Compared to the goblin lord, the second floor's guardian was far easier to find. While the goblin lord had been hidden in a cave deep underground, the spirit of nature roamed freely in the forest it had claimed as its territory.
The forest itself had a slight glamour placed on it, leading climbers to unconsciously search it out. The supernatural draw wasn’t particularly strong and was easy to ignore once you became aware of it, but it always resulted in climbers finding their way to ascend further.
Taking a deep breath, Nathan finally gave in to the temptation and entered the forest. He had only taken a few steps when he stopped and turned around, realizing he couldn’t find the way out any more.
The atmosphere was lively, with small animals darting between the trees and plants of all colours blooming. The air was fresh, carrying the scents of nature and earth.
While Nathan was looking around, a colourful bird descended from the canopy and settled on his shoulder. It looked at him curiously, not even flinching when Nathan reached out to pet it.
"Guess that's what happens when there are no predators around, huh, little one?"
Clearly aware that Nathan was talking to it, the bird chirped in response, puffing out its chest, prompting Nathan to chuckle.
Despite the vibrant environment, Nathan stayed vigilant, knowing the danger that lay ahead. He held his spear securely as he advanced further into the forest.
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Nathan had wandered through the forest for about a day now, stumbling upon fruits and water whenever he wished for them. A plethora of animals crossed his path, not just small ones but even deer and boars. Every single one of them was placid, treating Nathan with curiosity instead of aggression.
He could feel the peaceful atmosphere affecting him, lulling him into a false sense of security, but he did his best to stay sharp.
Stepping around another tree, he finally stumbled upon a clearing and was startled by the creature resting there.
Spirit of Nature – Druid [12]
The animal was an enormous buck, its fur so white that it seemed to reflect the sunlight. Its antlers pulsed with magical light, and moss and vines hung from them. The spirit's flanks were armoured with scales, offering far more defence than the majestic fur on the rest of its body. The buck’s eyes were like a cat’s, out of place on a prey animal, while sharp teeth filled its mouth. Where it lay, flowers sprouted from the ground, their growth visible to the naked eye.
What a magnificent being. It would be an honour to offer my flesh and blood as payment for disturbing its rest.
Shaking his head with a scowl, Nathan cleared the alluring thoughts. It’s only got a minimal amount of fey blood running through its veins, but the glamour is pretty strong.
The guardian had clearly heard Nathan’s approach, lazily lifting its head to inspect him. Taking advantage of the time it gave him, Nathan took out the bloodrot poison he’d gotten from the village, pouring it over the head of his spear.
The spirit finally recognized that Nathan wasn’t one of the forest’s animals. Its eyes narrowed as it scrutinized him, locking onto the wood of his spear’s shaft. It snorted in anger before smoothly rising to its feet.
It stood more than two meters tall, muscles rippling under its skin as it prepared to charge. Nathan fully stepped into the clearing, and for a second the two stared each other down—one a magical chimera forged from the very power of nature, the other a mere human, relying on ingenuity to bend the world to his will.
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Then the creature charged, its hooves making the ground tremble with each impact. Nathan dodged to the side, letting the guardian pass by him. As the beast turned around with surprising dexterity, he tried to move backward, but stumbled as vines suddenly caught his feet.
Fighting a druid in a forest is just bad form.
He freed himself quickly, but the guardian was nearly upon him by then. Recognizing the danger, Nathan activated Fast Mind. Clarity flooded him, and time seemed to slow. With improved muscle control, he dropped to the ground, pulling his scalpel into his hand.
The guardian passed over him, one hoof landing a glancing blow on his leg while Nathan scored a long cut along its belly. He kept Fast Mind active even after it passed, though at a lower intensity. Still on the ground, he stabbed his spear into the beast’s hindquarters, the weapon dragging forward as the guardian’s charge carried on.
I can’t keep up with it at normal speed. I’m on a timer now.
Nathan held tightly onto the spear, using the charge’s momentum to regain his feet. His arms throbbed, and one leg couldn’t bear his full weight any more, but he knew that exchange put him ahead of the guardian. It’s poisoned and bleeding. I just have to hold on now.
The beast came to a halt a few meters away, turning to face him. Instead of charging once more, its antlers began to glow, and a low hum resonated through the clearing. The meadow’s plants began to move, dancing entirely unrelated to the wind, while the surrounding trees groaned, their enormous trunks twisting.
Nathan took a defensive stance as a bird’s cry echoed through the clearing, the energy in the air intensifying.
Suddenly, a shadow shot out from the trees—a squirrel, its eyes filled with madness and foam dripping from its mouth, streaked toward him. Nathan dodged, but the creature turned and screeched as it ran at him again. He stabbed it with his spear, but a bird swooped down, landing a painful scratch on his face.
I am in its territory after all.
Nathan caught the bird and crushed it in his fist as he retreated to the edge of the clearing. The guardian meanwhile stood still, druidic magic pulsing in waves from its body.
More and more animals entered the clearing, from mice to badgers, and Nathan backed away while fending off their attacks with kicks and stabs. The creatures threw themselves at him without hesitation, drawing blood in exchange for their lives.
Nathan pulled his spear from a rat’s corpse when something struck him from behind. He twisted, but a heavy blow to his shoulder still sent him crashing into the mass of animals.
Taking a quick look around, he saw the branch that had hit him return to its original position. Fucking druids.
With nowhere left to retreat, the animals swarmed him, climbing up his legs and diving at him from the sky. Nathan descended into a frenzy, crushing mice underfoot and ripping apart larger creatures with his bare hands.
Pain flooded his body as countless shallow wounds joined the earlier ones, blood pouring from a thousand cuts.
At some point, he dropped his spear and stopped using Fast Mind, relying on sheer brutality to stay alive. He bit, he clawed and he kicked, leaving dozens of corpses on the ground as their blood nourished the clearing's plants.
Lost in the madness, he was suddenly lifted off his feet and thrown hard against a tree. His body crumpled to the ground, sharp pain shooting through his chest as the guardian's latest charge caught him unaware.
Ah… Fuck.
Nathan’s body refused to respond as blood pooled beneath him, the earth greedily drinking it up.
Exhausted, he steeled himself as the guardian charged once more. He poured the last of his stamina into his newest skill, pushing everything else from his mind. With a final burst of power, Nathan launched himself off the ground, turning mid-air. His mangled legs screamed in agony as he used the tree to propel himself forward, flying toward the guardian.
The moment seemed to stretch on for eternity as the two combatants moved towards each other with enormous speed.
When the impact finally arrived, it knocked the air from his lungs, and for a moment Nathan couldn’t tell if it was him or the beast that had broken. As the world came into focus once more, he found himself on the guardian’s back, gripping a broken antler in his hand.
Time still moved slowly as the beast let out a mournful cry, reeling from the loss of its antler. This close, Nathan could see black veins snaking through the guardian’s whole body.
The bloodrot poison must have slowed it down. I’d probably be dead without it.
Feeling his consciousness slipping away, Nathan raised the broken antler far over his head and drove it down into the beast’s skull with all the strength he could muster. The antler pierced deep into its skull, and with a sickening crunch, the guardian finally collapsed.
As it fell, the antler exploded into pure magical energy, the pulse flooding the entire clearing with an almost physical might. Plants sprouted rapidly, gaining weeks of growth in seconds - only to wither and die seconds later.
Nathan too was caught in the wave, feeling his wounds knitting together, just before an overwhelming hunger started gnawing at him.
Weakly, he tried to stand, but the last of his strength gave out, and he finally crumpled to the ground unconscious.
Congratulations, Nathan Andrews.
You have vanquished the Guardian of the 2nd Floor.
Any climber may now ascend to the third floor for a month.
You have gained the perk Fount of Nature.