The full moon hangs high in the sky, its light vast and boundless.
The lake surface was a sheet of silvery white.
Ysera flew among the clouds, Famu swam alongside her in the lake. He made no attempt to conceal his presence, and therefore had no need to hide his movements.
The lake water shattered before Famu, splashes of water running down his cheeks, white waves churning and crashing against his scales with a loud bang.
Ysera of the Lake Crown, following Dalenmayou's teachings, gifted the Bronze Bone to Famu and stated her request.
"The Arensa Wetlands are becoming Pollution. I offer you the Bronze Bones as payment, hoping you can kill the Swamp King Frey and quell the Pollution," Ysera said.
Famu was curious about the Furnace-Core Creatures ' definition of Pollution, especially since they had gained the approval of the Shadow Priest of the Mara River. He asked Ysera, "What is Pollution to you?"
Every species has its own place in the ecosystem.
If the lake recedes and the fish population decreases, the white storks, having lost their stable food source, will assume that the Swamp King Pollution the wetlands. This can only be called a tribal conflict. In fact, before this, the Swamp King that Ysera was referring to was the Level 3 Swamp Crocodile identified by the Scepter. Famu did not believe that a Level 3 Furnace-Core Creature could have any significant impact on the Arensa Wetlands.
But the reality was beyond Famu's expectations.
Frey the Swamp King is indeed impacting the ecological environment of the Arensa Wetlands, and this impact is a negative one, stifling the ecological cycle.
All of this stems from the Biological Furnace Core.
Earth Vein Energy has a significant impact on the environment, but after secondary transformation by the Furnace Core organs, its impact becomes negligible, though it still exists.
For example, the traces of Dark Marsh that Famu discovered in the floodplains are a manifestation of the Earth Vein Energy influencing the environment.
However, under certain special circumstances, the Furnace-Core Creatures themselves cannot effectively control the Earth Vein Energy within their bodies, causing the Earth Vein Energy to leak out. Furthermore, due to the simultaneous action of the Furnace Core, the Earth Vein Energy is transformed into harmful substances, which are called "Pollution." Pollution can kill water, trees, and some creatures, and cause some creatures to become deformed.
It is a devastating blow to the ecological environment of a place.
In the rules of the rainforest, messengers and scholars are responsible for dealing with Pollution. They will report any Pollution they discover as soon as possible. After discussion and deliberation, the scholars will pass the message to the Furnace-Core Creature that can solve the Pollution, guide it, and then pay them.
Typhon, the owner of the river, is also responsible for maintaining his own backyard and will not allow Pollution to spread unchecked.
This means that the Super Species will step in to help deal with the Pollution problem.
This inevitably reminded Famu of the old Crowned Heron.
According to the definition of Pollution by rainforest scholars and priests, after the death of this white behemoth, the Furnace Core went out of control and absorbed the Luminous Core to revitalize and advance. If Famu had not chased it all night and killed it before dawn, it would have formed a huge Pollution, and that whole forest would have suffered.
"The term 'Pollution' has been included," the Scepter recorded.
"Your Jiuxun, it seems you have already made outstanding contributions to the rainforest's ecosystem, single-handedly dealing with near-Level 5 Pollution organisms. Your deeds deserve to be recorded in an epic."
Famu ignored the Scepter's teasing; he was concerned about the bone.
"Judging from the growth marks on the skeleton, this ancient Typhon lived to be at least 150 years old, and did not die of natural causes. Although she was in the later stages of her life, she was far from dying of old age; she must have died in war," the Scepter said, as it was examining the residual Earth Vein Energy in the bones. "It is estimated that this creature is level six, with ribs belonging to the front part of Typhon's neck. Roughly estimated, its size is slightly larger than the Bronze Tessa of the Mara River today."
This was within Famu's expectations. There is always a limit to the size growth of a creature. Even if the Samei Rainforest is a gathering place for monsters, the current Earth Vein Energy is not enough to support the growth of a creature like Typhon to an excessively large size.
Famu thought of something.
"The concentration of Earth Vein Energy on the Earth's surface is far lower than it was during human times. What would happen if the Earth experienced another Earth Vein Tides?"
The concentration of Earth Vein Energy can determine the upper limit of the size of an individual organism.
What happened to Earth after humanity left?
The Scepter's answer was simple, "Based on the changes in ley line concentration, it's possible that a hundred-meter-scale Typhon existed in ancient times."
"Then I'll have to live a long time," Famu said.
If he lives long enough, he will be considered an ancient creature to future generations.
He accepted the Bronze Bone and, as requested, went with Ysera to the far east of the Wetlands to fight the Swamp King. Behind Ysera followed two rows of white storks, all of whom were white stork warriors handpicked by Ysera.
It was a grand affair, but for Famu, it was simply a hunting trip.
Some beings consider themselves the masters of Arensa.
If Ysera's brilliance is witnessed by the lake, then the creature in the Dark Marsh is the lake's ugly scar.
Under the moonlight, the ferocious reptile slowly crawled onto the shore, exhaling coldly, determined this time to seize the gleaming Lake Crown and rule the wetlands of Arensa.
Having risen from a level three Furnace-Core Creature to a level four, the once-silent Furnace Core now throbbed wildly within its body, unleashing a torrent of Earth Vein Energy.
Frey the Swamp King, an aged giant swamp crocodile, now measures a terrifying nine meters in length, leaving his three- or four-meter-long counterparts far behind. Adult crocodiles are nothing more than infants and prey in his presence.
The swamp crocodile and the Orbital Ridge Crocodile are close relatives and share some similarities in appearance, such as their protruding eyes. However, the swamp crocodile is usually much larger and looks down on its smaller relatives.
Old Frey was ugly and deformed. His back, which should have been like armor, was covered with fleshy growths, and his tail was missing five segments of scales. This was Old Frey's pride. When he was young, his tail was bitten off by a Dead Sun Armor. He still believed that if his tail hadn't been cut off, he would have been the same size as the Dead Sun Armor.
Now even the Furnace Core is comparable; the fleshy growth on Old Frey's back is a replica of the Dead Sun Armor.
Since he considers himself equal to the Dead Sun Armor, why doesn't he take control of this wetland?
The viscous swamp water peeled off his skin, revealing a few wisps of fluorescence on its surface.
The Swamp King summoned his advisors.
They were placed in the wetlands, gained Ysera's trust, and would advise the Swamp King.
Capybaras have the most acute sense of water flow; they were probably the first Intelligent Species to know of the return of the Swamp King.
But his advisors did not appear.
He called upon his army.
His army consisted of ferocious swamp crocodiles and a considerable number of Orbital Ridge Crocodiles, whose sharp teeth would crush the weaker animals in the Arensa Wetlands.
But the crocodiles crowded into the foul-smelling shallows, the swamp water flowing over their bodies, the Pollution washing over them, killing the Orbital Ridge Crocodiles and swamp crocodiles that were waiting for the Swamp King to awaken.
Therefore, his army also did not appear.
But then his enemies appeared.
Under the full moon, Old Frey saw Ysera, that damned Lake Crown, still alive after thirty years!
She arrived with her people, and the white storks circled in the sky. Old Frey noticed Ysera's gaze, which was cold and disdainful.
The storks' slender beaks and claws are no match for the swamp crocodile; even a nine-meter-long swamp crocodile would be avoided by the Titan Feather-Crested Heron.
Old Frey grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, taking it as Ysera's desperate gamble.
"Ugly Frey, I have brought you a gift." Lake Crown Ysera gracefully landed on the treetop.
"Oh, what is it? A crown to congratulate me on my rule over Arensa?"
Ysera shook her head. "It's a Typhon."