CHAPTER 67: BREATH OF TANSEL SWAMP

Mr. Courier then explained that the Breath of the Tansel Swamp refers to a phenomenon where bursts of water rise from the swamp, as if the land itself were breathing. He said this happens when powerful gas pressure from deep beneath the swamp forces its way up through small cracks or gaps in the surface.

"Those water bursts usually get triggered by movement on the surface. When something disturbs the swamp, the ground becomes unstable, which increases the gas pressure—and that’s what causes the eruption, like the one we just saw," he added.

"Oh no... then how are we supposed to cross the swamp if that keeps happening?" Chelsie’s face turned pale. "We’ll never make it through like this."

"There’s another way to cross it without getting caught in the blasts," Mr. Courier said calmly.

"...Another way? What do you mean, Mr. Courier?"

"We need to follow the rhythm of the swamp’s breath," he replied. "That rhythm becomes much clearer once the sky gets darker."

"Uhm... So, in other words, we can only leave this place at night?"

Hearing Chelsie’s words, the courier nodded. "That’s right. We have to wait until nightfall to cross this swamp."

"...But even if we wait until nightfall, we still don’t have a boat to carry us through the swamp," Nalira said as she glanced around. "So, how are we supposed to cross the swamp now?"

"If we can’t find a boat... what if we build a simple one?" Shaan suggested.

"No, that’s a bad idea," Mr. Courier replied, shaking his head. "It will take too much time, and even if we managed to build something, I doubt it can make it through this swamp." He looked around carefully. "I believe there may be another boat nearby. We just need to search this area thoroughly."

"Uhmm... yeah, I guess Mr. Courier has a point," Chelsie said, nodding.

"But maybe we should rest inside the old house for now and look for the boat tomorrow instead." She kept rubbing her hands together. "I don’t know, but the air’s getting colder, and I can feel a few raindrops starting to fall. I believe it’s gonna be raining soon."

"...Yeah, I think the same," Nalira replied." I agree with Chelsie. Besides, there’s no way we’ll find another boat in this dark situation like this." She slowly turned her gaze toward Shaan and Mr. Courier. "What do you think?"

"Alright, no problem. That sounds reasonable to me," Shaan answered.

"My calculations align with yours. I agree," said Mr. Courier as he quickly headed for the old house. "Remaining exposed to the elements serves no purpose. We should seek shelter immediately before the rainfall intensifies."

***

The sound of raindrops falling harder outside the old house broke the silence inside the room. Honestly, Shaan felt relieved that he and the others had listened to Chelsie. If they hadn’t, they would’ve ended up soaked, and all their efforts might have gone to waste.

"Mr. Courier, I still don’t understand about the Breath of the Tansel Swamp you have mentioned earlier," Shaan asked curiously. "So, how do we know it’s safe to cross it?"

"There are three ways to figure that out," Mr. Courier replied. "First, when you’re out in the Tansel Swamp, pay attention to random clusters of small bubbles. If they feel warm, that means a water burst will happen there soon. So, you need to stay as far away from those bubbles as possible."

Chelsie leaned forward slightly, trying to catch every word Mr. Courier said. "Uhmm... and what are the other signs?"

"Second, smell. If a burst is about to happen, you’ll smell something. It will smell like burning or a sharp, irritating odor. That smell means the gas pressure is building up fast, and if you don’t move away in time, the burst will hit you directly."

"...And what about the third sign?"

"The third and final sign is sound. Before a burst, the swamp lets out a deep rumbling noise. That sound is a clear warning. When you hear it, get away from that spot as fast as possible," he explained. "If you can follow the rhythm of the Tansel Swamp’s breath, we should be fine. We won’t end up like those bandits who ignored the signs."

’Wow... I never imagined crossing the swamp would be complicated.’

"Wow, Mr. Courier, I... I’m impressed," Chelsie said, her eyes lighting up with admiration. "You know a lot about this kind of stuff."

Mr. Courier burst out laughing. "Haha, of course! I’ve crossed the Tansel Swamp a few times before, so I’ve already learned all of this. That’s why crossing at night works best because it’s easier to spot the signs I just told you about."

"...Alright, we understand," Nalira said with a nod as she stood up from the wooden floor." We should get some rest. I’ll place a protective spell on the doors and windows first, just to make sure no dark creatures try to attack us while we sleep." She then walked into the next room.

"Uhmm... Let me help you, Lira." Chelsie said, quickly standing and following behind Nalira.

"Okay, I’ll put out the campfire then."

He stood up, stepped outside, and grabbed a handful of wet soil from the ground. He sprinkled the dirt over the fire until it died out, then let out a deep breath and decided to end the long, exhausting day.

***

After walking for several minutes around the dark Tansel Swamp, Shaan didn’t find any boat that could take them out of the swamp. Slowly, his hope began to fade, and it seemed impossible for all of them to reach the Twilight Sanctum if things stayed like this.

’No, no. I can’t give up,’ Shaan said, tapping his cheeks repeatedly. "I have to believe there’s still hope. I just need to look for—"

"Shaan!" shouted Mr. Courier a few meters ahead of him. "I think I have located a boat we can use to cross the dark Tansel Swamp, but... but we have another problem."