In the afternoon, at the village hall, a two-story building made of wood and limestone stood tall. The second floor of this building housed Elder Gido's office, where he sat in front of his desk, reading the reports from the hunters and patrolmen.
Knock, knock. A knock interrupted Elder Gido's concentration.
As the door opened, Joba entered and said, "Elder, we have two visitors."
Elder Gido looked up at Joba, pondering for a moment before saying, "Let them in."
Joba nodded, and behind him entered two middle-aged women along with their son and daughter, who stood before Elder Gido's desk. Elder Gido sank his tired body deeper into the chair as he listened to the women's pleas.
"Elder Gido, my brother hasn't returned since yesterday," one of the women whined.
"Me too, Elder Gido. My husband hasn't come back from fishing in the swamp," the other woman added, her voice filled with worry.
Elder Gido frowned. Don't they know how dangerous it is right now, with the beasts roaming nearby? Why did they decide to go fishing in the first place?
"Don't worry," Elder Gido said, trying to reassure them. "I will call the hunters to search for them."
"For now, please return to your homes. I've just heard about your situation, and I’ll take care of it."
"But, Elder, when will we know if there's any news?" one of the women asked, her voice filled with urgency.
"As soon as possible," Elder Gido replied. "I have a lot of other matters to attend to, not just yours."
"You can count on us," he added, "and once we have any news, you'll hear from us immediately.
"So, you all better leave, just wait for the news," Elder Gido said, his voice firm yet weary.
The two middle-aged women hesitated but had no choice but to wait. They slowly turned and exited the room. As they closed the door behind them, another knock echoed through the room.
Elder Gido sighed, his patience thinning. "Come in."
The door opened, and Joba entered.
"Did another visitor come again?" Elder Gido asked before Joba could speak, his tone already weary.
"No... I heard the plea of those women. Elder, do we need to assign hunters to find them?" Joba inquired, his voice laced with concern.
"Of course, call top elite hunter Mordoc to find them," Elder Gido responded without hesitation.
"But what if they’re already dead?" Joba added, his brow furrowing.
"If so, seize the body and return it to their families," Elder Gido replied somberly.
"Yes, Elder," Joba said, nodding as he turned to leave.
As the door closed behind him, Elder Gido sank further into his chair, deep in thought. Why are so many problems piling up in these past days? Is this a sign that disaster is approaching? Elder Gido pondered, feeling the weight of his responsibilities pressing down on him even more.
.......................
Meanwhile, in the swamp, only the sounds of insects and birds filled the air, accompanied by the soft rustling of branches swaying against the wind. A group of strange birds, resembling ducks, swam freely in the murky waters. They had yellow heads, black beaks, and tiny, sharp teeth.
A few meters away, a Three-Eyed creature glistened beneath the water, slowly and silently swimming toward them.
Without warning, there was a sudden flash. One of the birds at the back disappeared beneath the surface, sending a spray of water into the air. The other birds cried out in alarm, flapping their wings wildly. Panic surged through the flock, and they frantically ran across the water’s surface before scrambling onto land and dashing away.
Fang Mu, satisfied with his catch, slowly swallowed his struggling prey.
"It looks like I'm starting to enjoy being a frog," he thought, relishing the simple pleasure of eating when he was hungry and sleeping whenever he wanted.
Unlike when he was human, life now was far less complicated. Back then, there were too many problems—worrying about where to get money for his next meal, planning when and where to rob a store, and always making sure not to get caught by the police. But now, the only thing he had to think about was finding his next prey.
And best of all—there was no boss giving him orders.
For the first time, he felt true freedom.
Floating on his back, Fang Mu paddled his feet leisurely, swimming in a lazy backstroke while basking in the warmth of the scorching sun. The sound of birds humming in the distance pleased him, filling him with an unfamiliar sense of joy.
He was not yet fully matured he still needed to grow before he could become a true adult frog. Only then would his two arms develop, allowing him to finally do the things he had longed to experience, like a real human.
A shadow suddenly encircled him. Squinting his eyes, he looked up and saw a bird. Even with his three eyes, each possessing sharp vision, the overwhelming brightness of the sun made it difficult for him to see clearly.
"What the fuck? This bird is blocking the sun! How am I supposed to bask in it now?" Fang Mu muttered irritably.
But instead of words, all that came out was a series of croaks—"Croak! Croak!"—which made him sound far less intimidating than he intended.
A moment later, a thick, oozing liquid—yellow and green—splattered onto Fang Mu’s chest.
"What the fuck?!" he exclaimed, completely caught off guard. He hadn’t expected the bird to poop on him. Did it think he was easy to bully? If only his tongue could reach that high, he would’ve made it pay.
He glared at the bird as it gradually disappeared into the sky, then sighed and washed his chest in the water before heading to the shore to hunt again.
Once on land, he dug himself into the ground, covering his body with plants and rocks, closing his eyes as he patiently waited.
Minutes passed. Then half an hour. Then a full hour. A bird emerged, circling above him again, its wings cutting through the sky.
"What the hell?" Fang Mu muttered as he watched the bird return—the same bird that had once pooped on him.
A few moments later, the bird flew off again.
"Finally," he sighed in relief. He had hoped the bird wouldn’t return.
A faint rustling broke the silence. Fang Mu remained still, sensing movement among the foliage. Slowly, he opened his eye and spotted a strange scene—a snake, seemingly a python as thick as a human arm, locked in a battle with an odd-looking rat about the size of a cat’s body, just a few meters away from him.
The snake had long, elegant eyelashes, giving it an almost regal appearance, while the rat, at the other end of the struggle, had three large front teeth. They wrestled furiously, rolling across the ground. The rat sank its teeth into the python’s glistening scales, while the python coiled tightly, trying to strangle its opponent. They tumbled. They rolled. Until one of them would be dead.The only sounds that filled the air were the squicks of the rat and the hissing of the python as they fought to the death.
"It's my lucky day," Fang Mu thought as he remained still, waiting patiently in his spot. It seemed the rat was going to win. He watched as the rat continued to nibble on the snake, which had lost its focus. The snake was trying to twist around to strangle the rat, but the rat kept up its relentless attack. After a few more minutes of struggle, the snake's body split in two—its life fading—but even then, the split body still moved while the rat continued to nibble on it.
"It's time," Fang Mu muttered. He tensed his legs like a cannonball, propelling himself toward the rat. The rat’s ears trembled as it sensed the threat. It turned, its mouth opening wide, and before it could react fully, Fang Mu lunged and snapped his jaws around the rat. He shook his head fiercely, causing the rat to become disoriented, its grip weakening as Fang Mu’s violent motion left it dazed. 
The squick of the rat filled the air. Moments later, blood and flesh surged into Fang Mu’s mouth, as he crushed the rat's chest. Blood splattered on the ground, mingling with its flesh. Slowly, he swallowed, savoring the meal.
"Hmmm," Fang Mu muttered with a hint of satisfaction.
His gaze shifted to the split body of the snake, still twitching. Without hesitation, he strode over to it and began eating the snake's divided body, consuming its flesh before finishing with its head.
"Croak," Fang Mu croaked, letting out a contented belch while tapping his belly.
Suddenly, with a whoosh, an arrow zipped through the air, grazing his leg. The sharp tip pierced close to his flesh, and green blood began to ooze from the wound.
"What the fuck?" Fang Mu exclaimed in horror, his eyes widening in shock.
He stumbled backward, instinctively leaping into the ground, his heart pounding as he tried to process what had just happened.