Chapter 427 425-The Marsh
Chapter 427 Chapter425-The Marsh
Ethan hastened his pace, taking advantage of the remaining daylight, eager to find a suitable place for rest.
As he walked, the sky grew darker, and the sun edged closer to setting completely.
Despite his efforts, Ethan had yet to find a spot that was relatively clean and free of mud.
At this point, Ethan couldn’t help but feel a tinge of regret.
The place he had initially found, although later deemed unsuitable due to the corpse of the venomous snake, had actually been quite decent for resting.
His main concern had been the blood from the snake’s body attracting other wild animals.
Ethan, even in his rest, was always highly vigilant.
He was confident that he could sense any creature approaching and believed that, with his current strength, there was likely nothing in the Venomous Serpent Swamp that could pose a real threat to him.
However, the possibility of being disturbed meant he wouldn’t be able to rest properly, and this was his primary worry, leading him to abandon the previous spot.
Whether he could find another restful spot like the earlier one was uncertain now.
At this moment, Ethan found himself reminiscing about his time in the Shadow Forest.
There, the absence of marshlands had made it much easier to find rest; any tree could serve as a suitable resting spot.
However, in his current location, finding a place for a comfortable rest was proving to be quite challenging.
After walking for some time, Ethan found himself facing an expanse of marshland, making it increasingly difficult to discern any path forward.
As the darkness of night deepened, visibility dwindled to the point where it was nearly impossible to see the road ahead.
In this remote area, bereft of any sign of civilization, finding a suitable place to rest now seemed an unattainable goal.
With no other choice, Ethan resigned himself to continue his journey through the night.
However, traversing such a swamp at night posed significant dangers and difficulties.
The Venomous Serpent Swamp was rife with lurking perils, and Ethan knew he had to be exceptionally cautious and vigilant.
Nighttime travel was not like the day; his vision was severely limited, and reacting to sudden emergencies would be far less straightforward than in daylight.
Furthermore, the inability to clearly see the path increased the risk of unwittingly stepping into marshy areas.
Even with Ethan’s extraordinary skills, escaping from a swampy trap would be challenging.
Therefore, Ethan proceeded with extreme caution, wary of any unforeseen dangers.
It was then that Ethan suddenly heard a faint sound, seemingly coming from not too far ahead of him.
The noise was so subtle that it would be easily missed by most, but Ethan’s enhanced physical condition endowed him with exceptionally sharp hearing, allowing him to detect such slight disturbances.
Alerted by this sound, Ethan immediately became vigilant.
He was well aware that nothing in the Venomous Serpent Swamp was benign, so even such a faint noise could not be taken lightly.
He quickly turned his attention to discerning the source of the sound, prepared for whatever might lie ahead.
As Ethan observed carefully, he indeed noticed something startling.
In front of him, the marsh was subtly bubbling up.
Upon seeing this, Ethan immediately sensed something amiss.
He knew something was lurking beneath the surface of the mud.
His brow furrowed, Ethan was on high alert.
While bubbles in a swamp are a common sight, he could tell these were no ordinary marsh bubbles.
They were not the natural kind one might expect in a mud pit but rather suggested the presence of something beneath.
This realization made Ethan aware that an imminent crisis was likely waiting for him.
And just as Ethan had anticipated, the situation unfolded exactly as he had suspected.
As he was contemplating this, the mud pit before him suddenly erupted, and something burst forth, lunging in his direction.
Fortunately, Ethan had already detected the abnormal signs and was prepared.
With a swift movement, he dodged out of the way.
The creature’s speed was incredibly fast; had Ethan not been on guard, he might have been struck by it.
The speed of the attack, compounded by the darkness, meant that Ethan couldn’t even make out what the creature was.
And after its initial attack failed, the creature, moving like a rope, bent and swiftly wrapped around Ethan’s body.
Ethan had never anticipated such a situation, but fortunately, his extensive combat experience meant he didn’t panic.
Seizing the moment before the creature fully entangled him, Ethan swiftly crouched down and wriggled free from its grasp.
This maneuver, reminiscent of a cicada shedding its skin, seemed fluid and effortless, but Ethan knew just how perilous it had been.
Had it not been for his formidable strength, anyone else with slightly less prowess might have been easily ensnared by the creature.
The creature, failing to capture Ethan, quickly burrowed back into the marsh, vanishing from sight.
The only evidence of its presence was the continuing bubbles at the spot where it had submerged, proving something had indeed been there.
Ethan looked at the marsh with a sense of surprise.
He hadn’t expected such a seemingly ordinary swamp to conceal such danger.
He felt fortunate for his narrow escape.
Had he been entangled by the creature, he might have been dragged into the depths of the marsh.
The consequences of such an event were too dreadful to contemplate.
Even with all his skills, Ethan knew he would be at a disadvantage in the marsh, a terrain where the creature would naturally have the upper hand.
What might have happened in such a scenario was something even Ethan couldn’t be sure of.
This encounter in the Venomous Serpent Swamp reaffirmed Ethan’s cautious approach as entirely justified.
However, Ethan still hadn’t figured out what had attacked him when it suddenly emerged from the mire.
The creature’s speed was simply astonishing.
From the moment it burst forth, to its attempt to entangle Ethan, and finally, its disappearance, it all happened in the blink of an eye.
Even though Ethan possessed remarkable abilities, within that split second, he couldn’t quite make out what the creature truly was.
Furthermore, the sky had grown completely dark by now, and the creature was covered in a thick layer of mud, rendering it impossible for Ethan to discern its appearance.
In this moment, curiosity about the creature’s identity took hold of Ethan’s heart.
After all, Ethan was an inherently curious person.
He had been ambushed by something from the depths of the swamp, and not knowing what it was bothered him.
So, at this juncture, Ethan made the decision to stay and find out exactly what had attacked him, to unveil the true nature and appearance of the mysterious creature.
Under these circumstances, most people would have chosen to leave immediately, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the swamp, in order to avoid another encounter with whatever lurked beneath.
However, Ethan wasn’t inclined to leave just yet.
Instead, he decided to stay, patiently awaiting the reappearance of the creature.
Ethan was determined to discover its true identity, to understand what it truly was.
Ethan’s decision to stay and uncover the nature of the mysterious creature wasn’t driven solely by his curiosity.
Indeed, his curiosity played a part, as Ethan’s inquisitive nature meant he wouldn’t be at ease without understanding the identity of the creature.
However, there were other, more pressing reasons for his choice.
A significant factor was the unknown potential threat this creature posed.
Ethan still had a long journey ahead through the Venomous Serpent Swamp, and he couldn’t be certain if other marshes harbored similar creatures.
Not knowing what the creature was or the extent of its abilities seemed to Ethan the greatest danger of all.
If he were to encounter it again without this knowledge, he might find himself unprepared and vulnerable, a situation he deemed highly risky.
As the saying goes, ‘Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you will win a hundred battles.’ Ethan believed that understanding the creature was crucial for his safety.
Additionally, Ethan felt a need to address the fact that the creature had initiated the attack.
In Ethan’s view, anyone or anything that provoked him unprovokedly deserved a fitting response.
Therefore, he was determined to deal with this creature decisively, ensuring it wouldn’t pose a threat again.
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