Chapter 148: Fishman High Priest
Edward was much calmer in his second encounter against the Fishman High Priest and the fishfolk surrounding it.
The reason the quest before had been difficult was because they had to recover the Sea Sapphire. On the other hand, all bets were off when the quest became a hunting quest, and they could just start nibbling away the horde from the edges.
Naturally, the culling was delayed up to two long days despite the support of other Players, what with elite fishmen including stingray priests, shark warriors, grouper a.s.sa.s.sins, pufferfish suicide bombers, and salted fishman mummies hanging around. It was only after that that they took down the Fishman High Priest’s personal guards and finally faced the Boss over the central plateau.
Now, the creature of an unknown species of fish stared at the Players encircling it heavily, clenching its fish fin staff as its green face turned solemn. “Mgrlllmgrlrrr (Would you dare to spare my life?!)”
“What is it saying?” Gou Dan asked quietly.
“Don’t know, but from the determined look on its face it probably is demanding for a delightful battle.” Joe guessed.
The Fishman High Priest clearly understood human tongue, but it was just unable to speak it no thanks to its unique fishman throat. “Mrlllmrlrrr (No, that’s not what I said)!” It yelled, pointing at Joe.
Joe looked delighted to be pointed at, and turned to Gou Dan. “Look, it definitely is saying that I’m right!”
The other Players all found Joe making sense as they watched the sight unfold before them, and could not help casting looks of respect at the Fishman High Priest they were encircling—its death was certain, and yet it did not fear its death, and would fight its enemy honorably to the bitter end with the last moments of its life. That certainly left the Players stirred.
Naturally, there was no changing the fate of it dying.
Joe hence drew out the Giant’s Toe, his legendary weapon. “Stand back, everyone. I shall face it in a duel in its honor!”
“Joe, are you going to be alright?” Gou Dan teased behind him. “It is more than ten levels above you.”
“Men don’t say ‘impossible’! Duels are a warrior’s romance!”
But Joe summoned his spirit familiar right after that, which prompted jeers from Gou Dan and the other Players. “Where is that duel you promised?”
“Shut up! My spirit familiar is a part of a duel, go away if you don’t like it!”
Joe energized his sword skill, imbuing the spirit familiar into his sword before a.s.suming the posture for launching Slippery Slash. As one of the few warrior-cla.s.s skills that was coupled with movement, it was basically a signature move for warriors as they entered the battlefield.
“Grlllmgrlrrr! Mgrlrrrgrlll! (Wait, I surrender! I can take you to the nearest fishfolk settlement, spare my life!)”
In turn, the Fishman High Priest was no longer nonchalant, but had instead raised his fish fin staff with both hands—it was the fishfolk gesture of surrender.
None of the Players present had communicated much with the fishfolk, however, although each of them did kill quite a few fishman. Therefore, what they saw was that the Fishman High Priest was raising its weapon, ready to attack anytime in the face of a great enemy.
“Could it be that you’re saying that you’re not surrendering?! That you would attack to the end even if it burns out your life?!” Joe felt his juices flowing right then, and gave up on his elaborate Sliding Slash in favor of the stronger and more direct Mountain Strike. “I, Joe Paul, acknowledge you as the bravest of the fishkin! Come, let’s duel honorably!”
The air between the two tightened immediately, just as the small back of the Fishman High Priest cut a rather infinitely miserable figure.
Clap, clap, clap…
Gou Dan had started applauding, and soon the other Players followed, infected by the sight of fiery pa.s.sion before them to offer their applause for the last but never yielding fishman on the island.
Hence, the Fishman High Priest which had won the respect of all Players roared at Joe shrilly in absolute, inconsolable rage. “Grlllrlrrr! Glrrrgrlll! (Motherf*cker! Grannyf*cker!)”
“By the way, I remember Croakatoa mentioning that he knows some fishspeak.” Edward, who had been watching from the start in a corner and having a feeling that something was out of place put a fist in a palm as he turned to Eleena.
“Okay.” Eleena, who was sucking on a lollipop took out her red-white Famiball, summoned the frogman in question and asked. “Croakatoa, what did that fishman say?”
Croakatoa gave Edward a troubled look after it listened to the Fishman High Priest.
“It’s fine, just tell us as it is.” Edward encouraged.
Noticing what was happening as well, the other Players approached them with great interest, their ears straightening as they strained to hear what the brave Fishman High Priest was actually saying.
“Uh…” Croakatoa hence did his best to explain through the human tongue he understands albeit reluctantly. “That fish man… is using a crude tone to tell Mister Paul to have some illicit relations with his mother and grandmother…”
Since the people aside from Eleena weren’t good people, all of them understood instantly.
Which explains the indescribable looks on their faces.
Joe immediately pointed at the Fishman High Priest in his irrepressible rage. “And here I was, believing that you were a respectable opponent! To think that you would spout such blasphemy—I shall act in the name of the G.o.d of Games and destroy you!”
On the other hand, the Fishman High Priest made a grieving and indignant face as it rushed towards Joe with no regrets, swinging its staff without even casting a single divine spell. It seemed to have given up on everything, and only wanted to split Joe’s head to vent its rage.
Still, Joe was defeated by the Fishman High Priest’s ten-levels worth of advantage and despite the buffs from Giant’s Toe, his legendary weapon. Of course, the creature was also strengthened by its sheer grief and Boss template.
But despite Joe’s death, the evil fishman was eventually taken down by the Players in the name of justice, though for some reason it had a fulfilled look on its face after killing Joe, and did not resist much before the Players kill it… it was lucky that it was spared the sight of Joe being revived with a brilliant resurrection spell with full HP, or it would have died miserably.
Nonetheless, Edward was frowning in bemus.e.m.e.nt after the Fishman High Priest was killed—he had waited for a while, but the System notification indicating the conclusion of the quest and the end of the event was not popping up.
Wasn’t the Fishman High Priest the last fishman on fishfolk island? Why wasn’t it over after it’s down?
That was when a player suddenly shouted. “Check the forums! The fishpeople are gone, but a colossal Bastion Crab King has just appeared at the coastal area! That’s the real final Boss of the event!”