The Author's Viewpoint-Chapter 109 - The Swamp Beast

Tave had scouted this area before, through Fang’s eyes. But this was the first time he was seeing it for himself, with his own feet on the ground.

They were descending now, slowly moving away from the high mountain ridges. Tave’s goal tonight was simple: explore more of the terrain, uncover anything that could give him an advantage, something he could use to further his plans.

And as always, he and Panpan moved like shadows in the dark. They slipped between trees and brush, running silent and swift, almost weightless on the ground. Darkness cloaked them, embraced them. They became part of it.

Then Tave stopped, dropping into a crouch behind a thick patch of undergrowth.

Panpan followed smoothly, taking position beside him without question. She moved as naturally as he did, her instincts sharp and quiet.

Together, they peered through the bushes.

Before them, the forest opened into a broad, exposed stretch. The trees were thinner here, spaced wider apart. Moonlight washed over the clearing like silver paint. And in the middle of it all...

Not a lake. Not quite a pond either.

More like a swamp, tangled with reeds and wild grass. Bushes clung low to the surface, and a dense mist rolled across it, making the water nearly impossible to see. Only someone with sharp vision could catch the subtle shimmer of moisture beneath the fog.

It was still. And strangely... unnerving.

"What’s out there, Tave?" Panpan whispered beside him.

He kept his eyes on the scene ahead. "Well... hard to explain," he whispered back. "Maybe it’s better if you see it for yourself."

In this Rift, not everything dangerous had to be a threat.

There were tricks, strategies that could turn hazards into advantages if used wisely. That was the beauty of it. Nothing was absolute. And if played right, even the darkest parts of this world could be flipped for their gain.

Still... defeating the Rift’s monsters was a necessity. It was the only way to earn what they needed. Monster cores, rare materials, and most importantly, the Gaia Force to push forward. To grow. To prepare for whatever was waiting for them at the Rift’s end.

Earlier, the Forest Golem. They had wisely avoided it. Tave still hadn’t decided what to do about that one. But what stood before them now, this strange swamp under the moonlight, was something entirely different.

And he wanted to see it with his own eyes.

"So, Pan," he whispered, "this is how we do it. You’ll fire into the swamp. Just enough of a light impact. We don’t want a big explosion. Just a little damage across the surface."

"Using an elemental arrow is enough?" she asked softly.

"Yes," he replied under his breath. "That’s more than enough."

He’d seen Panpan’s precision many times now. She could land a shot from distances others would never attempt. At this range, just a few meters, this would be easy for her.

Panpan pulled out her bow, her fingers moving with practiced grace. She drew the string, and in an instant, the elemental arrow formed, glowing faintly with pale light.

"Pan," Tave added quietly, "can you curve the shot?"

He raised a hand and pointed with two fingers. "Make it arc from that tree—curve around it and hit the center of the swamp."

Panpan glanced at him, a slight raise of her brow.

"It’s just to make it look like the shot didn’t come from here," he clarified quickly.

A small smile tugged at her lips. "Okay," she said softly. "Got it."

Panpan released the string.

The arrow shot forward with blinding speed, curving gracefully through the air, just as Tave had asked. It arced around the tree, then struck the surface of the swamp with a small thud and a faint spark. A gentle explosion of elemental energy rippled across the water.

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Tave nodded slightly. "Good. Now... hit the bush area with fire. Let’s stir it up a little."

Panpan drew her bow again, elemental energy coalescing once more into a glowing arrow. This time, Tave reached out and lightly touched the shaft.

In an instant, flames danced across the arrowhead—igniting it with a fire element.

Panpan didn’t hesitate. She loosed the arrow, curving it again like before. It swirled mid-flight and landed right in the dense thicket of shrubs near the center of the swamp.

A burst of flame followed. Fire crackled to life across the grass and brush—faint, but vivid enough to light up the mist briefly.

Then... they saw it.

Something moved.

Their eyes widened at the same time.

Something huge burst from beneath the swamp’s surface. A massive, writhing tentacle. It slammed down into the water with a deafening crash, sending thick ripples across the swamp and shaking the stillness of the forest like a drumbeat of dread.

Panpan froze, her breath caught. She turned to Tave, eyes wide. "Tave... what is that?"

Tave watched it for a moment, then smiled faintly. "That’s a Swamp Hydra," he said, casually.

"Swamp... hydra?" she echoed, her voice just above a whisper.

"Yes. A less deadly version," he added with a slight grin. "I mean, Hydras can be much bigger than this. But this one’s still high-level. My guess? Epic-grade, Tier 5."

"Epic-grade?" Panpan repeated, stunned.

"If the Forest Golem from earlier today was Elite-grade," Tave continued, "then yes, I’m almost certain this one qualifies as Epic. It might even be a mini-boss."

Panpan fell silent, the weight of his words sinking in slowly.

"I didn’t expect we’d find a mini-boss this early," Tave added.

"But... you said before there could be more than one mini-boss in a Rift like this, right?" Panpan asked quietly. "What’s worse than that?"

Tave didn’t answer right away. He looked out over the swamp again, then finally spoke.

"Usually... there’s anywhere from one to five," he said. "But I’m hoping we won’t have to face that many."

He said it with a wry edge to his voice—part of him knowing just how thin that hope really was. Even in his previous Rift expedition, they’d ended up fighting two.

"So... are we going to have to kill this Swamp Hydra?" Panpan asked.

Tave exhaled, slow and steady.

"Yes," he said. "That’s something we have to do. It’s part of clearing the Rift. Monsters at this grade and tier usually drop something valuable. Relics, rare items. Things we’ll need if we want to go deeper and survive what’s coming."

He glanced at her again, his voice calm but steady.

"Do you want to see the monster’s full form more clearly, Pan?"

Panpan tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable for a moment.

"No... I don’t think we should take unnecessary risks when we’re not prepared to handle what might be waiting, right?"

Tave let out a soft chuckle. "Well, the truth is, I’m the one who wants a better look at it. But yeah, I agree with you."

Panpan laughed quietly and replied, "So, what now? Planning to show me something even more dangerous, or are we heading back to the others?"

"Nah," Tave said with a grin. "Let’s head back and tell them what we found."

They both rose from their crouch and began walking away, melting back into the shadows of the forest.

"You really have a talent for bringing our team the most uplifting news," Panpan said playfully.

"Of course," Tave replied. "Seeing a terrifyingly strong monster for the first time? That is good news, isn’t it?"