“*Cough*!” Air, air! Sweet oxygen fills my lungs, as I finally emerge from the water, though I will only have a moment before I'll be pulled underwater again. I use that one moment to look around, a tree! “[Entangle]!” The branches start wrapping around me while I use it to pull myself out of the water.

I sit down on another branch and can practically feel the dissatisfaction of the tree spirit that I used it to save myself. However, it also doesn't attack me, maybe it judges me as too strong. I climb the tree up to get a better view of the scene.

Hm... I was in an actual small river, so if I follow the current, I'd most likely end up in Ohlbrücken downstream. There was nothing like this before, so the water-pillar may have flushed me quite a distance. Hard to say, given that there is too much vegetation here to see far.

This is bad. I'm on my own. Well, if it were just that, then everything would be fine, but in this context... No WP-message, so this means that everything is still alright.

You're separated from your wives. The curse will return in increments and also affect your beloved wives. After 48 hours it will be at its full potency, unless you meet up with at least one of your wives to extend the time limit. Another trial for your love for each other.

Well, I just called it. This is one of the many reasons why we'll die if we get separated in these swamps. “Phew...” This is bad, this is really bad, I can feel the anxiety crawling under my skin, I thought I might get used to it with all the stuff that has happened up to now, but this might take much longer.

Also, I lost my grip on my spear when I was flushed and I have no idea where it is, so my combat capabilities have just dropped immensely. Good thing that my backpack is still there; I can swap to my old hunting spear, though I hope to find my new one. It's strange how you can feel so vulnerable without a weapon after some time.

Yet there is still the flicker of confidence in my skills as a [Ranger]. If I take a low profile, I will most likely survive here, but Rine and Kyou-san... not even when I try to be optimistic. So the only way to get out of this is to be fast, but I have no idea where I came from..

Inhale, exhale. I need to calm down. This time I'm the one who is lost, but as long as the girls have Ara-san, they'll be fine here. I need to actually believe it, not just think it, however, trying to convince myself of it fails miserably.

So what do I have to do? Calm down first. I need to ban this anxiety before it overwhelms me. If I let my emotions direct me, the swamp will turn them against me.

...these rats? They're leaving the river, are they the ones who made the bush-golem? So they were flushed with me, this means that whatever caused that water-pillar is most likely not connected to the rat... does that mean that someone ambushed us?

“SHIT!” No chance to calm down after all, because if the one who caused it flushed me away, it may also try to separate Ara-san from the easy victims...

Dammit, I won't let this swamp win! I'll be damned if I let coming here become a poor decision! I said that we'd get through this and I'll keep my word!

First things first, though. I draw my bow from my backpack: “[Quadruple Shot]!” Killing these rats will earn at least some XP, let me take off some steam, and the satisfaction needed to change gears.

The rats are no problem and slaying them gives me a clear head. I check my [Inventory] first, which allowed us to communicate in the past despite the distance. There is a new note, placed central to the screen, Kyou-san writes that she's alone, alright, and waiting for someone to fetch her while describing her surroundings.

OK, this lightens one of the loads on my shoulders at least. I should also write something, here, though my writing in this world's letters still needs improvement: 'Alive and well. Close to a small river. Be cautious. Someone may have separated us for a reason. ' Still, no answer from Rine or Ara-san. While the former might not even thinking about her backpack, the missing message of the latter raises some concerns. 'I'll fetch you when I know about the rest.'

Better I start backtracking. In the best case, both of them are together and well. [Mask of Wildlife], there are enough plants to hide, especially given their relatively strong spirits. Ah, the heaviness in my head also decreased, so this will make it harder even for the trees to detect me.

Yes, I better keep it at this. My swimming tour has cost me some SP, the usage of skills against the rats as well, I'm hard at my safety-limit. I just drink an SP-pot and start moving. Just in case, I should get some bombs out of my backpack as well, good thing I only had two stinking bombs on my body during my swimming trip, those are ruined.

Here is the river, I need to go upstream first. The current is still brutal, is it natural for this river or did someone tampered with it? Doesn't matter, at some point I was flushed into the river. I need to find it.

...damn, fifteen minutes of walking and still no sign. How long was I in the river? Or did I pass the point and didn't notice? I was hit by a water-pillar, which most likely dragged me a while. This would mean that there are most likely strange puddles there... well, enough puddles here, but they look too circular and old.

How long did I exactly involuntarily travel? Or how fast? I just cared about breathing, so I have no idea. This may take a while.

Hm... that may be it. No, these are holes made by shots, most likely from a rapid-water, one of these water-shooting stags. I really should be careful, they don't look fresh, but the dirt at the borders is still roughed up, so it had no time to smooth. A few days at most, considering the humidity, it's hard to tell.

There! This almost looks like a tributary, what kind of power had that water-pillar? It seems like it has just cut into the muddy swamplands to connect to the river. Still, considering that I have received little to no actual damage... maybe its main job was to push me away? A specialized spell? Did a monster do this? As some monsters can use [Skills] and in the Spirit Swamps are monsters capable of using [Spirit Magic], maybe there are some capable of wielding [Elemental Magic] as well...

Another possibility would be... Bounty hunters! So they split up the party to capture Rine? Do they have a ranger? Maybe it's even the Bloody Nose; they had a ranger I've never met, so it'd be possible for them to traverse these swamps...

So many possibilities... I need to keep my fragile cool, rushing things will only lead to more problems. Stay calm!

Is this the place where we fought before? There is the shallow bog we tried to cross. Yes! Here is my spear, it's swimming on the water, so that means I'm right here! Time to use [Track], which highlights the tracks around here, now that the tracks aren't as obvious as before... Urgh, what a mess. The vines and roots have disturbed the ground enough to leave traces while covering others... Oh, at the border of the pool is something. Bare feet. This is Ara-san, who might not leave tracks in grass but mud. So she leaped away... Has she sent a message? No, still only Kyou-san's, but everyone's HP, SP, and MP are stable, so they aren't in immediate danger.

Ara-san, could you please give me a message? No? Would make things much easier, because usually, you'd have the least priority as you're good on your own in this swamp.

What about the others? This is a lot of space to cover and the tracks under the water are already gone. Still no kidnapping message from the ring, so Rine should be fine, but most likely on her own, haven't found any tracks close to Ara-san's.

Ah, there. Rine's tracks... I think? Looks like she jumped all over the place again, so I'm missing a clear footprint. Should I fetch her now? At least I know that Kyou-san is fine, though this is also just a matter of time.

This is just like when Kyou-san was swallowed; I have to decide which one first, weighing up both of them. Not a good feeling, Rine may be in much more danger, so it'd make sense to fetch her first. I need to look inside my backpack again, is there any message? No...

I hate this. I make a new note for Kyou-san: 'Haven't found your tracks yet, but Rine's. Will look for her first, stay where you are. I'll come for you.' She needs to deal with this. Again it's Rine who I have to prioritize. Life's not fair.

Would be actually nice if Ara-san decided to join in. Is it so hard to check your [Inventory]? There is also another possibility, but it's not one that I like to entertain... so maybe Ara-san first, after all? No, I have to trust her. If I can't rely on her here, then I don't know what to do.

The stats of everyone are still go- Wait! Something changed with Ara-san! She has [Condition: Sleep]. So this means that she either spontaneously fell asleep—which actually happened in the past—or that someone put her to sleep.

Oh god, why do I have to decide stuff like that!? Unlike a game, I can’t save and just try stuff out! Still, I need to decide quickly or things will get worse... Ara-san or Rine... If Ara-san was put to sleep, she's not in immediate danger, Rine's status also doesn't give anything away, but other than Ara-san, she can move and therefore might even end up at a place I won't be able to reach her.

Sorry, Ara-san. I feel bad about it, but Rine can drown at any moment, so I need to prioritize her first. Whatever happened to you, I might not be able to overcome it by myself as well. My self-doubts right now are the worst, and I hate myself for wanting to rely on Rine here, but in the end, the choice I made sounds and feels the best at the moment.

Not that there were any good choices in the first place.

―○●○―

So Ken won't come for me... I feel betrayed. No, I'm sure that he has thought this through, I'm still somewhat safe, so it makes sense. Though I can still feel betrayed about it!

The croaking of the frogs, the buzzing of the mosquitoes, the dripping of the water, everything gives me shivers by this point, as I know that the moment any monster attacks, I'm most likely death. I'm afraid!

“Oh?” Behind me, someone makes a sound. I quickly turn my head to see what exactly is coming at me... it's an aged woman! “Welcome to the swamps, my girl. Were you left behind?”

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This hurts, my heart hurts! I wasn't left behind, I was just deemed less important than Rine-chan... Ken, you moron! I grind my teeth while giving that granny a friendly smile: “I wasn't left behind, baa-san. My name is Akiyama Eri, who are you?” Let's loan my friend’s name for now.

“I know that your name is Kyou, girl. If you lie to a person, you should pick someone on your league. I'm Mama Orana, the witch of the swamps.” A witch? I think Arako mentioned them when telling us about users of [Black Magic], the magic that curses people.

“A real witch?” Actually, she looks the part, her hat with a wide brim gives her certainly the flair. If she knows [Black Magic], she might know how to break the marriage curse of the ring! This is great news, especially as she isn't hostile to me!

“Usually, people aren't that happy to meet a witch, interesting.”

“How-” I'm sure that I could hide my emotions well, I sounded skeptical instead of happy as well!

“As I said, I'm out of your league. A piece of advice, get your spirit under control. Humans are hard to read, but there are spells that are about the emotions your spirit reflects.”

Arako and Pavi'yorn-shishou tried to explain to me what a spirit is, it's part of my mind which also mirrors many of the thoughts and emotions of a person. So she was able to learn what I'm actually feeling using my spirit? Well, if this is the case, I don't need to be polite. “Witch, I need to know about curses. Or more specific, how to break them.”

“Are you under a curse, Little Kyou? ...we can look into it. Here is not the place, we can go to my hut.”

Don't follow strangers. It's a teaching okaa-san was adamant about. Still, it may be the best chance to break the curse. Also, staying here comes with its own dangers, so if she's a real witch who really lives here, it may be better to follow her, as she has to have some tricks to traverse these swamps unharmed. “I'll come with you, but if you try something funny, I'll make you pay.”

“Something funny? Mama Orana would never do such a thing.”

“You just made yourself even more suspicious.” Maybe it isn't a good idea after all, but considering the alternatives, I'll take my chances.

Mama Orana steps through the swamp with her boots, while the branches of the trees avoid her as if she's an alfr. So she can use [Spirit Magic] herself... actually, if she lives in these swamps, this is only logical.

Suddenly, the granny stops: “I forgot something... I'll leave it to you.”

“What did you forget!?”

“That I don't have a spell to mask your presence, so a monster is heading towards us and it'll try to eat you. Good luck.” Are you serious!? I draw my knife, which is more like a dagger due to its size, not sure whether to stab her first to be sure or to defend myself. “It's an ss'rak weapon...” Wait, she knows how the weapons of the lizard people look like?

Before I could ask her about it, a rapid-water emerges from a deep spot of the bogs... the stag-like monsters which shoot a bunch of water-bullets. [Priest]! “[Protect]!” I don't cast it on myself; the target is Mama Orana instead. Why?

Because she acts as my shield, I take cover behind her: “What are you- Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!” Ken's right, only the initial impact is massive, as long as the barrier of [Protect] cushions it, the pain seems to be bearable even for old ladies.

Mama Orana may have masked her spirit, which makes her practically invisible to those monsters, though she somehow made it so that I can still sense her, but she's still physically here. Ah, now she disappeared from my sight as well, she may have included me as a target of her spell which most likely works like Ken's.

However, thanks to her sacrificing her body, I was able to reach cover behind a big tree, so now I need to prepare. “[Protect]!” This time for me, as I may need to defend against those bullets. Next, I change to [Herbalist], I can use the [Herbal Weapons] when I get closer and it's my strongest class. [Itching Breath] might be better, as putting it to sleep may take too long, so I prepare the right powder. My skill infuses it with magic, decreasing its effect but making it easier to use.

The rapid-water isn't moving at all, it also doesn't shoot. It knows I'm its only enemy and Ken theorized that it uses water from the bog, so of course, it won't leave it if it doesn't need to. I'm not as fast as Ken or Rine-chan, so I can't just hop out without being shot... No, wait. Ken would fight smarter. It's like way back in Vulkan-mountains, he had a trick to beat every monster, like flipping the rock turtles. So there might be a trick to it that we haven't figured out yet...

Actually, I'm not that good at thinking on my feet, so maybe I need to use brute force, though it will hurt. “[Coating]!” However, I'm not in the mood to let it make me feel miserable. Time to charge!

The moment I leave cover, I'm greeted by a barrage of water-bullets, they hurt! They hurt so much, my breast is delicate, you brute! Still, [Protect] does help and my body is taking the abuse rather well. My HP, on the other hand, tells another story, so I retreat back to the tree and change back to [Priest]: “[Heal]! [Heal]!” This hasn't worked out.

Ken's right, the monsters here are around our level, but the terrain is against us. Also, I have no combat-classes which is too big of a hurdle to overcome. Thinking about it, I do rather well despite of it. If my body just wouldn't feel so sluggish today.

I look down at my poison coated knife and realize something. If it uses the water inside the bog, then I just need to poison the water! Wait, would it work? Maybe it's just using tubes without even actually absorbing the water, more like a natural water pump, so... Ah, I was thinking like Ken right now, it's really not my strong suit. I need to do things my way.

How do I win my fights? With words and using others. “Mama, help me!” Relying on my [Persuasion], I ask the witch for help. I may have no [Conversation]-skill that helps me here, but it may be enough for her to give me at least a bit of help.

The rapid-water starts to shoot, but instead of the tree I'm hiding behind, its bullets hit the ground as if it's following something.

I jump out of hiding towards the stag-monster, it widens its eyes, realign its aim, but while I'm hit by bullets, I'm also close enough: “[Itching Powder]!” I blow the powder from my hand, which is infused with magic during the process, the monster starts to jerk several times, throwing off its aim. Next step, [Cook]. “[Butcherknife]!” It's such a satisfying skill, the poisoned blade cuts through flesh and sinews like a hot knife through butter, while I need to put some strength into my attack to pierce through the hide. This skill works best against meat.

When I think back, I've changed quite a bit since my friends left me alone and I tried to raise my level on my own. I'm more willing to put up with pain nowadays and push through where I used to escape.

“Mama, thank you.” The rapid-water is dead. As long as I have time to put up [Protect] and have a distraction, it's a doable enemy. Just like Ken said, it's neither mobile nor tough.

Hearing my gratitude, the witch begins to become visible to me again, she's standing right next to me. “You used me as a shield!”

“But Mama, you're much more experienced than I am.”

“You manipulative bitch.”

I stick my tongue out in a cute way, showing her that she's right in that behalf.

The granny begins to cackle: “Hihehe, you have what it takes to be a witch, Little Kyou.” Like all girls at some point, I wanted to be a witch, but to be honest, I'm not sure if I should feel flattered or insulted by this compliment of hers.

I don't need to play goodies-two-shoes here, I can be honest: “Are we talking about a sexy witch or an old hag?” If things are going as I think, maybe I might get something like a [Witch]-class-up.

“Actual witches, using witchcraft, spirit magic, and black magic. Let's say, that when I was your age, I had already slept with several men. Seducing is also an art of us witches...”

So she's an actual bitch, who spreads her legs for her ambitions... or maybe just because of the fun of it. I guess she would now still accept any man willing to put up with her decaying body. No thank you, some people may call me a bitch, but I have clear conceptions about roma- out of my thoughts, idiot!

“You've mentioned my knife.” I change the subject. “You know ss'rak? Aren't they living on mountains?” The ones we met in Feuerberg had been in the Vulkan-mountain range, so I just thought that's usual for them.

“There are several native tribes in this swamps as well. They're a bit different, as they’ve learned spirit magic. What is the story behind your knife, Little Kyou?”

“I'll tell you later when we're in a place a bit more private. Lead me to your hut.”

―○●○―

“He's more capable than I expected.” Lvo'tjos, the alfr hero, looks at the lake, the same lake he planned to flush the Kenta-guy into. However, he's not here. “I've underestimated how good alfr training really is for humans.”

“Alfr-traeening?”

“Yeah, he had a hood and can use [Spirit Magic] to a degree, so he has at least [Ranger] under his belt. Maybe he has used a tree to lift him outside the water stream, would be logical, after all.”

“Weer to?”

“Hm... he's a human, so that means he'll do something based on emotions. Most likely he'll feel insecure, so he might try to find Ara'ainn, as she's the one who has the best chance to get out of the swamp. We must have passed each other, as we were directly heading here. So it's easy: Go back.” A hissing comes from the ss'rak: “You're right, that takes too long, let me do it on my own. Just wait here and don't die. I know it's hard to take a sunbath when there are clouds all over the place, but you may use the time to wash your teeth. Here, this gel is what I'm using.” After leaving some body-care products for the lizards, Lvo'tjos activates his [Swishstride]-skill and hurries in a blinding speed through the swamps. [Waterwalk] also makes him just run over the water instead of through it.

When he arrives at the place he left Ara'ainn, he just finds an open cocoon. He uses [Plant Memory] to look at what happened here, it's not the most reliable spell, as the memories of plants are very fleeting, but as long as it's about current events, it's good enough. “She escaped.” [Sleep] wasn't good enough to hold her for long, it's another unreliable spell as usually exhaustion is required for it to work on people and monsters, as both have rather strong spirits. However, he was sure that the level difference would overcome this, especially seeing that she actually went to sleep. Yet he also didn't consider that Ara'ainn is an expert sleeper, therefore she must have broken that spell literally in her sleep! Afterward, she opened the cocoon with her magic and walked away...

He shouldn't have half-assed it, so, for now, he will overplay it! Time to change some conditions around here and create some mist. Not magical though, as it would make it impossible to navigate in the swamps via [Spirit Magic], a clear sign that someone is pulling the strings here, as well as a hindrance for himself.

Therefore he will support the natural phenomenon. This might take longer, but it's almost as good as the magical variant to keep Ara'ainn's party from meeting up.

―○●○―

Why doesn't it rain right now? The upcoming fog makes it hard to see any tracks. I need to find Rine, dammit! [Wild Eyes] helps me sensing lifeforms, so no help with tracks. [Track] highlights tracks, so with my vision obscured, it doesn't help much either, because I can hardly see the ground.

Wait, while rain would disperse the mist, it would also destroy the tracks!

Seriously, I need a break. …Ah, new messages inside the [Inventory]! I sure hope that they're good news.

'Met a witch, following her to her hut. - Kyou' – Don't go with strangers!

'Kenta, I tried to find my way back, but I don't know where I am anymore! - Katarine' – So why didn't you wait in the first place, don't you know what a lost child is supposed to do, idiot!?

'I'm safe, will think of a strategy. - Ara'ainn' – At least one knows how to make me feel relieved.

I note something down on each paper.

First Kyou-san... why is she going with a witch in the first place? I mean, what is a witch in this world!? Isn't she just asking to be cooked here? How can someone get even to the conclusion, that's OK to follow a stranger, and a witch no less, to her hut... Maybe it’s because I decided to track Rine instead, which means that Kyou-san, who is who knows where in the swamps, felt at the mercy of monsters, trees, and other dangers? …however, following strangers is still wrong.

I write my answer in Japanese, as the witch may read it over her shoulder or something. 'Don't go with strangers, idiot! Make sure that she's not planning to eat you. If it's safe, stay at her house, maybe kill her while she sleeps if she's too suspicious. I'll find you later.'

Next one, Rine. I should be glad that she's still alright and finally remembered the [Shared Inventory]. Why do I imagine her crying while calling my name at this point? I mean, Rine is capable, but- OK, she's also childish and may not be able to deal with this situation.

'Just look for a cave or another place that you can take shelter in. I'll come for you. Just make sure that, after you've found a good spot, you don't move, also, make sure you don't walk through the water, so it'll be easier for me to follow your tracks.'

Finally, Ara-san. Her message contains almost no information. So I just write 'What happened? Why were you asleep?'

At least the pressure now is lessened, all of them are well. Though it's everything but a good situation, Kyou-san is meeting up with strangers, Rine is totally lost and alone, Ara-san is not telling what happened, and we have no way to meet up.

“Phew...” Also, there is the curse, which will slowly start to weaken me. The first symptom before was being forced to class-change into [Student] and being locked there which would be a disaster right now, as I will lose most of my [Spirit Magic] then. Therefore I won't only have to deal with limited combat capabilities but with all the mental disorientation...

I clench my teeth, as I still don't want this route to be a bad decision. I need to bite the bullet here and put even more effort in turning the bad into something good.

Even Rine can't be that far away, but the mist slows me down tremendously. However, I should be able to find her soon. If she actually stays still for a while.