Bloodline Evolution: I Can Choose Opposing Paths-Chapter 103: The Mangroves (2)

Everyone had the same question on their mind, but nobody spoke up. So, the Professor continued.

"There are three main problems with the Mangroves."

"First," she pointed toward the tangled roots stretching through the swamp. "The root labyrinth."

"These mangrove trees grow outward instead of upward. After a few decades, their roots form natural mazes."

"If you’re not careful, you could easily get lost...and fall prey to the beasts here."

"Second," she pointed toward the dark water pooling between the roots. "The swamp floor."

"What looks shallow can suddenly drop several meters," she continued. "Step wrong, and you’ll sink up to your waist...or worse."

Finally, her eyes lowered toward the muddy ground again.

"And the third problem..."

She crouched slightly and pressed her boot into the mud. The ground swallowed her boot almost instantly before she pulled it free again.

"Sink mud."

"Some patches behave like quicksand. Struggle too much and you’ll sink even deeper."

Sterling stood again.

"So before we go charging off toward the crash site... we make a plan."

Her gaze moved across the group, already arranging them in her mind.

"Marcus, you’re up front."

Marcus raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Because of the terrain," she clarified. "You’re the only earth-element user here. If we run into unstable ground or sink mud, you’ll need to stabilize it before anyone else steps forward."

Marcus glanced down at the swamp again and nodded.

"Got it."

Sterling then turned toward Aren.

"You’re second."

"You’ll act as both the secondary vanguard and rear support when needed," she explained calmly.

"If something ambushes us from the front, you support Marcus. If something attacks from behind, you fall back."

"Got it," Aren nodded.

Sterling’s eyes then moved to the three girls.

"You three stay in the center."

Emily immediately raised her hands in mock surrender.

"Hey, I’m not complaining."

Sterling ignored the comment.

"None of you are built for close combat," she said matter-of-factly. "Your job is support. The middle of the formation is the safest place for that."

Finally, Sterling looked toward Daniel.

"You’re with me at the back."

Daniel tilted his head slightly.

"Rear guard?"

"Partially," Sterling replied. "But mostly so I can monitor the entire formation."

Her eyes swept briefly across the group again. "If anything happens, I need to see it."

She then added. "And Daniel’s abilities are well-suited for defensive coverage if something slips past the front line."

With everyone’s role confirmed, Daniel muttered softly.

"Alright...let’s go find that plane."

Marcus stepped forward first, placing his hand against the swamp floor as his earth ether spread outward once more. Slowly, the unstable ground began to harden ahead of him.

Aren followed right behind him.

And just like that, the group began their slow journey deeper into the Mangroves.

***

The deeper they moved into the swamp, the worse the terrain became.

Mangrove trees stretched endlessly in every direction, their massive roots twisting above the ground like the ribs of some gigantic buried creature.

Some arched overhead while others were low across the swamp floor, forcing the group to step carefully through narrow gaps.

After several minutes of walking, Aren began to notice something unsettling.

Everything looked the same. The mangroves blended together into an endless maze, exactly like professor Sterling described.

Aren frowned slightly.

Just to be safe.

He deliberately found a shallow spot and stepped off the path Marcus had created. Summoning one of his blades, Aren carved a quick mark onto one of the nearby mangrove roots before returning.

"What was that for?" Daniel asked quietly from behind.

"Just checking something," Aren replied.

Daniel didn’t press further. The group continued moving.

Ten minutes had passed...then fifteen...then twenty.

The deeper they went, the quieter the swamp seemed to become. Even the buzzing insects grew distant.

Eventually, Marcus slowed.

"...Huh."

He tilted his head slightly, studying the mangrove roots around them.

Something about this cluster looked oddly familiar. Behind him, Aren’s eyes drifted across the nearby roots.

Then he froze. There.

Right in front of them. A single diagonal cut carved into the bark of a mangrove root.

Shit...isn’t that my—?

The rest of the party seemed to realize what was going on, as their eyes widened.

"...Wait." Emily blinked. "Didn’t you—?

"Yeah," Aren muttered.

No doubt about it. They had just walked in a full circle.

Marcus scratched the back of his head slowly.

"...That’s not good."

Emily leaned forward slightly, squinting at the mark Aren had carved.

"...Are we sure it’s the same one?"

Aren raised an eyebrow.

"What do you think?"

She shook her head. "It could just be a coincidence caused by movements of the roots."

"Sometimes, they grow out so much that the roots tend to push each other to different areas," she explained. "So maybe we’re in a different area that just happened to have the one you marked."

"Here," she shifted slightly. "Let me check."

Sterling’s expression tightened.

"Emily, don’t—"

Emily shifted her weight forward...and the ground vanished underneath her foot.

"—Whoa!"

Her leg plunged straight down into black water.

The swamp swallowed her almost to the thigh in an instant as muddy water surged upward around her leg.

"Ggghhh—!"

Water flooded into her mouth almost immediately. She flailed instinctively, grabbing onto the nearby root to stop herself from falling further.

"Don’t struggle!" Sterling snapped.

Marcus reacted instantly. He slammed his palm against the swamp floor. The earth around her shifted, becoming more compact.

Aren moved as well, displacing as much water as he could to get to where her leg was stuck.

The vortex swirled quickly, revealing Emily’s leg caught in a pocket of quicksand. Aren grabbed it and pulled with all his strength.

Squelch.

Her leg finally came free from the muck. Emily stumbled backward onto the stable ground, breathing hard.

"...Okay," she said weakly. "...That one’s real."

Sterling’s reaction was immediate. "What were you thinking?!"

The professor rushed forward and placed both hands on the senior’s shoulders.

"I—I was just checking if—"

"If what?" Sterling snapped. "If the ground would kill you?"

She stepped forward, her expression far harsher than her usual happy-go-lucky side.

"You step wrong in the Mangroves and that’s it," she continued, her voice rising. "You don’t get a second chance. The swamp swallows you and you’re gone before anyone can pull you back out."

The group fell completely silent. Even Marcus didn’t move. Sterling’s jaw tightened as she stared at Emily.

"What would’ve happened if Marcus or Aren didn’t react in time?"

Emily lowered her gaze slightly.

"I just—I’m sorry, professor..."

Sterling looked like she was going to say something else, but Emily was quite literally on the verge of tears. So she turned away instantly, eyes lingering on the dark water where Emily had stepped, as if she was seeing something else entirely.

Another memory...

"...We move more carefully from now on." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

No one argued as Marcus stood back up and continued creating the path. Aren stared at the mark he made once more before continuing on.

For the first time since entering the Mangroves...

The group truly understood how dangerous this place really was.