Chapter 188 - Staring into the abyss
Scarlett wrinkled her nose in disgust as a disturbingly large mosquito burst into flames a mere few centimeters from her face, the acrid scent of burning reaching her moments later. At the same time, her left foot plunged into the waterlogged soil, forcing her to brace herself against a nearby tree as she extricated her soaked leg.
This had been far less revolting in the game.
Whatever dislike she might have had for trekking through damp and wet forests, it paled in comparison to her disdain for walking through a literal swamp, all while surrounded by an army of insects.
Using her hydrokinesis to expel some of the water that had infiltrated her shoe, Scarlett shook off the dirt and muck with a scowl. She then continued forging ahead with the other members of her party, alongside the procession of Duke Valentino’s men, their path forward intermittently illuminated by the covered lamp carried by some of the knights.
Another insect, the size of Scarlett’s pinky, ventured too close, only to be reduced to ashes by her pyrokinesis.
She didn’t care if they were supposedly ‘harmless’ or if it was a waste of her mana. She wasn’t letting any of those creatures touch her.
A twinge of envy sprang up as she watched Fynn effortlessly weave through the swamp’s underbrush a few meters ahead. He seemed entirely unnoticed by the insects that swarmed around amidst the trees, almost blending in with his surroundings.
If she ever returned here, she wouldn’t take a step into this damn swamp before she got her hands on an artifact or item that repelled bugs or something like that. Preferably something that helped keep her clean and dry as well. At least she didn’t seem to be alone in her aversion to the current environment; Allyssa and several of the duke’s men who weren’t wearing heavy plate armor—she presumed they were mages and the like—wore grimaces as they moved forward through the swamp, swatting their hands left and right.
The only silver lining was the temperature. Despite being in the middle of the night during December, it wasn’t too cold. The Liverline Marsh might only be at the edge of the Faywild Basin, but it still retained some of the more supernatural features that the Basin did, including a conspicuous lack of winter weather.
As they continued their journey through the swamp, Scarlett narrowed her eyes when she began to make something out ahead. Her enchanted glasses allowed her gaze to peer through the darkness and see a dark body of water peeking through the trees.
After a few more minutes of insect-incineration and swamp-trudging, Scarlett halted as the procession reached the bank of a small lake.
“What the—”