Section 8: Manipulative Mist

Ugh, what is going on? Where did this strange mist come from!?

I think it's drifting in from across the sea... Everyone, look.

(What could these tremors mean...?)

(It's hard to tell for sure given the lack of data, but it looks like some kind of big anomaly is in the works!)

Oh, this is bad. It's happening again.

I'm terrified right now. I wonder why.

If only someone would wrap me in a gentle embrace right now.

Preferably a pretty lady turtle with slender flippers...or a human with similar proportions...

Have you seen this mist before, Elder? Do you know what it is!?

Oh, yes. This is... Um...

What was it again...?

This is getting us nowhere!

I'm sorry. It's hard to remember things clearly when you get to be my age...

I feel like I've seen this a number of times, but I can't remember when...

It was recent! And it wasn't just once, either!

Sorry we're late, everyone! We were keeping the Con calm! We have an emergency on our hands!

？！

This mist is the first sign of water monsters coming here from the outer sea.

It's happened several times before.

Whenever the fog rolls in from out at sea, new water monsters arrive on the islands...

...eat the Con who were living wherever they arrive, and steal their homes for themselves.

It's the same every time.

So what you're saying is...

...we have a brand-new audience of water monsters unlike the ones who have been attacking this island up till now?

That's right.

From what I could see from the watchtower, the mist is approaching from the north.

And the northern coastline is the one closest to the village. This is very bad.

Some of them may have already made landfall, but that does seem like our only choice.

Of course. If any invaders try to make their way here, I'll repel them from our shores, just like I did a certain pushy goddess!

？！

Should we go too?

Mm, I don't think so. You joining us would just make things riskier.

If these monsters have only just arrived, they can't have eaten too many Con yet.

So let's stick with a small team of elites for now.

Got it, got it!

I'm gonna go with Lam-Lam!

Hehe, you never miss an opportunity, do you? What an excellent fan you are. Fine, consider this a backstage pass.

All right then, let's head out as soon as everyone's ready!

...There!

I knew it. We've never seen monsters like that before.

That means we know nothing about them, including whatever their weaknesses might be.

There's no telling what they might try to pull. Don't take your eyes off them!

True... But there also weren't very many. I can't imagine this was all of them.

Let's take a look around. There may be more nearby.

There! They're heading inland along what looks like a river!

Hm? Does that river look strange to anyone else?

There are rocks and pieces of wood piled high...

It looks like it has been dammed.

Who cares about a little thing like that? Let's just take out those water monsters and be done with it.

I'm gonna do it, do it, do it!

No, you won't. Nobody's been eaten yet, so you don't have to. Now stand back.

Got it, got it!

Those are definitely the same species we just fought. Let's go take care of them!

Wh-what's going on?

Get back, Sister! These are nothing like the other ones!

Rrgh! What in the world is happening!?

I'm certain they are the same species we fought a moment ago, but I don't understand why they're so much stronger now!

Maybe they're under some kind of conceptual protection now?

Or maybe they've met some special condition which somehow makes them stronger.

Anyone have a clue what that might actually BE?

Hmm? Yes, okay...

...Got it!

Fujimaru, someone who got really carried away with her fashion choices just showed up, and she might know what these creatures are! I'm going to put her on the line now!

Excuse you. I absolutely did not get carried away.

I was told this latest mission was on a tropical island...or something very close to one!

So I just made sure I had my swimsuit on in case I had to go.

I was also told there were some strange creatures who might make good friends for Viy.

I honestly don't know why you didn't just call me at the start.

I had so many pranks planned, but I can only do them if I'm there!

Uh, ahem. But I guess this really isn't the time to bring that up. Hehe.

Looking at the data you collected, I think that creature you just ran into is a vodyanoy.

It's a water spirit known throughout Russia and Eastern Europe.

I'm wondering about this whole thing with monsters coming from around the globe, but we can worry about that later!

I agree. Anastasia, I'm searching the database for information on these monsters as we speak...

...but if there's anything you can tell Master about them now, that would be a big help!

？！

There's a lot I could say, but...

...I suppose the most relevant thing right now is that vodyanoy like to be near sluices and water wheels.

I don't remember why that is. I just know that it is.

Sluices...?

Maybe that's it! See that pile of wood and stones blocking off the water over there? Maybe it counts as a sluice?

What a shabby excuse for a sluice. It's almost quaint.

Looks like a beaver dam to me.

Those crab monks got a power boost as long as their question went unanswered.

So yeah, these new creatures may be getting some kind of special protection from meeting a certain condition.

If it's a conceptual thing, the actual quality of the build may not matter too much.

Whatever. If the dam is making them stronger, we can just destroy it!

Here I go! Axel! Lutz! Loop!

And for the finishing touch... Blue Summer Palladion!

Waha! Preeetty!

Of course it was.

You did it! The damuh, sluice, is destroyed!

Yaaah!

It worked! Your attacks are hurting them again!

Looks like the dam was close enough to a sluice to empower them. Now they're as weak as the first ones we fought.

This'll be easy now! Let's take care of the stragglers!

You do not have to tell me!

Hey! Keep your spirits out of my personal space! In fact, keep them out of my sight entirely!

Right? Don't be shy about piling on the praise, Master.

？！

Why do you not look happier about this, Hai Bà Trưng?

...The mist hasn't gone away. This isn't over.

Every time the mist has appeared before, it's stayed for a long while.

It grows thicker and thinner, and water monster attacks have followed like waves shortly after.

The question is, when will the next wave come? If we can keep taking them out as soon as they make landfall, great.

But if they build more sluices...that could complicate things.

I'll say. We've all seen for ourselves just how strong a nearby sluice can make these new water monsters.

So I guess that means we'll need to stop them from building more, destroy them quickly if they do...

...and prioritize any completed sluices.

The new watchtower should help us keep an eye on them.

...But it was really made to fend off attacks coming over land from other areas.

I don't think it'll be enough to repel every attack from the sea...

So in the time it takes the Con to spot new enemies and alert us, and for us to go out to meet them...

...they may have ample opportunity to build new sluices.

Is there anything we could do to prevent that?

Good question. As you say, Lambda, I think the time we lose between spotting new enemies and getting to them is our biggest issue.

We know that as long as we can stop them from building sluices, they're fairly easy to handle.

So what we need is a faster, more flexible way of reaching the coast.

So I guess...some kind of mechanism that would let us change the field of battle?

Yeah. We can't leave our main base too lightly guarded either, so ideally...

...I'd like to come up with a solution that would let us keep it safe while also letting us quickly move out to defend other areas.

We overheard the whole thing!

？！

Hmm, still, we are content to sit back and watch these proceedings unfold from on high, as we have no stake in this island's fate ourself.

After all, even should you save this land, it's not about to become part of our empire, correct?

Still, having said that, it would bother us to see such a fumbling attempt to imitate our greatness.

You are, of course, aware of what we are most famous for, yes?

While we know that our Proper Human History counterpart created something similar, it may not be quite like the one we know.

So if you wish to protect your territory, you only have one option: allow us to recreate our great feat, just this once.

？！

Correct. You must build it at once.

True, I recognize the greatness of that feat as well, Qin Shi Huang. It would certainly give us a better means of moving about as well.

But how could we possibly build such a thing here?

Hmm. Well, we do have more Con with us now, thanks to the areas we've reclaimed.

If we put them all to work at once, they might be able to make something pretty big, but...

I overheard the whole thing, too!

What are you doing here, you shameless Confucianist? Begone with you.

No, my immortal general, one of a kind compatriot. This is a business proposition.

Our philosophies may differ vastly, but you are still a world-class engineer, and I'm not one to back away from a good engineering conversation.

Now then. Master, I hope you'll indulge me in talking about myself for a bit.

When I was a child, I worked part-time selling newspapers bearing articles I wrote.

As you can imagine, the paper was astonishingly well-received, and

Whoops, there I go bragging again. That's not why I'm here.

My point is, I sold those papers inside a train.

There's something grand about trains, isn't there? All you have to do is set foot on one, and it will carry you to far-off places.

Trains carry passengers and goods with the greatest of ease. Truly, they are a marvel of modern civilization.

And nowadays, perhaps the best part is that they run on electricity! Ahh, what could be better!?

...

Man, I want to build a train!

？！

A train, huh...

If Edison were to help us out, we might be able to build some kind of tram system.

Of course I would help. Just leave it to me. I'll take care of everything from the design to the construction.

I overheard the whole thing as well!

？！

Oh, whoops! I didn't mean to startle you. Hahaha!

It just seemed like you could use the advice of a good general, so I thought I'd offer my expertise.

After all, comprehensive planning is the key to a robust strategy, right?

The more patterns you can think of, the better. ...Up until you hit diminishing returns, of course.

Anyway, my suggestion is...

A wooden horse.

Huh!?

But not just any wooden horse.

This one would be highly mobile. It would be able to reach its assigned destination in no time, and

Ah, there I go, getting ahead of myself. You'll just have to wait until it's done to see what else it can do!

You have my word that it can serve as the lynchpin of your defensive strategy.

(...Sigh) As long as it helps us defend against more vodyanoy attacks, I don't care what we use.

Why don't you decide which idea we go with, Fujimaru?

And preferably quickly, so we can start building it as soon as possible.

All right, Fujimaru, give it some thought and let us know what you decide!