Chapter 26: Chapter. 26: Guardian of the Osthus Tree

Turns out Matt had to wake up someone to keep watch, and he also didn’t have as much Endurance as me, or as much in most stats as me. I didn’t get to ask Matt how he felt about that since I decided to voice a few troubles and experiences I had, which surprisingly, he gave a few things to think about. And yet, in spite of his wisdom his stats were still lower than mine. I found it weird, I didn’t expect Matt to fight it out with the snake or anything, that wasn’t the weird part, the weird part was that there were people weaker than me. Not from not working hard, simply because the universe had chosen them to be weaker. A weird thought crept onto my mind from all that.

If I was a human, would I be alive? I found it doubtful, but it was a slight seed of self doubt. Glim smelling it, decided to reassure me telling me that whether I was, F ranked, E ranked or D ranked, we were all equally trash in the grand scheme of things. He said it slightly gentler, in way to say ⁠— don’t worry about it since it wouldn’t change anything! It didn’t help, and it was comedic at most, except for the fact that he called everyone in the Skirmish trash equally.

Erasing Glim’s words from my mind, I closed my eyes and waited for Matt to finish hiding on a distant tree, way behind the Osthus Tree. He simply wanted to watch, which well, I simply hoped he wouldn’t be part of collateral damage.

Once he was done and Glim notified me of it, I moved onto the timer. A small sigh escaping me, I expected to have a bit more time, but I had to make do with what I had.

[Incubation Period: 4 days 0 hours 39 minutes]

Finally my eyes moved to my surroundings, I stood at the entrance of the clearing once more. The snake was nothing more than a shadow wrapped around the tree, its body heaving with every breath it took as if it was nest to a tree. Its gigantic figure towered over everything, its marred scales and scar filled body proved the battles it had won. The grass was littered with blood, the brown substance now dried under the unending wind. Fallen warriors whose bodies had been melted off, buried weapons that were broken, and a standing tree with chaffs and nicks.

Oh how long have I waited, and you too have gotten stronger.

[Guardian of the Osthus Tree. Lvl. 12]

Its body heaved as I took a step forward, it coiled and twisted, its face unburrowed from his body. Two golden eyes stared at me, its flesh scarred, and bone visible. Its pupils constricted, and its tongue flickered. Penumbral Instinct manifested along with it, red engulfed me in an instant.

“Missed me?” I cracked a smile.

The snake trembled and drew a sharp hiss. Its corrosive venom leaked from its fang, dripping onto the ground with a sizzling sound. It uncoiled itself ready to fight at any time, and my smile couldn’t get any wider.

“I would’ve run normally, but…” I uncorked the mana vial and drank it in one gulp before pulling back the string with the already nocked arrow. “I am stronger too.” The arrow shone with a bright grin on its tip, the string mirroring its strength.

The snake had a moment of stiffness, along with it the lines changed pathing in an instant and the red came to me like a river, at its edges gray manifested, and not a second later it lunged. At the same time, the arrow was let go. With an air-breaking boom traveled to the tree, the snake in a moment of panic clung itself with the remainder of its tail to the tree, the red lines faded in an instant, and with an explosion The Osthus tree trembled; silver and white leaves fell from the tree, shimmering with a red hue under the moonlight. The snake’s head dripped with blood as once more its skin was erased, using its body to protect it. The gray manifested all around me, and red wind enveloped the tree.

“As I thought.” I shook my head and nocked another arrow.

The snake hissed, red gushed once more, and along with it, it lunged. Its colossal body sending trembles through the forest as it whipped towards me. I overwhelmed the arrow with mana, with a small hop I dodged to the side and exploded it on its temple. Once more I was in the grey zone of the wind.

A Guardian must protect. I shook my head. If not, what did their name serve? I didn’t think much of it, but Matt had mentioned it. Perhaps they had a sort of weakness, perhaps it was simply a challenge to overcome. In that sense, then, so long as it had something to protect, it was weak. And also in that sense, the snake was weaker than the Boreal Kame, it was much weaker than its flames or anything it could do.

The Bearer of the Last Flame was not bound to an object, the snake however? Was. In that sense, it was weaker. And its weakness was going to be its death.

The ground screamed once more. As the Guardian shook, its tail whipped against the Osthus Tree drawing another cry of pain from it. A protector of the Osthus Tree. In the end, it seemed to share its life with the Osthus Tree.

I shot once more, the green flash was like a star amidst the darkness. With a bright explosion it collided against the tree, leaves fell, the screeches of pain entered my ears. Gold and silver glittered under the moonlight, a crimson veil covered the place.

I took a brief look at my mana, before smiling to myself. Oh how great it was. Mana efficiency. My grin couldn’t be erased as I looked at the tree, its once pristine bark was crackling, the constant tail whips and explosions clearly damaging it. Just like the Knell Boar. The tree was thick and sturdy, but against overwhelming power, it too would fall, and along with it, so would the snake.

I could now fire four Explosive Shots, but the mana potion was more effective as well. And finally. The Mana efficiency. I didn’t think much of it before, but now I experienced joy from it. Another arrow was fired, filled with overwhelming mana that I would’ve been unable to produce a day ago, the green streak collided with the tree. A painful screech resounded as the tree finally began to crack, the entire left side of its trunk missing. The wind lines were grey, only around the snake lingered the red.

With every second that passed, the snake seemed to have insufferable pain. I didn’t even have to move as the tree snapped on its own weight, and it simply befell. The Guardian twisted and croaked, and with a final hiss, the mighty Osthus Tree hit the ground with a dull sound, but the screeches of the snake didn’t stop. It was pathetic.

It hissed.

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[The Guardian is requesting aid from the Osthus Tree.]

And hissed.

[The Guardian is requesting aid from the Osthus Tree.]

[The Guardian is requesting…

[The Guardian…

The snake I had once struggled to fight so much reduced to this… such a weakness.

It continued to twist on the ground as I regenerated enough mana to kill it. I didn’t know how much assistance a Guardian could request, alas the thing it was requesting assistance from was dead. Because it was a Guardian, and as a Guardian it had failed. As I watched I couldn’t help but feel sadness for the sight. Something so strong reduced to this, something that gave me so much trouble was so… weak? It was bound to protect the tree. I expected more from it…

I gave it a minute before I finally nocked another arrow and began to gather mana on it, finally I could put it out of its misery, or so I thought. Red pulsed through the battlefield as my arrow shone brightly. The snake stopped as the red continued. Was this not its end?

With a wobble it turned to the tree, and opened its maw wide. It bit into the tree, and began to corrode it with its acid, with no regard for me it simply continued. The leaves around the clearing began to shine with glittering silver and gold.

At that moment I had a brief vision. Fire, a heat wave of incandescent light. Something to kill the elf⁠— something to end her once in for all. Oh System, grant me that wish, and I will forfeit my freedom. Take it all! After that, came the orange light, the cave walls melted, and I had no choice but to run… The red lines expanded to the entire forest, and they rose and heaved like waves. Much more threatening than before, enough to make me not want to know what came next.

I scoffed, and pulled out four more arrows from my quiver. I had to kill it, fast. I looked behind me and hopped, one arrow was fired with explosive force. A gust of wind shot me flying with pure momentum, the snake came closer in an instant till I stood in the midst of the red air. It was as if it had materialized, stifling to stand on.

If it was in the past I would’ve just stared, panicked perhaps. I thought to myself as I climbed atop its huge body, using my knife for support as the blood made it slippery. Its body bulged and seemed to regain vitality, and along with it the red wind turned into a deeper crimson, almost shining with mana energy. Unfortunately, I am not the same as in the past.

A smile left me as I recalled what Matt had said on our way there, I perched myself atop its head as it chose to ignore me.

Why not fire multiple arrows at once if you need more power?

I slotted the four arrows almost forcefully onto the bow, the string pulled back in a weird shape as I enhanced it. The pulleys moved back with small clicks as the string shone in a bright green light, in between each of my fingers I pushed my mana forth. The warmth flowed onto the arrows as I suddenly felt a bit light-headed. Part of me felt disappointed it would end so soon. But unfortunately I couldn’t let it destroy the forest, or do whatever it wanted. In the end, this was a farewell.

The snake continued ignoring me, too focused on the tree.

“Goodbye, Guardian.”

Glim shook. [Blair no!]

The arrows were let go as I made it a point to jump. White. An expanse of jade light filled my vision as an explosion shook the air itself. Pain ran through my body and ears as I identified my ear-drums being ruptured, and then there was silence. Only the System notifications ringing in my mind.

[You have killed: (E Guardian Grade) Guardian of the Osthus Tree. Lvl 12.]

[Level up: You have achieved level 11.]

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