Camping

If he hadn't been there, she probably wouldn't have paid Rhode any attention at all.

It was precisely because an Elf was present that she had answered their questions and even kindly offered a warning before leaving.

Rhode naturally understood what Serie meant. After all, the other party had never truly looked him in the eye from beginning to end.

Still, Serie's comparison made him laugh despite himself.

"At least she acknowledged that I'm human." Counting on his fingers, he said, "A Dwarf, an Elf, someone from the Winged race, and then maybe a Priest. After all, only they can interpret the goddess's Sacred Codex and use Healing Magic."

"A Priest?" Serie suddenly stopped, the corner of her mouth beneath her white veil curling into a dangerous smile. "Are you sure you want to travel with someone who chants the goddess's teachings all day?"

Why could Priests interpret the Sacred Codex bestowed by the goddess?

The main reason was that they were devout enough to hear the voice of the gods.

Only under divine guidance could they learn and wield the magic recorded in the Sacred Codex.

Which was why every Priest was a bunch of endlessly prattling little holy cranks!

"Uh..." Rhode imagined the scene and hurriedly shook his head. "Forget it, then."

He took out a waterskin from his pack and handed it to Serie. "Want some? I added some honey to it."

It was a gift from nature they had found along the way. A simple Fire Magic spell could obtain honey without damaging it at all.

Serie accepted the waterskin, lifted her veil, and took a small sip. "It's a little too sweet." Though she said so, she took another sip before returning it to him.

"By the way," Rhode said as he tightened the waterskin, "is this swamp very large? We're not going to spend the night here, are we?"

The two of them had already been doing their best to move away from the center of Death Swamp, yet the mosquitoes around them showed no sign of thinning out. Rhode did not even dare imagine the torment of camping in such an environment.

"If we pick up the pace, we might be able to get out before dark. But that depends on whether your map is accurate."

With a map that was a century old and so many Monsters gathering here, Rhode could not be certain whether the terrain had changed.

So he took out the map Amuro had given him and studied it carefully. "According to the map, there should be high ground ahead. If we can't get out today, we can camp there."

Serie leaned closer to look. The golden strands escaping her hood inadvertently brushed Rhode's cheek. "That area may already be occupied by Monsters."

Rhode nodded, finding Serie's words reasonable.

"Then let's choose another place. How about here? It's close to the central area, but there's a small stream. It should be suitable for camping."

A trace of distaste appeared in Serie's eyes. "Is there anywhere we won't have to see these annoying little creatures?"

Rhode did not answer, merely smiled.

After all, they were in a swamp. How could there possibly be a place without mosquitoes?

Fortunately, he had considered that long ago.

Rhode patted the large pack on his back. "Don't worry. I'll set up a little tent for you later."

"A tent?" Serie had never heard that word before.

"It's fine. You'll see soon enough."

The two quickened their pace. The dampness of the swamp grew heavier, and they encountered quite a few Monsters along the way, though Rhode avoided them all with his Detection Spell.

Yet because of that, their journey was delayed considerably. It was clear they would not be leaving this swamp today.

Rhode could be seen holding a wooden stick from time to time, probing twice with every step, afraid of stepping into a hidden mud pit.

Naturally, he also thoughtfully avoided the puddles on the ground so as not to dirty Serie's white robe. She noticed all of it, and her gaze softened a little.

"Wait!" He suddenly crouched down and pointed at the ground. "Look at this footprint."

Serie bent down to inspect it. "It doesn't look like a Monster's. It should belong to an ordinary small animal, and it left not long ago."

"Looks like this swamp isn't entirely filled with Monsters. I thought all the normal creatures here had been killed off."

"That's impossible. Although Monsters act purely on instinct, they cannot remain in a bloodthirsty, frenzied state all the time. Most of the time, they enter a sort of half-sleep. Only when they sense an unfamiliar presence do they become enraged."

After hearing Serie's explanation, Rhode gained a deeper understanding of Monsters.

No wonder races like the Elf race and Winged race had only now begun to set aside their conflicts and join forces to exterminate these Monsters. So that was the reason.

Because most Monsters only moved within fixed territories, they did not pose much threat. But the emergence of the Demon Race, Monsters with high intelligence, had forced everyone to take them seriously.

"Then the Demon Wolves that attacked Amuro's village were special Monsters?"

Serie thought about it and found nothing wrong with Rhode's conclusion. "You could say that. Those Demon Wolves, however, are wanderers even among Monsters. They could emerge from any corner of the world."

"Even so, I'm curious how they haven't gone extinct. Do they have some special way of reproducing?"

Judging from the Werewolves they had dealt with before, they were entirely instinct-driven and lacked any reason. How had such things spread across the entire world?

Rhode was full of curiosity.

"Ordinary wolves are corrupted by the Abyss and become mindless Demon Wolves. Some powerful individuals among those Demon Wolves then evolve into the Werewolves you mentioned."

"So that's how it is."

While chatting, the two rounded a dense patch of shrubs and found a small stream before them.

Rhode glanced at the sun. Though there was still some time before it set, there was no need to force themselves onward.

Serie also cast a Detection Spell. "There are quite a few Monsters. If we light a fire, it will be easy to draw them here."

Rhode examined the number of red dots in Serie's Magic Circle and said, "In that case, how about we clear out some of the nearby Monsters first, then set up Warning Magic?"

"Fine."

Serie stepped forward. Naturally, she was the most suitable person for this sort of task.

After silently dealing with the last Monster within a hundred meters, Serie looked around, confirmed that the area was safe, and returned to Rhode's side.

"What are you doing?"

Rhode had taken out several nail-like iron spikes, with some thick gray cloth laid beside him. He was tying ropes around the spikes before driving them into the ground.

"Setting up the tent. Give me a moment."

Seeing Rhode busy beyond measure, Serie stopped disturbing him and said, "I'll go find some firewood."

"Wait." Rhode hurriedly pulled a cloth bag from his pack. "Take this with you. And see if there are any edible mushrooms nearby. Swamps are great places for mushrooms."

Serie accepted the cloth bag, the corner of her mouth twitching. "How am I supposed to tell which mushrooms are edible?"

"Anything growing on trees can be picked. Don't touch the colorful ones. I'll sort through them when you get back."

"You really know a lot about this." Serie sighed in genuine admiration.

"Of course!"

Rhode made no attempt at modesty. After all, he had lived alone in this fantasy world for nearly half a year. He could certainly call himself an expert at wilderness survival.