Fifteen minutes later.
Ayaan arrived at the spot that had relatively more trees. He managed to get ten more kills in between, but all of them were level 1. He halted in his tracks as his ears picked up the noise of sloshing water.
*RIBBIT* *RIBBIT*
The irritating noise made by these frogs is also faintly heard. The sense of the next item is getting stronger with every passing second. They are all getting closer.
He took out three portions of Slimy gel from his inventory and applied it to his body. He realized that once he dipped into the marsh and came back up, the slimy gel's effect would be reduced. And the more he applies to his body, the more effective it is.
The three gels have a good result by far.
He applied it all over his body and even on his clothes and boots before getting ready to deal with the incoming monsters.
.
.
.
Five minutes later.
A team of frogmen much similar to the one before arrived at the location. They are also led by a captain and that captain also had a glass cylinder with a heart in it, hung on its back. The only difference between the first team and this team is that this one has more in number.
There are almost forty level 1 frogmen in here.
As they arrived at the location, they saw an identical cylindrical container with a heart inside floating in the middle of the swamp. There are no signs of anything else living around.
This sight made them halt in their tracks.
*RIBBIT* *RIBBIT* *RIBBIT*
The frogmen seemed to be communicating among themselves. After some discussion, the captain along with the rest of the group slowly inched closer to the heart. After some hesitation, the captain was about to pick it up.
Still, it is very cautious of its surroundings.
*RIBBIT?*
At that moment, a frogman looked below. It felt something moving near its feet.
*SWOOSH* A water bullet flew and blasted its face.
[Exp+10]
[MP+1]
*RIBBIT* *RIBBIT*
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
Ayaan didn't let this element of surprise go to waste. He sat up from his lying position and rapidly shot the frogmen.
Six of them fell victim to him before they could react.
*SPLASH*
The captain reacted quickly. With a single leap, it jumped over to Ayaan and slashed its sword. It even left the hearts behind, solely focusing on him.
*SPLASH*
Ayaan rolled to the side and shot it on the shoulder
*RIBBBIT*
It growled angrily and slashed him again. Ayaan got up and started running.
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
He took two frogmen that tried to block his way. He entered the nearest building and disappeared from their line of sight. He used the same tactic as before. However, this group of frogmen are a lot more intelligent. They didn't just blindly rush in.
The captain made them stop and they circled the area. Trying to find an opening.
*SWOOSH* *SLASH*
Ayaan on the other hand, put his finger out and shot a frogman through a small gap in the wall.
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
When two more frogmen fell, the captain couldn't take it anymore. It commanded the other frogmen to get inside. The house is of course filled the marsh mud as well. As soon as they entered, the frogmen started attacking the ground.
The ceiling of the room is broken in some parts and the first floor is visible from there. As the frogmen with their cautious nature kept on stabbing the floor to find out where Ayaan hid, leaned through the hole in the ceiling, and started shooting once again.
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
He didn't hold back. He rapidly shot at the frogmen.
*SPLASH* *SPLASH* They fell one after the other. The frogmen captain got angrier. It jumped at the wall, kicked the wall, and leaped througha hole towards the ceiling.
*SWOOSH*
Only to be greeted by Ayaan's water bullet.
[███████████░░░░░░░░░░] 60.0%
It health dropped. He hoped that it would fall back into the ground floor, but it didn't. It lunged forward, covering the gap between them. Ayaan had to take out the combat sword and block its attack.
The frog pressed forward. Ayaan deflected its force and slipped to the side. The frog tripped and almost fell forward.
*SWOOSH*
Ayaan shot the bullet point black at its back.
[█████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 25.0%
*BAM*
He then kicked it through the broken window opening.
*SPLASH*
With a large and loud splash, the captain fell off the first floor. Ayaan turned around to meet the other level 1 frogmen who came from the ground floor.
*SWOOSH* *THWACK*
The sounds of water bullets being hot, and blades clashing and stabbing are heard. The captain that fell down woke up groggily. Its head kept ringing. It held on to its sword and leaped up. It covered the height with one simple leap and jumped back into the building through the same window.
*RRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII*
It made a weird croaking sound as it saw Ayaan who just finished off a frogman with a stab to its head and a bullet through its head. The frogmen are all done.
It leaped towards him aiming to stab him in the heart. Ayaan dodged the attack slightly, held it by its armor, and leaned back, letting himself fall on his back. The captain missed its mark, but Ayaan didn't.
He rolled over his back and made them both fall through the hold towards the ground floor. But with him rolling over, the captain was at the bottom and Ayaan at the top. As they did, Ayaan stabbed the knife he held in its chest.
*SPLASH*
With a huge splash, the captain hit the ground. Ayaan even saw the solid ground underneath the mud.
[██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 10.0%
It is one tough frogman. Ayaan didn't let the chance go and stabbed the knife repeatedly…
Exp+100
MP +10
He only stopped after the notification came. He leaned back and caught his breath. He checked his fatigue.
15
Not too bad. That is the reason he has been trying to use petty tricks like distraction and sneak attacks. Otherwise, he would have welcomed a direct fight as well. Particularly, with all the new stats he gained.
Ayaan ran back to the place where the two hearts were. By now, over half a dozen level 1 frogmen gathered around them.
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
He shot them down and then held the two hearts in either hand before he moved toward the next destination.
.
.
.
.
.
Twenty minutes later.
A group of frogmen is traveling through the swamp and they are all running towards one of the broken buildings in the vicinity.
It is the largest structure in all of the swamp and it has the most floors that are still intact. The group that has more than sixty frogmen surrounded that building. The captain of the group held another heart.
*RIBBIT* *RIBBIT*
It commanded the frogmen to go upstairs. It can feel it. The presence of another heart. And it is true, except for the number. On the roof of the building which is half destroyed, two hearts are placed in the center.
The frogmen hurriedly climbed the floors trying to find a way. Only the captain and half a dozen frogmen are left behind.
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
When almost all the frogmen are inside the building water bullets come from behind. Two frogmen fell before they even knew what was happening.
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
Another two fell while they turned around.
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
Another two fell before they had time to react.
Only the captain was left.
*RIIII..* *SWOOSH* The captain was about to rage, but a water bullet came and hit its head.
*SPLASH*
The captain fell into the swamp. But it still held on to the heart tightly.
Looking at this, Ayaan aimed at the heart instead of the captain. It dodged to the side and covered the heart with its body.
The bullet landed on its back, and penetrated its flesh.
[██████████░░░░░░░░░░░░] 50.0%
It stood up hurriedly and lunged towards Ayaan. However, Ayaan didn't even move. They had considerable distance between them.
He just aimed another finger. Instead of attacking the captain, he targeted the heart.
*RIBBIIIT* The captain screamed and swung its sword at the bullet coming for the heart. It did block it. But the sword in its hand flew away while another bullet hit it in its head.
A large gash appeared, making it bleed.
[████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] 20.0%
It fell into the swamp again. Ayaan closed the distance and shot it in the head once again.
[Exp +100]
[MP+10]
Even though these level 2 captains are taking some time to be killed, the water bullets are indeed coming in handy. The MP reward is also more than enough to not just break even. He is even gaining MP overall.
Meanwhile, the frogmen reach the roof and they carefully approach the hearts hoping that the roof won't break.
Ayaan entered the building.
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
Two frogmen that are still on the ground floor were shot from behind.
Ayaan collected the loot and walked up. The frogmen seemed to have some semblance. They spread themselves across the floors maybe anticipating an ambush. But they never thought about a threat coming from outside.
After all, their strongest member, their captain is below.
They just assumed he would take out any threat. Ayaan's job became easier.
He went in and silently killed them off, clearing one floor after another and collecting the loot. Before he reached the rooftop, the frogmen already come down with the hearts.
Ayaan just shot them down and caught a hold of the hearts. He went back down and relaxed a bit while thinking about what to do next.
Right now, he has three hearts in his hand.
There are two more out there and from the pull he is getting they are roughly in the same direction. Ayaan had it pretty easy until now. He didn't have to expend much of his energy in close combat. He took the opponents down with just water bullets.
He wondered if the system is holding back just to ensure he wouldn't grow much. After all, the first quest was a bit tougher than this with the environmental conditions completely against him.
But now, with the serpent leather boots, there is almost no hindrance for him. He even managed to take down three groups in approximately one hour.
Ayaan shook these useless thoughts and got ready to move. He hung the three cylinders on his back with the fashioned rope the frogmen used. He ran towards the next destination.
But within five minutes after he started, he sensed something odd.
His senses became sharp and he could feel the threat around him. He looked at the swamp around him. He could hear it….
*squish*
The faint sound of the webbed feet.
*SWISH* Ayaan took out the mutant sword and swung it horizontally in an arc.
*SPLASH*
A frogman jumped out of the swamp with the sword in its hands. It was about to swing it on him. But the mutant sword reached it first. The sword cut through the frogman's gut, cutting it into two.
*RIBBIT* *SPLASH*
At the same time, multiple frogmen leaped out of the swamp. The same trick Ayaan used has been used against him. All of them launched themselves at him with their swords.
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
Ayaan's bullets took down the two frogmen closest to him, while he threw the hearts in another direction. The frogmen coming from that direction halted in their tracks, dropping their swords and catching the hearts, afraid that they would break. This gave him enough gap to roll over and shoot down two more frogmen.
*SPLASH*
Just when he was about to break out of the encirclement, the captain jumped out in the same fashion. But its movement is not as big as the level 1 frogmen. It tackled him into the swamp. Ayaan didn't even get a chance to dodge and fell into the mud along with the captain.
*SPLASH* *BAM*
He felt the hard ground hit his back. The mud did nothing to cushion the blow. Ayaan still held on to the sword tightly. He just put his free hand to the head of the captain and conjured a water bullet. However, this one is a bit different.
MP-2
The bullet consumed twice the usual MP.
*SPLASH*
The head of the frogmen captain exploded. Ayaan threw its body aside and hurriedly stood up.
*BANG* He blocked the sword coming at him and shot the frogmen down.
*BANG * *SWOOSH* He followed the same pattern and took a few more frogmen down as they came. The most they were able to land was one hit and the rest were all blocked.
He broke out of the encirclement and noticed that three frogmen are carrying a heart each and are running away.
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
Ayaan put the sword away and started shooting them down rapidly. The three frogmen are done in no time and the hearts fell into the swamp.
Ayaan looked at the surroundings to confirm that there is no immediate threat.
He ran towards the three hearts and quickly collected them. He just realized that there might be more than five teams in the marsh. He just realized the actual hidden meaning of the second quest condition.
'At least 5 frogmen captains.' That means there are definitely more. That means more than five teams.
And now they are being attracted to him because of the hearts. Ayaan's heart raced in excitement. He held the hearts close to him and was about to leave, but…
*RIBBIT* *RIBBIT*