Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 568: I Think We Can Talk This Out
The monstrous creature descending from the sky, radiating overwhelming pressure, quickly landed beside the small wooden boat. Yet, to Kal'tsit and the others' surprise, this beast—one that practically had the word danger written all over its face—did not immediately attack them.
Instead, it let out a single roar.
That roar alone was enough to drive back the approaching Seaborn. As if fully aware of its terror, they halted their advance, no longer charging forward recklessly.
Of course, it might have simply intended to sit back and watch the fight unfold. But regardless of its motives, for the moment, the pressure on Kal'tsit's group had eased significantly thanks to the arrival of this fearsome giant beast.
And when Kal'tsit and the others saw the familiar figure leap down from atop the monster's head, their disbelief deepened. Even if you gave them another brain, they still couldn't figure out how Steven had managed to bring back such a ferocious creature in such a short time.
Wasn't he supposed to just investigate that Zorah Magdaros?
So why had he suddenly returned with what looked like a local "souvenir"… and such a terrifying one at that?
"Looks like I came back at just the right time," Steven said as he landed smoothly. Glancing up, he saw Kal'tsit gripping Emperor's… neck? Well, whatever that indistinct part was.
"If we're making braised roast goose, I can provide the seasoning. But I'm claiming the fattest penguin leg—perfect timing, I'm starving."
"Quit joking around. If you've got time for that, how about dealing with our current situation first?" Kal'tsit shot him a glare. She released the nearly unconscious Emperor, then gestured toward the Seaborn, which were once again starting to stir after realizing the Nergigante had no intention of attacking the boat.
"They're just waiting for a chance to tear us apart."
Fortunately, their professional monster exterminator—Steven—was back. For now, at least, they didn't have to worry about being overwhelmed. Nor would they fall into the awkward situation of being targeted by that Steven-like mimic again.
"Isn't this great though?" Steven said, glancing at the chat interface. "Shoggy's working hard earning points for me. Honestly, letting this farm run a bit longer isn't a bad idea."
In less than an hour, Shoggy had already earned him nearly ten thousand World Acknowledgement Points—and Steven hadn't had to lift a finger. Fully automated point farming like this was way too tempting.
If the Seaborn could respawn endlessly, he'd seriously consider leaving Shoggy here as a permanent farming machine.
Twenty thousand points a day without doing anything? What mod couldn't he unlock at that rate?
Of course, Steven knew better. The Seaborn might be numerous, but they weren't infinite. And if Shoggy ever encountered some of their stronger variants, it might not hold up.
So in the end, progressing the main story was still the proper way to earn points.
"Hah, boss went out and picked up another new pet again?" Enma snorted, the only one present bold enough to speak like that. She glanced at the newly arrived Nergigante—clearly Steven's new mount—and immediately recognized it as a fresh addition to his "team."
"Are we even going to survive at this rate? The competition for attention just keeps getting worse…"
Up until now, Steven flirting with women hadn't really bothered her. Women were women—there was no real competition between them and a weapon like herself.
But pets and mounts?
That was a different story.
A person's attention was limited. Just dealing with one Shoggy was already enough to give her a headache. Now there was another one? That was… hard to judge.
Meanwhile, Shoggy simply lifted its head and glanced at the massive dragon towering before it like a mountain. Its expression remained the same as ever—blank, that signature "OxO" look.
Even if it had opinions, this wasn't the time to voice them.
Couldn't it see how proud Steven looked right now? He was clearly brimming with confidence in the dragon he'd brought back. If anyone chimed in along with Enma at a moment like this, it would basically be asking for trouble.
Sure enough, after hearing Enma's comment, Steven merely let out a cold chuckle. With a casual flick of his hand, the Yamato that had been hanging at Shoggy's waist instantly returned to his grasp.
"Had your fill of killing today?" he said. "Then it's about time you went back in."
Even though Enma had spoken quietly, there was no way it could escape his hearing. Besides, it was obvious she'd intended for him to hear it anyway.
Ignoring her unwilling protests, he stuffed Enma back into his inventory without hesitation. Only then did he turn his attention to the other "himself," who stood quietly in place, still stained with Seaborn blood.
"Good work, Shoggy," Steven said, gesturing to it. "I'll sort out your reward later. I'll take it from here."
At his signal, Shoggy—who had been standing there blankly—instantly melted into a semi-transparent slime. In the blink of an eye, it slipped back onto Steven's body, leaving only a pair of intelligent eyes peeking out from his shoulder.
Compared to Enma, Steven was far less strict with Shoggy. If it didn't want to stay in a ball, he wouldn't force it. Everyone here was familiar anyway, so there was no need to worry about its identity as a Collapsal being exposed.
Then, turning his gaze, Steven noticed the Seaborn had already gathered around the boat at some point, staring at them with a mix of caution and hunger.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment.
But instead of attacking, he raised a hand—making a clear gesture for a ceasefire.
"Hold on," he said. "I think… at least for this situation, we can sit down and talk things through. After all, dealing with that thing is the most important priority for all of us, isn't it?"
Strange, guttural sounds emerged from his throat, difficult for humans to comprehend. Yet thanks to the Language Localization Mod, his words were conveyed perfectly in the Seaborn's own language.
Judging from before, the relationship between land-dwellers and the Seaborn seemed like one of mutual annihilation.
But with a greater threat looming, this wasn't the time for infighting.
Points could be farmed later.
But if Zorah Magdaros exploded?
That wouldn't end well for anyone.
Not to mention—it was currently deep beneath the ocean.
If it blew up down there, the resulting devastation might be enough to turn vast stretches of ocean into land.
So for now, sitting down and having a proper conversation might just be the best option.
"How can he even understand the Seaborn language? Does he have Authority of language or something?"
Nian stared at Steven with clear curiosity as he made those strange, Seaborn-like sounds. The more she watched him, the more intrigued she became. He constantly surprised her in the strangest ways—yet at the same time, he could be utterly clueless about things that everyone else considered common sense.
"There's no point trying to figure out why," Kal'tsit replied, pressing a hand to her forehead with a weary sigh as she looked at the young man. "Just accept that nothing is impossible when it comes to him. If I could actually see through him, do you think I'd still be satisfied with just handling Rhodes Island's problems? I'd have moved on to figuring out how to deal with Kazdel by now."
Negotiating with the Seaborn wasn't unprecedented, but someone doing it with this kind of tone? That was a first.
Not to mention, he had just slaughtered enough of them to nearly dye the entire sea red… and now he was suddenly saying, "Let's stop fighting and talk cooperation."
Just as Kal'tsit was convinced this "negotiation" wouldn't even get off the ground, something unexpected happened.
The Seaborn—who had been on the verge of charging in—suddenly halted, as if bound by some unseen command. Gradually, they grew still.
At the same time, a suffocating sense of dread surged up from the depths below.
Even in the distance, the slowly moving Zorah Magdaros seemed to sense it, letting out a thunderous, intimidating roar.
Then a hollow, ethereal voice echoed directly within the minds of everyone present.
"..What is it that you propose?"
The moment that voice rang out, Nian's expression turned grave.
As a fragment of one of the Feranmut of Yan, she instantly recognized it. The being behind that voice was an existence just as ancient—and just as powerful—as Sui.
She simply hadn't expected it to appear so suddenly before them.
And yet, among everyone present, Steven alone remained completely relaxed.
"Not a plan—a trade," he said casually, smiling as he pointed toward the dying Zorah Magdaros in the distance.
"I'll get that thing out of the ocean. In return, you keep your little followers in line and stop them from getting in the way. Deal?"
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 617: A Bold Guess[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/arknightcraft-160680628