsal fins extending to their tailbones.

"Cease all work, cease all work! The Sahagin are coming!"

"Do not let these sea vermin steal our prey. If we do, we'll end up working for free."

Remarkably, it seemed that Worm and the sailors had no intention of giving even a scrap of the Kraken they had slain to the Sahagin.

"Such a smelly lump, if we give it to them—"

The deckhand, taken aback, said with a look of exasperation to Worm.

"Don't joke around. That carcass is a treasure trove. Its tentacles are said to be nourishing and can even make a dead man's privates stand up. Nobles who have lost their vigor will come with their coin purses to buy it. The gallbladder and beak can be used as ingredients for medicine and catalysts. There is no part we will give to them."

Worm could not deny this. The ship's condition was dire. The mast was still standing, but the yardarm on one side was completely bent, and the deck and hull were riddled with holes. The amount of gold needed to restore the ship to its former glory was beyond Worm's imagination as a layman.

"Worm, if you can still use magic, reduce their numbers before they get close. A melee with that many will be exhausting."

Sashef, who had been running around the sea, had returned to the deck. Though his smile had not faded, he was clearly fatigued. The other sailors were also worn out from the battle and the work, and if they were to get entangled in close combat, the casualties would increase significantly.

"Yeah, I don't want to swim back either."

Worm, having gathered his magic, launched a fireball. The leading edge of the approaching horde was engulfed in an explosion, splattering blood and turning the sea red. Some individuals near the surface had their innards expelled from their mouths due to the shockwave. After a few more fireballs, the Sahagin seemed to learn and disappeared into the sea.

"Hey, I can't see them anymore!"

"They've submerged. Be careful. They'll come all at once."

Worm and Sashef stood back to back, sharpening their senses. The ship was eerily quiet, but the ghostly mask on Worm's face began to vibrate, welcoming the new visitors.

"Got it. I'll put it on, so don't shake."

"Ugh, Worm, what is that? That tasteless mask?"

Sashef, who had been standing back to back with Worm, took a step back, looking uneasy. Worm, who would have liked to agree, could not remove the mask that was vibrating on his face. He did not utter any unnecessary words. Regaining his composure, Worm exhaled lightly and kept his field of vision wide. Without warning, water splashed up around the ship. Each splash was caused by a Sahagin emerging from the sea.

"They're here, kill them all!"

The deckhand roared and struck a Sahagin that had leaped at him with a hand axe. The Sahagin, torn from shoulder to chest, fell with a shrill scream. Worm followed suit, slicing off the arm of a Sahagin that had lunged at him and then decapitating it with a quick wrist movement.

There was no shortage of targets. The Sahagin visible on the surface were only a fraction of the total, and more kept emerging from the sea. Worm responded to the fishmen trying to be friendly with his longsword. The sword's tip, thrust into the throat, was sucked in, but the Sahagin did not stop advancing. It was a formidable determination, but it was nothing new to the monsters that had attacked Danduig.

By twisting his wrist and gouging out a part, Worm made the Sahagin lie still on the deck. As he tried to swing his longsword at another Sahagin, his footing slipped on the slime left on the deck. Two Sahagin took advantage of the opportunity and closed the distance.

"Those soft-bodied bastards, even in death, they cause trouble."

Without resisting the slip of his right foot, Worm pivoted on his left foot. When he turned around, a Sahagin was within reach. The activated "Strong Strike," infused with magic, cut across the Sahagin's waist to shoulder, severing it.

The remaining Sahagin grabbed Worm and pulled him close like a beloved lover. Opening its jaw, it exposed a row of uneven, fishy-smelling teeth. Worm, lowering his stance, kicked the deck and pressed his shoulder against the slippery abdomen to avoid the teeth. As the Sahagin lunged forward, Worm cut its ankles with the blade and pushed it down. The Sahagin, losing its support, could not resist and writhed on the deck until its head was split open by the longsword, causing it to convulse and stop moving.

Stepping on the bodies of his fallen comrades, the Sahagin continued to surge forward. Worm, noticing the scattered crossbow bolts on the deck, picked them up by impaling his longsword into the deck. Sashef, witnessing this act, complained, but Worm, being busy, did not listen.

"Here's a good one."

Worm lightly gripped one of the bolts and released his magic.

"Release!"

The bolt, propelled by the compressed air from the magic, shot forward and embedded itself in the Sahagin's forehead, causing it to collapse as if it had slipped on the deck. Fire magic, which was excellent on land, was too powerful for close combat on a ship.

Wind magic, using the bolt as a medium, was superior in both power and preparation for shipboard combat. Worm, in a good mood, fired the bolts without hesitation. Since they were not originally his and he could handle them roughly, they would be overlooked in this emergency.

After firing four bolts, the Sahagin approached with a piece of broken planking as a shield. Behind it, more Sahagin followed, armed with clubs and spears. For Worm, being swarmed by countless Sahagin without regard for damage was more threatening. The broken planking obstructed his view. Slipping into a blind spot, Worm severed the unprotected knee and fin. The Sahagin, having lost the use of one leg, stopped in its tracks but collided with the ones behind it, causing them to tangle and fall.

Worm, not being a soft-hearted man, did not let the two heads that appeared in a convenient position go. Two swings of the blade severed the Sahagin's heads. The last one, armed with a spear, thrust it at Worm from a low stance.

The spear's tip was deflected upward by the flat of the blade, and their bodies crossed. The Sahagin, turning to face Worm, had blood gushing from its neck. It let out a weak, watery breath, dropped its spear, and reached out with both hands, but the sea goblin, unable to grasp anything, fell and exposed its body on the deck.