Chapter 793 Arriving At The Miasmic Swamps
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After getting things done, we quickly decided to advance across the Wild Beast Savannahs. This place earned its name because… Well, it was filled to the brim with beast-type monsters, such as wolves, bears, cats, horses, monkeys, gorillas, rats, or rabbits… giant rabbits, yeah.
This also counted as a Haunt, as it was filled with Miasma, which made the population of monsters increase exponentially over the many years that it had existed. It was the perfect place to grind as much EXP as we could before reaching the farther lands, where Lara was being held captive by Arachne.
"We've explored this place in detail back then, when we were one big team." Said uncle Arafunn. "The reason why we've chosen this dangerous path is so you kids can grow a bit stronger, especially you, young Luck. You're particularly weak."
"I-I know…" Luck sighed, as he walked at my right side while Aquarina was at my left side, zealously holding my left arm.
"Come on now, don't be so ruthless with Luck, he's really young." Said Allan. "Actually, who's weird here are our kids, they're all too strong for their age, I would say, hahaha!"
"Hmm, perhaps, but that's because we've been training them since they were like… three years of age." Sighed Shade. "Luck didn't had such opportunities, so now we have to help him catch up, even if a little bit."
"Thank you for helping me so much…" Luck sighed. "I had honestly given up on everything so far after I lost Lara… Yet all of you have helped me find a path and a new goal. Not everything is over yet, as long as she's still alive, then there's a chance to rescue her. I'll grow stronger so I can tear apart any other damn bug that gets in my way."
"That's the spirit, boy!" My father laughed. "Now, when did we visit this place again? I don't have the best memory out there…"
"Sigh…" Arafunn sighed. "I guess humans do have poor memory. Especially muscle heads like you, dear Allan."
"Muscle head?!" My father complained. "I think you're being a big too harsh, Arafunn. I've never insulted you before!"
"Fufu, I'm sorry, you're such a sweetheart that sometimes I just want to tease you." Laughed my uncle.
"Anyways, foolishness aside, we've visited this forest a lot of times back then. Firs when we came to look for Elise, she lived here alone with the beasts. Second when we had to come back to find her Divine Relic, which was within one of the Abandoned Ruins. And third, when we brought her… preserved body to bury her on her grave." Shade said, looking slightly saddened.
"Wait, so this Savannah is actually Luck's predecessor's home?!" I asked in shock. "You should had said that beforehand! I thought it was just another random Haunt…"
"Hahaha, well, it wasn't." My dad laughed. "Elise lived here since she was a child. Much like Ninhursag, she was part of a tribe of people that had high affinity with beasts. Although they couldn't transform like her, they could call upon the power of the beasts they tamed through Beast Magic. Elise, once she was chosen as a Hero… met a great tragedy, at the young age of 2, her entire village was wiped out by demons, with very similar intentions to the ones that have chased down Luck and Lara…"
"So… She went through the same I did…" Luck sighed. "No, even worse, since she was so young…"
"It was thanks to her connection with Nature that she survived. The Beast Spirits and the Beasts of the forest protected her." Said Shade. "She was raised by a pack of wolves led by a powerful Gray Fenrir, who was like her father figure, while her motherly figure was a Giant Mammoth, who had lost her pack to the monsters, and raised her together with the Fenrir."
"A-Amazing… It feels like a fairy tale." Celeste said. "She must have been a really unique girl."
"She was…" My father nodded, smiling faintly. "Elise… Your mother must still miss her." He looked back at me.
"Mom… I never thought about it too deeply, but I guess… All of you lost so many friends you loved. It must have been horrible." I sighed. "I'm sorry for neve considering this before…"
"Oh? Ahahah, it was never our intention for you to do so." My father laughed.
"Sylphy…" Aquarina sighed.
"Yeah, don't worry about it." Shade smiled. "The past is in the past, and the present is the present. Right?"
"Indeed!" Arafunn laughed. "Now, we won't let such tragedies of the past happen, you kids will have our protection until we all die! Anyways, we came here not to just cry over Elise, I miss that cheeky girl too, but there's another reason aside from making Luck stronger by merely battling monsters."
"Yeah, it is the inheritance of Elise." Said my father. "This is the perfect time for us to go back to those ruins where we left her Divine Relic and grab it back for you, Luck! Also, we might get her old equipment, which was also stored there, all her magic stuff."
"W-Wouldn't that be like robbing a grave?" Aquarina wondered.
"No, Elise left those things for her successor." Shade said. "She told us before dying that she wanted her successor to inherit everything she had, even her pack of wolves, and her divine spirit beasts. I suppose you've already inherited the later, Luck."
"Y-Yeah, I guess…" Luck sighed. "But I do wonder… If I could even compare to someone that helped defeating the Demon King… Compared to the Hero Elise, I bet I'm just nothing…"
"Yeah, kind of." Arafunn laughed.
"Oi stop being rude with the kid!" My father angrily said.
"Hahaha, my bad." Uncle laughed. "First, Luck, you and your friends here will have to prove us that you're capable of inheriting Elise's strength. We're about to reach THAT area…"
"Yep, here we are." My father nodded, pointing in front of us.
There was a large valley resembling a swamp, filled with bubbling black miasma, and several monstrous beasts lurking around…
"Welcome to the Miasmic Swamps."
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