531 Hopten Beach

The Vine Men attacked Ren all at once, using their vines to lash out at him. Ren quickly conjured a shield around himself, deflecting the vines with ease. He then casted a spell to send a powerful blast of energy towards the Vine Men, but they were too quick and agile, dodging the attack.

Ren then decided to change tactics. He knew that the Vine Men were immune to fire, water, and wind, so he conjured a bolt of a sphere in his hand and hurled it at the closest Vine Man. The creature shrieked in pain as it was engulfed in electricity, but the other three Vine Men quickly surrounded Ren, preventing him from escaping.

Ren knew he had to act fast. He quickly used a spell to create a gust of wind, blowing the Vine Men back and giving him some space to breathe. He then conjured a powerful bolt of lightning and sent it toward the Vine Men, hitting all four of them at once.

The Vine Men were electrocuted and stunned, giving Ren the opportunity to finish them off. He released a powerful blast of sunrays, burning the Vine Men to a crisp. The creatures writhed and twisted in pain as they slowly turned to ash.

When they were destroyed, they crumbled into piles of shriveled vine.

The fight was quickly over before anyone could notice what was going on.

"A little help would have been appreciated," Ren said to the Princess.

"I know you can take care of something like that yourself," she answered with a wink.

Following the battle, a frogfolk elder named Blipoog approached Ren and Elena, thanking them for their help.

"Thank you, strangers," said Blipoog, and he explained, "Those animated plants and vine creatures have been trying to steal the children of the village for the past few weeks. Now, the attacks have escalated to a full assault on the floating village."

"If you don't mind. Can we ask that you find the person behind the attacks and stop them?"

[Blipoog asked you to help him]

<Yes>

<No>

Ren and Elena looked at each other, and Ren asked, "Before that. Do you know anything about a Suckling Warthog?"

Blipoog's face brightened. "Why yes. In truth. We have raised them in our backyard."

"In your backyard?" Elena questioned, confused.

Blipoog laughed despite the situation. "Yes. Yes. Those animals like to keep themselves clean, and they like salty water the best."

"So we hear," Ren muttered in a flat voice.

Blipoog didn't hear Ren and continued, "One day, we just found these little warthogs in our backyard, swimming in our little fence. They seemed to be enjoying the shallow waters and the shade of our house. Since then, we've been raising them here. Such cute and delectable creatures."

Ren didn't know how to react to that.

Cute and delectable didn't go exactly hand in hand with each other.

"Then, if we do this quest of yours, will you give us a Warthog as a reward?" Elena asked.

"You can take two if you want. Each one is for you. Just find this menace that's been plugging our home and put an end."

Ren accepted the quests right away.

Blipoog Frog's face lightened into a happy smile and croaked with glee. "You can start investigating the berry grove where the attacks first started. You can also explore the village if you want, and if you need rest, our doors are always open."

After which, Ren and Elena had the opportunity to explore the floating village.

The buildings were open-air and simple, but the village was teeming with life. Children play across the wooden planks while the adults prepared the day's catch for a meal. The villagers welcomed the party into any area of the village they entered.

When Ren and Elena approached, they noticed the enormous shark skeleton decorating the roof.

Blipoog regarded it proudly, explaining, "It was the greatest success our hunting parties have ever had."

"After your exploration, you can join me for a hearty meal." And the little mayor chief went his way.

Ren and Elena were left to marvel at the simple beauty of the place.

This was the home of the frogfolk, a tribe of amphibious creatures with long, webbed fingers and toes and big, curious eyes that gleamed with intelligence and wonder.

The shallow waters of the ocean shimmered in the warm sunlight, and the soft, salty breeze filled the air.

Everything was connected by intricate wooden bridges that crisscrossed over the water. The shark bones form the main structure of the buildings, giving them a mysterious, almost magical quality.

The wooden elements, carefully crafted by the frogfolk, were intricately woven in between the bones, forming the walls and roofs of the houses. The wooden bridges provide a safe passage for the villagers to move around the village, connecting each of the buildings and creating a network of pathways that lead to different parts of the village.

The village was a bustling hub of activity, with the frogfolk moving about their daily lives, tending to their homes and gardens, and engaging in various activities such as fishing, weaving, and playing music.

Ren and Elena heard the sound of laughter and chatter and the occasional splash of water as the frogfolk dived in and out of the ocean to catch their meals.

The buildings were adorned with colorful seaweed and shells, while others had intricate carvings and patterns etched into the wood. Each home was unique, with its own personality and charm.

"This is a nice place," Elena said, taking a deep breath as she swept the place with her eyes. "It makes you want to swim in its clear waters."

"Please don't. We have a mission to do," Ren said with a flat voice. It seemed like Elena was really thinking of swimming into the ocean.

Ren then proceeded to the Great House first and checked if there was any treasure, with Elena following behind him, uttering, "You're no fun."

The great house was the largest structure in Hopten Beach. In addition to the enormous skeleton adorning the roof, the great house was adorned with a few tattered rugs and wall hangings. During meals, the entire community sat on the floor and ate in a large circle.

Ren checked the place to see if there were some treasures but found none and decided to go to the armory to pillage something worthwhile.

The armory was a small building next to the great house. It contains rudimentary spears, bows, arrows, and harpoons.

"Ah. You're those adventurers the mayor said were coming, right?" the guard said.