Chapter 98: The Hundred-Armed Monster

Braid was incredibly efficient in his duties. By the next day, the investigation results were already on Key's desk.

According to the investigation, a beast horde was likely responsible for the village attack, as evidenced by the animal fur, and remnants of claws and fangs found at the scene.

After confirming this, Braid immediately set out to search the surrounding areas for the horde's trail, beginning from the village.

He quickly found a path of chaotic footprints and traces of blood.

Following these signs, he eventually discovered a cave deep within the forest.

However, while investigating the cave's interior, they were attacked by monsters and had to retreat temporarily.

Leaving some men to secure the cave, Braid hurried back to report the findings.

"These are the monsters Braid and his team encountered in the cave," Key said, pointing to several sketches on the table.

Sunan picked up the top sketch and raised an eyebrow.

It was a depiction of ferocious rats.

Ferocious rats are a type of beast known for their aggression and quickness, using their sharp incisors to gnaw and crush their prey.

In terms of strength, ferocious rats are comparable to ordinary humans and can be handled by a cautious adult male.

A single ferocious rat isn't much of a threat, but they often appear in swarms of hundreds.

Moreover, they carry various diseases, with the potential to spread illnesses like rot fever and plague.

Even knights tend to avoid confronting a swarm of ferocious rats.

The second sketch showed a creature with a toad-like head and stout limbs.

"Underground Toad Monster!" Sunan was genuinely surprised.

If it were just ferocious rats, he wouldn't be certain, as they can appear in many places. However, Underground Toad Monsters are native only to the Underground World. Could the cave be a passage to the Underground World?

Sunan was momentarily stunned.

He had been pondering where to find an entrance to the Underground World. Now, it seemed the opportunity had presented itself without any effort on his part.

Was this luck good or bad?

"You recognize this creature?" Key asked.

Sunan nodded. "It's an Underground Toad Monster, a beast from the Underground World. I suspect the cave might connect to the Underground World."

"The Underground World?" Key was puzzled.

"A vast, dangerous place filled with powerful and terrifying creatures."

Hearing this, Key's expression turned grave.

"Will it threaten Shimmering City?"

Sunan considered it, then shook his head. "It shouldn't."

"Creatures from the Underground World are accustomed to darkness and can't easily adapt to surface conditions. They might occasionally venture to the surface, but they won't attack towns."

Key visibly relaxed, though his brow remained furrowed. "Does that mean these monsters might continue attacking other villages?"

"There's a possibility."

"So what should we do? Block the cave?"

"No, leave it to me," Sunan said, waving his hand.

Having found a potential entrance to the Underground World, he wasn't inclined to seal it off without exploring first.

"Have your men secure the forest and the cave to prevent any monsters from emerging and keep unauthorized people out. I'll handle the cave."

Seeing Sunan's confidence, Key agreed.

Half an hour later.

Shimmering City's military deployed, sealing off the forest to the north, barring any unauthorized entry or exit.

Sunan accompanied the troops into the forest.

"My lord, this is the cave where the monsters were found," Braid said, pointing to the dark entrance at the base of a cliff deep within the forest.

"Keep an eye on the entrance. If anything comes out, kill it immediately."

With those instructions, Sunan ventured into the cave alone.

Torches left by the previous exploration team lined the initial stretch of the cave. However, the path soon plunged into darkness as he moved further in.

Sunan picked up a stone and cast a Light spell, causing it to glow like a torch, illuminating the surrounding darkness.

As he advanced, he examined the signs around him.

It was clear the cave wasn't naturally formed but rather excavated by human hands.

Most likely, this was the work of inhabitants from the Underground World.

Ferocious rats and Underground Toad Monsters lacked the capability for such work, suggesting the involvement of humanoid creatures like kobolds, gray dwarves, or myconids.

Moving further, Sunan soon came across a silver vein.

This discovery reinforced his suspicion that the cave connected to the Underground World, known for its rich mineral resources.

"Squeak!"

Suddenly, a swarm of ferocious rats surged from the darkness ahead, rushing at Sunan like a tidal wave.

There were easily over a hundred of them.

Sunan remained calm, extending his palm towards the swarm.

Burning Hands!

Whoosh!

A torrent of flames erupted, engulfing the entire tunnel.

The charging rat swarm was instantly consumed by the searing flames, turning into rolling fireballs that shrieked in agony.

In mere moments, the entire swarm was annihilated.

A few Underground Toad Monsters that had been driving the rats froze, shocked by the newcomer's ferocity.

As they hesitated, six fist-sized missiles appeared, piercing their heads and hearts, leaving gaping holes.

In a single exchange, three Underground Toad Monsters were reduced to corpses.

Sunan calmly withdrew his hand.

Underground Toad Monsters aren't particularly strong, with adult ones typically ranging from low to mid-level knight strength, with rare elites reaching high-level knight status.

In the dark, multiple Underground Toad Monsters attacking simultaneously could trouble even a grand knight.

However, for Sunan, who relied on spiritual perception rather than sight, their threat was minimal.

Ignoring the corpses, Sunan pressed forward.

The cave widened as he delved deeper, with more and more dull silver patches appearing on the walls.

Sunan was quietly pleased.

The silver deposit seemed substantial. Fully extracting it would yield considerable wealth.

Moreover, silver veins often accompany gold veins. Finding a gold deposit would be a fortune.

Along the way, more Underground Toad Monsters and ferocious rat swarms attacked, but Sunan dispatched them with ease.

When he grew tired of the interruptions, he released over a dozen Black Rock Panthers to handle the creatures.

As puppet creatures, Black Rock Panthers naturally possessed dark vision, thriving in the dim cave. Their expertise in coordinated attacks made them ideal for dealing with Underground Toad Monsters and ferocious rats.

After his infiltration of the Storm Army camp, Sunan had taken to keeping dozens of Black Rock Panthers and Stone Golems in his cube for emergencies.

Before long, Sunan discovered human bones with traces of blood.

It was easy to identify them as human remains, likely those of the missing villagers.

Sunan sighed, realizing the abducted villagers met a grim fate.

After advancing another 300 meters, he heard faint sounds ahead, reminiscent of a dog's barking.

Sunan's expression shifted, and he cast a Comprehend Languages spell on himself.

As the spell took effect, the strange noises ahead transformed into a language he could understand.

"Don't slack off, you fools! Dig faster!"

"The food's run out. If we don't find enough ore to trade for food today, I'll feed you to our master!"

It was the kobold language.

Sunan looked down and indeed found many paw-shaped footprints on the ground.

"So that's it..."

Understanding dawned on Sunan.

He had initially wondered why creatures like the Underground Toad Monster and ferocious rats, which could survive in the Underground World, would risk venturing to the surface. Seeing the kobolds made it clear.

Kobolds are common humanoid creatures in the Underground World, breeding prolifically like rats.

They are natural miners, often enslaved by other races.

It seemed this incident had a mastermind orchestrating it.

With a plan forming, Sunan continued forward.

Beyond the tunnel, he entered a suddenly expansive basin.

A group of kobolds was hard at work, mining with picks.

Their heads resembled dogs, with small, light-colored horns, bright eyes, and tails like rats.

Nearby, a bonfire blazed beside their crude tents, with scattered mushrooms and unknown meat. The air smelled of waste, suggesting the kobolds had been living there for some time.

A pile of mined ore lay in a corner, its silver sheen intermixed with flashes of gold.

"It seems this silver vein does indeed accompany a gold vein."

Sunan was delighted and promptly gave the order.

The dozen Black Rock Panthers at his side charged into the basin, leaping at the kobolds.

"There's an intruder!"

"Black Panthers!"

"Can we eat them?"

Kobolds, with their low intelligence, often acted on instinct.

Seeing the Black Rock Panthers, their first impulse was to attack and see if they could be eaten.

It wasn't until the panthers slaughtered over a dozen of their kin that fear set in, and they scattered in terror.

"Don't run!"

"Kill the intruder!"

A larger kobold with dark brown scales, likely their leader, emerged, whipping the fleeing kobolds to force them into battle.

But it was quickly pounced upon and torn to shreds by a Black Rock Panther.

Kobolds were far weaker than Underground Toad Monsters.

Even the kobold leader only had the strength of an apprentice knight.

They were no match for the Black Rock Panthers.

In no time, over half of the kobolds were dead.

Then, a thunderous roar echoed through the basin.

It sounded like a multitude of voices shouting in unison.

A terrifying creature burst from a tunnel at the basin's far end.

It resembled a tree with many branches, or perhaps a centipede with countless limbs. Towering over 10 meters tall, it was covered in countless arms and heads.

Each arm wielded a sword or hammer, and its lower body—or trunk—was clad in partial armor.

The armor bore enchanted runes, revealing it as a magical item.

"What is this monster?"

Hidden in the shadows of the tunnel, Sunan was taken aback.

He had no recollection of such a creature!

"A Hundred-Armed Giant? No, no, Hundred-Armed Giants are humanoid. This thing has many arms but no legs, just roots."

As Sunan pondered, the creature moved on root-like legs, swiftly reaching a Black Rock Panther and smashing it to pieces with simultaneous sword and hammer strikes.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The hundred-armed monster's power far exceeded the Black Rock Panthers, dispatching them with single blows.

In mere moments, a dozen Black Rock Panthers were reduced to rubble.

Sunan couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.

"What terrifying strength!"

A true Hundred-Armed Giant possesses combat prowess akin to a second-circle legendary knight.

The creature before him matched that strength with even more arms, capable of wielding weapons and armor, making it potentially stronger than a Hundred-Armed Giant.

Though it might not equal a third-circle legendary knight, it was close.

A creature comparable to a third-circle legendary knight!

Sunan hadn't expected to find such a formidable entity in a cave near Shimmering City.

If this monster rampaged on the surface, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Sunan felt relieved that he had wisely sent the Black Rock Panthers to scout first.

Otherwise, he might have been forced to flee.

Even with five high-level rune gems at his disposal, he wasn't confident in defeating this hundred-armed monster.

Taking a deep breath, Sunan quietly retreated along the path he had come.

Fortunately, after the monster finished off the Black Rock Panthers and saw no one else around, it grabbed a few kobold corpses to munch on and returned to the tunnel, unaware of Sunan's presence.

Moments later, Sunan emerged from the cave unharmed.

"My lord," Braid greeted him.

Sunan spoke gravely, "Seal off the cave. No one is to enter. If anything emerges, notify me immediately."

"Yes, my lord."

Braid didn't question the order and promptly complied.

Back in Shimmering City, Sunan found Key and briefly reported the situation in the cave.

Upon learning of a monster comparable to a third-circle legendary knight inside, Key's expression turned grim. He immediately planned to send troops to eliminate the creature.

Leaving such a powerful monster near Shimmering City was unsettling, making it difficult for him to rest easy.

However, Sunan intervened. "That monster has hundreds of arms and isn't afraid of sheer numbers. Besides, the cave's confined space limits troop maneuverability."

"What should we do then?" Key asked, worried.

"We need a long-term plan."

Sunan also wanted to eliminate the hundred-armed monster to access the silver and gold mines.

The same applied to exploring the Underground World; the monster had to be dealt with first.

Hasty actions were unwise.

After some discussion, they decided to station more troops near the forest to ensure the monster couldn't approach Shimmering City.

As for the rest, they'd figure it out gradually.

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