Satotz had already started toward the edge of the swamp. His pace remained strangely constant, neither fast nor slow, his steps making almost no sound on the damp, soft earth.
The examinees began to move.
Those at the very front followed close behind Satotz, almost treading on his heels.
The main group in the middle kept a few meters back, unwilling to fall too far behind but afraid to get too close.
Some at the rear hesitated, looking at the swamp, then back at the gate that had already closed behind them. In the end, they gritted their teeth and followed.
Odin mingled near the front of the leading group, among those following right behind Satotz.
He adjusted his stride to keep his breathing steady, his eyes fixed on Satotz's back-or, more precisely, on every spot where Satotz planted his feet.
Wherever Satotz stepped, the earth sank slightly, leaving a clear footprint.
The gaps between those footprints were almost identical, as though measured with a ruler.
"This footwork..." Odin narrowed his eyes. "He's not just walking. There's a trick to it."
He tried to imitate the rhythm of Satotz's steps, but soon gave up.
It wasn't something he could learn just by watching. The shifts in balance and the way Satotz used his muscles were unusual. Forcing an imitation would only throw off his own rhythm.
"Forget it. I'll just follow him."
The fog grew thicker.
Less than five minutes into the swamp, visibility had already dropped to around ten meters.
Everything around him was gray and hazy. He could only make out Examiner Satotz's back ahead of him. The ground beneath his feet grew soft, sinking slightly with every step. Each time he lifted a foot, he heard the faint sucking sound of mud pulling free.
The sweet, rank smell in the air grew stronger.
Odin frowned and pulled a cloth from his backpack's side pocket, wetting it before covering his nose and mouth.
He didn't actually know whether it would help, but it was better than breathing the air directly.
Stay close to the examiner.
It was the only solution he could think of.
Satotz's figure flickered in and out of sight ahead.
The examiner maintained that same strangely constant pace, his footsteps almost silent on the wet ground, like a drifting leaf.
His route seemed utterly random. Sometimes he turned left to avoid an ordinary-looking clump of shrubs; sometimes he veered right around a slightly darker puddle.
Odin adjusted the Rabbit Talisman's output to a suitable level-enough to keep up without consuming too much.
In his vision, the world slowed once again.
Satotz's movements broke down into slow motion. Every footfall, every tilt of his body, every swing of his arms became clear.
Now I can see.
Odin pushed off, splashing muddy water.
Like a shadow, he stayed just one meter behind Satotz.
At that distance, he could see the details of every step the examiner took without getting so close that he had no time to react, or so far away that he lost sight of Satotz.
At first, everything went smoothly.
Satotz skirted a patch covered in tiny purple flowers, and Odin followed him around it.
Satotz stepped onto a raised tree root, and Odin placed his foot in the same spot.
Satotz suddenly turned sharply left in the fog. Odin changed direction almost simultaneously, the hem of his clothes brushing a huge flower that gave off a cloyingly sweet scent.
"That flower..." Odin glanced at it. Fine hairs densely covered its petals, and something seemed to be writhing deep within its center.
He quickened his pace and caught up with the examiner.
But the swamp wasn't going to let him off that easily.
About five minutes later, something went wrong.
Odin had just stepped onto a seemingly solid patch of grass when the ground suddenly vanished beneath his foot.
Why? Satotz stepped here too!
This wasn't a bog-it was something worse.
The grass instantly warped, the ground curling upward to reveal a huge, circular maw!
It wasn't earth at all, but the mouth of some mimicking creature. Thick saliva clung to its edges, and a foul stench hit him in the face.
Ambush Giant Frog!
The name flashed through Odin's mind.
The original story had mentioned giant frogs in Demin Swamp that could disguise themselves as the ground, lying in wait for passing creatures.
Of course. Let the leader pass, then catch more prey!
To Odin's altered sense of time, the enormous mouth snapped upward with laughable slowness.
He could even see the grime on every tooth and the muscles writhing deep in its throat.
Odin engaged his core and forced his body backward.
The giant frog's sharp teeth snapped shut just past the tip of his nose with a muffled crack, its foul breath whipping painfully across his cheeks.
He flipped over and landed hard in the mud, sending muddy water flying.
Before he could act, the ground beneath him suddenly gave way again.
Again?!
Odin's brow tightened. He darted aside, stepping on the clods of earth still hanging in midair to escape the Ambush Giant Frog beneath him.
By now, he had even put away the wet towel covering his nose and mouth.
Pop, pop, pop!
While airborne, Odin saw large numbers of Ambush Giant Frogs emerging throughout the area, swallowing examinees one after another.
Odin sucked in a sharp breath and hurriedly darted away.
Just as he tried to catch up with Satotz, who had moved farther ahead, the fog to his right suddenly churned violently.
Three fist-sized creatures burst out of the fog, their wings beating. Fine powder coated those wings, giving off an eerie fluorescence in the dim light.
Hypnotic Discs!
Odin recognized them.
If their powder touched him or he breathed it in, he would fall asleep immediately-even giant creatures couldn't withstand it.
He darted backward and crouched as he retreated, scooping up a handful of wet mud with his right hand and flinging it at the Hypnotic Discs.
The mud scattered in midair, forming a brief barrier.
One Hypnotic Disc failed to dodge and was plastered straight onto a nearby tree.
That instant was all he needed.
Odin pushed off with both legs, racing low to the ground. He escaped the Hypnotic Discs' encirclement and rushed in the direction where Satotz had disappeared.
I lost him!
But that brief delay had been enough for Satotz's figure to vanish completely into the thick fog.
He couldn't even hear his footsteps anymore.
Odin stopped and looked around, his expression grim.
The fog moved like a living thing, swallowing every landmark.
All he could hear was a faint sound in the distance, impossible to tell whether it was the wind or some creature's cry.
In a place like this, even running at the speed of sound would probably only leave him more hopelessly lost if he didn't know which way to go.
"This is trouble."
He wiped his face, feeling utterly helpless.
Things were looking bad. He had completely lost the examiner, and even the main group could turn out to be fake.
Fog surrounded him, with visibility below five meters.
The wet ground beneath him was full of danger. He had no idea where the bogs lay or where mimicking creatures lurked.
And he couldn't trust his hearing anymore.
While dodging the Hypnotic Discs just now, he had clearly heard Satotz's footsteps to his left-steady, regular, exactly like the examiner's gait.
He had followed them, only to realize that he seemed to have strayed even farther off course. They had been fake.
Deceitful Crow.
Odin remembered that creature.
It was a crow that could perfectly mimic all kinds of sounds. Human footsteps and speech were evidently easy for it-a bird that specialized in deceiving prey.
"Tch. This damn place."
He cursed under his breath and pulled the multifunction knife from his backpack's side pocket.
The blade wasn't long, but it was sharp enough. He held it in a reverse grip, blade facing outward, and assumed a simple defensive stance.
No more running around blindly.
Moving recklessly when he had completely lost his bearings would only get him deeper into trouble.
Odin took a deep breath and began moving slowly, yet swiftly.
His eyes constantly scanned his surroundings, missing nothing unusual-slightly darker soil, oddly shaped plants, patches where the fog moved unnaturally.
He was clearly putting the theoretical knowledge he had read to use.
Before you continue