Third Outer World Story Series: Pumpkin Sorcerer - Chapter 98
Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter
“Is that the one?”
“Yes. No doubt about it.”
“It’s certainly as it looks in the drawing.”
“Upu… we’ve finally arrived huh…”
Two days had passed since Gorky and the others left Samsara Egg Village. Having overcome the challenges of advancing through Lean Forest with a group of unfamiliar scholars, the team arrived at the ruin in question.
“It’s impossible to do research… right away.”
“Well, I guess we better call it a day.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect we’d reach this far… ugh.”
Gorky looked at the scholars accompanying them, but they appeared to be suffering from a mild case of Magic Intoxication from being exposed to the dense magic power in the environment and were suffering from nausea and vertigo, seemingly incapable of any further investigation until familiarized themselves with the concentration of magic power in this area.
Gorky, therefore, intended to set up a basic base of operations with Crave and the rest of the research team and then retire for the remainder of the day but…
“A swarm of Piti Spiders!”
“Not again! Gorky!”
“Everyone, ready on your feet! Watch out for those threads! Valkyrie!”
“Bun!”
It looked like they had company before that.
Gorky gave the directive for the group to ready their standard ash-hardwood swords at that point, and his Hunting Bee companion, Valkyrie, assumed a battle stance.
A bunch of Piti Spiders emerged from the forest after everyone had prepared their postures. There were five of them.
According to his recollection, Piti Spiders were spiders that were approximately a meter long and distinguished by the emission of sticky threads that contained a paralyzing venom from their mouths and buttocks. The venom would have no effect on them, the Spalpkins, though.
[[[Kisha!]]]
“Here they come! At least three of you guys take them on!”
[[[Understood!!]]]
They dispersed to fend off thread assaults while the Piti Spiders pounced on them, each taking an opponent from the pre-planned party that had been appointed.
In the midst of this, Gorky, Crave, Valkyrie, and Anks chose the largest of the Piti Spider that had assailed them as their foe.
“Kichacha!”
“As if that would have any effect!”
“Bun!”
“Hey!”
The Piti Spider that had locked onto Gorky right in front of his face spat threads at him, but as soon as he split the threads with his great sword with magic power-infused, Valkyrie delivered a shallow slash with her stinger from above, followed by Crave bashing it in the side of the body with his shield.
“Keep going! Anks!”
“Suu… funnulaba!”
“Gicha!?”
Instead of holding the ash-hardwood weapon that they, Spalpkin, were accustomed to using, the figure of Anks, poised at the end of Crave’s blasted Piti Spider, was clutching a heavy axe fashioned by steel.
Once he regulated his breathing, Anks swung the axe aggressively.
The Piti Spider was then propelled into the air while having its rigid exoskeleton shattered.
“Smash it to pieces!”
“Blow it to bits!”
Crave and Gorky simultaneously slashed at it to dispose of the Piti Spider as it was being launched up.
“Phew. That’s the end of it.”
“What are you talking about? Let’s go help the others.”
“Right. That’s what our party is all about.”
“Bunbubu.”
“Weh…”
[[[Gisha!!]]]
As for Anks, he was already resting, but because Gorky, Crave, and Valkyrie were this research team’s primary force and had been tasked with eliminating adversaries and providing quick help to other teams in an emergency, they immediately launched an attack on the next target.
Well, given the high concentration of magic power in the area, the magical beasts were getting even tougher, which suggested that it was bound to be a long night.
—————–
“Minor injuries, but no serious injuries? Well, that’s good to hear.”
“Yeah. We are on an escort mission after all.”
Following the addition of one more dish to the dinner menu without any fatalities, a simple investigation base was constructed, and the next day’s preparations got underway as Gorky and Crave discussed what to do as Valkyrie was perched on top of his head.
“For now, our first priority tomorrow is to inspect the perimeter and confirm the topography of the surrounding area.”
“The next step is to investigate the building as a whole.”
“So, we’ll do an interior investigation when that is finished and we are certain that everything is secure. Fortunately, food can be gathered in the forest, but considering that we have to return to the village before winter, whether we will be able to finish the interior investigation this time is becoming a concern.”
“Nevertheless, safety comes first.”
“That’s true. That’s the first priority.”
“Bun.”
Both Gorky and Crave underlined what was of the utmost importance and reaffirmed it in their respective words after confirming the phases of the investigation and the estimated number of days needed to complete each step.
In reality, there was no predictability in what would be encountered in this investigation, so in the worst-case scenario, even if there was a magical beast on the level of the Entdragon, which the village chief had defeated in the past, the members were all prepared to escape, but to be honest, a sense of uneasiness still remained.
In light of this, the fundamental policy of this research team was to “not overdo it, not be greedy, not act independently.”
“Well, in any event, we can’t do anything until the scholars adjust themselves to the density of magic power in this place.”
“That goes without saying.”
However, as Crave said, the scholars that have been brought in can only investigate the area around the base until they have recovered from the Magic Intoxication.
Gorky questioned, nonetheless, how weak the magic power was outside of the forest given how simple it was for scholars to suffer Magic Intoxication, despite his lack of knowledge of the outside of the forest… Well, admittedly the concentration of magic power in this area was more or less dense.