Chapter 340 - 293: Deal Settled (Part 2)

"Water-sending?" Shire didn't understand the term. He looked up at the floating Fulu beside him to confirm there was no issue with the Mind Platform he had set up. Fulu tapped its eyestalks a few times, signaling that nothing was wrong.

"Water-sending is a unique custom of our Frogman Race," the Frogman Race Leader said, stroking his white belly. The eyes on top of his head gazed toward the dark lake water in the distance. "When a Frogman grows old, we place him on a piece of wood and push him toward the center of the pool. The old Frogman can get food from the water on his own, but he is no longer allowed back on shore. He stays there until he dies, croak."

The Clan Leader trailed off, falling silent. He stared at the lake water, as if silently counting how many of his dead kin rested within the pool.

Shire frowned. He'd found it strange before—when Wa Er San Wu Qi Yi had led him through the Frogman village, he had noticed the complete absence of any funereal structures like graves. This was different from the goblins. Goblins lived in the forest; their only graves were the forest soil and the bellies of wild beasts. But this was an originally sealed underground cavern. 'So what happens to the Frogmen after they die?'

Now he finally understood the Frogman Race's method. It sounded cruel, like the "earthenware jar tombs" he'd heard about in his past life. But in an underground cavern like this, the food supply was surely limited.

"I am already very old. I don't know when I will die. I hope my 'water-sending' will take place in the new waters, croak." The Frogman Race Leader didn't see Shire's expression and just continued speaking his thoughts aloud.

"I'll do it as quickly as possible," Shire nodded. "However, that new body of water is vast. I imagine food is plentiful there. Besides, you'll be able to trade with me. Maybe you won't have to perform the 'water-sending' ritual anymore."

Hearing Shire's words, the Frogman Race Leader pulled his gaze back from the distance and looked down at the goblin before him. Shire met his stare calmly. They looked at each other in silence for nearly ten seconds before the Frogman Race Leader finally spoke: "Thank you, savior."

Shire pursed his lips. Even though Wawa One Four Four was old, even though he was trying hard to control his tone, and even though their communication was taking place on Fulu's Mind Platform, Shire could still perceive the tremor in the old Frogman's voice.

"You don't have to thank me," he said with a polite smile. "If you all hadn't made offerings to the Egg-Birth Gate day after day, if Wa Er San Wu Qi Yi hadn't dutifully performed his patrols, and if he hadn't grit his teeth and provoked the Demon Fish, perhaps things would never have reached this point."

Shire wanted to add, 'If you hadn't believed in the prophecy, persevered for the continuation of your race, and fought so hard to survive, you wouldn't have made it to this day.' But regarding that vague, ethereal prophecy, he had the faint suspicion that some other entity was pulling strings from behind the scenes.

"You are too modest, croak." The Frogman Race Leader didn't dwell on the matter, instead patting his belly again. "It seems one of your clansmen is looking for you, croak."

"Is that so?" Shire heard footsteps as well. He turned to look and saw Red Eyes jogging over, his Longsword slung over his shoulder.

"Chief, the monster isn't moving."

"Not moving?" Shire raised an eyebrow. "Is it dead?"

Red Eyes shook his head to show he didn't know.

And so, Shire bid farewell to the Frogman Race Leader and led his subordinate back to the edge of the pit.

This time, he approached the edge of the pit and carefully observed the Bottom-dwelling Demon Fish inside. The Bottom-dwelling Demon Fish lay motionless in the murky water, looking as if it had kicked the bucket.

'Something's not right,' Shire frowned. 'I haven't received a notification for a new Ability. It can't have just died like that... Don't tell me it's playing dead.'

Playing dead was an instinct for some animals. There were even bizarre cases of creatures luring in others by feigning death, only to spring up and ambush them. This forced Shire to be cautious. "Go get Pazani, Red Eyes."

Red Eyes nodded, immediately shouldering his sword and running over to the dozing Naga Prince. He then leaped forcefully into the air and knocked Pazani over with a kick.

"Who? Who is it?" The Naga Prince rolled twice on the ground before scrambling to his feet, only to see Red Eyes jabbering something at him.

"What is it?" Pazani rubbed his shoulder. 'Did this goblin just wake me up? How did he wake me up?'

Red Eyes continued to babble, pointing toward Shire by the pit.

"You could've just said so. Didn't have to do it like that," Pazani grumbled, "swimming" over to Shire's side with a swing of his tail. "You called for me?"

"I need you to test something," Shire said, nodding. He was smiling brilliantly. 'That kick from Red Eyes was really solid. It's a shame he didn't jump quite high enough to get him in the face,' he thought, feeling a little unsatisfied by the show. "Help me see if this Demon Fish is playing dead."

"Playing dead?" Pazani peered into the pit. "It's completely still. It ought to be dead for good." Nevertheless, he stretched out his palm and an Ice Spear of bluish-white light condensed above it.

PFFT! With a powerful throw from the Naga Prince, the Ice Spear plunged into the pit and stabbed directly into the Bottom-dwelling Demon Fish. The intense pain caused the creature to thrash its tail again. It struggled to lift its head, as if trying to see who was determined to kill it.

"Just as I thought. Not quite dead yet." The moment Shire saw water splash from the pit, he immediately backed away, strategically positioning the Naga Prince "protectively" in front of him.

"RAAAAGH!" Seeing the splash, Red Eyes, who was walking over, immediately raised his Longsword. He took a few quick running steps and then, sword held high, executed a Jump Slash directly into the pit. As he plunged in, several more columns of murky water shot up from the pit.

Shire's eyes went wide as he listened to the intermingling sounds of Red Eyes' battle cries and the Demon Fish's hisses. "Quick, Pazani, help!"

"Oh." The Naga Prince stood frozen for a moment. Spurred by Shire's shout, he quickly began to form another Ice Spear to hurl into the pit. But with a loud CLANG, a Longsword was tossed out, followed by Red Eyes' voice. "Chief... I can't get up."

Shire chuckled. A notification panel had already informed him that he had acquired the [Enslavement] Ability. This meant Red Eyes had successfully killed the Bottom-dwelling Demon Fish. 'That guy is still just as reckless as ever.'

Everyone scrambled to pull Red Eyes out of the pit. The handful of wounds on his body were already healing rapidly; his Regeneration Ability was at work.

"Chief, it raised its head... so I stabbed it to death." Red Eyes reported, rubbing various sore spots on his body. He took the Longsword another goblin handed him and came before Shire.

"I saw," Shire said, exasperated. He had indeed ordered Red Eyes—before going to see the Frogman Race Leader—that if the Bottom-dwelling Demon Fish actually jumped *out* of the pit, he should immediately go and stab it a few times to ensure it couldn't get back to the main pool. He never expected Red Eyes to see the fish twitch and immediately jump *in* to start stabbing. "You did a good job."

Fortunately, the Bottom-dwelling Demon Fish had already been on the brink of exhaustion and didn't have much strength left to struggle. Red Eyes also had bonuses to his strength, endurance, and Magic Resistance. More importantly, he had his Regeneration Ability.

Without those abilities, Red Eyes would have been crippled, if not killed.

"Since this thing is dead, everyone, let's haul it up." Shire didn't reprimand his subordinate, instead ordering the others to get to work. Meanwhile, Pazani circled Red Eyes, sizing up the goblin, unable to decide if he was courageous or simply reckless.

Soon, the Bottom-dwelling Demon Fish was hauled out of the pit. Blood streamed from several wounds on its body, and faint black smoke still steamed off its skin. The largest wound was just behind its head; it appeared Red Eyes' first strike had severed the Demon Fish's spine.

'This thing is huge,' Shire thought, a corner of his mouth twitching up as he visually measured the Bottom-dwelling Demon Fish.

However, he was soon interrupted. The Frogmen, shouting and croaking, swarmed the Demon Fish's corpse. They smashed it with rocks, pummeled it with their fists, and even tore at it with their teeth. Their cries were filled with boundless Anger. Before long, the Bottom-dwelling Demon Fish's blood pooled and spread, seeping through cracks in the ground and trickling back into the lake.

"What are they doing?" Pazani asked, coming up beside Shire.

"They're getting their revenge."