The swamp giant moved with terrifying power. Each step left a dent that oozed a viscous, greenish slime. Where it walked, the water boiled, and clouds of poisonous steam rose around it.
Nemorrino tilted his head, and a deep, rough voice echoed through the cave, as if the spirit of the swamp itself were speaking from the depths of the earth.
"The Thud of the Swamp" Nemorrino raised his front paws, which were wielding axes, and roared as he brought them crashing down to the ground.
Dirt and water flew in a wall, lashing the players' faces like a whip. Their ears rang, and their legs went numb.
—Disava, run to the left and stay high!
Moose shouted over the roar of Nemorrino.
He was already scrambling up a mossy ledge to avoid another wave of mud.
Zikei, drawing his katana, hacked his way through the slurry and managed to catch some of the impact on himself, knocking the blow aside.
I almost fell, sliding down a slime-covered rock, but I managed to stay on my feet.
The interface lights were flashing, my HP bar was jumping, and a swamp fog was spreading around me.
I looked up and saw the reflection of my eyes on the blade. Pale, focused, but alive.
[ Immunity +10 ]
[ You have successfully avoided 60% of the damage from the Swamp's Footsteps ]
"Okay... now I understand how it moves..."
But the attack didn't end there. The ground shook as if something alive was breathing beneath it, and three craters flared with a dull green light, as if someone had lit the eyes of a dead man beneath the swamp.
—Damn... I can feel my back breaking out in a sweat.
And suddenly, one of the craters opened up right under Elk.
—Elk, jump!
Zikei shouted, his voice breaking into a shriek, and he rushed forward, grabbing the spear shaft almost without thinking.
It happened in a fraction of a second, the ground beneath the Moose sucked inwards as if someone had pulled an invisible loop.
Zikei gave it his all and they both barely managed to jump back as the quagmire collapsed, leaving behind only a nasty bubble of air and a splash of mud.
—Thanks I thought that attack would drag me down!…
Elk croaked, but his words were drowned out by another roar from the beast. The hum came straight from the ground, as if the swamp itself was growling.
I stood there, breathing heavily, and I just couldn't believe that this was still a game.
—Damn you... Who the hell invented this kind of pain?
I really wanted to punch the developers who made this nightmare. I really wanted to punch them. Because this wasn't a fight, it was a mockery. Every time I thought it was the end of the phase, the game would throw another curveball.
Suddenly, Nemorrino froze.
He stood there, swaying, as if something had clicked inside him. His breathing became uneven, with a wet wheezing sound, as if his lungs were filled with swamp water.
He looked down at his body, at his huge gray belly covered with green veins, and slowly, with a wild determination, he raised the axe.
And without taking his eyes off, he stabbed himself in the chest. "Harakiri"
—No, no, no, it's Harakiri!
I screamed, realizing what was happening.
—Everyone get out of the way, run!
But it was too late.
A fountain of green slime erupted from the wound, like an exploding cauldron. A wave of infected energy swept across the ground, destroying everything in its path.
The mud boiled, and the air was filled with the foul smell of sulfur and rot.
I covered my face with my hands, but the poison burned even through the fabric of my robe. After this battle, I'll need to buy stronger protection! My skin was on fire, and the pain was almost real.
I moaned, but I was also smiling.
Pain mixed with adrenaline, and messages popped up one after another on the screen:
[ You gain 10 Immunity points. ]
[ You gain 10 Immunity points. ]
[ You gain 10 Immunity points. ]
—More…100% Immunity to poisons, go to your mother! I don't like this kind of merit, but it's worth it.
I whispered, feeling my heart pounding in my chest as if it too wanted to explode. Each flash of pain seemed to strengthen me, but so far I hadn't received a message that I already had 100% Poison Resistance.
Everything around them was in chaos: the swamp glowed a poisonous green, and the Aka-32 shielded them with what was left of its shield.
I rolled sharply behind a fallen tree, the ground under my hands was viscous, sticky, as if the swamp itself did not want to let go.
I ducked into the shelter, exhaled and brushed the dirt from my face.
— Well, it's time to get into the fight myself,
I looked out from behind the trunk:
Nemorrino was rushing around, roaring in his gut, his neck swelled as if alive leeches crawled in it. I grimaced, then grinned.
— I'll dodge normal attacks, but I'll have to endure the poison. I'll take some damage, but my immunity will increase.
After saying that, I didn't hesitate and ran back out into the open area. The streams of poisonous spores flew past me, and some of them hit my shoulder, causing my skin to flare up with phantom pain.
A notification appeared on the screen:
[ You have gained 5 Immunity points. ]
[ You have gained 10 Immunity points. ]
—Ah! Damn it! Although it burns, it's work, and I'm not a masochist.
Nemorrino roared like a madman, causing the walls of the lair to tremble. Steam poured from his mouth, thick as the smoke from rotting tar.
His body was pulsating, his veins were bulging, and there were poisonous green veins under his skin. Suddenly, he plunged the axes back into his chest, right into the old scar, and began to drink from his own wound, as if drawing the poison back into himself.
—Is he... is he healing himself?
I gasped, unable to believe what I was seeing.
—He's healing!
Zikei cursed as he retreated.
—You were too close, you idiots, he's eating his own poison!
A poisonous light flared across the monster's body, causing the mud beneath its feet to boil. Nemorrino looked up, his cloudy eyes suddenly glowing red. He locked onto Akah-32.
The girl barely had time to raise her shield before a bright, blood-red symbol appeared on her chest, resembling a branding mark.
Aka-32 froze, feeling the heat under her armor.
The inscription appeared by itself: [Mark: Harakiri]
The red trigger began to pulse in time with her heart, each beat echoing pain in her chest.
—I have a mark! Stop it! – She screamed. —This monster is also a pervert! He's so ashamed to look at a girl's breasts!
— Don't yell, drop it!
Elk shouted, rushing towards her.
—I have the mark now!
He growled, feeling as if his heart was clutching at fiery claws.
—She's alive, that bitch! We need to deactivate it in time.
He desperately looks for Zikei.
—Zikei! Catch!
He understood everything without words. In a jump, he managed to touch the shoulder of the Elk and the mark blinked, slipping on him.
The symbol moved, leaving a crimson trail in the air, like the smoke from a burning tattoo.
Zikei felt a sharp jolt in his chest, as if someone had squeezed his heart from the inside.
—Phew... I've caught her. But I can't hold on for long!
Aka-32 chuckled nervously:
—At least I'm not the one under fire now.
And indeed, Nemorrino roared again, his body glowing brighter, and the mark on Zikei suddenly pulsed with the monster's breath.
But now Nemorrino was targeting him.
He threw two axes towards the boy, sending up a cloud of mud. Zikei quickly stepped to the side, falling into the swamp as the axes whistled through the air, and a wave of poison spread across the field.
—Are you still alive?
Asks Aka-32 while covering with his shield.
—Almost. If he puts the axe in himself one more time, we're done. My health bar says I might not survive another attack like this...
It was quiet, but all you could hear was the squelching of mud and Nemorino's rare, uneven breathing. His chest was still pierced by his own axe, and the rot was oozing from the wound, no longer dripping down but rising up like smoke.
Elk was the first to break the silence.
—He's still alive, and we haven't even reached the new Phase yet?
The only response was a growl.
The creature yanked the axe out of its chest. With it, a piece of flesh that Nemorrino eats. His eyes flash with a swampy light.
—That's it! Keep your distance, the poison is still active!
Aka-32 shouted, activating a barrier. Dark light spread across her shield, but they could barely contain the spores.
"Rotting Reach" Nemorrino began to move faster. Each rotation tore off pieces of his skin, turning his body into a mess of veins and mist.