Episode 222: The “Tree” Monster
A violent explosion erupted, gouging the trunk of the “Tree,” and sending branches flying as they burst into flames.
Rui didn’t let up his assault, relentlessly slamming slashes into its ‘Roots,’ ‘Trunk,’ and ‘Branches,’ detonating them.
The moving “Tree,” despite its burning surface and leaves, continued to advance without faltering.
“As I thought, it’s regenerating the damage.”
Rui distanced himself from the “Tree,” and repositioned his longsword to a lower stance.
“You won’t defeat it by doing that little by little! Stand back, I’ll handle it!!”
Akito, with Gae Bolg resting on his shoulder, stepped forward. He pointed the tip at the “Tree” and grinned.
In the next instant, light burst forth, and Akito’s figure vanished.
Kalpavriksha couldn’t keep up with Akito’s high-speed movements.
“Eat this!!”
A storm of thrusts from Gae Bolg. Black Lightning crackled, destroying roots and trunk.
Furthermore, Lightning that fell from above struck the “Tree” directly, splitting its branches and setting them ablaze.
“How’s that!? That had to have worked, right?”
Akito said confidently, but the “Tree” regenerated as if nothing had happened.
“Seriously? No way! What’s with this guy’s Regeneration ability… is it greater than the “Red Monsters”!?”
Rui was also perplexed. The monsters of the White Dungeon had the highest Regeneration ability, followed by red, then green.
But if it regenerates even when using Second Tier Magic, it can only be assumed that its Regeneration ability exceeds that of the White Dungeon.
While he was contemplating this, the “Tree” launched the leaves on its head like shuriken.
Rui and Akito deployed Magical Barriers, completely blocking all the leaves.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a persistent guy, should we attack together all at once?”
As Rui was about to agree to Akito’s suggestion, Dasha, who was directing the evacuation, shouted loudly.
“You have to strike its main body! The plant parts are being supplied with Mana and will regenerate no matter what. Find the main body!”
Hearing that, Akito frowned.
“That’s easier said than done. Even if you say main body, how big is it, and where is it located? I have no idea!”
“We have no choice but to blow away everything we can see.”
To Rui’s words, Akito replied, “Guess I have no choice.” The two kicked off the ground and leaped towards Kalpavriksha’s chest.
They narrowly avoided the attacks of branches and roots, and Rui and Akito unleashed their full power.
“UOOOOOO!!”
Rui’s slash blew away a quarter of the “Tree.” The leaves burst into flames, and most of the branches turned to ash.
“I won’t lose either!!”
When Akito swung his spear, an extra-large Lightning bolt struck the “Tree” directly. It crackled and tore through the center of the trunk.
Without a moment’s pause, the two slammed in a second strike.
The “Tree” monster couldn’t withstand this, snapping from the root and burning up, turning into black charcoal. “Phew, is it finally over?” Akito said in relief, but something crawled out from the base of the tree.
A monster resembling a “grasshopper” about fifty centimeters long.
Staggering, it tried to escape from Rui and Akito.
“That’s the main body… it was at the root!”
Akito thrust the spearhead into the grasshopper. Kalpavriksha’s main body reacted for a moment, but soon stopped moving and turned to sand.
“For now, the monsters around here should be okay. After that…”
“Yeah, if Yuma can hold back the monsters in the rear, I think everyone can evacuate.”
Rui and Akito looked at the Indian Seekers fleeing, and shifted their gaze to the mountains where Yuma should be.
◇◇◇
He passed through a dark path and stood on a small hill.
Yuma couldn’t help but gasp at the sight that spread out before his eyes.
“Oh… this number…”
A swarm of insects, insects, insects, filled the mountain path. Because their eyes were glowing red, the figures of the monsters that emerged in the darkness were even more eerie.
Giant winged insects flew in the sky, and there were even moving “Trees.”
“There are this many… certainly, if we were attacked by this many monsters, we wouldn’t stand a chance.”
The speed at which they were advancing was also quite fast. At this rate, they might reach the town where the Indian Seekers were evacuating.
“I have no choice but to take care of it here.”
Yuma put strength into his body with a huff. His entire body was dyed black, and the clothes he was wearing were absorbed into his body.
His body surface was covered with black armor, and horns grew from his head.
Vicious fangs also grew, and his sharp eyes captured the swarm of enemies.
He poured Liquid Metal into the Variable Pickel he held in his right hand. Fortunately, all the Indian Seekers had evacuated, and no one was here.
Even if he fought in this form, no one would see it.
“Now I can rampage without holding back!”
Yuma ran down the hill, pouring Fire Magical Power into the Pickel that had transformed into a hammer. He fended off dragonfly-like monsters that attacked, and further increased his speed.
Large centipedes and millipedes approached.
Yuma didn’t panic and swung the boiling hammer. The Insectoid Monsters that were hit by the magma hammer exploded and were blown away.
As expected, the attack of the hammer clad in Fire Magical Power was tremendous, and it exerted sufficient power against any monster.
Yuma, who had deepened his confidence, activated the Bloodstained Ore (Bloody Ore).
He raced through the forest area at a terrifying speed, slaughtering dozens of monsters one after another.
“At this rate, I should be able to do it.”
Just as he was convinced of that, a moving tree stood before him. Yuma couldn’t help but stop.
“Is this also a monster…? I heard there were only Insectoid Monsters…”
Although he was slightly puzzled, he thought it didn’t matter and slammed the hammer into the “Tree” monster. A violent explosion occurred, blowing away half of the tree.
Yuma tried to move forward, ignoring the burning tree, but was attacked by a creepy sensation from behind.
When he turned around, thick roots were undulating and attacking.
Yuma defended, but was blown away by the force of the impact. He hit his back on the ground, rolled, and crashed into a rocky area.
“Damn… what is it!?”
He shook his head, stood up, and glared at the “Tree” monster. The trunk had been destroyed and was burning, but it was gradually regenerating.
“This Regeneration ability… an Abyssal Monster!”
The “Tree” monster swung vines and roots. The power was tremendous, but it wouldn’t cause damage even if it hit. The only thing to be careful about was its toughness.
Looking closely, there were two other similar “Tree” monsters. Three in total.
“Fine by me!”
Yuma shifted up a gear. If it regenerates many times, he just had to destroy it to the point where it couldn’t regenerate.
He slammed the burning hammer into the base of the tree.
Flames erupted more than twenty meters high, and part of the tree turned to charcoal. Furthermore, he swung the hammer horizontally, gouging out the trunk of the tree.
The tree melted from the heat, was engulfed in flames, and burned up.
There was no sign of it regenerating anymore. Yuma started running to defeat the remaining two trees as well. He struck one tree with the hammer, causing a huge explosion.
He struck another blow, sinking it into the explosion.
Just as he raised his hammer to defeat the other “Tree,” vines wrapped around his arms and legs.
“Whoa!? What is this…”
It was constricting him with a force that didn’t seem like a plant, but Yuma didn’t feel that threatened. He grabbed the vines and channeled Fire Magical Power.
The flames traveled along the vines, spreading to the main body and burning it.
Yuma pulled back his left fist against the struggling monster. He stepped in all at once and slammed in a left Seiken Zuki (Straight Punch).
His fist pierced the trunk, exploded, and created a large hole in the “Tree.”