The morning by the Reed River was filled with the chirping of grey sparrows hopping on branches. The golden morning light pierced through the dense forest canopy, casting mottled shadows on the campsite of the Rotten Moss Tribe.
Unlike the usual busy morning scenes, today the central bonfire pit of the tribe was surrounded by lizardfolk. They were witnessing the scene of a young lizardfolk preparing for the shaman trial.
The bonfire in the pit had long since gone out, leaving only dark red embers. All the tribespeople wore solemn expressions at this moment, even the usually most noisy younglings stayed quietly by their mothers' sides.
In the center of the crowd, the elderly shaman Shazak was performing a sacred ritual.
He chanted ancient and obscure prayers, used a stone mortar to crush several specific leaves, kneading out a deep green juice. Then, he carefully smeared this juice onto the face and exposed chest of a young lizardfolk with his fingers, drawing simple yet mysterious patterns.
After completing all this, Shaman Shazak slowly took a step back, his cloudy eyes fixed on Tulk, his voice low and solemn. "Tulk, facing the Ancestral Spirits and Putu, ask your own heart. Is your faith as firm as bedrock? Are you ready to accept nature's trial upon you?"
The young lizardfolk named Tulk straightened his chest. Though his heart pounded like a drum, his gaze was exceptionally resolute. "I am prepared, Shaman Shazak. For the tribe."
"Good." Shaman Shazak nodded, leaned on his walking stick, and turned to walk towards the edge of the camp.
The watching lizardfolk silently made way, their eyes filled with encouragement, worry, and anticipation.
Shaman Shazak faced the fog filled with unknowns, stood in place with both hands tightly gripping his walking stick, and without turning his head, gave his final instructions.
"Go, child. Once you step into the forest, never look back. Even if you lose your way, even if your heart is filled with fear, never take a single step backward."
"Remember, the first living thing you encounter in the forest will be your enemy. Defeat it, and it will grant you the power to distinguish the flora and fauna of the swamp."
"And the second creature you encounter, no matter what form it takes, pay it no mind. It is an indispensable temptation on the path of trial."
"Cough... Once you are bewitched by it, your soul will be forever lost in the thick mist, never to find the way home again."
"Ignore it, and you will gain the intuition to discern direction within the misty swamp."
"But the trial does not end here. You must continue forward until... you encounter a slime."
The shaman's voice paused for a moment. "Listen to its request, help it. In return, it will guide you to comprehend the true essence of nature, bestowing upon you the power to live in harmony with the swamp."
"When all this is completed, the trial will be considered over. Only then can you follow the guidance in your heart to return."
Tulk was momentarily stunned, then nodded gravely, placed his hands together in front of his chest, and said softly, "I understand. Putu will favor His devout believer."
Shaman Shazak let out a light sigh, his voice carrying complex emotions. "Go, just like Sekashi did, go and win Putu's recognition."
"The tribe will wait here for you for half a month. If after half a month, we still haven't seen your figure... for survival's sake, the tribe will have no choice but to set out and migrate north. Tulk, take care of yourself."
"May the Ancestral Spirits and Putu protect you. Have a smooth journey and return safely."
The tribespeople behind him also waved goodbye one after another, their voices rising and falling.
"Tulk, go with peace of mind. I'll take care of your sister."
"Kid, come back early. I, your uncle, am waiting to grill the biggest, fattest fish for you."
"Be careful, child..." Tulk's mother's choked-up reminder.
After tightly embracing his tearful parents, though his heart was filled with endless reluctance and apprehension towards the unknown, Tulk resolutely picked up his wooden spear, turned, and took his first step into the mist.
His figure was quickly swallowed by the thick fog, disappearing from the sight of his tribespeople.
He knew that after the Magical Tides, autumn in the swamp would be the season of greatest abundance.
The tribe's hunting party must venture deep into the forest at that time to store enough food for the long winter.
However, Shaman Shazak was already old, no longer able to lead the hunting party on long journeys, and Sekashi had gone to the snowy mountains with no news since.
Without a shaman's guidance, the hunting party would be unable to move an inch in the perilous swamp. With bad luck, they could even be completely wiped out.
For the continuation of the tribe, so that his parents and tribespeople would no longer go hungry, he must pass the trial and gain the power to guide his people.
Far from the noise of the camp, the morning swamp was quieter than he had imagined. Even the chirping of insects and birds had disappeared, as if all life had deliberately hidden itself.
At first, he could still see the traces left by the hunting party in the swamp. But as he ventured deeper, these traces completely vanished as well.
He understood he had now stepped into unknown territory that even the bravest hunters of the tribe rarely set foot in.
The dense fog became the greatest obstacle, visibility was extremely low. Beyond three meters, nothing could be seen clearly. Only the silent Swamp Oak Trees stood like blurred ghostly shadows in the mist, bringing him heavy psychological pressure.
Tulk firmly remembered Shaman Shazak's instruction of "cannot look back," forcefully suppressing the urge to glance back at the path he came from, and focused his attention on the road ahead.
To be honest, the silent swamp gave a strong sense of oppression. Occasionally, confusion and fear would rise in his heart, but they were quickly suppressed by an even stronger determination.
After an unknown length of time, a faint rustling sound came from behind the curtain of fog ahead.
Tulk instantly became alert, all his muscles tensed. He immediately gripped his wooden spear tightly, lowered his body, and like a hunter, silently crept forward.
Pushing aside layer upon layer of mist, the scene ahead gradually became clear. A common tree appeared before him, with a large, dull-colored mushroom growing beneath it. Other than that, there was nothing unusual.
"A Fluorescent Mycenen?" Tulk immediately recognized this type of Magical Creature skilled in camouflage.
Such nocturnal Magical Creatures would emit alluring fluorescence at night, swaying their bodies to scatter spores, luring curious prey to take the bait, then devouring them.
During the day, they would shed their glow, becoming like ordinary fungi, falling into slumber to absorb sunlight.
But this did not mean they were completely non-aggressive. With any touch, they would instantly erupt with a large amount of hallucinogenic spores, stunning the prey. Then they would take root on the still-living prey, absorbing nutrients.
They were quite deceptive Magical Creatures.
"The first Magical Creature encountered is the enemy..." Tulk recalled the shaman's teachings.
He held his breath, stopped a few meters away from the Mycenen, steadily raised his wooden spear, and aimed at that seemingly harmless grey mushroom cap.
He took a deep breath, suppressed his nervousness, exerted force from his waist, and his arm violently threw the spear.
Simultaneously, his body quickly moved sideways, seeking cover.
"Whoosh!"
The wooden spear cut through the air, accurately piercing through the center of the Mycenen's cap.
"Ahhhh!"
A sharp scream instantly tore through the swamp's silence. That "mushroom" suddenly convulsed violently, erupting with dazzling fluorescent light all over its body. It frantically twisted and ran, stirring the surrounding mist into rolling turmoil.
Only after several minutes did it gradually come to a stop, finally plunging headfirst into the murky mire. The fluorescence completely extinguished, and it moved no more.
Tulk patiently waited a while longer, confirmed it was safe, then cautiously approached.
He held his breath to avoid inhaling any residual spores that might be floating in the air, then forcefully pulled the wooden spear from the gradually stiffening Mycenen corpse.
The moment the spear separated, he felt his vision blur. It seemed a wisp of light escaped from the Mycenen's body and drilled into the center of his forehead.
A cool, refreshing sensation flowed through his brain. His eyes regained clarity. He didn't feel any obvious physical changes.
But when he subconsciously glanced at a short plant by his feet that he hadn't recognized before, a name naturally surfaced in his mind.
"Snake-tooth Orchid. Sap slightly toxic, can repel mosquitoes and insects. Roots can be ground for external application to treat minor ulcers."
"So miraculous..."
Tulk couldn't help but whisper in amazement, marveling at the wonder of natural power.
He rested briefly, wiped the filth from his spear on some moss, and with reverence for natural power and a bit of confidence from his newly gained ability, took another step forward, heading deeper into the mist.
As time passed, the midday sun gradually rose overhead. The scorching sunlight struggled to pierce through the forest canopy, dispersing some of the thick fog, making the gloomy forest a bit brighter and warmer.
This scene was like a divine revelation, as if Putu was quietly watching and favoring him.
The warm sunlight penetrated the thinning mist, falling on Tulk's scaly skin, bringing a hint of warmth and easing his originally tense mood.
Easily dealing with that Fluorescent Mycenen greatly reduced his fear of the trial. His confidence swelled rapidly like a vine soaked in water.
"The trial doesn't seem as terrifying as Shaman Shazak said." This thought flashed through Tulk's mind.
Leaning on his spear, he carefully skirted a patch of bubbling mire, his gaze aimlessly sweeping over a half-collapsed ancient ruin ahead.
Those broken walls and ruins led his thoughts to wander, guessing what had happened here.
Just then, something shimmered before his eyes.
Tulk instinctively squinted, looking towards the source of the reflection.
In the corner of the broken stone wall of the ruins, a ray of midday sunlight happened to fall there. An egg-sized, magnificent gem lay quietly on the moss, refracting an intoxicating, dazzling array of colorful light.
That luster was so pure, so alluring, as if it condensed all the splendor of the world. One look told it was a priceless treasure.
Wealth!
Wealth enough for the entire tribe to live a prosperous life!
Tulk subconsciously was about to take a step. However, the moment his toes lifted, Shaman Shazak's aged and serious warning echoed in his mind.
"The second creature you encounter... is an indispensable temptation on the path of trial... Once bewitched, you will be forever lost..."
"It's a temptation! Can't go over!"
Tulk shuddered violently, forcefully halted his step, his heart pounding wildly.
He forced himself to look away, no longer gazing at that dazzling brilliance. Then he carefully and quickly detoured around it, continuing forward into the unknown.
Not long after he left, nearly transparent silver threads faintly glowed around that quietly lying gem.
A ghost-faced spider, as large as a human head, covered in dark fur, crawled out from the shadowy crevices of the stone wall. It skillfully picked up the gem and retreated back into its dark nest.
Simultaneously, a flash of green halo flickered from the spider's body, quietly catching up to Tulk who had already walked far away, silently merging into the back of his head.
The familiar cool sensation washed over him again, clearer than the last time.
Tulk was surprised to find that the surrounding mist now seemed... much more familiar in his eyes.
That feeling of panic from losing direction disappeared. His brain seemed injected with a peculiar intuition. The directions of east, south, west, and north instantly became crystal clear.
He even had a feeling that if he wished, he could now clearly find the path back to the tribe.
"Passed... the second trial is also passed." Tulk let out a long sigh of relief, breaking out in a cold sweat from the fright.
That moment just now, the temptation was so real and intense. If not for the shaman's warning, he might have already fallen for it.
He now even thought with lingering fear: if earlier, while dealing with the Fluorescent Mycenen, he had accidentally inhaled the hallucinogenic spores, causing his consciousness to blur, the consequences would have been unthinkable. He likely would have stumbled dazedly towards that gem.
"Too close."
After this lesson, he no longer dared to be careless.
After resting on the spot for a moment, calming his mind, Tulk began to focus on searching for the final trial's slime.
Yet strangely, in this swamp area with the most slimes, after trekking for an entire afternoon, he hadn't even seen a single ordinary slime.
By the pond's edge, in the muck, under tree roots... those little jelly-like wobbling creatures usually seen everywhere seemed to have collectively evaporated.
Tulk felt disappointed for a while, but soon rallied.
Nightfall, like a huge black velvet blanket, slowly covered the entire swamp.
Tulk found a Swamp Oak Tree with thick branches, struggled to climb up, attempting to spend this dangerous night in the tree.
However, the swamp's night was not peaceful.
Various creatures that lay dormant during the day became active. The buzzing vibration of Poison-stinger Wasp wings approached from afar, the howls of unknown beasts rose and fell, and it seemed countless pairs of eyes were watching him in the darkness.
He tightly hugged the tree trunk, holding his spear, barely sleeping well almost the entire night. Only when dawn approached, he finally couldn't resist drowsiness, leaned against the main trunk, and fell into a hazy sleep.
But what Tulk didn't know was that his appearance had already alarmed the swamp's original inhabitants.
Several patrolling Poison-stinger Wasps discovered the footprints he left in the mud and his sleeping figure in the tree. After a brief exchange, one of them immediately vibrated its wings and flew back towards the deeper parts of the swamp.
Not long after, a little slime riding a beetle mount appeared under the oak tree where Tulk was sleeping.
The recruitment opportunity Chen Yu had been waiting for had finally arrived.