Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 45: A Party Formed, A Party Destroyed
“Ahhhhh—! Why, of all places, would I end up ambushed here of all damned places—by those wretched shrimp soldiers and crab generals of the dragon clan?!”
Master Claw-Druid’s anguished cry tore through the cavern, stripped of all dignity and composure. He was utterly distraught. After all, he had worked so hard to shape his in-game persona, “Old Kang”—a Wood-Element Qi Practitioner who had just barely clawed his way to level five. He had even been fortunate enough to inherit the legacy of a Beastmaster from a wandering trainer, gaining at last the faint outline of what a true Claw-Druid should be.
Yet, just as pride began to swell in his chest, disaster struck.
His party—under his reluctant leadership—had only entered a secret cave, seeking clues to the whereabouts of the elusive “Spirit Pearl.” But instead of discovery, they stumbled blindly into a deadly trap, woven with insidious care by the East Sea Dragon Clan. And now, they were surrounded—hemmed in by dozens of shrimp soldiers and crab generals, led by a menacing Sea Patrol Yaksha whose eyes burned with cold, otherworldly malice.
The Featherfolk Qi Practitioner, Ivna, had tried desperately to negotiate. She was the one who had invested heavily in skills like Persuasion and Appealing to Higher Morality, and so she had stepped forward, wings trembling, to face the arrogant Yaksha commander.
She failed.
Or perhaps, more precisely—she had unleashed her skill, but when the dice were cast, fate had betrayed her. The result was a failed avoidance check, and thus combat became inevitable.
The dungeon run had begun in earnest.
At the outset, Master Claw-Druid roared with fierce determination, invoking Wood-elemental spells while summoning his faithful beast: the mighty Cavern Rock-Serpent. Together, man and beast surged forward, smashing through several shrimp soldiers in a single sweep. The scent of blood and saltwater mingled thickly in the air.
But before he could savor victory, the Dungeon Master, Marlon, spoke with a maddeningly calm voice, his tone as light as drifting smoke:
“The Sea Patrol Yaksha deems the Wood Qi Practitioner the primary threat. Thus, he looses an arrow of Deep-Sea Frost—imbued with instant-death magic. The bow in his hands is none other than the Sea Serpent Bow, a weapon inhabited by a sentient spirit. His racial affinity grants him an additional bonus to ice magic, which means…”
Marlon’s voice droned on, detailing the cruel mechanics of the attack. Then he cast the dice. The numbers sealed their fate.
And so it was that poor Master Claw-Druid and his Rock-Serpent collapsed together in a heap, their brief moment of glory snuffed out like a candle in the tide.
A Chiyou warrior, clad head to toe in impenetrable armor, charged forward with shield raised, taking the fallen Wood Qi Practitioner’s place at the front line. Meanwhile, the Featherfolk longbow archer took to the skies, loosing arrows wreathed in fire.
Ivna, the Sea-Folk Qi Practitioner who served as the party’s priestess, hurriedly invoked her Water-element resurrection spell, reviving Old Kang, the beast-taming Wood Qi Practitioner. Yet even as life returned to his body, tragedy struck again—the armored Chiyou warrior was overwhelmed by shrimp soldiers, beaten down in a brutal swarm.
Worse still, the Featherfolk archer was ambushed by a crab general wielding the cursed “Wind-Stilling Turtle-Shell Pearl.” Her wings faltered, her body plummeting from the sky. She struck the earth face-first, like a tragic Lin Daiyu falling from the heavens.
Ivna burned through her entire repertoire of resurrection spells and healing magic, yet the damnable Sea Patrol Yaksha still stood unyielding, his sinister laughter echoing through the cavern. At last, the grim moment arrived—the dreaded total-party wipe.
“Congratulations,” Marlon declared, his tone far too cheerful for such devastation. “You lasted four hours and eighteen minutes. You managed to cut down four mini-bosses, and you were this close to defeating the ultimate boss of tonight’s run—the rebel elite Sea Patrol Yaksha of Dragon Palace fame.”
“What?! He’s an elite boss?!” Claw-Druid Master exploded, pounding the table in indignation. “Marlon, my friend, why in all the heavens didn’t you tell us this sooner? If I’d known, I would’ve focused all my strength on that cursed monster instead of wasting precious time slaying those flimsy shrimp soldiers!”
His face flushed red with fury, voice cracking in outrage.
Marlon, ever calm, merely shrugged. “About an hour ago, you actually had the chance to visit the Crystal Palace of the East Sea Dragon King. There, from the lips of the Third Dragon Prince himself, you could have uncovered vital intelligence on the Yaksha—even perhaps a way to counter him. But Old Kang,”—Marlon’s eyes twinkled—“you chose not to believe the shaman who told you that ‘drowning yourself’ was the way to enter the palace. And thus… you missed your chance.”
“What?!” Claw-Druid Master’s eyes bulged wide. “There really is a Dragon Palace beneath the sea? That’s… utterly absurd!” His worldview quaked and cracked under the revelation. He jabbed an accusing finger toward Ivna. “Wait—I remember! Our deputy leader herself also refused to believe such nonsense about a Crystal Palace under the waves!”
Ivna, normally serene, now wore a rare look of regret. “It seems,” she murmured, “that we still need to study the Player’s Handbook and the Monster Compendium more carefully.”
The five-hour-long dungeon crawl had drawn every last drop of her focus. Ivna had slipped so deeply into the role that she almost forgot herself. In her heart, she had truly become that girl from a distant island across the seas—a Sea-Folk Qi Practitioner who had journeyed to Chen Tang Pass, searching for the stolen Heart of her homeland, only to find herself swept into grand adventure alongside unlikely companions.
At her side, little Fox-Girl Amy puffed her cheeks angrily, glaring daggers at Marlon. During the chaotic wipe, her sly Fox Assassin had fallen prey to a trap set beforehand by the Yaksha, and to her mind, this could only mean one thing—Marlon was deliberately targeting her. Absolutely, positively!
“Why is it that the righteous are always deceived by the wicked?” she muttered indignantly.
Nearby, the young Minotaur, Ester, cradled his massive bull’s head in both hands, his brows furrowed in torment.
“Ester, young master,” Adela spoke gently, trying to soothe him. “You’re wrong to think that way. It isn’t that evil is destined to triumph. It’s simply that we were too weak, too reckless in entering this cave before we were ready. If each of us had been stronger—just a few more levels perhaps—we might have had a real chance at victory. Evil did not prevail because it must; rather, justice failed because it was not strong enough.”
Ester froze. Slowly, he lifted his hands from his head. His round, thoughtful eyes gleamed with sudden clarity. Adela’s words pierced him deeply, stirring something vast and unshakable within.
“So… it’s not that evil always wins… it’s that justice was too weak?”
He stood abruptly, nearly toppling his chair. Without another word, he turned and strode toward the door. “I—I need to think. I’ll go back to my room first. I need to calm down!”
“Wait, Ester, young master! Soon it will be time for—” Adela began, but Marlon raised a hand, silencing her with a glance.
For Marlon understood. This was no moment to pull the boy back. Adela’s words had touched Ester’s heart, and he needed solitude to digest them. Forcing him otherwise would be wrong.
Instead, Marlon cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted after him:
“Ester, my brother! Whatever conclusion you reach, never forget this one truth—we are brothers, bound together!”
The Minotaur boy halted at the threshold. Slowly, he turned back, his eyes locking with Marlon’s. After a long, silent moment, he nodded deeply—once, firmly—before stepping out into the night.
“How moving,” Ivna whispered, watching the scene unfold. Her voice was soft, but her eyes glimmered. “Marlon, I did not misjudge you. You truly are a man of deep feeling.”
Marlon only shook his head, a shadow crossing his face. She could not understand. For him, this was not nobility, but repayment of a debt. If anything ever happened to Ester… Marlon knew he would never forgive himself. But such thoughts, he kept locked tightly inside.
So instead, he quickly smoothed his expression and turned to Ivna with a smile. “Miss Ivna, as Adela mentioned—it’s nearly time for my customary visit to the orphanage, where I tell the children and the old veterans their stories. Would you perhaps like to join us? Afterwards, we’ll share dinner together. After all, you too are one of the orphanage’s most cherished benefactors.”
Ivna hesitated, lips parting as if to refuse. Yet, after a brief pause, she faltered. Something in Marlon’s tone, perhaps, or in the lingering warmth of the moment, swayed her.
“…Of course,” she said softly at last. “I would be honored.”