The dungeon has been parasitized

Chapter 42 Fishman Tribe

I've been tricked...

Klein thought they were fools, but they were actually clever hunters, and he finally figured out the fishmen's behavior.

The fishmen left a back door because they had laid a large net there.

Klein had previously thought they were splashing the water to slap the fish, but they were actually just making noise to drive the fish into the net.

The other three fishmen did not participate in the direct hunting; they kept splashing the surface of the water in the deep water, just to make the fish follow their plan and enter the large net on their own.

The fish-men have powerful underwater magic, but they don't use it to catch fish... because it's simply not as efficient as using a fishing net.

They are clever hunters, my apologies.

Along with Klein's dozen or so fish, and other wild fish, about fifty fish were caught.

Klein was not killed, but was put alive into a water-filled barrel by them.

Hmm... I have seeds at the bottom of the water, so I can escape directly.

But it looks like they're going to take the fish back to their base, maybe...

Klein thought of the sacrificed sheep; perhaps these fish-men had offered them as sacrifices.

In other words, as long as you know where their traps are, you can find the underwater passage!

Let's go with them and take a look; it'll be faster than searching slowly in the swamp.

The bucket wasn't covered, and as they moved on, Klein quietly left seeds as a way back.

If there is danger, return to the swamp and continue searching for a needle in a haystack.

The fishmen left the swamp and came ashore; it seems they have not only gills but also lungs.

It was only then that Klein noticed the difference in their colors. Although they were all green, they varied in shade, and their heads and backs were covered with fins of different colors.

"Wararuru, wararuru ah!"

One of the fishmen was talking to the other three. Although Klein couldn't understand it, it was gesturing with its hands to show its legs, as if to say that it was entangled underwater.

"Hahaha~ Wararu ah."

Are you referring to my vines? If it's Yanami, she should be able to understand. I just hope Yanami can help translate.

Follow the fishman as he leaves through the tall grass that resembles a reed bed. The fishman's webbed feet spread out, and he doesn't sink into the mud when he steps on it.

The fishmen chatted as they moved forward and came to a clear stream that flowed directly into the swamp.

They continued along the stream, walking between the forest and the water.

After walking for about a thousand meters, Klein saw the rock walls of the swamp cave and the fish-man village below the rock walls.

The stream flows out from a small cave in the rock wall, and the village is built on both banks of the river, with people living by the water.

The village is small, consisting of wooden stilted houses with their bases embedded in the water, but there are also wooden walls underneath, as if the underwater area is also part of the dwellings.

The stilted houses are decorated with various aquatic plant patterns and are connected by wooden corridors that wind around the waterfront, like a dock.

The river, which is sandwiched between villages, has wooden fences, and there are a few live fish scattered inside.

baa~

There were still the sounds of sheep bleating behind the stilted houses. It seemed that, just as Klein had predicted, this was the fish-man village where the sheep were sacrificed.

As dusk approached, torches were lit along the corridor, and the four fishmen, who had brought back their fish, returned to the village.

"Wararuru!"

The lead merman shouted, and mermen from nearby houses came out one after another to welcome their return.

Big fish and little fish came to their side.

However, these fish-men don't have any gender characteristics... so it's unclear whether they are male or female.

A little fishman came to the barrel, and his fish face stared at Klein's fish face for a few seconds.

Then he reached out to grab Klein, but Klein nimbly swished his tail and slapped it into his palm.

Wow!

I don't want to be played by a child...

The little fishman was startled, and then was pulled aside by the person next to him who was hitting him.

At this moment, a fishman who was clearly different from the others stepped out from the group of fish.

It has a round and plump body, scales that are a mix of warm brown and light gold, long whiskers, and looks older than other fish-men.

Moreover, she was wearing a long robe with a water pattern and dark blue scales, which looked like crocodile skin... a lightning crocodile?

He held a cane in his hand, which looked like a magic wand, with a black snake head at the top and a magic core in its mouth.

This fishman looks unusual; he must be a village chief or a priest or something.

He exchanged a few words with the returning fishman, then nodded and looked at the four buckets containing the fish.

Klein stared at his fish-faced opponent, glanced at him for a few moments, then struck the ground with his scepter, causing the snake's mouth to glow.

thump.

Several fish next to Klein were enveloped by the water and flew out of the bucket. There were eight fish in total, all of the same species, and they were the largest ones.

"Wala lu, wala".

He spoke to the fishman beside him, and when the fishman nodded in agreement, he turned and walked toward the rock wall at the end of the river.

Several fish floated around the priest, drifting with his footsteps.

Oh dear, I wasn't chosen... I wonder what I'll be doing there.

Klein remained in the barrel before being dumped into the river enclosure by the other fishmen.

However, two of my little fish brothers were chosen. Let's go take a look.

Klein's soul transferred to one of the fish, and the feeling of floating in the air was somewhat strange.

Following the merman priest, we arrived at the end of the river.

Rumble...

The river flowed out of a passage in the rock wall, and a huge sound came from within, roaring incessantly.

The priest stepped into the river and walked along the current into the passage, where a curtain of water never stopped flowing.

There's a waterfall behind the passage; that's what the sound of flowing water is all about.

Klein was carried through the passage, the roar growing louder as the passage shortened. Finally, the priest stopped in front of the water curtain, raised his wand and waved it gently.

Splash...

The water curtain parted to reveal a deep blue lake, which was located inside a larger cavern.

Only after being led into this lake cave did Klein see the source of the waterfall.

Water flows down from the cracks in the cave ceiling, crashes against the rock wall, and then flows down the rock wall, covering the entrance of the passage and becoming a waterfall.

Then the water flowed into the lake, which overflowed and formed a river that connected to the swamp.

But it is clear that the waterfall has a larger flow of water than the stream.

The lake is surrounded by stilted houses similar to those outside, but they all seem rather dilapidated and uninhabited by fishmen, except for one altar that appears to be maintained.

Klein was led to the altar, where the priest began to prepare something.

It seems that this lake is where they made their sacrifice... which means there is a passage for me to return to the plantation underwater!

After a while, a merman also came to the altar, carrying an unconscious live sheep, some fresh seaweed, and a small bag, and then he withdrew.

The priest took a pearl from the bag and stuffed it into the sheep's mouth, then tied the sheep with the fishtail knot that Klein had seen before.

The fish were also subjected to the same steps, and finally all of them were placed on the edge of the altar by the water.

"Wara-pa-la, gula-ka, ma-la..."

After a series of nonsensical chants and rituals, Klein and the sheep were pushed into the lake.

The lake water is so clear...

The lake is deep but also very clear, but where is the underwater passage?

Klein decided to follow the sheep; wherever it went, Klein would go.

As the sheep slowly sank, a suction force from the bottom of the lake gradually wrapped around him, pulling Klein closer to the bottom.

If I'm not mistaken, the passage is below!

Klein struggled downstream, appearing and disappearing intermittently, which was quite strange.

You should keep inhaling...

As Klein was puzzled, he suddenly saw a glimmer of light appear underwater.

Wait... those are... a pair of glowing vertical pupils?!