Summer arrived, completely transforming the Reed River.
The crisp clarity of winter and the abundant flow of spring were no match for the blazing summer sun.
The river water shimmered with white light under the scorching sun, the tender green reed sprouts along the bank long since replaced by wildly growing thick reed stalks that stood crowded at the water's edge, their leaf edges slightly curled and scorched yellow from the heat.
Gnaw-gnaw floated listlessly in the shallow water near the shore, only half its head and wet brownish back visible.
After its precious dam collapsed, that sadness seemed to have evaporated in the summer's oppressive heat, leaving only pervasive exhaustion and emptiness in its body.
It rolled over, belly up, letting the muddy river water support its small frame.
The sunlight made it squint its small eyes.
Perhaps... this wasn't so bad?
Give up struggling, give up rebuilding, give up that dream of an impregnable fortress it once believed in.
The once diligent creature now only wanted to languish until the world's end.
"Squeak—creak—"
The teeth-grating sound of wheel friction and the heavy snorts of draft horses shattered the riverbank's stagnation.
A carriage covered with dust-proof oilcloth rolled along the sun-bleached dirt road, kicking up dust.
The driver was Yano.
He tugged at the linen shirt collar sticking to his skin, equally feeling the summer's intense heat.
Sweat had long soaked through his back and chest, clinging unpleasantly to his skin, each movement bringing a stinging itch.
"I hate summer," he muttered, his voice hoarse from thirst.
Summer at the swamp's edge was like a massive steamer, every breath carrying a burning sensation.
But more unsettling than this heat was the abnormality in his body.
He subconsciously raised his right hand.
Under his gaze, his skin visibly lost color and elasticity, rapidly turning pale gray and stiff... like stone weathering at an accelerated pace.
He could actually influence the petrification somewhat now, communicating with the demon inside him.
This sudden change made him vaguely uneasy. Recently, he'd been waking from the same nightmare almost every night—dreaming he turned completely into a cold stone statue, with Lola and the children crying around him, their voices growing increasingly distant...
Like some kind of omen.
He just wanted to return to the Boss's side quickly, where he could feel secure.
He cracked the whip, urging the tired draft horses to go faster, the wheels rolling over cracked road surfaces, kicking up even more dust.
Finally, the carriage entered the relatively dense shade at the forest's edge.
Yano pulled the reins, parking the carriage in the shadow cast by several massive oak trees.
This was the starting point of the forest paths leading deep into the swamp, where the carriage could go no further.
He needed to carry the large metal telescope's precision components inside on foot.
He jumped off the carriage, stretching his somewhat stiff legs, then moved to the rear to untie the ropes.
Sweat still flowed, but the forest shade relaxed his tense nerves slightly. Just as he reached to undo the first knot—
A cold chill shot up his spine to the back of his head without warning.
The combat intuition forged through the Knight Training Camp's rigorous training screamed like a warning bell.
Shadows!
He detected something wrong with the shadows in the bushes and twisted old oak trees.
"Swish!" "Swish!"
Two blurred black figures, like venomous snakes merging with shadows, burst from their hiding spots.
Two sharp daggers gleaming with faint blue light shot with whistling sounds, precisely aimed at Yano's unprotected waist and neck.
The angles were tricky, the coordination perfect—clearly intended for instant kills.
Too fast!
Yano's mind didn't even have time to form the word "thieves" before his body's instincts reacted ahead of consciousness.
His fear of the petrification curse was instantly overwhelmed by survival instinct at this life-or-death moment. Only one thought roared in his mind: Block it! Must block it!
No time to tear the blessed leaf from his chest, Yano's muscles tensed violently, his mind desperately "calling" that power he despised!
Hum!
A rock-like gray-white hue instantly covered the skin on his neck and waist.
Clang! Clang!!
Two sharp metallic clashes erupted!
The blue-glowing daggers struck the suddenly petrified skin, actually sparking faintly.
The tremendous impact sent Yano stumbling forward, the pain and shock instantly clearing his mind.
"It's those damned thieves from Rusty Key!"
"Damn it!"
Yano used his forward momentum to roll on the ground, his right hand reaching into his chest to tear open the leaf kept close to his body.
Hum!
A thick, condensed earthy yellow glow instantly spread from him.
Almost as the protective shield formed, several more tricky cold gleams stabbed from different angles, violently striking the shield and creating ripple-like waves, but unable to penetrate.
"Go!"
Without the slightest hesitation, not even daring to glance back at the carriage's precious cargo, Yano sprinted headlong into the thick mist-shrouded depths of the swamp forest, his figure quickly swallowed by twisted tree shadows and rising mist.
Two thieves clad entirely in tight black clothing, revealing only keen eyes, materialized.
One shook his numbed wrist, looking in the direction Yano disappeared with uncertain, startled eyes.
The other quickly inspected his dagger tip, which showed only slight edge curling.
"What the hell... what was that? Skin turning to stone?"
The first thief's voice was low, filled with disbelief.
"Intelligence was wrong."
The second thief's voice was colder, carrying a hint of frustration.
"Target 'Miracle' Yano displayed no formal knight strength, seemingly only possessing expensive magic scrolls for protection."
"Tch, wasted effort. And we exposed our position." The first thief spat.
"Withdraw."
"The intelligence that 'Miracle' Yano only has knight squire strength alone is enough profit for us."
"The guild won't swallow this insult. Next time he won't be so lucky."
That swamp is full of dangers—no need to chase a bounty target to their death inside.
...
Fortress construction site.
Arthur had left, following the Civil Engineering Slime to build the outpost at the swamp borderlands and undergo the solemn, sacred farming trial.
Chen Yu watched him disappear into the thick mist, then glanced back at Count Bran who was still preening his feathers, his gel body bumping against him.
"Count Bran, are you really comfortable letting Knight Arthur go alone?"
Count Bran looked up with a caw.
"Oh, my great Slime Majesty, rest assured. That Arthur fellow may seem slow-witted, but he's actually quite clever."
He folded his wings, leaving Chen Yu with a lonely, haughty back.
"Besides, this Count should let go, let him learn to grow up."
"Without this Count by his side, he'll surely be too distressed to sleep tonight."
Chen Yu rather thought Arthur would sleep more soundly with less noisy chatter around.
As he pondered this, a dark figure emerged from the thick mist.
"Boss!"
"Boss, someone bullied me!"