novelraw Chapter 19: Raid on the Abyssal Thrall’s Camp
Chapter 19: Raid on the Abyssal Thrall’s Camp
The thralls gathered in a wide circle around the obsidian statue in the center of the camp, led by the acolytes, and their whispers grew louder and more rhythmic. The eerie chanting echoed through the cavern, sending an unnatural chill through the air.
Before long, the glowing symbols etched into the wooden altars began to shimmer, pulsating with an ominous, sickly green light. A strange distortion rippled through the space above the statue, forming something akin to a tear in reality itself.
This… My eyes narrowed at the sight. A portal?
From the twisting rift, flying octopuses emerged—dozens of them. As they squirmed free from the abyssal rift, their slimy bodies wriggled as if they were sensing their new surroundings. The moment they fully materialized, the thralls raised their hands in reverence. Some of them stepped forward, allowing the octopuses to cling all over their bodies, with their tentacles latching on tightly.
One of the acolytes then raised its staff, letting out a strange chant. Immediately, a portion of the thralls moved, herding the flying creatures toward the other side of the cavern, leading them toward what seemed to be a tunnel that connected to the surface.
Ah, so this is where those octopuses originate from… I suppose the thralls take them to the surface and release them there. I see now.
It seemed that this was their method of spreading the octopuses to the outside world, infecting even more people in the process. Even though the scenarios were merely recollections of past events from other worlds, and I had no way of altering the past, it was still a disturbing detail. Still, if this was how the apocalypse had started, then this information alone could be crucial to fulfilling the third extra condition.
Without hesitation, I pulled up the scenario details to check.
Kill 100 monsters of any kind and uncover the secret that the city possesses. (23/100, Complete)Reward: A Random Rare-Grade Skill Book.
“As I thought, it is marked as complete,” I mused.
Still, there was one fortunate detail: The tunnel they were using to reach the surface was in the opposite direction from where I was hiding. That meant their forces were temporarily split. No, wait, this can be an opportunity, as there would be fewer enemies guarding the camp; the timing for my attack cannot be better.
My lips curled into a smirk. Now, I just had to wait for the poisoned water to take effect. However, because it might take a while before that happened, I decided to make use of the waiting period. There was still plenty of unexplored territory in the sewers, and I needed to complete the main objective. After all, I had only explored a little less than 5 percent of the required area so far.
With that in mind, I turned away from the camp and ventured deeper into the unexplored tunnels.
***
After spending some time exploring the sewers, I finally made my way back toward the vantage point overlooking the thrall camp. The tunnels I had mapped out added a bit more progress toward the main objective, though I didn’t discover any interesting places, but now it was time to focus on the real task at hand.
I crouched low, peering down at the camp below. The ritual had long since ended, and the thralls had returned to their usual activities. Some milled about, while others tended to the altars, seemingly unaware that their drinking water had been tainted.
I remained hidden, watching carefully. Minutes passed, and then—
You have hunted [Abyssal Thrall Lv.8].
You have gained 8 EXP.
One of the thralls near the wooden channel supplying water to the basins suddenly staggered before collapsing. The poison had taken effect, claiming its first victim. Even though I hadn’t killed it directly, I was the one who had tainted their water supply, making me the perpetrator, and thus, the System recognized me as the killer.
Not long after, more thralls began showing signs of weakness. Another one clutched at its chest, letting out a faint, garbled noise before dropping to the ground, foam spilling from its mouth.
You have hunted [Abyssal Thrall Lv.10].
You have gained 10 EXP.
It was working.
The weaker thralls were the first to succumb, especially those who had consumed the most water. Some barely made it a few steps before collapsing, while others convulsed violently before going completely still.
The stronger ones—likely the higher-level thralls—didn’t die immediately, but they weren’t unaffected either. Their movements became sluggish, delayed, and unsteady, as if they were intoxicated.
Seeing that my plan had worked perfectly, a grin formed on my lips. Now was the time to do the raid and strike them while the iron was hot. Nevertheless, they started to find out that something was wrong with the water and avoided the area, as some of them had warned the others about it.
Immediately, I began making my way down toward the camp, keeping myself hidden under the shadows. A direct confrontation was suicide earlier, but now? It was a battlefield tipped in my favor. Time to wipe them out.
When I was only twenty meters away from the camp, I saw my first targets—a group of three thralls standing at the periphery of the camp. This time around, I was even more careful with my sneaking, having learned a bit and managed to get within three meters of them without being noticed. In one swift motion, I dashed forward, grabbing the nearest thrall from behind and dragging my blade across its throat. Black blood sprayed as its body crumpled to the ground.
You have hunted [Abyssal Thrall Lv.12].
You have gained 12 EXP.
The remaining two thralls immediately reacted, but by the time they turned, I was already upon them. I swung my blade, severing the head of the second thrall in a single clean strike. Without pausing, I pivoted and drove my sword into the throat of the third, twisting the blade before yanking it free.
You have hunted [Abyssal Thrall Lv.14].
You have gained 14 EXP.
You have hunted [Abyssal Thrall Lv.11].
You have gained 11 EXP.
Compared to the ones I had fought near the tunnel, these thralls were generally lower leveled. Furthermore, they had been further weakened by the poison, making them easy prey.
Taking a quick glance around to make sure no one else had noticed, I flicked my blade to clear the bloodstain and sneaked ahead. There were still plenty left to kill, and I intended to stay undetected for as long as possible to maintain the advantage.
The camp was filled with small tents arranged in a rough circle around the largest altar in the middle. The luminous stones were brightening the area, but the shadows they cast made it surprisingly easy for me to stay concealed.
As I moved between the tents, I spotted more thralls—some standing guard near the wooden altars, others hunched over as they murmured in their strange tongue. Most of them still appeared sluggish, but that didn’t mean they weren’t dangerous. If I were surrounded by more than ten of them at once, I would be in serious trouble. And considering there were dozens scattered throughout the camp, I had to be careful.
Instead of engaging out in the open, I slipped into one of the tents. Inside, a single thrall lay on the ground with its body twitching slightly. Clearly, the poison had taken its toll. What a perfect opportunity. I crouched low, inching closer to the sleeping thrall, and without hesitation, I swung my sword, decapitating it in one swift motion.
You have hunted [Abyssal Thrall Lv.10].
You have gained 10 EXP.
The head rolled off the cot, black blood pooling beneath the body. The thrall never even had the chance to wake up. Although this way of killing was playing dirty, I did not have so much leeway as to fight them all head-on. Besides, they were nothing more than monsters designed by the System I had created in my past life—a tool to help me regain the peak I once had. I just had to continue picking them off one by one.
I wiped my blade clean on its cloak before scanning the interior of the tent. Crude wooden furniture, a few glowing stones, and what looked like a pile of torn parchment sat scattered in the corner. I grabbed one of the sheets, briefly glancing over the strange, incomprehensible symbols scrawled across it.
Hmm. Nope, I can’t read it. The memories of my past life were fragmented, and this language wasn’t one I recognized.
Setting the parchment aside, I stepped back out, making sure no one was nearby before going into another tent to repeat the process. Most of the tents had one sleeping, poisoned thrall inside, with the few exceptions containing two. A handful of times, I found one still awake, but in their weakened state, none of them put up much of a fight. If I noticed an enemy standing too close outside a tent, I would sneak behind them, slit their throat, and drag the corpse inside to keep things quiet.
Basic Swordsmanship has leveled up.
You have earned a new title: Foul Play
Foul Play
Rank: Uncommon
A title granted to those who eliminate a significant number of enemies through underhanded or deceptive means. Whether through poison, ambushes, or exploiting an enemy’s weakness, victory is all that matters in the end. Some may call it dishonorable, but the only true failure is losing.
Grants +7 Dexterity.Increases damage dealt when attacking an unaware or debilitated enemy by 15%.“Nice,” I mused, pleased.
Even though the new title didn’t sound particularly flattering, it was quite useful, nonetheless. Unfortunately, I could only equip one title at a time, meaning I couldn’t stack the effects. In the end, I decided to stick with my old title—it suited my combat style better. Not that it mattered for long.
As I stepped out of another tent, a garbled voice echoed from the far side of the camp. Turning my head slightly, I saw a thrall staggering near one of the smaller altars, staring directly in my direction. Without hesitation, it let out a shrill, guttural cry, pointing at me. Within seconds, more thralls turned toward me, filled with murderous intent. Even in their weakened state, they were still numerous.
Well, that’s as far as I could go with staying hidden.
I tightened my grip on my sword, preparing to cut my way through—
A sudden rush of air from the side sent a chill down my spine. Instinct screamed at me to move, but before I could react, a massive force slammed into me like a wrecking ball. Pain exploded in my ribs as my body was sent hurtling through the air.
I barely had time to register what had hit me before I crashed straight into one of the nearby tents, tearing through the flimsy fabric. The impact sent wooden crates and crude furniture flying as the entire tent collapsed on top of me.