"GISHAAAAA!!"
"There!"
As the Swamp Digger lunged, Pepper parried with the blade of his Swamp Pepper Dagger, redirecting its momentum and slashing its flank with Horizontal Slash.
But the beast ignored him, its sights set on Aitoil, the Vorpal Bunny perched behind him.
"Aitoil!"
"I see it, Pepper-han!"
Aitoil grabbed her gourd canteen, took a swig of sake, and exhaled a blazing Enchanted Flame toward the Swamp Digger's snapping jaws, mimicking a wrestler's poison mist.
"GIJAA!?"
"Drunken Breath, yeah?" Aitoil grinned.
"Leave it to me!"
The sudden heat staggered the beast. Pepper countered Highbeat's stamina drain with Hydrate Work's agile steps, darting to the Swamp Digger's left gill.
"Shark-catfish! That gill's mine!"
With Ya Thrust, he drove the Swamp Pepper Dagger deep into the gill.
"GIJAGAA!?"
"And now—Ladder Slash!"
Switching to a reverse grip for bonus damage, Pepper chained Ladder Slash, tearing into the gill. Red polygons burst from the critical hit, and the Swamp Digger dove deep into the swamp.
"Not bad, Pepper-han!" Aitoil called, splashing through the muck to regroup.
With her support, the fight was going smoothly—too smoothly.
(No… it's been too perfect so far!)
A nagging dread clung to Pepper, like a waterlogged rope coiling around his thoughts. The Swamp Digger's secret tactic loomed.
"Yeah, but we can't let our guard down—!"
ZUDOOON! The swamp quaked violently.
"What's that!?" Aitoil yelped. "My feet… I can't move!"
"Is that it!?"
Pepper's feet stuck to the swamp's bottom, like being caught in a pool's suction drain. Sensing the trap, he swapped the Swamp Pepper Dagger for the Madness Breaker in his left hand and grabbed a Sonic Throwing Orb with his right.
He'd read about the Swamp Digger's ace during his research. This area boss had two aliases. The first, Lightweight Killer, reflected its ability to crush agile, lightly armored players with its tank-like bulk.
The second, its special action, cemented its reputation as the beginner's rite of passage. When its HP dropped below a threshold in a group fight, it trapped all players' feet in the swamp and randomly launched one skyward. The fall damage nearly guaranteed death. For a solo player, this move was a certain kill—hence, Solo Killer.
The swamp trembled harder under Aitoil, marking her as the target.
"Not on my watch!"
Pepper crushed the Sonic Throwing Orb, forming a bulge, and slammed it with the Madness Breaker's conical spikes, like popping a balloon with a needle.
A cataclysmic BOOM erupted—a thunderous Tyrant's Roar as if lightning had struck. The sound reverberated across the Quad-Eight Swamp, through Secondil and Thirdrema, even reaching the midlands of the Rampant Forest and a certain woodland beyond.
"—per-han! Pepper-han!"
"Ugh… huh!?" Pepper snapped awake. "The Swamp Digger!? Did we stop the Solo Killer!?"
"You bet we did," Aitoil said, peering into his face. She'd stuffed a Revival Herb into his mouth, curing his stun with its watery tang.
"That sound… like a god's wrath or a bell tower ringing in a new era. So loud, so powerful…"
She pointed to the Swamp Digger, its massive body sprawled limp in the swamp. Sound travels four to five times faster in water than air. For a beast in the swamp's pseudo-aquatic terrain, the orb's blast was like a rock concert at max volume blasting through their eardrums. Pepper was lucky his weren't shattered.
"Pepper-han."
"Yeah."
No more words were needed. Aitoil handed him the Madness Breaker, and Pepper gripped it, advancing through the muck.
Switching back to the Swamp Pepper Dagger, he stood before the beast's ravaged left gill—a critical weak point—and activated Heavy Strike, Swing Strike, and Raise Impact in unison.
"Time's up, Swamp Digger. This round goes to me and Aitoil. But next time, I'll take you down solo."
Acknowledging that Aitoil's aid was key, he paid respects to the beast, unleashing his strongest blow. The Madness Breaker struck the gill, shattering polygons in a burst. The Swamp Digger's body dissolved into the swamp.
A chime rang in the silent swamp, signaling Pepper's level-up.
"Well done, Pepper-sama, and your Vorpal Bunny companion," an Enhance Trading Company staffer said, approaching with recovery and mana potions to heal their battle fatigue.
"Thanks for the heals," Pepper said. "You're not shocked by a talking Vorpal Bunny?"
"I was at first," the staffer admitted. "But seeing you fight alongside her, I deemed her trustworthy."
"Well, ain't you got a good eye," Aitoil teased.
In Shangri-La Frontier, NPCs and monsters are typically hostile, making field companions risky. The staffer's judgment, based on observation, earned Pepper's respect as a trustworthy figure.
"We recorded the Sonic Throwing Orb's performance," the staffer continued. "If you have any feedback, even minor, we'd appreciate it."
Pepper shared his thoughts candidly. "The texture and durability were perfect. The sound was strong enough to stun the Swamp Digger, which is great.
That said, adding grip ridges or seams would help with throwing, and making the mechanism trigger with less force would improve usability."
He'd only used two of the five orbs, one stopping the Solo Killer. That alone was a stellar result.
"Understood," the staffer said, jotting notes. "We'll report this to the branch leader. Within days, we'll produce an improved commercial version for sale. Please present this at any Enhance Trading Company branch to aid your journey."
A Silver Plate appeared in Pepper's inventory. Checking it, he was floored.
Enhance Trading Company Membership Card
A special card required for transactions at Enhance Trading Company shops.
Granted only to merchants with massive deals or those earning significant trust, it's a hallmark of a top-tier merchant's ambition.
It represents the company's faith—and the trust you've built.
(Whoa, they really trust me. It's like a merchant's golden ticket! Am I being scouted to ditch Pioneering for trading? Maybe because Backpackers dabble in commerce?)
Unsure of the company's scale, Pepper figured the card marked it as a major player. It'd be handy for shopping beyond regular tool stores, so he kept it.
"I'll return to Secondil," the staffer said. "Keep the prototype orbs—they're yours. May your journey be prosperous."
Waving, the staffer rode off in the carriage.
"It's over, Pepper-han," Aitoil said.
"Yeah, thanks, Aitoil. But the fight's not done until we reach Thirdrema. Like they say, 'Don't loosen your helmet's straps after victory.'"
"Oh, yeah! Big Bro Seeklu used to mutter wordplay like that," Aitoil chuckled.
Another sibling name. Pepper's curiosity piqued. (Aitoil, Edward, Bilak, Seeklu, Teak… All their names have alphabet letters. Are the Teacher's kids named like that?)
His battle-worn mind couldn't piece it together. (Whatever. Progressing the unique scenario will reveal the truth eventually. Enjoying the journey's the fun of gaming.)
Looking forward to that revelation, Pepper hid Aitoil in his cloak and crossed the swampy canyon toward Thirdrema. Arthur Pencilgon's info on the Gravekeeper Wezaemon quest was within reach.
"The beast swimming the swamp was quelled by the Tyrant's Roar."
"The Enhance Trading Company witnessed the battle."
"With the fatal rabbit, you crossed the swamp."
Title [Swamp Shark Suppressor] acquired.
Title [Tyrant's Roar Wielder] acquired.
Title [Shared Aspirations Across Species] acquired.
Special Quest: [The Tyrant's Gambit in the Swamp] progressed.
"Not long now… Heh heh, I'm waiting, Pepper-kun."
In Thirdrema, those pursuing the black wolf lay in wait.
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/Greyhounds
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