Chapter 171, Second Basement Level
Extreme vegetarian rabbit-people, giant worms emerging from the soil, swift and agile monkeys that throw answers at them...
The journey to the latter half of the [Ancient Map] gave Val and Shanks no chance to catch their breath. The number of those terrifying and eerie creatures increased dramatically, and their territory was almost one after another with no empty space. Often, the two of them would have just hypnotized the crazed rabbitmen with a bedtime story, and the next second they would be attacked by black serpents as soon as they stepped onto another piece of land.
In this situation, choosing to stay and fight those unknown numbers of monsters is clearly not a good option. Only by recklessly charging forward can they avoid being surrounded and attacked by various monsters.
Fortunately, as they ventured deeper, the sheer number of monsters led to overlaps in their habitats.
These mad monsters that live in the darkness naturally wouldn't sign any non-aggression pacts. With their activity areas overlapping, they naturally started fighting, which made it easier for Violet and her companions to slip away in the chaos.
And at a certain moment, after crossing an unseen boundary, the monsters that were fighting together suddenly disappeared.
The surroundings fell silent again, as if in the dead of night. However, after witnessing the sheer number of monsters that made their scalps tingle, this silence did not allow Val and Shanks to breathe a sigh of relief; instead, it instantly tightened their nerves.
The previous battles between the monsters had already proven that, compared to their sheer number, the available territory deep within the underground world was far too limited. And in this place where every inch of land was precious, the sudden appearance of an area devoid of any monsters could only mean that an even more terrifying monster lurked there, keeping them in check!
Under the light of the lantern, the two men exchanged a glance, their expressions solemn.
Splash—splash—
Just as Valerie and Shanks were preparing to cautiously investigate, a series of sounds, like heavy chains being dragged by something, echoed from the depths of the darkness.
Violet took a deep breath and switched her current character to [Fishman].
This character has the best base stats of all the characters Violet currently owns. Although [Twin Sister] can control ghosts to attack and [Librarian] has all sorts of books with amazing functions, Violet is worried that the battle in a little while will be very dangerous, so dangerous that she won't have time to do anything precise.
Taking advantage of the moment when the creature in the depths of darkness had no intention of attacking and the monster behind them dared not pursue, Val and Shanks rested on the spot to replenish their sanity, and then headed towards the direction from which the sound came with nervous anticipation.
The splashing sound grew louder, accompanied by the churning of water and the scraping of slippery scales against the rocks...
This surprised Violet, since in a humid environment, the [Fishman's] three-dimensional attributes could be further enhanced.
Shanks looked up and felt around: "It's much wetter than it was at the beginning... Based on the distance we've traveled, we've already far exceeded the boundaries of Alabasta."
So we're currently below the seabed?
His voice carried a hint of excitement. As a powerful figure who hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit, Shanks had experienced many adventures underwater, but this was his first time venturing beneath the seabed!
“Then we’d better be careful later.” Violet was thinking of another problem. “If we make too much noise and collapse the support overhead, we can only pray that we can see the sun again in a few years by following the ocean currents.”
Of course, before that, Violet would disappear directly due to the player's water-soluble characteristic.
Violet's warning sent a chill down Shanks' spine, even though he preferred a more sweeping and aggressive style of combat.
Uh, be careful not to get too excited later, otherwise the seawater will flood in, and even the Four Emperors won't be able to resist this natural force.
After confirming the combat techniques, Val took out two searchlights from her backpack and put one on Shanks and one on herself. This way, Val could use both hands, and Shanks would no longer have to struggle to switch between the lantern and Griffin with one hand.
Splash—splash—
The sound of metal chains scraping together grew louder until the searchlights above them shone on a towering, dark purple "wall".
No, that's not a wall.
Violet held the searchlight and looked up, staring blankly at the enormous tentacle, which was at least thirty meters in diameter.
That tentacle was like a hundred times larger version of the tentacles in the swamp. In addition, the sanity-lowering aura around it was also stronger and larger, causing Val and Shanks to feel extremely uncomfortable just by getting close to that tentacle.
Based on their current sanity levels, they could only last a minute near that giant tentacle before they had to move away to replenish their sanity, otherwise they would be caught in a double attack from the tentacle and the shadow monster.
"Only one minute."
“That’s enough,” Shanks said confidently. “I’ve been holding back all the way for this moment.”
As a sea emperor, he also had his own pride. If it weren't for those mysterious materials that absorbed Haki, and the monsters that were waiting for them somewhere, Shanks could have easily swept through with his physical skills, instead of sneaking along the edges of various monster territories with Violet.
Now, just as he was about to reach his destination, a terrifying monster was waiting there, just as he had expected.
But this also means that Shanks no longer needs to consider holding back his power or suppressing his fighting spirit.
"That prey is mine."
The red-haired captain made no attempt to conceal his determination to obtain that one and only prey. According to the rules of the pirates, if no one else is competing with him, he will engage in a one-on-one battle with the opponent he has his eye on. However, if someone else is competing with him, they will likely need to have a contest based on their status and strength before even fighting the enemy.
Val looked up at Shanks.
Shanks looked back at Violet with enthusiasm. Clearly, the Emperor of the Sea, who had been frustrated all the way for this final battle, didn't mind having one last warm-up with Violet before fighting the monster.
This is what pirates are like.
Vera sighed inwardly, then took a step back, turned to the side, and extended her right hand in a gesture of invitation to Shanks.
But she was just a farmer who believed in the principle of sitting instead of standing and lying down to win rather than fighting. It would be great if Shanks was willing to do the work for free, and she had no intention of competing with him.
Shanks, who was originally full of enthusiasm, suddenly felt a bit frustrated because of Violet's unpredictable behavior.
Forget it, who cares?
The battle was exhilarating!
Shanks was only puzzled for a moment, but the next second his fighting spirit took over again, and he pushed off with his feet and charged straight towards the giant tentacle.
Violet tilted her head back to watch Shanks fight the tentacle, secretly assessing whether she would perform differently if she were the one fighting it.
It's clear that this gigantic tentacle possesses far greater defensive capabilities than its counterparts that live in swamps. The slippery mucus and hard scales on its surface make it difficult to harm with ordinary attacks, while the surrounding environment's absorption of Haki rapidly increases the difficulty of launching powerful attacks.
However, these gigantic tentacles are not without weaknesses. Their enormous size means they can be hit easily without aiming, while the chains binding them prevent them from making effective defenses or dodges.
If it were Violet, she would probably choose to freeze it with the Frost Staff first, and then burn it with the Fire Staff to see if the effect of hot and cold could make those grayish-white scales more brittle and easier to penetrate!
While Val was pondering, Shanks, having already tested the strength of the giant tentacle, prepared to unleash his slash. According to his estimation, this slash would be enough to tear half of the tentacle's body apart without any power leaking out, and would break the surrounding rock walls that were likely located deep in the sea.
But at that moment, bulges suddenly appeared on the skin of the watch, and those bulges quickly stretched and rose, turning into several tentacles that rushed towards Shanks.
Violet: "..."
Cough cough.
Violet raised her Frost Staff and timely used an ice wall to interrupt the attack of the tentacles, ending a crisis that could have destroyed the entire world.
However, given this game's 8+ rating, nothing should happen... no, stop thinking about it.
Shanks landed next to Vale and gasped, "Ouch—my head hurts so much."
The fight lasted a total of 59 seconds. Shanks has a great sense of time when he gets serious.
Before Shanks could even speak, Vale expertly pulled out a [jelly salad] and stuffed it into Shanks' mouth.
Shanks: "Huh? Hmm..."
Shanks: "It tastes pretty good? It just looks a bit strange. Haha, if I gave it to Hongo, his expression would be hilarious."
Even a serious, germaphobic doctor would probably get goosebumps just looking at this food, which is made primarily from the flesh and leaves of a carnivorous plant and is suspected to be highly poisonous. Let alone personally experiencing the huge contrast between its bizarre and ugly appearance and its unparalleled deliciousness.
You should know that the first time I ate a cracker, I had a look of utter disbelief.
Shanks swallowed the food in his mouth, feeling that the throbbing in his head and the dizziness and double vision in his vision had eased considerably. He looked at Violet expectantly and said, "Is there more? One more!"
Considering Shanks' strength and his free-flowing nature, Violet, feeling somewhat like she'd just fed a shrimp monster, muttered to herself before taking out another [Jelly Salad] from her backpack and handing it to Shanks. Shanks devoured it in one bite, his cheeks puffing out, and swallowed it after a couple of hasty bites. With his sanity fully restored, Shanks didn't disappoint Violet's expectations of two [Jelly Salads], charging towards the giant tentacle again with the strength he'd already tested.
This time, neither the slime and scales on its body nor its small tentacles posed any obstacle to Shanks. The weapon, covered with an even thicker layer of Armament Haki than usual, easily sliced it in two along two-thirds of its body.
With a heavy thud as the chains and tentacles fell to the ground, a scream came from all directions. The remaining third of the giant tentacles, freed from the chains, suddenly burrowed back in, leaving behind a huge black hole that led nowhere.
"Jump."
"Jump?"
Shanks glanced down at the large hole with slime still clinging to its edges, touched his stubble-covered chin, and then jumped in without hesitation.
clatter.
Violet landed lightly behind, and when she looked up, an ancient ruin full of history and mystery appeared before her eyes.
The dark gray stone floor was covered with jagged cracks, and the pitch-black distance was impenetrable even by Observation Haki.
The broken, clockwork-like monster lying on the floor made a clattering sound as it awoke after hundreds of years of peaceful slumber, opening its gem-crafted eyes to gaze at the two uninvited guests.
Shanks: "Wow!"
He was a little disappointed that he hadn't brought a camera Den Den Mushi down with him. If he didn't capture the scene and brag about it to his companions, he would have missed out on so much fun.
Shanks quietly moved closer to Val.
Can I bring a few souvenirs?
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Author's Note: Monkeys are truly the most hated monster in Don't Starve, bar none. [crying emoji]
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