Chapter 162: The Knot (2)

At the exit to the outside, the current location had been marked. The gray tunnel was monotonous. From inside, it was impossible to get a sense of direction. Perhaps because of that, signposts were placed here and there.

I checked the sign at the exit and compared it to the imperial map.

I came a long way.

According to the map, it should’ve taken three full days on foot, but I had already arrived. This tunnel wasn’t just secretive; it was also highly efficient. It didn’t twist or turn in any direction. It tunneled straight underground, ignoring any obstacles in its way.

Once again, I was amazed by the humans who had created this passage. Those ancient humans had such technology while the apostles raised them like toys for torture.

My curiosity returned once again.

What kind of beings were the apostles?

When I’d asked Naneow Tropin, a human who lived over three hundred years, she had replied indifferently. She told me that if I was curious about the records, I should dig through the Imperial Secret Library. Of course, I couldn’t even sense Sharunian’s presence, so someone like me had no business sneaking into the Imperial Palace.

After all, the entire palace was completely covered in impenetrable mist.

My imagination wandered again.

What do the apostles look like?

They were said to have been torn to pieces and completely wiped out by Seiron, the founder of the Empire.

If any remain, where and for what purpose might they still be living? Could I gain anything from them?

They said elves went extinct, too, but...

Among the followers of Purson who had appeared in the canyon, I clearly remembered someone with elven features. Perhaps the apostles still existed somewhere as well. Regardless, at my current level, I couldn’t uncover anything.

Click.

All I could do was take one step at a time, so I climbed the ladder to the exit. As Naneow had taught me, I manipulated the handle from the inside of the lid to open it.

The method of opening the secret tunnel was extremely sensitive information. Yet, they had shared it with someone like me, and I wasn’t even a guild member or an executive. It was clearly a sign of goodwill. Even if that goodwill was directed toward Rena and not me, I still appreciated it.

The exit hatch opened with a faint metallic sound.

Creak.

Whoosh.

The wind that brushed against me was far too unpleasant to believe it was from a winter night. Sticky and clinging from all directions, it was filled with dark resentment and decayed remnants.

Executioner’s Swamp.

Among the exits Naneow had offered, I deliberately chose this one. It wasn’t just because it was far from human settlements. Before heading out to retrieve Rena’s sister, I needed to face a foe here.

Detection.

This place was brimming with malice.

Bzzzz!

Insects carrying every disease imaginable buzzed through the air, flying hungrily in search of blood and flesh.

Squelch.

A single misstep, and anyone could drop dead into the cold, sticky swamp.

Rustle.

Crocodiles with glowing yellow eyes crept swiftly toward their prey. Of course, none of this applied to me. I had no fear of mosquito bites, and my Detection skill was already precise enough to map out the terrain. There was no risk of misstepping.

As for the crocodiles...

[Skill: Fear Lv. 1 activated.]

[Target: 3 creatures]

[Health reduced by 0.19%.]

[Stat difference between you and the prey: Overwhelming]

The three crocodiles had been charging with jaws wide open to crush me, but they suddenly froze in place.

I lightly kicked one of them with my foot.

Thunk.

“Why are you guys so big?” I asked.

The crocodile trembled, and their yellow, sulfur-like eyes lost all their glow.

I slightly reduced the strength of the skill. The crocodiles slowly closed their jaws—jaws powerful enough to tear flesh and leather-like paper. They lowered their heads and crawled backward on all fours.

I let them go. Killing them wouldn’t even grant decent experience points. I ignored them and walked on.

Around the massive swamp—which was once a lake but had since rotten—millions of flying insects swarmed. One cluster swirled toward me like a black wind.

Bzzzzz!

I wanted to drive them off like the crocodiles, but unfortunately, my skill couldn’t target each one individually. If only I had an aura that could instill fear in anyone nearby, I could scare them off.

Maybe if I absorb another Kraken someday...

Crackle!

I poured energy into my sword and swept it in a wide arc. Tens of thousands of flying insects were burned to ashes before even touching the blade.

A random thought popped into my head.

Yeah... I should never bring Rena to a place like this.

Rena had once caught massive man-eating spiders without hesitation. But this wasn’t about bravery or tolerance. It was a matter of difficulty.

For someone made of flesh and blood, merely entering this place was a monumental challenge. With the air itself teeming with insects, a person wouldn’t even realize what they were inhaling before their flesh was stripped away from the inside out, leaving only bones behind.

Well, in my case... I’m already just bones.

As I passed the decaying lake, the vegetation grew denser. The tangled underbrush and twisted trees—perhaps nourished by long-dead corpses, were thick and tough.

Of course, they offered no resistance to my sword as I slashed through it all. Though I used the sword like a machete, it was still a masterpiece crafted by one of the three great lords of Grassmere. Thanks to its two-meter length, even a casual swing cleared a wide path.

The deeper I ventured into the swamp, the stickier the air became.

It should appear soon...

This place wasn’t technically a dungeon, but according to the intel Naneow had given me, there was a high probability for a particular being to make an appearance. The chance of a random encounter was ninety percent.

Gurgle...

There it is.

It was a welcoming sound. Soon, the creature showed itself.

Gurgle!

From the swamp rose a grotesque, sticky mass of slime. The swamp, reeking of rotting corpses, formed into hands, legs, and a face as it crawled toward the border between land and muck.

[You have encountered the Swamp Wraith!]

[Swamp Wraith]

[Rank: C+++]

[A vile spirit formed from the accumulated malice and resentment of countless executed prisoners abandoned in the swamp. It spreads pain, hatred, and contaminates surrounding water sources.]

[Difficulty: Despair]

This was the appearance of a boss-level monster. I took note of the difficulty assessment. I thought I had gained quite a few levels during this relatively long life, but clearly, charging at this thing at around level forty was sheer madness.

“Groooar!”

It’s starting to get violent.

Its size was ridiculous. Its arms alone stretched over ten meters.

Crackle! Ssshhh!

Black slime billowed out, covering the area in smoke.

Is it trying to contaminate the air?

Gurgle... Gurururu...

However, the wraith looked flustered to see me standing unaffected.

What is it doing?

I glanced at it, wondering if it expected me to panic and scream from damage to my skin and respiratory system.

Boom!

After getting no reaction, a massive fist came flying straight at me.

Here we go.

Crackle!

[Skill: Sword Energy Lv. 3 activated.]

With my blade tinged light blue, I slashed the wraith’s massive left arm.

Groooar!

The Swamp Wraith picked up the sticky limb and reattached it to itself, then smiled with its meter-wide face as if nothing had happened.

It was an amorphous opponent, but I had expected that. This thing was just a sparring partner anyway.

[Skill: Acid Lv. 5 activated.]

Sizzle! Sizzle!

The sword's aura turned light green. The blade was now laced with potent corrosive energy.

Sssh! Ssssh!

However, the sword from Grassmere withstood it without a scratch.

“GROHHH! GROOOAAAH!”

The creature’s jaw, which had tried to devour me whole, melted and burned away. It staggered violently upon taking real damage.

I’m starting to get it.

The reason I was fighting this swamp spirit instead of heading directly to rescue Rena’s sister was simple. The head director of the orphanage was a Slime. In truth, it was a high-ranking member of the Purson faction. I hoped to avoid a confrontation, but things rarely went as planned.

They were by no means an easy foe. I vividly remembered how the squirming green ooze had seeped into the cracks of my armor and melted my bones. Back then, I couldn’t even think of resisting.

I can’t let that happen again.

I needed the practice.

Groooah!

The Swamp Wraith’s right arm lunged at me, but I scorched it with a greenish sword aura.

The swamp, pulsing with hatred and resentment, partially burned. This thing was similar to a Slime. I needed to test what kind of attacks worked on this kind of gelatinous, amorphous monster. To the swamp spirit that had just been minding its own business, it might be unexpected, but I had no intention of showing sympathy.

Sssh! Splat!

Another sticky, black section burst apart. Several fragments flew off of the slimy wraith. Blobs shaped like a deer, a human, a donkey, and a small bird squirmed away.

So it ate those things?

The small slime lumps writhed as they tried to flee the wraith.

WHOOOSH!

The Swamp Wraith swung a massive hand, trying to scoop the lumps back into itself. Of course, I had no plans to allow that.

Fear.

It was an amorphous enemy, and yet, Fear worked. It made me realize once more how powerful the kraken’s ability was.

The wraith froze for a moment.

Freeze.

Crackle! Crack!

A cold chill erupted from my sword.

Whoosh!

At the same time, Sharunian’s talisman began to burn.

One knot down.

The charm bracelet had forty-nine knots. It handled more than I expected. If it held up this well, I’d be able to use plenty of magic in the fight against the Slime.

Crack!

I shattered a frozen section of the Swamp Wraith.

Shards flew everywhere as it let out a piercing wail. However, this was not a fragile human that would die from popping a single organ, nor was it a troll with overwhelming regeneration. This thing constantly reformed itself, and to destroy it completely, I had to vaporize every bit of it.

Sssh!

If not in one go, then I can take it down bit by bit.

Whump!

The ground beneath me trembled as the Swamp Wraith hammered it with squishy, reeking fists. Its foul black slime was thoroughly unpleasant, but its size had already diminished significantly. At this level, I had no fear of being knocked away by a head-on blow.

Boom!

I slammed my fully charged, bright green Sword Energy directly into the Swamp Wraith’s fist. As the sword bounced back, I pressed it to the ground.

Iaijutsu.

It wasn’t even a katana, nor did it have a sheath. But skills were convenient like that. If I understood the essence, I could apply it in different ways.

Scraaaape!

I scraped the frozen ground, gaining momentum.

[Skill: Slash Lv. 2 activated.]

Crack!

A brilliant pale green arc carved a wide half-moon through the space before me.

Gurururu!

The part hit by the sword melted vertically. The wraith reeled from the shock, but it still looked far from destroyed.

If I rely on swordplay alone... this will get boring.

After throwing out a few more Sword Energy strikes, I braced myself for a bit more of the talisman to burn.

Blaze.

Fwooosh!

***

𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Forty-nine knots. Out of them, four had turned to ash. I had frozen the Swamp Wraith twice and burned it twice. I had no regrets because I had gained valuable information.

So, if I freeze it and then blast it, it breaks apart well.

Also, the talisman bracelet that erased Lurium traces hadn’t burned nearly as fast as I’d feared. My mind felt lighter.

Ding!

[Clear!]

[Random Encounter: You have defeated the evil spirit of Executioner’s Swamp.]

[Hero Points increased by 400% due to difficulty rating.]

The messages popped up before my eyes, proof that I had once again acted the role of a hero and exploited my enemies. However, I did not feel bitter about it.

I never wanted to feel that helplessness and horror again when I failed to protect someone I cared about. If I had to fight as a so-called exploiter to prevent that, I would embrace my role as the perpetrator and bear it thoroughly.

I refocused and read the translucent messages floating before me.

This time...

Something about it felt different.