As he sat there in thought, the hairs on his arm stood; it was a distinct sensation that followed, like a pulse in the air around him.
[Fiend Tracking] [C-Rank Monster Hunting Skill]
He immediately stood up, bringing his axe into his grip as he looked around, though find no sign of whatever it was that triggered his senses. The smell of the air soured with the putrid sweetness of rotting fruit.
It was only then that he noticed it; the branches moved on their own, like eerie arms. They were right above the slumbering twins, the limbs of the trees sharpened like javelins.
"There!--" Noah shouted.
[Strengthen]
Even as fast as he moved, he was nowhere near fast enough from the position he was in as the branches were already stabbing downward. It was only when it was too late that those asleep opened their eyes.
Squelch.
Blood sprayed onto the soil; the twins remained untouched. On the ground, holding his sister, Otto looked up with wide eyes, having to adjust to the perplexing sight.
"I made it," the struggled words escaped the orc's lips.
Like a mighty shield, the giant used his body to intercept the animated branches. There was no mercy from nature as the wooden limbs curled and twisted, inciting groans from the orc.
"Hey, you're bleeding…" Otto said in quiet shock as the crimson fluid dropped right by his cheek.
A hoarse cough left the red one's mouth, "Hrk–it's nothing I haven't experienced before."
Noah hurried behind the orc, swinging the axe through the malignant branches. The tool made for chopping wood did just that, releasing their hold on the orc's flesh. An odd sensation followed as he cut through, watching the branches slithered away like writhing serpents.
As the orc was freed from the impaling, he dropped down just as Astrid got up, quickly conjuring recovery magic.
"Hold on–!" The mage desperately pleaded.
Otto was quick to his feet, joining beside the axe-wielder as together, they found the enemy revealing itself in a harrowing form. A tree that stood on two legs, of grotesque, wooden flesh that festered with insects.
[Identification] [C-Rank Close-Quarters Combat Skill]
["Demonic Forest Spirit"] [Designated Level: Appx. 9]
"Did anybody know we walked into a messed up forest?" Noah asked, keeping his axe raised.
"When we passed through before, it wasn't like this," Otto exhaled.
A growl emitted from the hollow mouth of the living tree, following with it a dreadful stench like that of rotting flesh. Its accursed branches sunk into the soil, pushing back out with blooming, bleeding flowers.
"Alright, a tree spirit should be weak to this…!" Otto said, giving a masterful twist to the arrow as a spark flicked into a flame around the head.
It shot right at the tree with the burning element capturing the projectile, right on target before–
Gulp.
Right into the gaping mouth of the rotten sentinel of the forest, the arrow was swallowed like a toasty snack. An exhale of smoke left its mouth, followed by a distorted crunching noise that could only be amounted to laughter.
"That, err, wasn't effective," Noah commented.
Otto huffed in defeat, "Yeah…"
Behind them, the mage desperately tended to the orc's wounds, though with so many holes left in the giant's body, she could only focus on one at a time.
Astrid stayed knelt by the goliath with paceless breaths, "Hold on–I'm doing the best I can!"
"Urgh…" Redrum groaned. "Thank you, little elf…"
The demonic tree seemed intent on finishing the job as its wriggling roots were thrust forward. At first glance, Noah thought they were aimed for the archer and himself, though that was not the case.
'It's aiming for Astrid and Redrum?' He realised.
With haste, he pressed his boot down and swung his axe, squeezing the handle as he lent his utmost strength in dispelling the twisted assault. Against the putrid being, he called upon the force of radiance within himself, hoping to eradicate it–
[Vanquish Evil]
Nothing came, only his axe swung with his strength alone. It was enough to cut through the branches, incurring a howl of pain from the living tree as it writhed.
"Hey, that hurt it!" Otto shouted with delight.
Noah was left dumbfounded at the failure of his skill, glancing down at his hand. There was a distinct ache through his arm, along with a sensation like that of complete emptiness in his body; the same as going hungry for over a day.
'I can't use it again? Just gotta make do then,' he thought.
In tandem with the archer beside him, he quickly moved out of the way as branches lunged down with a stabbing tenacity. There seemed to have been no effect done by splitting its limbs, as it only grew more in their place.
With a quick dash, he closed the distance while ducking beneath the wooden spears, swinging his axe for the rotten trunk. It split, easily, rupturing with a roar, yet–the disconnected bark rewound itself as quickly as it was separated.
In that sparse moment it was parted, he caught a glimpse of a peculiar presence within the tree; a throbbing core, like that of a beating heart.
'That's it,' he found.
Before the demonic sentinel of nature could retaliate, he slipped back while the jagged branches ruptured the soil in front of him.
"Otto!" He shouted to the one behind him.
"Yeah?!"
"I'm going to open it up again! You'll have a small window, but in the midsection, there's a core, a heart of some sort!" Noah relayed the information. "I don't have to tell you what comes next!"
Otto breathed out and smiled intently, drawing an arrow, "Not at all."
The axe-wielder led the charge, dashing across the isolated grass of the forest. With swiftness like that of fleeting wind guiding his feet, he moved nimbly as the accursed wood stabbed at him from all sides.
He ducked his head down as one attempted to skewer his brain, sliding down as two came in from both sides with the effort to bisect him. As he slid along the sleek grass, he hopped to his feet, flipping his axe in his hand and squeezing the handle.
'If there's one proficiency I'm highest in, it's this one…' He thought with utter focus.
[Timber Savant] [B-Rank Woodcutting Skill]
The permanent grin forged on the nefarious tree's mouth was twisted into an agonized twist as the mystical touch of the axe made contact. For the being made of wood, it had little resistance to being split into perfect pieces.
["Axe Mastery" Proficiency Up +5] [194/999]
["Woodcutting" Proficiency Up +5] [206/999]
In that moment, it was nothing but timber turned to logs, revealing the beating core behind its flesh.
"Otto!" Noah shouted the signal, though he quickly realized there was no need.
A strengthened arrow sailed right past him, guided by visceral wind as it struck the tree's exposed heart pinpoint. Like a balloon poked by a simple needle, the scarlet core exploded with a visceral "pop."
["Monster Hunting" Proficiency Up +5] [19/999]
[EXP: +500] [1,550/20,00]
All at once, like rain to soil, the apparition of nature crumbled. A harsh release of air like a foul whisper left its decaying form as it rapidly settled into nothing more than blackened mush, dampening into the dirt.
"...Nice shot," Noah exhaled, looking back at the archer.
"Yeah, thanks," Otto nodded.
Both turned their focus behind them, finding the frantic magic desperately tending to the wounded giant.
"He's bleeding out faster than I can heal him, there's too many holes–!" Astrid desperately relayed, frantically holding her hands over a gaping wound in the orc's back.