Chapter 36

Chapter 036: Mistmire Wetland

“Damn it…! We’re completely out of food!”

The adventurer Brook flung his empty backpack onto the ground.

After days of hunger, his vision swam before his eyes.

His companions were in the same state.

One by one, they had collapsed, lying on the sandbar in awful shape, staring blankly up at the sky.

“Are we… going to die here like this…?”

Silence descended at someone’s murmur.

Five days ago, when they had set out to cross the wetland in high spirits, not one of them had imagined this ending.

“No, if we wait just a little longer, a rescue party will come….”

“Who the hell would! What kind of idiot would break through this fog to save us…!”

That was when it happened.

─Ribbit!

The cry of a monster rang out beyond the mangroves, and the adventurers all shut their mouths at once.

It was the fear that had tormented them like a nightmare over the past several days and engraved itself deep into their bones.

Despair born from an overwhelming gap they could not resist.

What was with those absurd numbers, and what were those ‘foreign armaments’ hanging from their bodies…?

“Someone… someone help us….”

The desperate cry scattered emptily into the thick fog.

***

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

After packing his things and heading to the water with the guild members, a group of merchants greeted him with excited faces.

“We have been waiting for you, Mr. Doran! Please, this way!!”

Under their devoted guidance, he arrived at the dock, where several log rafts far sturdier and more solid than before were moored.

Their level of completeness was hard to believe for something made in a single day.

Sure enough, dark circles drooped heavily under the merchants’ eyes.

“What do you think?! These are the rafts we prepared with great ambition!”

“They’re excellent. Thank you for going through all this trouble. …May I inspect them?”

“Of course!!”

When they readily agreed, Doran climbed onto a raft and examined every corner.

If there were any leaks or loose knots, it would be a serious problem….

“Huh? This is….”

“Ohhh, you noticed! We sealed the gaps between the logs with resin to improve adhesion and waterproofing! We couldn’t have Mr. Doran’s back getting wet while you’re sitting on it!”

“Then this square sail is….”

“We installed it to spare you even a little of the effort of rowing!”

“And the wine and nuts in this box….”

“We prepared them in case your mouth grew bored while crossing the wetland! Please also make full use of the floral cushions laid out on each raft!”

“…….”

Was there really any need to go this far?

The merchants smiled as though it were only natural.

“This level of courtesy is the least we can offer Mr. Doran, who has solved our headaches twice now! Thanks to you, we can resume our business!”

“But….”

“It is fine! We can reuse the rafts after you are done with them! More than anything, merely making ourselves known to a promising adventurer like Mr. Doran is already more than profitable enough!”

“Well, in that case, I’ll accept them gratefully.”

‘…The merchants of this era still have a conscience!’

Seeing the merchants’ bright faces, he decided there was no need to worry.

After all, even the expression ‘making raftloads of money’ had originated from raftsmen earning enormous sums.

After loading their baggage, they untied the mooring ropes and pushed off, and the rafts bobbed gently toward the lake.

‘Good… the buoyancy’s fine too….’

Then, shall we get going?

When he lightly hopped onto the raft, a refreshing breeze blew past and brushed his hood.

He would have no reason to stop by this campsite for a while now.

With a smile, Doran waved to the people gathered at the dock.

“…Then I’ll be off! Take care, everyone!”

“Please have a safe journey!!”

Leaving that simple send-off behind, Doran began rowing toward the far side of the wetland.

***

｢You have entered Mistmire Wetland!｣

｢A vast region blanketed in constant fog! Be careful not to lose your way!｣

Splash… splash….

Each time he rowed, the raft cut smoothly through the current and moved forward.

The wetland overflowed with diverse life, worthy of its name as a treasure house of nature.

Low ripples shimmered among the aquatic plants, and now and then, water beetles or frogs peeked their heads out as though greeting them.

Whenever cormorants and herons flapped up beyond the thickets, startled fish would scatter beneath the water’s surface.

The sight of dawn light settling through the hazy water fog was truly magnificent.

‘This place has an incredible atmosphere.’

As he rowed leisurely, he sensed someone’s presence and turned around to find Radi staring at the wetland with sparkling eyes.

“This place… really is so beautiful. The droplets on the lotus leaves look just like jewels. I never knew there was scenery like this inside the dungeon… Is the sea like this too?”

“Well, this wetland is famous for being beautiful even on the First Layer. But you’ve never seen the sea? There’s a small port town around here. You know, Puerto del Mar….”

“…That place is crawling with pirates. No normal person would go anywhere near it, would they? According to the rumors, a terrifying Ghost Ship appears along the nearby coast, and undead show up in the harbor too….”

“…….”

That’s me, isn’t it?

“…Wait, what is that face? Don’t tell me the undead that supposedly appeared in the harbor was….”

“Ah, no, I’m sure I looked human when I stopped by?”

“……How did you end up stopping there? Come to think of it, you said there was a pirate in your transformation list, Mr. Doran. Is the source of that pirate what I think it is?”

“Uh… it’s probably right. It’s a bit of a long story if I explain….”

When he trailed off, Radi stared fixedly at him as though demanding an explanation.

“Ah…! Look over there!! A freshwater crocodile!”

“I’m not falling for that! Do you think you’ve gotten away with glossing things over like this only once or twice?! I’m your partner now too, so we need to be clear about these things….”

While they were bickering as usual, a rustling presence came from behind him.

“Mmm… It is rather humid here. My back is damp even though I only lay down for a moment.”

“Ah, Malton, you stood the night watch yesterday, so you can sleep a little more.”

“This is enough. More importantly… how much farther must we go through this wetland?”

“Hmm… at this rate, it’ll take a full half day.”

“Half a day?! It didn’t look that far on the map….”

“Even that’s cutting it close. There’s a mangrove colony spread across the center of this wetland, so we have to go around it.”

Adding, ‘That’s just what I heard from the adventurers camping at the campsite, though…’ Doran looked around and saw the guild members following behind as they rowed diligently.

When he smiled back at the people waving their hands at him innocently, Radi tugged lightly on his sleeve and whispered.

“Come to think of it, why did you ask them to make rafts for the guild members too? It can’t be out of loyalty.”

“Ah, that’s… because we might suddenly need fighting strength. I hope it doesn’t come to that, if possible….”

“Fighting strength?”

“Yeah.”

Because we’re not the only ones in this wetland.

Sure enough, a scream suddenly burst out from one of the rafts following behind.

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

Where a guild member stood with his mouth covered, pointing with trembling fingertips, there was a pitch-black object like a tire protruding above the water’s surface.

｢You have encountered a [Green Anaconda]!｣

｢A monster often found in slow-flowing rivers, streams, and floodplains. It favors environments thick with aquatic plants.｣

｢But take care. If you are bewitched by its beautiful pattern and approach, your entire body may be crushed and swallowed whole!｣

｢Rumor has it that the Green Anacondas here grant a special reward if given the egg of a certain creature.｣

“It’s a Green Anaconda… Fortunately, it’s a monster that’s generally safe as long as you don’t bother it first. Its stomach looks full too, so let’s pass quietly here.”

The Green Anaconda boasted a body so enormous that it could be called the lord of the river.

Some specimens occasionally appeared at levels approaching 46, placing it among the strongest monsters on the First Layer.

“I-It can be as high as level 46…?!”

“That’s only for a fully grown adult. Not many of them get that big.”

“Wait, then maybe….”

“Give up if you’re thinking of extracting its venom. I know you have a hobby of collecting deadly poisons, but what will you do if the raft gets damaged because you approach it carelessly? Besides, anacondas aren’t venomous snakes. You should know better.”

“…Hmph, how often do I ever get a chance to see an anaconda? I just said it in case.”

Radi, who had been subtly pulling out a poison bottle, jerked her head away.

Doran communicated with the guild members using the hand signals they had decided on and detoured so as not to provoke the anaconda.

‘Still… Are we lucky to run into one of the few Green Anacondas in this place?’

In the past, Green Anacondas had often been considered symbols of luck among adventurers.

They were non-aggressive mobs that were not hostile to humans, and they protected boats by hunting the monsters around them.

For Velheim, where many strong and troublesome monsters lived near the water, it was unusually well-behaved.

“Then… is that one a docile monster too?”

The surface Radi pointed to began bubbling, then a pair of green eyes popped out between the foam and glared at them.

Soon, a bipedal frog monster approached, stepping across the water’s surface with its webbed feet.

As the creature splashed closer while gripping a rusty iron skewer, the guild members began murmuring.

“Why is there a monster all of a sudden? It looks pretty weak….”

“Where did it pick up that scrap metal? No humans had visited this dungeon until recently.”

“It must have washed in from the surface. You know, this wetland overflowed with surface water during the flood, didn’t it? Maybe it got swept in then.”

As everyone lowered their guard at the feeble appearance unique to amphibians, Doran grimaced and shouted.

“Damn it, so they did show up… Lucky, my ass. Everyone, prepare for battle!!”

“What? You’re going that far over just one of them….”

“It’s not just one!”

The reason Doran had avoided this wetland after heavy rain fell.

The reason he had prepared sturdy log rafts large enough for all the guild members to board.

Green shapes sprang up one after another from every direction, and the Log Window updated urgently.

Ding─! Ding─! Ding─!

｢Emergency Sudden Quest triggered!｣

｢The Kokokura Tribe, which had been sleeping on the wetland floor due to the terrible downpour, has awakened!!｣

｢They deeply hate outsiders setting foot in their territory! If you do not want to become water beetle food, survive their attack!｣

｢The Kokokura Tribe will attempt to overturn your rafts and drag you beneath the water.｣

｢Sudden Quest Failure: Death｣

We have to protect the rafts.