NOVEL NEXT Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Quite Entertaining
Steven had no idea that his laughter had already stunned the nearby Inquisitors. All he wanted at that moment was to vent his inner craving for a fight. Conveniently, the creature known as the "The First To Talk", seemed resilient enough to take some punishment.
Its fluid-like body structure barely withstood Steven's sudden strike, and its powerful regenerative ability allowed it to quickly recover from its near-shattered state. But that did nothing to deter Steven from striding forward, seizing what appeared to be its neck, and hoisting it into the air.
"Still planning to mess with my daughter?"
Glancing at the surrounding monsters, which had instinctively taken a few steps back in fear, Steven addressed the Seaborn Elite.
"Rescue... our kin... is my duty."
Even though it was leaking a viscous, blood-like liquid from the damage caused by Steven's punch, the creature still managed to utter its intentions in a halting, emotionless tone.
To be honest, hearing those words made Steven feel like he was the villain, and these sea monsters were the brave souls sacrificing themselves to save their comrades.
He knew he shouldn't have asked.
With a swing of his fist, Steven delivered another punch to the creature's "face," ensuring it didn't get another word in.
The sound of its body cracking echoed, and its head was reduced to a puddle of mush.
"Our kin."
Just as Steven thought the world had finally quieted down, a raspy, emotionless voice emanated from the creature's abdomen.
"Huh?"
Steven gasped. Were these sea monsters' heads just for show? He couldn't comprehend their physiology.
Still gripping what he thought was its neck, Steven tossed the creature to the ground. With a loud thud, it crashed into the earth. Steven clenched his fists.
"This is on you."
Without wasting any more time, his fists became unfeeling pistons, pummeling the so-called The First To Talk repeatedly. Each punch generated shockwaves that repelled the other sea monsters trying to ambush him. The Seaborn Elite, the direct recipient of this merciless assault, was suffering unimaginable consequences.
Even the Inquisitors watching from the sidelines turned their heads away, unable to bear the sight of flesh and blood splattering in such a gruesome scene.
"Was he always this aggressive before?"
Carmen's expression grew complex as he asked Irene, who had spent the most time with Steven.
"Only during battles, but this seems... personal," Irene responded uncertainly.
Previously, Steven had merely thrown rocks. He had never targeted someone so fiercely. She wasn't sure how to interpret it.
"Alright, let's hope he doesn't turn against Iberia."
The aged saint nodded, abandoning the idea of capturing the Seaborn Elite alive for interrogation.
It wasn't an exaggeration. This was the first time he had encountered a Seaborn capable of speaking Iberian. He had considered extracting valuable intelligence through questioning. However, with the way Steven was pummeling the creature into the ground, it was uncertain if anything would remain of its body.
Even if Steven wanted to leave something behind, the creature's durability probably wouldn't allow it.
After nearly a minute of relentless punching, Steven finally stopped. He surveyed the scene—a massive pit several meters deep, with The First To Talk reduced to a pulp at the bottom.
Exhaling deeply as though he had vented his frustrations, Steven casually wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow. He glanced down at the delayed kill notification.
[Ding! Eliminate plot monsters, "The First To Talk." World Acknowledgement Points +15,000.]
If not for this notification, Steven might have continued pummeling the corpse.
The reward amount caught his attention. It was the highest he had seen since arriving in this world. Could this seemingly weak and fragile creature actually have been an important boss character?
Raising an eyebrow, Steven stretched and climbed out of the crater he had created.
He was greeted by the sight of remaining sea monsters cautiously approaching him.
"Sorry, but I'm done here. See ya."
Flashing the monsters a bright smile, Steven had no intention of fighting another round. In an instant, he blurred into a streak of movement, retreating to the Penal Battalion's position.
If the sea monsters had any sense, they might have lamented his lack of honor. Running away after the fight, where was his warrior's pride?
But Steven couldn't care less. Leaving others to clean up his mess after he'd had his fun? That was the life he wanted. Why bother handling everything himself? He had no obligation. The key boss was dead, and if the Penal Battalion couldn't handle the rest, that was their problem.
"Where's the food?"
In the blink of an eye, Steven was beside Carmen, asking a question that nearly made Irene faint.
What kind of thought process was that?
Meanwhile, the remaining sea monsters, demoralized by the death of their leader, attempted one final charge at the Penal Battalion's defenses. Failing again, they began retreating toward the ocean.
Steven, now stress-free, sat beside Gladiia with a bowl of pork cutlet rice, casually watching the remainder of the battle unfold.
He observed the Penal Battalion's combat style and the Inquisitors' techniques. His verdict?
"Quite entertaining."
The world was still in the era of cold weapons. Aside from Dario occasionally firing his hand cannon into the horde, most battles involved brutal clashes of swords and fangs. Even crossbows were scarce among the Penal Battalion's arsenal.
Steven couldn't help but think: if he introduced industrial mods into this world, wouldn't it be a complete annihilation?
As for the "Originium Arts" Irene mentioned, they were even less impressive. The Inquisitors' mages struggled to conjure a fireball without gasping for air. Steven doubted their power could match a stick of TNT.
The technological level of this world? Utterly disappointing.
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