章 52: Monarch of Yngrave (3)

Recasting [Wooden Armor] in the midst of this lull, I took quick stock of my own energy levels and mana level, ensuring that I had enough of each to continue onwards and keep on living, all whilst I also began to look around and take stock of everyone else.

The elites were standing firm, their weapons raised and their expressions set as they looked this way and that, trying to keep their focus on the forest as well as the canopy above us, while the rest of the soldiers were battling against their fear and anxiety clearly, keeping it under control as best they could as they huddled together for the psychological safety that came with being in a group.

Even I was grasping onto that thin comfort of superior numbers, sticking close to Alessia, Trania and Paci as we continued to watch the forest around us, which smoldered and crackled as the flames began to die down, no longer fueled by the mage who had cast them.

The pained growling of the monster surrounded us, like the very trees themselves - the same trees that were burnt and dried, ready to crack at the slightest pressure - were voicing their agony at the ocean of fire that had enveloped them, not giving us any sort of clue on where it was truly located just yet.

My eyes flickered over the various charred trunks as quickly as I could while still understanding what I was seeing, hoping that I could locate something that would clue me in on what we were facing and where this monster was located, but it was to no avail as the growling became vexed, the monsters anger bleeding through its pain as it continued to watch us.

I had a good amount of mana left still, enough to cast my spells a few more times comfortably, so I prepared to cast [Illusion] again, waiting for someone on our side to do something else that would give me the ability to further confuse our attacker and perhaps create an opening for another attack.

It had to be close enough to be damaged by that spell, but we just weren't able to tell where it was, so perhaps another attack would pull it out of hiding and force it into a head on battle against us?

There was no way to be certain that anything like that could happen, but something needed to be done, or else the nerves of the soldiers would continue to be tested until they eventually broke, creating an opening for the monster to capitalize on once again that would lower our numbers even more.

This game it was playing with us was one that we needed to change up, but it wasn't something that I could do on my own; I just wasn't strong enough or clever enough to do something like that, and the current situation was a double edged sword.

We were able to recuperate some more mana and energy, but mentally we were receiving damage with each passing second, something that could become detrimental to us in the end, but... what could I do here?!

That feeling of powerlessness was getting old real fast, and I wanted to click my tongue and let out a scream of frustration to vent, this all encompassing shift of who I was and the sudden stark reminder that this wasn't my world, that this wasn't who I was supposed to be grating at my mind once more, only to be pushed aside when a root stabbed forwards at Alessia.

It erupted from the earth and tried to skewer her in the stomach, aiming to gouge out her torso and drag her back into the forest, away from the rest of us, but a simple cleaving swing of her claymore cut the root in two, leaving it lifeless on the ground as the Light Mana infused into her blade ate away at the wood.

Another followed behind it, before a third, fourth, eight, twelfth and so on burst from the earth, whipping towards the nearest soldier and trying to kill whoever they could, all of them coming from the same direction; right in front of Alessia, Trania, Paci and I.

The two Talonmasters stepped forwards and warded off the majority of them, and with their cooperation I cast [Illusion], replicating the spell the mage utilized earlier and creating the beginnings of it above my head, drawing out an angry, yet scared shriek as the monster began to double its efforts to get to me.

With that illusion firmly cast above me, I channeled my mana again and cast [Mirage] before taking a few steps back, calling for the [Illusion] to follow me as I took the form of the mage, albeit a rather crude one.

"Impressive, lass... we shall see if it falls for that sort of trickery."

The rough tone of the older man made me nod as he and I began to move together, working to confuse the monster as he began to cast the same spell, all while the Animus Wardens closed in around us and defended us from the onslaught of roots.

We walked around one another as we continued to cast our own spells, with the older man channeling his magic into the staff he carried and tracing out the circle he needed, all while I mimicked his staff and used my sword instead, all while his original spell gradually grew more complete above me.

Another roar flooded the forest, and this time, the monster showed itself as it crashed down from the canopy above, landing just a few feet away from the edge of our group as it turned towards the mage and I.

A towering collection of roots writhing together to form the rough shape of a humanoid, the monster was a hideous, gnarled thing that leaned forwards and roared at us, its triangular head being primarily a gaping maw that shone with an emerald light, whilst the various flowers that blossomed off of its wooden 'flesh' dripped with nectar.

Two long braids of roots fell off the sides of its head, each one laced with sharp thorns that allowed it to easily chop through the charred, dead trees around it with a shake of its head, using them as makeshift weapons.

Four thick legs carried it forwards as it galloped towards us, each leg as thick as a tree trunk whilst its torso was twice as large, its uneven and weighty gait sending tremors throughout the earth as it rushed at us, trying to breach the line as quickly as it could.

Some of the roots that made up its body detached from the collective and burrowed into the soil, snaking their way under the ground and erupting in front of or behind someone, all while its powerful limbs acted as battering rams as it bashed at the wall of shields and blades that were trying to stop it.

The Animus Wardens swiftly formed a wall in front of us, using their staves to cast different spells that buffed the soldiers, attacked the monster and supported the area around us, all while the soldiers had to fend off the powerful wooden monster that was trying so desperately to break past them.