Earth Dungeon 56.2

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Chapter 56.2. Water Source

"Kweeee!"

Sahuagin Leader, like a walking armored vehicle, opened its mouth in a threatening manner.

Only to have its mouth pierced by a spear, surprising it. It shuddered and trembled before succumbing to death.

"When an enemy is in an attack stance and within a 5-meter range, it intimidates. That's when its biggest weakness is exposed. It's like a fish taking the bait, isn't it?"

With a Sahuagin Leader's spear in one hand and another spear pulled out after kicking the leader away, Shizuku threw it forcefully after spinning her body in place. She threw it toward the two flanking Sahuagin who had been intimidated by the fallen leader.

The intimidated Sahuagins had spears impaled in their heads and fell powerless.

"Eliminating one squad in 10 seconds. Considering the travel time, let's aim to eliminate ten squads in five minutes."

[Yeah, I'm no longer surprised.]

Her combat prowess is astonishing. Whether it's truly on par with her stats or surpassing their limits is uncertain.

Brushing her hair back with a composed voice, Shizuku pulled out the spear impaled in the Sahuagin Leader. With an unaffected expression, she casually slung it over her slender shoulder.

"This hunting ground is quite rewarding. Look, they come out from the Arakawa River."

As the distant leader screamed, Sahuagin emerged as a group. Defeating all of them would likely yield a considerable amount of stat points.

"As far as I can see, there's no Sahuagin Emperor. With that, it should be easier. Each squad attacks in the same pattern, separately."

[How many different patterns are there?]

"38 patterns."

[I don't think you should call those patterns.]

"If you memorize them, it's easy."

With a smile, Shizuku jumped backward in a graceful backflip. Multiple high-pressure water bullets passed underneath her.

"Using water bullets for suppression. We've narrowed it down to six patterns. This way, I can manage without using martial arts."

As Shizuku landed lightly on the ground, she ran towards the next squad. Fighting against squads of monsters centered around leaders is like playing a straightforward game of chess against low-level enemies with few skills.

There's no element of losing at all. Enemy after enemy appears, but those trying to attack her are limited.

"Monsters' behavior against a solo opponent is easy to understand and predict."

Dancing almost like a predetermined routine, Shizuku systematically took down the Sahuagin one by one, with an air of detachment. It was as if the Sahuagin were moving to attack themselves to be defeated.

"I declare that you all will never be a match for me. It's like I'm a fishmonger expert at cutting fish. Because I see it from a leader's perspective. Even though it looks like 5 against 1, it's 1 against 1."

Sahuagin Leader has [Leadership] skill. It's similar to the Goblin King's [Royal Guard Enhancement]. The leader manipulates the squad's intentions single-handedly. Therefore, responses are simplified. For Shizuku, it's more challenging when there's no leader.

After a while, all the Sahuagin were wiped out, and a mound of corpses formed around.

"While fighting spirit slightly aids in recovering fatigue due to its stat modifiers, I'm still a bit tired."

She wiped a little sweat away with her hand, took a deep breath, and composed herself.

[This old man is kind of scared how 'a bit tired' ends with you, Shizuku-san."

"With a Dexterity of 500, I can execute precise actions. Not only can I discern enemy attacks, but I can also adjust my actions based on subtle feints."

[Such a fantastic job, Shizuku-san. How many points did you get?]

She had considerably wiped out the Sahuagin Leaders. I thought she had gained a fair amount of stat points, but before she could confirm it, Shizuku's expression turned serious.

"Sakimori-san, a vehicle is approaching. It sounds like there are multiple ones. There's even a truck. This might become a problem if we stay here."

Shizuku had picked up on the faint engine noise carried by the wind. It's likely the military.

[Huh? To the watering hole? If it's vehicles, then it's probably the military.]

"What should we do?"

[... Let's use [Shadow Move] to get back to the house for now... but it's a waste of the Core!]

Running away from this situation is easy, but leaving behind this pile of Cores is a shame.

"Then use [Summon All Units] and leave me behind. I'll retrieve the Cores. The duration was optimized to about 6 hours, right?"

[Yeah... that's true. Alright, let's do that. I'll head back first to gather information.]

"Get a mask ready. If you're found, put on the mask and tell you're collecting the scattered children while wearing a mask like the one fighting the Sahuagin."

Shizuku's ideas can be both good and bad, and her usual nonsensical statements add to the mix. Please don't go overboard.

"Please make sure they don't find you. [Magic Weapon]."

Using [Summon All Units], we split up, and a silver mask materialized in Shizuku's hand. It's a mask that covers half of her face. It's extremely dubious. In fact, why would she even need a mask?

"Woof!"

Perhaps sensing that I might change my mind, the puppy-like beautiful girl swiftly snatched the mask away. She attached it to her face, and with a chuckle, it became magically affixed and couldn't be removed.

"It's your first present for me, Sakimori-san."

With a truly delighted expression, she twirled around with a smile that blossomed like a flower.

"When it comes to presents, I'll give you something proper next time, okay? Hey, make sure you don't get caught, alright? It's a promise, okay?"

"Leave it to me. I'm skilled at hiding and sneaking. I'll gather the Cores."

"If you get the information, come back immediately, okay? Hide when they'll discover you."

"Sure thing. Leave it to me!"

With a firm pat on the chest, Shizuku assured me. Despite his concerns, Sakimori headed back to their base to gather information.

And it was from Ooki-kun that Sakimori obtained information.