Chapter 212: The Welcoming Party

Gray watched the scene unfold from a distance, his golden eyes fixed on the pirate captain.

’What the hell...’

He had just witnessed the man cut down an enormous sea monster with a single slash. Even from this distance, Gray could tell that the attack had been incredibly powerful.

The man was clearly no ordinary pirate.

However, Gray’s attention soon shifted toward the barrier surrounding Great Tartarus.

Several cracks had begun to spread across its surface.

His expression darkened.

’That’s bad.’

If the barrier continued to deteriorate, those ships would eventually break through. And judging by their aggressive behavior, Gray had no reason to believe their occupants would be friendly.

He couldn’t afford to fight so many people at once, especially while Cindy was still absorbing the Essence of Tartarus.

’I need to get out of here before they arrive.’

But abandoning Cindy wasn’t an option.

Gray glanced back toward the hollow tree where she was resting. She was still immersed in the absorption process, completely unable to move or defend herself.

’Damn it. I need to think of something.’

His gaze shifted toward the interior of Great Tartarus.

Then, an idea began to take shape.

Gray remembered the creatures he had encountered before while exploring the enormous turtle’s body. Some of them had been troublesome, but he also remembered their particular behaviors.

’Those little bastards...’

A faint smile appeared on his face.

If he remembered correctly, imps were extremely aggressive toward creatures that entered their territory. More importantly, they tended to chase anything that attracted their attention.

And that gave him an opportunity.

Rather than confronting the intruders directly, he could make the monsters do it for him.

"Well... I suppose it’s time to put those memories to use."

Gray turned away from the ships and began moving deeper into Great Tartarus.

He carefully navigated through the massive interior, passing familiar passages and avoiding areas where he might encounter unnecessary trouble. Eventually, he reached the territory where the imps had established their nest.

The sounds of their movements echoed through the surrounding tunnels.

Gray stopped at a safe distance and observed them.

’There they are.’

He remembered how these creatures reacted to intruders. If he could lure them toward the surface and direct their attention toward the ships, the result would be chaotic enough to buy him some time.

Of course, there was no guarantee that everything would go according to plan.

But considering his current circumstances, he didn’t have many alternatives.

The creatures were gathered inside a large cavern, their small bodies covered in rough skin and their sharp claws scraping against the stone. They chattered among themselves, occasionally snapping at one another over scraps of food.

Gray observed them for a while.

’I need to attract their attention without getting surrounded.’

Gray found a small stone nearby and used one of his tentacles to launch it toward the cavern.

CRACK!

The stone struck the ground near several imps.

Their chatter immediately stopped.

A few heads turned toward the sound.

Gray remained hidden.

One of the imps let out a shrill cry, and the others quickly gathered around it. Their eyes scanned the cavern entrance, searching for whoever had disturbed them.

’Come on. That’s not enough.’

Gray threw another stone, this time striking one of the imps directly on the head.

The creature staggered.

Then its face twisted into a furious expression.

"KEEEEE!"

The imp screamed, and the entire nest erupted into chaos.

Dozens of imps rushed toward the direction of the attack, their claws scraping against the ground as they searched for the intruder.

Gray immediately began retreating.

"Yeah, follow me, you dumb creature."

He deliberately left enough traces for them to follow, occasionally throwing another stone whenever the creatures began losing interest.

The imps chased him through the passages, their shrill cries echoing throughout Great Tartarus.

Gray made sure to keep his distance.

He continued leading them toward the outer region of the turtle’s body, where the ships were attempting to break through the barrier.

As he approached the surface, Gray could already hear the distant sounds of battle.

The barrier was still holding, but its cracks had spread further.

’I need to hurry.’

Gray emerged from a narrow passage and glanced toward the ships.

The pirates and knights were still gathered around the damaged barrier, apparently preparing for their next attempt to breach it.

Meanwhile, the imps behind him were becoming increasingly agitated.

Gray moved toward a nearby opening and deliberately exposed himself for a brief moment.

Several imps immediately spotted him.

Their eyes widened.

"KEEEEE!"

The creatures charged.

Gray quickly slipped away, leaving them with only one obvious target ahead.

The ships.

’Enjoy your new guests.’

He retreated into the shadows and watched as the imps poured out of the passage, rushing toward the surface with their shrill cries.

The approaching creatures would soon collide with the people who had been trying to force their way into Great Tartarus.

Gray hoped the resulting chaos would be enough to buy him the time he needed.

---------------><---------------

On the ships, the mages finally completed their work.

The damaged barrier flickered before its remaining energy dispersed, leaving the way into Great Tartarus open.

"We did it!" one of the mages exclaimed.

Cheers erupted across the three ships.

The enormous turtle let out a deep, mournful roar. Its voice carried across the sea, sounding almost like a cry of sorrow as the barrier that had protected it for countless years finally disappeared.

Jooquin grinned and turned toward Luna.

"Excellent work, Lady Luna! You’re truly amazing!"

Luna brushed a strand of hair away from her face, looking rather pleased with herself.

"This was nothing for someone of my caliber."

She then gave him a pointed look.

"But don’t forget our agreement. I expect my share."

"Of course!" Jooquin laughed. "I always keep my promises!"

William watched their exchange with narrowed eyes.

’I don’t trust that pirate for a second.’

He had no intention of allowing Jooquin to take advantage of their agreement. He would keep a close eye on the man and ensure that he didn’t attempt anything suspicious.

Meanwhile, Jooquin raised his curved sword.

"All ships! Prepare to land! Let’s see what treasures this legendary creature has hiding on its back!"

"Aye, Captain!"

The crews immediately began preparing to disembark. Their excitement was palpable, and the prospect of exploring an ancient mythical creature seemed to have completely overshadowed the dangers they had faced.

The three ships approached Great Tartarus and began docking against its enormous body.

Once they had secured their vessels, the expedition members climbed onto the turtle’s back.

Luna was among the first to look toward its enormous head.

Her eyes widened with wonder.

"So this is Great Tartarus..."

Even for a mage of her caliber, seeing such a legendary creature up close was an extraordinary experience. Its enormous head alone was comparable to a mountain, and its ancient features seemed to carry the weight of countless centuries.

The others were equally amazed.

From their perspective, Great Tartarus’s back looked like a small island, complete with vegetation, rocky terrain, and towering trees.

"Look at all this!" one of the pirates exclaimed. "There must be plenty of treasure hidden here!"

Jooquin immediately turned toward his crew.

"Then what are you waiting for?! Spread out and explore! Search every corner! I want to know what kind of treasures this place is hiding!"

His men cheered and began preparing to move.

"Hold on!"

William stepped forward, his expression stern.

"What exactly are you doing?"

Jooquin tilted his head innocently.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Don’t pretend you don’t know!" William snapped. "Our agreement clearly states that both parties must explore together. If either side acts independently, it could trigger the contract’s penalty!"

Jooquin scratched his cheek, pretending to think about it.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot."

William’s expression grew even more irritated.

’He’s definitely doing this on purpose.’

Jooquin laughed and waved his hand dismissively.

"Fine, fine. We’ll explore together. No need to get so worked up."

But despite his carefree attitude, William remained wary.

The expedition had barely begun moving when a strange sound echoed from somewhere ahead.

"KEEEEE!"

"KEEE! KEEEE!"

The shrill cries grew louder, accompanied by the sound of countless small feet scraping against the ground.

William immediately raised his hand.

"Stop! Everyone, be alert!"

The knights quickly formed a defensive formation, drawing their weapons while the mages prepared their spells. Jooquin’s pirates also stopped, their earlier excitement fading as they looked toward the source of the noise.

Then, from behind the trees and rocky outcroppings, dozens of small figures began to emerge.

Imps.

But there were far more of them than anyone had expected.

They poured out from the surrounding vegetation, gathering across the path and staring at the expedition with glowing eyes. Their sharp claws scraped against the ground as they emitted a chorus of shrill cries.

For a moment, nobody moved.

Luna’s expression changed as she examined the creatures.

"Those are..."

She narrowed her eyes, carefully observing their unusual appearances.

"These aren’t ordinary imps. I’ve never encountered ones like these before."

Some of the creatures seemed larger than normal, while others possessed strange physical characteristics that Luna couldn’t immediately identify.

Her brows furrowed.

"Could they be mutated imps?"

William tightened his grip on his sword.

"Regardless of what they are, we can’t let them surround us. Knights, maintain your formation! Mages, prepare to support us!"

Jooquin, however, merely grinned as he looked at the growing horde.

"Well, well. Looks like the island has prepared a welcoming party for us."

The imps continued gathering.

And judging by their furious cries, they certainly didn’t seem interested in welcoming their guests peacefully.