System of the Beast Slayer [litrpg Adventure]
Copyright© 1999 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 287: Massacre in the Dark Menagerie
Time passed into midnight. Oxenfurt town’s lights had faded to a faint suggestion. All was silent. Bright moonlight spread across the broad river delta.
Splash, splash. Amid the soft sound of rippling water, a dozen long, flat wooden boats rowed one after another across the moon’s reflection on the river, heading toward the silent Academy Island.
Most of the space aboard was occupied by men. All had hand crossbows and curved blades at their waists, their faces cold.
The journey was calm. Before long, the wooden boats landed on the shallows outside the island.
Vlodimir von Everec was the first to step off the boat, into river water that covered his ankles. He observed in silence. After about five minutes, he suddenly waved a hand, and a dozen men of the Wild Boar Army set up wooden ladders, climbed over the wall like wolves and tigers, and entered the Academy.
“Olgierd...” Vlodimir von Everec caught his elder brother as he started climbing and lowered his voice. “You stay outside. Take a few brothers and guard the boats. Keep the Wild Boar Army’s rear safe.”
Olgierd’s face tightened. “My brother, that is not what we arranged at the start. You were supposed to stay here.”
“No, listen to me.” Vlodimir von Everec suddenly pressed a hand to Olgierd’s neck, pulled his head close, forehead to forehead, staring straight into his eyes. “Remember the old rule? You command from the rear, I charge in front. We won every time. Now we should follow the old rule.”
“And I am alone in this world. No burdens, no ties. That lets me give everything I have. You are different. You carry the responsibility of restoring the family. You still have Alice to look after...”
Vlodimir von Everec looked around. Most of the brothers had already entered the Academy and were waiting quietly for their leader’s command.
“Think of Alice. The most beautiful and pure woman in the world. Only a hero like you deserves her.”
Vlodimir von Everec spoke with no small measure of envy. “If something happens to you, what will become of her? Washing her face in tears every day, dying of grief?”
With that, Vlodimir von Everec allowed no argument. He yanked Olgierd down from the ladder, climbed up himself, and looked back at him once more.
For some reason, in that instant, Olgierd’s mind flashed back to the strange, terrifying dream from last night. His heart wavered.
He stayed behind.
...
Academy Island beneath the moon was not as quiet as imagined. Lights still burned in many houses, where diligent students studied deep into the night.
Vlodimir von Everec walked at the head of the Wild Boar Army, half crouched, steps drawn in, swiftly moving from one great tree to another as he advanced according to the map he had studied dozens of times in his mind.
More than thirty furtive figures followed behind him, keeping silent by common accord.
The process went unexpectedly smoothly.
Before long, they came beneath a massive spruce and saw the camouflage-painted warehouse.
Vlodimir von Everec let out a breath, then smiled mockingly at himself and ordered his men to use the tools prepared long ago to cut open the chain on the warehouse door.
“Boss...” Barrel Punk quietly sidled up beside him. “That idea you had before really worked.”
“What idea?”
“Having the brothers eat more animal livers. Sure enough, plenty of them are cured of night blindness. Otherwise we could never have come tonight.”
“Enough nonsense...” Vlodimir von Everec heard the sharp sound of the chain breaking and kicked the fat man in the arse, having no time to chatter with him. “Go on. You lead.”
“Huh?”
“Coward. Still afraid of those unconscious animals?”
Barrel Punk looked at the dark, ugly doors of the menagerie. His face turned bitter, and he cursed inwardly. Then he stepped inside carefully, one step at a time.
“You, and you...” Vlodimir von Everec casually instructed two more brothers. “Stand guard outside.”
...
The Menagerie of Rare Beasts at night was gloomy and dreadful, like a sewer. From the darkness came constant low rustling and chirring. Strange trees and shrubs stretched branches and leaves along both sides of the path.
Now and then, some unknown small animal made them shiver and sway.
The arm with which Punk held the torch kept trembling. He advanced along the forest path in fear, while the men behind him held their breath and kept looking warily all around.
As if some terrible monster might suddenly leap from the black, dead silence.
“No problem. I’m safe. Mm...” Punk kept whispering reassurance to himself. “All the dangerous animals have eaten the drug and fallen asleep. Even if they haven’t, the weapons in the hands of the thirty-odd brothers behind me will make them behave.”
“Goddess Melitele protect us...”
Perhaps the prayer worked. Soon, Punk led the Wild Boar Army safely to their first target.
A reptile covered in scales, with sharp teeth, a vicious mouth, and a long forked tail, lay in the grass without moving.
“Dracolizard?”
Punk swallowed. Gritting his teeth, he threw a stone at it. The creature did not react. He repeated it several times to confirm, then wiped cold sweat from his brow. “I knew it. I knew it. Hahaha.”
“Well done, my dear cousin.” Vlodimir von Everec encouragingly patted his shoulder. Looking at the massive beast before him was like looking at a mountain of gold. He immediately ordered a team of gang members to bind the dracolizard to a stretcher and carry it toward the warehouse door.
“The anesthetic worked. Next, everyone split into three groups of ten. Search quickly. I told you the details of several rare animals, so don’t make a mistake and drag back some worthless thing. Move fast. The fastest man gets an extra bonus.”
“Wise as ever, boss.”
The Wild Boar Army immediately grew excited, and the fear in their hearts faded a little without them noticing.
“But remember. If you run into a waking animal, hit it with tranquilizer bolts at once. Understand?”
Once Vlodimir von Everec finished giving instructions, the three groups vanished into the darkness in different directions.
He led men toward the north side of the warehouse. Faintly, he saw a pond there. The pond’s surface reflected the thin moonlight. But halfway along the path, one of the Wild Boar Army brothers called out to everyone, “B-boss ... I think I saw something run through the grass.”
Everyone’s heart tightened. They all nervously drew crossbows and aimed into the surrounding darkness.
Vlodimir von Everec frowned and quietly pressed a hand to the curved blade at his waist. “Trying to scare everyone on purpose? Are you sure you saw it?”
“I’m sure...” The witness’s teeth were chattering. “A pair of gray-green or amber things, like a cat’s pupils.”
“There!”
He suddenly shouted and pointed at the grass ahead. Everyone’s gaze turned with him. Under the torchlight, a clump of elephant grass instantly appeared, rustling and shaking.
What was hiding behind it?
“Gulp...” The sound of someone swallowing was clear.
Then there came a whoosh. One gang member was apparently too nervous and accidentally pulled Gabriel’s trigger. A bolt shot into the grass in an instant.
The trembling stopped suddenly.
After a soundless silence, a clear, soft cry rang through the air. “Meow.”
“Hah...” Everyone, almost in unison, pressed a hand to their chests and let out a breath.
“Nearly scared a man to death. Boss, tonight’s work is damned exciting.”
“A crowd of grown men frightened by a stray cat. Shameful.” Punk shook his head and strode toward the elephant grass, ready to properly deal with that wild cat.
But Vlodimir von Everec frowned. His instincts told him something was wrong. “Careful, Barrel ... don’t go over there ... Do you hear me? I told you to come back.”
“Right away, boss...” Punk stopped in front of the grass and slowly turned around.
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