Just as I despaired, something soft bumped against my feet, unexpectedly lifting our sinking bodies back up.

Though grateful we hadn't drowned, that soft, yielding touch filled me with a profound unease.

Clearly, whatever we were standing on belonged to the owner of that octopus-like arm; this monstrous, soft thing was likely kin to a giant octopus.

I recalled my earlier speculation: if this mire was once a reservoir, the giant octopus within must have mutated. Today, we were unlucky enough to encounter the true sovereign of this swamp.

Lost in thought, I was propelled above the mire's surface by the massive creature.

The instant we breached the mud, I asked Xiao Bai, "What in the world is that? It's enormous! Could it be that the Turtle-Shrimp isn't the king of this swamp after all?"

Though I couldn't see Xiao Bai's expression, I knew it must be grim. She hesitated for a moment before replying, "We've met the main event early. It seems it was specifically lying in wait for us. Our plan to cross the mire failed from the start; we're in dire straits now."

I froze, then asked, "The main event? You mean, the Toad King is an octopus? Impossible, wasn't it supposed to be a toad?"

As our bodies continued to rise, Xiao Bai told me, "Who told you the thing under our feet was an octopus?"

Stunned, I steadied myself and asked, "If it's not an octopus, why did it have an arm like one? What was it that wrapped around you earlier?"

Xiao Bai replied, "That was its tongue!"

The realization dawned on me. Recalling how that octopus-like appendage had lashed out, I had wondered what kind of octopus possessed such explosive power. Now, it made sense; only a toad's tongue could have such potent force.

We must be standing on a toad's back; otherwise, we wouldn't be so steady.

However, the moment two enormous, copper-bell eyes emerged from beneath the mire, I realized how utterly wrong I was.

We weren't standing on a toad's back; we were balanced on the tip of its nose.

It surfaced from the mud in a bizarre, head-up posture, its immense eyes covered with the translucent membrane characteristic of aquatic life, allowing it to move freely beneath the mire without impaired vision.

This meant that ever since we entered the mire, it had likely watched our every move.

Now, perched on its nasal tip, we were a mere mouth-opening away from being swallowed. The situation was catastrophic.

Yet, the Toad King seemed in no hurry to devour us, merely staring, its ascent halted.

Its gaze held nothing but mockery and amusement, as if looking at lunch already plated.

We stood on its nose, feeling the force of its powerful breaths—hot gusts, like standing before an outdoor air conditioning unit in summer, uncomfortably warm.

The Toad King remained motionless, and so did we.

It wasn't that we didn't want to flee; jumping down would mean a quicker death. Since the Toad King wasn't killing us immediately, perhaps we could buy a little more time.

And so, the three parties remained locked in a standoff. Suddenly, the Toad King's mouth cracked open slightly, exhaling a plume of white vapor.

I flinched, certain I was about to be consumed, my legs trembling uncontrollably.

But to my shock, the Toad King spoke: "Foolish humans, and little guardian of the Plant Vault, you must truly be tired of living to try and kill me."

I hadn't expected the Toad King to speak and jumped, startled. In my mind, it was a savage beast, driven only by eons of rivalry, battle, and destruction. I never imagined it could converse.

But upon reflection, it wasn't entirely implausible. A monster that had cultivated itself for a millennium and mingled with human society for so long should certainly be capable of human speech.

Hearing its words, both Xiao Bai and I were at a loss for how to react, falling silent.

The Toad King spoke again, "What's wrong? Is that all the courage you possess? Weren't you going to kill me? I am right here. Why the hesitation?"

Honestly, I was cornered. Normally, I would look for an escape route. But with the Toad King's words hanging in the air, and a woman present—even an alien one—I couldn't afford to lose face as a man.

So, I slowly raised the Magic Flute in my hand, aiming it at the Toad King's brow, and declared, "You king of destruction, treating ordinary humans like dust, killing countless people over the years—even if I die today, I will fight you."

The Toad King's mouth seemed to twitch again, appearing to form a grotesque smile.

I glanced at Xiao Bai; she showed no objection to my decision, her eyes even filled with determination.

Infected by her gaze, I reached to cover a hole on the Magic Flute, ready to blow.

But just then, the Toad King’s tongue shot out again, this time with the ferocity of a projectile launch.

With a sharp thwack, the Magic Flute in my hand disintegrated into countless fragments scattering into the air.

My heart ached terribly. That weapon was truly divine, incredibly versatile, and likely held many undiscovered functions.

But grief over a weapon was useless now; if life couldn't be preserved, what good was the weapon?

In truth, I knew the two were intrinsically linked; without the weapon, survival was unlikely.

Even if the weapon hadn't possessed the power to kill the Toad King, now that both weapon and superpower were gone, we had truly reached the end of the line.

After shattering my weapon, the Toad King did not attack again, retracting its tongue.

It resumed staring at us, seemingly eager to witness our despair.

I was truly pushed to the brink. Even without the weapon or my powers, I still had my right hand, mutated by infection. I resolved to injure it, even if it meant mutual destruction.

With that thought, I leaped directly off the Toad King's nose, thrusting my four fingers toward its eye.

Using the momentum of the fall combined with the monstrous strength of my right hand, I believed even its protective membrane wouldn't save it from a serious blow.

I committed to this desperate gamble.

But man proposes, and the Toad King disposes. It seemed to anticipate my intent, and at the critical moment, performed one simple action: it closed its eyes.

My hand slammed violently against the Toad King's eyelid, the shock nearly dislocating my joint.

Fortunately, this hand wasn't my original one and felt no pain. However, the impact jolted my body severely, leaving me reeling.

Before I could recover, the Toad King's tongue shot out again, coiling around my entire body.

The tongue’s power was immense, leaving me no chance to struggle.

Though I currently lacked psychic protection, I suspected I couldn't match this creature even with my powers, especially since Xiao Bai claimed this was its weakest state. I shuddered to think what full strength would entail.

Seeing me captured, Xiao Bai shrieked from the Toad King's nose, "Let him go!"

Then, I watched her tumble and scramble, leaping down after me.

I was deeply touched; she seemed genuinely concerned for my safety.

But in this predicament, I couldn't even manage a thank you, as we were both likely moments from death.

Xiao Bai reverted to her initial form and began tearing at the Toad King’s tongue with her mouth.

The Toad King's eye flickered towards her. "Little guardian of the Plant Vault, I surmise your abilities extend beyond that. Why hide your strength?"

Xiao Bai retorted, "It's none of your business. Even powerless, I will fight you."

The Toad King snorted. "We have kept to our own business all these years. Since you actively sought me out today, I won't be as polite as before."

With that, its tongue suddenly slackened around my waist.

I didn't know the Toad King's intention, but I knew it wouldn't be pleasant.

My suspicion proved correct: the loosening of its grip was only to seize both of us simultaneously.

The tongue whipped back with lightning speed, and with nowhere to escape, we were both ensnared.

The Toad King let out a triumphant chuckle, then flicked its tongue, flinging us high above the mire.

As it slowly lowered us, the Toad King sneered, "Since your mouths are so hard, you can go eat some mud! Rinsing your mouths will do you good."

With that, it plunged its tongue deep into the mire, and we were immediately submerged.

Instantly, the mud began to seep into my nose, ears, and mouth. The immense pressure squeezed my lungs; I felt suffocated and breathless, an unbearable agony.

This torture lasted for about ten seconds. Just as we were about to pass out from lack of air, the Toad King yanked us free.

We immediately gasped for breath, not caring that we were inhaling mud.

The Toad King seemed quite satisfied with our wretched state. "Not bad, not dead yet. Let's try again; this time, we'll make it a bit longer."

It then thrust its tongue back into the mire. Before we could catch our breath, we were plunged back into the swamp.

This time, I couldn't hold my breath and swallowed a mouthful of mud, choking so hard my lungs felt ready to explode—the discomfort was unimaginable.

My attempts to breathe turned into spasms; I felt my entire airway blocked by the filth.

I thought, This is it. Even if it pulls me out, I'll suffocate to death.