Chapter 123: Corruption
“Let’s start once we’re all ready. Everyone focus.” Th.o.r.n.yRose said as she drew her sword and entered a battle stance. She looked over and waited for Zhang ZhengXiong to start the battle.
Zhang ZhengXiong gripped his war hammer tightly, then directly charged in. Everyone split up according to their designate targets.
“Who is it! You dare disturb my sleep! You humans will pay for your offence!!” The corrupted locust tree elder Kunqi opened its eyes and roared at Zhang ZhengXiong who was charging towards it. It swung an immense branch arm downwards. Zhang ZhengXiong, who was only as big as its ‘palm’, dodge past the attack, and readied the flame flask that was given to him. He threw it towards its ‘face’ which caused it to immediately roar. “I’m going to turn you into fertilizer, and then eat you!!”
“Bro! How about we kill this b.a.s.t.a.r.d and fry a vegetable dish out of him!?” Zhang ZhengXiong heard its angry words and sneered as he roared back.
“Ok! I’ll fry him up with some rat! I can try out the new technique old w.a.n.g taught me! Stirfry!” Ye Cang said as his longbow continued to shoot towards the treants who was set ablaze by Lin Le. Lin Le took the initiative and used bloodmoon chop to help kill the two by FrozenCloud. SpyingBlade couldn’t help sighing at the sight. These treants were just living targets for heavy weapons users. He was dealing as much damage as the three a.s.sa.s.sins put together. It was like that enormous anti-cavalry sword was made just to cut wood. This didn’t even include that bugged item - flame flask.
SpyingBlade appeared by Th.o.r.n.yRose. His blade brought about a destructive slash which hit the treant’s core. He pulled his blade out and took several strange steps. Roots and brambles popped up out of the ground, but it seemed as if they were avoiding him.
Ye Cang raised his eyebrows. Such good footwork, it made him as elusive as a ghost. Although, he didn’t appear to move much, he didn’t get hurt at all.
Ghost steps… NalanMoon and FrozenBlood both knew the technique SpyingBlade had used. It was a special technique that neither of them were capable of. However, they had their own unique styles and techniques, so although they were astonished, it wasn’t too bad.
“Lil’Dino, go help Shaking Bear! This side is almost done!!” Th.o.r.n.yRose brandished her longsword, and with the help of FrozenBlood’s all out attack, they kill one of the treants. Although the treants were stronger than the ones on the road, but they didn’t even last an instant. By the time GreenDew’s magic missiles finished casting, things were already mostly taken care of.
GreenDew’s magic missiles flew over, killing the last treant.
FrozenCloud used her movement skill and charged to join Zhang ZhengXiong. Th.o.r.n.yRose also activated a charge. Everyone was now encircling the boss. Little Ye Tian was paying attention to the entire battlefield. She would warn the others the moment there were any signs of entangling roots. She also cast her holy shield and healing skill whenever it was off cooldown, to help reduce the pressure on Zhang ZhengXiong.
Ye Cang drew his bow to full draw and aimed a Precise Shot! It shot right into the burnt part of its ‘mouth’.
“Lele, try to keep him burning!!” Th.o.r.n.yRose’s sword struck on it’s trunk, dealing almost no damage. She wasn’t able to break through it’s defence. It’s mouth and eyes were also too high up to hit. She noticed a branch coming towards her, and dodge it letting it smash into the ground. She leapt and ran up the branch as if it were a bridge. Her double strike struck right on it’s burn. SpyingBlade and FrozenCloud ran up it’s roots, dodged past the attacking branches, then they leapt and also made it up the trunk.
Compared to the others, Lin Le simply activated leap and jumped straight up. He swung his bag, and three flame flasks flew out, igniting the tree. Ye Cang saw a large part of the tree had been set ablaze, dealing impressive damage. The boss also became weakened and stunned. Lin Le landed on the tree’s shoulder and performed an Execute! Failed! He pouted, this monster didn’t even have a neck to target… He took out a gold coin and crushed it. He then pulled his sword out and launched a whirlwind strike! Terrifying damage numbers popped up.
“You d.a.m.n humans! I’ll drain you dry!!!!” Kunqi woke from his stunned state, and his whole body began to tremble. Everyone quickly jumped down.
The big tree’s roots began to rise and extend, covering the entire area. Everyone was now under the roots. Ye Cang frowned. What is it doing? It’s definitely not something good, but just what kind of skill is it? I don’t get it at all. Well I’ll just be alert and dodge it with dashing straight thrust.
The roots acted like pipes and began spreading a black gas, covering the entire area. Th.o.r.n.yRose looked at her own health which was dropping by 3 points a second. Not good! “Take him down or we’re all dead! It’s a pollution skill! Little Tian, come shield everyone!!”
Everyone ran towards Little Ye Tian. Even GreenDew interrupted her spell to run over. She only had a measly 70 health even with Shaking Bear’s aura. Without it, she would only have 40 health. She wouldn’t be able to tolerate 3 damage a second.
Little Ye Tian lifted her staff, and it released a burst of light. Everyone was enveloped by a protective barrier.
“Keep up the healing! Try to cancel his damage!” Th.o.r.n.yRose received the shield and charged over to attack the burnt part of the tree. The boss seemed to have recovered some of the damage it had taken. At least, it wasn’t burning anymore. She began to panic. “Lele, how many more!!?”
“Let me count. Two!!” Th.o.r.n.yRose began to regret. We should have prepared more, but two is better than none. “Don’t let it extinguish the flames. Throw one! We have to kill it before the burning ends, otherwise we don’t stand a chance!”
Ye Cang gave up on performing ranged attack, and drew his mithril rapier. He dashed over with a dashing straight thrust, striking through the flames, and then dodging to the side to avoid a root. Everyone continued to besiege the boss. The black gas began dealing more and more damage. The original 3 became 4, then 5, and now it was already 6. GreenDew and Little Ye Tian couldn’t hold on for much longer. The healing skills were all on cooldown. In at most 3 seconds, they would be corroded and sent back to town.
Zhang ZhengXiong, who was tanking the boss, was also having trouble dealing with the 6 damage per second. He activated his ring’s ability, and the light stunned the boss. He then stepped back, and opened his holy text. A melodious sound echoed out, and everyone was healed. He then activated his two stored healing lights on the two with the lowest health: NalanMoon and Little Ye Tian. Finally, he began casting healing light, to heal Th.o.r.n.yRose. Since the tree hadn’t yet awakened, he rushed back and performed a barbaric tackle, causing it to slight sway. Ye Cang, Lin Le and the three a.s.sa.s.sins were running and leaping around, attacking everywhere. They were like b.u.t.terflies, fluttering around the trees trunk and avoiding the whip-like branches, except Lin Le who was more like an agile monkey. When the roots rose to grab him, he would swing his sword, cutting them all. His simple but matchless attacks became the most important source of damage.
Th.o.r.n.yRose, FrozenCloud, and Zhang ZhengXiong stood in front and kept most of the branches busy. At the same time, they dealt as much damage as they could to the burnt parts. It was a race against time.
Although Zhang ZhengXiong’s holy text saved them from one crisis; but the boss hadn’t yet died, the flames were diminishing, and the corrosive damage continued to increase. No one could be cheerful in this situation.
“If you can, drink a potion!!” Th.o.r.n.yRose said as she downed a small health potion. They could only drink one bottle a fight because the cooldown was so long.
Everyone also drank theirs. Little Ye Tian could only last so long because she had already drank hers. She sighed and estimated that she wouldn’t be able to survive until the boss’ death. The pollution was already dealing 7 damage a second. Before she died, she put her final holy shield around Ye Cang, and became a ray of light.
GreenDew also cast her final magic missile, but died before she could finish shooting them all. This boss was too much, how are we supposed to kill this thing without flame flasks!? She couldn’t see any hope of winning.