Chapter 636: Sewer Mermaid ~Blub Blub Blub
Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.
The moment the entrance slid open, a wave of foul stench rushed out. Without hesitation, Yaeger released her aura, enveloping both herself and Rosalina in a purifying barrier.
"Master…" Rosalina’s eyes shimmered with emotion, nearly brimming with tears. Her master was so gentle, so considerate.
‘It would be absolutely perfect if she’d just beat me up right now…’ she thought to herself, a strange sense of longing creeping into her heart.
"Let’s go in." If Yaeger had any idea what Rosalina was thinking at such a tense moment, she just might grant her wish.
"Yes, yes!" Rosalina chirped, her cheeks flushed red.
"Your face is red. Are you feeling unwell?" Yaeger asked, her tone laced with concern.
After everything that had happened with Layna, Yaeger hadn’t exactly held fond feelings toward Rosalina. But now, with her Favorability maxed out and her willingness to help so clear, all those lingering grudges had quietly faded away.
As long as Rosalina could one day earn Layna’s forgiveness, things could eventually return to how they once were.
"No, no! I just feel a little warm, that’s all. Ahaha…" Rosalina let out an awkward laugh. Now that her Favorability had maxed out, she was too embarrassed to outright beg Yaeger to hit her.
‘Master doesn’t think I’m some kind of pervert… right?’ Rosalina worried.
What she didn’t realize was that Yaeger had long since labeled her as the ultimate pervert. No, she had always been a pervert. It was just that her perversion had only grown worse over time.
After stepping inside, Rosalina carefully manipulated a hidden mechanism on the wall. Within moments, the entrance sealed itself shut. Unless someone conducted an extremely thorough search, the faint new markings on the wall would go unnoticed.
And given time, as the markings faded, even that slim chance of discovery would disappear entirely.
"It’s… cleaner than I expected," Yaeger murmured, glancing ahead.
Before them stretched a five-meter-wide sewer tunnel, its dark waters sloshing gently. Dim orange light from low-quality magic crystal lamps flickered along the tunnel, casting eerie shadows over the murky water of indeterminate depth.
Surprisingly, very little debris floated atop the water.
"The Empire sends a team down here once a year for maintenance," Rosalina explained. "Plus, juvenile aquatic monsters and slimes occasionally slip in through the drains to scavenge for food, so the filth never has a chance to build up too much."
"I see." Yaeger nodded, then quickly checked the time. Less than an hour remained. A sense of urgency tightened in her chest. "We’re running out of time. Let’s get to the secret passage now," she urged.
"Yes, Master!" Rosalina replied, her long legs swiftly carrying her forward as she took the lead.
Yaeger wasted no time following right behind her. Their hurried footsteps echoed sharply through the dimly lit tunnel.
As if stirred by their movement, the surface of the water began to ripple and churn. It bubbled violently—like water brought to a rolling boil.
Within moments, dozens of shadowy figures burst from the water, landing on the shore in a synchronized, menacing formation, completely obstructing their path. Despite the tunnel’s vast width—large enough to fit a racing track—the sheer number of dripping, grotesque figures left no room for passage.
Yaeger and Rosalina came to an abrupt halt.
A closer look revealed them to be monstrous, humanoid fish creatures. Their bodies were covered in dark, slimy scales. Each had a pair of enormous, fist-sized eyes, and when they opened their mouths, rows of jagged fangs gleamed in the dim light.
Unlike typical fish, these creatures had four limbs and stood upright, moving in an unsettlingly human-like manner.
"Master, these are sewer mermaids," Rosalina identified them after a quick assessment.
"Sewer mermaids?" Yaeger’s eyelid twitched violently at the absurdity of the name. These hideous creatures, slick with grease and tangled with bits of garbage, were somehow being called mermaids?
The elegant, mythical image of mermaids in her mind shattered on the spot.
"Shouldn’t mermaids have the upper body of a beautiful woman and the lower half of a fish?"
"Master, you’re thinking of mermen. Mermen and mermaids aren’t even genetically related," Rosalina corrected with a serious expression.
"Whatever. Just kill them all," Yaeger said, exasperation lacing her voice. She had no time to waste on disgusting, sewer-dwelling monstrosities.
"Blub blub blub!" One of the creatures—larger than the rest—stepped forward, lifting its clawed hand and making a series of unintelligible sounds.
Yaeger had no clue what it was saying, but just hearing it irritated her.
"Master, allow me to handle this," Rosalina offered, flicking back the sleeves of her white robe to reveal hands as pale as her face.
"No, I’m faster at killing." Normally, Yaeger would be happy to let someone else do the work. But right now, she was in no mood to waste time.
[Berserk Thunder] materialized in her hands, crackling with surges of violet lightning. At almost the same moment, the oversized sewer mermaid let out another string of incomprehensible gibberish.
Before it could finish whatever it was saying, the other sewer mermaids let out guttural cries and lunged forward in unison. Creatures that couldn’t be reasoned with and dared to stand in her way? Yaeger had no intention of showing mercy.
Her hands blurred as she fired off a rapid volley of energy bolts. The purple energy bolts twisted midair, multiplying into a dense storm of projectiles. Even as the deadly barrage descended upon them, the sewer mermaids continued their reckless charge.
Such blind, suicidal courage.
But against overwhelming power, no amount of bravery would change their fate. In less than a second, the swarm of sewer mermaids was reduced to motionless pincushions, their bodies riddled with energy bolts.
No, one was still clinging to life. The so-called mini-boss.
At Level 32, it was twice as strong as its underlings. But at the end of the day, cannon fodder was still just cannon fodder. Yaeger didn’t waste a single word. She simply raised her crossbow.
The moment the sewer mermaid spun around to flee, a barrage of energy bolts tore into its back. Purple lightning crackled across its body, ripping through flesh and muscle as it let out an agonized shriek.
After firing three rounds in rapid succession, Yaeger slowly lowered her weapon, her expression one of utter disdain. "Pathetic. How dare you waste my time when you’re this weak."
The sewer mermaid collapsed, its body riddled with gaping holes—a pitiful end.
"We should—" Yaeger started, turning to Rosalina.
Before she could finish, a deep sloshing sound interrupted her. Their eyes snapped to the water ahead—bubbles churned violently to the surface, making it look like the entire sewer was boiling.
The sight sent a familiar sense of dread crawling up Yaeger’s spine.
"Rosalina… is this sewer infested with monsters?" she asked, her tone laced with exasperation.
Rosalina had no words. She hadn’t expected this either. If not for her master’s escape, Rosalina would rather face death than set foot in this place.
Splash! Splash!
In an instant, countless figures burst from the water, landing in formation like some eerie déjà vu. Once again, the sewer mermaids blocked their way. But this time, their numbers were overwhelming. The entire tunnel overflowed with them.
Worse still, they let out an endless stream of eerie croaking noises—grating, invasive, and downright unbearable. It wasn’t just noise pollution; it was an assault on the soul.
"Rosalina, is there another way to the secret passage?" Yaeger asked abruptly.
Rosalina shook her head. "Master, this is the only route."
"Ugh, this is so annoying. Kill them all!" With the quest timer steadily ticking down, anxiety edged into Yaeger’s voice. She knew full well—there was still a long road ahead before she could escape the city.
Even once she reached the secret passage, getting out wouldn’t be instant. If she spent too long fighting here, she might never make it out of Jade City. And if Richard arrived before she got out… it would all be over.
"Yes, Master!" Rosalina, sensing the urgency in Yaeger’s tone, nodded without hesitation. Without wasting a second, she lunged forward, her left foot propelling her like a cannonball straight into the heart of the monster horde.
Yaeger swapped to her sword, [Dragonsorch], its blade crackling with fierce flames. Without hesitation, she pushed off the ground and lunged forward.
In terms of sheer numbers, they were hopelessly outmatched. But when it came to raw power, they were unrivaled.
Rosalina’s blade gleamed under the dim sewer lights, carving through enemy after enemy in a relentless dance of death. Yaeger’s flaming sword whirled through the air, carving through the sewer mermaids as effortlessly as a scythe through wheat.
At this rate, the monsters would be exterminated in three minutes—tops.
A three-minute delay was manageable. But just then, the situation took a sudden turn. From deeper within the tunnels, wave after wave of sewer mermaids surged forward, leaping from the water and charging at them in a frenzy.
"What the hell is this?! Are you all lining up for reincarnation?" Yaeger snapped, exasperated. For a second, she wondered if she had accidentally kicked a hornet’s nest. Otherwise, why else would these things keep pouring out like an endless tide?
Then, a realization struck her—that scream from the giant sewer mermaid earlier.
‘That wasn’t just a scream!’
"Master, what’s the plan?" Rosalina asked, her voice tense. The numbers were overwhelming. Fighting them head-on would only waste precious time.
"We’re breaking through!" Yaeger declared without hesitation. She refused to let these wretched things delay her any further.
"Understood!" Rosalina immediately cut down the monsters around her and nodded firmly.
With a brief glance at each other, they wordlessly charged ahead, transforming into relentless killing machines. In mere moments, the tunnel was littered with corpses, the putrid air now thick with the iron scent of blood.
No matter how fiercely they cut down their enemies, the numbers refused to dwindle. Every time they felled one, another immediately took its place. The onslaught was endless.
"Don’t make me do this!" Yaeger growled, her patience fraying as the tide of fearless creatures continued their suicidal charge.
For a split second, she considered unleashing her sword formation. But reason quickly crushed the impulse—she couldn’t. The sword formation’s sheer power would obliterate the entire sewer system, and worse—Richard would definitely take notice.
"Die, die, DIE!" Suppressing the temptation to unleash her ultimate move, Yaeger vented her fury through sheer carnage, her [Dragonsorch] cleaving through flesh and bone in a fiery whirlwind.