“Arghhhh!”

I fell down for a solid 10 seconds before hitting the marshy floor below. My weight coupled with my great shield caused me to create a crater. My feet burned due to the massive amounts of force they absorbed. I looked up and saw my companions slowly glide down. Elandris and Lily were using their elemental powers no doubt and Methlid had a half-translucent disk under her, created with magic.

“This makes two.”

I glared at Lily who lightly stepped into the ground. He innocently shrugged.

“Hey, I didn’t fall on top of you this time.”

Elandris got between us.

“I am sorry about it. I tried to slow down your fall but I wasn’t fast enough.”

I waved my hand dismissively as I looked upon the gate.

“That was like a death trap. Was that supposed to happen?”

The gate opened way above the ground. While my companions could float and I was tough enough to walk it off after falling, most wouldn’t be this lucky.

“No. Mana here is warped. It is hard to believe this is inside of the Mother.”

Methild explained as she crouched down to inspect the ground. Moss colored green and purple covered as the eye could see. As I took a step forward, I noticed my feet sinking in slightly. Every place we have been in Mother Tree had wooden flooring as the floor itself was made out of her. But this place was different.

"We need to be careful," I said, my voice low and tense. "Who knows what dangers lurk in these depths."

The root of Mother Tree inside me writhed unpleasantly. It was probably sensing the Nidhogg since we had gotten closer to it. Gökbörü popped his head from my chest plate and barked towards the darkness in front of us. Strangely, my Night Vision didn’t penetrate longer than several meters. Was this darkness magical somehow?

“Get behind me.”

I moved towards where Gökbörü barked with my shield ready to block whatever was in the darkness. I am not sure what I expected but a giant ant wasn’t it. It was roughly the size of an adult dog but beyond that, it was normal-looking. Well, as normal as a giant ant could be.

“A worker ant? What it is doing here?”

Elandris asked as he got closer to it.

“Is it hostile?”

I was ready to strike it down but Elandris pushed my spear down.

“Not normally. They are what cows are to you to us. But it shouldn’t be here.”

The ant looked at Elandris who was getting closer to it. It sniffed the air, at least I think it did while its mandibles moved.

“Hey, there. Why are you this far away from your nest?”

Elandris talked to it like he was talking to a lost dog. It was weird for me, especially since I fought bug-like beings for my entire life. I glanced at Lily to see his reaction but he didn’t seem to be disturbed like me. Still, I got ready to launch my spear as Elandris extended his hand to the ant.

My vigilance was justified when the ant shivered and its head split into two. Elanris jumped back but he wasn’t fast enough to dodge the purple centipede exiting from the ant’s head and lunging towards him. But since I was already too ready to strike, my spear left my hand quicker than a blink and pierced the centipede’s head. The centipede let out a piercing screech as my spear struck true, its body convulsing before collapsing to the ground in a heap. Elandris stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

"What... what was that?" he stammered, his voice trembling.

I looked at his face and saw him looking at the ant, instead of the centipede that nearly bit his head off. I also turned my attention to the ant, or more accurately what remained of it. Its body was perfectly split into two. Purple mucus was slowly dripping to the ground, coating green moss into purple. That centipede was somehow piloting the corpse of the ant.

“So… Are we going back?”

I ignored Lily and his stupid jokes as I inspected the centipede. It was quite large and I couldn’t understand how it managed to fit inside that ant.

“You guys should check the nests after we return. There might be more of these things.”

I pulled my spear off the corpse.

“Let’s go. Except the unexpected and stay behind me. Elandris you take the rear. Lily, you are behind me. Methild, you are in the middle. Light up the area if you can. I will be in front.”

To emphasize my point, I hit the ground with my shield. With that, we continued deeper into the darkness, our senses alert for any sign of danger. The air grew thicker with each step we took, the darkness seeming to swallow us whole. Even the light created by orbs Methild summoned seemed to be swallowed by the darkness after several minutes. Gökbörü popped his head from time to time but he went back after sniffing the air. It seemed even his Enhanced Senses didn’t help.

Suddenly, a low, guttural growl reverberated through the darkness, sending shivers down our spines. My ears were filled with the sounds of many things crawling around us.

“It is coming!”

Elandris shouted and I saw a rain of purple liquid coming towards us. My experience and instincts screamed to me that it was acid. I slammed my shield to the ground and activated Ward of Protection, the other option of my shield I haven’t had the chance to use. A blue dome grew around us, repelling the acid.

(As long as you stay in the Ward of Protection your Acid Resistance increases by 20 percent.)

The sounds of scuttling became louder as ants entered our field of vision. Of course, they weren’t normal ants. Centipedes exited out of their body in disgusting fashion.

“How long can you keep up the shield, Poyraz?”

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Methild called out to me.

“I don’t know.”

I answered as I pulled the Shadowchaser’s Bow. The item description said it would be based on my mana stat but it didn’t give any further information.

“It is simple then. We just need to get rid of them before its duration ends.”

Lily swung his swords, creating wind blades. Invisible air passed through the dome without a problem and cut two centipedes into two. I manifested arrows and mowed down the ones trying to enter the dome. Elandris did the same while Methild sent magical projectiles that exploded when they contacted the bugs.

Despite the overwhelming number of bugs crawling around us we were an elite team. It wasn’t too late until we were surrounded by countless corpses. We were just in time as the dome dissolved and the last enemy died.

“I don’t recognize this species.”

Methild said as she poked the corpses with her feet.

“They were probably born out of Nidhogg’s presence. I also could do that once a day by the way. If they surround us again, we have to find another way to deal with their acid. Methild, can you create a barrier if that happens? ”

Methild nodded, her brow furrowed in concentration as she considered the possibility.

"I can try, but it won’t be as quick as yours.”

I nodded. We could block it ourselves for a short period if it came to it. I pushed the corpses out of our way with my shield and we moved forward again. As we pressed forward through the darkness, our senses remained on high alert, wary of any further threats that might emerge from the shadows. The air was heavy with tension, each step we took filled with the anticipation of what might lie ahead. Despite me trying to expand my senses best of my ability, I was caught off guard when Gökbörü popped his head and barked a warning to me. I stopped in my tracks without taking another step.

“Methild, can you illuminate the ground in front of me?”

She nodded and one of the orbs slowly floated towards the ground. I narrowed my eyes to see what Gökbörü warned me. It was thin and spread out but I could barely see it.

“A spider web?”

If there were spider webs, there were sure to be spiders lurking nearby, ready to pounce on unsuspecting victims. Navigating without alerting them in this darkness will be a bitch.

“Poyraz!”

Elandris’s voice rang in my ears as Lily grabbed me. I jumped back with him as something hit where I stood just a second ago.

“Kekekekeke.”

A voice I interpreted as laughing violated my ears. I looked at the thing that hit the ground and saw that it was a spider size of a cat. I could barely take notice of its hairless smooth body and skull mark it had as even though it hit the ground with enough force to create a small crater, it tried to leap to my face. I cut it into two before it could even come close to my face.

“Something with intelligence is aiming for us!”

I raised my shield towards the direction where the spider came from.

“My my, to think that a mutt brought by a human could see my webs. I see why this rotten tree chose to give you her root.”

I felt Elandris and Methild’s agitation as the voice insulted the Mother Tree.

“Surrender now and you may live after a fair trial. Fight and you will be killed.”

I called out as I traced the darkness for the source of the voice. But it was useless. I looked at Elandris if he could detect the voice but he also seemed to be as lost as me.

“Kekekekek. Arrogant human. You think you are something since this tree gave you her blessing? You are nothing. The only thing you are good for is becoming a meal for me!”

I barely sensed the spiders flying towards us. Before they could reach to me or my companions I interfered, smacking them down with my massive shield. Elandris countered them by firing arrows to where they came from but it didn’t work as spiders came from the opposite side. I managed to block them as well.

“Methild, don’t you have something?”

I shouted as another wave of spiders struck against my shield.

“Here! Detection!”

A green arrow made of mana formed in the air. I opened my mouth to tell Elandris to focus his shots towards where the arrow was pointing but he was faster than me. His arrow, infused with winds strong enough to break down steel flew with a sharp whistle.

“Arghhhh! You, you! You, mere slaves to this tree! Slaves to traditions created by those arrogant maggots! You dare to hurt my perfect form? I will make sure you will die in agony!”

The arrow created by Methild shivered. I guessed that indicated that the target was coming closer. I gigantified my shield by infusing mana into it and got ready to block the thing charging at us.

“Argh.”

I groaned as something struck against my shield like a truck. I planted my feet to not get thrown off balance and keep whatever that thing was behind my shield. The creature struggled to flip over my shield but I managed to push it back.

That was until spear-like spider legs reached around my shield and tried to impale me. I cursed not enlarging my shield more.

“Lily! Help!”

I shouted while both avoiding the legs and pushing back the creature. Lily leaped forward, his twin blades flashing with green mana. With a swift and precise movement, Lily sliced through the spider's legs, severing them one by one as they reached out towards me. The creature let out a screech of pain and I felt it move back. Elandris joined in the fray, his arrows raining down upon the creature with deadly accuracy. Each shot found its mark, weakening the creature's defenses and forcing it back further.

Meanwhile, Methild summoned a barrage of magical projectiles, each one exploding upon impact and sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The combined assault of our attacks was relentless, managing to push it back.

With the distance we gained, I stared down the creature.