The Gamer's POV-Chapter 236: Bhujanga-Dwipa

Standing beside Argentos was a hollow one holding a few rolled maps made of old, dried animal skin. Not long after everyone had fully gathered around the table, Argentos stood up, took one of the maps and spread it out on the obsidian table for everyone to see.

Cedric, who sat to Argentos’ right, quickly studied the map. The cartography was remarkably precise, drawn with a level of detail that was quite impressive. He could identify the territory they were in at the moment. He could also identify the surrounding territories like the misty marshlands behind them, the barren plain lands to the left side, and even the beginning of the stone-crag wastes beyond the misty marshlands.

Cedric’s eyes moved north of the Home of the Hollow Ones. There, he could see what looked like a large coiled snake.

At that moment, Argentos spoke, causing Cedric to flick his eyes toward him:

"The name of the territory we will be marching to in a few days is called Bhujanga-Dwipa."

When the cadets heard that, all of them began to murmur amongst themselves. To be honest, even Cedric was caught off guard. The game Seraphim of Doom had labeled that territory as King’s Paradise, so this was the first time he had heard this name.

After a moment, Argentos pointed to the map and continued. "It is an island surrounded by water. If we maintain a steady pace, it should take us two days to get to the shoreline, after which we would need to cross the vast expanse of the lake to get to the island itself."

He looked at the cadets. Many could not see the exact details of the map from where they stood, so they kept warily looking at him.

After a few seconds, still looking at the cadets, he said in a voice that was unsettlingly calm, "Now, I’ll have you know that this entire island is one massive living serpent."

Everyone’s eyes widened in horror and the room went deathly silent.

’What?!’

Cedric looked back to the image of the serpent on the map in disbelief.

’It’s a serpent?’

That was another piece of information Cedric had not known. When he played the game, he had visited that massive island. He had been unable to explore it because he was killed so many times. After the twentieth death, he had given up and never challenged the lords again.

Despite that, he could clearly remember the terrain. It was not just massive, but remarkably beautiful. It looked like a vast island that housed sprawling cities just beyond the coastland.

If he had to compare the territory to anything from his life on Earth, it reminded him of the films he had seen about Ancient Greece. It had that same atmosphere of white marble, rugged cliffs, and sun-drenched shores.

Now he was learning that the entire landmass was a living snake?

What the hell?

A shudder ran through the crowd as the murmurs returned.

Seeing the panic among the cadets, Argentos added, "You don’t need to worry. It has been in a deep slumber for millennia. Unless the foundations of its world are shattered, Bhujanga-Dwipa will not wake for us."

’Yeah, right. That’s not convincing at all!’ Cedric thought, swallowing heavily.

If something like that were to wake up, they would all die. Everyone would die.

Without giving the cadets a chance to drown in their fear, Argentos looked back at the map. After a few seconds, he continued contemplatively. "Once we get to the lake, we’ll be able to cross its tail to the main body. That shouldn’t take us more than half a day."

He traced a line from the water’s edge to the beast’s coiled-up body.

"The first landmark we will encounter is the White Shore of Ophidia," Argentos said, tapping the edge of the round, coiled torso. "It is a vast stretch of white sand and limestone cliffs, crowned by a series of marble fortifications."

He paused and looked at Cedric first, before slowly turning his gaze toward the cadets. After a few tense seconds, he spoke with a new level of gravity. "I am sure that by now, the lords are already aware of our..." he tilted his head. "...cooperation. They know that since we are moving as one, we mean war. Because of that, they might not just sit and wait for us to advance into their different territories. They might choose to meet us head-on where the water meets the sand."

He looked back at the map, then tapped the shore again. "Before we even set foot on that white sand, be prepared to fight."

The room was silent, and everyone just stared at Argentos with wide eyes, swallowing in tense anticipation. Even Cedric felt a cold sweat prickle at the back of his neck.

He thought about it and figured that Argentos was likely right. The Lords might choose to bring their armies to the shore rather than wait in their territories. After all, they really wanted the antagonists dead. There was the possibility that the cadets wouldn’t go to their territories but would just stick to the main path leading to the blue bridge. So yes, they would definitely come out to avoid that.

Eventually, Argentos exhaled loudly. He raised his hands slightly to the side, then broke the silence. "As promised, we will be your vanguard. We will be the first to soak the sand with blood and draw the brunt of their initial volley. But it is up to the powerful amongst you to find your way through their armies to the lords. Once you get rid of the lords, then you can all march to the blue bridge."

He paused and traced his finger on the coiled body, stopping deep within the northernmost reaches of the island. Then he tapped the map twice. "The blue bridge which leads back to your world will be somewhere here. I suspect that not all the lords will be at the battleground, but will be guarding the blue bridge. So you might also have to fight them there."

Cedric looked at the point Argentos was indicating. This really did look like a game where in order to finally win, they needed to beat the boss monster.

He sighed and looked up from the map to the cadets. He noticed the different expressions on their faces as they murmured to each other. He could even see that some had expressions of utter despair on their faces.

Cedric shook his head imperceptibly. He couldn’t blame them. They were attempting the impossible, after all. They were attempting to fight beings of grade three and four.

Subconsciously, Cedric rubbed his arm where his tattoo was currently inked. Then his expression grew serious with determination.

Whatever happened, he had to make sure that he survived.

He had to make sure that his bond survived.