Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Hassan of the Marshlands

“AAAAH!”

Screams resonate from all around. The sounds of muddy waters being churned mix with the roars of beasts, spreading in every direction.

“S-Save m-me-aaaah!”

GERRR!

Huge crocodiles, their mouths wide open, each grab a Bronze Tier adventurer and tear the body apart, spraying bl**d like a fountain.

The maddening smell of bl**d spreads everywhere, driving the crocodiles into a frenzy. They swarm the corpse, swallowing every last piece of flesh and fragment in one bite.

sh*t, crocodiles!

My scalp started to tingle. What the hell? Can humans really d*e this easily?

Seeing someone d*e right before my eyes is something I haven’t experienced in a very long time, and my heart pounds out of control.

“sh*t, r-run!”

“Do not flee! Warriors of Mars, face the foe bravely!”

With a swish, swish, Hippolyte and her Maidens of the Sword draw their swords. They strike with all their might at the crocodiles half submerged in the muddy waters.

“For the eyes and necks! Aim for the eyes and necks!”

SCHIING!

Hippolyte, without a trace of her weakness from last night, splits a thick-skinned swamp crocodile into two in a single blow. She’s terrifyingly powerful and extremely reliable. Indeed, a Silver Tier adventurer!

The other members of the Sword Maidens follow her lead, swinging their swords with great effort.

“H-Hiiik!”

But the crocodile’s skin is incredibly tough. Some can’t pull their swords out after embedding them, or others trip and injure themselves with their own blades, adding to the chaos.

Of course, I understand. With the swampy ground, movement is already difficult, and this is, after all, the crocodiles’ home terrain.

These crocodiles are genuinely fearsome beasts. They are merciless killing machines of nature—far beyond the swamp goblins.

SHURURUUK!

A massive crocodile suddenly lunges at me, freezing me in terror. As I stumble backward and fall, it leaps onto me.

KWADDEUK!

The beast bites hard onto my bracer and shakes it fiercely. sh*t, had this not been an expensive piece of armor, my arm might already have become its delicious meal.

“sh*t, let go, you b*stard!”

Having lost my longsword, I quickly draw a dagger from my waist and thrust it with all my strength into the crocodile’s forehead.

KWAK!

With a sharp sound of penetration, the crocodile’s body goes limp. Fortunately, it seems my dagger pierced its skull and injured its brain.

sh*t! Could it be… did I really k*ll this ferocious and fierce reptile? Am I now the Dragon Slayer, Hassan?

I was momentarily overwhelmed with awe and pride, but sh*t, there were too many crocodiles around to indulge in such thoughts.

While I’m enduring this torment, I can’t help but worry about Luna. At that moment, as I look over to her—

SWISH, SWISH.

Luna raises her arms, mimicking a scarecrow and waving them high into the sky. She then begins to zigzag wildly, making strange movements.

“KIIYAAAAH, HIIYAAAAAA!”

Her mouth is wide open, and her cries are strange enough to make one question if she has gone mad with fear.

Of course, I feel like I might go mad too, so I can’t really criticize her.

sh*t, Luna is broken. Could a massage fix her madness? Do I need to press her brain directly?—

But then, an incredible thing happened.

GERRRR!

BARBAR!

The crocodiles that had surrounded Luna suddenly turned around and dashed away, as if skimming across the water like lizards.

“sh*t, what the hell is going on!?”

It felt as if my brain had malfunctioned in trying to comprehend the incomprehensible scene.

“Hassan, what are you doing!? Follow me! Marsh crocodiles fear creatures that zigzag and make loud noises!”

“sh*t, what!?”

“Hurry!”

Though what Luna said didn’t filter through my rational mind at all, yet—eh, what the hell. Since it actually worked for her ridiculous behavior, I’ll give it a shot.

GERRR!

SHIRR!

As the crocodiles close in on me, I lift my arms high, take a deep breath, and prepare.

CHLAP, CHLAP!

And I begin to zigzag! Thanks to countless FPS games and my evasive maneuvers practiced while dodging Elpride’s whips, I can brag that my zigzagging is far more impressive than others’.

Not only do I zigzag, but I also twist and shake my body like a party balloon, moving in every direction.

“HOOOOOOOOOOO-EEEEE-AAA-!”

GERRR!

SHIVARRR!

The crocodiles, mere lowly creatures, seem genuinely startled by my imposing figure. Indeed, they begin to flee in all directions, showing their long backs and tails.

sh*t! The crocodiles are afraid of me!

“Haha! You can’t pass! You can’t even cross! AAAAAGH!!”

I drove my longsword into the backs and skulls of the crocodiles fleeing from me. Who would’ve thought there was such an easy way to hunt crocodiles!

“sh*t, what is this? The crocodiles are running away! Is this the way Samaritan hunts!?”

“Hmm, I seem to recall hearing somewhere that the natives of the marshlands hunt crocodiles in this manner!”

“What?! Then let’s hurry up and join in!”

And so, the mist-shrouded marshland was soon filled with stick-figure-like adventurers, running around crazily and screaming incomprehensible sounds.

GER, GER…

Amid this chaos, the weak jungle monsters that are crocodiles had no chance of survival.

“Wow, look at this. We’ve obtained genuinely high-quality leather. Who knew crocodiles could be so easily caught?”

“Well, it’s unfortunate for the ones who died.”

After the jungle party subsided and the adventurers scattered, the remaining crocodiles that had fled and the corpses were gathered together.

Even I successfully skinned two of the crocodiles I caught with my dagger, and a few adventurers watching were greatly impressed and whistled in amazement.

“How is he cleanly separating that thick skin with just a short kn*fe?”

“Indeed. He truly has remarkable skill, worthy of someone who lives in the perilous wilderness.”

In fact, skinning animals or removing the shells from their carcasses was one of my few specialties.

Due to my father’s habit of creating medicines with strange ingredients at the health center, I had learned bits and pieces from watching him process animals. Additionally, living as a slave under Elpride’s rule for nearly two years had refined this skill naturally.

Now, a quick glance or touch gives me a rough idea of the best way to skin an animal.

JUAAAK-

Of course, the ease with which the crocodile skin comes off seems to be partly due to the clumsy “handcraft” boon I recently gained, as well as my improved physical strength stats.

Similar to what I had expected, it appears that my newly acquired boon enhances the efficiency of all actions performed manually and various tasks.

It’s surprisingly more useful than I thought. Still, sh*t, I just hope I don’t go bald.

“Hey, you’ve stripped the skin off two crocodiles in just a few minutes. Incredible. Hey Samaritan, could you strip the skin off the crocodile I caught? I’ll give you 10% of the expected price from selling the leather.”

“My too, please. If it’s scraped cleanly, each skin could fetch at least 5 silvers. Crocodile leather is rare.”

“sh*t!”

“What? Why not?”

“Line up and wait!”

In this way, I processed the skin from four more crocodiles, earning 2 silvers in profit.

A brief calculation!

Expected selling price for the two crocodile leathers I own: 10 silvers.

The reward for completing this mission: 10 silvers.

Goblin tooth processing and crocodile leather preparation costs: 2 silvers and 44 coppers.

Current money I have: 5 silvers and 30 coppers.

Once this job is almost done, I will have amassed an amount close to the 30 silvers I saved over two years.

sh*t, making money is diverse in ways I didn’t expect!

I now understand why adventurers like Elpride and others can afford expensive equipment. Being treated as a slave truly is no different from being a livestock or beast.

My bag, now slightly heavier with the added leather, makes me feel immeasurably lighter and like I’m floating.

“Where did you learn such things? The skins have been pulled out so cleanly.”

A middle-aged Bronze Tier adventurer nods in satisfaction at the sight of his carefully prepared leather. As I’m about to speak to him,

“The people of Samaritan are said to wear the skins of those they k*ll. This foreign brother has been practicing skinning his prey into clothes for ages, hence his skill.”

“Hey, what a shock!”

Malco answered for me. His entire body caked in mud, resembling a swamp crocodile closely enough to make me almost draw my dagger at him.

Besides, how is this guy still alive? So resilient! His vitality must surpass even the toughness of crocodile skin. How did he survive amidst the crocodile group that easily killed even well-armed adventurers?

“Hey, brother. It was a fine performance. Hassan of the Marsh will become a great story.”

“sh*t, if you exaggerate again, I’ll make you pay.”

“Never said I exaggerated. I merely add artistic flair to the tales, my friend.”

“Malco! Where are you? Come here to help me carry the crocodile skin I caught!”

“Phew…Lately, I feel doubtful about my artistic path. Maybe I should return home.”

Malco, with his shoulders slumped, goes back to the officer, but his pack contains four heavy crocodile skins and, even heavier, the officer’s affection.

Anyway, the rough skinning process came to an end.

As I slung my bag and looked around, there was Luna spreading coins on the ground.

Come on, even if you’re rich, scattering money on the ground! I couldn’t believe what I saw and was completely taken aback.

“Luna, you saved us earlier. How did you know the way to deal with crocodiles?”

“Oh. In Ideope, there are many swamps, and crocodiles often come out. The larger your figure, the more effective it is since they have habit of seeing elevated objects as larger ones. Their eyes are adapted that way.”

It sounded like pseudo-science from a quack selling medicine, but since Luna’s demonstrated results spoke for themselves, I couldn’t but think, “Indeed, it must be so.” Anyway, what I actually wanted to ask wasn’t this.

“Rather, why are you throwing money on the ground? If you’re going to waste money, give it to me.”

“Ah, I’m not wasting it. It’s not my money anyway. I’m collecting Charon’s money for these folks—1 copper each.”

With horribly wide eyes, Luna inserts a copper into the mouths of the deceased, one by one. Is this the local version of a funeral rite?

Come to think of it, when I followed Elpride around and we had fatalities, we left money with the bodies in a similar manner.

The people in this world firmly believe in an afterlife. Of course, for me, it’s just something I let slide. Asking further or saying anything more seemed unnecessary.

“Before encountering the cultists, we’ve already lost five members. Two desertions. This is quite a blow. Are we down to thirteen remaining?”

“That’s true. Lady Hippolyte, shall we continue? The Sword Maidens seem to have suffered many injuries.”

“Officer, your concern is appreciated, but as you know, there’s no retreat. Even if only you and I remain, it will suffice.”

“Alright? I don’t mind much, but Lady Hippolyte, you don’t seem in good physical shape. Are you injured anywhere?”

“…No. Let’s move on.”

With no moment of mourning for the fallen, the group gathers their belongings and proceeds through the muddy terrain once more.

Some are overjoyed by the acquisition of crocodile leather, while others are shaken with fear from the recent attack, creating a variety of different moods.

HUOOOUUU—

MEOOOUUU—

“sh*t.”

“Kid, don’t be scared. It’s just bird calls.”

Certainly, the tension and fatigue have increased since the last encounter. Every small noise made us jump, fearing another surprise attack from crocodiles, beasts, or monsters.

“sh*t, this fog would be much better if it lifted.”

“Is the fog usually like this here? I don’t remember it being so in my memory.”

“I don’t know, kid. Just keep your eyes ahead.”

Listening to the adventurers quietly as we walk, it seems this fog is not a natural feature of the marshlands but a rather suspicious weather anomaly.

Humans rely heavily on vision, and the fog that shuts it off can easily drive someone mad.

The air is heating up, making it feel like we’re walking inside a mammoth-grade steaming machine.

“Hassan, you’ve caught two crocodiles!”

Only Luna seems genuinely delighted amidst all this.

The weather in Ideope must be similar to this, she had said. Still, her cheerfulness at my side does boost my spirits a little.

Luna examines the crocodile skin inside my backpack, giggling.

“We can make clothes out of the skin!”

“Clothes?”

“Last time, the goblins tore mine up, remember? It was during the temple cleaning.”

“Ah, you’re right.”

Though I’ve covered up with an inexpensive, 10 copper raincoat, the clothes underneath are barely more than rags.

After buying armor, I didn’t have the money to purchase proper clothing, so this opportunity to make some money should allow me to get new clothes.

Making clothes from crocodile leather doesn’t sound bad. If I provide the materials, might they offer a cheaper rate?

Clothes made from crocodile leather—who would have thought I’d be able to wear such luxury in my lifetime!

I was daydreaming about how dashing I would look in them when suddenly Hippolyte, who was leading our group, came to a halt.

What now? sh*t, as everyone’s anxiety rose, the Silver adventurer, Hippolyte, declared in a firm voice:

“It won’t work. We need to clear this fog somehow, or the journey will be too difficult. A cultist camp should be around here according to reports.”

“Lady Hippolyte, do you have any methods?”

As the Officer’s question drew curious eyes toward Hippolyte, some adventurers harbored expectations. Perhaps a Silver Tier adventurer like her could dispel this fog.

Even in my mind, thoughts like blasting it away with wind swirled.

Hippolyte said:

“I cannot do it, but someone among us can. The priestess of Delphi. Borrow some grace from your deity to drive away this fog. Light is the most effective method to chase fog.”

At this, Cassandra was summoned to the group. She looked around cautiously and spoke quietly and calmly.

“The negative energy here is strong, and my prayers might not reach heaven. Perhaps it would be better to ask the assistance of someone else…”

She pointed a finger toward one of the adventurers. The delicate finger guided everyone’s gaze, which finally settled on one point.

sh*t, who is it? Me.

“Wh-what? Me?”

[Author’s Afterword] On May 5th, I started the serial, and on the 17th day today, we reached Chapter 40… With 13 updates in that time, it feels like I’ve been doing triple updates daily!! It’s all thanks to the many readers who have been supporting and rooting for me, making the writing process enjoyable!

P.S…In the finale of this episode… What you’ve been waiting for… It’s inevitably coming…production…creative activities… I swear by the River Styx… Until it arrives, I will hold my breath till the end… huff… crackle…zzzz…

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