NOVEL NEXT Chapter 126: Corrupted Pond
With the pressure lifted from the party they surged into action once more. Luna lead the charge, twin blade forged from ice crystallising in her hands as she dashed forwards, a illusory copy of her splitting off to her side.
She was to be the main force dealing with the numerous Bark Horrors that had emerged from the corrupted pond. Whilst these monsters were undoubtedly weaker than any that the party had faced, it would not be wise to ignore them or allow them to roam free. After all whilst the destruction of the corrupted tree was the main objective, that didn't mean that the destruction of the numerous monsters was any less important.
A bridge of ice extended into the shallows of the pond, here Luna made her stand. The Horrors did not leave her waiting for long.
The innumerable faux limbs whipping around as they dragged the creatures ever closer to her, once in range they flailed about, desperately aiming to slaughter the foes that dared to invade their domain. Luna welcomed their charge with a frosty welcome made from swords and spears.
Rhyana joined Luna in repelling the monsters, she worked behind the beastkin. Ensuring that no monster was allowed to simply pass by her small domain of ice. Any creature that ventured away from her or tried to strike at the two backliners was surely struck by lightning from the roiling clouds above.
Her new movement skill was also put to use. Rhyanas form crackled into a bolt of lightning itself, before surging through a small cluster of the Horrors, each one the bolt passed through spasmed in pain, then the blue dragon reformed on the other side, her claws wreathed in lightning as she cut through the closest one.
The two danced around the monsters, each strike of theirs bringing a monster one step closer to death. Luna's strikes steadily building up damage with each chained strike, her movements confounding her foes. She was never quite in the position that the monsters believed her to be in, allowing her to narrowly avoid the worst of their attacks and retaliate with dire force.
Susan stood at the back of the party, her swarm of frozen bubbles expanding out. Yet they did not advance towards the pond, but instead formed a frozen shield behind her. For Susan's job was the act as the initial bulwark for any returning Bark Horror that answered the call of its slain brethren.
It did not take long for the first monster to arrive. A harrowing screech echoed out from behind her, swiftly followed by the sound of bone striking ice as her frozen bubbles deflected the splinters launched by one of the returned being.
With the higher leveled monsters now returning Susan shifted her entire focus to delaying them. She had to grant Luna and Rhyana enough time to deal with the swarm of weaker creatures before they could join her in fending off the stronger ones.
Susan's mana flowed through her body, flowing like water as it surged out of her and into her palms. There it concentrated, before being unleashed in twin jet streams that surged forth at the lurking monstrosity. Even whilst her magic was weakened, the shear water pressure was enough to sever several limbs and push the creature back. Yet more came, slowly at first, yet they came all the same. Susan knew that she would be unable to hold out for long, but she only had to hold out long enough for her allies to come to her aid.
Violet focused on the tree, it was both the simplest target, yet also the most challenging thanks to its power and nature.
Whilst her initial strike did deal significant damage to the trunk, it did not deal enough. Now with its corrupted icor flowing down its trunk in small rivers Violet knew that damaging it would be a tough task.
To start with a barrage of void bolts was unleashed, no true target was selected, Violet simply wanted to deal as much damage as possible. The tree did not let this go unanswered. Roots sprouted from the ground, yet they were not all aimed towards violet. But instead poised to strike at all of her party at once.
With a growl of frustration Violet instantly upped the pressure, spears of void formed and launched forth in an instant. A singular concentrated beam also manifesting, the beam aimed directly into the already exposed wound on the trunk.
Evidently sensing the dange of these attacks the tree was forced to abandone its wide range attacks and focus on the pesky dragon. Several of the thicker branches moved to intercept the beam, the sickly branches coated in the corrupting sap and a sickly green aura.
The two forces clashed, one a narrow beam of nothingness, sealing to destroy all that got in its path. The other a withered and scarred tree limb, putrid sap falling like rain into the stagnant long below. The two collided and whilst the beam failed to penetrate deeply, it was slowly pressuring the branches, steadily eating away at the trees defense.
Yet whilst the tree was defending it was by no means remaining passive. The roots around Violet did not divert away, instead they attacked.
Violet wa forced to utilise her forming spears to cut through the thickest roots, whilst actively moving around to avoid those that she could. At the same time she opted to simply tank the weakest of the roots, her body already coated in a thin layer of void that orovided decent protection against these mundane strikes. As all of this was happening, Violet was pushing her multicast to the limit, a fresh magic circle was slowly forming above her head. Its formation was considerably slower than normal, thanks to how little mental focus she could dedicate to the spell, still it was slowly forming, in perpetration to finally put down this cursed tree.
Soon enough the last of the weakened Horrors from within the pond was slain, allowing both Luna and Rhyana to turn their attention to the struggling dogkin. Susan was by now holding off 6 fully grown and powerful Bark Horrors, she was somewhat holding out, her saving grace being the frozen bubbles that she continually summoned.
Still she was burning through her mana at a prodigious rate as she focused on defending from the monsters.
Yet she held for long enough.
Luna took a step back at the edge of the pond, appearing in the midst of the group of Horrors. A domain of arctic frost spreading out around her as she flicked her icy blades, beads of frozen icor being flung away as she readied herself for the next stage of this battle.