Yvlena opened her eyes in the Avaresh Swamp ready to take her first step towards the deeper swamp. She stepped off the docks, pressing her boot against the now sturdy water.
It seemed the effects of the potion were stronger now that she had improved in brewing it. Yvlena smirked, puffing her chest out in pride at her alchemy's progression.
Walking from the docks she soon found herself at the entrance to the deeper swamp. She stabbed a nearby Swamp Fish before it could come any closer to her.
[Yvlena Acquired
EXP: 1510/1750
***
Chum x1
Slime x1
***
Moon Points x50]
"I hope I don't see any more Swampadiles," she huffed as she sheathed her sword. "They were surprisingly hard to beat,"
As she stepped into the water, her mind flashed back to Mars' words about the proving grounds. She had described it as a place filled with danger so players could level up faster.
"I won't have to find myself in an area like that right? The Verdant Woods are pretty much kicking my ass already," she snickered.
But that asked the question, how strong was Mars?
The thought had floated around Yvlena's mind before but now she had to consider that once she found Mars in the game they would have to spar per the agreement over the Zephyr gear.
Yvlena clenched her fist knowing she could only grow stronger the more quests she took, and right now the third task was her priority.
Ripples formed around her feet as she moved through the deeper parts of the Avaresh Swamp. As she walked the watery path, the sounds of the swamp faded until only her steps against the water resounded around the party.
Avaresh Lotuses floated by as she walked. In a moment of quick thinking, she picked up two large ones about to float away and then stored them in her inventory for disassembly.
[Yvlena Acquired
Avaresh Lotus x2]
"These will be so helpful for potion making later, something tells me this won't be the last time I'll need to walk on water," she said.
"I wonder if the ingredients for the purifying elixir will be here somewhere."
Yvlena gasped, pausing in the middle of the Swamp. It had only occurred to her, that she hadn't looked at the Purifying Elixir's recipe since she bought it from Risel.
"Man!" She whined, pulling up her inventory to read the list of things she would need to brew it.
[Purifying Elixir (Rare)
***
Type: Recipe
Created by a mysterious alchemist to purify bodies of water infected by disease, infections, or other unsavory elements. This Elixir can be modified to strengthen its effects.
***
Swamp Jelly (Herb) x1
Luna Orchid Extract x1
Avaresh Lotus Extract x2
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Vaelindor's Cup (Herb) x2
***
Small Jar
Bronze Cauldron]
At the back of her mind, Yvlena could feel there was something else about the Verdant Lake's quest she should know.
"Vaelindor's Cup? I've never heard of that herb, nor have I ever gotten it from any of the quests I've done so far," Yvlena said.
There was a possibility she would find it around the area with the spiders but that would come after she made it through this quest.
"Or maybe it's in the swamp. It must be something found in the area right?"
The cauldron listed intrigued her as well.
"And it says here that I need a bronze cauldron, I knew it! The grades of my potion will improve if I use better equipment as well,"
The Purifying Elixir on its own might not be enough to force the Miasmic Entity out of the water.
"I'll have to focus on that after I beat the Swamp Guardian," she said.
Beside her, the summons were strangely quiet, as if their attention had been caught by something else.
Yvlena scanned the area, trying to see if danger was incoming. So far nothing caught her eye but the sight of a Swamp Jelly cleverly disguised by a Swampadile.
"Sprite, Rabbit Knight, are you okay?" She asked in concern.
"We're fine," Sprite chirped as she fluttered beside Yvlena "This place is just strange, I can tell it used to be something more,"
Yvlena nodded, pretty much all of Moon Valley used to be something more before the Miasma. From what Mars said, Bloom Haven was tame compared to what lay outside its protective enclosure.
----------
Yvlena and her party walked and walked until they stopped at a giant tree with a wide yawning cavern that seemed to pull her gaze into its darkness.
The elven girl stopped to gaze at the long wooden trunk towering over her, she looked up following the tree's height, and the very top of the tree disappeared into the smog filled sky.
The tree was as big and as tall as a tower, and the hollow, wide enough for a bus to pass through.
A foul wind blew, ruffling her hair and lightly sucking her towards the hole.
"I have a feeling we need to go in there,"
Sprite and Rabbit Knight exchanged glances then faced Yvlena with a frown. She said nothing only taking the Fairy Lit Torch from her inventory and beginning her descent.
Sprite and Rabbit Knight followed beside her and soon they were plunged into darkness save for the light of the torch in Yvlena's hand.
"Here we go," she whispered.
----------
The crevice smelled faintly of rot as Yvlena stepped through and found her way deeper into the tree's hollow, water sloshed underneath her as she walked becoming more sturdy as she waded through the space.
With Fairy Lit Torch in her hand, Yvlena was able to make out large areas filled with clumpy swamp weeds growing in bundles.
A weed brushed past her leg causing Yvlena to jump in fright and move her hand to her sword.
Upon further inspection, it was only a bush floating by in the dark recesses of the tree's hollow.
"Ah, it's got some herbs,"
[Yvlena Acquired
Swamp Jelly (Herb) x3]
"No Swampadile needed," she said in relief, pulling her hand back from the bush.
"I wish I had some of the light Bavga had in her hut," Yvlena grumbled. "Fighting anything is such a hassle when I have to hold the torch as well,"
The swamp water deepened the further she went and were it not for the Water Resistant Elixir, Yvlena knew the water would be at her waist by now.
"Croak!"
"Huh?!" Yvlena gasped spinning around, the sound of a croak resounded through the space but she found no sign of any frogs. "Weird,"
"Croak, Croak!" she heard again the further she walked. Yvlena waved her torch around, lighting up the wooden crevice until she had reached the back of the area.
There, resting on a tree stump was a bushel of swamp grass stacked together to form a large bedding for some sort of creature.
"Is this a nest,"
"Croak, Croak, Croak,"
The sound of water splashing caught her attention followed by the rush of wind, Yvlena nearly stumbled from the immense shockwave it produced as something leaped into the air behind her.
It landed on the makeshift nest with a horrible thud, causing a giant splash of swamp water to fall over Yvlena and her summons.
"Oh my God that's disgusting," she coughed, once again thanking the creators of the Revista for not making her senses too lifelike.
The water cleared away revealing a giant frog sitting on its throne of swamp grass. Slowly, bioluminescent plants sprouted from the walls lighting the tree's hollow up.
[You have encountered Minor Miasmic Entity: Crocante, the terrible]