Translator: CinderTL
Facing dozens of roaring Warsaw Fishmen charging toward him, Roland showed no fear.
Without needing to chant, flames instantly erupted between his fingers. With a flick of his wrist, a compressed, orange-red fireball shot forth.
Boom!
A blinding flash of fire erupted, accompanied by a nauseating stench of burnt flesh and the hissing of vaporized water.
The upper bodies of the leading fishmen, along with their bone blades, instantly vaporized, leaving behind only charred bone fragments and splattered slime.
The shockwave from the explosion hurled nearby fishmen violently backward, shattering their scales as they crashed into the churning waves.
Clang!
The clear, metallic ring of the Mithril Longsword being drawn echoed through the air.
"Tracy! Close your eyes!"
Though the pixie didn't fully understand, her recent experiences had forged a deep trust in Roland. Without hesitation, she closed her eyes.
In the next instant, as magic elements flowed toward the Consciousness Shoal, a dazzling sphere of light materialized mid-air, beginning to orbit and dance around Roland.
With no teammates to protect, Roland could finally unleash the full potential of the Dazzling Charm trait granted by his Juggler class, realizing his initial tactical vision without restraint.
The moment the orb of light appeared, the crimson in the Warsaw Fishmen's eyes began to fade, but in an instant, it was replaced by the frenzied desire for bloody slaughter.
Their movements faltered only briefly.
This momentary pause might have been imperceptible to ordinary eyes, but to Roland...
His body shifted like a phantom, effortlessly evading three rusted tridents thrust at him simultaneously.
The sword flashed, devoid of flashy techniques, only lightning-fast precision.
The grotesque head of the lead fishman, along with its raised bone blade, silently flew into the air.
Foul-smelling blood gushed from the severed neck like a fountain.
The headless corpse staggered forward two more steps before crashing to the ground.
Roland's feet never paused, his sword moving with him.
A fishman swung its bone hammer violently, but with a flick of his wrist, Roland's sword tip precisely struck the hammer's haft.
The heavy bone hammer flew from the fishman's grip. In the same motion, the longsword swept upward, effortlessly severing the fishman's thick, hammer-wielding arm.
Yet the fishman with the severed arm seemed utterly oblivious to pain. Its remaining claw, driven by mad obsession, clawed fiercely at Roland's calf.
In those crimson eyes, the desire for destruction hadn't diminished; instead, it burned even more fiercely, fueled by the carnage.
"Hmph!"
Roland snorted coldly, his left foot stomping down with the force of a war axe!
Crack!
The sickening crunch of bone echoed as the fishman's skull and neck were crushed under his heel, silencing it forever.
But this death-defying frenzy was no isolated incident.
On the other side, a fishman with half its shoulder sheared off, its entrails exposed, dragged its mangled body forward, its massive, fanged maw snapping at Roland's back.
A flash of silver light, and it too fell silent.
Flames and swordlight danced across the beach.
The combination of Roland's efficient combat skills, formidable physique, and devastating Fire Arrows transformed the siege into a precise and brutal slaughter.
Yet Roland's brow furrowed deeper with each kill.
The problem wasn't the individual strength of these fishmen, but their overwhelming numbers, their absolute frenzy, and their utter disregard for pain and death.
Seeing this, Roland abandoned all restraint.
All his class abilities activated instantly, and his breathing technique surged into action.
As scorching Battle Qi coursed through his body, his sword strikes grew increasingly lethal.
With Tracy's support, Fire Arrows rained down almost without restraint.
Yet just as they cleared a small patch of ground amidst the frenzied green tide, the sea ahead erupted violently once more.
More crimson eyes glowed beneath the murky waves, and dark green figures roared as they leaped onto the Consciousness Shoal.
They trampled over the shattered corpses of their comrades and the still-smoldering scorch marks, surging forward in endless waves.
The entire coastline seemed utterly submerged by this mad green tide and the glaring crimson eyes.
"We can't get bogged down here!"
Witnessing this, Roland made an immediate decision.
Having just survived the ordeal at sea, neither his mental power nor physical stamina had fully recovered.
To remain entrenched on this shoal, surrounded by overwhelming numbers of fishmen closing in from all sides, would only be a matter of time before they were completely overwhelmed.
As this realization struck him, Roland couldn't help but recall the scenes of transcendent warriors like Gondar and Becker slaughtering demonic beasts.
If only I had that kind of power...
The thought flashed through his mind but didn't distract him from the battle.
In the next moment, Roland's sword strikes became even sharper and faster.
Instead of trying to force his way toward the small boat, he used a Fire Arrow to create a massive explosion and cloud of smoke in front of him, then abruptly retreated backward.
The Warsaw Fishmen had only been able to block his path due to their overwhelming numbers surging endlessly from the deep sea, making it impossible for them to stop his retreat.
Burning Battle Qi gathered in his legs. Within a few breaths, Roland had already crossed the fishing village and was sprinting deeper into the Mistland.
Huff...
After exhaling deeply, Roland dispelled the Light Spell surrounding him. He glanced at the pixie still clinging tightly to his shoulder and chuckled softly.
"Alright, Tracy, you can open your eyes now."
"Mmm..."
Tracy murmured in response, slowly opening her eyes and cautiously scanning her surroundings.
Only after confirming that no more frenzied fishmen were in sight did she finally relax, flutter her butterfly wings, and float gracefully into the air.
"By the gods, Roland! You're incredible! You actually managed to fight your way out of that monster's encirclement!"
Her voice carried the lightheartedness of someone who had narrowly escaped death.
"I knew I made the right choice! Only you can save my home..."
Mid-sentence, the pixie suddenly remembered her lost companions. Her tiny head drooped, and her voice fell to a somber whisper.
"Enough, don't dwell on it..."
Tracy's emotions were written all over her face. Roland instantly understood her distress and offered gentle reassurance.
"Your companions will be alright."
"Mmm, I know, Roland, it's just... never mind."
She shook her head weakly, abruptly changing the subject.
"What should we do next?"
Hearing the question, Roland surveyed their surroundings.
They were currently in a sparsely vegetated woodland.
A dense, impenetrable fog obscured their vision, allowing only a vague glimpse of the swampy terrain bordering the forest.
"Do you know where we are?"
"Umm..."
Tracy slowly floated higher, carefully scanning the area. After a moment of deliberation, she replied with uncertainty,
"This... seems to be the moss swamp. When I left, I just needed to head north to quickly escape the Mistland, but now..."
"Moss swamp?"
The name sparked a faint sense of familiarity in Roland.
After a moment's thought, he recalled its origin.
Back at the Adventurer's Guild in the River Domain's Royal Capitals, when he first learned of the Bear Goblins, the destination of that initial quest had been the moss swamp.
"So... there's a high chance Bear Goblins are lurking here?"
Roland frowned at the thought.
Although the beach was blocked by fishmen, there had been no sign of them when he first arrived.
Clearly, they weren't dwelling there but had been drawn by the commotion of his battle with the ghost.
Therefore, if he could slip out of the fishmen's sight, the monsters would likely abandon the shallows soon enough.
Then he could return and sail away in the small boat.
He explained his plan to Tracy.
The pixie offered no objection.
After a brief exchange, just as they were preparing to find a place to rest and recover their strength...
Rustle...
From deep within the dense fog, a faint sound suddenly emerged, like the crunch of damp branches underfoot.
(End of the Chapter)
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