(Gavin)

The change from the forest to the swamp is rather dramatic, as we go from normal-looking trees to more spindly ones with their roots coming up partially out of the bit of water on the ground. We stay on a solid stone path that rises above the murky water.

It's not a steep fall, and the water doesn't look deep at all, but it's better to stay on the path than not to. The path itself is about ten feet wide and stands three inches taller than the water does. I'm betting that when it rains heavily, the path floods.

Some trees look a little different, with thicker trunks and shorter forms, their canopies wider-spread than the others. Most of the trees have moss and vines hanging down, and their leaves sort of make me think of a thin moss.

The air really doesn't smell fun, either.

Several times, a smaller path branches away from here, either made of the same uniform stone as we're walking on now, or of rocks that were probably put in place. I see at least one path that was probably made by Elementalists using their permanent Stone Walls, too.

Those were likely made by Adventurers, while the ones made of rocks were probably put in place by the goblins that live here.

Most likely, the additional paths from Adventurers were used to reach some of the small 'islands' in the swamp where resources might be found. Plus, it adds hunting range for training, so creating more paths would make sense.

Our first challenge here comes to when we reach a part of the path which got destroyed by something. Either we can try our luck jumping, or we can backtrack and follow a smaller path until the connections return to the main path. There's no way my Stone Walls would suffice for this task, I'm not that talented with them.

In the end, the decision comes to Zack and Luca sprouting their wings and carrying Max and me across respectively, Braden changing into his Animal Form and just jumping the distance. Watching as he soars past us, I'm amazed once more by the power that form appears to hold, and remember that were Braden at the Level he could be at, had he trained another Class while waiting for the hunt to appear, he'd be a lot more powerful than he is right now.

A lot more powerful. More than double what that form is now.

We reach the other side and get set down, and Luca pulls his tunic and cloak back on the moment his wings are gone.

"Thank you," I tell him, and he dips his head to me in acknowledgment of my thanks.

We resume our trip, and it's twenty minutes after that we come across our first monster, a frog twice as tall as me, and I'm the tallest person in this group. It's slick with whatever slime or mucus or whatever it is they produce, its yellow and black eyes watching us.

The beast sits in the exact center of the path, as if guarding the path. A Level 15 Swamp Toad. Okay, so it's a toad, not a frog. It croaks, then opens its mouth, its tongue shooting out at us. At Luca. I move in front of him as I draw my sword, barely managing to block the tongue in time.

That was fast!

"Sleepy Blade!" Max cheerfully exclaims as the toad begins to unwrap its tongue from my sword, then I see the fire-happy mage cut down through the toad's tongue.

At the same time, Braden releases several Lightning Shot arrows at the toad, all of which impact its eyes. That's some pretty good aiming, there.

The combination of attacks from those two, plus the Water Jet Luca uses for good measure, kills the toad. Sometimes, I feel like I don't fit with this team, with how efficient the three of them are together and just how ridiculously overpowered Zack himself is.

They don't seem to care, though, treating me just as well as they treat each other. Even Zack treats me the same as he treats the rest of the team, just a little different. But that's how he is, since he treats each of us differently based on how well we mesh with him, anyway.

As we resume our walk, I can't help but think about the future. When this ends, I'll get into heaven and have several options ahead of me. Zack's only mentioned a couple of them, though. I could stay there with family that's passed, do my own thing there, or reincarnate. There are other choices available as well, though Zack never said what they were, and I doubt he'd tell me if I asked.

Unless something tempting comes, I'll probably reincarnate. We won't remember any of the stuff which occurred here in the Boundary, which makes me a little sad. But if I reincarnate, I can make new memories in the mortal realm once more.

Since magic would return to reality once the Boundary is released, a lot more possibilities would open up. If I got to pick where I reincarnated to, and maybe even what I did in life, even if only with a vague sense or general pick, there's something I'd like to do.

Be a proper paladin somewhere. Protecting the weak while fighting against the darkness is definitely something I want to do, and if I can do that in the next life as well, then I want to. Especially since I'll have more time to train and become powerful enough that I'm akin to the Zack of that area in terms of power.

That would be fine by me. It wouldn't be good to have the need for a paladin that powerful, but as long as there is free will and monsters, darkness will always rise and need to be put down.

Yeah, I think I'll do that, if I'm able to pick what I'm like when I reincarnate.

At lunchtime, we stop where we are and just sit on the path to eat, as we've been doing. It's definitely weird, eating with the smell of the swamp all around us. It's also curious that monsters have been avoiding us.

Now that I think about it, other than the toad, there hasn't been anything. Has Zack been killing everything with his ultra speed again?

After lunch, we resume our trip to the next City, and when we arrive, it is not what I was expecting. The walls and buildings are as ruined as expected, as are some of the paths, it looks like. It really just looks like walls were raised up in the swamp, too, with buildings resting on stone platforms in the water.

No actual ground, just the paths and murky water.

"There's fresh water much deeper down," Zack tells us. "Much deeper. The wells will pull it up when we use them."

"Okay," I nod.

"Let's head to the center," Zack says. "Stick with me, the avatar is at the center, like usual."

(Zack)

And that's the last of the monsters! I pull my sword out, then flick it twice, the blood sliding off due to that nifty enchantment on it. Then, I pull a length of rope out of my Inventory. With that out, I lunge at Alexander's avatar, pin it to the ground, and tie it up.

"What are you doing?" He struggles against me, but against my System-enhanced Strength, his normal strength is useless. I succeed. "Zack, seriously? Why did you tie me up?"

"You seem insistent on coming to me," I tell him. "And trying to convince me to join your side. It's evident that you're in control of these until their end and feel whatever pain they do."

"And?" He asks.

I shove him off the path and into the water. We're far enough away from where my team's set up camp that they won't hear him struggle and scream as he drowns.

The pest taken care of, I skip to the house my team picked, an intact building. As usual, they're all taking a bath already, so I get to work making dinner for us. Alexander is probably dead by now, his avatar faded.

With a check of my sight, I confirm his nonexistence.

Why is he so insistent? Does he really believe this means I think it's working? It isn't. I will never join him! It's just frustrating and annoying to have to deal with him all the time. If he comes at me close to when Bryce arrives in the City we're meeting up in, I'm going to tie him up and ensure he survives until Bryce arrives.

Then, I'll let Bryce kill him. It won't be the same as for the vision, but it'll probably be fun to watch. And good practice.

As I think about that, I finish making dinner and my team joins me out here, dressed for bed, as per the usual. We dine on the feast I prepared, which uses up the last of the hams I got from the Santa Boss, as well as some of the wine I've gotten from various things over the months.

I don't let my team drink enough to get drunk, just a glass each. I, on the other hand, finish off that bottle and a full one by myself as my team drinks water to wash the rest of their food down with. Luca really goes at the water, mostly because he wants to get rid of the taste of alcohol.

After dinner, I open up a box of chocolate and one of the boxes of candy canes. I eat the former while my team eats the latter, Luca and Max doing their best to make creations with some of the candy canes before eating them.

I watch them for a few minutes, then head for a bath. We all got smelly from the swamp. It's like the stench just coats us. At least the City smells better, now that I've restored it.

(Max)

Now that everyone is asleep, me make my way up onto the roof. Boss be sleeping, too, so me not coming up here to talk with him.

The end be coming. Boss mentioned it to Big Flame, who told Max it. If Boss says that it is soon, then it be soon. Not just within a year, though. Within a couple of months. Big Flame says that Boss said that something which happens in the City where we meet up with Boss-Brother be what causes the end.

Now, me really want to meet Boss-Brother properly. He be so weak when we met before, but if he kills the Shadow of Life so soon after coming back from being dead, then Max am really impressed by that.

If things be ending soon, then Max needs to think. As a beastborn, me will not have any real memories in the afterlife. Because of that, Max be guaranteed to reincarnate, since me am getting the positive ending.

The stars tonight are pretty. If me do reincarnate, me want to reincarnate somewhere me can see them all the time. And if beastborn exist, then me want to be one, too. But one who learns to speak from growing up.

That last part mostly be so that me can speak properly. Max be aware that even after all of his training, me am not able to speak as fluently as Adventurers can. It sometimes causes mixups. So in me next life, me hope that Max get to speak from when me am a little pup.

Hm. Who do Max need to pray to in order to arrange such a thing? That be very important?

Well, me won't get an answer just sitting here, so me sit up, close my eyes, and fold my hands in prayer.

"God of reincarnations," me say. "Please let me reincarnate as a beastborn if possible. And please let me reincarnate somewhere Max can see pretty stars at night and learn to speak properly as me grow up. Me not know which god be over reincarnations, so me hope you understand me not being specific. Thank you!"

With me prayer over, me lie back down and stare up at the stars once more. They're really pretty.