Chapter 184: To the Elven Sacred Ground (1)

“

BUOOOOO!

” A massive octopus thrashed its tentacles beneath the waves, shaking the very sea itself. The ocean’s surface roiled with violent waves, as if responding to the beast’s frantic movements.

This creature was known as a Kraken.

For generations, the Kraken’s kind had ruled the ocean. Their presence was one of the main reasons people feared sending ships onto open water. Hunting one down usually required dozens of ships, and even then, success was far from guaranteed. As a living calamity, the Kraken was among the apex predators that dominated the sea.

Yet now, this mighty Kraken was fleeing in a panic. It kicked at the ocean floor with its eight powerful legs, desperately trying to escape.

To see such a legendary apex predator running away in disgrace was almost unbelievable. Anyone witnessing this would have questioned their own eyes.

However, for the Kraken, this was a fight for survival. It was fleeing from a single human who pursued it relentlessly.

“What a beast! I can’t help but wonder—what does it even eat to sustain a body that size?” Ketal shouted, genuinely impressed.

The Kraken flailed its tentacles as if to tell Ketal to back off. One of its heavy limbs slammed into Ketal’s body with tremendous force.

A massive shockwave rang out across the water. However, Ketal didn’t budge; instead of being thrown back, he seized the Kraken’s tentacle and swung the entire creature through the air. The Kraken, heavy as it was, soared for a moment before crashing down with earth-shaking force.

“

BUOOOOO!

” The Kraken let out a piercing scream. Its small, beady eyes darted around in terror—an expression that seemed almost out of place on such a colossal monster.

Ketal burst out laughing, exhilarated. “Of all things, I never thought I’d run into a Kraken! What luck!”

He had only wandered into the sea for a short stroll, taking a break from his stay in the City of Merfolk. By chance, he’d stumbled straight into the Kraken’s domain.

The Kraken, for its part, had seen Ketal and charged, certain that another arrogant human was foolishly drifting through its territory. It had a long history of preying on humans who entered the sea, considering them nothing more than slow, defenseless prey. For fun, it would destroy their ships and swallow the crew whole.

However, the moment it attacked Ketal, its fate was sealed. Realizing something was terribly wrong, the Kraken tried to flee, but Ketal gave no quarter. No matter how hard the monster tried to escape, Ketal pursued it with relentless tenacity.

The Kraken thrashed its tentacles, screaming in desperation.

Ketal simply grabbed hold of it and slammed it down again.

“

BUOOO!

”

The Kraken, driven to its limits, had no choice but to charge again, tentacles flailing. Ketal spread his arms, welcoming the challenge with a grin.

***

“I brought back a Kraken,” Ketal announced. He dragged the Kraken’s corpse back to the city. Kukulitan, who had been on watch, gaped in disbelief, mouth agape.

“What...?” Kukulitan replied.

“It charged at me out of nowhere, so I took care of it,” Ketal explained.

“That’s... That’s all there is to it?”

“That’s all,” Ketal replied simply.

Kukulitan was stunned. Ketal had left for his walk less than two hours ago. Yet, in that short span, he’d somehow caught and brought back a Kraken.

For a moment, Kukulitan just stared at the enormous body in shock.

Among all the creatures of the sea, the Kraken was an apex predator. Even the strongest among the merfolk—those at the Transcendent tier—struggled to take one down. Judging by its size, this one wasn’t even a juvenile but a full-grown adult.

After a long moment, Kukulitan finally gathered himself.

“Thank you. The Kraken had staked out a territory near the city and had been threatening us for some time,” he said gratefully.

A Kraken’s massive body was an incredible resource. For merfolk, who often faced food shortages, it meant an enormous supply of fresh meat. It was a rare stroke of luck.

Other merfolk, seeing the Kraken’s corpse, could only stare in shock. They whispered among themselves as they looked from the dead beast to Ketal.

“He caught a Kraken without any injuries...”

“Is that how strong barbarians really are?”

“No way. It’s not a barbarian thing. That guy’s just special.”

The merfolk quickly began to butcher the Kraken, eager to make use of every part.

Ketal watched them with a satisfied smile.

That night, Ketal took a bite of the boiled Kraken tentacle. The taste reminded him of regular octopus, but it was much tougher and chewier—closer to dried squid than anything else.

So that’s what Kraken tastes like,

Ketal noted.

To see a colossal sea monster in person and then to eat it—that alone made Ketal’s day. Even though the sea apes he’d fought before had been massive too, they were just creatures of the Demon Realm, with none of the peculiar allure or mystique that Nano had possessed.

Still, they’re far more interesting than anything from the White Snowfield.

Nothing could compare to the horrors of the White Snowfield. Ketal narrowed his eyes.

He recalled that “Whitie”—the beast from the White Snowfield—had left that frozen wasteland and lurked in the abyssal depths, a place teeming with primates and other life. It had been at least a month since Whitie had left the White Snowfield. That meant monsters from that cursed place could appear outside its borders.

Yet, the world remained relatively peaceful. If he thought about it, it was likely that most of the White Snowfield’s monsters were still remaining in their home. Perhaps something was holding them back.

Is there still some restriction in place for the other monsters?

Ketal wondered.

However, Whitie had managed to escape. If even one creature from there could come out, it meant others might as well.

“Hmmm...” Ketal mused as he chewed on the Kraken.

Is this my fault?

He thought back to when he’d cleared the Quest that allowed him to leave the White Snowfield. At the time, he hadn’t cared about anything except fulfilling the conditions to reach the fantasy world he’d dreamed of. All he could focus on was breaking through every obstacle and completing the quest.

In the end, he had stepped out into the world beyond.

Around the same time, creatures from the Demon Realm began to appear outside as well.

He used to think it was unrelated to him, but now he wondered if that was still true.

“The wheel that had been stopped is turning again! Monster! Your wish will be granted in the end, through distortion!”

That was what the entity he defeated at the end of his final quest had said to him. It meant the wheels of fate had started moving again, that things which were out of order were returning to their proper course.

So, is the emergence of Demon Realm monsters into the outside world supposed to be a good thing?

Ketal wondered. There were so many questions he wanted answers to.

Is it because I cleared the Quest that the Demon Realm’s monsters are coming out? Or is it just my fate to be caught up in the world as it changed?

There simply wasn’t enough information to say for sure. He didn’t fully understand the Demon Realm itself, let alone its connection to the outside world.

If there was any truth to be found, it was this: only one thing seemed certain. Ketal stared up into the empty air.

[Quest# 788 has been completed.]

[Rewards will be granted.]

It was now clear—the only Quests he ever received were always related to the Demon Realm. And those Quests always seemed to have a perfect grasp on the situation.

This Quest had appeared when Aquaz told him about the emergence of primates from the depths of the sea. At the time, Ketal thought the Quest simply wanted him to defeat the sea apes.

But even after wiping them out, the Quest hadn’t ended. It was only after killing Whitie that the Quest completion window finally popped up.

The Quest system had known all along that Whitie was hiding in the abyss.

Ketal spent a few moments lost in thought before simply letting the whole thing go.

I don’t know,

he concluded.

If there was one thing he’d learned during his long years surviving the White Snowfield, it was that overthinking things only narrowed one’s perspective.

There simply wasn’t enough information to make a good guess. In a situation like this, worrying too much would only trap him in a maze of uncertainty. He decided his approach wouldn’t change, just as it hadn’t changed since he first arrived in this world.

Enjoy the fantasy world. And smash anything that gets in the way.

That was enough for him.

Ketal savored another bite of Kraken tentacle.

***

Nearly a week had passed since Ketal arrived in the City of Merfolk. By now, even the merfolk themselves had grown used to him. Some even exchanged jokes with him, and he found himself on friendly terms with more and more of them.

At the same time, Ketal was starting to get bored. The sea was beautiful, but the scenery hardly changed. After spending an entire week with the merfolk, the novelty had worn off.

Maybe it’s time to head somewhere new,

Ketal thought. As if on cue, the city’s reconstruction was almost finished.

While Ketal debated his next destination, Kukulitan approached him with a hesitant expression.

“Um... Ketal. I did my best with the materials you left, but...”

“So, it didn’t work out?” Ketal asked him.

Kukulitan nodded, looking apologetic. “I’m sorry.”

He handed back a piece of white leather and some claws—remnants of Whitie. Ketal had asked the merfolk to process these materials, but they were completely unchanged.

“So, it was impossible?”

“Yes. What exactly is this?” Kukulitan asked him, still mystified.

Even with all their strength, the merfolk hadn’t been able to cut the hide or trim the claws, much less process them in any way. It wasn’t even the sort of catalyst that could hold magical power. Its raw toughness was beyond belief. Kukulitan could only wonder how any living creature could possess something so hard.

“It’s like something out of legend—like a dragon’s scale. I don’t think anyone among the merfolk could work with this. Maybe you’d have better luck with a dwarf,” Kukulitan suggested.

“A dwarf?” Ketal’s interest piqued. Dwarves were, alongside elves, the classic races of any fantasy world. “They really exist here?”

“Yes, though their home is some distance away. If you’d like, I can introduce you. I know a few of them, and if you mention my name, they should be willing to help.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Ketal said with a smile.

Kukulitan described the location of the dwarf village. He continued, “But it might be difficult right now. I’ve heard they’ve had some trouble lately and aren’t letting any outsiders in.”

“Oh? Have you met them recently?” Ketal asked.

“No, not directly. Actually, you probably wouldn’t know this, but we merfolk have ways of staying connected with other races.”

Though they lived in the sea, the merfolk maintained many ties with the surface. There was a strong network of friendship and communication among the non-human races, especially since humanity had taken over so much of the land. They had to keep in touch and share information, so the merfolk, elves, and dwarves maintained open lines of contact.

“I see,” Ketal replied, intrigued.

“That’s why I’ve been hearing news... though lately, communication has gotten difficult. Last I heard, the elves’ sacred ground was having trouble as well.”

“Trouble?” Ketal asked him.

Kukulitan sighed. “It seems the Cradle of Darkness is attacking the elven sacred ground.”

Ketal paused for a moment. “The Cradle of Darkness... You mean the dark mages?”

“Yes. They’ve surrounded the elven sacred ground and are attacking them. Who knows what the world is coming to?”

“I see,” Ketal said, a strange smile crossing his face. “Sounds like they could use a hand.”

“Huh? Oh, no, I don’t think it’s necessary,” Kukulitan said quickly, shaking his head. “It shouldn’t be a problem. A handful of dark mages could never threaten the sacred ground, especially with the strength of its defenders. And most importantly, the sacred ground is protected by a powerful warrior.”

“One of the top Transcendent warriors?” Ketal asked him.

“No,” Kukulitan replied. “The High Elf Queen herself stands guard. She’s the only living spirit king’s contractor. She’s a Hero, through and through.”

“..Oh?” Ketal’s interest grew even sharper.

“As long as she’s there, no dark mage could ever set foot on the sacred ground. There’s really no need for you to worry, Ketal,” Kukulitan assured him. However, even as he spoke, his words began to falter. “Ketal...?”

Ketal’s face was alight with growing excitement.

“I see. There’s no need for concern, then. Still, I’m sure the elves wouldn’t mind some help if someone were to offer,” he said, eyes glinting with anticipation.

“Well, I suppose that’s true...”

Wait, what’s going on here?

Kukulitan wondered, sensing something was off. The more he tried to convince Ketal that help wasn’t needed, the more Ketal seemed to grow interested in the elven sacred ground.