The Homeseeker: Elemental Adventurer LitRPG [Isekai] (Series Complete!)

Kilile, Rep, and Zalan briskly made their way to the Swampstomp approaching the city of Oriton. Each of them gripped tightly to their weapons. The beast's round black eyes made it difficult to tell what it was looking at, but Zalan suspected it could see them approaching.

"What kind of Elemental Power or attack is it weak against?" Zalan asked.

"We do not know," Sir Kilile stated. "A Swampstomp is one of the Beasts of Slumber. We should never have to encounter it unless we encroach on its land. I know for certain that it could kill any one of us with a single, direct strike. Try to keep a distance."

Gripping tightly to his hilt, Zalan nodded sharply. Each man imbued their blades with their respective powers. Where Sir Kilile's Elemental Fire spun around at the point of his weapon, Rep released a long whip of flame from his sword, extending the reach of his attack. A tendril of flame grew out from Rep's other hand, arming him on both sides. Zalan looked at his shining sword, hoping that he would be effective in the battle. The obsidian eyes of the monster looked like good spots to target with blinding light.

The wind whipped around them as Sir Rolcoth came dashing next to them, Elemental Air swirling the dust around him.

"There were not many in the guilds to call upon, but they are on their way."

"Not many," Sir Kilile repeated. He breathed deeply. "I hope you men have written your wills."

"If I do not make it, leave everything to my wife. Anything she does not want is to be offered to Zalan," Rep said immediately. The two guardsmen nodded, taking mental note. Zalan stared, appalled.

Trembling and shuddering, Zalan couldn't help himself but to feel fear flow through him. Despite having faced death multiple times, this felt different. The three others were clearly ready to die here. He thought his last stand would be against Morloch in a flying city, but he started to wonder how he would make it out alive against the creature towering over them. There was such an inevitability to their words.

Shaking the floor with every step, the Swampstomp tilted its head downward, acknowledging the men. They stopped in place to breathe deeply, steeling themselves for its first attack. The vine-ridden monster halted its movement and squared off with the fighters.

Time slowed as Zalan assessed the creature. Columns of earth sprouted from its torso to create the massive pillars that were its legs. It could pancake the four of them in a single step. Its arms were like that of massive tree branches, rough around the sides and covered in several different mounds of moss. Zalan grit his teeth, anxious in the calm before the storm.

"What are we waiting for?" Zalan whispered.

"The reinforcements from the guilds," Sir Kilile said. "If the monster does not begin to attack before they arrive, then we may stand a chance."

Exhaling through his nose, Zalan hated the response. He thought that reaching something as high as Level 10 was supposed to make him confident enough to take out all monsters. Nothing about Sir Kilile's words made him feel the slightest hope about defeating the Swampstomp. Slowing it down seemed to be the best outcome from their encounter, suggesting that the city of Oriton would evacuate in the meantime.

More agonizingly long seconds passed, the Swampstomp's vines drifting calmly in a faint breeze. It carried the scent of mud, fresh rains, and death. There was a sinking feeling in Zalan's heart that the Swampstomp embalmed creatures within its vines, deep in its chest. He simultaneously had no reason to believe it and thought for certain that it was true.

Footfalls crescendoed behind them, the sound of people running toward them.

"We are here!" Heron called out from behind them. "The Journey House guild will take down this monster!"

Without warning, several vines darted out from the Swampstomp like snakes charging to bite their prey. Zalan barely had a moment to slash his sword upward, not even aiming his reaction. He cut down a vine just as it was about to grip him, and he slashed it once it hit the ground for good measure. Spinning toward his allies, he checked to see that Rep, Kilile, and Rolcoth were all able to defend against the sudden strike. But the other vines hit their marks.

Zalan just managed to catch sight of Heron and Epanor behind him wrapped with vines before they were dragged toward the monster. Epanor imbued himself in a maelstrom of flames, hot enough for Zalan to feel it from several feet away. Heron cried out in pain, Elemental Water spilling out from his arms like jets, but not nearly enough pressure to cut through the vines. Rep threw a fire whip upward at Epanor and was able to slash at the green tendril with searing hot fire, enough to cut him free. Heron continued to cry out as he was pulled upward.

All those on the ground watched helplessly as the leader to Journey House was flung into the sky, dozens of feet above them. In a moment, the Swampstomp's two massive arms clapped together, crushing the man.

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Swampy arms opening, Heron's remains fell inert. Killed in a moment.

Zalan's heart dropped to his stomach. The battle had only just begun and someone who was Level 14 was already dead.

"Scatter!" Sir Kilile commanded.

Zalan ran one direction immediately, not checking to see where the others were headed. He threw random blasts of Elemental Light above him, hoping to blind the creature as he fled. Vines grew from the ground beneath Zalan's feet and pulled his arms sideways, throwing his aim off. He tried to pull his arms free, but the slick plantlife wrapped tightly around his limbs and pulled him hard toward the ground. Zalan felt like his arms were being torn from their sockets and he was forced to drop to his knees. He tried to imbue his arms with all the power he could muster, but the vines didn't react to the brightest light he could conjure. Sir Kilile was right. Only blade and Elemental Power together would be enough to do any damage to this monster.

With the swish of a rock-studded blade, Liv freed one of Zalan's arms. She had imbued herself in a coat of rock armor. Acting quickly, Zalan imbued his sword and freed his other arm, rushing to his feet and away from the monster. A massive foot stomped behind him, indenting the floor with a shallow crater and throwing Zalan off balance from the force of the attack. Stumbling, but keeping himself upright, Zalan saw Liv held down by more vines grabbing greedily at her ankles. Zalan slashed her free quickly and they both made a few feet of distance before turning back around.

Catching their breath for a moment, they exchanged a glance.

"Zalan," she acknowledged between deep breaths.

"Liv," he replied with a grateful nod.

"Elemental Light is a unique power. Stay alive to preserve it," she said.

"You too," Zalan said, not having time to think of anything else to say.

A dozen vines rained down on them and Liv wrapped herself in a tight dome of earth. Zalan swung his blade madly, feeling like he only had a half second between the time he spotted a vine and the time it would disarm him. While he continued to cut down each of the attacks, he never felt like their numbers were decreasing. The monster could endlessly supply vines.

In the few chances Zalan had to check on the others, he could see many barely holding their own against the creature's onslaught. Liv's rock defense seemed effective, from the outside, but he wondered how much energy she had to use to keep it up.

Chopping off four tentacles of vines at once, Zalan had a second to assess the two massive hands coming down toward the battlefield.

"Liv!" Zalan yelled at the protective rock enclosure. "You're gonna get crushed, get out!"

As he spoke, Zalan realized that the arms were going to sweep the ground like someone brushing bits of eraser off a desk. Its size and movement were too large to get out of the way. Anywhere within a hundred feet would be struck. He began to run, hoping his momentum would mean only a few of his bones would be broken.

"Liv!" Zalan screamed again.

The earthen dome broke down and Zalan saw Liv wrapped tightly, mummified by vines that grew out of the ground. He faltered mid-step, wondering how he was supposed to free her and get out of the way of the oncoming crushing arm at the same time. The Homeseeker came to mind, but he knew it took ten seconds to activate and they didn't have that much time. Grunting in frustration, he darted back toward her to try and save her. Mom wouldn't have hesitated to help someone in need. Neither should he.

Suddenly, the ground dipped out from under Zalan and he found himself sailing into the air. Looking around in shock, Zalan realized Sir Rolcoth tossed all the people on the ground into the sky with Elemental Air to avoid the massive arms coming their way. With a pit of dread in his heart, Zalan looked back down to see Liv was still trapped on the ground, the vines gripping her tightly.

Epanor shot downward, propelling himself with a blast of Elemental Water. Cutting through the vines wildly, he desperately tried to free his ally as she threw off whatever vines she could. Firing shots of water like a pressure washer combined with his sword, he was able to get all of Liv's limbs free from her binds. They looked into one another's eyes, forlorn.

The Swampstomp's arms slammed down, obscuring the two from view and leaving lifeless bodies. Utter destruction.

"No!" Zalan screamed.

Even as he arced in the air, two vines grabbed Zalan's legs and held him upside down. Frustrated at the inability to have a second to grieve, Zalan blasted blinding Elemental Light at the monster's black eyes. It didn't look at him, but the vines released him, flinging him mercilessly at the floor.

Flying into action, Sir Rolcoth caught him out of the freefall with Elemental Air, twisting him upright and placing him gently on the floor. Zalan turned to thank him, but the guard already jumped away in a puff of dust, moving to save another.

Taking several steps away from the monster, Zalan began to throw as much Elemental Light as he could at its eyes, seeing that it had some reaction to it. Several vines approached him, but seemed to veer off or miss by inches.

"Good, Zalan, keep that up!" Sir Kilile praised him.

Slowly, the Swampstomp began to raise one of its arms ahead of itself. At first, Zalan thought it was going to try and crush him again, then he realized it was slowly moving its arm in the way of his attacks. It wanted to block out his Elemental Light.

Panicking, Zalan threw a beam of light from one arm and tried to redirect it to get around. The power wiggled in the air, but only shifted a few degrees, not nearly enough to get around the massive, trunk-like arm.

As soon as the monster could block out Zalan's light, vines sprouted from its legs and held Zalan's arms to his side. He struggled to free himself, but felt the plants tightening hard, crushing his chest. Gasping one last time, Zalan could no longer breathe, his lungs feeling like they were collapsing within him. He tried to call out for someone, but couldn't emit the slightest sound. Thinking desperately, Zalan imbued his body on and off quickly, as though flickering a light urgently. It was no use. The realm was beginning to fade as his vision failed him. More vines wrapped around his forehead, squeezing painfully tight.

Fumbling at his hip, Zalan tried to activate the Homeseeker in a desperate bid to escape. But he couldn't even reach as far as his pocket. He was wholly defeated, the monster would pop his head open in the next moment.