Translator, Editor and Proofread: theunfetteredsalmon
“That is their magic boat, a highly precious magic artefact. They activate it with spatial magic or a Ventussalte and stimulate its movement with advanced Wind magic. Golier must have given it to them,” Amon explained.
“If we owned such an artefact, we too can fly?” Metatro asked attentively.
Amon nodded, “Yes. I know advanced Wind magic, certainly not worse at it than Warret.”
“How much would such an artefact cost? Where would we purchase one?”
Amon replied with a forced smile, “These types of artefacts are not for sale. Only the shrine owns it. Perhaps if we have the materials, we could try to build one.”
Metatro prodded again enthusiastically, “You can build one? We could collect the materials required with Lynk…”
Amon glanced at Metatro. “A boat like that requires a Ventussalte as its core ingredient, which is valued at 500 parangons itself. I own a Ventussalte, but I use it as a spatial artefact. It cannot be used to craft a magic boat. Besides, even if we obtain all necessary materials, success at building the artefact is not guaranteed. Even a master artificer would struggle to try to create one.”
Metatro stayed quiet, wondering to himself. Amon then continued, “If you are determined, I can teach you methods for creating artefacts once we reach Lynk’s tribe. Lynk is probably more experienced in this regard, so you can ask him for help.”
“You are an omnipotent god!” Metatro yelled excitedly.
Amon grasped his staff. “Don’t be so focused on praising me. Have you rested enough? We should be leaving soon.”
The tired Metatro gathered himself to prepare for their departure. The Scorpion King seemed trustworthy; the rest of their travels were uneventful. Metatro’s mind was filled with the happenings of the event earlier. He couldn’t help himself but talk about it. “Warret and Raphael may not have stayed because of their loyalty. With the Scorpion King’s power, they probably couldn’t have escaped in the magic boat anyway.”
Amon thought carefully and shook his head to reply, “It is true that it would be difficult, but they would have most likely held defensive scrolls given by Golier. Girtublullu would expend too much of his power just to stop them.”
The two continued to walk. Suddenly, Metatro thought aloud, “They had such fantastic figures…”
Amon’s face showed confusion. “You are being strange. Who do you speak of?”
“Girtublullu’s companions, the female scorpions. Don’t you think so, Amon?”
Amon was now even more confused. “Those two were scorpions that shapeshifted into naked women. That interests you?”
Metatro smiled and replied, “I am a man, such thoughts are very normal for me. However, I wouldn’t dare to touch such a woman, at least not one with a poisonous scorpion tail. That wouldn’t feel good in bed.”
“In bed? The scorpions? Why would you think of the bedroom?”
“We’re talking about their attractiveness, how would I not think of the bedroom? The scorpion king is lucky!” Metatro giggled like a girl.
Meanwhile, Warret and Raphael were also discussing the events that had just unfolded. They had already arrived at the south of the Syah desert, about to go their separate ways. They were resting between two sand dunes.
Raphael said, “I did not expect to meet the scorpion king, let alone parlay with him. It’s good that you came to an agreement on behalf of Syah state. Our superiors will be happy. Once you arrive in the city, you should break the news as soon as possible.”
Warret murmured, “The scorpion king is not a fool. Such an agreement would not harm him, so of course, he would agree to it on the spot. The most unexpected thing was meeting Allaha. I have a feeling that Girtublullu felt endangered by him, thus the parlay.”
Raphael frowned. “How could a sixth level mage instil dread in the scorpion king? Maybe he holds a very dangerous secret, one that can restrain the likes of Girtublullu. I have heard that these monsters have unknown weaknesses.”
Warret added, “All that is secondary. What really surprised me was the oath he took with the scorpion king. If violated, one can never become a god and the other will forever remain human, mortal. This sounds like nonsense to me, but the two of them were very serious! The scorpion king would never joke. There is something else at play behind the scenes.”
Raphael echoed, “Allaha is truly mysterious. I don’t understand him. Regardless, he was a true friend today.”
Warret stood up suddenly. “I recorded everything, every word said with message magic. I shall show it to Golier to let him examine. Perhaps we will discover secrets.” Warret looked up. “It is getting late. We should move. Go back to Uruk City, and be careful.”
Amon was unaware of what Warret had done. Golier was about to receive the recording. Metatro and Amon wandered on, the sparse grass in the sands gradually growing into a gradient of a grassland. Slowly, more and more bison became visible, in front of a great lake.
“You take a good night’s rest tonight, Metatro. Meditation can restore your magic power. How should we proceed tomorrow, walk around the lake or cross it directly?”
Metatro looked at the great lake in the distance. “There may be monsters in the lake, but there are also monsters along the shore. They could be anywhere. The faster and safer way would be the cross the lake directly but we do not have a boat to ferry us over. If we choose to swim, we could struggle fighting monsters that dwell in the lake.”
Amon chuckled. “There’s a boat, and it is tough and safe. It can provide us with cover.”
Metatro was surprised. “Boat? Where is it? Amon, you are amazing!”
At that moment, Schrodinger popped his little head out of Amon’s bag. He stretched his front paws out and let out a stunning yawn. Schrodinger looked like he woke from a pleasant dream. A few days ago, the cat had warned them of danger ahead, yet it kept quiet as a mouse during their meeting with the scorpion king.
Perhaps it was the strength of the scorpion king that convinced Schrodinger that it wouldn’t have mattered either way. Or, perhaps Schrodinger did not want to reveal itself to Warret and Raphael. It remained hidden in the bag until now.
Metatro was startled by Schrodinger’s sudden appearance. “Kitty! Long time no see!” Metatro half-jokingly greeted.
Schrodinger ignored Metatro and jumped down to find a comfortable spot to nest in. “Schrodinger is tired. Let us camp here today and we will cross the lake after dawn. Metatro, there may be monsters in the lake. You must be ready for another battle.”
The cat had chosen a prime spot to camp. After settling down, the trio passed the night safely. Once the sun broke the horizon, the trio set out to continue on their journey. Not far ahead was where Amon had landed after escaping from the Underworld. Schrodinger spent incredible power to lead Amon, so the cat was understandably exhausted.
Now Amon and Schrodinger were in high spirits, a position vastly different from when they were in trouble. Thinking again of the phenomenons they had endured throughout their trip – the disappearance of Duc, the cave-dwelling savage tribes deep in the mountains where they had lived – Amon wanted to go back. Everything had changed too much.
He was still that lonely wanderer named Amon. Although he lost his only home, he still had everything in his heart. The experience of travelling throughout the continent left a bitter taste in his mouth. Life is not something you can reverse. The same scenery always lingers. It just depends on whether one could decipher life’s deeper meanings.
When they arrived at the edge of the lake, Amon threw out the rib and expanded it into the boat. The boat was empty as Amon carried everything in the Ventussalte. Schrodinger hopped lightly onto the boat and squatted in the front. Amon, wielding his iron staff, followed afterwards. This scene was so familiar that it seemed like Amon had transported back to the day they were looking for Bair.
Amon was lost in his thoughts, sighing for a little while before realising Metatro had not yet boarded the boat. He turned around and said, “What are you doing, Metatro? Why have you not boarded?”
Metatro stood dumbfounded. He couldn’t speak. When he heard Amon’s call, he came back to earth and exclaimed, “What kind of instrument is this?! This is far more amazing than shrine’s magic boat!”
Amon waved Metatro’s comments away. “Don’t bother asking what it is. For me, it is akin to a benefactor. Come on, today you will be steering the boat.”
Metatro cautiously hopped on and waved his staff to control the invisible boat. If Amon could control it as a third-level mage, Metatro, a peak fifth-level mage could certainly do it himself. He quickly mastered the trick. The large, invisible boat was easy and smooth to control. It was the most wonderful artefact in the world. Metatro felt like a flying fish gliding on the surface of the glistering lake.
Metatro continued steering it, adding to his excitement. He frantically yelled to Amon, “My god, Amon! Can this thing fly?”
“In theory, yes, and it’s far simpler to control than Warret and Raphael’s magic boat. However, the space it expands into is large, so in turn, the spatial power required would be substantial as well. That would prove difficult with my current level of strength.”
Metatro waved his staff and said, “It almost feels like we are flying. The euphoria of riding the wind and waves on this boat feels addictive!” He deliberately steered the boat recklessly, riding various curved paths just like the birds that flew freely.
Amon laughed, finding Metatro’s excitement amusing. “Be careful! Don’t forget there may be monsters in the lake!”
The invisible boat glided on the clear azure lake in circles. They could see all kinds of fish, big and small. The wind was gentle and there were cotton-like clouds drifting in the sky, with vast grasslands and mountain ranges in the distance. The mountains were, in fact, several hundreds of miles away from the lake. The mountains that climbed towards the sky was the Assyrian plateau. Nothing but grassland surrounded the lake, after which was just swamps and jungles that were haunted by monsters.
As they reached the heart of the lake, they could sense that the water was ice cold. There was little marine life in this area. Metatro snorted, “Where are the monsters? I want to manipulate the magic boat to show off my talents!”
Before his voice fell, Schrodinger hissed loudly and lazily. Suddenly, some large fish leapt above the surface and battered the water violently, then quickly swimming away in panic. Amon readied his iron stick and yelled, “As you wish… Be prepared to show your skill!”
Metatro also noticed the powerful force ahead. He had raised his staff when he saw a white line fizzling on the surface of the water. An enormous tail materialised from beneath the deep. The tail was covered in many thick, dark green scales. It swept out from the surface quickly and smoothly, barely disturbing the still water. A sharp buzz cracked in the air and the tail was instantly drawn over the invisible boat.
Amon had yet again experienced deja vu. He met such a creature on the river before Bablon. He swallowed his saliva lightly and exclaimed, “This is the descendant of Humbaba, be careful!
Metatro had already begun his attack. The tail stopped in mid-air, emitting the sound of cracking glass. A translucent ice shield condensed in the air, then collapsing under the impact of the tail. Metatro was truly Amon’s disciple. He used the same defence technique Amon had first used during his encounter.
When the ice shield shattered, Metatro’s right hand had already unsheathed his longsword and sprung at the tail. This was also exactly what Amon had done, except he was using his iron staff. Gleams of slashes appeared along the tail.
To Metatro’s disappointment, his attack had only chipped off a few palm-sized scales on the snake’s tail. Yellow light rippled along the snake’s body, withstanding a fifth-level warrior’s full strength. The two immense forces clashed and Metatro was bounced back down onto the boat, sharply splitting the water surface and creating large waves on either side. The force drove the boat back by nearly a hundred feet.
Amon yelled again, “I told you, this is the descendant of Humbaba. It has infinite power in the water and cannot be resisted!”
Metatro stood firm and cried, “Does this snake have nine heads? How will I chop off all its heads if even I could barely scratch the tail?”
“It only has one head. Only Humbaba has nine heads. What will you do? You are a warrior and a mage, show me how you will fight with the strength of both sides!”
The giant tail sank back into the water, and deep in the lake came a deep rumble. The waves around the boat rolled like boiling water. Then, two huge ugly heads protruded out the water, their open mouths clearly laden with blood. The heads were obviously exhibiting anger, which meant that Metatro’s strike had hurt the monster.
Metatro bellowed grotesquely, “There are two of them, Amon!”
“Not two, just one double-headed snake!”
“Didn’t you just say it only has one head?!”
“Stop spouting nonsense! We are sitting ducks in the water, we must go ashore as quickly as possible!”
Metatro was a fine man, except for the fact that he talked a lot. He did not remain idle, quickly retreating with the invisible boat as soon as the heads appeared. They were still in the centre of the lake no matter which direction they took.
As soon as the boat started moving, massive force followed. The waves were as tall as a hill and the surface was covered in condensed ice. Metatro swung his staff to the left. The surging lake fell as if it was smoothened by a hand. The boat slid hundreds of feet to the side stiffly without being hit directly by the waves.
The edge of the ice fell on the invisible ship and rumbled. Fortunately for the passengers, the boat was a space artefact. If it had been a real wooden boat, it would have long been smashed into pieces. The hull of the boat shook violently, causing Schrodinger to jump several times. The cat turned and glared at Metatro discontentedly as if blaming the man for incompetence.
Schrodinger showed no sign of fear.
Metatro was in no mood to appease the cat. He couldn’t even begin to speak. As the huge waves died, the thick tail of the snake surfaced again. The monster was so large that its heads were at least a hundred feet ahead of the boat while its tail attacked from behind.
With another strike, the snake roared once again and a huge arc appeared around the ship. The snake was rapidly encircling and converging on the boat. It was very strange for the monster to see the passengers on an invisible boat. It wanted to crush its opponents directly.
Metatro refused to allow the snake to gain the upper hand. He screamed and waved his staff and the water beneath surged once again like a hill. The wave threw the ship into the air and enveloped the snake, then instantaneously froze and temporarily stopped the snake in its tracks.
The invisible ship floated over the immobile snake and splashed onto the water. The violent vibrations made Schrodinger roll around several times. Metatro could still walk steadily and wave his staff. As the wind raged above the lake, the invisible boat quickly shot towards the shore.
I am aware that there is another group that is currently translating but he is interested in translating this novel so, I’m just going to support him and post the chapters.
Comments