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TL: ALT
Chapter 130 – Day 22 of the Strategy Life
During the night, I reinforced the tunnel with wood marked with magic circles that Hel had made. There isn’t much of it, so I can’t afford to make any mistakes, and it’s tedious work. I build pillars in the tunnel and lay beams across them.
Sylvia said she wanted the walls and ceiling to be concrete.
“There’s got to be a layer of volcanic ash somewhere.”
There are no volcanoes in the demonic land, but apparently, there was one long ago in the neighboring territory of East Kenya. Given the direction of the wind, volcanic ash must have fallen here as well, and if we dig, we should find layers of it.
“There was concrete at the port on the east coast, and it seems to have been used for the Colosseum’s construction materials, so there could have been a quarry there.”
Chel, who knows a lot about concrete, apparently taught Sylvia about it. Sylvia must be frustrated that such good building material hasn’t been passed down in the Kingdom of Estinia.
I also think that if we’re going to do it, we should use the technology used in Yggdrasil, as it would be good for attracting new residents.
“I’m sorry. That’s not my field, so I don’t know much about it.”
Ka-Ryu didn’t know about the quarry either. That makes sense. Even I, an adventurer, didn’t know about the existence of the demonic land. Just because someone came from the past doesn’t mean they know everything about the past.
From now on, we will start exploring the demonic land and the ruins while also looking for geological formations.
As for the Crocodile Swamp, we will temporarily suspend the excavation of the dungeon. At Sylvia’s request, we plan to set up a crocodile ranch for rock crocodiles.
“A-a-am I being too selfish?”
“No, it’s better if you say what you think. We can’t move forward unless we do what we can.”
We may not be able to build proper houses, but if we have a place to work, people might come. Maybe even a monster tamer will come to control the rock crocodiles. If we can process crocodile skin and sell crocodile meat, we can create an industry unique to the demonic land. The possibilities are endless.
I gradually released the water I had blocked to adjust the depth of the swamp. The skin of a rock crocodile hardens like a rock when it dries, making it completely immobile. It’s like the lungfish I saw in the north. I decided to fill the swamp with enough water to submerge their bodies up to their hips.
The crocodiles feed on nearby monsters, so when their numbers dwindle, I’ll try something else. I experimented by bringing in a Haze Turtle from the neighboring swamp, but it seemed completely helpless once it retreated into its shell. Despite having jaws capable of crushing rocks, the shell is apparently harder than rock.
In the afternoon, I planned to extend the path to the entrance, but Lipa reported that the forest south of the swamp had become dangerous. While gathering medicinal herbs and doing laundry, he noticed something unusual. The nearby swamp was still covered with sleeping flower liquid, and the fish were asleep.
“What is going on? Maybe the giant apes and the giant crocodiles are fighting over their territory. It’s understandable after the giant magical beast came.”
“No, that’s not it. It’s more like it’s turning white… You’ll see when you get there.”
After lunch, I decided to take some healing potions and check it out.
It might be dangerous, so I also brought sleeping and awakening potions. I asked Ka-Ryu if she wanted to come, but she said she wanted to rest. She’s still not used to the demonic land.
I left with Chel, Jennifer, and Lipa, the three who were awake.
We went south of the Crocodile Swamp. There were many monsters like Gibier Deer and Field Boars in groups. They didn’t seem to be fighting, but they seemed more concentrated than in other places.
“I think they’re probably taking shelter here. The problem area is further south.”
Lipa led us down a small creek.
We reached a large river, the trees opened up, and we could see far into the distance and finally understand the situation.
The mangrove swamp was covered with white threads.
“This is bad.”
“Spider webs?”
“Probably.”
“Are those mosquito monsters?”
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
The mosquito monsters that had been feeding on the blood of the monsters in the swamp had grown to the size of human arms and were flying around.
“The water plants here are being eaten. Have you ever seen such a big rat?”
Looking at what Lipa was pointing at, it seemed like the forest rats had grown huge and multiplied.
They were making crunching noises and eating the water plants with such force that they were destroying the surrounding greenery.
“It hasn’t been that long since the giant magical beast came, has it? Can they reproduce so quickly?”
“There must have been a species like that that was usually killed, but they’re reproducing because the situation has changed, right?”
“Yes, that could be.”
Chel’s reasonable explanation convinced me.
“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it. Chel, do you think the spider web is Arachne’s?
“Probably.”
“Let’s gather what we can. Jennifer, collect some poisonous plants. The sleeping potion we brought won’t be enough. If possible, prepare some traps as well.”
“Got it.”
“Did you bring your weapons, Lipa?”
“Yes, just in case.”
Lipa had brought the saber made from King Anaconda’s material. It was a weapon that couldn’t be affected by magic, so it might be useful.
“Then come with me. Chel, can you make a sleeping potion mist?”
“Sure.”
Chel dipped water from a jar containing the extract of the sleeping flower into her water magic.
“I’ll use some ice magic to slow them down.”
“Thank you.”
Lipa and I stuck sticks of awakening potion under our noses and walked toward the white, spiderwebbed forest.
I put magic into my legs, covered them with ice magic, and started running.
Lipa stood on his broom and flew just above the surface of the water.
“You’re surprisingly skilled.”
“I’ve been practicing.”
First, I grabbed the forest rats that were devouring the water plants around us and broke their necks. Lipa also quickly decapitated them one by one.
As we moved and exhaled carbon dioxide, large mosquitoes began to gather around us.
At that moment, Chel’s mist began to drift around us. The movements of the mosquitoes seemed to slow down slightly.
They would be threatening if they were small and fast, but their movements were visible, and they were large, so they weren’t much of a threat. I imbued my fists with fire magic and backhanded them away.
Perhaps because of the fire, they came in a swarm, but I turned them all into ashes. Lipa also sliced off the wings of the mosquitoes with his saber.
Perhaps sensing the commotion in the area, Arachne emerged from her nest. The moment she appeared, she was pierced through the body by a flaming spear.
Looking back, Chel stood on the surface of the water, smiling. She had stuck a stick of awakening medicine up her nose, which wasn’t very cool, but it was quick work.
“Makyo-san, let’s continue to take them down with fire magic! There’s no way we can collect all the threads anyway!”
Jennifer suggested from afar.
“Got it. Chel, make it rain so the fire doesn’t spread.”
“Roger.”
Soon, rain began to fall in the surrounding area.
With their comrades defeated, the Arachnes broke through the holes in their nests and rushed out.
They sprayed threads from their tails, but since their footing was on their own threads, we could predict their movements and burn the threads to limit their movement. Although they nest in a mangrove swamp, they seem to hate water.
Once I knew where they were moving, all I had to do was place my fire-wrapped fists, and a hole would open in the Arachnes’ bellies. Lipa didn’t have much trouble separating the human torso from the spider’s abdomen with his saber either.
When we cut the threads and opened the nest, a swarm of Arachnes attacked us all at once. It was too much trouble to kill them one by one, so we burned the ones we had defeated and threw them at the swarm. The nest burned as well, throwing the swarm into chaos.
We took a break outside. During this time, Chel filled the nest with a poisonous mist. The poison that Jennifer had collected seemed to cause hallucinations and numbness.
“How are things going? Can you collect the threads from Arachne?”
Jennifer asked as she made a basket.
“I think we can collect quite a bit. It’ll make good trade material.”
I used healing magic on my burned fist and then used ice magic to cool it down.
Lipa sweated heavily and drank water.
“You don’t have to push yourself too hard. There are still mosquitoes and forest rats around, so you can take care of them.”
“Yes… I will do that. My magic is running low.”
After the break, Lipa left the front lines. We decided to hunt the monsters that had multiplied around us.
“I think I killed most of them with poison.”
Chel returned. The spiders in the nest might still be alive, but they seemed quite weakened. We could hear the sound of them rampaging, so the second half should be easy.
After eating some honey toast from the honey ant for a snack and taking a well-deserved break, I put on a mask and entered the Arachnes’ nest. The poison had already dissipated and was almost gone.
I crushed the belly of the still-breathing Arachne and threw it outside. I would burn them all later. There were eggs, but I crushed them all.
“You can’t eat the eggs?”
Chel looked disappointed, but they didn’t look edible, even burned.
Inside the nest, monsters that had been caught for food were wrapped in thread. There were also large monster bones scattered about. I wrapped the thread around the bones and gradually dismantled the nest.
The survivors attacked, but I dealt with them easily.
“I can handle the monsters I can see.”
“Only Makyo can do that.”
Chel still seems to have a hard time with the Spider Guardians.
In the evening, the work of collecting the threads was still ongoing, but the task was completed.
The leaves had disappeared from the mangroves, leaving only the green traces of Arachne’s nest.
“There’s too much to fit in the basket.”
The Arachne’s thread wrapped around the bones was piled up in a mountain.
I plan to make a net of vines and let Lipa carry it in the air. He seems too exhausted to even speak, but as long as he can fly, that’s enough for now.
“Too bad; maybe we should come back tomorrow.”
“Oh, the monsters are coming back.”
A group of gibier deer and field boar had come to drink water from the river.
We hurried home, supporting the fluttering Lipa.
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I like how Makyo speaks as himself as an adventurer when he really wasn’t. He is just to OP
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