kingnovel Chapter 82 The Rotten Tree Man
Chapter 82 The Rotten Tree Man
As we entered the Boss monster's lair, a putrid stench assaulted our senses.
The enormous, tree-like creature, its twisted body entangled in decaying branches and repulsive leaves, stood in the center of the hall. Its empty eyes stared at us menacingly.
'Rotten Tree Man.'
A mid-level Tier 4 monster could easily handle all of us here by itself.
However, despite its individual strength, our confidence in defeating this boss monster stems from our numerical advantage. No matter how strong an individual is, facing multiple opponents is always challenging, and many unpredictable events can occur during a battle.
So what is the most troublesome boss monster?
Several forest monsters are also surrounding the Rotten Treant, further increasing the threat we face. This distracts us from focusing our attacks on the Boss, making it much harder to defeat.
That's why Anya didn't waste any time; her commands were clear and precise.
“Morse, Ethan, Emily, take care of the weaker monsters. Hold off the forest monsters. Fred, buff the team.” She spoke as she raised her shield and spear. The three of us nodded and quickly took our positions, ready to face the approaching forest monsters.
Faye, Harry, and Anya then approached the withered tree spirit to meet the attack. Faye raised her greatsword high, her physical enhancement skills at their peak. Harry wielded his twin blades, flames swirling around him, preparing to strike. Anya, meanwhile, focused intently on the boss, her shield raised high to protect herself.
"Roar!"
The decaying tree sensed our threat and let out a chilling roar that sent shivers down everyone's spines, filling everyone with dread.
The battle officially begins, and the Boss applies the [Fear] status effect to each of us.
"Fred, purify!" Anya immediately instructed Fred, while rushing towards the monster that was about to launch an attack.
“I…I understand,” Fred replied, and began casting a purification spell.
The boss monster raised its twisted, enormous limbs, letting out a deafening roar and releasing a burst of corrupting branches imbued with dark natural magic.
Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
"I'll do it!"
Anya raised her shield, shouted, and activated her skill.
boom! boom! boom!
The branch struck her shield. This marked the beginning of the attack.
Whoosh!Whoosh!
Anya, Faye, and Harry coordinated their attacks, drawing on their years of combat experience. Anya's shield blocked the Corrupted Treant's dark magic attacks, Faye's greatsword severed the corrupted branches, and Harry's flaming twin blades slashed deep into the monster's bark-like skin.
"Morse! Watch out!"
Whoosh! Bang! Smash!
On the other side, the forest monsters attacked from both sides, their agility and strength making them even more threatening than before.
'These monsters have gotten stronger; it seems this is the buff effect from the Rotten Treants.'
This monster is difficult to deal with not only because of its own strength, but also because it can enhance the monsters it creates.
'Forest monster.'
Ethan, Emily, and I fought bravely.
Their teamwork and fighting synergy improved with each clash. Emily's swordsmanship was precise, while Ethan's spear attacks were deadly.
My dagger skills are also constantly improving, since the forest monsters are more agile than before.
Despite Ethan's greater talent in combat, Emily diligently fulfills her duties. However, the effects of the fog and Fred's skills have begun to take hold of their bodies.
'They should be here soon.'
The constant sounds and vibrations of battle reached my senses, and Fred must have felt them too.
Whoosh!
Because of these sounds, no one noticed that the thin needle, enhanced by green magic, was approaching Fred.
“Ethan, cover me!” Emily shouted, trying to create distance between herself and the forest monster.
However, Ethan's reaction was not right. He felt heavy and unable to move as quickly as usual. "Something's wrong, my body won't obey me," he said, clearly frustrated.
Just then, I saw Ethan's attention immediately shift to Fred.
'He noticed.'
"You did this, didn't you?" he muttered to himself, seemingly piecing together all the clues, the scene before him like a replay in a game.
"What are you doing!" With a loud shout, he immediately attracted everyone's attention.
"What's wrong, Ethan?" Emily also turned to look at Ethan.
“This guy betrayed us,” Ethan stated clearly, his eyes fixed on Fred.
"what?"
"Tsk."
Fred clicked his tongue, but his annoyance quickly turned into a cold laugh.
"So you really are a member of the Hartley family? I was originally planning to offer your head to the Boss, but it seems I can save it for later."
With a malicious smile, Fred began chanting a spell, which was undoubtedly a dark magic skill.
The skill he uses is [Wave].
That skill works not only on humans, but also on monsters. More importantly, it's more effective on monsters because they are more easily controlled by their instincts.
"Roar!"
After sensing the threat, the decaying tree-man suddenly went into a berserk state.
Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
Its decaying branches lashed wildly, striking the forest monster and members of our team with devastating force.
I tried my best to dodge the attacks, but due to my physical limitations, I found myself completely unable to withstand the monster's fierce onslaught.
Whoosh! Bang!
"Uh!"
A huge tree branch struck me hard, the force sending me flying. I was then dizzy and almost unable to move.
I can feel pain in every part of my body; at least three ribs may be broken, and even breathing has become difficult.
"No!" Anya's painful cry was drowned out by the clamor of battle. I felt myself being thrown out of control into the air, far away from the chaotic battlefield.
“Morse!” I heard Ethan’s voice and saw his astonished eyes.
In the chaos, Fred seized his opportunity. With unprecedented speed and stealth, he swiftly grabbed the precious fragment of the dungeon and vanished into the thick fog.
As I tumbled onto the fog-shrouded ground, dizzy and injured, I could only watch Fred leave with a smug smile.
However, he was unaware that a tiny green thread had already connected me to him.
......
As Morse disappeared into the thick fog, Ethan was filled with anger and despair.
He desperately tried to catch up with his fallen comrades, but their current precarious situation weighed on him like a heavy mountain, making it hard for him to breathe.
Ethan and the other team members watched Morse fly away and Fred leave, while they were busy dealing with the Boss's attacks, which had entered a berserk state.
"Roar! Whoosh!"
Each roar of the decaying treant was accompanied by its attack, causing the ground to tremble violently.
"I must save him."
Clang!
Ethan shouted as he dodged the monster's attacks, trying to move in the direction Morse had flown off to.
"do not want!"
Just then, Harry blocked his way. She stood in front of him, holding two blades.
"Ethan, I know you're sad, but we can't be apart now."
Whoosh!
As she spoke, she dodged another branch protruding from the ground.
“I have to save him,” Ethan said resolutely, trying to push Harry aside so he could save Morse.
Harry steadied himself, his twin blades gleaming with fire. "Ethan, I understand how you feel, but charging in alone now will only put you in danger. We can't afford to split our forces."
Roar!
The decaying treant roared again, causing the ground to tremble violently. Forest monsters surrounded them from all sides, their malevolent gazes fixed on the group, their movements swift and coordinated.
Ethan's fists clenched tightly, his heart filled with frustration. "But he's injured! He's been left there all alone!"
Harry met Ethan's gaze, her eyes filled with concern. "I know, but if you leave now, we'll be surrounded like Morse, trapped on all sides. We have to trust him to take care of himself. Anya and the others are calling for backup; we have to trust the team and regroup."
Ethan gritted his teeth, struggling to make a choice between his instinct to save Morse and the grim reality of the situation.
Why... of all people?
He still remembers how Morse looked with his back to him at that time.
"That person is no longer there."
His voice was filled with helplessness and loneliness.
And now, he is about to make the same choice as everyone else.
Abandoning the weak.
This decision weighed heavily on his shoulders, leaving him with an indescribable sense of powerlessness. He knew that abandoning Morse was a tactically correct choice, but he found it hard to accept the fact.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, and blood seeped from the wounds. His gaze fell on the spear in his hand, and he remembered the words his father had once spoken.
"When you realize that you can't save everyone, that's when you become a true hunter."
"Why? I want to save everyone, I want to be a hero."
"A hero? You can be one if you want."
"So......"
“But Ethan, one day you will understand that no one can remain a hero forever unless you have enough strength to support your beliefs.”
'So, that's what Father meant...?'
Ethan then understood the true meaning of his father's words, especially when he expressed his desire to become a hero.
Unlike others, his father never objected to his desire to become a hero. He never mocked him or called it a foolish dream.
The father had only emphasized the importance of strength, but Ethan was only now truly understanding it.
'It's because I'm still too weak.'
It's precisely because I'm too weak that I couldn't save him alone. If I were stronger, if I had done better...
'If only I were a little stronger…'
With a heavy heart, Ethan nodded reluctantly. "Alright, we'll regroup. But once this chaos is over, we must find him."
Harry gripped the double-edged swords tightly and nodded solemnly. "Yes, we will get through this together."
They turned back together, their gazes refocusing on the chaotic battlefield, where the rampaging hordes of decaying treants showed no signs of abating.
And so, Ethan took his first step toward becoming the protagonist.