I can evolve everything

The next morning.

As dawn broke, Tiemu Town was still shrouded in a thin mist.

In the hotel's backyard, Renn was making final preparations.

He took Karen's advice and took off his chainmail, which offered decent protection, and put on leather armor instead.

While this leather armor couldn't protect against heavy blows, it obviously wouldn't slow them down too much in the damp swamp.

He hung his longsword at his waist, and his pouch was stuffed with tinder, antidote, and dried meat.

Are you nervous?

Ella was applying a pungent-smelling grease to her arm—an ointment used to repel poisonous insects in the swamp.

"It's less about being nervous and more about... looking forward to it." Raine examined the scabbard. "The dead have come back to life... which means there might be undead. I wonder if they're afraid of fire like they're described in the books."

"Most of them are afraid." Ella stood up and stamped her foot. "But some rotten flesh isn't afraid. The best way to deal with those things is to cut off their heads or smash their spines."

At that moment, Karen walked over.

He was carrying a large bag containing several thick wooden sticks.

"Take it."

Karen tossed one to each of them.

"This is a probing stick. The swamp is full of mud pits. What looks like flat ground might sink you in. Take one step at a time, probe first. Don't expect me to pull you out."

Sir Harold also came.

He stood in the cold wind, wearing a heavy wool cloak, leading the three men's horses.

"I'll take good care of the horses." The old man looked at the three people who were all ready to go, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "Karen, and the two little ones... come back alive."

"I'm gone."

Karen didn't say much in farewell, she simply waved and strode out of the hotel.

Ryan and Ella followed closely behind.

The three of them crossed the street and exited through the north gate of Tiemu Town.

The scenery before us quickly turned desolate.

The soil beneath our feet became increasingly soft, the humidity in the air increased, and we could faintly smell the stench of rotting plants.

In the distance, a gray-white mist shrouded the land; that was the Misty Swamp.

The dead trees were faintly visible in the mist.

Raine looked into the distance and subconsciously pressed his chest.

The heartbeat was steady and powerful; the evolution of the Black Rock Breathing Technique was nearing its end.

There are only three days left in the countdown in the corridor.

"What are you standing there for? Follow me."

Karen's urging voice came from ahead.

Rein snapped out of his daze and followed Karen closely.

The three figures walked slowly until they were completely swallowed up by the mist.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The name "Misty Swamp" is not the boastful tale of some bard, but a rather realistic and fitting name.

As the three of them ventured into this land, the deeper they went into the mist, the less solid ground they could find; each step landed on soft mud.

"Pfft."

As soon as Ryan stepped down, the mud and water instantly enveloped him, covering his boots.

When it is pulled out, the sole of the boot makes a disgusting sound, similar to a suction cup detaching.

It was as if the swamp itself was a greedy creature, trying to hold onto every piece of flesh and blood that had strayed into it.

"Damn it," Ella muttered under her breath as she walked beside her.

She disgustedly shook the mud off her boots, which had now turned grayish-brown. "It smells like a hundred giants having diarrhea in here at the same time."

"Save your energy for complaining." Karen walked in front, testing the muddy water with her probing stick. "Keep your mouth shut. The fog here contains trace amounts of marsh gas and toxins. If you inhale too much, you'll feel like you're surrounded by a bunch of silly, laughing toads."

As he spoke, the old knight took out three thick strips of cloth soaked in herbal juice from his pocket and tossed them to the two men.

"Put them on. The mint and mugwort inside will help filter out most of the toxic fumes and also mask the odor a little."

Ryan took the mask and put it on. The cool, spicy smell hit him right in the head, dispelling the rotten odor and making his head clearer.

He continued to look ahead into the swamp, where clumps of grayish-white mist swirled and drifted, making visibility extremely low, only about ten meters, sometimes even less.

The surrounding dead trees resembled twisted skeletons, their bare branches appearing and disappearing in the gray mist, countless twigs reaching towards the sky.

On the water's surface, green duckweed and the skeletons of some unidentified animals floated everywhere, and occasionally a string of bubbles would rise up, bursting open and releasing a foul stench.

"Watch your step." Karen's voice sounded muffled through the strips of cloth. "See those areas with purple moss? Don't step on them. They look solid, but if you step on them, not a single bubble will rise; they'll just suck you in."

Ryan gripped his probing stick tightly, taking each step with extreme caution.

Strangely, despite the harsh environment, Renn did not feel much fear.

Perhaps it was because Rein's perception was slightly higher, that even in such a chaotic environment, he could roughly discern the direction and detect the flow of the wind.

Something's not right.

After walking for about two hours, Ella, who had been on guard duty on the flanks the whole time, suddenly stopped.

Her ears twitched slightly, and her red eyes were fixed on a swamp to her left.

"Something's not right..." Ella lowered her voice, her hand already on the hilt of her sword, ready to draw it at any moment. "It's too quiet here. There were swarms of flying insects on the way we came, but there's not a sound here."

Karen stopped in his tracks. He didn't turn around immediately, but simply turned slightly to the side and slowly unslung the greatsword, which was almost as tall as him, from behind his back.

"It's not quiet," the old knight said coldly. "Something is coming."

Before he could finish speaking...

Whoosh!

The calm muddy water suddenly exploded.

Three dark gray figures emerged from the mist ahead, splashing up a foul-smelling spray of water, and hurtled towards the three.

It was a kind of humanoid monster. They were only about six to seven feet tall, and at first glance they looked like dead people. Their skin was as pale and swollen as a drowned corpse, and they could not see any hair. Their limbs were thin and long, and their fingers and toes were connected by webbed membranes. Their backs were covered with pustules of all sizes.

"It's a swamp ghoul!"

Karen recognized the objects at a glance. But he didn't move; he simply stood there, holding the greatsword horizontally in front of him.

"Three. Ryan, the one on the left is yours."

All of this happened so fast that Renn had no time to think it through.

Raine felt a stench assault his nostrils. A ghoul opened its massive jaws, its sharp claws aimed straight for his throat.

If it were the soul that had just fallen into this place from the modern world two months ago, Renn would probably be terrified out of his wits by now.

But now, his body reacts faster than his brain.

No need for thought, no need for hesitation. Everything stemmed solely from his fighting instincts.

[Iron Wall Stance]