Swamp

How far is it?

3 kilometers.

Have any dangers been observed?

"It's cold; sound waves can't detect it."

"..."

Linsey waved her hand, causing the bats to rise into the air as a constant warning.

He murmured to himself:

"There must have been something wrong with this temperature beforehand."

"Should we take a detour, or go straight ahead and see?"

No need for many reasons, an intense sense of loneliness convinced Linsey at an irresistible speed.

"If we encounter any problems, we will choose to take a detour."

"If things continue like this, even if we reach Black Mountain, the lack of any increase in strength will likely cause problems."

Linsey's eyes hardened as she strode toward the increasingly cold wasteland ahead.

Taking bold risks does not mean abandoning a cautious attitude.

When Linsey was about a third of the way from the three-kilometer distance reported by the bat, he stopped and began to expand the reconnaissance range of his map.

This skill was just awakened.

With Linsey's Essence, he can sustain himself for about three seconds within a range of 1 kilometer.

Now that his Life Source Material has advanced, there is more time and distance to the limit, enough for him to discern some situations.

As we continued forward across the wasteland, the temperature indeed continued to drop.

The temperature changes continue to defy the common sense of the Black Mountain World, as if a scene of ice and snow is about to be reenacted here.

Meanwhile, during Linsey's map reconnaissance...

Although it was only a fleeting glimpse at the very edge of the area, he still saw something there.

"A yellow... mark?"

Linsey raised an eyebrow, her curiosity surging even faster.

Ordinary wild beasts would certainly be marked with Red Dot within his detection range, not to mention Devil Beast and those enemies loyal to Dragon Beast.

But the neutral yellow dot...

Aside from some unfamiliar townspeople in the Hidden Borderlands and the Spirit of the Mountains encountered in the Underground World, it's quite rare! Add to that this temperature change that defies common sense.

"Could it be one of the escaped rebels against the Dragon Beast that the spider mentioned before?"

Linsey was determined to prove her hypothesis, so she continued to delve deeper.

After walking the 3-kilometer area, a cold wind began to blow across the wasteland. Although the vegetation on the ground was sparse, there were mosses and wild grasses that could withstand the low temperatures.

Linsey is naturally resistant to the cold, so she was actually in a good mood when she got here.

As he continued his exploration, the surrounding ground became undulating, with wild grass growing among small mounds. Frequently appearing low-lying puddles quickly soaked his trouser legs.

"Is this the swamp from the records...?"

Walking on this muddy land, Linsey pulled out the Expedition Team's records.

In terms of location and geographical distribution, now that we're walking into the swamp opposite the wasteland, it's not much different.

However, the Expedition Team's records clearly contain this information.

This swamp is hot and humid, teeming with mosquitoes. While they certainly won't harm us, they're enough to give us a headache.

"Hot and humid, with swarms of mosquitoes..."

Linsey looked around; the scene here couldn't possibly match the descriptions in the book.

"This change must have happened within a hundred years, and it is also inseparable from the appearance of Dragon Beast."

Linsey made his judgment and then carefully examined the swamp as he moved forward.

The results confirmed his prediction.

He found no dead mosquitoes in the swamp's weeds and shallow pools. This immediately ruled out the possibility that the unusually high temperature was caused in a short period of time.

Linsey continued on her way, and the temperature dropped accordingly.

Another kilometer passed, and the various low-lying pools of water broke through the freezing point, turning into mottled fragments of mirrors embedded in the grass.

The environment has completely turned into a frozen swamp, or a desolate place like muddy ground turned into frozen soil.

Combining feelings of loneliness and anticipation.

Linsey recalled "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" and couldn't help but recite it:

"I suppose I know the owner of this forest. He lives in a village on the edge of the forest, but he would never see me stop my horse here to admire the snow-covered forest."

..."

Just then, the Yellow Marker on the map finally appeared.

An ice sculpture gleams in the sunlight, reflecting the cold winter sun, resembling a meticulously crafted work of art.

Linsey walked closer.

This ice sculpture has sharp, angular edges, but a slender and graceful form. Its arms and back have long, icicle-like spikes, resembling both armor and weapons.

But inside the ice sculpture.

No living things were frozen; only ice-blue cores existed, like transparent crystals shimmering with light.

"Elemental Creature?"

Linsey has already encountered fire and earth Elemental Lifeform in the Hidden Borderlands.

Although the ice sculptures in front of us are somewhat different, it is not difficult to recognize their Elemental Lifeform form nature.

Moreover, unlike the previous two,

The ice Elemental Creature did not make any movement.

Even when Linsey appeared and came close, it simply maintained its original posture.

It's just like a perfectly still statue!

"Since we're already here, we should at least check the situation."

The unusual temperature of this swamp may originate from the icy elements right in front of us.

However, on the map, these Elemental Creature are Yellow Marker indicating neutrality, so Linsey certainly had no intention of killing any of them or investigating them using the Hunting Module.

He reached out his hand and selected the Simulation Management option.

[Elemental Creature: Glacier Elemental]

[Elemental Creature formed from the ice deep within the glacier after fusing with Essence; skilled in using various ice-based abilities; prefers low temperatures and possesses the ability to regenerate within the glacier; currently in a long slumber, delaying its own melting.]

[A rare Elemental Creature; taming it and keeping it as a slave can fetch a good price.]

"Glacier Elemental, dormant for ages?"

"There's no way it could possibly be in a swamp!"

"Furthermore, given the current environment of the Black Mountain World, those towering glaciers must be quite cold. Why would they choose to live in such a place?"

Linsey remembered the glacier very clearly.

There are two places in the Black Mountain World where this environment exists.

One is in the mountainous region in the center of the world; the other is at the edge of the world where the Dragon Beast reside, in the glaciers surrounding Black Mountain.

But both of these places are quite far from the swamp in front of us.

The Elemental Creature, whose nature favors their birthplace, are forced to leave their homeland and migrate to this remote place to slumber.

Linsey had a new idea in her mind.

Perhaps these ice elements rebelled against the rule of the Dragon Beast, and were thus driven here, becoming one of the few that escaped the net?

"The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend, but it's worth a try."

At this moment, Linsey was at the edge of the Frozen Swamp, and the first Glacier Elemental appeared in front of him.

To put it another way, it's about exchanging ideas and discussing, or running away after negotiations fail.

There is no place more suitable than here.

Bang! Bang! Linsey stepped forward and tapped the cold ice twice.

"Hello!"

"..."

"Hey, are you there?"

"..."

Wake up!

"..."

The Glacier Elemental showed no reaction.

It still stands tall in the cold wind, its icy blue core glowing faintly.

Linsey crossed his arms and pouted. His problem now was how to wake the thing up.

"I'm here to negotiate, win over, and extract information."

"Just... just chatting to pass the time! In this situation, you can't just burn it, can you?"

Just then, as if in response to something.

Linsey's Task Bar has been updated.

Ice Crystal in a Temperature Difference Dilemma

A hidden predicament seems to lurk within the uniquely shaped swamp. Uncover the truth and resolve this terrible crisis.

[Mission Rewards: Secret Treasure Map; RPG Module Upgrade]