Chương 51: The Marsh - 1

It wasn't a pleasant name — the Marshes of Eternal Waste. Which surprised LANCE because when he and his dad first entered the marshes, it was beautiful. Spangled Dry Moss hung on many of the tree branches, murky water surrounded islands of fauna-rich animal dens, and a harmless spore-dust lingered through the air which sparkled in the sunlight like grains of sand on a beach.

"This is the legendarily inhospitable marsh?"

"Sure is, son... don't let the prettiness fool you, this place has been the grave of many a well-prepared adventuring party who thought they were going to be the first strike it big by looting these wetlands many lost temples. Now, we're not going to be looting any temples. Trust me, there isn't anything of note in those temples. Just mummies and surprisingly advanced technology. We're here to fight." Warhol looked around the swamp, then flew around it, zipping from island to island in a matter of seconds.

"Looking for something?" he asked, annoyed his father never told him their thought process.

"Besides our monster? No. I'm just seeing if I brought us to the right place. And I almost did. We're going to need to walk a couple of miles."

"Oh, that sounds fine, then," Lance thought his dad had teleported them to the wrong end of the marsh all together. That would've been a nightmare.

"You might change your tune at the end of those miles..." His father lectured him on swamp safety. The first point of swamp safety: never go near the water unless you're either 1) Prepared to die; or 2) Have an impressive arsenal of spells to counteract the 'living death' which lurked in the waters. Warhol's second point of swamp safety was 'Be prepared to rub mud all over.' Which they did to keep the impressive number of mosquitos away.

Among his father's many lesser points of swamp safety, the third big point was 'stick to dry land.' Easier said than done in a place mostly water... Together, they made their way toward the beast they were to fight's nesting grounds. Lance asked his dad why he didn't just teleport them into the monster's lair, but his dad grunted.

"You're not just here on these excursions to learn how to fight. You're also here to learn how to survive. I won't always be here, son, so you need to learn this stuff now." Leave it to his father to take a perfect outing slaying monsters and make it dramatic. Jeez. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. When the two of them finally arrived at the monster's nesting grounds, the space was nothing special.

Admittedly, Lance wasn't sure what he expected from a monster whose name he hadn't even learned. But it wasn't an uneven stretch of land stretching over an odd half mile. Moss dangled from the trees and the air hung with angelic spores.

"What are we looking for, pops?" For the first time since they arrived, Lance put down his equipment near the entry to the Lair. He wasn't about to fight something with multiple bags hanging from his back and shoulders. Why had he felt the need to bring so much junk?

"Our prey is an Anaconda Snapping Turtle. Give me a moment and I will rouse it from its watery den." Warhol gathered electro-magic within his hands. Lance could think of nothing other than, 'had his father said they were hunting an anaconda snapping turtle?!' The beasts known as the Anaconda Snapping Turtle were gigantic snakes with an odd-fitting turtle's shell nestled on its back at several joints.

Each creature was easily the size of a block of homes, or a small village, depending on where one lived, and could munch on a man whole as a snack. Lance's heart beat a rate higher, and he had to fight to control himself against the coming fear. This time, he sure as heck hoped his father didn't plan on peace-ing out, because this time around, he would need his dad's help. Bandits were one thing, but this? It was something else all-together.

Warhol finished blasted his electro-mana and injected it completely into the water. Inhumane, sure, the number of dead aquatic life which bubbled to the top of the water could attest to that, but they needed to get this beast to show. Apprehensive as the beast he was, Lance knew how important slaying this creature would be as it would net him a ton of System XP. And that was why there were here — to power level.

"Get ready, son! I'll be by your side this time, promise. I will help you where possible, but I will not finish this creature for you or weaken it so much as to render its battle with your pointless." A rumble from the water shook the land as bubbles by the hundreds fizzled to the river's top. His father, not noticed of the bubbles or not caring, continued unabetted: "Lance, above all, you cannot think of these training sessions as only free XP grabs. You are here to learn how to fight.

The combat movements you learn now will serve you impossibly well in the battle against the Horror. Be grateful we've found a beast willing to give its life so that you might better your knowledge of the blade!" In that moment, a gargantuan shape shot up from the water. Its body was long; on its back were hardened carapaces; while from its snake-like head came fangs the size of several workhouses placed end-to-end.

The Anaconda Snapping Turtle roared its hissing snap; Lance snapped his hands to cover his ears, the snapping-hiss sounding like a swarm of locusts having descended on them without warning from afar.

"Son!" Warhol yelled above the din of the beast's cry.

"Word of advice — these creatures are known for their status effects, so you're not going to be fighting this thing at the top of your game. Mitigate, attack, heal!" And just like that, fear again found its way into his chest.