Translator: CinderTL
"A Chaos Creature from the outer planes?"
Hearing this, Roland frowned, racking his memory for any relevant knowledge, but found nothing.
He could only shake his head slightly.
"It seems this witch's knowledge... far surpasses Mr. Bronson's."
With his usual caution, Roland began to inquire in detail about the Slaad Toad, a demonic beast he had never encountered before.
In this perilous world, any demonic beast could possess a deadly, counterintuitive ability capable of easily claiming lives. Unless absolutely necessary, Roland always avoided engaging unknown creatures in combat.
Vanessa seemed to have anticipated Roland's questions, providing a thorough description of her understanding of the Slaad Toad.
"It's a creature that thrives on spreading chaos. Its appearance is... well..." Vanessa tapped her finger lightly against her lips. "Roughly like a giant toad?"
"They use the color of their skin to distinguish social hierarchy, much like humanoid species."
"Their primary attack method involves using their claws to implant something called a 'Chaos Phage' into humanoid hosts. The victim dies in agony, and a new Slaad Toad bursts from their corpse. But I've also heard..."
Despite the chilling descriptions of the Slaad Toad, Vanessa's expression remained unchanged, her eyes even flickering with curiosity.
"High-ranking Slaad Toads can create a... 'Control Gem'. When implanted into a living creature, it gradually transforms the host into a Slaad Toad, completely overwriting their consciousness."
As she spoke, Vanessa's violet eyes turned to Roland, who stood beside her with a grave expression. She chuckled softly.
"These 'Control Gems' are exceedingly rare. If you happen to acquire one, why not let me study it?"
"Trust me, just like that Psionic Energy Potion, I'll deliver an unexpected surprise."
Despite her words, Vanessa's eyes betrayed no genuine anticipation.
In truth...
Her gaze drifted toward the chaotic aura emanating from the distant region, and the Purple-Haired Witch raised a delicate eyebrow.
Before this, she had captured countless Slaad Toads in pursuit of a Control Gem, yet all her efforts had yielded nothing.
Banishing the memory from her mind, the witch turned her attention back to the young man beside her, a hint of amusement flickering in her eyes.
I'll see for myself... what makes someone favored by the Daughter of the Night so exceptional...
Though these thoughts raced through her mind, her expression remained impassive as she answered Roland's questions one by one.
"Physical attributes rivaling those of powerful demonic beasts, and... that plague-like virus..."
As Roland mentally summarized Vanessa's information, his brow furrowed deeper.
Demonic beasts that relied not only on brute force but also possessed bizarre abilities were precisely the type he least wanted to confront.
After a moment's contemplation, Roland asked, "Miss Vanessa, are there any other routes to the west besides this one?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Roland..." The Purple-Haired Witch shook her head gently. "You may not realize it yet, but the terrain in this region has changed significantly since the mist spread."
"As far as I know, the Slaad Toad-infested swamp ahead is the most direct path to the west and out of this area."
Vanessa wasn't deliberately deceiving Roland with this statement.
In truth, her desire to leave this region with him was genuine, as was her intention to test his capabilities.
The only difference was that if Roland were to die by the claws of a Slaad Toad, she wouldn't feel a shred of remorse or guilt. That was all.
"Oh, right..." Vanessa murmured, as if suddenly remembering something. "These Slaad Toads have been unusually docile lately. I suspect... it might be because a powerful entity has emerged within their ranks."
"After all, given the Slaad Toads' innate reverence for strength, any individual capable of suppressing their primal instincts must be extraordinary."
Roland committed this warning to memory and took a deep breath.
"Miss Vanessa, how is the Slaad Toads' vision?"
"Not very good. They primarily rely on... their sense of smell? But in this dense fog saturated with magic elements..." The witch's lips curled into a faint smile, as if recalling something amusing. "Even the keenest nose would struggle to detect any scent trails..."
Hearing this, Roland glanced around at the swirling mist, and a plan instantly formed in his mind.
He instructed Mason and Vanessa to remain where they were, then quietly slipped into the fog ahead, Pixie Tracy perched on his shoulder.
As the outline of the Slaad Toad's swamp finally pierced through the dense fog, Roland understood why Vanessa had called this the most direct route to the west.
What met Roland's eyes was not the vast, boundless wetland he had imagined.
The thick fog had distorted the landscape, transforming it into a treacherous passage.
Jagged black rock walls, like the ribs of a colossal beast, rose abruptly from the fog, squeezing the only viable path between them.
It was a deathly zone, reeking of decay and covered in dark green duckweed and murky swamps.
The path twisted and turned, wedged between the cold, hard rocks like a forcibly torn wound oozing venom.
Roland surveyed his surroundings.
Unlike the towering mountains he had seen in the Northlands, these fog-shrouded rock walls weren't particularly high.
Overall, they resembled jagged piles of rock that had been forced up from the depths of the earth.
Yet their steep slopes, shrouded in the heavy fog, made climbing them an impossible dream for ordinary people.
But this posed no problem for Roland.
In fact... it might even give him an advantage in battle.
With a glint in his eyes, Roland crouched low and cautiously crept forward.
As he approached the narrow swamp passage, he abruptly changed direction, carefully surveying the surrounding terrain.
After stretching his limbs, he ascended the rocky outcrop with astonishing agility.
The dense fog severely limited visibility and made the rocks dangerously slippery, forcing Roland to tread with extreme caution.
He climbed for what felt like an eternity, until the faint moonlight completely faded and the first weak rays of dawn struggled to pierce the fog. Only then did he finally reach a sufficient height.
Landing on a relatively flat rock surface, he gazed down into the swamp passage as the sky gradually brightened.
Just as Vanessa had described, a group of monstrous creatures resembling giant toads, each with varying colors and shapes, were coiled within the narrow passage.
They stood upright on their thick hind legs, patrolling the wetlands.
A nauseating stench of decay rose slowly with the fog, causing Roland's stomach to churn.
"One, two, three... thirty-six? The numbers aren't as alarming as I expected..."
After confirming the number of Slaad Toads, Roland let out a soft breath.
Then, illuminated by the faint glow emanating from Pixie Tracy, a ball of orange-red fire, pulsating with dangerous energy, began to coalesce at his fingertips.
(End of the Chapter)
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