Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 745 - 10 Whispering Swamp_1

Chapter 745: Chapter 10 Whispering Swamp_1

The Whispering Swamp, occupying a vast area of 150,000 square kilometers, is located in the southeastern part of the continent. Situated amidst the Perpetual Icefield, the Sighing Desert, and Mage Country of Butte, it shares a plateau with the icefields and Butte, making them accessible to each other. The side adjacent to the Sighing Desert, however, is composed of a long stretch of steep slopes, making crossing from the Sighing Desert to the swamp a task that demands a very high price.

Originally, the plan after leaving the Perpetual Icefield was to purchase a horse-drawn carriage and head southwards. After bypassing the Falar Empire’s territories, they were to head westward until they eventually returned to the Guild’s dwelling in the City of Knowledge. However, due to an invitation from Galantis, they decided to alter their plan: they would travel directly alongside the boundaries of the Perpetual Icefields and the Mage Country, until reaching the Whispering Swamp. This was simple logic: the boundary with the icy plains was the coolest part of the usually hot Mage Country; hence navigating this narrow boundary proved far more comfortable than crossing through the heart of the Mage Country itself.

The boundary region, representing the relative desolation of Mage Country, was a barren, rocky land that was impossible to till. There were almost no Mages governing the area, no towns, but one or two tiny, isolated villages that were rather unwelcoming to outsiders. These villages were said to have predated the Mage Country itself, and were populated by natives of the highlands, refusing assimilation by the Mage Country. In consequence, they chose to settle down in this barren borderland. Having lived there from generation to generation, they were gradually lost to oblivion and became a group of people overlooked by history.

However, even these forgotten villagers, who have been living here for generations, dare not venture into the Whispering Swamp. For average people and Lower Rank professionals, the swamp is not a suitable habitat, as there are ever-present dangers of death. Only Upper Rank professionals who are much stronger than ordinary people can freely roam the swamp without encountering great risks.

Entering the Whispering Swamp is like entering another world. The external environment is of no concern here as it purely belongs to the swamp. The moment you step into the swamp, the ground beneath your feet turns purplish-red and suguwoods sprout from its moist and supple surface. Suguwoods, unique to the swamp, can live for thousands of years. They have light wood, stout and tall trunks, and dense canopies. A ten-year-old suguwood can reach a height of about forty to fifty meters and a radius of around twenty meters, with its canopy almost covering a five hundred meter radius. These suguwoods flourish throughout the swamp, their brown leaves covering its entirety. If you observe the swamp from above, you would not reckon it to be purplish-red, but rather brown - suggestive of the expansive coverage of the suguwoods.

Therefore, the girls could see the dense vegetation blanketing the distant skyline and the faint mist floating from between the plants from afar. As they ventured further, they saw taller trees and had a faint smell of the soft sweetness unique to the suguwoods. This peculiar smell, similar to that of the pasfruit, also incorporates a hint of sourness. It’s quite pleasant for humans at first whiff but tends to come off as saccharine if smelt for a longer duration. However, for the Lizardmen, this smell is a much-loved one. According to Galantis, they find it hard to sleep at night if they can’t smell the suguwoods. Consequently, every Lizardman who leaves the swamp carries a bit of suguwood and find comfort in its sweet aroma, alleviating their homesickness.

On venturing into the covered swamp and looking upwards, you can’t see the sky. Due to the vast expanse covered by the suguwoods, tree branches and leaves from several trees intertwine to form a sturdy web-like canopy. Unless cut continuously with a sharp tool, this barrier of branches remains virtually invincible. Although the suguwoods are light in weight, they are highly resilient with a rough yet malleable bark. If you accidentally bump into them, you won’t feel any pain unless the crash is severe. A substantial number of vines encase the suguwoods. These vines and trees coexist, with the suguwoods providing the vines with nutrients to sustain their life. In return, the vines emit a strange smell that’s hardly discernible to humans but effectively repels bugs and herbivorous animals, thereby providing an ideal environment for the healthy growth of the suguwoods.

If you shift your gaze from the overhead canopy to the ground, you’ll find it soft to tread, much like a carpet. Although it’s soft, it isn’t expectedly muddy to the point of water seeping out with every step. It’s just a little moist. Since the ground rarely sees sunlight, the vegetation in the swamp is not the usual green, but rather sports a purplish-red hue that’s similar to the ground. Despite the mystery of how these plants grow without sunlight, the swamp densely breeds a large number of swamp plants. Most of these are herbs and shrubs, and due to the warm and wet environment, they are covered with multicolored flowers. However, these plants are typically only two to three meters high, with the space higher being covered by the thin branches and leaves of the lower half of the suguwoods.

’This place differs from my imagination,’ Vivian habitually took out her notebook and started jotting the features of the swamp, along with her impressions. Even with her healing body, her habit didn’t falter; she could focus even more on her writing since she didn’t have to make a conscious effort to move her limbs. In her words, ’In my imagination, puddles of water bubbling with green bubbles and swamp gas would be everywhere. With every step I take, I would sink into the sludge to mid-calf. The smell of rotting wood and carcasses would fill the air, and lethal magical beasts could emerge from the muddy ditches at any moment. Now, that’s the kind of environment befitting the Whispering Swamp as per the rumors.’

’Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss, if it were like that, we wouldn’t be able to live here either, hiss, hiss,’ remarked Galantis, laughing helplessly as his tail struck the shrubs around him. ’ This place is our home, hiss, how could it possibly be so disgusting, hiss, hiss? I have always told you that my home is actually beautiful, hiss. Why can’t you just believe that, hiss, hiss?’

’Because it’s hard to imagine a swamp as being beautiful.’ Catherine chuckled bitterly. Her imagination of the swamp was quite similar to Vivian’s, so she was taken aback by the beauty of the swamp. ’Moreover, according to the Guild’s description, Whispering Swamp is deemed to be a highly dangerous place. How could anyone believe that it could be this beautiful?’