Chapter 169 [Pulangti of the Swamp]

Chapter 169: Chapter 57: [Pulangti of the Swamp]

With a series of sharp CRACKS, the Earth-Devouring Demon Insect whipped its short, bone-spiked tail and plunged headfirst into the damp, peat-rich soil.

"Try to move quickly. I’ll keep watch," Samael said, nodding. He waved his hand, directing the seven or eight Sword and Shield Knight undead behind him to scatter around Talia’s position and stay alert for any activity.

The water’s surface was covered in grimy aquatic plants, rippling with indistinct waves. The occasional CROAK of a toad punctuated the air, but the silence was otherwise somewhat unsettling.

Unsettling... He wondered why there were no bird calls. Samael looked up, glancing around in search of water birds in the branches. He remembered hearing them when he first entered the marshland. After searching for a while, he finally spotted a single water bird perched on a branch overhead. However, it remained utterly silent, hiding in the dim shade of the leaves as if terrified. He wondered why that was, and if there was something dangerous nearby that threatened it.

Samael looked around, his gaze suddenly catching on the water before him. A small patch of duckweed in the distance seemed to be moving. Remaining silent, he slowly activated the Nether Copper Printer, and a sword and shield rapidly materialized in his palms. He held the Kite Shield loosely, not immediately raising it to guard his front. Instead, he casually paced along the bank.

SQUELCH. The peat layer beneath his feet oozed muddy water as it was trampled by his Nether Bronze Combat Boots. The distant shadow beneath the duckweed paused in the ripples, slowly rotating to adjust its direction. A torn duckweed leaf turned, gradually aligning itself with Samael’s position once more. Bubbles surged from beneath the surface as an alligator-like shadow floated silently in the mud.

"Pulangti?" Samael asked in a low voice.

The duckweed offered no response.

"Pulangti..." Samael’s voice carried through the murky water, surging and taking on a muffled, heavy texture from the marsh’s stagnant depths, accompanied by a liquid, humming echo. POP. A bubble burst. The shadow beneath the duckweed slowly submerged, its blurry outline vanishing completely.

Samael remained silent as he backed away, pressing his back against a swollen Rusted Copper Tree. He slowly raised the Nether Copper Kite Shield in his hand. On the open water before him, seven or eight patches of duckweed began to drift simultaneously, faintly forming a vague encirclement.

SWISH! Amidst the SPLASH of water, a Nether Copper Short Fish Spear erupted from the surface, piercing through the air as it flew straight at Samael! With a loud CLANG, the Kite Shield barely blocked the strike. Samael spun sharply, sidestepping the aerial roots at his feet and ducking behind the swollen Rusted Copper Tree.

SWISH SWISH SWISH! A succession of projectiles tore through the air, accompanied by the SPLASHING of water, followed by a continuous CLING CLANG of collisions and the THUD of barbed spearheads embedding into bark.

Samael cautiously peeked out from behind the tree. Seven barbed Nether Copper Short Fish Spears were nailed into the trunk behind him, each trailing a flexible, thin rope woven from a mix of air-dried muscle and tanned leather. Beneath the water, seven or eight Nether Bronze Winches began to rotate simultaneously. The tough, muscle-and-leather woven ropes tugged at the Nether Copper Short Fish Spears, yanking them free from the trunk. With a series of PLOPS, they were dragged back into the water.

He realized that if he hadn’t dodged that volley, even though his body wouldn’t have been destroyed, the Nether Copper Short Fish Spears would have pierced his armor. Their barbs would have snagged him and forcefully dragged him into the underwater mud. Holding his shield, Samael observed cautiously from his cover. Eight bobber-like Nether Copper Hat Helmets covered in duckweed floated in the water.

SPLASH! SPLASH! Amidst the spraying water, eight tanned corpses wearing Nether Copper Wide-brimmed Helmets slowly stood up. Their rot-blackened, emaciated skin was wrapped in brown alligator-skin coats that offered excellent camouflage. The swaying hems of their coats made them look like eight seasoned swamp hunters.

In their long, sinewy claws, they gripped powerful Crossbow Mechanisms and spring-loaded Nether Copper Harpoon Spears. The sides of the spears were fitted with winches used for retrieving the spearheads and dragging in prey. Each tanned corpse monster had over a dozen barbed spearheads hanging from its waist, along with four or five waterproof leather sacks and a miscellaneous assortment of strange tools. They were almost better equipped than adventurers, looking exactly like veteran swamp hunters.

"We can talk about this..." Samael called out instinctively.

But the moment they stood up, the eight tanned corpse monsters pulled clumps of glowing green fungal balls from the sacks at their waists and hurled them fiercely at Samael.

SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT! A continuous burst of liquid erupted, followed by the bubbling, FIZZING sound of corrosion. The bark on the Nether Copper Tree Trunk where Samael was hiding was instantly eaten away, exposing the pale, cyan-white wood underneath.

Giggling laughter echoed through the marshland. The water bird on the branch cowered, retreating deeper into the shadows of the intertwined branches.

"Welcome to the Great Swamp, new face," the helmeted tanned corpses giggled shrilly. "I thought you were Lahador just now... but after Lahador stepped on a Beast Trap and got his helmet knocked off by a flying stick last time, he said he’d rather go look for Anshiba than ever come looking for me again."

The helmeted tanned corpses leisurely reloaded the Fish Spear Guns in their hands, drawing back the Crossbow Mechanisms and heavy springs. Leveling their weapons and splashing through the water, they slowly closed in on the tree trunk where Samael was hiding.

Pulangti’s voice echoed through the marsh. "The truce period is truly boring. It’s rare to have you here to help me test my new toys.

"Are you also unable to wait for the truce period to end? Don’t worry, the final three days of peace will pass in the blink of an eye. I’ve prepared plenty of new toys for everyone—oh, what are your traits and tactical style? I can prepare a custom gift for you too, just like Santa Claus—ho, ho, ho! Hahahaha!"