Chapter 862

"Stop rowing! Stop rowing—!"

Nikau’s shout thundered across the central deck.

From the Black Wave moving beside them, Sanford’s voice answered immediately.

"Hold position! Prepare to turn!"

They had nearly reached the shoreline, and with no dock in sight, they would likely have to anchor offshore and approach from there.

Of course, none of the fairies or beastfolk gathered at the bow paid any attention to that. Their eyes remained fixed on the island ahead.

A towering cliff rose on the far side, while barren trees covered the long, gentle slope beneath it.

That small island was Kalinso.

Swoosh—

It was small enough to pass for an uninhabited island, but now, beyond the fog-shrouded trees, countless dark blue eyes, with more appearing every second, gleamed throughout the forest."

Every single one of them belonged to corrupted followers of Raskagin, yet they were clearly not waiting there merely to defend the sanctuary.

Splash! Splash!

Behind the approaching smuggling ships, an enormous sea creature radiating ominous violet energy was following close behind.

Even in the shallow waters, Yog continued moving easily on all six of its legs. Perhaps it could maintain some degree of mobility even outside the sea for a while.

That was probably why the blue lights rippling throughout the waters near the island dared not approach. Of course, that wasn’t what mattered right now.

Swing—

Charlotte drew her fang blade with her left hand and lightly vaulted onto the front railing. Clad in relic armor adorned with gold from head to toe, she stood there with twin swords hanging at her sides, eyes locked on the forest beyond the beach.

The gray mane along the crown of her head and the back of her neck bristled fiercely.

Charlotte raised both fang-blades overhead and roared, "For the Golden Demigod!"

The beastfolk warriors gathered at the bows of both the Silent Storm and the Black Wave immediately threw back their heads and howled in response. It looked almost like a declaration of war.

The fairies, however, did not join the cries. Instead, they tightened their grips on their weapons and lowered their stances, tense and ready.

"Kill every corrupted bastard you see! All forces— charge!" Charlotte bellowed before kicking off the rail and launching herself forward.

Golden wind had already begun spiraling around her, carving a brilliant arc across the air.

"Charge!"

The beastfolk warriors hurled themselves over the railings one after another, weapons clenched in their hands.

Among them were fairies armed with longswords and daggers as well.

Splash, thud!

After soaring through the air, they landed chaotically across the wave-soaked shoreline. Some crouched lightly, others rolled across the ground, but all of them immediately sprang back up and rushed after the golden trail already racing far ahead.

"Kill them all!"

"For the Golden Demigod!"

They shouted continuously, unable to contain their battle frenzy.

They’re loud as hell.

Standing atop Yog’s head while watching them, Ian clicked his tongue.

—What a shame… Watching those lunatics fight up close sounds like it would’ve been entertaining.

Yog’s lazy whisper echoed through his mind.

Ian lowered his head and glanced toward one of Yog’s glowing eyes. "Just focus on guarding the ships. If even one more sinks, we might end up trapped on this island."

Yog let out a low chuckle.

—Relax, my friend. Doesn’t seem like there are many fools brave enough to challenge me after seeing this body.

Your confidence is overflowing.

Ian snorted inwardly. After all, Yog had shattered the pursuing sea creature horde and dragged them safely all the way here.

Maybe it hadn’t killed every last one, but that hardly changed how monstrous the feat was.

Swoosh—

The two smuggling ships drew closer, turning in parallel toward the shore to anchor with enough distance between them.

Tap, tap, tap!

At last, Ian sprinted along Yog’s massive snout before launching himself into the air. His eyes never left the softly glowing railing of the Black Wave.

The starboard railing rushed up beneath him in an instant.

Fwoosh…

Nila, standing atop the deck, turned toward him as though it had been waiting all along. The creature’s flowing mane still shimmered with drifting embers.

That was the reason the deck of the Black Wave glowed faintly in the darkness.

"Slowly! Row slowly!" Sanford’s shout spread across the deck as he leaned over the port rail.

Ian landed in the middle of the deck in a smooth slide.

"Holy shit, you scared me!" Miguel jolted and blurted out the curse. He was sitting atop Nila’s saddle, staring blankly toward the island with the reins wrapped tightly around the prosthetic on his left arm.

Only then did Elia, who had been half-buried in Nila’s mane in front of him, slowly poke her head out.

"You’re here, Godfather?"

Diana had been the one to bring her over. She needed to place Whisper spells on Nehat and Miguel as well.

Ian gave a small nod before asking Miguel, "Where’s Lily?"

Miguel smacked his lips and jerked his chin toward the stern deck. "I put her inside the carriage. Figured that was the safest place. She’ll probably be unconscious for at least a full day."

Ian nodded. "Good call."

At that moment, Nila snorted sparks from its nostrils and scraped the deck with its forelegs. It clearly wanted to charge out immediately.

"S-So… Can we get going now? I heard the spell weakens if we get too far apart." Miguel added awkwardly. He had climbed on because Elia asked him to, but he obviously wasn’t happy about it.

Whether he disliked leaving Lily behind or simply wanted no part in any more fighting was impossible to tell. Of course, it could easily have been both.

"Protect Elia well. And you—don’t do anything stupid." Ian nodded and exchanged glances with Elia as he added the last part.

Elia smiled brightly, and as though it had been waiting for permission, Nila spun around and bolted forward.

Clip-clop, thud!

It leapt clean over the rail in a single bound. A blazing trail of sparks streaked behind it through the air.

"Waaaaaah!"

Miguel’s scream, or maybe battle cry, faded into the distance.

Looks like it’s off to relieve some stress or something.

Suppressing a chuckle, Ian watched Nila disappear before shifting his gaze farther ahead.

Crunch! Boom!

Golden explosions were flashing deep within the pale, fog-covered forest. Charlotte had clearly already begun fighting the corrupted ones.

Behind her, beastfolk and fairies advanced through the fog in wildly uneven lines.

Either way, it’ll take them some time to carve out a proper path.

Ian smirked faintly and nodded to himself. That was one of the reasons he had boarded the smuggling ship instead of disembarking immediately.

"Done! Drop the anchor! Just one!" Sanford shouted while gesturing to Hashim before turning toward Ian.

Only then did he seem to notice him properly, freezing for a second before plastering an awkward smile across his face.

"H-Ha ha, you’ve arrived, Your Grace. As you can see, we’ve just finished anchoring."

"You already know this, but don’t go inside the carriage. Even if Lily wakes up," said Ian, tilting his head to the side.

Sanford’s smile stiffened even further as he stopped in front of him. "D-Don’t worry, Your Grace. I won’t go anywhere near it. And you don’t need to fear me running off or trying anything fu—"

"That’s actually why I came over here."

"Pardon?" Sanford blinked in confusion, a beat too late. Hashim, who had approached from behind him, looked equally bewildered.

Ian continued, while staring straight into Sanford’s eye, "If things go bad or it looks truly dangerous, pull up anchor and run. Once everything seems finished, come back and pick us up."

Then he jerked his chin toward the starboard side. "And don’t relax just because that thing’s here. Protect the ships, no matter what. Got it?"

"I-I understand, Your Grace," Sanford hurriedly nodded, his eyes flicking nervously toward the enormous crocodilian sea creature drawing closer along the starboard side.

Swoosh—

Yog had lifted nearly its entire massive body above the surface by now. Stopping a moderate distance away, it slowly turned sideways toward them.

Its elongated jaws lined with crooked fangs, the three violet eyes arranged in a single row, and the horns running down its back were all fully visible.

"Anyway, there should still be time left. Go tell the crew on the other ship, too. Make it clear that you’re the one in command," Ian added without sparing Yog a second glance, unlike Sanford, who kept swallowing nervously.

At last, Ian turned toward the port side railing.

Sanford looked back at him a beat late and bowed his head. "Yes! I’ll do exactly that, Your Grace! Please return safely!"

I’d really like that too.

Ian vaulted cleanly over the railing. The dark shoreline, blanketed in thin fog, rushed closer beneath him.

Whoosh—

The moment Ian landed in the middle of it all, his brow furrowed slightly. A dull ache spread through various parts of his body.

Figures. A short rest wasn’t nearly enough.

His stamina had recovered to some extent, but his injuries clearly hadn’t fully healed. Clicking his tongue quietly, Ian started forward, following the countless footprints stamped across the ground.

—Go on ahead, my friend… I’ll be waiting here, bored out of my mind.

Ignoring Yog’s whisper entirely, his eyes swept over the forest veiled in bluish fog.

"-------!"

"----!"

The unmistakable roars of beastfolk warriors, shrieks of corrupted ones, explosions, and booming impacts already echoed from deeper within.

The results of that battle revealed themselves shortly after he entered the forest of skeletal trees.

They really butchered this place.

Corpses of corrupted ones lay scattered everywhere. The grotesque creatures, fused with all manner of sea life, had been mangled beyond recognition.

Squelch… Squelch…

Even now, several creatures covered in writhing tentacles still twitched convulsively, though they were likely already dead.

Mixed among them were grotesque monsters resembling fish or lizards with multiple crustacean legs.

Crunch! Boom!

Explosions, crashes, curses, and battle cries echoed through the fog.

With the black sword drawn from his pocket dimension hanging loosely at his side, Ian calmly continued walking through the field of corpses without stopping.

"Grgh—"

A blackish monster suddenly burst through the bluish fog a few minutes later.

Its body was human-shaped, covered in dark blue slime, with the head of an anglerfish and octopus-like tentacles sprouting from its shoulders.

That is disgustingly ugly.

Calling it corrupted hardly seemed accurate anymore. It looked more like a deep-sea creature.

However, Ian merely frowned slightly instead of raising his black sword. And it wasn’t simply because he realized the creature was running away.

Whoosh—

He had spotted the black streak charging through the fog from behind it.

It was Nehat, a massive Fang Greatsword slung over one shoulder.

Her orange eyes flicked toward Ian for only a moment.

Crack!

She slammed straight into the corrupted one with her shoulder and the stump of her severed left arm.

The creature’s massive body, well over two meters tall, folded inward with a crunch before Nehat hurled it sideways.

Nehat and the corrupted tumbled together across the ground.

"Goddammit! How many times do I have to tell you not to charge ahead alo— Ian Hope?"

The masked fairy who burst through the fog behind her froze mid-step. Of course, it was Diana.

Lowering the throwing dagger in her hand, she added, "You've already made it this far?"

"From where I’m standing, it looks more like you circled back," Ian answered with a faint chuckle.

Palmer appeared behind her the very next moment.

Tap, tap, tap!

Even after noticing Ian, Palmer didn’t slow down. Instead, he suddenly leapt into the air.

Nehat and the corrupted one had become locked together. She had one foot planted on its body, but its tentacles had wrapped around her greatsword, leaving her struggling to wrench it free.

Diana pointed her dagger toward them as she said, "There aren’t just one or two of those disgusting things. The entire island is crawling with them. And it’s not just humans either. There are monsters mixed in that look like they crawled straight out of the deep sea. They’ve got to be servants of that ancient god."

At that exact moment, Palmer came crashing down diagonally through the air and drove his armored fist into the corrupted’s head.

Crunch! Crackle! Thud!

The creature’s body convulsed violently amid a burst of light.

However, Palmer didn’t stop there. He continued hammering down blow after blow, as though determined to reduce the thing’s skull into complete pulp.

"And those bastards aren’t in their right minds either. No…." Diana’s voice sank lower.

Letting out a deep sigh, she naturally fell into step beside Ian as she added, "They’re all rampaging like they’re trying to vent some personal grudge. Even Charlotte isn’t controlling them. She just keeps telling them to kill everything that gets in the way."

"Guess being chased around nonstop on those ships had everyone pretty pent up," Ian muttered with a chuckle.

Even while continuing forward, he glanced over his shoulder.

Crunch! Crack!

Nehat had already shaken off the tentacles and gotten back to her feet. Now she was repeatedly driving her greatsword into the corrupted one’s corpse as though making sure it stayed dead.

To Ian, it looked more like she was venting frustration.

Diana clicked her tongue bitterly. "To think I’d spend my later years cleaning up after lunatics like these…."

Without taking his eyes off Palmer, who was approaching while casually brushing flesh and bodily fluids off his armored gauntlets, Ian said, "For someone saying that, you don’t seem to have much to do."

Diana slowly shook her head. "Watching this pack of savages is torture all by itself. Look at that one-eyed beast right now. He’s smiling."

Baring his fangs, Palmer said, "Demigod!"

"You’ve done well. Don’t forget that the two of you are Charlotte and the Acting Head’s adjutants." Ian nodded calmly, then paused.

Walking beside him, Diana snorted loudly on purpose.

Palmer gave a respectful nod, glanced at her once, and continued, "I will remember that, Demigod. Let’s move, Acting Head. We’ve fallen too far behind. We need to push back to the front."

Diana frowned beneath her mask. "What? I didn’t even say anyth—"

But Palmer was already sprinting far ahead. Nehat, her fang greatsword resting across her shoulder, immediately took off after him like a bolt.

"Take your time coming, Ian Hope—"

She didn’t forget to toss the comment back over her shoulder, looking oddly refreshed as she did.

A beat later, Diana let out a low groan, her face completely twisted into a scowl. "Fuck. The only thing that changed is that they started speaking politely..."

"You should at least keep an eye on the others. Make sure they don’t go completely berserk."

Diana sighed heavily. "I’m already trying. Yog alone was enough of a headache. Now my head’s noisy as hell. They keep screaming at me to hurry up and follow them even now..."

She was obviously referring to Elia’s Whisper spell. "Don’t forget what I told you before, Ian Hope. This is the last time. The last."

She emphasized the words as though making absolutely certain he understood. If Miguel had heard that sentence, he probably would’ve collapsed on the spot.

The fairy lowered her body almost flat to the ground as she sprinted away, her figure dissolving into the rolling blue fog.

Only then did Ian finally let out the chuckle he’d been holding back.

Either way, this does make things easier.

He shifted the black sword that had been hanging loosely at his side and rested it diagonally over his shoulder.

At this rate, it didn’t even feel like he’d need to swing it himself. Just as when Yog had been fighting earlier, experience points were trickling in little by little.

Step, step.

Monstrous shrieks, battle cries, and thunderous crashes echoed endlessly from every direction, but Ian walked peacefully onward through the field of corpses.

At the same time, his eyes repeatedly drifted toward the dark cliff canyon stretching across the distance like a massive wall.

There was supposed to be a canyon cutting through those cliffs that led to the island’s rear side.

Fwoosh—

It wasn’t long before the fog in the distance became stained orange. Light burst outward as though an explosion had gone off somewhere beyond the trees.

Ian instinctively turned his head, the corner of his mouth curling upward.

Looks like they’re fine over there, too.

Within the brightly swirling fog, he could make out the shadow of a horse rearing onto its hind legs with its forelegs raised high.