Pioneering the Apocalyptic World - Chapter 15
Chapter 09: In the first village
As I expected, it was a fishing village.
On the sandy beach there is a wooden pier and several small boats. There are nets and harpoons that are probably work tools around, and fish are being dried in the sun.
As we headed inland, perhaps in preparation for the waves, there were sparsely built wooden houses built on stilts. At a quick glance, there are about 30 houses, so the population should be around 100. It’s was more than the game age villages.
Because of the God of Destruction, there was no big urban development, so there was nothing big enough to be called a city, and there were only a few towns, and most of them were village-sized, if were 10 houses in it, it was a enough to be considered a big village.
Hmm, there is a fence around the village, but it’s a bit worn out. Does that is really capable of keeping the monsters from invading?
When I was walking around looking around, I met an uncle who looked like a fisherman with a rope on his shoulder.
“Hello? It’s rare for people to come from outside. What’s you girls are doing here?”
“Hello. Um, we are in a traveling trip.”
It can’t be helped if I lie a bit, so I intended to give an innocuous answer, but…
“A trip? I don’t will say anything bad, but it’s dangerous, so you should return to your home!”
What are you talking about? I got a reaction like that.
Well, that’s right. Even in this relatively peaceful area, monsters often appear at night.
Isn’t it unreasonable for people to think “Are you insane?” when it’s just two little girls like us who don’t seem to be able to fight.
…Come to think of it, this person should have noticed Uru, but he didn’t mention it. Does he have no prejudice against lizards or is there just not enough lizards around here to have any prejudice?
“Thank you for your concern. But I’m taking precautions, so it’s okay.”
“But…”
The uncle looks at me with eyes full of suspicion. It would be a problem if I was treated too harshly in a village that might be my foothold in the future, so let’s take it easy and gain a favorable impression.
“By the way, uncle. Are you having trouble with something broken??I’m good at fixing things.”
“There are many things that are broken, but…”
He is looking towards the pier. If I look closely, the pier itself is full of patchwork, and it feels like it might break apart if you’re not careful.
I wonder if the wooden sticks scattered around are parts of something.
“…Isn’t there anyone who can fix it?”
“That’s, no matter how much we fix it, it will be broken aga–”
“The sharks are here!!!”
When the uncle tried to explain while sighing, a loud voice echoed and interrupted the talk.
As if he was being repelled by something, the uncle looks at the sea and starts running with his face distorted bitterly.
“Young girls, evacuate to the interior of the land!”
“Huh? It’s a shark, isn’t it? As long as we are on the beach, shouldn’t it be fine?”
Shark. It is a monster that represents the sea. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that we(players) always meets them when we tries to go to sea.
There are two ways to move across the sea. One is to prepare a boat, and the other is to prepare underwater breathing items and swim or go underwater.
In latter way, the player’s movement are being restricted underwater and puts the aquatic monsters on favorable terms in a fight, so we would like to avoid it as much as possible, but if we want to go a undersea dungeon, we have to be prepared for that.
The former way is also a hard choice, as the sharks can fly over the surface of the sea like a flying fish,
if we are not careful enough, we will be biten off from the boat
However, they are just sharks, their range of action is only the sea. If we escape to the land, they will give up and go home?
“Those guys have legs! They are so disgusting that is hard to even look!”
“F-feet? Eh? By any chance, fishman?”
If it’s a shark is just a complete monster, but a fishman is a different story. They are a race that tends to be treated as a monster along with Lizards.
If is a fishman, I want to be friendly with them if possible, but no matter how you think about it, it’s impossible right now.
Perhaps because they were fishing. The villagers who were out on the boat were being attacked first.
Besides, it’s probably what uncle was trying to say just now—”Even if we fix it, it will still be destroyed again” They must be the cause.
Shouting for friendship in a situation where the damage has already been done will only incur the antipathy of the villagers.
“… Uru, let’s go.”
“Umu”
“Hey!?”
Not toward the land, but toward the sea, ignoring the uncle who tries to stop us.
“What are you doing here? You’re in the way!” “Go home!”
I swiftly past the remaining villagers that are trying to confront the sharks and take the lead at the pier, which is closest to the target.
I take a bow out of the QA box and quickly aim the arrow, checking the direction of the wind and carefully aiming so as not to hit the villagers on the boat and…I shoot it!
Gyeeee!
All right, i hit it!
My weapons skills are half-baked, but my bow skills were honed during my game days!
With the buzzing voices of the villagers behind me, I shot arrows one after another and somehow managed to defeat the sharks without hitting the villagers.
I had Uru stand by in case of i miss a shot and they come in this direction, but it looks like it’s going to end without a turn to her to act.
I thought so, but…
“T-there’s still something there!”
The villagers who were cheering when I defeated the sharks turned around and changed to a voice of surprise.
“Uh…!?”
When I raised my gaze and checked the offshore area, I could see a huge shark that could be seen even from this position.
Wait a minute, what is that!? It’s not as big as the sea area boss the Kraken, but it’s too big for a shark!?
With my current equipment, it will be difficult to deal with a being of that size. While i was gnashing my teeth inwardly, wondering what to do. Uru spoke.
“Rion, Is it okay to kill that thing too?”
Maybe she picked up a harpoon that was lying around, Uru asked me while hitting my butt with a thud.
I almost reflexively tried asked her “Do it even reach from here!?” but that must be a stupid question. There wasn’t even a shred of arrogance in Uru’s voice.
‘Is it okay to kill that thing too?’
I was a little stuck in my reply.
Because that might be a fishman …… Words may be exchanged.
…But, I should have already decided my stance.
Putting my will on it, I slowly nodded back to Uru.
No matter what happens after that, I will take responsibility?
“What, I don’t want to let you carry the weight of it alone. And don’t worry about it. That’s definitely a ‘monster’.”
“……What?”
Uru spoke as if reading the conflict in my heart.
Leaving behind me, who couldn’t understand what she was saying, Uru quietly took a throwing stance.
Her appearance is wild like a beast, but it you also can glimpse elegance somewhere, it is an appearance full of contradictions.
From the hand holding the harpoon to the arm, through the torso to the leg, to the ground. I felt like I could see a single path.
“Shhh!”
The harpoon was released with a Uru’s sharp exhalation.
Shubabababababa!
Doppaaaaan!!
While cutting through the surface of the sea, it hit a giant shark without any deviation from the aim, transforming its huge body into a firework of flesh and blood.
“……Wow”
I was stunned by the results that far exceeded my imagination and exposed a stupid face and voice.
The villagers who also witnessed it all have become silent.
Uru, who created this situation, put her hand on her waist and puff up her chest satisfied.
But, there is one thing that we forgot.
This pier was in tatters.
–Baki
“Ah?”
The satisfied face became blank.
The pier, which could not withstand Uru’s stepping, lost all of it’s durability, and all of us on the pier fell into the sea together.