—Need light!...
Zikei raises his katana, directing the red glow into the sky. For a moment, the glow flashes, reflecting in the swamp sludge. This is the only thing preventing the mutagen from consuming the arena.
I was running against the wind at this time, sliding on the wet ground.
I threw a dagger at Nemorrino activating [ Aura Separation] and the green creature began to lose its balance for a moment, thus scratching the monster and returning the dagger to myself.
—Now I can rush into close combat!
Elk shouted, unleashing a series of strikes with his spear. A bloody flower opens on Nemorino's skin, spewing a fountain of poison.
The system whispers softly:
[Bleeding has been inflicted. ]
[Damage to Nemorrino has been increased by 10% for 8 seconds.]
But Nemorrino hasn't fallen. He stomps his hooves, shaking the swamp. The Swamp's stomping activates again, but this time the waves are moving inward instead of outward.
The mud sucks in Aka-32.
—Help! The ground is pulling me!
Zikei rushes to her, grabs her by the shoulder, and at that moment, the "Harakiri" mark appears on both of their chests.
—What?! How is this possible? It's not fair, why are there two of them?
Nemorrino roars, raises his axes, and charges at them. Two strikes, two bursts of poison.
But Zikei manages to deflect one axe, and the second one crashes into the tree behind him. The rotten tree instantly darkens and collapses, releasing a cloud of spores.
At this time, I suddenly got the debuff "Weight of Metal".
It was as if my entire body was wrapped in invisible chains, making my movements sluggish and requiring twice as much energy. My legs felt like they were made of lead, and the air around me became dense, like I was in a viscous tar.
—Oh, hell no... not now!
I could feel the space trembling slightly from the overload of effects.
The system mercilessly flashed before my eyes:
[Active debuff: Weight of Metal - Speed reduced by 40%, Agility -25%]
At the same moment, a dull metallic hum rang in his ears, as if someone had struck a giant bell.
The noise gradually increased, turning into an unbearable ringing that drowned out everything around me. I tried to hear the voices of my allies, but their commands blended into a hum, as if someone was rewinding an old tape.
"This is exactly what I was afraid of! Why now? Couldn't they have waited until the end of the battle?"
I thought angrily, stumbling over a root sticking out of the mud.
My vision was blurred, as if my eyes were filled with swamp water. Nemorrino loomed in front of me, his eyes glowing green, and each of his attacks echoed through my body, as if they were striking directly at my nerves.
Zikei was shouting something, perhaps "dodge!" but all I could hear was a low murmur, as if I were underwater. Aka-32 was waving her arms, pointing to the left, but I was unable to comprehend what was happening.
"If you can't hear it, improvise."
I exhaled quickly, gripped my daggers, and charged, relying on intuition rather than sound.
Every step I took echoed with a dull thud, and Nemorrino's strikes were accompanied by flashes of mud and mutagen. My body moved slowly, but I still tried my best, as if I were fighting not just the boss but the game itself, testing my strength.
Well, if I can't hear it, I can't hear the fear either!
A low, drawn-out rumble echoed beneath the surface of the swamp, as if an ancient creature were groaning from the depths of the earth.
The mud beneath their feet trembled, the water bubbled, and they all felt as if a giant heart were beating beneath their feet. Each beat resonated in their chests, causing the air to vibrate and extinguish the torches on the walls.
The roots, thick and slippery, began to slowly rise from the water. They writhed like snakes, slithering across the ground, wrapping around rocks, bodies, and even weapons. The swamp was coming to life.
Nemorrino's body shuddered, and he roared so loudly that the ceiling crumbled. His eyes opened, now completely filled with a poisonous green light.
The system flashed a white text message:
[ Attention: You have reached the Second Phase ]
[ You have dealt 40% damage to the Fourth Apostle, the Swamp Boar Nemorino ]
—We've reached the Second Phase!
Zikei cursed, grabbing his katana with both hands.
—Not those damn roots again!
The swamp groaned like a living creature.
Under the surface, something was moving, tearing the ground from there giant roots emerged, like the veins of the monster that the arena itself was made of.
They stretched upward, forming a dome, and now they were not just decorating the location they were participating in the battle.
One of the roots suddenly broke out from under the legs of Elk, wrapping around his ankle. He jerked, thrusting his spear into the mud, but the root pulled him down, dragging him into the liquid quagmire.
—Don't hesitate and just cut them off!
Aka-32 shouted, throwing a black light shield to blind the roots.
Zikei, who was standing next to him, also barely held on, his leg was squeezed so hard that the health bar flashed red. He stabbed his katana into the root, and it howled like a living thing.
A thick green liquid sprayed out of the incision, and a line appeared on the screen:
[You've dealt critical damage]
[ Vulnerable Point: Nemorrino Root ]
But there were too many roots.
They spread throughout the arena, turning the fight into chaos. Some were already climbing the walls, others were intertwining in the air, creating barriers.
—He... he's not attacking anymore, he's holding us back.
I croaked, even though I knew no one could hear me. I pointed at Nemorrino, who stood in the middle of the swamp.
The monster didn't move. It was as if it had become the center of all this living terror, with its massive paws dug into the ground.
Through the heaviness, I noticed waves spreading through the mud, faint fluctuations that foreshadowed an attack.
Like a hunter who senses a predator, I listened to the ground, looking at the trembling tiny bubbles.
— And now... Jump up!
I muttered, not even realizing I'd said it out loud.
Zikei, trusting my instinct, pushed himself back just as thick, rope-like roots erupted from the swamp.
They snapped through the air, making a sound like a whip cutting the air, missing me by a fraction of a second.
Splashes of green slime showered my arms, leaving a burning sensation on my skin.
[ You gain 5 Immunity points. ]
But Elk didn't have time.
A root wrapped around his leg, another around his waist, and in an instant he was being pulled down, straight into the rotting mud.
—I won't let you do this!
Aka-32 shouted, rushing forward. She grabbed his arm with all her strength, but the roots were alive, stretching and twitching as if they could feel the resistance.
—Everything is changing... even their attacks are faster! They're adapting!
She swung her shield, slashing at the roots, but they didn't cut, they just trembled, leaving faint traces of poison on the metal.
I gripped the handle of my dagger and took a deep breath.
—Don't waste your strength... these roots are not just enemies, they are his nervous system!
I heard my older brother's voice in my ear, not loudly, but clearly.