Chapter 54: Relying on Outdated Info from a Reclusive Old Man

Liu Ji felt that it was strange. The little potatoes, who usually chirped away whenever they emerged from the ground, had been eerily quiet ever since the mud splattered on them.

Could there be something wrong with this swamp? Liu Ji suddenly had a sense of worry.

But… Apart from the abundance of mosquitoes, nothing seemed out of the ordinary on their journey so far.

Myza had also said that this was an ordinary swamp that had been unchanged for several thousand years. It was just the dilapidated bridge that made them uneasy.

Roughly 10 minutes later, the group crossed the ruins of the long stone bridge and reached the first safe spot in the swamp.

It was a stone mound, roughly the size of a football field. The surface seemed to have been artificially leveled and it was covered in moss, which probably meant it had been abandoned for a long time.

Yaine checked the map, then surveyed the area before saying with a frown, "Indeed, Mr. Myza's information is already outdated. The map says this was a rest stop, but now there's not even a foundation left."

"It might not just be the passage of time. He mentioned before that even the desert used to be something else," Calidora added. "This route directly leads to the desert, but perhaps, after it became a desert, the path was gradually abandoned."

"Hmm… That makes sense." Yaine sighed, looking up front. "The road ahead will be tough…"

According to the map, for the upcoming journey, they needed to rent a local creature called a swamp turtle from the rest stop to pull them through the swamp on sleds.

But now, there wasn't even a single bird on this barren stone hill, much less any swamp turtles.

In the short term, Yaine could use magic to create a path, but her mana would eventually run out. The swamp's terrain wouldn't support earthen platforms either as they would slowly sink.

"If only Nox was here. His summoned beasts are perfect for this," Girunini muttered.

"If worse comes to worst, Calidora and I will have to take turns making paths." Yaine sighed. "Just thinking about it is exhausting…"

"What about your little apprentice? Can he help with the path?" Mervant asked.

"Him? Well…" Yaine mulled, then shook her head. "No, he's only just learning incantation. He doesn't know how to control mana or guide magic. This kind of sustained control and output is beyond him."

"I see, so it's not that simple, huh." Mervant scratched his head. "Magic sure is complicated."

"But you've reminded me. Though he can't help with the path, he might be able to assist in other ways," Yaine said. "It's getting late. Let's make camp for the night and decide what to do tomorrow."

"Mm, alright," Mervant agreed, then turned to the others to start setting up camp.

Meanwhile, Liu Ji, who couldn't understand their conversation, stood at the bridgehead, taking in the scenery.

The little potatoes remained huddled together, trembling and sending waves of unease to Liu Ji, making him feel anxious as well.

At first, he convinced himself it was just their instinctual fear of the swamp. But gradually, he also felt something was off.

The environment here lacked a particular sound.

Rustling leaves, buzzing insects, bubbles popping… But since entering the swamp, he hadn't heard any birds or frogs.

Could there be no birds and frogs here? This was another world, so it wasn't entirely impossible.

However, Liu Ji still felt uneasy as if there was something lurking in the black mud. As he scanned the swamp nervously, he suddenly felt a poke in his side.

Startled, Liu Ji jumped, turning to see that it was only Yaine.

"What's wrong?" Yaine asked, puzzled by Liu Ji's jittery demeanor. "First time in a swamp?"

"Uh, yeah, first time." Liu Ji nodded.

It was indeed his first time. He had never been to a swamp in his past life either.

"But," Liu Ji scratched his cheek, muttering, "swamp is strange. Can't hear birds."

Yaine paused, then started listening intently to the surroundings. The more she listened, the deeper her frown grew.

She had been focused on their route all this time and hadn't noticed that there wasn't birdsong in this swamp.

Swamps, being insect havens, should attract many birds. A place like this with no birdsong was definitely odd.

But why? What's the reason for this?

As Yaine was frowning in contemplation, a sudden cry came from behind.

"Osar? Osar! What's wrong with you! Hey! You're in the swamp!"

Yaine turned sharply and saw Osar in a daze, with his lower half sinking into the swamp. Soon, the tigerman realized his predicament and a look of panic showed on his face.

Girunini, who had been the one shouting, quickly threw a thick rope toward Osar. Osar grabbed the rope, trying to pull himself up, but the pain from his lower body made him wince.

He realized something in the swamp was holding him down. Without delay, Osar let out a roar. His fur shimmered with a golden light, and his body seemed to swell.

At the same time, Girunini's eyes flashed red, and her entire aura underwent a drastic change, making her seemingly fierce and violent.

With a low growl, she yanked the rope, pulling Osar up. However, she couldn't get him all the way to solid ground; she just managed to pull him free of the mud.

It was then that everyone saw the countless black threads clinging to Osar's legs, tearing at his flesh. The threads seemed alive, wriggling and burrowing into his flesh, trying to drag him back into the swamp.

In that critical moment, Mervant's dragon wings spread, and there was a flash of his long sword. In an instant, he sliced through the myriad of threads.

"Nini! Pull him up!" Mervant shouted from midair.

"I'm on it!" Girunini replied, tugging hard and finally hauling Osar onto the solid ground of the stone mound.

Osar sat on his butt, clutching the rope tightly while still in shock.

The remnants of the threads on his legs stopped moving and soon turned into wisps of dead fibers, scattering on the ground.

However, Osar's legs were covered in blood.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read