Chapter 34: The Swamp of Death Part 4

After that it was easy.

While the mercenaries and wizards were buying time, I continued creating lotus stem nets and restrained each troll one by one before they got dragged deep into the swamp.

These trolls don't seem to be acting out of their own will.

Trolls were never considered intelligent monsters. They possessed brute strength but were significantly lacking in intellect, which was fortunate from a human perspective. Their stupidity prevented them from coordinating as a group, and they lacked any semblance of strategy in combat.

But these trolls attacked us as a group and were acting like they had a strategy.

It's as if someone is controlling them.

But there was no time to ponder this mystery, as two trolls were still rampaging, knocking the mercenaries around.

The remaining two trolls seemed to be deliberately avoiding me. As they rampaged, destroying everything in their path, they miraculously avoided stepping on any lotus leaves.

It appeared the last two trolls wouldn't be subdued by the lotus stem nets. As soon as I finished assessing the situation, I climbed a nearby ash tree to its very top.

There must be something around here influencing them.

After using [Owl's Eyes], which broadens my vision even in the dark, I looked around the foggy surroundings. The area was filled with nothing but dead trees.

Alright.

So, you're hiding, aren't you?

I drew an arrow and aimed into the darkness.

The culprit was surely hidden among the trees above.

And climbing trees was second nature to a druid.

With a clear view of the campsite, finding a position that offered both a good vantage point and ample concealment was something I could do with my eyes closed.

About six trees.

There were a total of six trees that met the criteria.

I would shoot arrows at places where someone could conceal themselves.

Surely, something would get hit by an arrow and react.

"Get ready…"

I pulled an arrow from my quiver and drew the bowstring.

"Fire."

And then, I gently released it.

-Swiiiish!

The arrow sliced through the air.

The first shot missed.

-Swiiiish!

-Swiiiish!

The second and third were no different.

Now, only three trees remained.

I aimed an arrow into the endless darkness.

–Swiiiish!

The fourth arrow plunged into the darkness and…

-Thud!

It hit its mark.

As I suspected, there was something.

I quickly climbed down from the tree and ran towards the one hit by the arrow.

"…Was I a step too late?"

When I illuminated with a small cluster of lights conjured by the [Breath of the Forest] I could see the fresh blood that had just been spilled and the broken feather of the arrow.

The being was faster than I had anticipated.

Moreover, despite what must have been considerable pain, they managed to move without so much as a scream.

I must catch and deal with this guy, whatever it is…

In the swamp of death, footsteps leave no trace.

The blood too mingled with the black muddy water, making it impossible to track the culprit.

I put my regrets aside and ran back towards the campsite where the trolls were still rampant.

-Guooooooh!

-Guaaaaaah!

The trolls who had been half-roasted by the wizards' onslaught were writhing and flailing about for some reason.

Perhaps the one controlling them was gone?

In such a state, there was no need for the lotus stem nets.

Tripping them up would be enough.

I began chanting a spell to make the lotus stems grow. The stems encircled the floundering trolls and started tightening around them gradually at my command.

"Now!"

At my signal, a relentless onslaught was unleashed upon the trolls.

Fireballs as if hurled from the depths of hell struck the trolls' heads, while the mercenaries' sharp blades pierced through the thick hide of the trolls.

-Koooung!!!

-Kung!!!

The trolls could not withstand the assault and fell to the ground. However, their collapse did not signify their death. The vitality of a troll is disgustingly tenacious.

"You need to cut their heads off!"

At my shout, Jamil nodded his head. He hoisted his huge axe high. Then, with a leap that added weight to his swing, he struck at a troll's neck.

-Thwack!!!

It was more of a crushing blow than a clean cut. Undeterred by the splatter of filthy flesh, Jamil continued to hack at the troll's neck with his axe. The once brightly gleaming blade of the axe was now dulled and soaked with dark sticky blood.

-Thump!!!

With the final swing of his axe, the troll's head was completely severed and rolled on the ground. It was hard to tell how long it had been trapped in the swamp of death, as parasite-type monsters were crawling around its neck. It was a revolting sight. Just as I was about to turn away because I felt nauseous,

-Glint.

Wait, what is that?

Something that shouldn't have been there appeared from within the troll's severed head.

When I approached, I could see the tip of something embedded among the purple-stained flesh.

It was an object I recognized.

-Ugh!

-Gag! Gack!

I ignored all of the retching noises nearby and forcibly removed the object embedded in the troll's head.

When I wiped away the sticky flesh, I could see its original appearance.

A shining black gemstone.

It wasn't a magic stone.

It was identical to the black gem I had found in the "Golden Road".

Or was it slightly larger?

"So, this was controlling it…"

There was no magical power emanating from the black gem so it couldn't be a magical tool.

"Theodore."

Jamil approached before showing me a black gem identical to the one I was holding.

"Do you remember what this is?"

"Of course."

"Is it related to the attack we suffered in the Golden Road?"

"Most likely."

I whispered to Jamil in a hushed voice.

"Jamil, the more I think about it, the less this seems like an ordinary item. I'll investigate it on my end, but once you're back, try to gather some information as well."

"I understand."

"Be careful. We've been attacked twice already."

"I said I understand, didn't I?"

Trust is important.

Maybe I should contact Khalid once this is over?

I had a strong hunch that the old woman might know the true nature of this black gem, but without knowing her whereabouts, it was impossible to ask her.

But even though Khalid was a madman, I might at least know where to find him…

With some luck, I might be able to glean some information.

I carefully tucked the black gem into my pocket.

***

"Damn it, the blood…!"

Pavel walked incessantly while clutching his side where hot blood surged. In the swamp of death, if you don't keep moving, you're swallowed up whole. Despite bleeding and suffering agonizing pain, he had no choice but to keep walking relentlessly.

He had been certain that he hadn't been detected, yet that damned druid's arrow had pierced his side with flawless accuracy. How was this possible? The darkness, compounded by the mist, should have concealed Pavel's presence completely. It seemed like an impossible incident, no matter how he thought about it.

But now it was too late to think about it.

Even with Pavel's exceptional resistance to poison, enduring the venom emitted by the swamp of death, especially with a deep wound, was no easy task. No amount of mana circulation or potions could outpace the speed at which the poison seeped through his injury.

"Cough!"

Moreover, that wasn't the only problem he faced.

The blood flowing from his side continuously attracted "them". Pavel irritably stomped on the parasites on the ground, but they kept swarming in relentlessly.

"Damn it!"

It was all because of the Black Worms.

Black Worms were parasites grown with Black Opium. They had a habit of settling in their host's body and creating a cocoon that was as beautiful and hard as a black gem. Once the cocoon was formed, the host would lose their mind completely.

From that point on, the Black Worms could control the host's body.

Upon discovering these habits, Pavel's organization began to breed Black Worms in earnest. Moreover, they didn't just feed the Black Worms Black Opium; they also fed them the blood of the controller to train them to recognize the controller as their parent.

Pavel had as many as twenty Black Worms that he could control in this manner. If he had continued his research and breeding efforts, he might have climbed to an even higher position than he currently held.

However, Pavel no longer had any Black Worms left.

To be precise, he could sense that about three were still alive. But since they weren't in his possession, they were of no use to him.

In fact, they were now a hindrance. While the trolls were buried in the swamp of death, the parasites that had burrowed into their bodies became addicted to the pheromones emitted by the Black Worms, and they began to attack Pavel because of this.

He was fine for now, but if he couldn't escape the swamp of death soon, he would be at risk of being devoured by these giant parasites.

"Ugh…"

But his wounds wouldn't heal.

It was to be expected.

The vines growing from his side continually tore the wound open, making it impossible for it to heal.

Weren't druids supposed to be the ones who sang of their love for nature and life?

And yet, he did this to my body?

Pavel gritted his teeth and kept tearing at the vines sprouting from his side.

He was in tremendous pain but he couldn't even scream.

-Caaaaw!

"Huh!"

That's when it happened.

A crow of unknown origin that had been watching him for some time let out a long cry.

When Pavel saw its pitch-black eyes devoid of any light, he was so startled that he fell to his knees.

And as if they had been waiting for this moment, the parasites began to climb his body but he dared not swat them away.

-Caaaaw!

The crow cried out once more.

-I have changed.

-My mind.

-Bring the druid.

-To me.

An unfathomably deep voice reverberated over Pavel's head.

"I-I understand…!"

Pavel bowed his head in acknowledgment and responded.

-Flap!

Hearing Pavel's answer, the crow immediately spread its wings and soared into the sky.

-Whoosh!!!

At the same time, black feathers flew at great speed and pierced the parasites on the swamp.

-Shriek…

"Huff, huff…"

What if those feathers had been aimed at him?

Pavel shuddered and then got to his feet.

With the new orders received, there was still a chance he "could survive".

Pavel wiped away the endless stream of cold sweat trickling down his forehead and picked up a plump black larva wriggling in the spot the crow had vacated.

"..."

He remembered the immense struggles he went through when planting the Black Worms inside the shadow wolves and trolls alike. A flood of difficult memories passed through his mind.

And yet, to start all over again from the beginning.

Pavel looked down at his palm with an unreadable expression on his face.

-Crunch!

Then, he put the worm into his mouth and started chewing.

Absorbing the essence of Black Opium accumulated in the Black Worm would significantly enhance his abilities for a while and make it enough to survive in the swamp of death. Perhaps, it might even make it possible to kidnap the druid as desired by "Him".

-Chew, chew, chew…

Even as he chewed on the Black Worms, which he had raised almost like his own child, Pavel had only one thought in his mind.

Bring the druid.