Chapter 653: Night in the Forest

As she ventured a few steps further, towering trees surrounded her, their broad leaves creating a lush greenery even in the midst of this cold winter. She soon found herself sweating profusely, not due to exertion, but because the forest floor, still moist from yesterday's rain, caused each step to sink deep into the muddy ground. Navigating through this terrain was slow-going, taking her about ten minutes to cover just a few hundred meters. Suddenly, an unexpected crunch beneath her foot revealed a hidden swamp beneath a bed of dry leaves. As she recoiled, white bubbles emerged, accompanied by wisps of white mist and a swarm of wriggling black insects. Her merciless step had inadvertently claimed several lives, leaving her with a sickening feeling in her gut. Fearing the potential presence of alligators and pythons lurking beneath the water's surface, she began to navigate the swamp, using a branch to slap the water as she made her way forward. Fortunately, Onistead's climate f