As he fell into the rhythm of his hike, Nick opened his senses to the natural world, practicing the survival skills that he had started developing during the tutorial. Fortunately, he didn’t sense anything dangerous lurking along the crater’s rim or the grasslands that bordered it.
However, there was a great deal going on within the bog stretching out below his boots. Every time that he spotted something new, he pulled out his brass spyglass to take a closer look. It was an excellent opportunity to get a glimpse of the creatures he would be hunting and battling as soon as he made it down into the marsh. The first beast of interest was a great serpent, at least thirty feet long and as thick as his waist. Nick would never have seen it if it wasn’t in the middle of devouring its prey, some manner of giant frog with bright red skin.
Ten minutes and most of a mile later, he caught sight of a pair of graceful avians fishing along the waterways. They reminded him of herons, but these birds were over twice the size and boasted brilliant blue accents to their wings that shimmered in the sunlight. Their legs ended in powerful talons, which looked sharp enough to slice into leather with ease.
He followed their flight as they soared above giant otter-like creatures playing in the water below, sharing the lakes and streams with shelled lizards that had features reminiscent of both turtles and crocodiles.
They were too far away for size up to provide any additional details, but the skill let him know that they were dangerous. While he spotted numerous animals as well, Nick was certain that many of the creatures he observed were formidable beasts. Lifeforms capable of using powers comparable to the spells and abilities the System granted to contestant species.
It meant that he would have to be on guard against a wide range of magical abilities, not just the beasts’ sheer size, strength, and natural weaponry, which were lethal enough all by themselves. He would have to choose his prey carefully going forward. Be prepared to face off against stealthy predators adapted to the wetlands, including quite a few giant species, based on what he’d seen thus far.
Nick could already tell that this was going to be his most difficult challenge yet, but it was also an excellent opportunity to fight and grow stronger. To level and train his skills, honing his body and mind to face the final trial that would determine the fate of the Earth, climbing the Tower of Rizzen and battling the guardian waiting for him on the roof.
The misty marshlands were beautiful and mysterious when viewed from above, although he was certain that they were home to hidden dangers as well, deadly threats beyond those posed by the bog’s resident predators. On top of everything else, there would be ordeals and opportunities thrown into the mix by Taltos and the System, events that would provide powerful rewards if he could survive long enough to claim them.
As these thoughts passed through his mind, Nick thought that he could sense a pervasive tension riding the air rising from below. Like an ominous note hidden within a peaceful melody. He had a hunch that within a few hours of setting foot onto Blackmist Bog, he would find himself fighting for his life. And given the nature of the quest he’d undertaken, the heat would only intensify past that point.
It didn’t surprise him at all. He’d known all along that whatever challenge the System whipped up would be fraught with peril, especially with an entire planet as the prize. That the dangers he would face in the days ahead would pose an even greater threat than surviving on the Searing Isle. He had come here with open eyes, ready to put his life on the line for the future of his people and every living creature that called the Earth home.
He set his eyes upon the black tower looming large on the horizon, steeling his resolve, ready to face the trial ahead. Now, how am I going to get there?
Two hours later, Nick finally found a likely candidate for a way down. While the trail he had uncovered was far too steep and uneven for his liking, he was pretty sure that he could make it to the bottom in one piece.
After a moment’s reflection, he decided to go for it. The clock was ticking, and he hadn’t seen anything else remotely as promising after surveying the ridgeline for long minutes.
His decision made, he stepped onto the trailhead, testing each foothold before committing his weight. Placing all his focus into maintaining his balance, he navigated the winding path as it cut back and forth along the crater’s edge.
It must have rained sometime over the last few days. The earth was moist, although the soil was firm enough to support the weight of Nick and his gear. Twenty nervous minutes after he began his descent, he rounded the last stretch of slope and set foot onto the bog, a heady blend of fear and excitement swirling within his breast.
While he stopped to catch his breath, Nick assessed the area, on alert for hostile beasts as well as dangerous terrain. Trees and shrubs dominated the local landscape, thinning out as they approached the pools further ahead.
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Most of the streams looked shallow enough to ford, not that he intended to cross open water except as a last resort. The reflective surfaces concealed the terrain below the waterline. Anything could be hidden down there. From dangerous beasts, to quicksand, to god knows what magical phenomena were common to this world besides the roving clouds of ink black fog.
Thankfully, it seemed that even in the wetlands, there were patches of dry earth that connected to one another, forming a network of pathways that ran between the rivers and pools. A natural maze that was certain to slow him down, and likely featured other dangers as well. Before he moved on, Nick took a long plug from his canteen and ate some provisions from his pack, resting his feet while sitting on top of a modest boulder.
Knowing that he would soon leave the borderlands behind, he took in the ambiance of the biome ahead, trying to learn whatever he could before he faced its dangers head on. The buzzing of insects filled the air, frenetic buzzing and chirps accompanied by the deep croaks of what sounded like bullfrogs and the cries of birds circling above.
Deeper in there were more ferns, and most of the trees were growing along the water’s edge, with roots dipping into the pools like mangroves. He could smell flowers in bloom and the marshy scents of aquatic life, interspersed with an occasional whiff of decay. He would have liked to camp here for the night, using the crater’s wall to guard his back, but there was still plenty of daylight left and Nick was on the clock.
While he adjusted to his new environment, Nick began tweaking his plans, including his goals for the remainder of the day. Given the prevalence of ambush predators out on the bog, he would hike with his wand in hand, ready to fire at a moment’s notice. He really needed to find a sheath for his sword, so that he could wear it on his hip and not have to draw it from his pack, but that was a worry for another day.
Today, he hoped to hike for at least fifteen miles before calling it a night, and make better time tomorrow as he became accustomed to the marshlands. He didn’t need to hunt or forage for several days, given the state of his provisions. Although he would pick up anything edible he found along the way to extend his stores, if it didn’t slow him down.
In short, he needed to find out what he was dealing with as he made his way to the tower, then find somewhere that he could hole up for the night. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about getting completely turned around, not with Darkstone Tower and the road to guide his path.
After stretching out his legs, Nick leapt down from the boulder, ready to find out what Blackmist Bog had in store. Three hours later, he had left the borderlands behind him and entered the main body of the marsh. Unlike the vast forests he had flown past in his pod, this was a land featuring considerable variety in both terrain and hue.
The bog revealed a landscape that was saturated in color. Vivid patches of green, pink, and orange growth were interspersed with sparkling mirror pools and streams reflecting the sunny blue skies above. Unlike the Searing Isle, in Blackmist Bog, the insects were abundant and inescapable.
The water, ground, and sky were filled with warring species of bugs, each determined to claim this land for their own. Their musical chirps and the buzzing of wings filled the air, punctuated by the cawing of birds overhead and the occasional roar of unknown beasts out in the distance.
All in all, it was a lush, vibrant ecosystem. A wondrously living land, bursting with beauty and mystery. While Nick was certain that the bog possessed its fair share of both danger and opportunity, he was eager to be standing here, taking it all in. One of the first members of his species to tread upon this world, and the very first person to set eyes on this locale.
Although it had yet to be determined if anyone would be alive to record it, he was taking part in history in the making. Nick would do whatever he could to ensure that his people survived long enough to adapt to this strange new reality in which they found themselves.
With not only his future, but the fate of his home world at stake, the situation was deadly serious. But part of him was filled with eager anticipation. He was having fun, he realized in shock, amazed at how much he had changed since all this madness had begun a little over a month ago.
The old Nick, the gamer sitting in front of his computer, would have given an arm to be a part of this. He wouldn’t return to that existence if someone were to offer him the choice. Not unless they can bring the dead back to life, he decided, his joy shifting to become bittersweet.
He shook his head to clear it of dark thoughts, focusing on the buzzing thrill of anticipation instead. Right now, Nick was in the middle of something inherently amazing and profoundly significant, a true adventure. A quest of utmost importance, and a journey beyond his wildest dreams. At least the dreams of his old life. He was immersed in a profound experience that challenged him not only to find, but to surpass his prior limitations. To become someone new, greater than before.
As he ventured forth into the great unknown, he began to get a feel for the land beneath his boots, the marsh stretching out before his gaze. It was a domain of water as much as earth, which offered unique challenges. Case in point, after walking into a dead-end peninsula for the second time, resulting in a nervous ten minutes of backtracking where his only route of escape could be cut off, he learned to carefully inspect the land ahead before picking his path.
He soon learned to avoid not only potential cutoffs, but also routes that forced him to walk too close to the waterline. The lakes and slow-moving rivers might conceal any number of horrors lurking just below their mirrored surfaces. Fortunately, none of the myriad insect species appeared to be bestial, or overly concerned with his intrusion as he passed by.
He would be careful to avoid them when choosing a campsite however, as many of the bugs featured wicked stingers and mandibles, and Nick had no desire to rouse their ire, let alone attract the attention of the bog's prolific predators.