Rot Heart: A LitRPG of Rot Magic in an Ancient World (Book 1 completed)

Div and En stood baffled over the twitching corpse of the Cyclops. All their efforts had been for naught. No matter how much they struck it with their spear, it couldn't penetrate its skin.

But Lugsellos had only needed a single arrow to put an end to the fight.

Well, after the arrow pierced its only eye, the giant fell to the ground, allowing Vedovessa to swoop in and kill it.

It still stung. They weren't the ones who defeated it. Especially since they knew very well that cyclops' weakness was its eye. They just couldn't reach it.

"Now," their teacher said. "Are you going to participate?"

"What do you mean?" Div and En asked.

"Don't give me that. You were watching your comrades battle, as if helping them was beneath you."

"We were giving them space to train!"

"That's exactly what I'm lecturing you against," Vedovessa cut them off, her face stern. "Do you think you're so strong? Do you think you've made it just because you had a few harsh experiences?"

"Our skills are at a higher level than theirs."

Div and En didn't like the way Vedovessa was looking at them. The dismissal in her eyes. Talking to them as if they were children. They might have failed to contain the cyclops, but it was just a bad match-up.

They were strong—stronger than all of their peers, and they knew it.

In their first year since awakening, they had brought two skills up to the level limit. It had to count for something.

"We will revisit this conversation after the battle," Vedovessa said, cutting short any complaint they were about to raise. "You will fight with your classmates. This is a battlefield, not a playground."

"Tell me!" En raised his hand in insistence. "We're stronger than any of them."

"Then why was it Lugsellos who stopped the cyclops? Why not you? Why did I need to interfere?"

"I…" En started.

"No. This is not the place nor the time to speak. I am your commander, and you will obey."

Div and En swallowed their words. They were not happy about the sermon, but they wouldn't let their pride get in the way of the battle. They wanted to fight, anyway.

"Team up with Segorix."

Their eyes were drawn to the blonde swordsman. He was locked in combat with a brown-scaled horned serpent.

(That's a big snake.)

Kheiron and its surroundings were inhabited by few reptilian species, but while some were venomous, none were larger than a man's arm. The one Seg was fighting, however, was nearly twice as long as a spear and as thick as an old oak branch.

A blocky, rectangular horn extended from above its eyes like a crest.

Species: Rootcoil Serpent

Skills:

Fangs - Basic - Lv6

Earth Magic - Basic - Lv3

Regeneration - Basic - Lv4

(A beast with a pure magic skill? That's rare.)

[We need to help Seg.]

While the serpent's skills were not particularly high level, the combination of Earth Magic and Regeneration worried Div and En.

(At least, it doesn't have a venom skill.)

[Let's not jinx ourselves.]

While there was no mention of venom in its status, it didn't mean the serpent didn't have any. It might have managed to conceal it. Furthermore, beasts could be venomous without the skill to prove it. It was a biological function, after all.

Div and En didn't have a skill for everything their body could do. Walking, breathing, and digestion were all essential, but they didn't result in skills.

They had to assume the worst.

Since their fight with the cyclops didn't pan out, Div and En had a lot of energy left. Scornforged's effects had diminished with the giant's death, but they could still feel lingering power coming from their Rotten Sun title.

Some people in Kheiron remembered Diven, and not in a good light. It didn't please them, but at least their scorn didn't go to waste. It powered their rush through the fifth direction.

In an instant, they were next to Segorix, striking with their spear at the serpent.

The hit landed but bounced off the serpent's scales. All they managed to achieve was a little more power into Scornforged as they drew the beast's ire.

[Great, another monster we cannot damage.]

"It's reinforcing itself with earth magic!" Seg told them as he dodged a tail sweep.

"Any weak points?" Div and En asked.

"Its mouth, maybe…"

With earth-attuned mana present everywhere on land, it was one of the more common brands of magic. Since reinforcing one's defenses was by far the easiest use of earth magic, it wasn't surprising the snake could do it.

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Still, it was annoying.

(Let's try striking its mouth. If we can't, we'll have to fight it until exhaustion.)

[Can we? It really depends on what Regeneration does.]

Seeing what skills their opponent had was always useful. But with only the names to go off of, it didn't give Div and En enough information. The serpent's Regeneration could be a skill that helped it recover its strength, allowing it to battle longer. But it could just as well be a healing skill that would only trigger if it was injured.

It could also be both at the same time or something else entirely.

They had no way to know.

(We should avoid fighting a battle of attrition. The faster we kill it, the more we'll be able to help others.)

With the idea to plant their spear into the snake's mouth, Div and En coordinated with Segorix to create an opening.

The serpent was not without survival instincts. Even with the dark day altering its behavior, it wouldn't expose its weak point for no reason.

However, if Seg was correct and its mouth was vulnerable, it was also where the snake's main weapons were located: its fangs.

[I don't know if there's venom in those fangs, but it seems very likely.]

(I think so too.)

The more they thought about it, the more conflicted they became. With the beast wielding Earth Magic and its size, it should be quite effective at constricting its prey.

This serpent didn't need fangs to hunt.

But it had fangs. Not teeth, fangs.

[I don't know much about snakes, but…]

(Let's just avoid getting bitten.)

Taking a few hits was fine, they could endure that. But venom was something they had no desire to experience.

"You have more range," Segorix said. "It will be less dangerous if you do it."

With his sword, Segorix had to put himself too close to the fangs for comfort.

But the snake seemed aware of it. With Div and En's spear unable to pierce its mana-reinforced scales, it was keeping its head in Seg's direction.

(We're completely useless here.)

None of what they did seemed to have any effect on the beast.

"Diven!" Segorix shouted. "Try to restrain it, I'm going for it!"

They didn't have time to react. All they could do was grab onto the serpent's tail and do their best to hold it in place. It was physically stronger than they were, but they managed to hinder its movements. If only a little.

Segorix watched as the snake reached toward him with its maw open, ready to bite into his torso, neck, or wherever its fangs could reach. Then, at the last possible moment, he lunged forward with his sword aimed straight at the inside of its mouth.

The beast didn't pull back. Instead, it let the sword penetrate the inside of its mouth. It drew blood.

But it didn't stop there, Seg's sword was entering deeper and deeper into the snake.

"It's pulling your sword in!" Div and En shouted. "Let it go!"

Segorix didn't need to hear it twice. He dropped the handle of his sword and threw himself backward as he watched his weapon disappear into the serpent's throat.

Armed with only his shield, he switched to a defensive position. Meanwhile, Div and En retreated a few steps, letting the snake free. They didn't like it, but they couldn't afford to keep holding it.

It would be too easy for the slithering beast to turn around and bite them as they held its tail.

(Not good. What do we do?)

[Blighted Passage. With the spear.]

(I haven't seen an opening so far.)

[We need to keep looking.]

Striking with their spear through the fifth direction was extremely effective at breaking past the guards of any opponent. The only issue was that Div and En didn't control where the fifth direction was. If it didn't line up with their target, it wouldn't be of any help.

"Seg!" They called. "Let's stay close together."

Without his sword, the blonde boy had lost his chance to damage the rootcoil serpent. If things continued as they started, the monster would keep attacking him, not giving Div and En an opportunity to strike.

"It's like my strike did nothing!" Segorix complained as he moved toward them. "It stopped bleeding already."

"Regeneration…"

"Most likely," Seg nodded. "That's an issue."

(This Regeneration skill is so unfair!)

[We have Echoes of the Rot Heart.]

(It's nowhere near as strong. And the side effects…)

But they weren't snakes. Different species had different advantages. It was entirely possible that it was easier for snakes to regenerate than for humans.

Regardless, complaining wouldn't do them any good. They had to fight.

[En, I know you're excited about your changes to Rotten Spear, but I think we need to make sure we put as much rot-attuned mana into the strike.]

(I don't know if it's going to be enough to overcome its Regeneration.)

[It'll have to. It's all we've got.]

Div was confident. If they could land a rotten strike inside the mouth of the snake, it had to be enough. After all, they had severely injured the Evolved Rank guardians with it.

Granted, Theaphilia showed them how weak they were for Evolved Ranks.

And there was the question of if Regeneration would negate the effect of their rot-attuned mana.

But still, it was the only option they saw.

The snake and the teenagers looked at one another for a moment. None of them made a move.

Div and En couldn't take the initiative. They had to wait for the serpent to open its mouth. If they attacked unprompted, their spear would simply bounce off its scales.

As for the snake, it was hesitating. Attacking two humans at once might be too much for its survival instincts.

In the end, the serpent made its move.

The horn on its head shone for an instant. The ground shifted around Segorix's feet, encasing his legs in dirt. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to prevent him from moving fast enough.

The beast attacked, its jaws ready to snap at its trapped victim.

Div and En could only put themselves between the snake and their friend.

They raised their shield.

Faster than they thought possible, the snake whipped its tail at them, throwing it to the side.

They could only strike back with their spear as the serpent's fangs closed in on them.

It penetrated the snake's mouth, but the beast showed no sign it was stopping. Instead, it gulped down the entire weapon, then Div and En's forearm, before finally sinking its fangs into their upper arm.

"Aah," They grunted in pain.

(No. It's venomous.)

The effect was instantaneous. Through debilitating pain, they felt their muscles weaken. It was as if they couldn't control them anymore.

After all this time fending for themselves in the rift and in the wilds, they had never felt such a sensation.

Their thoughts were in complete disarray. Both sluggish from the agony and faster than ever.

Their body and minds were responding to the crisis.

They couldn't let it end here.

But all hope was not lost. Through a haze of pain and frenzy, Div spoke inside his brother's mind.

[En, there's only one solution.]

(Tell me.)

[Rot. And I need your help.]