Arthur cut through the dense underbrush, making his way toward The Verdant Maw. The forest thickened with each step, canopies interlocking until sunlight became a distant memory. Darkness enveloped everything, but Arthur moved confidently, his enhanced senses mapping the environment perfectly.
A rustle to his left.
His body reacted before thought caught up. A pivot, heel grinding into moss. His katana hissed free.
Something burst from the underbrush — all slick bark and snapping limbs. Flowers bloomed along its spine mid-leap, vibrant red petals opening like mouths.
The scent hit him, it was sweet, sickly, and slightly familiar. Just like roasted meat.
Arthur's blade sliced upward in a clean arc. The creature's forward momentum did the rest.
A wet chhk followed by a twitching collapse.
The thing slid across the forest floor in two twitching halves, sap-like ichor splattering the undergrowth. Its petals convulsed once more, then wilted.
[You have killed Level 19 Bloomcrawler]
