Chapter 79
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: These Two Are Troublemakers Though...(2)
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Dryad.
A member of a legendary demon race now believed to be extinct. A single Dryad possesses the tremendous ability to cultivate an enormous forest.
They also have the power to accelerate crop growth and even produce supreme spirit medicines. From ancient times, Dryads have been targeted by humans, demons, and all sorts of beings alike.
But those who hunted Dryads mostly ended up as fertilizer for the forests themselves, and the reason was...
"Wh-what the hell are these trees? Monsters...? Trent?"
"No! They're not alive! They're real trees!"
The demons, suddenly assaulted by moving trees, hurriedly swung their fists to smash them. Though these were sturdy trees grown under demonic energy, mere wood couldn't withstand the attacks of powerful demons.
But...
-Whiiish!!
"F-fast!"
-Thwack!
"Guh!"
A Werebeast, sensing no proper life force and reacting too late, twisted his body to dodge the tree. But the root-bound tree swung at an unbelievably swift speed, striking his gut and rupturing his insides.
"Elves... those pointy-eared bastards?"
Horang, who had desperately smashed an incoming tree branch to pieces, urgently scanned the surroundings.
'Pointy-ears can control plants.'
But that was limited to plants they touched directly, and they couldn't manipulate this many. 'Even their queen wouldn't come out herself. And even if she did, this power...'
-Rustle rustle rustle!
"Urk?!"
Horang, assuming the tree assault came from the elves spotted in this forest, quickly expanded his senses to find them. But aside from the plants, no other presences could be felt nearby.
And as if to prevent further thought, roots surged from the ground, tightly binding his body.
"This...!"
One of the assaulted demons summoned a massive black flame. His specialty was fire magic. Though not overwhelmingly powerful, incinerating mere ordinary plants like these trees should be a breeze.
"Burn!"
-Roooar!!!
Determined to torch every annoying tree, he unleashed the black flames without hesitation, confident they would reduce such wood to ashes instantly.
-Swish!
"Wh-what? Graaah!"
But the extending branches didn't even singe a single leaf as they battered the demons.
"What...? Why aren't they burning?"
"You idiot... living trees don't burn easily."
"You're the idiot! That's no ordinary flame—it's demonic fire! How's a normal tree shrugging it off?"
"...Huh?"
The two demons exchanging stupid banter got smacked by more extending branches and went flying.
"Wow. Sacred Tree, was that you?"
"No! Daddy!"
Lil, watching the scene from afar through her communion with the trees, let out an exclamation of awe. Even as a high elf, she could control trees and make them sturdy and strong, but she hadn't imagined a Dryad could do the same.
But the secret lay in Dry's "meals."
[Ice Cream Cake]: Upon consumption, reduces fire damage taken by 90% for 3 hours.
Buff effects from various "meals" that would normally apply only to Dry herself. But now, empowered by Lil's song, Dry could fully unleash her Dryad abilities.
To the extent that she could link herself to every tree in this forest, treating them as extensions of her own body.
This allowed her not only to move the trees freely but also to share the power of Daddy's bento spreading through her body with the plants.
"Hmph! They're still just plants!"
However, only the weaker minor demons in the allied forces were felled by these enhanced plants. The proper minions dispatched from the dungeon each boasted powerful abilities, fending off the plant assaults.
-Whirrr...!!
The crowning glory among them were the Insect Demon Tribe. As if plants were mere fodder, they summoned swarms of locust-like and ant-like bugs, devouring the surrounding trees in an instant.
"Argh...! Those bastards are eating the trees...!"
Lil stomped her feet in fury at the sight of the trees being gnawed away. Perhaps angered herself, Dry puffed her cheeks and pulled out an item she'd brought along with the bento.
[Insecticide (lv.3)]: Pesky mosquitoes! Noisy flies! This one's all you need!
What she drew was none other than the [Insecticide].
Eugene had once bought various cleaning tools separately, had Rio, Erzsebet, and Dry use them, and observed how their performance changed.
Among them, Dry had envied Rio and Erzsebet carrying the [High-Pressure Cleaner] and asked for something similar. Eugene, at a loss, had handed her the [Insecticide] instead. He'd even leveled it up to 3 as a bonus.
She hadn't used it against those giant bugs that entered the ruins recently, to protect Daddy's diligently grown plants...
-Squeeze.
Dry pulled out the [Insecticide] and pressed the nozzle.
Normally, insecticide would spray out immediately. But even after pressing the button, no liquid emerged from the nozzle.
"Oh! That's the one Father used! Use that to get the bugs? But how do you hit those far-off ones...?"
Lil recognized the [Insecticide] Eugene had used recently and was delighted, but eyed Dry skeptically since using it from their hiding spot wouldn't reach the flying bugs.
"There!"
"...Huh?"
Dry then shared the scene she saw through her communion directly with Lil. And there...
"What is this... sap?"
"Sniff sniff... What's that smell?"
"C-could it be poison?"
The demons, who had been smashing trees indiscriminately and switched to supporting the Insect Demons for efficiency, panicked as unidentified liquid sprayed from all directions' trees.
But the Werebeasts at the front, drenched yet unharmed, sighed in relief, thinking it nothing serious.
"Just some sap, I guess. No issues on my body..."
"Gaaaahhh!!!"
"Wh-what is this...! This cursed liquid...!!"
"?!?!"
However, behind them, the Insect Demons—also drenched—collapsed screaming in agony, as if doused in deadly venom.
"Wh-what? It is poison?"
"Everyone, hold your breath! Don't let the liquid touch your skin!"
"Damn it... trees everywhere—how do we dodge liquid from the trees?!"
The minor demons, terrified as the far stronger Insect Demons fell, scattered in panic. But the Werebeasts, unaffected by the trees or insecticide, burned with battle lust instead.
"Graaah!! You cowards...! Stop these tricks and show yourselves! Come at me! You pointy-eared rats hiding behind trees!"
Hearing "pointy-ears" relayed through the trees, Lil jumped in rage at the Werebeasts still assuming it was elves.
"Wh-what? Pointy-ears? You stinky weasels... argh...!"
Fuming, Lil reached out to the nearby trees. A sturdy branch extended from one, curving gracefully into a bow shape.
-Snap!
She raised it overhead, plucked a long strand of her hair, and strung it to the bow.
"Hmph. Hunting animals is my specialty, you know?"
Tired of daily dungeon training, she'd sneaked out to hunt every day for ages.
Lil, even fashioning an arrow from wood, nocked it and aimed high into the sky.
"Huu... Hup!"
-Twang!!
She drew the bow to its limit and loosed toward the distant sky. The arrow soared to invisible heights,
then arced back down to earth.
"Come at me! Pointy-ears! Even if you bring the whole forest, you won't land a scratch on—"
-Pierce!
"...Gurgh..."
"Ho-Horang!!"
Horang toppled, skull pierced by the sudden sky-falling arrow. The Werebeasts roared in unison, but ignoring them, an arrow rain poured from above.
"Archer! Shields up!"
Magic users hastily erected barriers; shield-bearers raised shields overhead to block. Glancing at the slightly arcing arrows, they pinpointed the archer's position.
"Over there!"
"Grrr!!"
True to their race—faster than elves but swift among others—they howled and charged Lil's direction the moment they located the enemy.
"Hmph. Where do these mutts think they're going."
Sensing the approaching Werebeasts, Lil scooped up Dry and tucked her under her arm.
"Sacred Tree, can you keep it up while I run?"
"Yeah."
"Great. Then..."
"Wait!"
The Werebeasts, traversing the forest at tremendous speed via their keen noses, surrounded them. Lil dropped the bow, Dry under her arm, and charged straight at the encirclement.
"Found you, you pointy-ea—!"
-Boom!
"Gah!"
Right before a bloodshot-eyed Werebeast could slash with claws, a tree root burst out, smashing its jaw.
Forewarned via communion, Lil didn't flinch and sprinted over the root, breaking through the encirclement.
"Ca... catch her!"
"You damn rat!"
"Kyahahaha! Even Mom gave up catching me in the woods—think you can? Catch me if you can!! Sacred Tree, hold tight!"
Instead of replying, Dry extended a vine, binding herself securely to Lil. Then Lil's talent shone—her forest mobility surpassing even her Dungeon Master mother.
Plus the speed buff from snacking on the bento (after eyeing it eagerly), and the system [Talent] [Child of the Forest] boosting movement speed.
*[Child of the Forest]: Greatly increases movement speed in forests. Can control some [plants].
And so...
-Tadadadadot!!!
"F-fast?!"
"Don't let her escape!"
Her slender frame darting nimbly through the Werebeasts, dodging attacks every which way—a chase between Lil and the demons began.
"......."
The fallen Insect Demons, cowering behind shields fearing poison or arrows, and the Werebeasts pursuing Lil.
Unlike them, the half-demon quietly gazed at the forest, ignoring the chaos, and slowly moved toward somewhere.
"...Where'd Dry go?"
"L-Lil too! Lil's gone!"
...No way?