Right at the edge of the clearing, the ground bulged and swelled, breaking apart as several clawed limbs forced their way out of it. Multiple high pitched screeches were let loose as some of the most disgusting monsters Leon had ever seen emerged.
The monsters had smooth, pink skin that was stained by the brown dirt of the earth. They possessed four limbs, a tail, a long, drawn out face, with a pointed nose. They also lacked eyes, but from the way their noses looked, Leon could tell that they did not truly need eyes. A few sniffs were enough for them to tell where their enemies were. Their heads snapped in the direction of the tree where Leon and the others were gathered.
“Crap!” Leon cursed again, pulling his new sword out of its sheath. Its metallic body gleamed with a golden light as it was bathed in the golden glow of the tree. Nero held up his shield and brandished his broadsword, while Kaladin spread out his arms that were already crackling with lightning.
Together, the three of them looked like a scary trio that rose from the dead to guard the tree. Although it was not so far from the truth.
Nero let out a deep grunt as he rumbled forward to meet the three creatures that emerged from the earth, his eyes glowing with a deep red color that reflected off the back of his shield. One of the monsters moved forward to meet him, its front paws raising up into the air, before coming back down with a mighty force that forced Nero down to one knee.
Boom!
A ball of red fire struck the side of the monster, throwing it off balance. The next moment, a flash of purple light momentarily covered the area, glazing over the pink skin of the creatures. Groans and moans of sudden pain rang through the clearing as Leon’s <Beginner Curse Eyes> skill sunk deep into the bones of the vile creatures.
The strength bearing down on Nero’s shield lessened substantially, allowing him to throw off the large monster. His wide, black sword glowed with bright red light as it swooped down, slicing off a chunk of flesh from the monster.
As he fought with it, Leon and Kaladin also fought their own battles.
With five rotating orbs of red fire hanging behind him, Leon rushed forward. Before he was even halfway there, he sent two of the orbs of fire forward, turning them into burning lances that tore through the air as they reached for the forelimbs of his chosen target.
The piercing was soundless, but the explosion that blew apart the creature’s legs was not. With an agonizing squeal of pain, the massive rat-like creature fell forward, only to have it’s head lopped off by Leon’s sword that gleamed with a bright blue glow from his <Beginner Weapon Enhancement> skill.
Thud!
The headless body dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, raising a cloud of dust. Leon turned to the others and found that they were also rounding up. The monsters were not too strong, just meaty. If Leon had to place on a ranking scale, he would put them just shy of C rank.
[Level 12 Pink Belly Mole killed.]
‘No level up.’ Leon huffed and stepped back when the monster Kaladin had handled dropped dead. It’s skin was charred and blackened from the constant lightning barrage that had besieged it. There was no part of its skin that was not burnt.
Nero’s catch fell next, its head similarly lopped off like Leon’s own. He gave a silent grunt as he put away his sword and shield, the pieces of equipment turning into swirling smoke as he dismissed them.
“Hmm?” Leon was surprised when he saw that. He had not known Nero could do that. “Nero, what was that?” He called out to his silent summon.
“Master.” The armor clad skeleton regarded Leon, bowing his head as he replied, “I have only just recently found out that I can store away my sword and shield.” He replied, implying that he did not know much about it too. Leon could tell that much from Nero’s thoughts.
“Have you tried experimenting with something else?” Leon asked.
“No.” Nero shook his head slowly.
“Oh, I see. Well, try putting this in there.” Spinning around, Leon spotted a twig and passed it to Nero who held it in his grasp. A moment passed, and a swirl of black smoke rose form Nero’s hand, trying to encompass the twig, but failing to pull it to whatever pocket space he stored his equipment in.
“Oh, well. It doesn’t matter too much.” Leon eventually shrugged after a minute of trying.
He turned back up to the top of the tree where Nedra was. She had wanted to rush down when the monsters had first shown up, but seeing how Leon and the others had easily taken care of them, she did not worry and continued picking the fruits. Now, she had picked up five of them.
When she picked up the remaining two and started coming down, the ground began rumbling again. This time, it was much stronger than the first.
“Shit, were those three just scouts?” Leon stumbled slightly.
At the same time, dozens of alerts came from his summons as dozens of different monsters, big and small, alone or in groups, rushed through the forest, heading straight for the golden tree.
“Hurry down, Nedra!” Leon called up to Nedra. His Companion Spirit did not idle, as she felt the urgency in his tone. She made an instant decision, letting go of the tree, and curling her body around the fruits to protect them from the impact from falling.
Boom!
The body shook the ground as she slammed down, but her carapace was sturdy and intact. She quickly unfurled and and turned to face Leon.
‘Get on! We need to leave here as soon as we can!’ She urged him, her voice just as hurried. Leon quickly withdrew Kaladin and Nero before hopping on her back, ignoring how uncomfortable it felt. For now, he left the other millipedes summoned to watch their back as they retreated.