Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Death Swamp (3)
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Night deepens.
‘Was it unnecessary worry?’
The Death Swamp was silent. Not even the chirp of a single grasshopper could be heard. Of course not. The grasshoppers had vanished decades ago.
Anxiety didn’t fade easily, so I remained seated by the campfire, unable to sleep, staring into the endless darkness.
Crackle, crackle...
The campfire burned away. After adding a second load of firewood, I asked Jamil, who was chewing jerky across from me.
“Really nothing?”
“Nothing.”
Jamil had sent his men to scout farther around the Water Ash Tree than their usual patrol range. Yet his subordinates returned without seeing or hearing a thing.
“Guess I was just on edge.”
I let out a sigh and rose to my feet. Maybe I’d worried for nothing—just go to sleep. The moment that thought crossed my mind as I looked up...
The leaves at the tip of the Water Ash Tree’s branches were swaying.
An ordinary sight.
That is, if this weren’t the ‘Death Swamp.’
In the windless Death Swamp, the peacefully rustling leaves were downright eerie.
‘As expected... something’s out there.’
For the deeply rooted purifying Water Ash Tree to shake like that, it wasn’t anything ordinary.
“What’s wrong?”
Jamil followed my gaze upward, then quickly hardened his expression.
“Jamil, it wasn’t my imagination.”
“Looks that way.”
“Trouble on the first night. Talk about rotten luck.”
I pulled back the flap of the tent where El and Ayla were sleeping.
As instructed, El had fallen asleep leaning against Ayla while still dressed in her combat gear. Ayla woke first at my presence, sitting up, while El sleepily turned to me next.
“El, get up.”
“Master...?”
“Stick with Ayla from here on.”
“Yes... huh...?”
“Grab your weapons.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s about to happen.”
I grabbed my bow and arrows, then turned to Jamil.
“Whatever it is, it’s massive. Get everyone ready.”
“Don’t worry. They’re probably itching for a fight.”
“This isn’t a joke.”
“I’m not joking either?”
Who laughs in a situation like this, about to get ambushed in the Death Swamp? I sighed, then spoke to El.
“El, tell the mages an attack’s coming soon. Then get right back here.”
“Yes, Master.”
“And absolutely do not try fighting on your own. You’re not ready for that yet.”
“...Yes.”
El replied glumly, then dashed off toward the mages’ tents with Ayla.
I watched them go, then climbed to the top of the purifying Water Ash Tree.
All around was thick darkness and poison mist—nothing to see.
‘But our position must be crystal clear to the enemy.’
With the campfire blazing, not to mention the faint glow from the purifying Water Ash Tree, it was only a matter of time before they zeroed in on us.
‘At least figure out the direction ahead of time.’
I narrowed my eyes and watched the leaves tremble. Focusing my mind to read those tiny differences, I could make out their movements.
“...Damn.”
They were already quite close.
‘And this shaking—it’s not just one.’
“Jamil, they’re almost...!”
Before I could finish, the purifying Water Ash Tree shook violently.
Splashhhh...
Squelch. Squelch. Squelch.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
From the fathomless depths of the swamp emerged five trolls of an unknown breed.
‘Trolls here?!’
Unbelievable.
Trolls were heavy and sluggish—not the type to show up in a swamp.
The mages’ briefing hadn’t mentioned them at all.
Which meant this party had zero preparation for trolls.
‘Worst of all, no holy oil...’
To kill a troll, you needed sacred flame—‘consecration.’
And to make ‘consecration,’ you needed holy oil from a temple.
But the clerics who’d have it weren’t on this expedition.
‘Can’t kill the trolls...’
My blood ran cold as my head spun.
Damn, damn, damn...
What now?
No answers came.
‘But if I don’t figure something out...’
We die.
I racked my brain furiously.
What skills could I use right now?
[Beast Form]?
No—maybe against a Maple Bear, but charging a troll as a Shadow Wolf would be suicide.
Then [Beast Summon]?
No—even beasts couldn’t withstand the poison spewing from the Death Swamp.
[Moon Light] was out too—no moonflowers bloomed in the Death Swamp.
I couldn’t waste unlimited magic stones making the purifying Water Ash Tree grow wildly just yet.
So what now...
“Ah...”
Like a miracle, an idea flashed in my mind.
Clink.
I reached into the pouch at my waist.
‘Got it.’
Lotus seeds I’d found at the Death Swamp’s entrance.
This lotus had already adapted to the Death Swamp on its own purification power, without needing my [Forest’s Blessing]. Its petals were black unlike ordinary lotuses, and its roots and stems were tough as iron wire. I’d pocketed the seeds thinking they might come in handy, but I hadn’t expected to use them so soon.
‘Boost its inherent purification with [Forest’s Blessing] and [Forest’s Breath] simultaneously for explosive purification and growth, then use [Forest’s Song] to control it...’
Killing trolls might be tough, but I could bind their feet.
Lotuses spread sideways like pups once one sprouts, multiplying endlessly if conditions allow.
Meaning even with just these ten seeds, repeated growth and reproduction via skills could multiply them infinitely, as long as my mana held out.
‘If I play this right...’
Forget binding—I could bury them entirely.
In the Death Swamp, you had to keep moving constantly or your body would slowly sink.
Pin down the trolls’ feet, and the Death Swamp itself would swallow them—no need to kill them outright.
‘Perfect.’
I fixed a lotus seed to an arrowhead and aimed at a troll’s feet.
‘Two per troll for now.’
Whiiiiiizzz!!!
Thunk!
The arrow sliced through the mist and buried itself in the mud by the troll’s foot.
I nocked and fired the next one immediately.
Whiiizzz!
Thud!
Whiiizzz!!
Thud!
Ten arrows sank into the ground total. I leaped down from the tree and landed lightly.
Whoosh!
Grrrrowl!
A troll’s club whistled past my head by a hair. It should’ve smashed my skull clean, but thankfully Jamil buried his axe in it and twisted the angle just enough—only my hair ruffled.
“Theodor. Getting careless?”
“No chance. I calculated for this.”
Wahaha! Jamil let out a hearty laugh.
“Perfect timing. Cover me.”
I could trust Jamil with my back. Without waiting for his reply, I plunged both hands into the black muck. With Poison Resistance and my totems, poisoning wasn’t a concern.
Splash!
Activating [Forest’s Blessing] and [Forest’s Breath] together, a pale glow spread from my fingertips. Overhead came the sounds of Jamil clashing with a troll; farther off, mercenaries, trolls, and mages battling. I ignored it all, closing my eyes and focusing.
“The flesh blessed by you shall never rot here...”
Bubble bubble.
“Master of the green, bestow your noble breath upon this place and drive back the death...”
Gurgle.
The black muck boiled for a long while before clear air bubbles rose and popped on the surface. A sign the lotus seeds were sprouting. I opened my eyes to see lines of vitality from the lotus spreading beneath the swamp.
“Theo! Another one’s coming!”
“Almost there! Hold on a bit longer!”
“Damn it!”
The lotuses were growing rapidly. But raw growth wasn’t the point. Using [Forest’s Song], I directed their stems to tangle like a net as they spread. Coordinating multiple stems at once was disorienting.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Groooar...
Just as Jamil said—a new troll approaching.
Cold sweat and shaking limbs would be normal here.
But oddly, these moments sharpened my mind, made me eerily calm.
‘Well, even back at the company, they always said I thrived under pressure.’
A past-life memory surfacing in this unreal mess.
I chuckled softly and thrust both hands high.
From the infamous Death Swamp’s flesh-rotting black muck, my hands emerged dripping with pure, clean water droplets.
I swung them straight at the trolls.
SPLASHHHH!!!!
The ‘lotus stem net,’ meticulously woven stem by stem like artisan work, engulfed the trolls outright.
Smack!
Guoooaaagh!
The troll caught in the lotus stem net dropped its club and began flailing. Its bulging eyes rolled wildly, trying to take in the situation, but it was too late.
Sploosh!!!!
Off balance—one troll toppled. It was only a matter of time.
It slammed face-first into the Death Swamp and started splashing about. Its grotesquely twisted arm, sprouting weird tentacle-like growths, clawed at the lotus stem net but failed to tear it. The lotus, adapted to the Death Swamp, was tough as iron wire.
Glorp...!
I tightened the lotus stem net further to keep the troll from escaping. Once it sank far enough, the Death Swamp would handle the rest without me lifting a finger.
‘Definitely effective.’
It guzzled mana more than expected, but handling a troll this easily made it a bargain.
“What the hell did I just see?”
Jamil stood atop the troll’s dropped club, mouth agape as he stared at me.
“Told you—almost done.”
Don’t trust your bro?
I flashed a grin and plunged both hands back into the black muck.