Feeling that thing's gaze on me, I felt my body paralyse. I could also see its information floating in front of my tear-filled eyes.
[ Evaluation Results ]
Level - 59
STR - 951
END - 561
DEX - 632
INT - 1021
[ Available Abilities ]
Root Control
Poison Creation
Poisonous spines
Poison Mist Creation
Speed Increase
[ ... ]
"What is that thing?" The information that my unique ability [ Evaluation ] gave made me terrified. My companions looked at me, expecting me to say something, but the only thing I did was shake my head.
"This is impossible. There's no escaping it." Despair engulfed them as well. Everyone began to cry as they slowly turned to look at that creature coming out of the forest.
Tearing down the trees, that five-meter humanoid creature took a few steps forward.
Its body was made entirely of roots, and its limbs were thin, making its appearance even more strange. And its head was a carnivorous plant, but unlike usual, it had eyes.
Two antennae just above its head held its large black eyes like a crab's eyes. Its eye was completely black. It was as if I was watching a serial about demons.
"Shit, shit!" Taking ungainly steps, the creature approached while maintaining silence. Its eyes were still on me. I didn't know what to do.
'Should I run away? Will running do any good? Its agility is too high!' I couldn't think very well.
"LEROY! WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Hugh began to use his sword to cut the roots blocking the way out, but it was no use. The roots were growing too fast.
For help, I started to cut as well.
Cut
Cut
Cut
But it was no use.
The creature was already close, and it was looking at us as if it was feeling sorry for all our efforts. Chloe and Kym were trembling as they stared at its big mouth full of teeth and that purple tongue that moved.
Chloe had peed herself.
"Shit, why is the dungeon boss here?!" Hugh shouted as he swung his sword once more to cut the roots.
"Hugh, it's no use." But I had already given up. We can't run away from here.
But even with my warning, he continued to cut.
I looked at the giant monster made of roots 10 meters away. He tilted the head, and its eyes blinked. Amazingly it had eyelids.
"Please let us go. See, we are weak. "I dropped my sword to show that I would not fight. The monster tilted the head even more. It seemed to be understanding what I was talking about.
'That's expected from a monster with such high intelligence.'
"Leroy, what the hell are you doing? Do you think this is going to work?"
"And you, do you think that continuing to cut these roots will work? It's impossible, and you know it." Hearing my words, Hugh bit his lips and then turned to look at the monster.
We all looked at the monster, practically begging for forgiveness.
You might think we're failures or something. And you are right. We are just a group of D-RANK adventurers, we came here with permission, but we had said that we would only explore the surface.
We were idiots. I should have listened to Claude.
We are too weak. Do you think fighting with this thing is a good idea? My strength and Hugh's strength do not reach 100 points, and look at the strength of this thing! My only skill is this evaluation crap. What about the skill of my other companions?
Hugh can cast some elemental fire magic, Chloe has a search skill, and Kym has a strength boosting skill. Even if we used all our strength, we still wouldn't be able to cut a root piece out of that thing's body.
It was impossible. The only thing we could do was beg it to let us go. That monster has high intelligence and has already shown that it understands me.
"Please. We haven't taken anything, and we don't want to fight. You can understand me, can't you? We leave and never come back. What do you think?" Hearing this, the monster brought your long arm up to the chin and seemed to be thinking.
But then a strange sound came out of its mouth.
KEKEKEKEKE~~~
It was a laugh.
I looked at that scene and began to understand. This thing was playing with us, and it would not let us get out of here alive. Hugh realised this, so he picked up his sword and prepared to fight.
The two girls were trembling, and they couldn't do anything.
'We can do something? Could we cut the roots and get out if we distract it?' That was a good possibility, so I approached Hugh and spoke into his ear. Then he also talked to the other two.
They nodded.
It was a basic plan, and it was our only chance to escape.
It was simple. Hugh and I would attack the monster and keep it occupied while Kym used her spear and skill to free the entrance.
After that, we would run away too. We didn't know if there would be time; it was just a bet.
####
After I nodded, I picked up my sword again and then attacked the monster along with Hugh.
Using his fire magic, he threw some fireballs toward its face to get its attention. I took this opportunity to approach his left leg. Hugh saw what I was trying to do and then approached the monster's right leg.
We both swung our swords to try to hit him, but the monster moved quickly backwards and moved away.
We began to attack it with our swords, avoiding the only attacks the monster made. Roots were created from the ground and tried to trap us, but we managed to get rid of them easily.
The monster didn't seem to be taking all this seriously. But we didn't care. We kept attacking while Kym kept cutting the roots on the way out with his spear.
I thought everything was working, but that didn't seem to be the case. After swinging my sword once more, I stepped back and looked toward the exit. Kym was swinging his spear desperately while sweating.
But it wasn't working. The roots kept growing.
Hugh continued attacking the monster, not noticing what was happening, so I called out to him.
"Hugh, this monster is playing with us. The roots keep growing!"
Right after I shouted, I heard a scream behind me.
Looking in that direction, I could see Chloe being dragged along the ground, pulled up by some of the roots. I wondered why Kym didn't do anything, but she was wrapped entirely in roots when I looked towards the exit.
Only her eyes were showing. I choked and couldn't move.
"Leroy, help me! Please!" Chloe screamed desperately as it lifted her. She began to be raised by its roots while being held by her foot. Then I finally managed to move to do something.
"AAAAAAAH." Screaming, showing that I was angry, I ran towards the root and tried to use my sword to cut it. But it was useless. My arm was grabbed by a root that sprouted from the ground.
Then more roots appeared and started to wrap around my whole body.
"No, no, SHIT!" As I struggled, I noticed that my friends already had their bodies wholly wrapped in roots. My mouth was also closed like theirs.
I bit the root, but it was no use.
I was lifted into the air along with everyone else. When I noticed the four of us were right in front of the monster's head. Its black eyes stared at me, and a shiver ran through my body.
I looked to the side and saw Chloe with her eyes filled with tears. Her eyes were screaming for help. She was so afraid, and I couldn't do anything to help her.
The monster seemed to have noticed that I was looking at her, and it seemed to know that I loved her. So he moved the "cocoon" of roots that Chloe was in closer to its mouth. I felt my heart stop.
The "cocoon" started to move violently. Chloe was desperate.
But the monster didn't care. Chloe was chewed up in front of my eyes. She made no sound. She died quickly. The only thing I could see afterwards was the rest of her blood on the creature's tongue.
My vision was blurred because of the tears. I gave up right then and there.
I watched all of my companions be chewed up and swallowed in front of my eyes. This was too painful. I closed my eyes when I noticed that I was next.
After its mouth closed, I felt my whole body wet, and its teeth pierced me. I felt my body being shattered. I don't know why I didn't die quickly and suffer for so many seconds.
Did they feel the same thing before they died?
I'm sorry, guys, I messed up.