Chapter 177 - 177 Thirty-four

Words : 1245 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

177: Thirty-four. A New Departure 177: Thirty-four. A New Departure “` The sky above Watch Town was covered with lead-like dark clouds, and the glaring blood-colored tentacles had already dissipated. This might cause some trouble for Richard. Swaying slightly, Lu Li thought on the carriage ride home. Next, Lu Li only needed to do two things: destroy the remaining blood-colored tentacles and wait for new ones to appear. By then, Lu Li would be able to deduce Richard’s location based on the new tentacles. Regrettably, the remaining five tentacles were far from Belfast and Watch Town, they were not even on Sugard Mountain. The blood-red tentacles swaying in the mist were as illusory as the mountains on the horizon, distant. Whoosh— The sheepskin map unfolded, releasing a scent of ginkgo leaves and palm oil. Anna, holding the oil lamp, leaned in, and the dim yellow light spilled over the somewhat wrinkled sheepskin map. This map depicted the entire Earlen Peninsula Duchy, Lu Li’s finger resting on the spot marked as Watch Town on the map, and then moved northwest, upwards, until it slid over to another marked location. Shadow Swamp. A name that carried with it a hint of ominousness. On this somewhat antique sheepskin map, the Shadow Swamp was marked with three wavy lines, and above them was the drawing of a withered tree. Lu Li moved his finger away, and at the edge of the Shadow Swamp, where his finger had been, a slightly smaller town symbol was revealed. It was Shadow Town, the small town built next to Shadow Swamp. “It seems this tentacle is quite far away,” Anna murmured softly. On her way to buy the map, Lu Li had already told Anna all about Richard’s line, except for the information regarding “the door.” Anna first complained about why Lu Li kept withholding information from her, and after not getting an answer, she decided to help Lu Li on her own volition. Lu Li could manage without Anna, but Anna had to have Lu Li. At Anna’s words, Lu Li’s gaze returned to Belfast. The distance between it and the Shadow Swamp on the map was about a hand’s breadth—not too far from Belfast. At a scale of 1 centimeter to 10 miles, the distance was less than 200 miles away. Setting out from Belfast in the morning, one could roughly arrive at Shadow Town by evening. In a strict sense, it was the border between the Ailen Peninsula and the mainland. The first discovery of the Shadow Swamp dated back to a time beyond verification, when people thought it was just an ordinary swamp along the coast. It wasn’t until the expansion and colonization began that they realized behind this vast swamp was hiding a peninsula. Tens of miles in width was enough to cause any traveler headed to Belfast a great headache. Therefore, rather than crossing through the Shadow Swamp, most people preferred to detour around it and reach Rhodest Port by boat. Especially after the calamity befell, the myriad rumors coming out of Shadow Swamp... “It’s the nearest to us,” Lu Li answered Anna’s earlier remark. The remaining hosts of the blood-colored tentacles were likely not on the Ailen Peninsula. ... “The marsh? Why would you want to go to such a wretched place?” Hades gazed at him with disgust. It was unclear whether the word ‘swamp’ triggered something, or he simply detested Lu Li’s freeloading behavior. “` As per tradition, Lu Li would always seek out Hades to ask some questions before doing anything. “What’s it like there?” asked Lu Li. Anna stayed outside in the carriage, not coming in. Hades shook his head irritably, “Damp, mosquitoes, parasites, and those damn insect chirps. I guarantee, after one trip there, you’d rather sail to Belfast in a hurricane than cross that place again.” “How much do you know about the rumors there?” “Rumors? What rumors? Oh, you mean the Six-legged Savages and Shadow Figures? Don’t worry about them, I’ve been hearing about those since I was a kid, whether they’re true or not—they’re pretty much dead now.” “Could you tell me about the Six-legged Savages and Shadow Figures?” “This is what I hate the most about you! Your curiosity is like a never-ending abyss, and I think I’ve told you more than once that the more you know, the faster you die, curiosity doesn’t always lead to good things! For the sake of you living longer, I’ve decided not to—” “Later I plan to stock up on 10 silver-plated bullets, do you have any sellers to recommend?” “Oh, my dearest friend, what do you wish to know? The Six-legged Savages and Shadow Figures? Of course, satisfying the curiosity of a friend makes me feel fulfilled.” Liking money was not Hades’s problem; his problem was that it always took a slap of cash to his face to be useful. Lu Li said nothing and waited for Hades to recount these two pieces of rumor. The Six-legged Savages and Shadow Figures were old rumors of Shadow Swamp, so old that Hades believed their earliest mentions went back to the founding of Shadow Town. There were many similar rumors about Shadow Swamp, after all, its very name wasn’t the least bit pleasant. If it were called Sacred Marsh or Allen Royal Marsh, it would give off a completely different vibe. Among the myriad of rumors, the Six-legged Savages and the Shadow Figures were the most widespread and detailed. The former, utterly hairless, was wrapped in thick marsh mud. It had no legs, and the reason it was called Six-legged Savages was that it had six arms, moving like a crawling creature, roaming in Shadow Swamp, preferring to attack humans with delicious flavor. The latter seemed even more terrifying, as Shadow Figures would appear near dusk in the twilight, showing up in small towns, crossing the marsh with travelers, merchants, in short, near any human activity. They tended to emerge at the moments when light faded, lurking behind the withered trees of the swamp, peering out ominously, spying on nearby humans. What was more terrifying was that they would not just roam the marsh. They’d also stealthily come to the town on moonless nights, hiding in the shadows outside windows, malevolently watching... So Shadow Town, even before the calamity of darkness fell upon it, had the traditions of “Do not approach the marsh after dark” and “Keep the rooms lit at night.” As for whether these dark creatures from the rumors existed... Hades didn’t believe it. He was convinced that the more detailed the rumor, the less likely it was to be true—would a victim really notice the details during an attack, even count how many hairs were on each leg? “Is it true that you can’t leave Shadow Town after dark?” “Uh... seems like it’s true.” “So the rumors might not necessarily be false.” Lu Li’s judgment left Hades speechless, but not embarrassed; he had thick skin. Having almost understood, Lu Li finally asked, “If I decide to go to Shadow Town, is there anything you’d like to say to me?” “Advice? Certainly.” Hades’s tone grew deep, his face uncertain under the light of the oil lamp, and he hoarsely warned Lu Li. “It’s more dangerous and terrifying than you imagine. If you must go there, you must... absolutely must bring... Insecticide Powder.”

Chapter 177 - 177 Thirty-four

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