Book 11: Chapter 25: The Followers

Sif had many flaws, but to be fair, he wasn’t a coward afraid of death. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spent all his wealth repeatedly hiring people to venture into the Death Lands after his companion disappeared.

Unlike Iristin and Idria, Manager Mason was just an ordinary old man. Perhaps deep down, Sif knew the old man had almost zero chance of surviving this encounter. But he couldn’t convince himself to back down at the last moment.

Since he had come this far, no matter what, he needed to see an outcome with his own eyes. Qin Lun’s few casual words of advice only sped up his decision.

After the group left, the rare open clearing in the depths of the swamp returned to stillness. Not long after their departure, a slender figure appeared like a ripple on water, gradually solidifying.

“Oh no, they actually went toward the heart of the swamp,” Linda, the girl from the Mercenary Guild’s registration desk, suddenly materialized there.

The girl wasn’t wearing her plain black-framed glasses or dress anymore. Instead, she had adventurer’s clothes on. Her smooth golden hair was tied into a ponytail that swayed behind her head.

“What to do? If I follow and Teacher finds out, I’ll be copying books in Candlekeep for years again.” Linda carried no weapon, her expression gloomy.

“Eh, whatever! It’s rare for me to be out. Adventure chances don’t come every year. Besides, it’s not time to return to Candlekeep yet!” Soon, the girl stuck out her tongue, flashing a sly giggle like a weasel stealing a chicken. Knowing her teacher wasn’t nearby, she still scrunched her neck, sneaked glances around, and vanished slowly into the air.

After little Linda disappeared, the swamp clearing didn’t stay quiet long. A short, shadowy figure appeared out of nowhere, as if it had never left.

The shadow was entirely wrapped in a black cloak, only a pair of sharp, gleaming eyes visible under the cover. Yet he seemed far from young, with deep furrows carved vertically on his forehead.

“Interesting. This group is stronger than expected… and a dragon-blooded is protecting them!” He raised his hand to touch a stubble beneath his veil, staring at the unextinguished sea of fire on the water, a gleam flashing in his eyes. “Seems Umberlee’s Church’s bounty won’t be easy to claim!”

The shadow’s voice was raspy—either deliberate or scarred. His image matched that of Umberlee’s Church Assassin who’d once met Qin Lun at the Mercenary Guild.

Clearly, he hadn’t really believed Qin Lun was innocent like he claimed. Instead, he’d been tailing them, observing.

Not until the dragonfly nest, where Rand displayed his signature magma skill, was he finally certain the wanted attacker of Umberlee’s Church was indeed within this team.

Qin Lun’s Perception hadn’t been wrong all along; it was just that no one expected so many tails trailing their group. Besides Mastashia deliberately revealing herself, these back two were much more careful.

Even at the edge of the Death Lands, only Qin Lun and the Rogue Lago faintly sensed them. Once the team went deep into the swamp, noticing the followers became impossible.

The Umberlee’s Church Assassin soon followed them deeper, but acted cautiously. This was the heart of the Death Marsh; riding on others’ coattails still required dodging hidden dangers.

After the assassin left, calm returned, though the fog over the water thickened unnoticed. The mist seemed alive, thick as a heavy quilt, pressing down relentlessly onto the fire below.

The flames recoiled, shooting higher in an instant, dispersing a small patch of fog. But quickly spent, the fires were crushed back onto the water by the rolling mist. Then, with a muffled puff, all light sources died simultaneously.

After extinguishing the flames, the fog dissolved into the lake. Slowly, a gigantic, indistinct facial shape emerged on the surface.

Expressionless, the face slowly opened its gaping mouth. A torrent of water, sweeping along gathered Water Wraiths, surged into its maw. Dozens of wraiths vanished underwater without a trace. The fleeing wraiths fled in panic beyond its reach.

Swallowing the wraiths, the face seemed satisfied. It emitted a disturbingly human burp, letting out a plume of bubbles before sinking back under. The Death Lands’ strangeness clearly surpassed everyone’s imagination; supremely confident strong ones easily overlooked certain truths.

If the Death Lands held only minor perils—just Legendary Creatures lurking about—why, throughout history, had only the Legendary Pirate Balduran ever successfully traversed this place?

Of course, Qin Lun and his group knew nothing about the terror lurking beneath the clearing where they camped. Even if they had known now, they couldn’t have afforded to care. They were facing another threat.

“Run! Get back here!” Rick dragged Winnie away, casting complex glances over his shoulder.

“Leader, let go! Let’s help him deal with that monster!” Winnie struggled free, shouting, a faint shimmer of tears in her eyes.

“You’re a Mage! Only with distance can you shine!” Hill glanced back with a grin. “He’s fine for now. You can thank him later.”

Rewind a minute. Leaving their camp, the group had been lost in thoughts about the upcoming adventure, their minds wandering. When they passed another tiny lake, disaster struck like lightning.

A sinuously long tendril shot through the fog from under the water, its target Winnie the Mage walking in the middle.

Facing the ambush, Winnie barely managed to raise her staff, casting a magical barrier around herself before the tendril cinched tightly around her slim waist. Then, she was hoisted off her feet, hurling toward the lake. Her front-and-back companions couldn’t grab her in time, helplessly watching her fly away.

Luckily, Hill and Qin Lun flanked her. The minds of these two Serial Killers were sharper, less tangled by worries about venturing into the swamp’s heart.

Acting for the first time since reaching his Second Order, Hill fired a beam of purplish-black light. Like a laser, it pierced layers of water, striking the submerged monster.

Simultaneously, Hill’s hit was met by a muffled, ugly cry. Even separated by water, the sound remained loud and resonant, as if a giant copper bell had tolled next to their ears.

Stunned by the pain, the monster loosened its grasp on the tendril. With a whoosh, it snapped back underwater.

Just then, Qin Lun arrived mid-air. Twisting in flight, he seized Winnie’s arm before she could fall. With a powerful swing, he threw her toward Rick by the shore.

Utterly synchronized without exchanging a word, the two killers cooperated with flawless timing, as if choreographed. But this move endangered Qin Lun himself. Roaring in renewed fury, the wounded monster shot its whip-like appendage like a spear, aiming to impale Qin Lun in mid-air.

The monster’s motion, however, carried loud force. Qin Lun used his Pentagram Crystal Mirror as a foothold, narrowly dodging the attack and landing safely ashore.

Clearly the territory’s ruler, the monster wouldn’t yield after suffering such a loss. Its dexterous, tendril-like limb kept lashing at Qin伦 like a whip, shaping their current situation.

Now, Lago and Mastashia, the scouts ahead, had rushed back. Their faces paled seeing the scene.

“What is that? Some kind of giant snake?” Sif now seemed surprisingly relaxed, turning curiously to the Highland Elf.

“No! Explain later!” Mastashia’s expression drastically changed upon seeing the coiling thing attacking Qin Lun. She shouted to Qin Lun ahead, “RUN! Don’t fight it! And whatever you do, DON’T attack its—”

Qin Lun dodged the agile tendril in frustration. Thanks to his excellent sight, he saw it wasn’t a snake, but a dripping red piece of flesh. Its surface dotted with tiny buds, forked at the tip… it looked oddly like… a tongue!

As Mastashia yelled, the tongue relentlessly pushed him toward rage. A dangerous gleam flashed in his eyes. His World Tree Longbow suddenly shimmered. Transforming into “Frostwind Chaser,” he sliced viciously at the fleshy rope.

To his shock, even this Legendary weapon’s sharpness failed to sever it. Blood sprayed as the rope tore open a large gash. But “Frostwind Chaser” was a Legendary weapon. More than mere steel, its Artifact Spirit—the Frost Greatspirit—flared. Where blade touched flesh, pristine ice instantly coated the tongue. Under Qin Lun’s brute force, the frozen chunk shattered. A piece of the tongue plainly vanished.

“Ow…!” came a choked sob from underwater as the tongue snapped back lightning fast.

“What?” Qin Lun finally had time to yell back at Mastashia.

“I said DON’T attack its…TONGUE!” Mastashia visibly slumped, dismay twisting her painted face. “And…RUN! NOW!”

Without another word, the Highland Elf spun as though her backside burned and sprinted madly deeper into the marsh.

“Huh?” The group froze. They knew the monster was fearsome, but it was underwater! They were on land!

“BOOM!” As if answering their confusion, the lake that spat the tongue exploded.

Water crashed like a crashing storm. A colossal shadow blotted the sky above them. Leaping clean out of the water, the leviathan soared high before plummeting toward them with crushing force.

“A Primordial Tabanus! IT CAN GO ON LAND!” Mastashia wailed without turning back, speeding up her frantic run.