Chapter 37

Chapter 037: The Kokokura Tribe’s Assault

Malton’s leadership shone even amid the chaos.

“Everyone, gather in one place! Bring the rafts together, and have the warriors stand on the outside!”

“Y-Yes, sir!!”

“Amphibian monsters are generally low in intelligence, so respond calmly! They may occasionally try to drag you from beneath the water, so do not stand too close to the edges of the rafts!”

“U-Understood!!”

The guild members hurriedly drew their weapons and prepared.

As expected of a former high-rank adventurer, he was well versed in command.

I, too, had already been preparing from the moment the Kokokura Tribe appeared.

“Hey, grab this!!”

Whoosh─! After throwing a mooring rope and linking the rafts together, Radi, who had been sniping monsters in the head with her crossbow, asked,

“Mr. Doran, should I release poison? I have a powerful deadly poison in my backpack, so if we dissolve it in the water, we should be able to stop them from approaching for a while.”

“No, that might provoke the other monsters too, so save it… You keep watch and support anyone in danger. Be careful not to waste too many bolts right now, or you might run short later.”

“Understood.”

Radi nodded, then nimbly climbed up the mast and kept watch over the battlefield.

With an oar shouldered, I checked the updated Log Window.

[Kokokura Tribe]

｢A warrior group composed of swordsmen, spearmen, shieldbearers, and more!｣

｢They use rusty scrap metal as weapons, and the ends of their blades are crawling with rotten fish guts, germs, bacteria, and the like! Take care not to become infected!｣

｢Their special webbed feet allow them to walk on water, and they occasionally come ashore to perform courtship dances on two legs.｣

‘Damn it… Nothing ever goes smoothly…!’

The Kokokura warriors’ level was around 18, but one should never let one’s guard down when fighting the Merfolk Race near the water.

That was because standardized levels did not reflect every synergy with the surrounding environment, the special nature of fighting on water, or all the variables that arose from it.

More than anything, the most threatening aspect of the Kokokura warriors was their ‘numbers.’

─Kokoku! Koku!!

─Kokokura ribbit!

“Get lost!!”

I brought the oar down on the head of the one that approached defenselessly.

A Kokokura corpse floated up, spraying viscous brain matter.

‘Seeing them in person makes them even more disgusting… and they smell awful too….’

There was no small amount of physiological revulsion that came from watching amphibians that looked vaguely human walk on two legs like people.

As I swung the oar while suppressing my nausea, the eyes of the Kokokura I struck popped out and rolled across the logs.

I kicked the corpse away so no one would step on it and slip, and the others leaped up like frogs.

Lowering my stance and planting my feet firmly on the floor, I swung the oar hard and intercepted them.

Two of them were flung away with a dull sound.

Perhaps it had not been fatal, because one staggered to its feet, but when I struck it again, its head burst and it died.

‘I couldn’t kill it in one blow. I’m still short on Strength after all…!’

A long reach was an advantage, but swinging a long-shafted weapon inevitably took a great deal of power.

─Kokoku… Kwaaak!!

“…Shut up!”

I jammed the end of the oar into its mouth, drew my sword, and cut off its neck.

Before the corpse could even collapse, another enemy charged in, but the moment it entered my line of attack, I swung my sword without hesitation.

Spear thrusts rushed in one after another, but I diverted them with the face of my blade and cut their vital points.

The Kokokura that closed in immediately afterward was pierced through the chest when I threw a skewer that had fallen onto the floor.

‘This is annoying because there isn’t much space on the raft.’

However, as long as I had already grasped all of the Kokokuras’ attack patterns, I could deal with this much.

For an instant, a spearhead suddenly shot up from beneath the water’s surface, but since I had expected their tricks, I trampled down the scrap-metal spear shaft and answered with a slash.

When our gazes met, a shieldbearer Kokokura hurriedly raised its guard, but that only left its lower body fully exposed to be cut.

Excited swordsmen rushed in at the same time and unleashed a flurry of attacks, but they were struck between the brows by bolts and sent flying.

When I brought my blade down and pierced the last Kokokura through the heart, the Log Window updated.

｢You have successfully ended the Kokokura Tribe’s first assault!｣

｢You repelled the monster wave without suffering any damage! For this remarkable achievement, Charisma permanently increases by 1.｣

｢Your companion Malieverton has distinguished himself by eliminating half the horde on his own!｣

｢Your companion Radi saved several guild members who were in danger! For achieving an outstanding support achievement, her Insight increases by 1!｣

｢But take care not to grow drunk on sweet fruit. Having experienced bitter defeat, the Kokokura Tribe will pursue you with stronger forces.｣

｢The Kokokura Tribe recognizes you and Malton as the leaders of the group! You have become the monsters’ targets!｣

｢Take your reward. Kokokura Eggs are well regarded among gourmets!｣

“So we’ve put out the immediate fire for now….”

Fortunately, since Malton and I had drawn attention at the very front of the rafts, there were no injuries.

However, as I was wiping the blood off my sword, an unexpected side effect appeared.

“W-Wait, but over there… I thought only Mr. Malton was strong, but all of them are incredibly skilled….”

“Are those people maybe…?”

“The Legendary Trio?! You know, the party that supposedly made an enormous fortune hunting a golem!”

As the guild members looked our way and whispered, Radi slipped down from the mast and whispered to me.

“Mr. Doran, they seem to suspect who we are, so perhaps we should make up some kind of excuse….”

“…No.”

Now that it had come to this….

“Shh. It’s a secret from the others.”

““……!””

When I brought my index finger to my lips and winked shamelessly, the guild members’ eyes widened.

｢The guild members have realized your identity!｣

｢Among the adventurers of the Achaia Guild, the story of three people earning a fortune in a single night is famous! From now on, they will carry out your orders very actively!｣

｢All stats increase by 2 until you part ways with the guild members!｣

‘This is actually better.’

Passing through this wetland required the cooperation of many people.

If I could command them like my own hands and feet, our survival rate would rise further.

If I used my heightened fame in reverse, I would be able to lead them more easily.

When I sheathed my sword as if to show them, one guild member approached and asked in a flustered fuss.

“I-Is there perhaps anything we can help with right now?!”

“First, please check the rafts thoroughly for any damaged parts. It would be a serious problem if we capsized on the water.”

“Understood!!”

“What should we do after checking the rafts?!”

“After that, inspect your own weapons, and if your clothes are wet, change so your body temperature doesn’t drop. We don’t know how many more battles like this will continue from here on.”

Leaving the guild members behind as they hurried to follow my instructions, I looked into the Log Window.

‘It said the first assault, so the next wave will probably come before long. And Kokokura Eggs… Why did it bother writing nonsense about them being well regarded among gourmets?’

Still, they might be useful later, so should I take them for now?

After pulling over a Kokokura corpse drifting near the raft with an oar and drawing my dagger, Radi looked at me suspiciously.

“What are you going to do with that? Don’t tell me you’re trying to harvest materials….”

“That’s right. Do you have any spare containers?”

“I do have an extra glass bottle… but does this monster have any useful parts? Amphibians rot quickly, and they don’t have hard scales either, so they seem rather useless.”

“It’s fine. See this?”

“Are these… eggs?”

When I lifted the Kokokura’s hair, which looked like a bundle of seaweed, red beads stuck densely around the roots were revealed.

[Kokokura Egg]

｢A certain creature likes it!｣

When I scraped the salmon roe-like eggs off with my knife and put them into a glass bottle, the adventurers asked with interest.

“Oh, so the eggs were hidden in a place like that! Can they be eaten?”

“As food? Well, it is possible, but….”

“He says we can! Hey, let’s collect them quickly too!”

“Just gather them first! There must be a reason for it!”

The thoroughly excited guild members swept the eggs from the Kokokura corpses.

‘They won’t have any use for them even if they collect that many….’

As I watched the scene awkwardly, one guild member approached and bowed his head.

“Thank you for helping us. If it had been only us, there definitely would have been injuries. Thanks to you and your companions, Mr. Doran, we were able to get through the danger safely.”

“It was nothing. It’s only natural for members of the same guild to help each other. …Do you have something to say?”

“Yes, actually….”

The guild member opened his mouth with a worried expression.

“During the battle just now, I saw a few frogs talk among themselves and flee beneath the water. I couldn’t understand their language, but the mood somehow….”

“You mean it seemed like they would gather their comrades and counterattack?”

“What? How did you…?”

“The Kokokura Tribe are persistent bastards. As you just said, they will attack again before long. With numbers and strategy far more troublesome than before.”

“T-Then shouldn’t we run away right now?! We got through safely this time, but if a number we can’t handle swarms us….”

“Well, we’ll be trapped in the middle of the wetland and become fish food.”

“Ugh…!”

“Don’t worry. If fighting on the water is unfavorable, wouldn’t it be enough to overturn the board into a place advantageous to us?”

Since I had decided to take the risk and cross the wetland quickly, I had already prepared myself for a decisive battle with the Kokokura Tribe.

When I smiled meaningfully and turned around, the eyes of the guild member looking at me filled with shock.

Where his gaze was directed.

Behind my back, a massive shadow split the water fog, wavering as it revealed its shape.

｢You have discovered an unknown mangrove island!｣

｢A place with marvelous flora, fauna, and natural environments! Its waterways are intricately intertwined, so take care not to lose your way inside!!｣

A large mangrove colony that had been hidden in the fog revealed itself.