DMS Chapter 214
DMS Chapter 214
Even though Flinx had heard that monsters occasionally emerged from the river to attack the citizens of Riverside, he could still see several fishing boats traveling along the water. Even the vast lake into which the river flowed had a number of vessels crossing its blue surface.
More than likely, those who made their living on the river and the lake were more than capable of defending themselves against any monsters that attacked.
The scenery was breathtaking.
Flinx thought it was a pity that, because it was autumn, he wouldn't be able to enjoy swimming in either the river or the lake. He wasn't afraid of monsters, but the frigid water would probably be too much even for him.
As he continued walking along the riverbank, he noticed a ferry bustling with activity.
Curious, he approached and overheard the staff explaining that it offered sightseeing tours along the river and out onto the lake.
The attendants proudly advertised that several powerful adventurers had been hired to protect the vessel, allowing passengers to enjoy the scenery without worrying about monsters.
Most of the people buying tickets appeared to be tourists.
Many were adventurers from other regions, though there were also ordinary travelers.
Flinx was even surprised to see entire families boarding the ferry.
His curiosity was piqued.
Since he wanted to avoid attracting unnecessary attention, he stored his Adventurers Guild badge inside his fourth tab space before purchasing a ticket.
The ferry had two decks.
Flinx paid extra for a seat on the upper deck, where he would have a much better view of the surrounding landscape.
After about an hour, the ferry finally departed.
As the journey began, a tour guide stood at the front of the vessel and welcomed everyone.
He introduced the river and the lake, explained the safety procedures, pointed out the food and drink counter, showed everyone where the restrooms were located, and covered several other details.
Flinx also learned that the tour would last approximately four hours.
The upper deck was occupied mostly by couples and families.
The children were loud and energetic, but Flinx didn't mind in the slightest.
While listening to the guide, he purchased a bucket of buttered popcorn and a cold soda from his System Shopping Site and quietly enjoyed the tour.
It wasn't long before three curious children wandered over to him.
Two belonged to the family seated behind him, while the third was the child of the young couple sitting in front.
Their parents seemed unconcerned that their children had approached a stranger.
Flinx simply smiled.
He bought three more buckets of buttered popcorn and three cans of cold soda before handing them to the children.
After teaching them how to open the soda cans, the three happily settled beside him, munching away.
Once the guide finished his introduction, the children immediately began peppering Flinx with questions.
Their nonstop chatter filled the air.
Surprisingly, he enjoyed every moment of it.
When they finished eating, Flinx collected the empty containers and casually disposed of them in the garbage bin inside his System Shopping Site.
After several peaceful minutes spent admiring the scenery, Flinx was about to retrieve another book from his fourth tab space when the guide returned.
This time, the man pointed out various landmarks that had come into view.
After explaining each location, he entertained everyone with local legends connected to them.
Most of the tales were ghost stories or other frightening myths.
Although Flinx doubted any of them were true, they were entertaining, nonetheless.
The three children sitting beside him shivered dramatically during the scary parts, fully aware that the stories were only legends.
Flinx couldn't help being impressed by the guide's stamina.
The man continued telling stories for more than an hour without losing the audience's attention.
Suddenly, the ferry lurched violently.
Several startled cries rang out.
The guide immediately reassured everyone.
"Please remain calm. A group of sahuagin is attacking the ferry. Our adventurers are trained for situations like this."
Most of the passengers hurried to the railings.
Flinx joined them.
Below, several fish-like humanoid monsters attempted to climb aboard, only to be driven back by spells and martial skills unleashed by the adventurers protecting the vessel.
Judging from the passengers' reactions, this was hardly an unusual occurrence.
Instead of panicking, many watched with excitement.
Some even applauded every successful spell.
Looking at the creatures, Flinx estimated they were only about as dangerous as kobolds.
The battle ended quickly.
Unable to board the ferry, the sahuagin retreated beneath the water.
As though they had just witnessed a stage performance, the passengers broke into enthusiastic applause.
Flinx found himself clapping along with them.
Not long afterward, the ferry emerged onto the lake.
Its vast, shimmering blue waters stretched to the horizon.
The cool autumn breeze swept across the deck, causing many passengers to shiver pleasantly as they admired the breathtaking scenery.
Roughly an hour later, the guide announced that it was time to return to Riverside.
Suddenly, a woman screamed.
She pointed toward the distant sky.
Every passenger turned to look.
A flock of wyverns was flying directly toward the ferry.
Flinx counted roughly a dozen of them.
His expression immediately turned serious.
Wyverns were powerful monsters.
He wasn't confident that the ferry's hired adventurers could stop an entire flock.
To his surprise, several adventurers leaped overboard and fled.
Apparently, they believed the much larger ferry would attract the wyverns' attention while they escaped.
Flinx frowned.
He did not doubt that powerful adventurers from Riverside would eventually arrive to drive the monsters away.
Unfortunately, by then, many of the passengers would already be dead—or worse, carried away by the wyverns.
He let out a quiet sigh.
Without hesitation, he cast every one of his defensive spells before activating Fly.
He then soared into the sky to intercept the approaching monsters far away from the ferry.
There were children aboard.
He had even befriended three of them.
He refused to allow them to become monster food.
He could hear the astonished cries of the passengers behind him, but he ignored them.
The moment the wyverns entered the range of his spells, Flinx raised both hands.
He cast the ninth-level Evocation spell, Ravenous Void, twice.
Two enormous spheres of crushing gravitational force materialized among the flock.
The wyverns were dragged helplessly toward the centers of the two spells.
The opposing gravitational forces tore through them mercilessly.
Within moments, the entire flock was annihilated.
Fragments of flesh and blood rained into the lake below.
Afterward, Flinx mentally instructed the invisible wind elemental that constantly followed him to search the surrounding skies for any remaining flying monsters.
He remained airborne for several more minutes, carefully watching the horizon.
Only after confirming that the area was completely safe did he return to the ferry.
He landed gently on the upper deck beside his seat.
The instant he touched down, the three children he had shared popcorn with broke free from their parents' embraces and rushed toward him.
"Mister! You're an amazing wizard!"
"That was incredible!"
"I knew you were strong!"
They jumped excitedly around him while talking over one another.
Their parents hurried after them, apologizing for their children's behavior.
Flinx simply smiled.
"It's fine," he said warmly. "I like children."