After a grueling week of adapting to their newfound powers and facing the myriad challenges of the Everglades, James and Lauren found themselves seated in the makeshift comfort of the resort lobby.

The musty swamp smell was something they had finally gotten used to - as much as one with enhanced senses ever could - but the aroma of roasted meat helped drive off the worst of it. Their dinner, a modest affair of ingredients foraged from the surrounding wilderness, sat before them on plates that had seen better days.

With a self-deprecating smile, James pushed a forkful of the food around his plate. "It's not gourmet, but it'll do," he said, trying to find the right angle to approach the mishmash of swamp herbs and whatever game Lauren had managed to snare. He hadn't asked precisely what it was, and she hadn't offered.

Lauren gave a small shrug, her expression saying clearly that culinary arts were perhaps not her strongest suit. "It's edible," she conceded with a chuckle, "considering our chef's skills, it is a victory in itself." James shot her a mock glare though he kept his grumblings to a minimum. It really wasn't that good.

"It's good to know you'll survive if left in the wilderness, at least. For two city kids like you, it's better than expected." Mr. Julian finally sentenced, finishing his portion with nary an expression. He leaned back, his chair creaking under his weight. The old man's eyes held a glint of something mysterious as he regarded the two young Awakeners.

"You know, the Everglades holds more history than most care to remember," he began, his voice gaining that far-away quality it did when he remembered an interesting story. "James, you might know Michael Towers, the S-rank Awakener who led the charge against the Crocodilians in Tampa. I heard he's pretty popular with the kids these days, but back then, he was just an up-and-coming A-ranker."

James nodded, eager to hear more. "Yeah, I've always admired him. There weren't many people capable of squaring up against those monsters, especially since they had taken over the MacDill Air Force base. The movie is pretty good too, though a bit too sensationalist, in my opinion."

Lauren huffed a laugh, "The scene where he dropped down from a helicopter in the middle of the enemy army and began fighting his way back to Tampa was excessive?! I can't believe that."

James rolled his eyes, "Hey, there are several eyewitness accounts of something similar happening. And artistic license is a thing for a reason."

Mr. Julian smiled with a knowing expression. "Towers is a formidable man whose actions shaped much of our current landscape. But what many don't realize is that the battle with the Crocodilians wasn't confined to Tampa. The Everglades were, and to some extent still are, home to remnants of their kind."

Ah, here's the other shoe. Given how much he had gassed this trip up, I thought it was a bit too easy lately. I suppose fighting the remains of a species that once threatened the whole of humanity might qualify as training from hell.

Lauren leaned forward, her interest piqued. "I've heard rumors but always thought they were just that. Stories meant to scare off the civilians from entering a dangerous area."

"The rumors hold a kernel of truth," Mr. Julian affirmed. "While Towers and his forces decimated most of the Crocodilians, a few retreated into the deepest parts of these swamps. Over the years, they've remained hidden, nursing their grudges and harboring dreams of resurgence. They're not the power they once were, but they're far from harmless."

That's the problem with intelligent monsters. You'd think we could talk with them, but no, they prefer to either kill us all or avoid us altogether. To this day, I don't think there was one case of positive contact with them.

"Their villages are well-concealed, protected not just by the swamp's natural defenses but by their cunning, magical abilities, and knowledge of the land," Mr. Julian continued. "Finding them is a challenge unto itself; one that requires more than just brute strength."

He stood, pushing his chair back with a gesture that signaled the end of the meal. "Your training will culminate in a task that will test everything you've learned and more. You'll venture deeper into the Everglades than you have before during the next few days, seeking out one of these Crocodilian villages. To extinguish such a threat... it's a fitting conclusion to your time here."

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With those parting words, Mr. Julian left James and Lauren to digest not only their meal but the enormity of the task ahead. The night had fully settled around the resort, the sounds of the swamp filling the silence left by the old man's departure.

Lauren broke the quiet, her voice thoughtful. "I'll be honest, I don't mind killing monsters, but fighting the Crocodilians is a lot. I mean, I've read about them, seen the documentaries, but facing them in reality is a whole different matter."

James nodded, his mind racing through every piece of information he had on the Crocodilians. "Yeah, I remember Towers' campaign being brutal. The Crocodilians had taken over large swathes of Florida, using guerrilla tactics and their natural affinity with water to their advantage. We call them monsters without distinguishing between them and the average creature, but they're intelligent, organized, and incredibly dangerous."

Lauren leaned back, running her hand over her eyes. "And now we're tasked with taking down one of their villages. Just the two of us."

James sighed, wishing for the hundredth time they had internet access or even a decent library. "What I wouldn't give for more information right now. But from what I remember, Crocodilians range in rank from E to A, with the most powerful ones likely being leaders or shamans. Towers' campaign would have targeted those, so it's unlikely any A-ranks are still around. B-ranks are a possibility, given that enough time has passed since then, but I suspect they would have started raiding nearby settlements again if they had a significant number of those. But even dealing with D and C ranks won't be easy. They were known as powerful Warriors since they started at a higher level than humans. Or rather, that was the speculation at the time. I have no idea if it's actually true or not. The more I learn, the more I understand that almost all the stuff the civilians believe is bullshit."

Even just their understanding of levels is skewed. I remember thinking that level 400 would be the S-rank, but it’s the first level of the A-rank!

Lauren thought it over and nodded. "We need to be smart about this, as our information isn't reliable. Scouting will be crucial. We can't just barge in; we need to understand their numbers, defenses, and especially any shamans or powerful warriors they might have. If we can find a weak point or isolate some of them from the rest, we might stand a chance."

James agreed, his mind already formulating strategies. "And we'll have to use everything we've gotten from the rank up. My new abilities should give us an edge, especially since I can phase us in or out to avoid detection if we are found out."

Lauren smiled grimly. "And my shadows will be more than just a place to hide. If I can spread fear among them and break their ranks... it could give us the opening we need. And I have some nasty surprises I want to try left."

The two of them sat in silence for a moment, the weight of their upcoming task settling heavily on their shoulders. But with the weight came a sense of purpose. "First light," James said decisively, standing up from his seat. "We start scouting. We'll map out as much as possible, find a village, and then gather information to plan our attack. We've got this."

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The morning found James gliding silently through the swamp, his senses extended to their fullest, vigilant for any signs of the crocodilians or other dangers lurking within the dense foliage and murky waters. The early light filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the water's surface, a deceptive peace overlaying the dangerous reality of the Everglades.

As he moved, James couldn't help but marvel at how far he had gotten with his new abilities. The Ethereal Champion Talent had transformed him, not just enhancing his psionic capabilities but granting him an entirely new realm of power to explore. The astral shifting skill, in particular, had proven invaluable, allowing him to navigate the swamp with an ease that would have been unimaginable before his rank up.

The thought of being detected by a creature beyond his capability to fight still nagged at him, a reminder of the ever-present danger in the Everglades. Yet, the confidence his new abilities provided and the knowledge that Mr. Julian's watchful eye was never far away bolstered his courage.

Having a get-out-of-jail card is really something. Before ranking up, I would have never come this deep into the swamp. And even after, if I didn't have Harmony, I might not have been as comfortable. Now even if I were to meet that big ass anaconda I saw the first day, I would probably be able to run back to Mr. Julian. Now, if I were alone, it still wouldn't be enough, as I'd run out of mana well before a B-rank creature would run out of stamina, but I'm not alone, so it's a moot point.

He knew well that the Everglades were a haven for powerful monsters, which was why he had carefully avoided zones of high mana concentration during his previous forays into the swamp. It made sense, then, that the crocodilians would choose such areas for their villages, leveraging the natural defenses provided by the most formidable creatures to shield themselves from human encroachment. They were treated as part of the dungeons by the other monsters, after all.

But now, as he ventured deeper into the swamp than ever before, James felt a thrill of anticipation. The challenge of facing the crocodilians, of matching wits and strength against beings of human-level intelligence, was a test he was surprisingly eager to undertake.

I thought I had gotten over my daydreams of fighting alongside Towers as he retook Florida. But some part of me is still that same teenager. Oh well, it's nothing terrible. I just need to make sure Lauren doesn't find out. That'd be embarrassing.

It was in a drier patch of the swamp, far from the usual paths he and Lauren had explored, that James discovered some tracks. They were unlike anything he had seen before. The heel was elongated, while four clawed toes left distinct impressions in the mud that could only belong to the crocodilians. The realization that he had found them, that he was on the brink of confronting one of the adversaries of humanity that had, for a time, looked to be poised to conquer a significant portion of his country, sent a shiver of excitement through James.

Thinking back to that time, we may have been too hysterical. But I suppose that with everything going on, things were looking dire. Awakeners were already around, but we didn't have almost any true powerhouse. Even Mr. Julian likely had yet to reach the S-rank back then. Towers really did something remarkable. Well, killing the crocodilians helped, but he sparked a light in a very dark moment. After the System's coming, people thought we'd easily reclaim our lands, but when we failed to do that, a depression settled over everyone, and we had to fight for every inch of territory. Towers showed that we could still win big.

The tracks led deeper into the swamp, towards an area where the air thrummed with a palpable mana intensity. James followed, his every sense alert, ready to phase into the ether at the first sign of danger.