The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound

Chapter 73: The Red Death (Part 2)

The rainy season had come to the Black Mountains. Dark clouds covered the entire sky, and this rainy season seemed longer than any before.

Even the oldest inhabitants of the village had never witnessed such a record-breaking downpour. The river surged like mad, and areas that were flat not long ago had turned into turbulent swamps.

Everything was submerged in the floodwaters… except for the Ballak village!

“Pull it tighter! Secure it firmly!”

“Hoist the beams!”

“Steady those foundations! Don’t let them wash away!”

The Ballak village, located in the lowlands, had now become a highland. They hadn’t moved the location; they had simply connected the high trees with canvas and logs, creating waterfront houses. These treehouses, perched at least 15 meters above ground, provided a cozy shelter even as the world was flooded by the river.

Vikir was at the forefront of this large-scale civil engineering project. He gazed at the river, which had risen just a few meters below.

They had constructed bridges using ropes, planks, and logs between the very tall trees. They had securely anchored the huts to withstand the storm. Furthermore, beneath the water’s surface, they had dug drainage channels between the tree trunks.

In some places, they had piled rocks and soil to create barriers, redirecting the flow of the waves. Thanks to these efforts, despite the river’s overflow, the Ballak village remained relatively unscathed.

Some men were installing rope bridges made of woven vines and netting between the trees. As Vikir passed on the bridge made of woven vines, they waved their hands in gratitude.

“Hey, Vikir! Thanks to you, our homes are safe!”

“Thanks! Following your advice was a wise choice!”

However, Vikir didn’t respond to their greetings. He merely narrowed his eyes as he looked down below, where a massive shadow was slowly approaching from under the water.

“It’s dangerous,” Vikir warned the two men who had greeted him.

Startled by Vikir’s warning, the men looked down below.

Just three meters beneath the surface of the muddy water, a massive shadow lurked. Then, suddenly…

Splash!

The surface shattered as something emerged from the water. It was a giant catfish with a mouth wider than five meters!

The catfish leaped toward the two Ballak men on the platform above, its mouth wide open.

This had happened a few times since the start of the heavy rains. Aquatic creatures would leap from the water onto the prey on the trees. But the catfish couldn’t achieve its goal.

“Get lost!”

Arrows rained down on the catfish from the tree branches. It was Aiyen, who had been protecting the construction of the bridges.

Thud!

Several arrows struck the catfish’s head, causing it to writhe and then retreat back into the water.

Vikir quickly crossed the vine bridge, heading for the trees while the storm raged.

“What about the catfish?”

He looked down, but the brown surface of the water showed nothing. It was already too turbulent due to the heavy current.

Seeing Vikir furrowing his brow, Aiyen smiled lightly. “That was not a catfish.”

“What? I just saw its head popping out of the water.”

“…You didn’t see its body, did you?”

Aiyen’s words sent shivers down Vikir’s spine.

Suddenly, the surface on the opposite side broke apart, and something enormous surged upward from below. Finally, Vikir understood what Aiyen meant.

It wasn’t a catfish, despite its massive head and abnormally large mouth.

It was the colossal serpent.

Danger Level: A+

Size: 32m

Also known as the “Whole-body Intestine Snake.”

A massive serpent entirely composed of intestines.

It boasts a large mouth that can swallow even an elephant in one bite, and according to legend, this enormous Mushussu has existed since ancient times and is said to be capable of devouring entire villages.

It is famous for making no sound when moving on land or swimming underwater.

This particular breed of giant snake known as Mushussu raised its scales as if to signal that it intended to devour all the Ballak residents on the floating houses. It hissed menacingly.

Aiyen bit her lip. “Damn, that dangerous creature has descended upon us.”

This breed of snake, being born fast and strong, was not an easy opponent. Moreover, the specimen before them seemed quite old and experienced.

Hiss!

The creature opened its mouth so wide that it could be mistaken for a catfish, revealing rows of teeth filling its entire mouth.

Aiyen quickly shot arrows, but the smooth and tough scales, combined with the pouring rain, made it difficult to land a hit.

Then, a voice came.

“We have to capture the snake up close.”

Behind Mushussu, there was a shadow moving like a ghost in the darkness. It was Vikir. Hidden within the darkness, he silently approached the snake’s neck and revealed his hidden fangs.

He pierced his wrist’s vein and revealed the dark magic sword Beelzebub. Then, the aura of a High-Tier Sword Graduator filled the area.

N-th technique

“Won’t let you run away.” – Six fangs were released.

This technique was intended to inflict terrifying pain on the opponent, and that was its sole purpose.

The crimson aura emanating from Vikir’s blade spun rapidly. The hard scales of the snake shattered mercilessly, and the soft flesh underneath burst and scattered as if exploded.

“Aaargh!”

The snake screamed in agony. However, Vikir paid it no heed. He grabbed the snake’s uvula and turned away. Soon, he jabbed one of its eyes with a spear.

With fatal wounds to its neck and eye, the snake spewed hot blood and quickly retreated. But, it wasn’t so much a retreat as being swept away by the torrent.

“…”

Vikir briefly considered pursuing it, but in this heavy rain and strong currents, he judged it to be impossible.

“What a waste.”

Suddenly, Aiyen, who had approached unnoticed, was wrapping a rope around Vikir’s waist.

Vikir and Aiyen held onto the ropes around each other’s waists and returned to the original tree branch.

At some point, all the village residents had come out to watch Vikir’s battle from the wooden terrace.

“Amazing, Vikir! You’re the best!”

“That giant snake is called ‘Kaa.’ It used to be the ruler in this area for decades!”

“You defeated such a creature! Incredible!”

The villagers cheered for Vikir continuously.

This irritated Aiyen. “Hey, you people! Did you not see me shooting arrows? If it weren’t for me…”

“Booo…”

The children jeered at Aiyen.

“Sigh, this is why I dislike kids.”

Aiyen grumbled while shaking off the rain and river water that had soaked her entire body.

Then, she looked at Vikir, who was still dripping wet, and asked, “You might get the Red Death if you’re soaked like this.”

“I don’t know. Let’s go and dry off quickly.”

Without making much of the recent battle, Vikir promptly got up and left.

Seeing the villagers’ unwavering support, Aiyen spoke the words she had consistently said for the past two years one more time today.

“Approved.”

Vikir entered the cabin. Outside, the storm raged, but inside the cabin, it was bright and warm. Although the leather walls continued to ripple, they were securely anchored with heavy rocks and strong ropes, preventing them from being blown away by the wind.

Vikir had not only discovered a way to prevent the Red Death but had also become a hero to the Ballak tribe, if not the entire jungle, due to his leadership in the recent construction project.

…But the hero himself was now deeply troubled.

It was because of a task he had never undertaken before, both before and after his regression.

“Uncleee!”

As Vikir entered the cabin, Pomeranian rushed towards him, she had been sitting in a corner of the cabin, endlessly gazing at family portraits until then.

Pomeranian had been avoiding everyone else, but she stuck to Vikir like glue. She had followed Vikir all day, never leaving his side even during sleep, meals, or baths.

“…You should eat.”

Vikir didn’t quite nokw how to handle the child. So, all he could say was something like this.

Vikir then quickly lit a fire in a corner of the cabin. Snails were abundant as a result of the snail invasion, making food more accessible than before. Vikir prepared a simple dish with cow’s milk butter, herbs, and snail meat. He cooked the sugarcane sugar with the cream made from bird eggs until it became greasy.

The rest of the snail meat was seasoned with the spicy spices he had bought from merchants long ago and served as a decent meal mixed with vegetables.

“It’s delicious, Uncle Vikir.”

“As expected, right? Your uncle is really good at cooking.”

Beside Pomeranian, who was smacking his lips, Aiyen was also casually eating.

Pomeranian, who followed Vikir, was now following Aiyen.

“Mom. Dad. Similar.”

Pomeranian turned around alternately to Vikir and Iyan and laughed, Aiyen scratched her nose with her index finger.

“Children are really nice, aren’t they?”

“…Didn’t you say you didn’t like kids earlier?”

“When did I ever say that?”

Vikir touched his forehead. With Pomeranian clinging to him, the already narrow cabin became even narrower with Aiyen around.

“Don’t nag too much. Anyway, you’ve finished eating, haven’t you?”

“…”

Looking at Aiyen, who spread her legs and swayed the leather skirt back and forth, Vikir could only sigh.

At that moment, the entrance’s tent was suddenly lifted, and the storm blew inside. Since a heavy stone had been placed on top of the entrance tent, it naturally wouldn’t be blown away.

But at this moment, someone pushed their way inside. It was Ahun.

“…?”

Both Vikir and Aiyen frowned at the unexpected expression on Ahun’s face. His face had turned pale, his expression distorted, and he looked like he was about to cry.

With a desperate voice that sounded like he was vomiting, Ahun cried out, “Please, Vikir, help! My younger sister…!”