The standoff held for a breathless moment, each of us measuring the other. The boss mokmire, now with a sword in hand, circled the root barrier, looking for an opening. Rutgerd and Sylas, though initially taken aback by my sudden outburst, regrouped and flanked their leader, their own weapons drawn and ready.

As they circled, I felt the steady thrum of the earth beneath me, the whispers of the forest guiding my senses. The leaves around us rustled, as if the forest itself was bracing for the clash.

Without warning, the boss mokmire charged, his sword raised in a high arc aimed directly at the roots. With a shout, he brought his blade down, cleaving through the wooden barrier with a force that sent splinters flying. Rutgerd followed suit, his larger frame smashing through another section of the roots, while Sylas, nimble and quick, leaped over the barrier, landing with a roll on my side.

I spun to face Sylas, who was already preparing to strike with his twin blades. His attack was remarkably fast, but this time I could follow his movements. As he swung one of his swords downwards, I quickly retracted my limb and commanded one of the roots to rise up and entangle his arm. He looked visibly shocked as he was suddenly restrained, yet he didn’t have time to think as I swung one of my claws at his front. Sylas tried to dodge, but the restraint didn’t let him fully avoid the attack, as I felt my strike draw a deep gash at his shoulder and back.

The mokmire growled in pain, blood spewing out of his wound. I prepared another strike to end his suffering, but the sound of crunching roots and heavy footsteps prompted me to quickly spin around to find Rutgerd had broken through the roots and was now barreling towards me with his shield held high. His charge was like a battering ram, the ground beneath his heavy boots vibrating with each determined step.

Fine then, let’s settle this!

As he closed the distance, I lowered my head, my small horns gleaming menacingly. With a deep, resonant growl, I charged forward to meet his advance, my powerful legs propelling me with great speed.

My horns met his shield with a thunderous crash that echoed through the trees like a storm, a clash of raw power against his enchanted defense. For a moment, we were locked in a stalemate, the force of my charge against the magical barrier of his shield.

Then, a small but distinct cracking sound pierced the clash, the first sign of the shield's faltering. Tiny lines webbed across its surface, glowing with a faint light as the integrity of the magical shield began to falter. Encouraged by this small victory, I pushed harder, digging my claws into the earth for better leverage.

With one final, decisive shove, the shield shattered spectacularly. Red shards exploded into the air like sparks from a forge, fading away before they could touch the ground. Rutgerd, suddenly devoid of his primary defense, was thrown backward by the force of the destruction. He tumbled awkwardly, rolling across the leaf-strewn ground before coming to a stunned stop against the thick roots.

I didn’t get any respite as I heard the last mokmire charge at me from my blind spot. As he advanced relentlessly, I quickly commanded the roots at my disposal to form a temporary shield around me. The intertwining roots rose from the ground, weaving a thick barrier that momentarily blocked his sword strikes, giving me a much-needed moment to gather my strength. The physical and mental strain of the ongoing battle was starting to weigh heavily on me, my breath coming in heavy gasps as I felt the pulsating pain of my wounded side.

The mokmire was not deterred. His sword slashed and hacked at the living barrier, each blow delivered with precision and force, gradually wearing down the small defenses I had conjured.

Regaining some composure, I reengaged my opponent. The mokmire met my eyes with a steely gaze, his own breathing labored from the effort. We clashed again in a series of rapid strikes and agile parries. His swordsmanship was exceptional, forcing me to rely heavily on my reflexes and the occasional summoned root to counter his moves.

As the exchange continued, I managed to push his blade aside with a powerful swipe of my claw, creating an opening. However, as I prepared to follow up with another strike, he swiftly withdrew his free hand, quickly forming a compact ball of fire. With a practiced motion, he hurled it directly at me almost at point black distance.

“Eat this!” He yelled as he launched himself backwards to avoid getting caught in the fire.

Knowing I couldn’t dodge, I braced for impact. I expected pain, but as the flames enveloped my right flank, all I felt was a mild warmth. My amber scales repelled the magical fire effortlessly. The mokmire's eyes widened slightly at the ineffectiveness of his spell, a flicker of surprise crossing his battle-hardened features.

Looks like my scales have a certain degree of magical resistance huh…

Clarification. User’s racial features…

I quickly closed the notification.

Not now System!

I surged forward, using the momentary distraction to press the attack. My tail whipped around in a wide arc, aiming for his legs to unbalance him. He jumped back, evading the strike, but the movement put him on the defensive.

I continued to advance, each step deliberate and powerful, forcing him to stagger back, desperately trying to regain his footing. I sensed the shift in momentum in my favor as every strike and feint I made was calculated to keep him off balance.

Just as I noticed a slight lowering of his guard, I lunged with the full weight of my body. My head shot forward, horns aiming straight for his chest with deadly precision. The impact was solid, my horns connecting with his torso and sending him crashing backward into the tangled wall of roots behind him.

However, before I could capitalize on his disarray, a familiar, sinister hum sliced through the air, drawing my attention sharply to the side. Instinctively, I sidestepped, narrowly avoiding a gleaming short sword that whistled past where my head had been moments before. Turning to face this new threat, I saw Sylas, clutching one of his bleeding shoulders with his free hand, leaning heavily against the root wall. Despite his injury, his eyes burned with a fierce determination, and he wielded his remaining sword with a desperate kind of skill.

Time to even the odds a little…

Sylas was wounded, but not out of the fight. The boss mokmire was already struggling back on his feet, so I decided to act quickly. Gathering the remnants of my strength, I charged towards him. As he noticed my advance, he desperately attempted to move out of the way yet he noticed too late that one of the roots he was leaning against had once again entangled one of his arms.

Sylas braced himself, his sword raised defensively. As I neared, I feinted another head charge and with a swift movement, I swung my right claw across in a powerful arc aimed at his weapon arm. The move was too quick for him to fully counter. My claw struck his arm, knocking the sword from his weakened grasp and sending it clanging to the forest floor.

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With both arms now wounded Sylas stood defenseless in front of me as he languished in pain. I decided to swiftly put an end to his misery as I slashed one of my claws at his neck.

Phytomancer - Experience + 346

Explorer - Experience + 173

One down. Two to go…

I quickly turned to face the rest of my enemies, yet my heart sank slightly with the realization that the battle was far from over. The boss mokmire had regained his composure, his eyes blazing with a mix of fury and strategic calculation. Behind him, Rutgerd was also back on his feet. He looked bruised and tired, yet I felt his determination hadn’t faltered.

Before I could strategize my next move, the boss mokmire raised his hand, signaling a halt. His voice, authoritative and menacing, cut through the tension. "Enough!" he bellowed, his gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that bordered on palpable. "Morten, bring the luminar girl," he commanded, turning his head slightly to address someone beyond my immediate view.

My blood ran cold as I processed his words.

A fourth mokmire? How had I not noticed another?

The dread churned in my stomach, heavy like a stone. As I scanned the clearing, a chill ran down my spine when I saw a fourth figure emerge from the shadows of the trees. This new mokmire was dragging a bound and clearly distressed Ryone towards us. Her struggles were futile against his firm grip, and the sight of her in such peril ignited a fierce, protective rage within me.

Ryone's eyes met mine, wide with fear and pleading for help. The boss mokmire noticed our exchange and smiled with a cold, merciless grin that promised nothing good. "Now, you will stop, or the girl will suffer," he stated bluntly, his tone leaving no room for doubt in his intentions.

“Surrender now, or you will hear the girl’s cries as we finish your miserable life!”

The gravity of the situation was overwhelming. I wasn’t going to let them torture Ryone, I had grown too attached to the little girl. Either we escaped together, or none of us did. I continued to ponder my plan of action, but the mokmire became restless.

“Time is running out! Morten!” Without needing to further elaborate, Morten unsheathed a knife from beneath his coat and pressed it against Ryone’s neck.

Damn it all, there must be something I can do!

As I frantically searched for a solution, a faint but growing noise captured my attention. The rhythmic humming and thunderous beat of something massive approaching from above. Glancing skyward, my eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of a large ship, suspended beneath two enormous balloons, gracefully cutting through the sky like a galleon upon the clouds.

The mokmires, too, were momentarily distracted by the unexpected arrival of the airborne vessel, their gazes turning skyward in confusion and awe. This break in their concentration was the opportunity I needed.

With swift, decisive action, I channeled my Phytomancer abilities to manipulate the earth beneath Ryone. A slender root snaked its way out of the ground, positioning itself between the knife and Ryone's neck just in time. Ryone, quick to grasp the lifeline I'd given her, used the moment of confusion to deliver a sharp kick to Morten's most vulnerable spot. As he doubled over in agony, she wrenched free from his weakened grasp.

The boss mokmire, realizing too late the turn of events, roared in frustration. "Get the girl! We have to leave now!" he bellowed, but his commands were drowned out by the increasing noise of the approaching airship.

Not waiting to see if his underlings would recover, I took full advantage of the chaos. With all the strength and speed I could muster, I charged towards the boss mokmire. My scales gleamed under the sunlight as I barreled down on him, my claws ready to strike.

The boss mokmire, sensing the imminent threat, began shouting orders to regroup. Rutgerd intercepted my path, positioning himself between me and the boss. He raised his red shield again, yet its light wasn’t as bright as earlier in the fight.

I did not hesitate. Fueled by determination I lowered my head and charged. My horns, aimed precisely, hit the red shield with a force that echoed through the clearing. The impact was thunderous, and though Rutgerd braced for it, the weakened shield crumbled almost immediately under the assault.

The shattered remnants of the magical barrier faded into nothingness as I pushed forward, my momentum unabated. My head connected solidly with Rutgerd's chest, and I heard a cracking noise as the force of the blow lifted him off his feet. He gasped for air, a look of shock and pain etched across his face as he flew backward, landing heavily on the ground with a dull thud. Dust and leaves kicked up around his fallen form, marking the violence of his descent.

Phytomancer - Experience + 270

Explorer - Experience + 135

Explorer - Level up!

Two down.

I quickly turned to see the boss mokmire running towards the forest.

Oh no, you don’t get to just run away!

As I thought about chasing him down I heard the commotion from the other side as Ryone was still running from the last mokmire, Morten. The mokmire was closing in quickly, his knife in hand as he yelled with rage towards her.

Damn it all!

I turned to go help Ryone, yet I felt a stinging sensation as my last remaining strength threatened to leave my body. The pain pulsating from my wound became unbearable as I struggled to keep moving.

I looked upwards, noticing the airship had almost completed its descent and was preparing to land. As it had grown closer, I noticed multiple flags waving on the ship, which sported red and blue colors.

The flags in Kyrekeep were orange and black, these guys must be from Gearford!

With my last remaining energies, I commanded the roots between Ryone and her pursuer to rise up, forming an entangling wall between them as the mokmire struggled to pull through, yet the roots I had managed to summon were small, and I felt my consciousness begin to slip away as I struggled to maintain my connection to the forest.

The mokmire easily broke through the makeshift defense and kept pursuing Ryone, but just as I felt my hope begin to waver, I suddenly felt an enormous pull towards the ground, almost like the gravity had multiplied many times over. I struggled to stay on my feet as the force pulling me downwards kept increasing.

Looking over the clearing, I noticed the mokmire and Ryone were in the same predicament as both laid on the ground, unmoving. Looking further ahead, a group of soldiers of various sizes, all clad in plate armor had descended from the airship. At the lead, I could see another dwarf that looked like he was in charge.

He approached our group as the rest of the soldiers moved to encircle us. Seemingly unaffected by the gravity pulling us down he stopped a few steps away from me. I glared upwards, my eyes meeting his as I gritted my teeth struggling to maintain my footing.

After a long moment, the dwarf grinned. “How interesting…” Yet before he could speak further, one of the soldiers spoke up. “Admiral, one wounded merchant from the city, the others are unknown.”

The admiral broke our staring contest as he turned towards the soldier. “Very well, bring the merchant in for treatment, the rest will be taken in for questioning.” He turned to walk back before continuing, “and use more force for this one!”

As he finished speaking I felt the gravity increase even more, and my vision blurred. The intense pressure overwhelmed me, and despite my desperate attempts to fight it, my strength faltered. The ground rushed up to meet me as darkness edged my vision, each breath a labored gasp under the crushing force.

The last thing I saw before succumbing to unconsciousness was Ryone’s concerned face peering towards me from the ground, her words lost in the rush of blood in my ears. My body felt impossibly heavy, as if each scale were made of lead, pinning me firmly to the earth.

Then, everything went black.