Chapter 72: Rotten Water (1)
Chapter 72: Rotten Water (1)
Jude and Cordelia did not know much about the wild lands.
This was because the opportunities to visit the wild lands were rare in Legend of Heroes 2, and even if they could, the area they could visit was very limited.
In addition, they were involved in an incident that was not covered in the game because they had to thwart the barbarian invasion, which can be called the central event of the early scenario in Legend of Heroes 2.
Therefore, it was no exaggeration to say that it was an encounter with the unknown, that despite being rotten waters, Jude and Cordelia did not know the beginning, the process, and even the results of the events that were happening at the present time, as they were in the middle of thwarting the enemies’ plans with their own hands.
But even so, Jude and Cordelia were rotten waters.
Though they may not know of the events that were happening, they still knew about the characters who were involved.
“It was Madgar who made it rain.”
“Mid-ranking demonic human of the Devil’s Eye, a shaman.”
“She was originally from the Angry Bull tribe. She was abandoned once by her master who was a great shaman, but she met Haraken and gained the power of the demons, becoming a powerful demonic shaman.”
“Her aggressive nature is viewed favorably. She’s success-oriented and cautious. She has a lot of doubts due to being abandoned once by her master.”
“She has a personality that prefers to handle everything with her own hands.”
“She’s too confident.”
“An arrogant personality.”
Having spoken so far, Jude and Cordelia looked at each other, and Cordelia said in bewilderment.
“Crazy b*stard, did you memorize Madgar’s personality rather than her stats?”
“Hey, of course I memorized her stats. But I’m surprised you know a lot too?”
“I’m as rotten like everyone else is.”
“You’re perfectly rotten. Are you oil now?”
“Stop that oil nonsense.”
“Yes, Madam.”
T/N: Recap in case you forgot – ‘rotten’ refers to ‘rotten water.’ And ‘oil’ refers to someone who’s higher than ‘rotten water.’ All of these just refer to people who have played a game for a long time. ‘Oil’ refers to fossil fuels, which have been around for a very long time, so Koreans ended up using it as a related slang to rotten water.
After the two rotten waters finished ‘complimenting’ each other, they looked towards the front, or more specifically, they looked down the ambush point.
“They came.”
Jude said in a low voice, and Cordelia held her breath.
The two were lying down on top of a high peak, and not on Moonlight Hill.
There was a high peak overlooking the path that led to Moonlight Hill, and the path that led to Madgar’s main camp too.
Waiting for them since morning was worth it, as they were able to confirm that the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe really came.
‘As expected.’
‘Sure enough.’
Madgar was situated in the middle of the warriors’ ranks.
She was easily recognizable from afar because of her helmet made of a beast’s bones, and her skeleton staff.
After their confirmation, the two crawled and moved a little further down from their original positions, before they looked at each other.
‘Madgar really came.’
As she was originally from the Angry Bull tribe, Madgar knew well about the wild lands.
So she obviously knew about the Essence of the Blue Moon, and of the location of Moonlight Hill.
Madgar was skeptical and had a personality that preferred to handle important matters on her own.
That was why Jude and Cordelia had thought.
It was highly likely that Madgar would come to take the Essence of the Blue Moon.
And that prediction had become a reality.
So Cordelia gestured to Jude with her eyes, and Jude nodded his head.
‘Let’s go as planned.’
It was their contingency plan in case Madgar herself came here.
A smile spread over Cordelia’s face, and the two quietly stood up from their spot.
They hurriedly moved to get ahead of Madgar and her group.
***
Madgar’s eyes narrowed when they arrived on Moonlight Hill.
Moonlight Hill was a place where animals did not enter, but there was no indication of any human presence around the hill.
‘Indeed, it’s a trap.’
For the cornered Gentle Snow Breeze, her only hope was the Essence of the Blue Moon.
But if the place was so quiet, Madgar couldn’t help but think that there was a trap.
“Master Madgar?”
“Wait.”
Madgar stopped the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe, as she looked at the only path up the hill, and she soon giggled.
“How shoddy.”
Although it seemed like they tried hard to hide it, Madgar could see the traces of a laid trap in the middle of the pathway.
While it was clean up and down the hill, there were footprints in the middle of the path.
“It looks like they’ve set up traps in the pathway.”
At Madgar’s words, her aide and the warriors were surprised and looked at the pathway.
Madgar kindly pointed to the footprints in the middle of the path and said.
“Perhaps they’re waiting in ambush up the hill. But that’s just a foolish act. We don’t necessarily need the Essence of the Blue Moon.”
Her aide tilted his head as he was unsure of what Madgar meant, but it was only for a short time.
He soon opened his eyes wide in admiration.
“Ah!”
“Yes, our purpose is to keep Gentle Snow Breeze from getting the Essence of the Blue Moon. We don’t have to get the Essence of the Blue Moon. And even if the Essence of the Blue Moon is right there, the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe cannot get it until the Fantasy Moons rises.”
In other words, she meant that they could just encircle the surrounding area without having to go up the hill.
“Even if they get the Essence of the Blue Moon, they eventually have to come down the hill to return. We just have to wait. We don’t have to go up the stage they made.”
“Oooh…”
All of the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe admired Madgar’s explanation.
They liked battles, but not all battles.
What the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe liked was a winning battle.
Madgar looked at the pathway and the hill beyond it again, and she scornfully laughed as she said.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to see how patient they are? Spread out and take a rest!”
“Yes, master!”
The warriors who followed Madgar went to their positions to monitor the entire Moonlight Hill, and afterwards, they began to rest, such as sitting down or putting down their weapons.
‘You’ll be the first to run out of patience.’
Time was on Madgar’s side.
It was no exaggeration to say that the difference was like heaven and earth for those who would win after tonight, and those who would lose their last hope after tonight.
“Foolish ones.”
Madgar smiled again before she sat in a comfortable position and began meditating.
And an hour passed…another two hours passed…
It was sunset at last.
Madgar slowly opened her eyes and frowned as she saw the spreading sunset in the sky.
‘They’re more patient than I thought.’
Perhaps they were thinking of moving at the moment when the Essence of the Blue Moon appears.
Madgar gazed at the still quiet Moonlight Hill, before she gestured with her jaw to the warriors as her eyes squinted.
It was almost time for the Fantasy Moons to rise, so a battle in any form would begin soon.
A few minutes passed.
When darkness spread over the sunset and the curtains of night unfolded.
The moonlight flowed down.
Light came from the two moons that floated between the starlight, and the evening primroses on the hill opened their buds all at once to greet the moonlight.
In addition…
The warriors of the Angry Bull tribe, who were watching from below, unconsciously exclaimed.
The water droplets among the blooming evening primroses seemingly soared up, and soon after, a concentration of blue light appeared in the center of the hill.
“The Essence of the Blue Moon.”
An excited voice flowed out of Madgar’s lips.
They were far away from it, yet she couldn’t help but be distracted.
The moonlight’s essence was visible in the center of the blue light.
A beautiful and unique blue jewel was floating in the air.
“Ahh…”
Madgar quickly opened her eyes, after letting out an exclamation again.
Because now was the perfect time for those who lie in wait on the hill to reveal themselves.
The warriors of the Angry Bull tribe also sensed it. They each pulled their weapons and adjusted their positions, as they breathed like predators waiting for their prey.
One minute passed.
Two minutes passed this time.
“Master…Madgar?”
Her aide turned to Madgar, and Madgar frowned.
Were they aiming to attack after some delay in time?
Were they inducing us to be caught off-guard by waiting for us and not immediately taking the Essence of the Blue Moon?
It wasn’t.
It wasn’t that.
“Go up!”
The warriors immediately responded to Madgar’s orders. As soon as they sprinted along the hill’s slope, a response instantly occurred.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Explosions broke out all over the slope. The warriors who couldn’t escape were caught in the explosion, and Madgar was spontaneously relieved.
I was right. There was a trap.
There were people here as expected.
But after a while.
No one took the Essence of the Blue Moon even when the trap was triggered, and everyone was confused.
What happened?
Did they give up on the Essence of the Blue Moon?
“Get out of my way!”
Madgar burst into anger as she ran straight up the slope. Some traps were triggered, but she was a mid-ranking demonic human. As she protected herself with her powerful magic, the various traps and explosions were useless against her.
“The Essence of the Blue Moon.”
Having reached the center of the hill at once, Madgar took the Essence of the Blue Moon that was floating in the air.
It wasn’t fake.
It was real.
The jewel that was shining on her palm was the Essence of the Blue Moon.
Therefore, Madgar could not understand the situation.
The trap was real.
The Essence of the Blue Moon was the only hope for Gentle Snow Breeze.
However, they neglected the Essence of the Blue Moon.
There were even some installed traps, but they didn’t see anyone else in this place besides them.
How come?
What the hell is going on?
“Master Madgar!”
She turned her eyes to the cry of her aide. Her aide’s fingertips were pointing to a flying red bird towards them.
It was a shaman’s hawk used by the shamans of the Angry Bull tribe for communication.
The direction from where it flew was where their main camp was located.
It was the entrance to the basin of the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe.
While Madgar took the Essence of the Blue Moon, the main camp’s troops were besieging and pressuring the village of the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe.
The shaman’s hawk came flying from there to inform of an emergency.
Why?
I told the main force to only besiege them, and not to fight.
The Gentle Snow Breeze tribe didn’t have enough power to fight outside their walls.
The shaman’s hawk arrived amidst the numerous thoughts swirling on her mind. It opened its mouth wide and shouted.
“Emergency! Emergency! The wild god descended!”
Gentle Snow Breeze.
She was a wild god whose power was suppressed and unable to make a move.
She was anxiously waiting for the Essence of the Blue Moon to liberate her power.
Madgar gazed down on her hand.
The Essence of the Blue Moon was there.
It wasn’t in Gentle Snow Breeze’s hands.
But how-
“Lie.”
Madgar understood then.
She understood what happened. She realized what had happened.
So she turned her gaze.
She looked in the direction of the main camp.
***
Ten minutes before the Fantasy Moons phenomenon occurred.
Jude and Cordelia did not fail in getting the essence.
It was not the Essence of the Blue Moon that mattered.
Gentle Snow Breeze only needed the Essence of the Blue Moon in order to regain her powers in the first place.
“So there was no need to do that.”
There was no need for them to cling to the Essence of the Blue Moon. There was a more direct way to liberate the power of Gentle Snow Breeze.
When they had confirmed that Madgar was headed for Moonlight Hill…
Jude and Cordelia immediately began to act.
Instead of running towards Moonlight Hill, they frantically ran towards Madgar’s main camp.
Their idea was simple.
‘As long as it’s not Madgar, it’s okay.’
Mid-ranking demonic human Madgar.
She was a strong opponent that they couldn’t win against yet if they used their usual methods.
They were sure of where she was now.
They were sure of where she wasn’t now.
Therefore, Jude and Cordelia were able to move freely.
Boom!
Twenty-Four Gale Steps.
Gales and whirlwinds rose.
As if in response, Cordelia’s hair was dyed black, and orbs of mana floated around her.
“Defend!”
“Stop them!”
Madgar wasn’t a fool.
She obviously left behind some forces to defend their main camp.
Although there were a few of them, it was the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe, as well as a low-ranking demonic human.
“All right, a low-ranking demonic human.”
Cordelia brightly smiled.
A smile also spread on Jude’s face. A low-ranking demonic human – to be exact, it was Karaba, a water-attribute and warrior-type demonic human. Jude narrowed his distance to Karaba at once and used the Holy Cross Punch. As Karaba bounced from the attack, he followed it with Lightning Punch, and Cordelia’s also shot and pierced through Karaba’s chest.
“We can’t win against a mid-ranking demonic human yet.”
They calmly admitted it.
Because it was true.
And what those words meant was true.
Cordelia threw the mana orbs everywhere to stop the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe. Jude took hold of the distressed Karaba and dealt the final hit to Karaba’s chest using the Eastern Warrior’s Sword.
Shiiing-!
A ring of pure white light appeared around Jude and Cordelia. Jude rushed towards the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe this time. He used the protection of the wind barrier to block the arrows and swept them with the Twenty-Four Gale Steps.
“Haa!”
Cordelia roughly used the witch’s power as she advanced towards the Spear of Corruption.
As her blue eyes shined, she said with an evil smile.
“But if it’s a low-ranking demonic human, we’ll win, right?”
As long as it’s not Madgar.
Only Madgar.
She was inside Madgar’s tent.
Cordelia tightly grasped the Spear of Corruption. As if she was a warrior who was pulling out a holy sword, she pulled out the demon’s spear and liberated the dragon vein’s power.