Chapter 188 - 187: Loach Squad

Chapter 188: Chapter 187: Loach Squad

The afternoon sun struggled to pierce the thin, low-hanging haze, painting the endless reeds and murky water a dim, sickly yellow.

The temperature had risen slightly since morning, but this only intensified the stench of rotting plants mixed with silt.

Fortunately, they only had to endure the smell. The advantage of having a guide was that they hardly needed to wade through the water.

They traveled from one shoal to the next in Hom’s small boat.

Compared to the Frogmen, the venomous insects lurking in the reeds, the leeches in the water, and the unknown shadows beneath the dark surface were clearly more threatening.

"Around this time, those lazybones hiding in their holes should be coming out to play."

Hom pushed aside a clump of reeds with his long pole and said to the others on the boat, "They have to find food while it’s still light out. Fish, water insects, unlucky waterfowl... anything will do. We’ll head toward the shallower areas with denser reeds now and see if we can run into a few groups."

Sure enough, as the boat ventured deeper into an area with even denser reeds, their distinctive "GRAWK" calls began to rise and fall all around them.

Compared to the morning, which required carefully searching for cave entrances, the afternoon hunt was much more direct.

Hom would typically use his experience and sharp hearing to pinpoint the source and approximate distance of the sounds, then signal for the squad to approach.

Then, it was either Hesia with a precise kill from a Magic Missile, or Hayley and Grek moving in to end the fight quickly. Bruce was responsible for pouncing on any stragglers that tried to escape through the reeds.

They didn’t use fire. Hesia had warned them beforehand not to use flames in the reed marsh, as a fire here would be impossible to control.

Nevertheless, their hunting efficiency remained extremely high.

Occasionally, they would also discover new caves.

The squad wouldn’t pass them by, regardless of whether they were occupied by Frogmen.

After all, clearing out a nest offered a more stable reward, while exploring an empty one carried the thrill of opening a blind box.

Although most of the time they came up with a "Thanks for playing"—a few rusty copper nails and some junk.

But what if?

Like the pearl from that morning, there was always a chance for a pleasant surprise.

Just as they had finished off four Frogmen fishing in a shallow area and were getting back on the boat to head to the next shoal...

"WOOF! Something’s moving!" Bruce, who had been dazed by the rocking of the boat, instantly became alert.

Hom’s poling also came to a halt.

He looked to Hayley and Hesia, awaiting instructions.

Hayley and Hesia exchanged a look.

"Let’s go take a look, but keep our distance and observe the situation first," Hesia said.

Hom nodded and steered the boat, gliding in the direction Bruce was facing.

The sounds of a fierce struggle and the Frogmen’s unique croaks came from behind the reeds to their right.

Pushing aside the last thick patch of reeds, the scene ahead came into view.

On a relatively open shoal, five Adventurers were surrounded by more than a dozen Frogmen.

Four men and one woman. Their armor was rather plain, and the longswords, shortswords, axes, Nail Head Hammers, and bows in their hands looked to be of poor quality.

Two Frogman corpses already lay on the ground, and on the Adventurers’ side, one person was clutching their arm, blood seeping through their fingers.

While their coordination was decent, their individual strength was clearly lacking. Under the assault of the more numerous Frogmen, their defensive line was constantly being compressed, their movements growing sloppy and increasingly desperate.

A burly man with an axe had just cut down one Frogman when another immediately thrust a spear at him from the side. Fortunately, a young man with a sword next to him managed a desperate parry, preventing him from being run through. However, the young man’s own arm was slashed open in the process.

"It’s the ’Loach’ Squad," Hom said in a low voice to Hesia and the others after squinting to identify them. "They’re an Adventurer Squad from town. The big guy leading them is Theo. He’s got some brute strength."

At that moment, the "Loach" Squad in the middle of the fray also noticed the arrival of Hesia’s group.

The burly man named Theo forcefully parried a Frogman’s attack and took the opportunity to shout in their direction, "Hey! Friends over there! Give us a hand! We’ll split the loot fifty-fifty!"

The Frogmen surrounding them also spotted the new intruders. The stockiest one among them immediately turned and fixed its gaze on Hom’s boat.

At its signal, the remaining Frogmen ignored the boat and continued pressing the attack on the members of the "Loach" Squad.

The leader, however, jabbed its own chest with its thumb.

Then it let out a series of croaks that rose and fell in pitch:

"GRU-GWA-GWA! GWA... GWA-ROOOAR—!"

Hom was just about to translate.

But then he heard Hesia say, "It says it’s the great Mudskin King, and it wants us to throw down all our shiny things and get lost."

"Lord Adventurer... how can you understand what the Frogmen are saying too?"

’I’ve been listening to them all day. They keep repeating the same few titles, and the content is more or less the same. I just naturally picked it up,’ Hesia thought to himself.

Before he could explain, Grek had already said to Hom, "Think about it, if even you can understand them, how could Brother Galen not? Besides, is a Mage’s brain the same as ours?"

Hesia didn’t say anything. He saw Hayley looking at him, as if asking for his opinion with her eyes.

He quickly scanned the battlefield, assessing the situation.

The "Loach" Squad was in a tough spot, but they weren’t in any immediate mortal danger.

However, in his eyes, these dozen or so Frogmen represented more proficiency and Silver Scales.

He gave a slight nod.

Hayley understood at once. She raised her warhammer, "Prepare for battle! Grek, frontal assault!"

Only then did Grek stop his "Mage brain superiority" theory.

With a great splash of water,

He had already leaped from the bow of the boat onto the muddy ground.

With a Roar, he charged straight at the endlessly croaking Frogman leader.

Hesia also began to gather his Magic Power again.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Three Magic Missiles, like invitations from the grim reaper, precisely struck three of the most agitated Frogmen.

With dull thuds and abruptly silenced croaks, the tide of battle turned in an instant.

Bruce also let out an excited "WOOF!", leaped off the boat, and pounced on another Frogman that was trying to ambush Grek from the side, its panicked croaks filling the air as he bit down.

With the addition of Hesia’s fresh forces, the pressure on the "Loach" Squad decreased dramatically.

The Frogmen surrounding them immediately fell into disarray.

The Loach Squad seized the opportunity, fighting back fiercely and quickly cleaning up the remaining Frogmen.

After the battle ended, a temporary calm returned to the shoal, leaving only the corpses of Frogmen and the faint smell of blood.

Theo, panting heavily, wiped the sweat and splattered mud from his face and walked over with his squad members.

He first shot a wary glance at Hesia, particularly at the rather extraordinary-looking Magic Wand in his hand, before turning his gaze to Hayley, who appeared to be the leader.