Novel Full Chapter 82: Walking Trees
Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Walking Trees
While Marcus was busy, Zelir squatted under a large tree.
He discovered a bright-red mushroom shaped like a cockscomb, which piqued his interest.
"Finding some new treasure?" Gray asked, peering over curiously.
"I was wondering... is this mushroom edible?" Zelir poked its cap with a finger.
’It looks pretty tempting.’
"Of course you can. I’ve eaten it before, and it’s delicious."
Gray’s face lit up. "Plus, it makes you feel like you’re floating on air. It’s an amazing feeling!"
"Really?" Zelir was skeptical.
"That was food poisoning. He was just hallucinating. He’s damn lucky he didn’t die."
Valles said coldly, "That’s a Blood Crown Mushroom. It’s hallucinogenic. Eating too much can even knock you into a coma. People die every year from getting greedy and eating these things."
"Is that right... I was wondering why I felt so dizzy that day when I hadn’t even been drinking," Gray said, looking thoughtful.
Zelir shot Gray a sideways glance.
"In my tribe, the Shaman sometimes gathers these mushrooms too."
Gak scratched his head as a thought occurred to him.
"They don’t eat them, though. They dry them, grind them into a powder, and inhale a little during rituals. It’s said you can see the spirits of our ancestors."
’So his tribe’s Shaman uses them as a hallucinogen. Of course you’re going to see things when you’re high!’ Zelir thought.
Marcus finished his scouting and stood up.
"The Tree Spirit Community shouldn’t be far from here."
Valles closed his eyes. His slightly pointed ears twitched, and after a moment, he nodded as well.
"Yes... I can sense it. The smell of the vegetation around here has changed."
"Weren’t you listening with your ears?" Gray asked.
"And I can’t breathe while I’m listening, is that it?" Valles fought the urge to roll his eyes. Sometimes he really couldn’t be bothered with Gray.
Zelir glanced around and shrugged.
’If they say so, they must be right. Best to leave navigation to the experts.’
To Zelir, the scenery looked exactly the same as it had for a while now—a uniform green canopy above and gray trunks below. It was all starting to blur together.
The squad started to advance again.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before unusual signs began to appear.
The ground was scarred with freshly carved gouges, clearly the tracks left by something massive being dragged along.
The trees nearby were covered in scrapes, and plants that should have been rooted in the ground had been violently crushed into the soil.
The party members exchanged a look and immediately prepared for battle.
Marcus brought his Shield up, and Gak instinctively tightened the Arm Shield on his left forearm.
Ever since his last injury, he had specifically added an Arm Shield to bolster his defenses.
THUD... THUD... THUD...
A dull, rhythmic thudding echoed faintly from ahead, causing the ground to tremble slightly.
The group followed the sound with their eyes and saw an unbelievable sight: a group of trees was on the move!
A dozen or so trees, each four to five meters tall, were using their thick root systems as legs, clumsily lumbering through the woods. Dark cracks on their trunks slowly opened and closed.
Adventurer’s Association Universal Monster Atlas
[Tier Nine]: Tree Monster
Individual Threat Rating: [Simple]
Appearance:
A Demon converted from an ordinary tree. It possesses a mobile root system and thick branches that serve as arms.
Behavior:
A plant-type Demon with no independent will. Its sole purpose is to obey the commands of a Tree Spirit.
Special Ability:
Its Power, while not as astonishing as its size might suggest, should not be underestimated. Evasion is advised.
Core Weakness:
It moves rather slowly and is vulnerable to Flame.
Association Notes:
A troublesome bunch of walking logs. For a Simple-rated Demon, they are a rather difficult type to handle. Proceed with caution.
Furthermore, it is critical to note that when a Tree Monster is motionless, it is nearly indistinguishable from an ordinary tree.
Under no circumstances should you walk into their ambush.
In the forest, the group of Tree Monsters acted like ancient guards, surrounding a more distinguished being at their center—a Tree Spirit.
Like the Tree Monsters, the Tree Spirit had no legs. A tangled network of roots served as its means of locomotion.
Each time it propelled itself forward, it plowed deep gouges into the earth.
However, the Tree Spirit was far larger and more ancient in appearance than the other Tree Monsters.
Its weathered bark resembled cracked stone, covered in thick moss and parasitic fungi. Countless thick vines dangled from its branches, swaying gently in the breeze.
Three to four meters up its trunk, two eerie spots of light shone out from a fissure—the manifestation of its spirit and will.
Adventurer’s Association Universal Monster Atlas
[Tier Thirty-Four]: Tree Spirit
Individual Threat Rating: [Difficulty]
Appearance:
Largely similar to a Tree Monster, but with a larger body. Two bright spots of light are visible on its trunk.
Behavior:
A Guardian of the forest. They almost never leave the Forest Area in which they were born.
Special Ability:
Over long periods, a Tree Spirit can catalyze ordinary trees, turning them into Tree Monsters under its command. If left unchecked, some ancient Tree Spirits can even create an entire legion of them.
Core Weakness:
Same as a Tree Monster.
Association Notes:
When angered, a Tree Spirit can suddenly extend its vines and branches to strike. Adventurers must exercise extreme caution.
"If I didn’t know for a fact that I hadn’t eaten a Blood Crown Mushroom, I’d swear I was hallucinating..."
Gray muttered. "A bunch of giant trees just walking around in broad daylight. Now that’s a rare sight."
Zelir narrowed his eyes, sizing up the situation, then shook his head.
"A decapitation strike won’t be easy. The Tree Spirit is surrounded by those Tree Monsters, and it’s too big. The blast from an Arcane Missile won’t be enough to seriously wound it. I’ll have to get close and use the Flame Breath Skill."
"Same here," said Valles. "The Tree Spirit isn’t a creature of flesh and blood. A body that large could probably take a dozen of my Thunder Arrows without any issue."
"Then we’ll clear out the Tree Monsters on the outside first. We’ll close in slowly and create an opening for Zelir."
Marcus quickly decided on a plan.
After all, the squad’s tactics were almost always built around Zelir.
"Gak, you’re with me when we go in."
"Right!" Gak gripped his Broad Axe, his heart burning with fighting spirit.
The Tree Spirit’s advance suddenly halted. Its branches and leaves swayed slightly, as if it had noticed something.
The two orbs of light drifted from its front to its back, turning to face the Marcus Squad.
The orbs of light narrowed slightly, then snapped wide open. Its leaves began to tremble violently, and a furious roar echoed through the forest.
"ROOOOAR!!!"
The roar contained a command to attack. The dozen or so Tree Monsters instantly received the order, turned in unison, and launched a Charge toward the squad!