Chapter 9 – Swamp Forest.

Swamp Forest as name suggest is a swamp forest, but with little twists here and there.

The terrains that you walk on is often a dummy, if you don't look carefully enough and distinquess the surface from the dummy, your leg may end up falling into a water pit.

There is tons of trees here that reduces your field of view, if you are not careful you can often end up running into enemy while your guard is down.

Unlike west forest, the size of this forest is at least 3 times bigger and there is way more different enemy types. There are Frog-Mans that are able to use magic or bows, they are very annoying.

Enemies here have home advantage, they already known bit about the layout of this terrain and they know how to fight properly in this terrain.

"But honestly speaking, those Frog-Mans were quiet disappointing. They are indeed stronger that those I fought in west forest, but that is only because they are higher level. They launch their attacks at random and it's easy to predict attacks as long as you don't panic. Well there are also new ones that uses bows, sword or axes."

"Quiet boring I would say. Aren't there any like that mage I fought in the west forest?"

[ Mix ] – [ Level 20 ] [ Min ] – [ Level 17 ]

"All of the monster I encounter so far were Frog-Mans, honestly speaking I can tame one of them but they are really not that interesting or strong, even Min who is weaker than them can kill one of two now, after she got used to battling them. The guard said that there are other species living here besides Frog-Mans, maybe I should have asked him where I could find them, before I left the town."

Mix opened her map, to see her current exploration progress.

(This time I don't have access to a full map of the terrain and it will take some time before I fill out the empty spots. Well no use complaining, I should be glad right now, since there are no players besides me, currently hunting here, I can farm EXP in peace.) – though Mix while sitting on pile of corpse.

"I already killed everything in this area, so let's move to the next one."

Mix begined traveling east.

Sometime later.

[You have slain: Bhu'n Frog-Man Apprentice Mage.]

[ Mix ] – [ Level 21 ] [ Min ] – [ Level 18 ]

"Still Frog-Mans and nothing else. I though there would be something else appearing, since the terrain here very different compare to the terrain before."

(The terrain here have way less trees, but there is instead way more water, by the look of things this part of the swamp forest is just a straight up swamp.)

"GHAAAAA!"

Mix turned her head towards the source of the sound and see Frog-Man charging straight at her.

"Ha… Dude, don't you see the corpses of your dead comrades around me and me being unscratched? Do you really think that you alone can-"

A giant jaw suddenly appeared behind the Frog-Man and catched it with its giant jaws, then moment later it disappearing with its victim back to the water, leaving no traces behind.

"…That…was a crocodile or was that alligator?" – (So the Frog-Man was not charging at me but trying to run away from it, by the look of things.)

(Finally found something beside the Frog-Mans!) – though Mix with excited look on her face.

Mix begined approaching the spot where Frog-Man were last seen.

(There way more water here and this in turn will probably hinder my movements, but good thing I have this.)

[Bhu'n Frog-Man Apprentice Mage Bracelet]

[Item type: Equipment.]

[Equipment type: Bracelet.]

[Rarity: Epic]

[Effect when worn:

-Grants +15 [ Intelligent ], [ Magic ] and to [ Magic Defense ], when worn.

-Generate a skill: [Might OF The Water Frog] for the user. ]

[Item Restriction:

-User need to be at least level 10.]

[Durability: 200/200]

[Weight: 20]

[Bracelet worn once by Bhu'n. Frog-Mans create a bracelet using different animals parts like fangs, claw, herbs and other different type of plants. The Frog-Mans mages create those bracelet to represent their ranks.]

[Frog-Man Mage Mu'nu Bracelet]

[Item type: Equipment.]

[Equipment type: Bracelet.]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Effect when worn:

-Grants +5 [ Intelligent ], [ Magic ] and to [ Magic Defense ], when worn.

-Increases all basic stats by +2, if you are currently in water based terrain or terrains that possess water based attribute.]

[Durability: 100/100]

[Weight: 10]

(Effect of the [Bhu'n Frog-Man Apprentice Mage Bracelet] and [Might OF The Water Frog] was active ever since I entered swamp forest, giving a nice boost.)

(I should somehow mange in that type of terrain thanks to the item and skill effect, but Min probably won't be able to help me much in combat as of right now, the water level is too big for her. However I don't want to unsummon her since I want her to level up. Do I have to carry her on my back?)

Mix picked up a backpack sized rabbit and begined caring her on her back.

"…Nope, I can't fight like this. Is there other way, do it?"

"Leaving Min behind is a option as well, but enemies here often travel in groups and she can't take more than 2 by herself."

"Do you have any ideas, Min?"

Min raised her pawn up in response and moment later she began climbing on the tree. She then jumped from the tree she just climbed, on to the tree surrounded with water.

"Oh. You can jump between the trees? Huh. Well that was an option."

"Can I jump between the tress as well?"

Mix climbed the tree next to her and then tried to jump at the tree next to her.

"Sh*t!" – Mix failed to grab the tree branch and then fallen flat on the water surface.

"This is way harder that I though."

Many tries later and many swearing later.

"SH*T!"

"OH FOR F*CK SAKE!"

"COMMON!"

"BURBLE" "BURBLE" – Mix was swearing with her head underwater.

"YES!" – Mix hand then slipped off. – "F*CK YOU!"

Even more tries later and quiet amount of swearing as well.

"F*king finally."

After many trials Mix is finally able to jump from tree to tree.

(Those parkour videos make things look easier, but I guess it wasn't really the case.)

"Well then, I already wasted quiet amount of time already, so let's resume hunting."

Mix and Min beginner traveling the swamp area by jumping from tree to tree, above the water.

(That jaw that appeared from underneath the water before attacking the Frog-Man and dragging him away, the Frog-Man couldn't even put up the fight while it was dragging it away. I can't see clearly though this water in the first place, it's very murky. I could end up easily end up being ambushed if I traveled in normal way, it was good idea to travel using trees.)

(But how am I going to find that monster? Should I jump into a water and let it attack me? No, there is possibility there is multiple there and even with my current stats there is high chance of me dying if they drag me underwater.)

"It would be nice if I had some sort of bait, so I can drag them out."

Min looked at Mix with scared look, thinking she was referring to her. Mix then looked at Min.

"Oh right, meat."

(I'm dead.) – though Min.

Mix opened up her inventory and threw a piece of smoked meat into a water.

After a few seconds, a small waves of water could be seen.

(!) – Mix noticed a figure suddenly appearing underneath the murky water.

[Swamp Forest Crocodile – Level 22]

(Level 22, a one level higher than me, meaning I can't tame it right now. I only saw it movement and no other movements, meaning it's alone, maybe?)

(Let's see first the bastard in action first, before thinking about taming him.)

Mix took out the cleaver and one handed crossbow from her inventory, before jumping straight at the spot were crocodile was last seen, making Min who was on the tree lose sight of her. Moments later Mix and crocodile reemergent from the water, with Mix having her blade stuck in creature neck.

(Can't cut through. This bastard have high defense!)

Crocodile manage to pull itself away from Mix and her blade, it then attempted to bite the Mix with it big jaws, Mix in response used the cleaver sword to attack the top jaw from underneath, stopping it's movements and damaging the creature, she used one of her legs as well, to stop the bottom jaw of the creature.

"Open wide!"

Mix shoot the crossbow bolt right in the creature mouth, making it scream in agony, she then quickly pulled her self away from monster and then strike the creature in its neck that was already damaged from previous attack, finishing it off.

[You have slain: Swamp Forest Crocodile – Level 22. Received EXP will be shared. You received 128 EXP.]

"!"

"The EXP I received from killing single one is massive." – ( Single Frog-Mans around between level 19-23 give around 58-84 Exp in total, not splitted. I'm Currently receiving 50% of the EXP, so crocodiles gives 214 EXP?!)

"Well bastard was definity way stronger that group of the Frog-Mans combined. Both of his physical strength and defense were quiet high, his HP pool seems to be quiet big as well."

"Now I know this bastard is quiet dangerous, but what about the fight on the land."

Mix begined climbing the tree next to her after looting the corpse of the monster, she then began preparing her next experiment.

Minutes later.

There was a trail of the smoked meat in the water, leading straight to the ground. The crocodile spotted by Mix beforehand, began eating the meat one by one and then fallowed the meat that was put on the solid ground.

(Okay, I manage to bait on the one of them into a solid land now let's how they manages to fight on solid ground type of terrain.)

Mix jumped down from the tree and cutted off crocodile path.

"Round 2." – said Mix while taunting the creature with the meat in her hand.

The crocodile noticed the Mix and begined charging straight at her.

(Don't finish the fight instantly, focus on observing it's battle style.)

Mix begined leading the creature away from the water while dodging it attacks, a series of bites were launched at the Mix nonstop. While Mix was moving away from the monster, she ended up having her back blocked by tree, the creature noticed that and tried to lock her with it jaw in horizontal way. Mix jumped from that spot before monster jaws got her, making the creature only bite tree.

(The trees here are two time sturdier that those in west forest and the crocodile attack was able to damage that sturdy tree.)

The crocodile removed it's jaw from the tree and then tried using it tail to strike at the Mix who was right next to it, Mix dodged the attack and the tail hit the tree that was damage from crocodile bite, breaking it and making it fall on the ground.

(Its tail is quiet powerful as well.)

(Let's use a bit weaker weapons now.)

Mix taken out a spear and sword that she took from Frog-Mans she killed and begined fighting against the crocodile for quite some time.

[You have slain: Swamp Forest Crocodile – Level 22. Received EXP will be shared. You received 128 EXP.]

[LEVEL UP. You became level 22!]

[Tamed creature: Min, had LEVELD UP. Min became level 19!]

(High [ Physical Defense ], [ Magic Defense ], [ Strength ], and [ Health ] stat, however it lacks a bit speed and it doesn't seem to posses any skills as of right now. Anyway it's perfect monster to tame at as of right now for me.)

Mix returned to the spots where she encountered the first and second crocodile, in hopes of finding one to tame.

(…No reaction. I dropped some pieces of meat in multiple places and none of them were eaten. So the 2 I found before wondered outside their regular territory. Well no use complaining, I have to head towards deeper if I want find any, by the look of things.)

Mix begined traveling the swamp with Min by jumping from tree to tree while getting deeper and deeper in Swamp Forest Crocodile territory, while encountering and killing any Frog-Mans they came across.

(Finally found some. Let's see…. [Level 19], [Level 20], [Level 21] and there are some [Level 22], I don't see any with level 23, so guess the highest level of Swamp Forest Crocodiles is 22?)

(?)

Mix noticed a different looking crocodile laying on the giant rock, that was surrounded by many Swamp Forest Crocodile.

[Bloodthirsty Swamp Forest Crocodile – Level 22]

(The heck is that? Is two time bigger that compare to the regular Swamp Forest Crocodile and unlike the regular one who have dark green colored skin, it has instead a dark red color skin instead. Is it evolution? No, there are level 22 Swamp Forest Crocodile, exactly the same level as that one. There was no message indicating that is a boss monster as well.)

(By any chance, is this a rare monster?)

Rare monsters.

Rare monsters are enemies you can often find in game that have low encountering rate. In games rare monsters are often depicted as more powerful enemies that gives you a plenty of rewards or running away enemy, that if you manage to hunt you will end up receiving special rewards, like a treasure or massive amount of EXP.

(…Can I tame it?) – a question popped up in Mix head, while a smile appeared on her face.

(I want it! But it won't be easy. There is tons of enemies surrounding it and they are not weaklings like Frog-Mans.)

"Now this is a challenge that seems interesting! I think I have to go all out from the get go if want to succeed!" – A smile of the monster appeared on Mix face once again.

"[Summon: Grey Chess Pawn] x2 and [Summon: Lesser Water Frog]."

Right next to the Mix, on the forest branches a 3 circle like pattern appeared on them and from them a two Grey Chess Pawn emergent while from the third one an frog made out of water appeared.

"Let's have some fun."