Brute-Force Blitz
Thoom! Thud!
The Gray Forest on the first floor of the Demon Palace trembled. Colossal roots, descending from the dark storm clouds above, began to burrow deep into the forest floor.
"W-what on earth is that?!" Seron shrieked in sheer terror.
The others looked equally bewildered by the sheer scale of the phenomenon, which far exceeded their expectations. But the real threat had yet to show its face. I dashed forward, my eyes locked onto the center of the massive root system.
Creeeak!
A massive bud sprouting from the heart of the roots began to peel open. Thick, viscous fluid dripped from the parting petals.
Nestled inside was a grotesque creature—a hybrid of man and insect, its body encased in a shell of gray bark. The monster unfurled a pair of membranous wings from its carapace, letting them dry in the stale air.
The moment that thing took flight, our situation would become incredibly tedious. Therefore, our objective was clear.
"Everyone, scatter and sever those roots! Cut down as many as you can!"
"Are you insane? You want us to cut that?" Seron gaped at the roots anchored in the Gray Forest. They were absurdly thick. It was obvious they wouldn't yield to a simple blade.
But we couldn't just stand by and watch. The true Apostle of the Gray Forest, the Forest Keeper, was currently draining all the vital energy from the land. Once drained, the forest would wither into a lifeless, monochromatic wasteland. In gaming terms, it would become a hazardous debuff zone that shaved off massive chunks of health with every step.
"What, losing your nerve already?" I asked provocatively. This was the same Seron who had been bragging about conquering the Demon Palace just moments ago. Her lips tightened in a sharp, indignant pout.
"Who says I can't?!" Seron barked back, charging recklessly toward one of the massive roots.
Hiss!
As she drew her axe, a sharp ignition sound echoed, followed by a burst of explosive flames. With her elemental advantage against wood, Seron would have no trouble hacking through the roots.
"Aisha, you can handle this, right?"
"Of course." Aisha had already unsheathed her greatsword, swinging it in broad, powerful arcs. Known as the "Greatsword Ironwoman," her raw physical strength was more than enough to cleave through solid wood. If anything, her eyes gleamed with a fierce excitement, as if she had been waiting for a challenge like this.
"Poara, what's the strongest fire spirit you can summon right now?"
"I can summon up to an intermediate-tier spirit!"
"That's plenty. Keep the Sovereign in reserve for now. We'll need it later."
"Understood!" Poara chirped, immediately manifesting her fire spirit. A massive fire lizard materialized behind her, unhinging its jaw to unleash a torrent of roaring flames onto the roots.
"Saint Sirmiel."
"I am ready."
Sirmiel finished his prayer and raised his hands toward the heavens. Instantly, a brilliant white light enveloped everyone, including myself. Vitality surged through my veins, and my limbs felt incredibly light. It was the effect of the Saint's blessing. I could feel my stats skyrocketing—a testament to his legendary class.
The Saint's prayer channels the heavens. All allies receive a massive boost to physical attributes and vitality.
With this...
I kicked off the ground, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. Up close, the root was gargantuan, reminiscent of a massive baobab tree. No wonder Seron had looked so horrified.
Normally, this was an event that could be cleared with relative ease if Lucas and his companions were here. They could have severed these roots effortlessly. In particular, Lucas's Flame of Fighting Spirit was the ultimate counter to the Forest Keeper.
But there was no use crying over spilled milk. If you don't have teeth, you have to chew with your gums. I raised my hand, straightening my fingers into a rigid blade. Thanks to Steel Skin, my body was already a natural weapon. Combined with the Saint's blessing, my bare hands were now deadlier than most masterwork swords.
Even without aura, I can match the cutting power of a legendary blade.
Splat-crunch!
My hand tore through the bark, sinking deep into the root. The density of the root itself wasn't much different from ordinary wood. Keeping my hand anchored, I raised my other hand and began to tear into it like a frenzied mole. I became a human excavator, shredding the wooden flesh with reckless abandon.
I dug through the massive trunk until light finally broke through the other side. Pivoting on my heel, I immediately began carving out the remaining sections.
Crack! Snap!
Moments later, the middle section of the root connecting it to the ground was completely hollowed out. Splintered wooden debris littered the area.
There was no time to catch my breath. The instant I confirmed the root was severed, I leaped forward, targeting the next one. Channeling every ounce of my strength, I tore into the wood.
Creeeak! Thoom!
The thunderous sound of collapsing roots echoed from the distance. The others were pulling their weight. We certainly weren't the original protagonist's party, but that didn't mean we couldn't achieve the same results.
If we stop the Forest Keeper here, we can transition to the next act with the maximum number of survivors.
We might have lost our most valuable asset, Lucas, but we could compensate for his absence by saving as many students as possible.
To turn this bad ending into a happy one, I will use any means necessary.
"Senior!" Aisha's voice rang out just as I finished severing another root. Ahead of her path stood the final root. There were no others left in sight—a testament to everyone's desperate struggle.
I kicked off the ground and sprinted toward her. My arms screamed in protest from the sheer strain of excavating solid wood, but I could still push through. Aisha spun her body, building momentum as she swung her greatsword. I focused, channeling the cutting force of Steel Skin into my fingertips once more.
Clang-shatter!
Aisha's greatsword and my hand struck the root simultaneously. Together, we tore the massive structure apart. Splinters and wooden chunks rained down around us as her blade and my hands carved a path of destruction through the core.
The moment Aisha and I burst through to the other side—crrrack! The remaining wood groaned under its own weight and collapsed. We rolled to safety through the falling debris, immediately scrambling to our feet to avoid the newly formed gray zones.
"Ugh, damn it! My arms are about to fall off!" Seron grumbled, jogging toward us with her axe resting on her shoulder. Her vibrant red hair was covered in wood dust and splinters—proof of her desperate struggle.
"All the roots have been burned!" Poara shouted, riding atop her fire lizard. I quickly scanned our surroundings. Fortunately, the Gray Forest had not been completely corrupted into a debuff zone. We had successfully thwarted the Forest Keeper's spawning phase. However, the real battle was only just beginning.
Creak... Groan...
At the center of the clearing, the Forest Keeper severed its remaining connections and began to rise. Normally, it would have absorbed the forest's energy to grow into a towering behemoth. Thanks to our swift intervention, however, its size was severely stunted. In other words, it was heavily weakened.
"Saint Sirmiel, can you focus all your blessings on Poara?"
"Of course." The Saint complied without hesitation, immediately beginning his incantation.
"Poara."
"Y-yes?!"
"Prepare to summon the Spirit Sovereign. The moment the Saint's blessing hits you, unleash its maximum output immediately."
"Wait, is it really okay to use it now?" Poara asked, her face pale with worry. The Spirit Sovereign was our ultimate trump card; she was hesitant to play it so early. But of course it was okay.
"Yes. Hit it with everything you've got." Hearing my reassurance, Poara nodded with newfound determination.
"What are you planning?" Seron asked, frowning.
"Just watch." I replied, tilting my head back to look up at the Forest Keeper.
"O Lord, hear the prayer of Your humble servant..." Sirmiel concluded his prayer. Though we were deep inside the subterranean Demon Palace, his voice reached the heavens. A blinding pillar of divine radiance descended, enveloping Poara.
Poara's stats surged exponentially. The Spirit Sovereign was a transcendent entity existing just below the divine realm, meaning it was uniquely receptive to holy blessings. Consequently, the Saint's divine grace elevated Poara's summoning capabilities to a realm she could never have reached on her own.
Cold sweat poured down Poara's face from the sheer pressure of the concentrated energy. She clasped her hands together, and a torrent of elemental energy erupted from her body, forming a brilliant halo behind her.
"Whoa...!"
"This is incredible," Aisha murmured, she and Seron staring in awe at the overwhelming flow of power.
A violent gale swept through the cavern, forcing us to crouch to keep our footing. From the heart of the tempest, the ruler of the Great Spirit Forest slowly raised its head. Sparks of raw elemental energy crackled through the air as a colossal bird composed of wind and lightning spread its wings. Its wingspan was so massive it cast a shadow over the entire cavern.
The Spirit Sovereign. The pinnacle of elemental evolution let out a majestic, earth-shaking cry. It was an awe-inspiring sight. In terms of raw destructive power, the Sovereign was on par with an Archmage. Before this absolute display of force, all things were rendered utterly powerless.
A slow smirk spread across my face. The first phase of the Forest Keeper fight was notoriously tedious, designed specifically to drain the player's resources and items with annoying patterns. That was why I brought Poara. Skip Phase 1 with raw DPS. A brute-force blitz.
"Spirit Sovereign..." Poara swallowed hard, fighting through the exhaustion. She pointed her trembling hands toward the Forest Keeper. "Please!"
At her cry, the Spirit Sovereign swept its massive wings. A devastating vortex of wind and lightning erupted, hurtling directly toward the Forest Keeper.
RUUUUUUUUMBLE!
The Forest Keeper shrieked in agony as it was engulfed by the elemental storm the moment it opened its eyes. It thrashed desperately to survive, but it was futile. The tempest tore the creature to shreds, reducing it to splinters in an instant.
Shards of bark and wood rained down. The massive roots that had invaded the Gray Forest were completely obliterated, leaving behind nothing but unrecognizable debris.
"Ugh... ah..." Poara collapsed to her knees, completely drained after channeling the Spirit Sovereign. She had done an incredible job.
Seron stared blankly at the devastation before looking at her axe. "Wait... did you even need us?"
"Don't worry," I replied, adjusting my grip on my shield.
Whoosh!
At that moment, countless small, seed-like pods burst from the shattered remains of the roots, scattering in all directions.
Thud! Thump!
The pods split open upon hitting the ground like hatching eggs. From within emerged miniature, wingless versions of the Forest Keeper.
Seron's face paled as she raised her axe once more. She, too, realized that the battle was far from over.
"We still have plenty of work to do."
We had bypassed Phase 1 with a brute-force blitz. Now, it was time to clear Phase 2.