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In front of her were shrubs, aquatic plants, and floating leaves.

Behind her, a swamp, muddy ground, and murky water.

She didn't know how long she had been walking along the bottom of the swamp... but now, there was no swamp to be seen ahead, to her left, or to her right.

Had she passed through one of the treacherous spots?

Koai was standing on a dense cluster of what could be called either branches or roots—parts of a woody plant that were thick and sturdy for a shrub, seeming to float just above the water's surface.
Ahead, at her feet, floating stems or leaves covered the water's surface. Like the woody plant she stood on, they seemed to be densely layered, but... they looked so flimsy that if she stepped forward, she felt she would fall into the water, taking them with her.

Nevertheless... their presence, and the fading murkiness of the water visible through the gaps, indicated that this was a different place from the swamp she had just crossed.
The dense trees prevented her from seeing far ahead, but if she pressed on, she might be able to get through this watery expanse.

Furthermore, it seemed highly likely that the swamp she had just passed through was... the "impassable swamp" the Grand Duke had mentioned.
That... would be impossible for a human to cross. Not unless they cut down the trees to build a bridge or fashioned a makeshift boat... and either of those would be difficult to do here.
If that was the case... then there was a chance the tree she was looking for was growing just beyond this watery area.

In that case, she had to go on... there was no reason not to.

Koai extended a blood rope from her fingertips, hooking it onto the scattered trees to pull herself forward... Repeating this process, she decided to head south.

Fortunately, as she advanced, the number of trees large enough to support her weight increased. The pools of water also grew shallower, the murkiness faded, and she could soon see the bottom.