Diamond Armor!
Diamond Shatter!
BOOOM!
A frog exploded in the middle of a Rank 2 frog nest in the swamp of the Great Forest, revealing Bastion covered in green, slimy liquid that slowly corroded his armor. Fortunately, he was resistant to bodily status effects, including corrosion.
Before he could do anything about it, another tongue lashed out, grabbed hold of him, and yanked him into another frog's gaping mouth.
BOOOM!
The frog exploded, revealing Bastion, who would have had a sour look on his face if it hadn't been covered by a white mask.
This time, he managed to cast Diamond Rain before he was again enveloped by a long, sticky tongue and swallowed whole. Rather than a singular explosion and reveal, multiple explosions rocked the area, killing not just the frog that swallowed him but everything in its immediate vicinity.
Without wasting time, he used Diamond Steed and raced back to the others while fending off the occasional long tongue, cutting them with his sword.
Finally, he reached a distance far enough that the frogs would have to actually move to catch him. They began hopping in a stampede after him, who had used Taunt.
Along the way, Bastion summoned water to bathe himself as he sped through the swamp, trying to remove as much of the corrosive slime as possible. It worked somewhat, but he would have to replace his armor since too much of it had been corroded.
Once he arrived back at the platform with the others, he took his position behind his autocannon next to Ariel and opened fire with a grudge.
The twin barrels roared to life, spewing a relentless hail of bullets at 6000 rounds per minute. Giant frogs the size of cars surged forward, tongues lashing wildly, but they didn't stand a chance. Each bullet slammed into their thick hides, tearing through them with terrifying efficiency.
Within seconds, half of the horde was obliterated, green slick flying in every direction. The remaining frogs faltered, hesitated, and then turned to flee, realizing the platform was a death trap.
Bastion didn't let up, keeping the autocannon trained on the retreating creatures until the last one toppled into the swamp. Beside him, Ariel's weapon hummed in perfect sync, ensuring nothing survived.
The swamp fell silent, broken only by the hiss of cooling metal and the distant croaks of scattered survivors. Bastion stepped back, chest heaving, his eyes scanning the carnage.
"That… was satisfying," Bastion muttered.
"What happened?" Lilia asked.
"I was swallowed by three of them before I managed to get away."
Seraphina stifled a chuckle as Bastion began taking off his armor with Elyra's help, then put on a new set. When he was finished, he repositioned the autocannon toward the Wraithwood in the distance. It was finally time for the dreaded basilisk's nest.
Once Seraphina and Elyra finished with the frog corpses, Bastion grabbed the girls' attention to explain the plan.
"So," Bastion said loudly, drawing their focus, "this will be a little different from what we've done so far. Based on Varyn's information, basilisk nests have one Rank 3 in them and a lot of children, so we can't just bunker down and get rid of them with the autocannons.
"Basilisks also have tough scale armor, so I doubt a random shot from my cannon can hurt it. It would have to be a shot in the mouth, eyes, or nose for it to do any damage. Fortunately, they tend to open their mouths wide when using their poison breath to weaken targets, and thanks to our masks and Seraphina, we're relatively resistant."
"The plan, then, is for me to take it down on my own with the cannon while the rest of you give me the space I need to fight. Any questions?"
Lilia's hand shot up as if they were in class before speaking. "Why not use explosives like you did with the plague troll?"
"You're assuming it wouldn't spit out the source of its impending death right at me. Unlike plague trolls, basilisks are quite smart, so simple tricks like that have a lower probability of success. Next question."
Ariel raised her own hand, following Lilia's example. "Can I use your autocannon since you won't be needing it?"
Bastion looked at her doubtfully, while Seraphina's eyes started shining. Akimbo autocannons being hip-fired? That's straight out of action movies.
"Can you fire them both at the same time while keeping your aim and without wasting ammo?"
"Um… no," she replied, looking down, while Seraphina's face shifted into disappointment.
Bastion sighed and gave in. "You know what? Go for it, but make sure every bullet counts. Don't just spray and pray."
"Okay," she said, smiling brightly, while Seraphina nodded in approval.
"Anything else?"
Silence answered his question. He nodded, mounted his diamond steed, and raced toward the Wraithwood.
Soon, he reached an unassuming stretch of swamp, but from above, a massive coiled snake roughly 50 meters long came into view. Beneath the water, hundreds of writhing snakes, each 10 to 20 meters in length, slithered and circled, staying just below the surface, almost as if they were waiting.
Without warning, a snake as thick as Bastion's torso shot from the water, jaws opened wide toward his head. He swung his sword three times in rapid succession, slicing the creature's head into pieces just inches from him.
'Basilisks are known to be solitary,' Bastion thought, 'so it must be keeping these small ones around to avoid being bothered by non-threatening creatures while it sleeps.'
It was working a little too well, as more snakes converged on him, drawn by the scent of blood, slithering forward like a rising tide. If he didn't act now, he'd be overwhelmed.
He steeled his nerves and readied his skills. "Here goes nothing."
Diamond Rain!
Diamond Shatter!
Taunt!
Explosions erupted in a violent chain across the churning water's surface. The smaller basilisks were shredded in an instant, but the real danger stirred. From the depths, the sleeping giant writhed, a low, rumbling hiss rolling through the swamp as its immense head broke the water. The ground itself seemed to shudder under its weight.
It was a colossal creature, as thick as a train, rearing its head nearly 10 meters into the air. Its gaze swept the swamp, locking onto Bastion in the distance, running for his life. Normally, it would have returned to its slumber, but a commanding shout from such a weak creature had enraged it.
With a roar, it lunged forward, slithering through the swamp like a freight train, crushing countless of its own nest without a second thought.
Once Bastion reached their platform, he didn't take his position on the autocannon. Instead, he veered to the side and kept moving until he was a safe distance from the group.
The basilisk, drawn solely to Bastion, the source of its irritation, ignored the girls completely as it slithered past harmlessly. The rest of the nest, slower to pursue, were immediately met with a barrage from the girls, including gunfire, area-of-effect attacks, and even some of Seraphina's explosive potions. Shooting them while they swam was nearly impossible, so the girls improvised with explosives to draw attention away from their target.
Bastion finally turned to face his quarry once he was far enough away, meeting the snake head-on with his Rank 2 cannon at the ready.
The giant basilisk fixed its glowing eyes on him, attempting its infamous death glare, but it was useless. The masks Bastion and the girls wore completely blocked their sight, replacing it with the same sight enchantment as the cannon, granting not only forward vision but also the ability to focus or pan out at will.
Realizing its gaze had no effect, the basilisk opened its massive jaws and spewed poison. Before the toxic cloud could spread, a 90 mm slug tore through the back of its mouth, exiting through its neck and blasting out flesh, skin, and scales along the way. The bullet had missed its vital organs, but the blow inflicted immense pain.
The snake coiled and writhed, thrashing wildly, forcing Bastion to dodge each blind strike. Slowly, it shook off the pain, refocused, and lunged at him, its mouth open wide.
Bastion didn't dare to shoot, despite the opportunity. The lunge alone would have crumpled him, and the subsequent snap of the basilisk's jaw would have crushed whatever remained.
Instead, he extended his hand and activated his Facility Slot as the creature struck with the force of a speeding bullet train. His immediate surroundings swapped with a compacted Rank 1 metal room, its walls several feet thick.
BOOOM!
The collision thundered across the swamp, the box crumpling under the strike and crushing force of the basilisk's jaw. Still, it wasn't enough to completely crush Bastion, who remained safely inside smothered by cushions.
Before the snake could spit out or swallow the massive object, Bastion swapped out the metal cube, laid inside the creature's mouth, and opened fire with his cannon directly at the roof.
BOOM!
The bullet tore through, finally striking the brain. The basilisk's skull exploded from the impact, its brains bursting out of the top of its head. With a deafening crash, the snake toppled, Bastion still inside.
Slowly, he made his way out and cleaned himself with wind and water. He glanced at his quarry and smiled brightly.
"Not bad!" Bastion said, pleased with his accomplishment.
Before he could relish his victory further, the earth began to shake, and a telepathic message from Elyra reached him.
"Master! Five more basilisks are on their way!"
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