Episode 411

Stonegan, the rock tribe member from Block 107, found today's desert scenery oddly unfamiliar. His prison sentence was about thirteen years, and it felt strange that the landscape he had seen every day for nearly a decade now seemed so distant. Wondering if he was the only one who felt that way, he glanced around.

Then, a rather muffled voice echoed. "Why are you looking around so awkwardly?"

It was Jorette who touched his shoulder. The human had once served as a close aide to Ailak, the former director of Block 107, and he was the kind of fanatic who grew restless whenever he couldn't beat up the lesser races. Naturally, he was on bad terms with most of them. Even the relatively even-tempered Stonegan disliked him. That was exactly why his presence here today felt so strange.

Stonegan asked, "Why are you here?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I heard that this subjugation battle was mainly about the lesser races. As a human, you didn't have to come here, right?"

Then, Jorette retorted casually, "You just answered your own question."

"What do you mean?"

"The soldiers are mainly recruited from the lesser races, but this doesn't mean they receive no support from the seven races. I came here to earn merit," Jorette replied.

"Didn't you hear the warning of the acting director?" Stonegan asked. "He said there is something off about this mission."

"Either way, I will die if I don't gain merit. I'm not beholden to the director. I have to struggle to avoid displeasing the director."

It wasn't that he didn't understand Jorette's grumbling, but Stonegan thought that wasn't the only reason. The current director, Luzard, wasn't the type to dwell on the past or let problems accumulate before dealing with them in the first place. In other words, if he had intended to punish Jorette, he would have done so long ago.

However, the consideration of the director aside, Jorette's words weren't entirely without basis. Besides the lesser races who had been directly ordered to join the subjugation force, many of the seven races had expressed their intent to participate.

Naturally, a chemical reaction was bound to occur once the seven races and the lesser races were brought together.

One of the orcs from another living block glared and tried to pick a fight. "Why are those filthy Sevens bastards messing around here?"

Sevens was a derogatory term that the lesser races used to refer to the seven races, just like the seven races called the lesser races monsters. The hatred between the seven races and the lesser races wasn't a one-way street.

This subjugation force had only selected the lesser races, but nearly thirty percent ended up being members of the seven races. Taking risks was a part of daily life there, so many of them found it suspicious that the subjugation force was composed solely of lesser races.

Even so, it was unusual for the seven races, who had always been the majority, to become the minority this time. It was only natural that the chins of the lesser races had risen higher than usual. Conversely, the members of the seven races found themselves unable to lift their heads.

At that moment, the lesser races from Block 107 stepped forward.

"Everyone, don't worry about the other blocks' business."

"What?"

"We will be participating in this operation together, so I'm telling you to quell this pointless hostility."

"What, are you defending the Sevens now?"

"Is that strange? At the very least, they are comrades we have to trust on this mission."

"Comrades? You are completely out of your mind."

The lesser races from other blocks shook their heads at this absurd attitude. Naturally, hostility couldn't subside that easily. The tension formed between them was on the verge of colliding.

Then, a loud voice came from the front. "You over there! Shut up!"

It was Quaven, the beastman leading this subjugation and the director of Block 103. He was a boar beastman notorious for his appearance and bad temper.

The lesser races who knew about his temperament backed off at the warning of someone who was also a superior.

The hostile looks continued, but the members of Block 107 were unfazed. They had already confirmed this after weeks of living together. From their basic appearance to their history, habits, lifestyle, and culture, the seven races and the lesser races had nothing in common. Harmony was still a long way off. However, a cooperation was possible, and that would be enough on the battlefield.

The subjugation force soon arrived at their destination, the entrance of a cave leading underground.

The moment Stonegan stood there, he looked at it with a somewhat doubtful expression before turning toward Quaven. "I have something to say."

"What is it, stone?"

"The ground above the cave is unstable," Stonegan pointed out.

Quaven blinked before tilting his head. "So what?"

Stonegan explained, "It is dangerous for everyone to go inside. If a battle breaks out with the monster in the cave, or if another monster appears midway and causes an accompanying earthquake—"

"Wait, wait a minute." Quaven cut Stonegan off mid-sentence. "Do you know how long this cave has been here?"

"I don't know."

"At least fifty years." After saying this, Quaven let out a hot breath, as if he was trying to cool off. "A cave that has been intact for nearly half a century just so happens to collapse the moment we show up? Why not hold a ritual to curse this whole operation as well, stone."

Stonegan was about to say something else, but Jorette interjected. "Oh my, I'm sorry. Our friend here is surprisingly cautious despite his rough looks. Hey, Stonegan, just get over here."

"But—"

"Just get over here already!" Jorette tried to drag Stonegan away, but the stone figure didn't budge.

It wasn't until the hesitant Stonegan moved on his own that the two of them disappeared from Quaven's line of sight.

Quaven watched them go with a dissatisfied look before shifting his gaze to the entrance of the cave and shouting, "Move in!"

***

Would something have changed if I had listened to that rock tribe member's advice? Quaven couldn't help chuckling as he thought of this scenario. It is annoying.

Nothing would have changed even if he had been open-minded enough to take Stonegan's advice seriously.

What was he supposed to do if he had followed the advice? Contact headquarters to say the ground where they were supposed to enter was unstable and he wanted to postpone the operation? Report something like that? He would have been lucky if he hadn't been punished or disciplined.

"Kyaaaaaaaack!"

The monster inside the underground cave was at least a legion-class one. It resembled a flower, but its sheer size distorted any sense of scale, even from a distance. Its petals were thick, fleshy masses, while thousands of tendrils lashed through the air as though each possessed a will of its own. At the center, jagged, predator-like leaves protruded in a grotesque display. One glance was enough to understand how the creature fed itself.

"S-save me!"

"Kuaaak! W-wait!"

Those caught in the plant's tendrils were yanked forward with tremendous force. The tendrils were so thick and tough that they barely seemed like parts of a plant at all. The people dragged along hacked at them desperately with their weapons, but the blades failed to cut through. One by one, the captives were mercilessly pulled straight into the carnivorous flower's gaping mouth.

Crunch!

As the petals feasted on dozens of prisoners, Quaven turned around and shouted, "Retreat! Retreat!"

This monster was at such a level that it couldn't be defeated by all the forces gathered there that day. It was a type of monster that required every prisoner from all blocks to unite, devise a meticulous strategy, and even call upon knights from headquarters or external mercenaries so they would have a chance of victory.

The subjugation force was hacking at the tendrils in a frantic attempt to free themselves when a massive tremor suddenly shook the ground, cutting off their retreat as soft sand poured down from above.

"F-fuck! What now?"

"Hold on to something! Don't get swept away!"

"S-save me!"

The torrent of soft sand swept away the subjugation force. Those who weren't caught up in it didn't dare to move forward, so they could only brace themselves.

The earthquake showed no signs of stopping and it sounded like it was going to completely bury this underground space. It didn't feel this way just because it was an emergency. The situation was truly this dire.

Quaven stuck his double-edged axe into the ground and held on. Suddenly, an unsettling thought came to him. The emergence of a monster is accompanied by an earthquake, and the magnitude of that earthquake tends to correspond with the creature's power. Then, what kind of monster can cause violent tremors that last this long? What on earth is happening outside?

Moments later, the earthquake subsided. Aside from a few rough coughs, an ominous silence filled the buried underground space.

Someone's empty voice broke the silence. "U-unbelievable..."

Pouring mud blocked the only entrance. Of course, the people down there could probably dig out an entrance with nothing more than mere shoveling, but this was assuming that there were no obstacles stopping them.

The ground was shaking because the plant's tendrils were rushing toward this side.

A chill ran down Quaven's spine. The distance from the cave center had to be at least several hundred meters. How far could these tendrils extend?

At that moment, Quaven's mind went blank. There is nowhere to run.

"Get off the ground! Climb on the rocks!"

Those who had been frozen in shock hurriedly followed the order that came out of nowhere.

Several large rocks had fallen because of the cave ceiling's collapse moments earlier, providing footing.

Quaven saw that a delicate-looking fairy was taking command of the battlefield. Who is this guy?

It was Michael, the acting director of Block 107. To be precise, it was Leone acting as Michael.

Then, Quaven understood the meaning behind Leone's orders. The enemy was swarming beneath the unstable, soft sand. In that case, it was safe to stand on relatively hard rock. It acted as ground to stand on and could also be used as a shield. The situation was a bit different, but this was the most basic way to deal with desert sandworms.

It was only after climbing on the rocks that they managed to sever one of the plant's tendrils for the first time. The tendril collapsed on the sandy ground, spraying an odd, transparent fluid as it fell.

This was the subjugation force's first achievement, but this didn't mean that the situation had improved. It was only barely able to stop the deterioration.

Leone understood what was happening after looking around and shouted, "This won't work! The only exit has been sealed off, and this entire underground space is within that damn monster's reach. No matter how many tendrils we cut, there is no end to them!"

"T-then what are we supposed to do?" Quaven asked.

"Don't ask the obvious, you thick-headed boar! We have to kill the main body!" Leone looked around the battlefield and shouted, "Anyone who can fly or move across the fallen debris, get ready to strike at the main body! The rest of you, make as much noise as you can and draw its attention! That thing senses movement through the vibrations of the ground by using its roots!"

"No!" Quaven objected, causing a vein to bulge on Leone's forehead.

"What do you mean no? Are you planning to argue about the hierarchy right now?" she argued.

"That isn't it! We don't have the type of cooperative system required to follow your orders!"

Before being imprisoned here, Quaven used to be a well-known beastman warrior on the Eastern Grasslands. Naturally, he had a lot of experience in leading battles.

"Not a single one of us can flee if we want to form a proper battle formation! It doesn't matter if that restraint comes from mutual trust or fear of our superiors! The only thing that matters is something that we lack." Quaven continued with wide eyes. "Do you think it is possible for us to cooperate under the circumstances? A plan can only be hatched when there is trust between the two sides! Right now, we..."

Mid-sentence, Quaven suddenly felt something tighten around his ankle. A tendril that had burrowed through the ground had grabbed him and dragged forward with great force.

Quaven quickly swung his axe and severed the tendril. Then, as if they had been lying in wait, others immediately coiled around both his arms. The tendrils' grip was so strong that all Quaven could do was cling to his axe.

Just as he was about to be dragged into the mouth of the carnivorous plant, Stonegan, who was nearby, grabbed the tendrils with his bare hands and tore them apart with overwhelming strength.

Startled, Quaven hit the ground and rolled.

Their eyes met for a brief moment. Quaven's eyes shook with agitation, but Stonegan remained calm.

Stonegan was the first to look away and rejoin the battlefield. He proved to be a tremendous asset in this battle. Thanks to his heavy weight, the tendrils couldn't drag him away. He was also resistant to the constricting force that bound others.

"The prisoners here aren't as stupid as you think," Leone said.

"What?"

"They aren't stupid enough not to cooperate under the circumstances. If we fail, we are all dead anyway, so they should show the minimum faith necessary."

At Leone's words, Quaven examined the battlefield more calmly. It looked like a chaotic fight at first glance, but on closer inspection, a semblance of a formation was taking shape.

"It is hard to believe," Quaven muttered.

"Even though you are seeing it with your own eyes?"

"The minimum faith you spoke of also requires the first step to be taken. The gap between the seven races and the lesser races can never become narrow," Quaven remarked.

"We are lucky. That step was already taken not long ago."

Quaven couldn't discern the deeper meaning behind Leone's words. It wasn't that he didn't have any questions, but there was no time for leisurely talking in the midst of this chaos.

The beastman warrior took a deep breath. The breath was so deep and powerful that the air seemed to rush toward him, and his chest swelled up greatly.

Then, Quaven let out a thunderous roar. "From now on, anyone confident in their mobility can tear that damn mouth apart!"

It was a simple shout, but the effect wasn't small.

Leone looked at Quaven in surprise. A war cry?This guy is one of the eastern high warriors.

The war cries of these high-ranking warriors weren't merely loud shouts to convey information. They carried a force that uplifted the listener's heart and mind, igniting their fighting spirit. It made allies forget their fear while increasing the fear of the enemies. Of course, it was difficult to see the second effect, as the opponent was a plant. Still, the first effect was complete.

Others started roaring in response before charging toward the monstrous plant's head.

Leone finally let out a quiet sigh. At the very least, they had avoided the worst possible outcome, a senseless massacre.

I can faintly feel some miasma. The entrance was blocked, but Leone could feel it. Something unusual was happening outside right now. What the hell is going on?

Leone was annoyed by the current situation, as she couldn't read the intentions of the leader. She knew that she had to admit this obediently, but it wasn't easy. That cunning person's brain was several steps ahead of her own.

Suddenly, Leone sensed a presence that sent a chill down her spine. Her energy detection was not outstanding, but someone who had been concealing his presence this whole time suddenly revealed himself.

Leone knew whose aura this was. Delac?

Her gaze shifted to the ceiling of the cave.