Chapter 23: The Marsh Changes Hands

Recently, Hushwind’s adventurers had noticed a sudden decline in monster activity on the Fifth Stratum of the Amethyst Deep.

The Gnoll tribes had withdrawn deep into their forest and stopped hunting beyond it. No Emerald-Eyed Frogs remained at Poisonmist Lake, and even the Caustic Slimes that wandered the stratum had become scarce.

Only the Crystal Bats in the western caverns and the local Rock Lizards behaved as usual.

Theories about the change abounded.

One adventurer claimed to have sensed violent mana fluctuations in the Marsh Zone. The Parasitic Trees must have gone berserk and frightened away the surrounding monsters.

Others called it a sign of an approaching Monster Tide. The Adventurers’ Guild was the recognized authority, however, and it had issued no warning. Few believed that theory.

The most ridiculous explanation came from Nick, the town drunk. He swore he had watched a group of Puffcaps slaughter every Emerald-Eyed Frog in the lake.

Everyone laughed. Nick must have become so drunk inside the dungeon that he could no longer distinguish reality from his own dreams.

Puffcaps occupied the bottom of the food chain even on the First Stratum. The idea of them exterminating Fifth Stratum monsters was less credible than the Monster Tide.

Meanwhile, Evan, killer of isolated Gnolls, exterminator of Emerald-Eyed Frogs, and principal cause of every recent change on the Fifth Stratum, launched another territorial war against the Parasitic Trees.

His temporary defensive posture had allowed them to reclaim more than half the Marsh Zone. Their population could not increase so quickly, however. The larger territory only spread them thin.