GalaxyTL
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Zuz… zuzu… zuzuzuzu…!
The body of Calamity Humidafai gradually rose from the ground, violently shaking the bottom of the Eserem Sea of Fog.
<<<…!>>>
Kobdalian gasped at the true form of Humidafai, finally revealed in its entirety after slowly rising.
It was… as he thought… a turban shell.
But… it was even larger than he imagined.
The shell that had been exposed on the ground was just the tip of this Calamity, and its whole body was as large as a rocky mountain.
“““BUSHUWAWAWAWA~!!! “““
Humidafai, completely emerging from the ground, simultaneously and forcefully released fog from the tips of the many spines protruding from its shell, and then…
…It started extending its main body from beneath its shell… towards the corpses of the Kobudai warriors!
Its speed is slow.
But… for a snail, it’s fast!
Slowly, like an approaching wave, Humidafai’s body extended and spread, covering the corpses of the Kobudai warriors.
And apparently, Humidafai can digest and absorb prey on the spot, after enveloping them with its body, and a sizzling sound, like the corpses of the Kobudai warriors being digested, could be heard from all around.
It’s like a carpet of hell!
Kobdalian’s face turned pale at the horrifying sight.
<<<Guhohoーーー! This is amaaaazing!>>>
On the other hand, the surviving Black Kobu warriors are overjoyed.
Clan Chief Kobdarok’s plan was a complete success, and the Black Kobu Tribe has gained an overwhelmingly powerful force in Humidafai.
Now everything will go their way.
Kobudai, octopuses, sharks!
All will bow down to the Black Kobu Tribe!
The Black Kobu warriors, mimicking Kobdarok, laughed vulgarly, danced the Kobudai victory dance, with the sound of the warriors’ corpses dissolving as background music!
But the next moment!
Byunn!!
With the sound of something cutting through the air, a harpoon-like part shot out from Humidafai’s body, covering the ground, and pierced through a Black Kobu warrior!
<<<Eh…?>>>
The Black Kobu warrior, pierced by Humidafai’s harpoon, just muttered that, dumbfounded…
…And then, pulled towards Humidafai’s main body with tremendous force…
…Was thrown into a hole that opened up, like a mouth… devoured, and died.
The name of this harpoon is ‘Radula’.
Humidafai can control countless of these weapons that cone snails possess.
<<<Hiih!?>>>
<<<No way!? >>>
<<<I don’t want to…! >>>
The Black Kobu warriors, witnessing this horrifying tragedy, finally realized what was happening when they heard the sizzling sound coming from the spot where the Black Kobu warrior was devoured.
And they panicked, trembling in fear.
But it’s too late.
Too late.
Even living Black Kobu warriors are nothing more than sacrifices to Humidafai.
They should have realized that sooner.
Humidafai was watching.
With countless eerie eyes, floating and rolling on its body, it was watching the fresh fish swimming in the air.
They’ve already been… locked on…
Byu-byu-byunn!!
Dos-dos-dosuu!!
The next moment, most of the Black Kobu warriors, and the Blue Kobu warriors, were pierced by the simultaneously launched radulae, pulled towards Humidafai’s body, devoured, and died.
<<<S-Something’s wrong!? This, this isn’t right!? >>>
Humidafai’s appetite is bottomless.
Any creature reflected in its countless eyes is a target for this Calamity.
Naturally, Kobdarok, the Clan Chief of the Black Kobu Tribe, who was still dodging and fleeing from Humidafai’s radulae, was no exception.
<<<I-I have the starfish! This Calamity obeys the one who holds the starfish! That was the deal, wasn’t iiiit!?>>>
Clang!
Clang, clang!
Kobdarok’s scales, as thick as rock, are tough, and were able to repel even the Calamity’s radulae.
But that’s only at first.
After being repeatedly pierced by the radulae, his scales finally shattered.
And the Calamity’s harpoon pierced his body.
Dosu!!
Dos-dos-dosuu!!
<<<GUHOーーー…!?>>>
Kobdarok screamed, his mouth wide open in pain as the radulae repeatedly gouged his body.
The Sealing Starfish he was holding… dropped to the ground.
<<<Wha!? AAAAAAAHーーー!!>>>
And just like that, he, like the other Black Kobu warriors, was dragged to the ground with tremendous force…
<<<Sea… I wanted to go… to the Sea…>>>
Leaving those last words… he was devoured by Humidafai.
* * *
Meanwhile, Kobdalian is still alive.
Apparently, Humidafai prioritized hunting down the Black Kobu warriors who were swimming in the air, and put off devouring Kobdalian and the others who were lying on the ground.
But that grace period seems to be over now, with Kobdarok, who was the last one to flee, being devoured.
Humidafai’s body was extending towards Kobdalian again, slowly.
<<<Guh, gi… I’m, I’m running out of time!>>>
Kobdalian gritted his teeth in frustration.
He hasn’t just been lying around doing nothing this whole time.
He was desperately absorbing the mana in the air, using it to heal his wounds.
But this self-healing isn’t easy.
Combined with his lack of mana, he still needs a few more minutes to be able to move.
And yet, Humidafai’s body is approaching him…
<<<…This is it!!>>>
Kobdalian, enduring the terrifying fear of death that made him want to scream, tightly closed his eyes.
The next thing he’ll feel is probably a burning pain, as he’s dissolved by Humidafai.
That’s what he thought.
But…
…His expectation was overturned…
Thump.
Kobdalian’s body was sent flying several meters with a strong impact…
Only a few meters, but…
…He was distanced from Humidafai’s body.
<<<Eh!?>>>
Kobdalian opened his eyes in surprise.
And what he saw was…
Despite being charred black and staggering…
…Standing in front of Humidafai, as if to protect Kobdalian…
…Was Kobdacleva.
It seems that Kobdalian’s body was… knocked away by him, with a body slam…
<<<Why…? >>>
<<<…>>>
Kobdacleva, looking back at Kobdalian, who asked with a dumbfounded expression, stared at him.
Kobdacleva is even more battered than Kobdalian.
It’s a miracle that he’s even able to stay afloat.
He’s in such a state.
Even speaking is a chore.
Therefore, he couldn’t answer Kobdalian’s question logically, as he usually does.
He didn’t have the time, the stamina… anything.
So…
After staring at Kobdalian with eyes filled with complex emotions… hatred, affection, contempt, and respect…
He said a single word…
<<<…You… live.>>>
And just like that, he collapsed to the ground…
…And was swallowed by Humidafai…
<<<…You make it sound so easy…>>>
Kobdalian, now the last Kobudai warrior, muttered to himself, desperately trying to heal his body.
And then, he got up unsteadily, and floated into the air.
He recovered enough to be able to do that.
But that’s all.
He still can’t move quickly.
If he’s hit by a radula, he’ll die instantly.
He doesn’t have the stamina to run away either.
But even so, Kobdalian hasn’t given up.
The fighting spirit in his eyes still burned brightly.
Because he’s a warrior.
He now has one more thing he has to carry on his back… live, and carry…
He can’t die here… meaninglessly!
But sadly, even though he holds that determination in his heart…
…There’s nothing Kobdalian can do right now.
He’s trying to recover his stamina, retreating as fast as he can, but he soon runs out of breath and can’t move.
<<<Damn it… damn it!!>>>
The distance between him and Humidafai is closing…
Kobdalian cursed, sweating, and then…
<<<DAAAAAAAAAAMN IIIIIT!!>>>
He screamed!
At the same time, a radula shot out from Humidafai!
It’s extending towards Kobdalian’s head… only a few moments before it takes his life…!
But…!
…It was at that moment!
Zudonn!
With that sound…
…Stepping on the radula, stopping it, standing as if to protect Kobdalian…
…A black creature… fell before Kobdalian’s eyes!
A creature with two legs and two arms!
With black hair growing from its head and black eyes!
<<<Th-The monster…? >>>
Yes!
It’s that eerie, humanoid monster… that Kobdaroze risked his life to hold back!
<<<Why are you here…? >>>
“…………”
The monster remained silent in response to Kobdalian’s involuntary question.
It just stared at Kobdalian, emitting a jet-black haze, like steam, from the gaps in its jet-black scales (that’s how the Kobudai perceive it).
And then, casually…
<<<Wha!?>>>
…It lifted Kobdalian’s giant body…
…And threw it… with all its might… towards the outside of the giant hole!
<<<AAAAAAaaah…?>>>
After confirming that Kobdalian, flying with a pathetic cry, was out of sight…
“…………”
This monster…
…No…
…Emi Rune, the traveler!
…Faced Calamity Humidafai, the super giant turban shell that continues to extend and spread its body… and clenched both her fists!!
* * *
But why did Emi, who should have been buried under the cliff, appear in this forbidden grounds and save Kobdalian?
To tell that story, let’s go back in time a little bit next time…
——
The protagonist… has appeared!!