Chapter 165: Decisive Battle on the Plant Continent
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Several hours before Fue Toukouya encountered the “Ancient King.” Far to the northeast of his location, in a place called the Great Eastern Demon Realm.
The decisive battle, wagering the fate of the continent, was entering its final phase.
“Ge, gegege, geh…”
“…………”
What burst from the earth was a vibrant green.
Its true form, shooting up with a speed that made even a master swordsman’s thrust seem slow, was a plant—bamboo.
Its high-speed thrust was achieved by combining the high-speed growth 〖Skill〗 inherent to bamboo, a 〖Zone Control〗 that abnormally accelerates plant growth, and a regeneration 〖Skill〗.
However, while the nearly one hundred bamboo spears launched simultaneously pierced the enemy, they failed to inflict any significant damage.
“…………”
“Gegebubaaah!?”
On the contrary, the bamboo lost its shape upon contact with the opponent and was absorbed.
The bamboo demon beast couldn’t help but scream at the unknown sensation of its body being burned, melted, and stolen.
It immediately self-severed, but had some of its power absorbed, losing a portion of the roots it had spread underground.
Thus, the bamboo demon beast’s territory shrank again, and the enemy took another step closer to its main body.
There was no escape for the bamboo demon beast.
The enemy’s bloated body had surrounded it on all sides.
“Gegegu…!”
“…………”
The advance of Chaos, the leader of the Chaos Spawn, could not be stopped.
The “Green King,” the Rampant Bamboo of Overflowing Pride, gnashed its teeth at this.
The trend of the battle was obvious. Chaos was on the verge of checkmate.
The “Green King’s” main body was not the exceptionally thick bamboo in the center of the bamboo forest, but the roots hidden underground. However, Chaos had also extended its roots underground.
It was only a matter of time before its demonic hand swallowed the “Green King.”
“Gegegegege…!”
Therefore, the “Green King” made a decision. To use its ultimate trump card.
〖Green King’s Authority: All Green as One〗. It granted itself a powerful regeneration effect, and at the same time, it over-combusted its life force to trigger super growth.
Its speed and volume were incomparable to normal thrusts, and it also had the effect of absorbing 〖Life〗, 〖Mana〗, moisture, and nutrients from the opponent it pierced.
A deadly 〖Skill〗 that would continue to increase in power with the stolen life force if it could break through even a little.
However, as a price for the over-combustion of life force, its regeneration speed would be greatly reduced for a while—a double-edged sword.
Even so, it unleashed the technique, believing there was no other way out, and it easily pierced through Chaos.
“…………”
“Gegegegege!”
But that did not mean victory for the “Green King.”
Chaos’s form had no clear outline.
Its body, the size of the Great Forest Sea, was as unstable as a stormy sea. As free as a flame.
Sometimes it would bloom flowers like dandelions, and the next moment it would sprout leaves resembling shepherd’s purse, and before you knew it, it would look like pampas grass.
Such transformations were happening all over its body, completely haphazardly.
Its body, which was not even clear whether it was a flower, grass, or tree, could immediately excise the parts pierced by the bamboo, thus nullifying the absorption effect.
Although the “Green King” had launched hundreds of bamboo spears, they were like a drop in the ocean before Chaos’s gigantic body, which surpassed even a 〖King Beast〗.
The hundreds of holes pierced in its body did not seem to cause any pain, and Chaos continued to advance.
“Gugege…”
The “Green King” resigned itself to its fate, as its trump card had been easily overcome.
It had no means of resistance left.
With a zubori, it pulled its main roots from the ground and turned upside down.
Then, as if performing a pole vault, it bent its body and jumped into the air. It intended to escape from the sky.
However, the “Green King” knew that it was a hopeless challenge.
If it could escape that easily, it would have done so before using its authority.
What was blocking its escape was the horizon filled with amorphous plants.
Chaos’s gigantic body, which seemed to be aimlessly connecting and rearranging various plants, was literally chasing it to the ends of the earth.
Even with the outstanding physical abilities of a 〖King Beast〗, it was impossible to escape by jumping.
Still driven by its survival instinct, the “Green King” fled into the sky, and since it had no flying ability, it began to freefall.
Seeing this, Chaos gathered its power to attack.
As expected, the “Green King’s” actions were in vain—
“(I’ll take this!)”
—a streak of lightning pierced through it.
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~Unidentified Information Recording Area~
…
The White Crested Amber Radiance (?), Fue Toukouya’s 〖Soul Accumulation Value (Level)〗 has increased to 814.
…
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“(Well, that was a close one.)”
While storing the “Green King’s” corpse in 〖Weapon Storage〗, I sorted out the situation.
A few hours ago, I came to this Great Demon Realm.
The “Green King’s” defeat, which the god had prophesied, was today, the fifth day.
If I had done it normally, there was no way I could have defeated five 〖King Beasts〗 in time.
So, I decided to steal the ‘Experience Points’ from the “Green King” that Chaos had weakened.
It was a two-birds-with-one-stone plan that could also hinder Chaos’s strengthening.
“(The battle speed was so fast, I didn’t know where to cut in, but I’m glad it jumped over here.)”
Judging from the sensation when I touched its [Arche], it seemed that the roots were its main body.
I had been observing from the sky with my 〖Stealth Skills〗 fully activated, but I had thought that I could win by destroying that huge bamboo.
The Chaos Spawn that the Demon Beast Cult had released also had its roots as its main body, so maybe it’s necessary to crush that for higher-ranking plant-type demon beasts.
“…………”
At that moment, I felt a clinging killing intent.
It was Chaos.
It was directing countless plants towards me, who had stolen its prey. Judging from the movement of 〖Mana〗, it looked like a long-range attack was coming.
Also, its 〖Zone Control〗 was expanding. This was because the “Green King’s” 〖Zone Control〗, which had been opposing it, had disappeared.
I had cut off my 〖Territory〗 to increase my stealth as much as possible, so if I stayed here, I would be swallowed by that thing.
‘Well, I don’t have time to deal with you right now. Your turn is next, see ya!’
Leaving those parting words, I jumped into the sky.
There, Paula, riding a drone, was preparing magic, and a hole large enough for me to pass through was immediately opened. As soon as we passed through, the hole closed.
Thus, my first encounter with Chaos came to an end.