Here we go!
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Chapter 145: The Deepest, Darkest Dungeon of Magical Beasts – Part 3
Splash. Splish. Splash.
The sound of waves rippled from the front of the Sewers.
“Wait, there’s something. Something in the water.”
Thanks to the dim surroundings—or perhaps because it was contaminated with germs and filth—the water was so black I couldn’t tell what was lurking beneath the surface.
The deeper I walked in, the higher the water rose. What started as a dampening of my toes had now crept up to my knees. It wouldn’t be strange if a bizarre creature—a mutant piranha—decided to call this place home.
“I definitely heard a sound. But sniff, sniff.”
Azidahaka twitched its nose, as if trying to sniff something out. Even with its blindfold, its face squished up in a way that was easily noticeable.
“Ugh, I doubt anything could survive in this contaminated sewage. If something drank this, it would kick the bucket pretty quickly.”
“True, but it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious. Usir, don’t you know anything? You’ve been here a few times, right?”
In response to my question, the man in the Black Robe, guide Usir, lowered his head to look into the murky water.
“Maybe it could be a salamander. After the city’s fall, a few might have drifted into the sewers. Though I’ve never seen one myself.”
“Salamander? Are you saying those cute little guys are still alive?”
Azidahaka reacted strongly to the name Salamander.
“What is that?”
“A little lizard I used to keep as a pet. Ever since I got captured by humans, I’ve wondered what happened to them. To think they could be living in a place like this…”
Azidahaka trailed off with a sorrowful tone. It’s a bit sad to think of a creature’s pet living a life as a vagrant in the sewers.
“So, what size are we talking about? This salamander of yours?”
“It’s about the same size as this Cloudring I’m holding. Puff, puff when it cries—super cute. Its name is Puff.”
Azidahaka mimicked the cry of the Salamander. I tuned out the melodrama and focused on the situation at hand.
“Is it really the same size as Yingyi…?”
With mucous clinging to the walls of the sewers, something long and massive, bigger than me, blocked my path.
“This is…”
Guide Usir gasped, seemingly in disbelief. He stepped closer to the gigantic trash item and touched it with his hand.
“This is a tail.”
“I can see that much.”
“Tail, you say…?”
Only Azidahaka, who couldn’t see, tilted its head in confusion. I decided to describe the obstacle in detail for it.
“Yeah, it’s a tail bigger than you. It’s red and has scales on it—whoa, it’s wriggling. Looks like a lizard’s tail.”
“Let me touch it. I know a thing or two about reptile tails.”
“Go ahead.”
I grabbed the chain around Azidahaka’s neck and guided it closer to the massive lizard tail.
Azidahaka hesitated, reaching out cautiously to touch the gigantic lizard tail before it.
“This is…”
“Do you get it now?”
“I don’t know. But one thing’s for sure: it hasn’t been long since the tail was cut off. It’s still wriggling as if it’s alive.”
“So it was cut not long ago.”
This brought a memory to mind: the great din of the forest where Batus stalked the enormous dinosaur, Yan-Mite. Back then, Yan-Mite had escaped with its tail severed.
Reptiles only give up their tails as a last resort when they face a deadly threat.
A lizard as big as a car… What kind of beast would make it lose its tail?
“This could turn into a real ruckus down here.”
Perhaps understanding the gravity of the situation, no one said a word.
Puff.
“Yingyi!”
Yingyi, cradled in Azidahaka’s arms, reacted to some sound from afar.
“Hey, what did you say your salamander’s name was?”
“Puff.”
“Didn’t that sound come from somewhere?”
“I think so…”
Puff.
Splash. Swish.
Just as Azidahaka and I were straining to hear the noise from the sewers.
With a shriek, something shot up from below the water like a dolphin. The splash of polluted water sprayed everywhere.
“RAAAAH!”
It bared sharp shark-like teeth and let out a fearsome roar. Though its voice might sound cute at first, its appearance was downright horrifying.
Imagine cramming a giant sea crocodile into a leech the size of your forearm and letting it age for a year—that’s what this beast looked like.
Splash. Splash.
A red-scaled crocodile with tentacles came charging at us like it meant business.
“RAAAAH!”
“This is Puff’s sound!”
Azidahaka lit up with joy, hearing a familiar noise after a while. Maybe it even felt a sense of nostalgia as it spread its arms toward the direction of the sound.
“Puff, it’s me!”
“RAAAAH!”
BAM.
“Ugh!”
Azidahaka, trying to cuddle the creature, was sent flying and slammed against the sewer wall as the massive crocodile knocked into her.
Usir and I quickly backed away, creating distance from the giant crocodile.
“Is it that it doesn’t recognize its owner?”
“Or maybe it recognizes her and is acting out of spite, thinking she abandoned it…”
THUNK THUNK.
The giant red tentacled crocodile clamped its teeth onto Azidahaka, swinging her around as if it was having a great time.
Most of its strength was sealed, but since Azidahaka was a mythical creature, she could endure some attacks.
However, it was shaking the walls of the sewer violently, which made me think we couldn’t let it go unchecked.
Above all, after feeling all this ruckus, I heard roars that sounded like shrieks in the distance. It seemed several red crocodiles were making their way toward us.
Splish, splash.
The sound of massive waves echoed throughout the Sewers.
“This is a safe path. Are they drawn here by the energy of Goddess Azidahaka!?”
Guide Usir displayed his confusion. In front of us appeared five tentacled crocodiles drooling who-knows-what between their sharp teeth.
“Hey, keep hiding so you don’t get hurt. I’ve got Yingyi too.”
I shoved Usir into a little cranny beside the Sewers.
The five crocodiles, too busy trampling and gnawing on Azidahaka, provided me with a little leeway.
“Stop just watching and do something! You beasts, cut it out! I’m your master!”
“RAAAAH!”
“RAAAAH!”
“Ugh!”
Azidahaka groaned heavily under the group assault of the crocodiles.
Since the same spot was getting hit repeatedly, the pain might accumulate. No matter how sturdy a mythical creature’s body is, continuous attacks might gradually wear down its defenses.
“RAAAAH!”
The resentment of abandoned animals weighed down on Azidahaka.
If we continued like this, even that sturdy one might lose its life, so I shook my shoulders and tail free before approaching the beasts.
“Alright now, ease up a bit, would ya?”
“RAAAAH!”
One crocodile charged at me, trying to pin me down with its gargantuan body. If I couldn’t dodge it, I’d be done for. Thankfully, its speed couldn’t keep up with my evolved agility.
Just before the beast’s body crushed me, my tail whipped around and smacked it hard across the face.
WHACK!
With a cracking sound, the giant crocodile was sent flying, crashing against the wall.
“Don’t hit it!”
“Don’t be ridiculous. This is not your pet. They’re contaminated and infected crocodiles. Didn’t you get that? They need more hitting, not less.”
“Well, that’s…”
Azidahaka’s beatings weren’t merely the result of restraints. The flames spouting from its tail and mouth were weapons in their own right.
Yet, the fact that it never retaliated was likely due to its affection for the pet it once had.
“RAAAAH.”
The giant crocodiles holding onto Azidahaka all turned their heads toward me.
Since guiding is Usir’s responsibility, fighting is my job.
“Fine, I’ll take you all out in one go.”
With that, I kicked off from the waterlogged ground and charged at the crocodiles. With rapid but heavy hits from my front paws, I slammed against their snouts mercilessly.
The large telegraphed punches mixed with my power and agility generated a force that was beyond imagination.
KRAKOOM. THWACK.
The crocodiles were flung far away, crashing into the ground and walls.
“PUFF…!”
Azidahaka cried out as if sensing the demise of the crocodiles.
By the time I had defeated all five, Usir, who had hidden in the corner, came out and lifted the eyelids of the crocodiles, sticking his tongue out in disbelief.
“They’re dead. This one is dead too… and this one as well. To think you could take them out with a punch! I could tell you’ve got a good bashing from the moment we took on those automatons, but this… You’re really something. I’m relieved you’re not an enemy.”
“I told you, I’m not just strong.”
I replied nonchalantly, acting as if it was the most normal thing ever, but in truth, I was a bit shocked that they had all perished. I expected to knock them out at best, not k*ll them.
After evolving into an adult, my newfound strength was… well, tough for even me to control.
“Did I give it too much power?”
These crocodiles looked at least on par with the Gold Grade monster, Dompery Scorpion, I had seen last time.
And yet, without some ruinous spell or fire-breathing ultimate attack, I had dispatched them all with just punches!
While I pondered over my front paws and the bodies of the crocodiles, Usir quietly spoke as he closed their eyes.
“You might actually defeat the sky’s Hydrogen which guards the underground levels.”
“Sky’s Hydrogen?”
I thought about the disaster-class monster that supposedly played a decisive role in the fall of this labyrinth city, Sumer.
They say the sky’s Hydrogen could smash the towering spire into the depths of the earth with just a few stomps.
The tower, now buried beneath the sands of the desert, couldn’t call for help from the outside nor escape, falling victim to Nialli’s infection and curse, leading to its ruin overnight.
“Is it strong enough to alter the terrain itself?”
Azidahaka had said that any battle with that monster should be strictly avoided. Did she have a way to pass through safely without a fight?
“Well then, get on with it, would you? It’s time for a proper funeral. Send them up to heaven on the rainbow bridge. That’s your role, right?”
I casually nudged Azidahaka, who was sobbing over the carcasses of the red crocodiles. She was genuinely grieving the loss of her pet.
No matter how big and monstrous they had become, to her, they were still cute and beloved pets, no—family.
At that moment, I was relieved she couldn’t see my face. If she looked at those contorted crocodiles with a tortured expression, it would probably hit her hard.
“I’m so sorry, guys.”
“What’s a rainbow bridge and heaven…?” sniffed Azidahaka, looking up at me.
Did she not know what a rainbow bridge or heaven was?
Well, the religions prevalent in this world believed not in some heavenly afterlife, but instead in a life cycle created by Mother World Tree—the reincarnation and rebirth processes.
People and beasts would often mention hell, so I naturally thought there’d be a concept of heaven too, but apparently not.
“Heaven is… umm… it’s a nice place where the good people go. A world free of sorrow or pain after d*ath. If you ride the rainbow bridge up, there’s a place like that in the sky.”
I spoke a lie I barely understood myself. Thanks to my 《Speech》 skill, whether it was effective or not, Usir, who was listening, suddenly asked with a giant voice.
“Is that true? Is there really such a place?”
“Uh, yeah. But it’s not a place anyone can go. Only beings who have built good karma and lived selflessly can get there.”
“Tell me more.”
From under the robe, Usir’s face, partially visible, had his eyes glowing red as if someone flipped a switch.
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End of Chapter
