Chapter 51

I entered the swamp, protected by the diligent dryads in front and on both sides. The blackened, dead trees emitted a foul odor. The smell of stagnant, rotten water that had pooled on the ground and couldn't circulate was also terrible. The scent from the things that had been burned to a crisp was dry and harsh, irritating my eyes, nose, and skin. In contrast, the dampness here made the smell of death cling to my nostrils, settling heavily.

"Considering how long the 28th branch of the World Tree lost its power, it's strange that this wetland still exists. It should have dried up from the fire long ago. The 26th terrarium, which was far away, also suffered from the drought."

"Jae, didn't the dandelion colony have a spring left? The king of the Dandelion Forest protected that area."

"Yes. There was a deep spring that allowed a fairly large colony to remain unscathed."

"Like the young Elder said, although the water level here is relatively shallow, it's definitely strange that there are still traces of water. Perhaps some entity that can block the effects of fire exists here. However, even with a common enemy like fire, we can't assume that it will be our ally."

It feels a bit cold. I've only ever experienced the terrible heat of being grilled like a steak by the fire, but this is the first time my whole body is trembling with cold. It's a different sensation from goosebumps.

Suddenly, Elder raised his hand and waved it in front of my eyes. Like a toy cat that has been shaken, I slowly turned my head to follow his hand, and saw Elder with a scrunched-up pretty face.

"Don't turn around."

"Why?"

"There's nothing good to see."

"What is it? You're making me curious."

"Do you really want to see a black, rotting corpse?"

Of course not. As I followed Elder's advice and stared at his pretty face like a masterpiece, I heard Mesquite and Daisy walking behind me. I also heard the sound of them rummaging through something.

"This time… it's the emblem of the 16th terrarium. I have a leather pouch, Jae. It doesn't seem to belong to the dead. The pouch has been roughly torn, indicating it was forcibly taken. It contains a bit of damp soil… similar to the soil in the overturned carriage's box."

At his words, I moved closer to Elder. Why is this popping up again? That 16th. I hate mystery games; I didn't even play the popular game "Black Room" when it was trending. I just want to see the ending with a walkthrough that includes spoilers.

Judging that staying here too long wouldn't be good, I quickly moved forward. Yeah, let's confirm and leave quickly. Although it's all ruined, the 28th terrarium was cozier.

Mesquite, who had been moving steadily, suddenly stopped. In front of her feet was a swamp filled with a black, oily liquid.

"…This isn't something the young Elder can solve alone."

Elder bristled at Mesquite's words, but that was all.

They had known each other the longest. Mesquite knew Elder's limits better than anyone. But was there something Elder, who had been the ace, couldn't do?

She raised her shield and slowly backed away from the black swamp, her eyes fixed straight ahead. We retreated a little under Mesquite's protection, which acted like a giant wall.

"My master, Jae. Elder has excellent healing power but no detoxification ability. It's hard to resist the power of a poison that continuously drains life force. The most worrying thing is… encountering a poison that exceeds Elder's healing ability."

He explained that the terrifying aspect of poison, besides continuously draining life force, is that its power multiplies if left unchecked.

In other words, if the damage is a fixed 100 points, Elder can continuously heal, but if it increases to 200 and then 300 over time, it will eventually lead to instant death.

For a party without a debuff removal ability, this is the worst enemy to encounter.

Damn, what type is poison? Earth? Can our Mesquite, who comes from the desert, do something about it? Her expression is too serious. This won't work. We'll come back and challenge again. I'm not ready to challenge this gym yet. I'll come back after drawing more.

"Quick! Let's go back. We need to think more. If Elder can't do it, it's a really serious situation, right?"

The party, which had been riding high with a powerful healer, will have to wait for the next opportunity. What dryad has a detoxification skill? Even if a fruit blooms, will the desired dryad appear?

To draw, we'll have to go back to the 26th. But when will we come back here…?

We cautiously retraced our steps, and the entrance soon came into view. Small flames were wandering aimlessly around that area.

As we tried to leave, the small flames quickly recognized us. The aggro speed is top-notch. Regardless of our level difference, the flames trembled greedily, ready to consume us.

The vines, which had been still despite the lack of wind, began to tremble. The flames, burning the damp, dead trees and vines, approached until they reached the swamp, where they gradually shrank and eventually went out.

I thought ordinary water couldn't extinguish fire, so why did it suddenly go out? Is the water in the swamp not ordinary? I know it's rotten, but…

As I was lost in thought, watching this strange scene,

"Oh…"

Suddenly, Mesquite's demeanor changed. Golden sand burst from her shield and seeped into the ground beneath her feet. It then rose in waves.

It was her support skill, which I had previously given to Daisy. It creates a wall of sand that blocks up to three effective hits. The wall, which was larger than the last time I saw it, blocked the black liquid that shot out from the front.

Elder immediately followed up. He created a red, hemispherical barrier to buy time for Mesquite to use her next skill. Daisy also drew her dagger but was forced to retreat by Mesquite's block.

A cautious attitude. Even the much stronger Daisy now couldn't act rashly.

"They've discovered us. Staying in one place for too long is dangerous. The poisons are dissolving into the air."

Looking at the ground as Mesquite spoke, I saw a thick, black liquid oozing and emitting a dark mist.

Although it's not high enough to reach my knees, if this spreads everywhere, it will be like a minefield.

"It's making this its territory. The attacks are weak, not causing significant damage to Mesquite's sand wall, but they're trying to continuously drain life force."

That means it has the same effect as the Bella Donna, which is right next to us? That dryad has the ability to harm the surroundings just by existing.

"You need to be the most careful."

At Elder's words, Daisy moved closer to me, ready to protect me with her body.

Elder is right. If I get hit, it's a total wipe. The dryads are connected to my soul and share all my status.

Even the dryads who don't need to sleep when I'm tired feel fatigued. If I get poisoned here, it's like the king being captured in chess. Game over.

Right! I'll be the most careful! The exit isn't far, so if I quickly run out while Mesquite is blocking, it might be better! The dryads are faster than me, so if I, the burden, escape first, it might be better! Just as I was about to run,

Like when the fire entered, the vines began to tremble violently, more intensely than before. I almost screamed in disgust.

I thought they were already dead like the trees around here. It's cold, and there's no wind. How can dead vines tremble?

From the gaps between the violently shaking vines, light blue petals fluttered down. They fell in pairs, like confetti at an event, but on closer inspection, they weren't petals.

Those are… moths? No… the wings are pointing down, so they're moths! Suddenly, dozens of moths burst from the vines and charged at us.

"Don't let them touch you!"

"Ugh! Why are there moths here? This place looks like a cursed, dead forest, so why are there living things?"

Butterflies are okay, but I hate moths! I hate them even more when they come in a swarm! The word "moth" just sounds wrong.

"Druid! Those aren't moths! They just look like them!"

Daisy wrapped her small body around me and shouted. I tried to push my head into her small arms but subtly lifted it to look up.

The things that were breaking apart and falling from Elder's barrier were, on closer inspection, not quite like insect moths. They were clusters of light, moving in a light blue mass. In other words, a visual representation of some kind of power.

I recalled the vines that were spread out like hair at the entrance. As we approached the entrance, the momentum increased, and the area was already occupied by indistinguishable light blue masses.

We were trapped with no way to escape.

"The theory that it's trying to make this its territory is wrong. This is already its territory. It has embedded its power in various places over a long time. The area is a trap!"

The vines continued to tremble, and light blue masses that looked like moths kept emerging. They collided with Elder's barrier like moths drawn to a flame.

Unlike when Elder's barrier trembled from the power of the fire, these attacks were so weak that they