I gripped my saber tightly and looked at the plant-bone humanoids coming toward me. They will not be easy to fight, but what other choice do I have?

I couldn’t run away, since every way is blocked by the plants, nor there is anyone here to help me. Everyone is doing their bit, except for Ethan, but I can’t really blame him.

If I didn’t fight; these little abominations will kill me.

“Now!” said Heiman and immediately we moved toward the plant-bone humanoids.

It is better to take the lead than wait for them to come closer to us.

I moved with the Quick Steps and appeared in front of them and attacked. I held nothing back and attacked with Consecutive Strikes and Weighted Strike; the sooner we kill them, the better it would be for us.

The plant-bone humanoid also reacted and moved its gladius. The weapon seemed like it was made of the same material as its body, but it had a crystalline sheen on it.

I activated the enchantment of my saber at full power. I want to know how strong it is to devise a strategy to deal with it.

Clang!

A metallic clang rang out as our weapons clashed and I shook. As I felt the heavy shock across my body, especially the hand holding the saber.

The shock was powerful enough to need me a moment to recover, but I do not have the luxury of it and immediately moved with Quick Steps, to dodge the attack from the second plant-bone humanoid.

I did it, but the third one moved to attack, but thankfully Grog stopped it.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but feel relieved. Two are already too much. If there is a third for me to deal with, then I won’t be live till the end of the minute.

These plant-bone humanoids are powerful. Their strength is equal to those of the Level 20 Warrior. Thankfully, they do not have the skills to accent that, but even the raw power is dangerous, especially when it is used skillfully.

A single exchange is not enough for me to know how skillful they are, but I know they are not as skillful as the people at their level of power.

The two plant-bone humanoids followed me as I moved away with Quick Steps, before I stopped and attacked.

I am focused on the first plant-bone humanoid sword; the one I clashed with and saw that my enchanted saber had only left a scratch on it; it did not make me feel good.

It means these swords are stronger than steel swords.

Clang!

I clashed against it, before using Quick Steps to dodge the attack from the second plant-bone humanoid.

Rip!

I could not dodge it perfectly, the attack hit my arm, leaving a bloody gash on it, before both of them came at me with another attack, with a speed that is faster than mine.

Clang Clang!

I defend against the attack and dodge another, before moving my sword again to defend against it and then again moving with Quick Step to dodge.

Barely avoiding the attack by the hairbreadth.

I cannot fight like this. They would tire me out in minutes and then it will be the end of me.

Clang Clang Rip!

They came at me, and I defend and dodge; using every skill I have. I need to or I won’t survive against them.

It is not all I am doing; I am analyzing their fighting style and their weak spots.

The neck is the most common. Nearly all things die when their neck is cut off, but cutting the neck would be a challenge, given how thick that part is; it will be as difficult as cutting their swords.

The same is with their hearts; the layers of plant bone covering them seemed even thicker than their neck.

I continue to look around their bodies, when suddenly. An idea formed in my mind; I shouldn’t think about killing them. It is very hard, and those fatal parts are very protected.

I should do what the Viscount had done when he cut off the arm. Incapacitate it; it will make the killing much easier.

I had already chosen which part I want to target, and it is not an arm, but targeting it is hard, with these two little abominations pressing me repeatedly.

Clang Rip Clang

A few seconds passed, and each of my attacks was countered. I am not able to hit the place, I wanted to.

It is making me tired, as each of the attacks is filled with the power of skills. The more I use them, the more stamina they will take. I can’t stop using them; it is because of them I am still hanging.

If I don’t want to die, then I quickly need to find a way to kill these small abominations.

I am thinking about them, but not a single one is coming to my mind.

I once again dodge the attack through the Quick Steps and moved my saber to defend. This movement skill had become the most important in this battle. If I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t be alive right now.

I had just thought that when a brilliant idea come to my mind.

It is extremely risky, but it could work, most important; it won’t be as tiring as what I am doing.

I made up my mind immediately; it will be risky, and I might, but it will give me a real chance to defeat these small abominations.

I didn’t waste any time in acting and stopped my saber, which is moving to defend, and instead used Quick Steps to dodge, before moving left with dodge to dodge the attack from the right.

Now, I am going to dodge only; attack when I get the chance to hit the spot I want.

It is extremely risky, but it is the best strategy. It will help me last longer, as I do not use the two combat skills and observe my enemies more. It will also increase the chances of me getting hit, but it is a risk, I am willing to take.

Rip Rip

I dodged the four attacks consecutively before the two hit me. Giving me a slash on my thigh and back.

I wanted to use my sword against the last one, but I forced myself to dodge.

They followed me to every step, attacking me tirelessly, and the only thing I did was dodge.

A minute passed, and in this single minute, nineteen injuries appeared on my body. It was a struggle not to use my sword, but I did it and now, I have become much better at dodging the attack.

I have understood their combat style and know their limitations.

Now, I will start attacking them, it will be hard, but there is no other choice. If I kept dodging only, I will bleed to death. These are not normal injuries, there is something in them that makes them hard to heal.

If I had time, I would have continued for a few more minutes. Understand it even better, but I did not.

Whether I wanted or not; I will start attacking.

I dodged the three attacks one after another before I suddenly bend down and attacked.

Clang!

It hit its thigh, right where I wanted. I was only able to glance at hit for a moment before I had to take a step back before moving right and then left to dodge the attacks coming toward me, one of which had hit me.

Clang!

I dodged seven more attacks before the first plant-bone humanoid again at the same exact spot, widening the injury, which is not healing.

The thigh is the right choice, as the hands are better protected and more agile. While thighs are much thicker, they are not as much protected and attack against them, couldn’t be easily dodged.

Clang Clang Clang

I continued to dodge and attack in between and while I got injured, but those injuries were small and manageable.

A little more than a minute had passed when something happened.

Clang!

My attack hit the same spot again and the thick bone-vine, which is thick as my hand, is completely cut. There are four more of such vines that made the thigh, but it is a victory.

Hun!

A few seconds later, I noticed a thing. The cut had affected it more than I had thought it would. Its speed had reduced by a little and now, its movement isn’t as smooth as before.

It put a smile on my bloodied face, and I moved at it with greater vigor.

Clang Clang Clang

It took me forty-second to cut the second bone vine off its thighs, making it even slower.

It made attacking it, even easier, and I continued that with a single-minded focus, not caring about the injuries I am receiving.

I cut the third bone vine thirty-five seconds later and needed about the same time to cut the fourth one.

Now, there is only one bone vine connected to the rest of its leg. This made it quite slow and its movements more predictable.

With reduced speed and predictable attacks from one plant-bone abomination, I begin to get much less injured than before.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Now, I am completely focused on the last vine. I would attack it over and over while dodging its second plant-bone humanoid attacks.

It was also great that my attacks rarely missed their target, always hitting in place, which I wanted with perfect accuracy. I have been trained for it; it is one of the first things my mother and later, my instructors taught me.

Slice!

Finally, with the last attack, the final bone-vine was cut apart, and the leg fell to the ground.

To my surprise, the plant-bone humanoid did not fall. Instead, it attacked me while standing on a single leg, which I had easily avoided, but avoiding the powerful attack from the second plant-bone humanoid.

While it is not falling down is a little disappointing, it did not matter.

I used the Quick Steps to move back and like I had expected. The second plant-bone humanoid followed the first. It was too slow with hopping on a single leg and looked kind of funny.

Clang!

I dodged the attack, before attacking, the same spot I had attacked the first plant-bone humanoid.

It hit, and I dodged the attacking at me, before attacking that spot again.

Dealing with two of these plant-bone humanoids is hard, but a single one is only difficult. After fighting them for a few minutes, I got used to them and could deal with it, as long as it is alone.

Clang Clang Clang

I dodge and attack before moving away when the hopping plant-bone humanoid got close. I moved around the small area, while keep attacking and was finally able to cut the first bone vine on the second plant-bone humanoid thigh.

I immediately targeted the second bone vine and then the third, fourth, before finally the fifth.

I did it without getting any injury, which made me most happy. As these injuries may be tiny, but the damage they are doing is not.

Slash!

With the final slash, the entire leg was cut apart. Now the second plant humanoid is also hopping on a single leg.

Seeing that, a smile appeared on my face, but I did not waste any time. Instead, I begin attacking the other thigh.

Attacking the sword in hand is still dangerous, it is better. I cut both of their legs before I move to their hands or any other part.

This time, I did not begin immediately. I created some distance and took out the potions; I drank the stamina potion and the healing potion, and both of them burned in my stomach.

I had drunk them to their limit and with these potions, there will be side effects, but I will care about them later.

My injuries are heavy, that I already started to feel lightheaded. I could not continue in such a state.

I am thankful to the Viscount; it is because of him. The potions are even working against these injuries. These are not normal injuries, but magical ones, and potions shouldn’t affect them, but they are.

It is for the same reason Zela and Jon are still fighting, despite their injuries flaring.

The potions gave me pain, but their effect started within a second, and I moved toward the plant-bone humanoids again.

Clang Clang Clang!

I cut them and the resistance was so low that I was able to cut the first bone vine in eleven seconds. I took a second less, cutting the second bone vine.

Thud!

Half a minute later, I cut the whole leg and the plant-bone humanoid fell on the ground hard.

Even in this state, it moved toward my attack, but it was far too slow.

I looked at before I moved toward the second hopping plant-bone humanoid and begin to cut its other leg.

Thud!

I succeeded in forty-eight seconds; now both of the plant-bone humanoids are on the ground and moving toward me very slowly.

“Silver, their weakness is their heart!” shouted Heiman from the other side. I nodded and moved to attack my heart immediately.

The heart-like neck is protected; it will take double the effort to strike it.

Clang, Clang!

I moved to strike it when it defended. I tried again, and it defended again. Seeing that, I decided to cut the hands first before moving for the heart.

It was a little difficult, seeing the hand could move in any direction and is fast, but I have freedom. I attacked constantly, without stopping. Finally, I succeeded in cutting one hand, before cutting the other one, as the bastard could use a sword with a single hand.

I did not immediately go for the heart instead; I went for the other plant-bone humanoid, and cut its hands, before finally going for the heart.

Hun!

It took more than twice the effect to breach the heart, but when I did; I got a surprise there.

There is a green and black gem in the center.

It is the size of a marble and is shining with power. I looked at it for a moment, before cutting all the connections to it and bringing out the gem. The moment I did, it finally went limp and ceased all the movements.

The gem is its core, the moment I removed it; it is dead.

The black-green gem looked important, and I had placed it inside my bag before moving to the other plant-bone humanoid.

“Need any help?” Grog asked as I was attacking the chest of plant-bone humanoids, “No, I am fine,” I replied.

He and Heiman had finished dealing with their plant-bone humanoids. I am surprised that Joseph is still fighting, that Heiman had gone to help him.

I only glance at him for a moment before I focused on my chest, a couple of seconds later, I was able to breach it.

As I did, I took out the gem and the plant-bone humanoid went dead.

“To be honest, I did not think. You would survive the battle against these things. They were strong as me in raw power,”

“But you had not only survived but also killed them,” he said, sounding so impressed that I felt my cheeks heating up.

“Thank you, I guess,” I said, a little awkwardly as I got up. Looked at the fight in front of me, where the same thing is happening.

They are also cutting the abomination piece by piece to kill it. Till now, they have successfully cut its head, a hand, and a leg, and now the Viscount is very closer to cutting its other hand.

Thud!

I had just thought that when the Viscount finished cutting its arm and immediately moved to the giant leg.

Third of which had already been cut by the others and as the Viscount joined, the progress has become faster.

THUD!

A minute and a half later, the huge body fell down, and the Viscount jumped on its chest but did not attack immediately.

“Four of you, open the gate.” He said to four helping him and turned to us.

“You five come close to the gates. The moment I remove its core, the plants, might attack again.”

“We need to be ready to leave immediately when that happens,” he added, and we immediately moved toward the gate, maintaining as much distance from the giant plant-bone abomination as possible.

On the way, I picked up a few things, I found interesting.

Soon, I reached the gate, where Brul and Captain Azalea, cutting the bones vines, while Zela and Jon, sat tiredly.

Their injuries have worsened. The blockishness had covered their hands, even their face, and blood was dripping out from their eyes and ears.

“I will call for healers as soon as we got out,” I said to them. Jon nodded, while Zela smiled gratefully.

Their injuries are really heavy, and I hope it is not too late to deal with them.

Two minutes later, they finished cutting the plants and pushed open the door.

For a moment later, there was nothing, and I opened my mouth to curse when a watery-silvery layer materialized, and we immediately took a sigh of relief.

The silvery screen means it is working.

Everybody looked at it excitedly and Joseph even took a step toward it, before stopping himself and turning toward the Viscount, like the rest of us.

“We have opened the gate, my lord,” informed Captain Aza. “Good, leap into the door; the moment I removed its core,” he said and brought his hand down his hand into the chest of plant-bone abomination.

It couldn’t shock me and others, it is extremely dangerous. All of us used our weapons to do that, but he is using his hands.

A moment later, he brought out the core, which is the size of a golf ball, and immediately the struggling abomination went limp.

At the same time, the plants, who were maintaining an invisible boundary, came rushing at the tide.

“To the gate,” shouted Viscount and we jumped at the gate; the last thing I saw before everything went dark is Viscount leaping toward us.