Chapter 73 - Poison Woods Onslaught

Before Alex could fully react, a twisted limb shot out of the darkness, and the world around him plunged into chaos.

Instinct took over as he quickly raised his hand, summoning a shield, "!" he commanded.

In an instant, a shimmering, dark black barrier materialized around him. The barrier wasn't perfect—it was hastily conjured, its surface flickering with unstable magic—but it was just enough.

"As expected of you sneaky bastards, you sure like to ambush people." Alex spat angrily as he locked eyes with the creature—a Treant, though more accurately, a Poison Treant, corrupted by the toxic mist that permeated the forest.

The barrier held firm, slicing through the Poison Treant's limb and severing a chunk of its twisted, bark-like flesh. A thick, poisonous sap oozed from the wound, sizzling as it hit the ground.

The creature let out a guttural, enraged howl. But at the same moment, as the monster's limb was severed, a sharp pain shot through Alex's side.

He glanced down to see that the Poison Treant's clawed, finger-like branches had scraped across his ribs.

A thin line of blood seeped through his shirt, and the skin around the wound began to burn from the toxic touch. Alex winced, but there was no time to dwell on the pain.

Steadying himself, Alex instantly cast another spell, "." Several dark bolts streaked through the mist, striking the Poison Treant with a resounding crack, the lightning crackling around its massive, tree-like body.

The creature shuddered violently, its bark splitting and charring where the lightning made contact. Its remaining branch-like limbs flailed wildly, tearing through the air with savage desperation as the dark lightning coursed through its body, causing it to convulse and writhe in agony.

Within seconds, the creature's life force waned, and it collapsed, its massive form falling still. But before it died, it let out a monstrous roar, a sound that echoed like the groan of a dying beast, reverberating through the forest.

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[The Host has killed a E rank Monster]

[+100 XP and +5 SP]

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Receiving the system's notification was reassuring, but Alex had more pressing matters to attend to.

'Its death cry should have alerted all the nearby monsters. They'll be swarming here soon, but that's not a problem. It'll just make them easier to find and eliminate.'

He glanced down at his chest and noticed his wounds were healing rapidly. The Poison Treant's attack had been little more than a surface scratch, and with his upgraded health regeneration, it would be healed soon enough.

"The poison in my blood should be purified by my skill, but it sure did a number on my new shirt." Alex muttered, inspecting the damage. "This poison seems really toxic—it even burned a bit of this high-level fabric."

He sighed, lamenting over his expensive, high-quality shirt, which he had recently purchased, thinking it would be more durable and last longer.

Not much time was given to dwell on his ruined clothing, as more Poison Treants began making their way toward him. Some were stout, others spindly, and a few were broad and towering, but all shared the same gnarled, grotesque appearance.

Their branches were twisted and warped, reaching out like the skeletal fingers of a long-dead creature, stripped of leaves and life.

Instead of lush foliage, it's limbs were adorned with sickly, decaying growths—fungus-like protrusions that emitted a faint, noxious vapor. Their roots, once symbols of stability and growth, now snaked across the ground like venomous tendrils, poisoning the earth wherever they touched.

For many, this would be a living nightmare, a horrifying encounter with the perversion of nature. But to Alex, they were merely free experience points waiting to be harvested.

"Coming here was definitely the right choice." He thought with a grin. "So much XP and SP willingly coming toward me to be harvested."

It wasn't just a few monsters; a substantial number of Poison Treants had been alarmed by the death cry of the first one to fall. Now, aside from the direction he had entered the forest, Poison Treants were converging on Alex from all other sides, attempting to swarm him to his death.

'From my observations, the poison here has an almost acidic and metallic taste, which means the poison mist could be flammable.' Alex thought, his mind racing.

He wasn't entirely sure if his conjecture was correct. Earlier, he had killed the first Poison Treant with in the heat of the moment, but now he needed to be more cautious.

A single spark might ignite the poisonous mist, and the consequences would be catastrophic. Fire and lightning-related skills were therefore off-limits in this area.

'In the end, I'm left with only two attack spells...wait! I still have another option—how could I forget my sword?'

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted as the Poison Treants finally surrounded him, their twisted branches striking his barrier with incredible speed and force, like massive whips. Their limbs were coated with a thick, toxic sap that dripped from their bark.

The barrier, now starting to crack under the sheer physical strength of their attacks and the lethality of the poison, wouldn't hold for much longer.

Drawing his sword and tightening his grip, Alex quickly cast . The nearest Poison Treants surrounding his barrier were immediately encased in a coffin of black ice.

With quick, precise movements, Alex slashed through them, shattering both the ice and their twisted bodies in the process. System notifications began piling up, but he knew the battle was far from over.

As the Poison Treants moved, or perhaps due to their sheer numbers, a small amount of sunlight penetrated the dense canopy, casting faint shadows on the forest floor.

Although the light was minimal, it was enough for Alex to use his movement skill, . In an instant, he appeared behind the swarm, targeting a Poison Treant at the rear.

Using , he swiftly killed it, then immediately cast again, freezing the other monsters from behind. He followed up with a furious series of sword slashes, carving through the frozen monsters and creating a small distance between himself and the remaining enemies.

As Alex was about to use his tactic for the third time, an unsuspecting tree behind him suddenly sprang to life. Its roots shot out, wrapping around his ankle and yanking his leg out from under him.

"Fuck! An undercover Poison Treant? Seriously? You guys never change. Today, I'm cutting down every tree in this damn forest." Alex growled, frustration lacing his voice.

He had lost his footing and was moments away from being slashed to death. In a split second, he blocked the attack with his sword and severed the roots binding his ankle with a well-aimed .

But there was no time to breathe. Another set of attacks was already approaching. Alex quickly used again, and luckily, it worked, transporting him a few meters away from his initial location.

However, safety was still out of reach. More whip-like branches lashed out at him, but this time, Alex was prepared. He instantly froze them using .

With disabled and his shattered from the previous assault, Alex knew he had to act fast. Casting a new barrier would take more time than launching an attack spell like or .

Wasting no time, Alex regained his balance, sheathed his sword, and swiftly cast , fortifying it as much as he could.

Testing his flexibility and speed to the max, Alex maneuvered through the tight, confined space. He used the trees as platforms, running and jumping off them as he unleashed a barrage of at the remaining Poison Treants.

The space was tight, but Alex channeled every bit of agility he had, imitating parkour moves he had seen before. He darted from tree to tree, avoiding attacks while simultaneously launching his own.

After a grueling effort, Alex finally managed to kill nearly three dozen Poison Treants. His body was aching, and his breaths came in heavy gasps, but he had done it. The once-overwhelming swarm of corrupted monsters lay defeated around him.