The Mist Swamp Wetlands

"Damn it...! We're completely out of food!"

The adventurer Brook slammed his empty backpack onto the ground.

His head spun from the hunger ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that had plagued him for days.

His companions were in no better shape.

Collapsed one by one, their gaunt, hollow-cheeked figures lay sprawled on the sandbar, staring blankly up at the sky.

"Are we... going to die here like this...?"

A heavy silence fell over them at someone's muttered words.

Just five days ago, when they had set out to cross the wetlands in high spirits, none of them could have anticipated such an end.

"No, if we just wait a little longer, a rescue party will come..."

"Who would?! What kind of idiot would brave this fog to come save us—!"

It was then.

—Ribbit!

The moment the cry of a monster echoed from beyond the mangroves, the adventurers shut their mouths in unison.

It was a terror that had tormented them like a nightmare for the past few days, engraved deep into their very bones.

A sense of despair born from an overwhelming, insurmountable gap in power.

What was with those ridiculous numbers, and what on earth was that "bizarre gear" they wore...?

"Someone... please help us..."

Their desperate plea dispersed fruitlessly into the thick fog.

The next day, early in the morning, Doran was awakened by a messenger's call.

After packing his gear and heading to the water's edge with his guild members, a group of merchants greeted them with excited faces.

"We've been waiting for you, Doran-nim! Please, come this way!"

Arriving at the docks under their polite guidance, they saw a log raft moored there—one incomparably sturdier and more robust than before.

Its craftsmanship was hard to believe, considering it had been built in just a single day.

Unsurprisingly, deep dark circles hung heavily under the merchants' eyes.

"How is it?! The rafts we prepared with all our heart!"

"They're excellent. Thank you for putting so much effort into this. ...Do you mind if I inspect them?"

"Of course!!"

With their enthusiastic permission, Doran climbed onto the raft and examined it thoroughly.

It would be a disaster if there were any leaks or loose knots...

"Oh? This is..."

"Ah, you noticed! We sealed the gaps in the raft with pine resin to improve adhesion and waterproof it! We couldn't have Doran-nim getting his backside wet while sitting down!"

"And this square sail..."

"We installed it to save you at least a bit of the trouble of rowing!"

"And the wine and nuts in this box..."

"We prepared them in case you wanted a snack while crossing the wetlands! Please feel free to use the floral cushions we've laid out on each raft as well!"

"......"

Was all this really necessary?

The merchants smiled as if it were only natural.

"This level of hospitality is the minimum for Doran-nim, who has resolved our headaches not once, but twice! Thanks to you, we can finally resume our business!"

"But..."

"It's perfectly fine! We can reuse the rafts afterward anyway. More than anything, making a good impression on a promising adventurer like Doran-nim is a highly profitable investment in itself!"

"Well, in that case, I'll gladly accept."

...The merchants of this era still have a conscience!

Seeing the bright faces of the merchants, Doran felt there was no need to worry.

After all, the very concept of making a fortune in this world was historically tied to the massive profits earned by raft operators.

Once the cargo was loaded, they untied the mooring lines and pushed off, sending the raft floating smoothly out onto the lake.

Good... buoyancy is fine...

Shall we set off, then?

Leaping lightly onto the raft, a refreshing breeze brushed past his hood.

He wouldn't be visiting this campsite again for a while.

Doran wore a faint smile as he waved to the crowd gathered at the dock.

"...Well, we'll be off then! Take care, everyone!"

"Have a safe journey!!"

Leaving the humble send-off behind, Doran began to row toward the far side of the wetlands.

Splash... splash...

With every stroke of the oar, the raft cut through the water, gliding smoothly forward.

True to its reputation as a treasure trove of nature, the wetlands teemed with diverse life.

Gentle ripples stirred among the aquatic plants, and occasionally, diving beetles or frogs would poke their heads out as if to say hello.

Whenever cormorants and herons flapped their wings and took flight from beyond the reeds, startled fish would scatter beneath the surface.

The sight of the dawn light filtering through the hazy mist was truly spectacular.

This place has incredible atmosphere.

As he rowed leisurely, he felt a presence and turned to see Radie staring at the wetlands with sparkling eyes.

"This place... is truly beautiful. The water droplets on the lotus leaves look just like jewels. To think such scenery existed inside a dungeon... I wonder if the ocean looks like this too?"

"Well, these wetlands are famous for being one of the most beautiful spots on the 1st Floor. But you've never seen the ocean? There's a small port town nearby. You know, Puerto del Mar..."

"...That place is crawling with pirates. No sane person would go near it. Rumor has it that a terrifying ghost ship haunts the nearby coast, and there are even stories of an undead appearing in the harbor..."

"......"

That's me, isn't it?

"...Wait, what's with that look? Don't tell me the undead that appeared in the harbor was..."

"A-Ah, no, when I visited, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I definitely looked like a human, okay?"

"......How did you even end up there? Come to think of it, you mentioned a pirate was on your transformation list, Doran-nim. Is the source of that pirate exactly what I think it is?"

"Uh... yeah, probably. It's a bit of a long story..."

As he trailed off, Radie stared intently at him, demanding an explanation.

"Ah...! Look over there!! A freshwater crocodile!"

"I'm not falling for that! Do you think this is the first or second time you've tried to brush things off like this?! Now that I'm your partner, we need to get these things straight—"

As they bickered as usual, a rustling sound came from behind them.

"Mmm... it's quite damp here. My back is already soaked, and I only lay down for a moment."

"Ah, Malton. You stood watch last night, so you could have slept a bit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠longer."

"This is plenty. More importantly... how much further do we have to go through these wetlands?"

"Well... at this rate, it'll take a solid half-day."

"A half-day?! It didn't look that far on the map..."

"And that's a tight estimate. There's a massive mangrove colony stretching across the center of the wetlands, so we have to bypass it."

Adding the caveat, "Though I only heard this from the adventurers camping back there," Doran looked around and saw his guild members rowing hard to keep up.

As he smiled back at the people waving innocently at him, Radie tugged on his sleeve and whispered.

"Come to think of it, why did you ask them to make rafts for the guild members too? I know it wasn't out of loyalty."

"Ah, that... we might suddenly need extra combat power. I'd prefer it if we didn't, but..."

"Combat power?"

"Yeah."

Because we aren't the only ones in these wetlands.

Sure enough, a sudden scream erupted from one of the rafts trailing behind them.

Doran immediately stopped rowing and checked the source of the scream.

Where a guild member was pointing with a trembling finger while covering their mouth, a dark, tire-like object was rising above the water's surface.

"A Green Anaconda... Fortunately, they're generally safe monsters as long as you don't strike first. It looks like it's already full, so let's just pass by quietly."

The Green Anaconda boasted a massive size, earning it the title of the river's guardian.

With some individuals reaching up to level 46, they ranked among the strongest entities on the 1st Floor.

"L-Level 46?!"

"That's only for fully grown adults. It's rare for them to grow that large."

"Wait, then perhaps..."

"Give up on trying to extract poison. I know you have a hobby of collecting deadly toxins, but what if you get too close and the raft gets damaged? Besides, anacondas aren't even venomous snakes. You should know better."

"...Hmph. How often do you get to see an anaconda anyway? I was just asking."

Radie, who had been stealthily pulling out a poison vial, quickly turned her head away.

Doran communicated with the guild members using pre-arranged hand signals, steering them away to avoid provoking the anaconda.

By the way... is it good luck to run into a Green Anaconda, which are rare even here?

In the past, the Green Anaconda was often called a symbol of good luck among adventurers.

They were non-aggressive monsters that weren't hostile to humans, and they even protected boats by hunting other nearby monsters.

For Velheim, where exceptionally strong and troublesome monsters usually inhabited the waters, this was an unusually gentle creature.

"Then... is that one also a gentle monster?"

The water Radie pointed to began to bubble, and a pair of green eyes popped up through the foam, glaring in their direction.

Soon, a bipedal frog monster trod upon the water with webbed feet, drawing closer.

As the creature splashed forward, clutching a rusty scrap-metal skewer, the guild members began ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to whisper.

"A monster all of a sudden? It looks pretty weak..."

"Where did it pick up that scrap metal? Humans haven't set foot in this dungeon until recently."

"It probably drifted down from the surface. You know, they said this swamp flooded because of water overflowing from above. Maybe it got washed down then?"

While the others let their guard down due to the creature's frail, amphibian appearance, Doran grimaced and shouted.

"Damn it, of course they're here... Good luck, my foot. Everyone, prepare for battle!!"

"Huh? It's just one, is that really necessary...?"

"It's not just one!"

The reason Doran had avoided these wetlands after heavy rains.

The reason he had prepared log rafts sturdy enough to carry all the guild members.

Green figures surged up from all directions, and the log window updated rapidly.

They had to defend the rafts at all costs.