novelraw Chapter 119: A New Beginning
Chapter 119: A New Beginning
The sky over the Sentry Post was blanketed in leaden clouds. The troublesome bloody tentacles had already dispersed.
"This might cause some problems for Richard," Lu Li mused, swaying gently in the carriage that carried him home.
Now, Lu Li had only two things to do: destroy the remaining bloody tentacles and wait for new ones to appear. Then he could pinpoint Richard's location.
Unfortunately, the other five tentacles were far from Belfast and the Sentry Post. They weren't even on Sugard Mountain. The blood-red tentacles, swaying in the mist, seemed as ethereal and distant as the mountains on the horizon.
With a soft rustle, the parchment map unrolled, releasing the faint scent of ginkgo leaves and palm oil. Anna held up the oil lamp, and its dim light fell upon the creased surface.
The map depicted the entire Principality of the Allen Peninsula. Lu Li placed his finger on the point marked as the Sentry Post, then traced a path northwest, higher and higher, until he reached another marked location—the Shadow Swamp.
The name alone sounded ominous.
On the ancient map, the Shadow Swamp was marked by three wavy lines with a withered tree trunk drawn above them. Lu Li lifted his finger, revealing the symbol of a small town where it had rested. It was Tenebrae, situated right next to the Shadow Swamp.
"This tentacle seems to be very far away," Anna murmured.
On the way to get the map, Lu Li had told Anna everything concerning Richard, except for the information about the "door." At first, Anna had complained that Lu Li kept secrets from her, but getting no reply, she decided to help him all the same.Lu Li could manage without Anna, but Anna could not manage without Lu Li.
Lu Li shifted his gaze to Belfast. On the map, it was a hand's breadth away from the Shadow Swamp—quite far, but not impossibly so. If one centimeter equaled roughly five kilometers, the distance was less than 100 kilometers. Leaving Belfast early in the morning, one could reach Tenebrae by evening.
Strictly speaking, the Shadow Swamp formed the border between the Allen Peninsula and the main continent. It was first discovered in time immemorial, when people considered it an ordinary coastal marsh. Only when the exploration and colonization of new lands began did they realize that an entire peninsula lay hidden beyond the vast swamp.
Its breadth of several dozen kilometers could be a real headache for any traveler heading to Belfast. Consequently, most people preferred to bypass the Shadow Swamp and reach Port Roadster by ship. This was especially true after some forgotten calamity gave rise to all sorts of rumors about the place...
"It's the closest tentacle to us," Lu Li replied to Anna.
The other hosts of the bloody tentacles might be beyond the Allen Peninsula.
...
"The swamp? Why on earth would you want to go to that hole?" Gades sneered. It was unclear whether his disgust was for the word 'swamp' itself or for Lu Li's latest attempt to get information for free. As was his custom before any new venture, Lu Li had come to Gades with questions.
"What's wrong with it?" Lu Li asked. Anna had remained in the carriage.
"The damp, the mosquitoes, the parasites, and that awful chirring of insects. I assure you, visit it once, and you'd rather sail to Belfast during a hurricane than cross that swamp again," Gades grumbled, shaking his head in irritation.
"What do you know about the rumors surrounding the place?"
"Rumors? What rumors? Ah, you mean the Six-Armed Savage and the ghost? Pay them no mind. I've been hearing about them since I was a child. Whether they were ever real or not, they're certainly dead now."
"Tell me about the Six-Armed Savage and the ghost."
"What irritates me most about you is your insatiable curiosity! It's like a bottomless pit. I believe I've told you more than once that the more you know, the faster you die. Curiosity isn't always a virtue. For the sake of your longevity, I've decided not to—"
"I plan on restocking ten silver bullets. Can you recommend a seller?"
"Oh, my dear friend! What is it you wish to know? The Six-Armed Savage and the ghost? Of course! Satisfying a friend's curiosity is a true pleasure for me."
Gades's love of money wasn't the problem. The problem was that you always had to slap him in the face with it to get him to move. Lu Li remained silent, waiting for the story.
The Six-Armed Savage and the ghost were old legends of the Shadow Swamp. So old, in fact, that Gades believed they dated back to the founding of Tenebrae itself. Countless legends were tied to the Shadow Swamp; after all, its very name promised nothing good. It would be a different story if it were called the Sacred Swamp or the Royal Allen Swamp.
Among the many legends, the tales of the Six-Armed Savage and the ghost were the most widespread and detailed. The first was said to be hairless, caked in a thick layer of swamp muck. It had no legs and was nicknamed the Six-Armed Savage for its six arms. It moved like a reptile, dwelled deep within the Shadow Swamp, and enjoyed attacking people.
The second was far more terrifying. The ghost would appear at dusk near the town, before travelers crossing the swamp, and to merchant caravans—wherever people could be found. In those twilight hours, when day had not yet yielded to night, it would hide behind withered trees and watch people with malevolent eyes.
Even more frightening, it didn't just roam the swamp. On moonless nights, it would slip into the town, hiding in the shadows outside windows and peering in with malice...
That was why, even before the dark era began, Tenebrae had long-standing traditions: "do not go near the swamp after dark" and "keep a light on in your rooms at night".
As for whether these dark creatures actually existed... Gades didn't believe in them.
He was convinced that the more detailed a legend, the less likely it was to be true. Did victims really pay attention to the details during an attack, counting the number of hairs on a monster's legs?
"Is it true you can't go out on the streets in Tenebrae after dark?"
"Erm... It seems to be true."
"Then the legends could be true as well," Lu Li's conclusion silenced Gades. Not that he felt any embarrassment—his skin was far too thick for that.
Having inquired about everything that interested him, Lu Li finally asked, "If I decide to go to Tenebrae, what advice can you give me?"
"Advice? Of course," Gades's voice dropped, his face darkening in the lamplight. "It's far more dangerous and frightening there than you think. If you really decide to go, you must... you must take... insect repellent."