Zane still slept peacefully, enveloped by the healing energy of the Bloodwood Trees, but time waited for no one. With the whispers of the "Heart of the Forest" and the fading strength of the Legendary Guardians, Kai, Arthur, and Elara knew they had to act quickly. The Eternal Forest stretched before them, both mysterious and fraught with danger.
Kai led the way, his sharp eyes scanning the dense canopy. His "Awakened Senses" warned him of unstable energy signatures, but they were unlike anything they had faced before. It felt as if the forest itself was breathing, and that breath... wasn't always friendly. The Ancient Soul Emblem in his chest warmed, seemingly guiding him.
They ventured deeper, where the ancient trees began to take on stranger hues – their trunks turning jade green, and faintly glowing vines coiling around them. The sweet, pungent scent of an unfamiliar flower filled the air.
"The deeper we go, the more... alive the forest becomes," Elara whispered, her gaze wary on the foliage.
Arthur nodded. "Which also means it's more dangerous."
True to Arthur's warning, a sudden pressure weighed down the air. From ahead, a low growl echoed, not the roar of a common beast, but a deep, resonant sound like cracking earth and stone.
"What is that?" Elara drew her bow.
Kai's "Awakened Senses" told him it was a massive creature, but it didn't move on legs. It slithered, and it was incredibly well-hidden.
From a massive, dense bush ahead, a horrifying creature suddenly emerged. It was a Colossal Blood Blight Level 18 – a gigantic, serpentine creature, its entire body covered in dark red, blood-like tumors from which sharp spines protruded. Its eyes were jaundiced and vacant, and its wide mouth revealed jagged, long fangs. A pungent, foul odor of fresh blood and toxins emanated from its body.
Monster: Colossal Blood Blight Level 18
HP: 280/280
Danger: High (High physical resistance, powerful toxic attacks, causes fear).
"What kind of monster is that?!" Arthur roared, assuming a combat stance.
The Colossal Blood Blight roared, lunging towards them. It didn't attack with claws or bites like other monsters. Instead, it opened its maw, spewing a stream of dark red, viscous, blood-like fluid.
"Blood Toxin!" Elara screamed. "Get back!"
The poison splattered, corroding the very earth and trees, leaving charred streaks. Arthur luckily dodged, but a few drops hit his armor, causing it to sizzle and smoke.
[-10 HP! Afflicted with 'Corrosive Toxin'!]
Kai knew this creature was extremely dangerous. It seemed sluggish, yet was incredibly agile. He couldn't let it harm Zane.
"Arthur, draw its attention! Elara, aim for its eyes!" Kai commanded.
Arthur charged in, swinging his hammer at the Blood Blight's body. "CLANG!" The powerful blow created a horrendous clang, but the monster seemed unfazed, only a few minor cracks appearing on its thick, tumor-covered hide.
[-10 HP! Extremely high physical resistance!]
While Arthur distracted the Blood Blight, Elara fired precise arrows at its jaundiced eyes. "THWIP! THWIP!" The arrows embedded themselves deep, but its eyes merely blinked, seemingly unaffected.
"Its eyes have a protective layer!" Elara grumbled.
Kai realized this was a type of creature with superior defenses. With his newly evolved "Awakened Soul Dragon" skills, he knew he had to approach it differently. "Soul Taming" might not be effective on such a low-consciousness creature, but "Echoes of the Past" might give him a clue.
He used the moment Arthur and Elara were distracting the Blood Blight, activating "Mist Camouflage" to glide past the monster's flank. He touched its dark red hide, activating "Echoes of the Past."
Reading 'Echoes of the Past' from Colossal Blood Blight.
A fragment of painful and violent memory has been received.
Kai saw chaotic images: the forest being ravaged, a dark energy engulfing it, and Bloodwood Trees deforming, turning into bloodthirsty creatures. They weren't natural monsters. They were entities corrupted by something noxious.
Its weakness isn't physical! It's spiritual... and perhaps its origin!
The ancient voice from the Ancient Soul Emblem echoed in Kai's mind: "Corrupted souls... can only be purified by pure energy... or severed from their source."
Kai knew what he had to do. It needed an attack that would bypass its physical defenses, striking directly at the corrupted soul within. He remembered "Soul Taming" – the skill he had just learned, but instead of controlling, he would use it to attack.
He turned to face the Colossal Blood Blight, which was furiously attacking Arthur. Kai focused all his soul energy into his claw, combining it with a bit of crystal energy from "Crystal Manipulation (Water)". He aimed for a small crack on a dark red tumor on the monster's body.
"Soul Pierce!"
He lunged, his claw glowing with blue light, piercing through the thick hide.
[-60 HP! Highly effective! Triggers 'Stun' for 1 second!]
The Colossal Blood Blight let out a horrible shriek of pain, its entire body convulsed violently, the tumors on its body began to crack and ooze foul black liquid. It was completely stunned.
Arthur and Elara didn't miss the opportunity. Arthur unleashed a powerful "Crushing Hammer" blow to the monster's head, while Elara fired a poisoned arrow into the newly created crack.
The Colossal Blood Blight roared one last time, its body trembling violently, then collapsed, its tumors bursting open, releasing a cloud of black, noxious vapor before dissolving into a pile of dark red sludge.
You have defeated Colossal Blood Blight Level 18!
Received 400 experience points!
Experience Points: 3570/100 (Level 26).
Congratulations! You have reached Level 27! All attributes slightly increased.
Arthur and Elara looked at Kai with astonished faces. "What... what did you do?" Arthur asked, his nose crinkling at the stench.
"It was a corrupted creature," Kai said, feeling exhausted but satisfied. "Its weakness was its soul. We need to be more careful. The Eternal Forest... it's being tainted by something."
With the enemy fallen, the path to the "Heart of the Forest" seemed closer. But Kai knew, every step in this forest held a new secret, a new danger. The Shadow Cult had tainted Aethel in ways they hadn't yet imagined.