Chapter 269: Facing The Fearful Swamp Witch And Her Deadly Pet!

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Daniela panicked and screamed in pure horror as the massive wave of muddy water surged toward them, the ground trembling under its weight. Riven reacted without hesitation. He immediately activated his Psionic Powers, lifting Daniela, himself, and Vladimir safely into the air just before the flood could swallow them. Noir simply stood on a solid platform of his own shadows that floated steadily above Riven’s head, completely unfazed by the chaos below.

"What the hell is this?! A tsunami? Who could survive this if they can’t fly?!" Vladimir asked in disbelief, staring down at the churning swamp that had suddenly filled the entire area.

"That’s exactly why they’re considered rather difficult bosses for their rank," Riven explained while carefully scanning the thick mist that now covered the water’s surface. "The environmental hazards are very annoying, and not many hunters bother to come here because of them."

The group looked into the distance through the swirling fog. A massive figure loomed amidst the mist and churning water, completely soaked in thick swamp liquid. It was a gigantic mass of green goop, tangled seaweed, rotten wood, and heavy mud that pulsed with unnatural, living energy.

"G Y O O O O O H H H H H H!"

[Great Swamp Slime King – D+ Rank: Level 100]

And right behind him, something else was emerging from the depths. It was also made of mud, wood, and seaweed, yet it was clearly not a slime. This was a similar being that lived in constant partnership with the Swamp Slime King, never far from its side.

"Nonsense... Nonsense...! Nonsense...! Why... Why are you here?!"

She possessed the faint appearance of a woman, but her long wooden arms and legs ended in elongated, claw-like fingers that dripped with dark liquid. Her face was formed from flowing mud that constantly shifted, and her eyes were living fish that stared at everyone with cold, ancient hatred.

[The Swamp Witch – D+ Rank: Level 100]

Both were D+ Rank. Both were Level 100. And both depended completely on the other to remain alive. It was among the most fascinating monster pairs Riven had ever read about in the bestiaries of his previous life.

He had reread many of those monster bestiaries simply to pass the quieter days, carefully memorizing every pattern, every weakness, and every deadly combination for moments exactly like this one.

"Listen well," he spoke quickly and clearly so everyone could hear him over the roaring noise of the swamp. "The Swamp Witch never moves more than ten meters away from the slime. This is how she moves and keeps herself properly moisturized at all times. She fires long-ranged Curse Magic to slow you down, paralyze you, and drain your vitality. The Slime is much faster. It will lunge at anyone nearby and try to crush them with its size and weight before absorbing and dissolving them inside its body. Be careful! Daniela, you go with Noir and support us from high above where her magic cannot easily reach."

"Ok!" Daniela climbed onto Noir’s broad back without hesitation. The wolf immediately flew high into the skies, moving through the air with solid shadow footsteps that left faint black trails behind them.

At the same time the Slime was already upon them.

RUMBLE!

The ground beneath them exploded into water and mud as dozens of slimy tendrils shot upward from below the slime’s massive body. Each tendril was packed full of jagged, sharp teeth that snapped hungrily at the air, searching for flesh.

"Ah, this one’s quite eager to see us, isn’t he?!"

Vladimir smiled and laughed with pure battle-lust as he swung his claws forward, unleashing his full transformation without holding anything back. He became a hybrid of half-werewolf and half-dragon blooded kobold — or rather, a "Weredragon" as Riven had started calling him in recent days.

"R A A A A A A A H H H H H!"

With his gigantic claws and endless fire surging from every part of his body, combined with the dark crimson energies that coiled around him like living smoke, he unleashed a series of deadly assassination techniques in perfect conjunction with his claws.

"Blazing Execution!"

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Each slash provoked a small but intense explosion, blowing apart tentacles and large chunks of slime, vaporizing portions of its body and forcing the massive creature to step backward with a wet, angry roar that shook the air. The witch loomed above her companion, her long seaweed hair waving wildly in the wind like living ropes that reached out hungrily.

"CURSE YE, INVADERS OF MY SWAMP! BEGONE!"

With a monstrous roar, a deadly curse beam struck Vladimir within a split second, the dark energy slamming into him before he could even react.

"Nngh?!"

He clenched his teeth in pure disbelief as he found himself completely paralyzed from head to toe. The dark energy coiled around his limbs like living chains, locking every muscle in place and draining his strength at a terrifying rate.

"Kill him now, Swampy!"

The slime was actually her beloved pet, a creature she treated with genuine affection and deep partnership.

RUMBLE!

"Swampy" immediately fired dozens of acidic bullets toward Vladimir while stretching more thick tentacles upward from the muddy ground below. The tendrils rose high into the air, ready to stop him from escaping the moment the curse wore off even a second early.

They worked together with impressive coordination, the witch and her slime moving as one seamless unit that had clearly fought side by side for a very long time.

But Riven was already there.

B O O O O O O M M M M M M M M !!!

"G-GWWAAAACKK!!!"

"GUUUUGH?!"

A massive explosion of dragon flames mixed with concentrated blade energy erupted directly behind the pair. The witch was struck head-on by the full force of the attack. Multiple layers of shimmering magic barriers appeared in an instant to protect her, yet they shattered one after another under the overwhelming power.

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