The hunger eventually overcame reason, and the wooden bucket fell to the ground.
With a hint of devout hope in his heart, the boy trembled as he crawled to the riverbank, cautiously bringing his mouth closer.
He took a sip, and in an instant, his eyes were filled with delight.
So sweet!
The boy's face showed an expression of ecstatic joy, lying by the riverbank, drinking exuberantly, wishing he could pour the entire river into his stomach...
Meanwhile, not far away, a villager who had also come to fetch water was staring in terror at the riverbank, the wooden bucket in his hands clattering to the ground.
His legs trembled uncontrollably from fear, leaving only incoherent sounds from his mouth.
"...Monster, monster!"
It was a monster roughly two meters tall, its slender limbs contrasting with its bloated body, resembling a giant frog filled with air, with its entire body covered in ominous pustules.
