The fog began to spread again, enveloping the stone house, and even with a campfire, it still felt chilly.
Leah's clothes were left to dry by the campfire. Once they were almost dry, I gave them to her to change into. She didn't try to hide anything and started dressing right in front of me.
I certainly wouldn't miss the opportunity to appreciate the magnificent landscape. Anyway, Leah didn't say anything, so I just treated it as a feast for the eyes.
She was still wearing her coat; the weather in the wetland forest was truly unbearable.
...
After resting for about an hour, I felt much better; at least my head wasn't foggy anymore.
Leah is already asleep. I promised to take her back tomorrow morning so she could sleep peacefully. She was indeed exhausted and could be described as fast asleep.
I didn't tell her that I was also planning to look for Marta.
Although she didn't know Lia well, she was definitely the first person to be concerned about Marta.
In her current state, she can barely protect herself, let alone help me search for Marta.
There's a feeling that I see her as a "burden".
Once I was sure the campfire could burn for a long time, I went out of the stone house.
"Rashomon"
They sealed off the stone house, but deliberately left a chimney window.
Looking at this stone house, it really does give you the feeling of a cabin in the woods.
I don't plan to stay in the wetland forest for long. If I can't find Marta's whereabouts or her body on this trip, I'm going to leave this hellish place.
"Gale"
First, dispel the fog in the vicinity. Wandering aimlessly in the thick fog at night, even if you don't become prey, you'll still become a snack.
"Phew... I hope Marta isn't dead."
After meeting Lia, I still harbored a sliver of hope for Martha.
The gods will not favor just one person; this was true for Leah, and hopefully for Martha as well.
After all, he's a Water King-level mage...
"Sylvia...I'm setting off, please bless me."
The damp ground, covered in snow, made a rustling sound when you stepped on it, which seemed particularly jarring in the silent forest.
Return to the place where Pro's severed arm was found; this is where they were attacked by the green dragons and where they were completely separated.
To the left is a hillside, which is also where I found Leah's bow and arrow.
Although it wasn't very tall, looking at the dark mass, I felt a thumping sensation on my back.
I'm not sure all dead trees are man-eating trees, since they all look the same.
"Wind Blade"
Although the method is simple and crude, it is the safest.
Without its branches, the man-eating tree is just like any other dead tree. Although it will tremble constantly, as long as it doesn't affect its ability to find people, that's fine.
"Um……"
I used a torch to shine into the tree hole.
Rotting corpses and eerie white bones...
They were all monsters; Martha's body was not found.
He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief; he was relieved that he might have run into Marta, who only had half a face or half a body left.
That's absolutely terrifying.
...
"Wind Blade"
Although safety has been ensured, things are starting to get too tough.
What appears to be the territory of man-eating trees is actually mostly just ordinary dead wood, with nothing inside the dark tree hollows.
My magic power is already low, and if I use magic so frequently, I'm afraid I'll run out of magic power before I even find Martha.
In that case, not only would I not be able to bring Leah back, but I would also have to die here.
I really shouldn't have let Lilith take on the commission. Orcs have a very keen sense of smell. If she were here, she would be much better than me, a headless fly.
"The last one."
Clinging to their last hope, if they still couldn't find Marta, they would have no choice but to head back home.
If we return to Lake City now, it will be almost dawn. If we can save Leah, it will be enough to give Pro an explanation.
This is the only way I can repay his kindness to me.
"Um……?"
Standing at the entrance of the tree hole, a swamp is not far away.
Something is glowing...
It was very faint, but it was very noticeable in the darkness.
"Martha?"
Filled with doubt and a touch of fantasy, I approached the swamp.
They are a race of green dragons...
You can see green dragons with brownish-green fur wriggling in the swamp.
From a human perspective, it is very obvious.
"Um……?"
There were also some on the side, about a dozen or so, but that's not the final number.
Who knows how much is hidden beneath the swamp?
"..."
The strong smell of blood and decay mingled together, creating an almost suffocating odor that forced me to cover my mouth and nose.
The source of the light...
It was a small mountain made up of corpses.
Green dragons naturally have no interest in collecting glowing objects or treasures.
It is highly likely that it is Marta.
"What should we do?"
It is virtually impossible for one person to challenge a group of green dragons.
With current magic power, it's simply impossible to unleash a king-level spell like "Rashomon".
For green dragons that have long inhabited swamps, the mud actually helps them.
A giant fireball? A water bullet? A wind blade?
Neither will work!
It's impossible to penetrate their skin.
What's left? Earth spikes?
Emerging from underground and ambushing their bellies is indeed a viable option.
But faced with such a large number of green dragons.
That probably won't work either.
I tried to think of magic that could have a wide range of attacks and considerable destructive power.
Although I have many magic spells in my mind, I haven't practiced most of them, so whether I can actually cast them is still a question.
If you stop halfway through the spell and disturb the sleeping green dragons, you're truly doomed.
"It can only be a dirt spike."
After thinking for a long time, I realized that the only feasible method was Earth Spike. Although it was impossible to kill all the green dragons at once, I could only try my best to reduce their numbers.
"Should we start with the ones on the sides?"
"We still need to deal with the swamp first!"
No one knows how many green dragons are hidden inside, but in such a crowded swamp, earth spikes can be more effective.
"Earth Spike!"
The magic in his hand rushed straight towards the swamp.
Then, a large number of earth spikes emerged from the swamp and pierced through the green dragon's belly, numbering as many as a dozen.
Sure enough, there were quite a few hidden below.
Hiss hiss hiss...
The earth spikes didn't kill them; they merely lifted them out of the swamp and made them struggle on the earth spikes.
After the commotion in the swamp, the green dragons that were not affected by the earth spikes and those nearby were instantly awakened. While looking around warily, they also turned their gaze to me.
"Earth Spike"
I couldn't give them a chance to charge over. Thick, sturdy earth spikes burst open from the swamp, pinning the remaining green dragons firmly to them.
Hiss hiss hiss...
The green dragon on the shore was clearly startled and let out a strange cry.
That look was as if he were saying to me: How dare you, a mere little brat?
The remaining green dragons in the swamp charged at me first, their seemingly clumsy bodies belying their astonishing speed.
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