Swimming ahead with an escort of horrendous monsters protecting me from all sides the six of us quickly reached the new area.
Compared to the rest of the swamp which was simply scattered islands surrounded by dark murky water the space ahead was more detailed.
Humongous trees sprouted out of the water and hundreds of different types of plants filled the area.
Upon entering the new area while still swimming I ended up scraping my knee on the hard ground.
Confused by this I tried to stand up only to realize that the water barely went up past my ankles.
Having water drip down the lining of the wetsuit, standing tall I scanned the area seeing much of the same thing.
Knowing that with the little water available I would have to discard some of the puppets I turned my attention to them.
Unfortunately, the fish was one of these such creatures and the water was simply too shallow for it to survive.
Thankfully the three alligators could manage as their feet remained in the water.
However, this revealed much of their bodies and made their most powerful attack, ambushing, useless. Nonetheless, the creatures would still come in handy as it would be one more target an enemy would have to deal with.
In addition to the fish, I would have to give up on the turtle as the water wasn't deep enough for it to swim in.
Although I could have it tag along it was far too slow to be able to keep up.
Thus not wanting to sustain their life anymore I released control over them as I felt the strain on my head lighten.
A red mist appeared in the water sometime later but quickly vanished.
To be extra safe I always kept the monsters underwater and made sure to keep the red mist hidden in case the shadows were watching, however I would have to give up on that plan by this point.
Although it might come as a shock to them I needed to keep the gators with me because of how dangerous the mob can be.
Plus I figured that after I killed the monsters I could always hunt down the shadows to prevent them from sharing anything that happened inside the dungeon.
But that was something for me to worry about in the future. Thus I and three dinosaur-like abominations moved through the marsh part of the swamp with the intent of slaying a devil.
Two hours or so later I had to give up on the mission for the time being. My body was exhausted and the mental tax from keeping five huge monsters under my control most of the day was taking a heavy toll.
Thankfully, I bought a waterproof tent. So I set it up in the middle of the marsh.
Unlike in the main part of the swamp, there wasn't any dry area I could use unless I attempted to climb one of the trees but even then there weren't any big branches that could support me.
Sinking the pins in murky water the tent managed to stay in position however I quickly realized an annoying problem when entering.
The entrance to the tent was a little bit submerged which meant that when I entered some water would enviably get inside.
To prevent it from getting completely soaked I removed my water suit.
Unable to see a way to get around it I cursed as I quickly opened the entrance and hopped inside before closing it as fast as I could.
Although I was quick a bit of water littered the ground, unfortunately there wasn't anything I could do as I pulled out a sleeping bag and let it absorb the water.
Hoping that the thick layer of material would prevent me from feeling wet inside, I had a quick meal before huddling inside.
Thankfully it wasn't too bad so I sent a mental command to the monster to protect me before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep.
When I woke up I ate a bit more food and drank from a canteen as I was once again reminded how important it was to prepare before going out on an adventure.
When I was all set to go hunting I equipped the wetsuit again and jumped outside before tearing down the tent and putting it away.
Having the alligators come up to me and checking over their bodies I made sure they didn't get into a fight last night. When everyone looked to be in good shape the four of us moved out.
Exploring the area took a lot more effort as rather than simply swimming I had to trudge through the muddy water and if I wasn't careful at times it was easy to get stuck.
My body definitely wasn't happy with all the nonstop exercise I was getting but I was healthy enough and my wound was pretty much healed.
After passing countless of the same trees and scaring off a few monsters that seemed starved enough to give us a shot I finally found the monster that I had been looking for this whole time.
In the heart of the marsh, standing still in a clearing was the sight of a breathtakingly beautiful black stallion.
Its presence exuded an aura of both power and grace, as it majestically lowered its head to drink some of the water.
A flowing mane of midnight black cascaded like a waterfall down its neck coupled with its obsidian coat that glistened in the sun left me stunned.
Every curve of its muscular frame spoke of untamed strength and agility as if its very figure was inviting me to ride.
Captivated by the horse I began taking steps forward towards the beautiful creature.
Enthralled, the only thought that went through my mind was to climb onto the back of the grand stallion and ride it for eternity.
As I moved unrestricted due to the unusual lack of trees and plants my eyes sparkled with a glint of achievement for finding such a mythical being.
I knew that I had to claim the horse as my own.
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