Chapter 190 - 189: Fuzui

Chapter 190: Chapter 189: Fuzui

BAM!

Hesia stared at the Frogman chieftain before him, whose physique rivaled Grek’s.

It clutched a Giant Axe, and wisps of smoke rose from the iron-hard muscles of its chest.

After taking a direct hit from a [Magic Missile], the monster staggered half a step and shook its massive head. It then steadied itself, a vicious glint in its amber, vertical pupils.

This was a natural cavern deep underground. It was far more spacious than the muddy burrows the other Frogmen had dug by the riverbank, large enough for five or six adults to stand side by side.

A total of 12 Frogmen were entrenched here; it was clearly a sizable outpost.

The Frogman chieftain didn’t fall. Instead, it opened its maw and let out a roar, then tensed its legs, attempting to close the distance with a leap.

Hesia’s expression remained unchanged as he gave a light tap of his Magic Wand.

Another [Magic Missile] shot out, its blue light tracing an arc through the air.

Though the Frogman chieftain had tanked the first one, it had clearly been unpleasant.

Seeing another missile flying toward it, it twisted its body in mid-air, trying to dodge.

However, just as it was about to land...

SHUNK!

A sharp, earthen-yellow Earth Spike burst from the muddy ground. It appeared precisely under the Frogman’s predicted landing spot.

SQUELCH!

The stone spike accurately pierced the area covered by a small, filthy loincloth.

"CROAK—!!!"

The bloodcurdling scream shook droplets of water from the cavern ceiling.

The Frogman chieftain’s amber eyes nearly bulged from their sockets, its once-ferocious expression instantly contorting into a mask of agony.

Then, the whistling missile struck it head-on.

BAM!

This time, it had no strength left to dodge.

The [Magic Missile] slammed squarely into its face.

Its body crashed heavily into the muck. Its limbs twitched a few times, then went still.

Having dealt with the chieftain, Hesia immediately turned his attention to Grek.

Grek, who had been surrounded by five Frogmen, suddenly found only two remaining.

This wasn’t due to a sudden burst of power from Grek. While aiming at the chieftain, Hesia had multitasked, using [Earth Spike Technique] to accurately impale two Frogmen who were trying to sneak up on Grek from behind.

Seizing the opportunity, Grek let out a Roar and swept his Broadsword sideways, slicing off half the head of a Frogman that was frozen in shock by the sudden turn of events.

The last Frogman saw its chieftain’s gruesome death and its fallen comrades. It immediately dropped its weapon, fell to its knees with a PLOP, and raised its hands, letting out begging "croak croak" sounds.

SWOOSH!

Without even needing to look, just from the distinctive sound of a Magic Missile cutting through the air, Grek expertly stopped the downward swing of the Broadsword he was about to bring down on the Frogman.

He didn’t even glance back at the falling Frogman, instead turning and charging toward Hayley and Hughes to help them.

’Damn it, I shouldn’t have killed that other one. Couldn’t help myself! Grek, oh Grek, you still have a lot to learn.’

Though he was berating himself internally, his feet never stopped moving.

Hesia didn’t hesitate either. Working with the other two, they quickly eliminated the remaining Frogmen. As the last one fell, the once-noisy cavern finally returned to silence.

Only then did Hesia turn his attention to the prompts that had already appeared in his mind.

[You have extracted the following entries by killing a Swamp Frogman—]

[Bouncing Tendons]

Your hind limbs possess astonishing Explosive Power, allowing for long-distance standing jumps. In battle, you can use these jumps to launch surprise attacks or to instantly create distance.

[Frog Croak Deterrence]

You can use your throat to produce a deep and resonant frog croak. This sound can disrupt an enemy’s concentration, even causing fear in weaker foes, while also bolstering the morale of nearby allies of the same species.

[You have selected the entry—Bouncing Tendons]

[Power +1]

[agility +1]

Hesia had been listening to the croaking of Frogmen all day, and it was certainly grating.

As for fear... he hadn’t felt any at all.

Perhaps it was because the difference in their strength was too great. And although he knew it utilized the throat and didn’t involve growing a vocal sac, Hesia couldn’t shake the feeling that his own cheeks might puff up like a balloon to make the bizarre sound.

Besides, against a truly strong opponent, this kind of deterrence would likely have little to no practical effect.

In comparison, a skill that increased his mobility was clearly more practical.

With the battle over, it was time for everyone’s favorite part: collecting the loot.

The division of labor was clear: Grek, Hayley, and Hughes, along with Hom, began harvesting webbed feet.

Hesia, on the other hand, specialized in searching for "Shiny." He headed straight for the depths of the cavern.

However, the scene before him made his breath catch in his throat.

On a dry stone platform, the items collected by the Frogmen were piled in a messy heap.

And in a corner next to the platform, a human corpse lay exposed atop a large pile of fish bones.

As Hesia drew closer, he realized it wasn’t one body, but one and a half.

The complete corpse had pale skin and a slightly bloated abdomen, clearly having been dead for no more than a couple of days.

Hesia took stock of the loot on the stone platform—countless copper nails and 23 Silver Scales.

Hom, who was closest, was the first to approach. His expression changed when he saw the bodies. "Is... isn’t this the two unlucky souls Theo was talking about? Did these Frogmen kill them?"

"Are you actually stupid, or just pretending? If the Frogmen had killed them, their bodies would have been dragged into the cave long ago. How would those guys have seen them outside?" Grek’s voice came from behind.

"Oh... right," Hom said, scratching his head and taking a closer look. "Don’t recognize them. They look like they’re from out of town."

Grek stepped forward and turned one of the bodies over, frowning. "This is a blade wound on the back, a deep gash. None of the Frogmen we just fought used blades. Looks like they really weren’t killed by Frogmen."

Mr. Hughes came over. Looking at the incomplete corpse, he began murmuring a prayer for the deceased.

Hayley, meanwhile, knelt down to examine the wound, her expression grave.

"Is there anyone in Trout Town who would do something like this?" Hesia asked.

Hom paused for a moment. "Sir, you’re saying a person did this? That can’t be right... Everyone’s just here to make money..."

Before he could finish, he seemed to remember something, and his face turned grim. "But... if it was a blade wound, there is one person..."

Grek immediately pressed, "Who?"

"Fuzui."

"Fuzui?"

Hesia asked, puzzled. It was clearly a nickname.

Among Adventurers, these were more commonly called titles, and usually, only those who had reached the level of a Professional would have one, like "Blood Axe" Slag.

Or, if your personal strength was formidable enough to earn everyone’s respect, you could become a figure frequently talked about by Adventurers in taverns, like "Mountain of Unmoving" Hulk.