Episode 143
143. Episode 143
Perched on top of the pile of ash was a flower the size of a house.
Five petals with red and white pus-like substance bulging out caught my eye.
In the center of the flower was a black hole, so dark inside that nothing could be seen except the entrance.
Below, the roots grew tangled around the corpses.
That was the thing that was emitting a foul smell and toxicity.
‘You were growing Curs Rafflesia.’
Curse Rafflesia.
It is the name of the flower wriggling in front of me.
This was my first time seeing Seundo in person, and it was such a rare plant that I had only learned about it through books.
The reason this flower is rare is because of the environment in which it grows. As its nickname, corpse flower, suggests, it grows by obtaining nutrients from corpses.
Because of this, it is also called ‘Songjanghwa’.
In addition, since it requires a humid environment, it mostly occurs naturally when large-scale battles take place in jungles or swamps.
Well, still, in a tower where battles and death are always rife, such an environment wasn’t that uncommon.
However, the reason it is difficult to see this is because the Curs Rafflesia is designated as an endangered plant.
A flower that eats corpses and spews out toxic substances, destroying the surrounding environment.
Once it has grown to a certain level, it kills and absorbs not only corpses but also all plants and animals in its vicinity.
Eventually, the place where the Curse Rafflesia grew turned into a land of death where no living thing could survive.
That is why this flower was burned immediately upon being discovered by adventurers.
‘You must have been gnashing your teeth to deal with the orcs.’
They keep burning the embers even though they know their own dwellings are being destroyed. Do they think they can control the embers?
I don’t know for sure, but if we left it like this, the swamp would definitely die out, consumed by those sedges.
‘Well, the orcs didn’t prepare a proper method either.’
The Orc tribes that had sided with Seun before the return were also devising ways to deal with the Lizardmen.
Demon breeding.
The orcs were raising a demon cub that they had obtained from some unknown source. Although they didn’t know it at the time, thinking back now, the demon cub was just as dangerous as the corpse flower.
At the time, I had won the battle and left the floor right away, so I didn’t know what happened after that, but thinking back now, it seems that in the end, not only the orcs but also the forest they lived in was destroyed by the demons.
‘Well, the result is the same anyway.’
Whether the Lizardmen won and the swamps were ravaged by maggots, or the Orcs won and the Demons ran wild, this swamp would have been destroyed.
It was an unthinkable situation at the time when I was desperate to survive and pass the trials before returning.
“Feed?”
“sorry.”
“I couldn’t get it.”
“Why?”
“There was no sign of prey in the immediate vicinity.”
“It seems like the poison is spreading faster than expected.”
“I came back to report to you first, as I was worried that the orcs might notice.”
“Good job.”
The two lizardmen that followed Seun knelt on one knee and bowed their heads.
The being receiving the report was a lizardman that appeared to be two heads larger than them, and its appearance was closer to a dinosaur than a lizard.
Just looking at his appearance, his physical abilities seemed to have developed further, and he was holding an extraordinary-looking trident.
It seemed that the guy was the lizardman who managed this scorpion breeding ground.
‘Wouldn’t it be better to clear it up by surprise?’
This has nothing to do with the 11th floor trials, but it may also be one of the hidden quests.
I didn’t know how this would affect my future trials, but I had no intention of just sitting back and doing nothing.
At that moment, the eyes of the lizardman who was receiving the report turned to Seun.
I thought it was just a coincidence since the stealth was being applied perfectly, but I soon realized that it wasn’t.
“But it looks like you came with a tail.”
“That can’t be. There’s no life around here besides us… … .”
Wedge-
Ting!
The trident he was holding flew through the wind.
Seun immediately pulled out his sword and struck the trident with his sword.
“Then what is that?”
“……human?”
As soon as I struck down the trident, the stealth ability was naturally broken.
Se-Woon, who had no choice but to reveal his identity, sat up and looked down at the guys.
‘How did you know?’
The smell was completely eliminated by the sweat glands of Clear Slime.
Even the sound of his presence had been erased by the art of stealth, and especially now he was not moving at all and was hiding in the shadow of the tree.
However, the bastard accurately identified Seun’s location and blew up the window.
Since it didn’t seem like he could handle mana, I couldn’t help but be suspicious.
“It seems like you’re good at hiding like a rat. But it seems you can’t avoid Song Jang-hwa’s hunger.”
“Song Jang-hwa?”
Se-Woon, who was wondering what was going on, looked down, recalling the information about Song Jang-Hwa that he had seen in the book.
Long vines were crawling up like snakes from under the blackened, rotten tree trunk.
The root of the safflower.
I remember reading that immature sedges simply grow by rooting themselves on corpses, but once they grow to a certain size, they use their roots to directly absorb food.
This is also the same.
Song Jang-hwa realized the existence of Seun and began to spread its roots greedily.
“Human! How did you get in here!”
“Intruder!”
Seun came down from the tree because of the roots of the pine tree that had already covered more than half of the tree trunk.
Then lizardmen began to swarm around.
Even though it didn’t seem like they were all there yet, the number of lizardmen quickly increased to 30.
They were all properly armed, and seemed to be a proper fighting force even among the Lizardmen.
“How did you know about this place!”
“Could it be that you were instigated by the orcs?”
“Those dirty things. Even receiving help from humans.”
They surrounded the castle and flicked their long tongues repeatedly.
Seun hadn’t even opened his mouth yet, but they were talking amongst themselves and all of a sudden Seun had become the orc’s lackey.
I wasn’t happy with the situation, but I didn’t bother making excuses.
anyway…….
“You orc henchman! Die!”
“Kissit! Die!”
I had no intention of leaving the Lizamen here alive, including Curse Rafflesia.
– Blood Wolf Sword Technique’s sacrificial ritual, Blood Wolf Roar, is strengthened through internal energy.
Aww-
As the sword was swung, the bloody wolf swung around, creating a storm of black energy.
The spears that were closing in on him were blown away or cut off by the storm.
This is a tactic we have already experienced once through the guards at Skabe’s castle.
Their overall strength was one step ahead, but they lacked tactical sophistication. There was no way such an attack would work on Seun.
“I won’t leave you alone.”
The lizardman with the dinosaur head who had been watching from a step behind approached Seun, picking up the trident he had struck down.
The other lizardmen also showed their ferocity by revealing their sharp claws and teeth.
The ability to use equipment unique to the Suin tribe has made them strong, but they are beasts by nature.
To bring out the wildness, it was better to use claws and teeth than weapons.
One-on-many confrontation.
Because it was a type of battle he had experienced so many times, Seun knew very well who to attack first in such a situation.
– The first skill of the Blood Wolf Sword Technique, Blood Wolf Fang, is strengthened through internal energy.
– According to the secret of Jahashin Gong, heat is added to the martial arts.
Kaang!
Seun’s sword aimed at the lizardman with the dinosaur head.
Anyway, the attacks of the other guys couldn’t keep up with Seun. And in a battle like this, the priority was to somehow cut off the leader’s head.
The red-hot moon, lit by the magic of Jaha Shin-gong, melted the clashing tridents.
The guy panicked and tried to pull away, but Se-woon’s steps were faster than his.
Kang, kaang!
The sword was swinging repeatedly, aiming for the bastard’s weak point.
His martial arts skills were pretty good, and he was able to block the attacks well, but cold sweat was running down his forehead.
With just a few blows, the bastard’s spear was completely torn apart by physical force and heat.
“What are you guys doing!”
“Kill him!”
At his shout, the other lizardmen gained momentum and rushed at Seun, but none of their attacks had any effect on him. Even his fluttering cloak was beyond their claws.
Kang!
Finally, the bastard’s trident broke.
It was a weapon that looked of fairly good quality, but the level of the weapons was too different.
In addition, Seun’s sword was so condensed with internal energy that it was even stranger for an ordinary weapon to be able to withstand it.
Before the bastard could even get his bearings, Seun’s finishing attack followed.
– The first skill of the Blood Wolf Sword Technique, Blood Wolf Fang, is strengthened through internal energy.
Kyaang!
“Crunch!”
It was an attack that was launched with the confidence that it had cut off the bastard’s head, but the reality was different.
The bastard put down his weapon, opened his mouth wide, and bit down on the flying moon.
The membrane on both sides of the mouth is torn and the teeth are broken.
The tongue is cooked and the sound of it burning is heard along with the sizzling sound caused by the yang energy.
But still, the bastard did not let go of Seun’s sword.
Rather, he braced himself for the burns and held Seun’s sword with both hands, narrowing his pupils even more sharply.
Even without him having to explain, the other lizardmen nodded at their leader’s sacrifice and launched a fatal attack.
And Seun… … .
Bam.
“Crunch… … ?”
He put the sword out of his hand.
He looked at Se-woon with eyes that seemed difficult to understand.
Because from their perspective, it was absolutely incomprehensible for a warrior to let go of his sword.
Because weapons are the pride of a warrior, they are the very essence of it.
However, Se-un was not fighting for pride.
Before returning, I had been rolling around the tower, using every means necessary for survival. So, rather than pride as a warrior, victory itself was more important.
– The third skill of the Pearl Sword, Flying Night Yasha, is strengthened through internal energy.
– The power of martial arts is strengthened according to the secret of the ultimate deep attack.
Se-Woon stepped his left foot forward.
He clenched his right hand, turned his waist, and pulled his fist like an arrow on a bowstring.
When the guy who was watching the absurd situation where he let go of the sword in his hand was just biting the hot back dagger.
Kwaaaaang!!
Se-Woon’s fist, dyed blue, struck the bastard’s chest.
The tremendous impact caused his chest to burst open, and the lizardman’s signature green blood burst out behind his back.
The overwhelming destructive power of Kang Kwon, as revealed to Kang Cheol.
Se-Woon’s right hand, which had been retrieving the Durangdal from the mouth of the falling man with his eyes showing, began to burn.
– The stigmata react to the tale of the Blood Wolf Legend.
– The first ability of the stigmata, ‘Fear’, awakens.
The shock of losing your captain and the murderous intent that stabs your spirit. Add to that the power of the stigmata.
“Key, keyeeek!”
The lizardmen lost their senses and reverted to their primitive form, starting to scream.
fantasy,
