Matthew gritted his teeth as he felt blood building in his throat.
The thin green strands of magic flowing around Susana became translucent and blurred as Matthew's sense stat fell.
He glared at Susana as a wooden staff grew from the floor, which she snapped from its stem.
Matthew pulsed blew for a moment as he shot forward in a blur; activating Sanri's skill.
[MP: 101/101 > 81/101]
The witch hardly had time to react as Matthew thrust his spear forward.
Susana quickly held a fist in front of her chest as a wall of wooden branches erupted across the floor between them.
Matthew shattered the branches with ease, but it gave the witch just enough time to leap backwards.
"I'm surprised you aren't dead on the spot." The witch said as she raised her staff above her head.
Matthew looked up just in time to leap backwards as several sharp roots grew from the ceiling and planted themselves- quite literally- into the floor where Matthew had been standing.
He shattered another branch with his spear as it came towards him before the large moss-covered trunk of a tree swung down like a pendulum at him.
The moss exploded into spores as the trunk collided with his torso, sending him flying throw the wall of the hut and tumbling into the grass.
[HP: 50/250 > 30/250]
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
[You have been poisoned by 'Marrow-moss Spores']
[Strength has been reduced by 5 for 1 hour]
***
[You have entered the 'Witch Wood']
[Stats will gradually fall the longer you stay in the 'Witch Wood']
[All stats temporarily reduced by 1]
[Maximum HP reduced to 245]
[Maximum MP reduced to 99]
***
[Faith has been excluded from this hex]
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Susana stepped to the hole in the wall as Matthew got to his feet.
"Heal." he mumbled. Golden wisps of wind flowed from his mouth and flowed to his torso. Skin and bone melded back together as the golden wisps acted as stitching to tie them together.
[MP: 81/99 > 45/99]
[HP: 30/245 > 245/245]
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
[Effects of 'Haze Sap' has been cured]
[Sense 38 > 43]
[Effects of 'Marrow-Moss' has been cured]
[Strength 36 > 42]
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
"A healing skill? That's annoying." Susana complained. Her staff began to radiate thin wisps of green magic. "But hexes and poisons aren't all I have."
The wisps of magic spread outward like a spider's web and coiled around the trunks of trees.
The wood cracked as ridged forms began to emerge from the bark.
Humanoid creatures made completely of wood stepped from the trees. They wore bark like armor with elongated sharpened claws sticking from their hands. Underneath the armor was the inner wood of trees making up most of their physical form. Small specs of green mana floated in their otherwise empty eye sockets.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
[Deadwood Dryad has entered your Warrior's Presence]
[Deadwood Dryad is somewhat weaker then you]
[Deadwood Dryad's attributes have been reduced by 4]
***
[Deadwood Dryad has entered your Warrior's Presence]
[Deadwood Dryad is somewhat weaker then you]
[Deadwood Dryad's attributes have been reduced by 4]
***
[Deadwood Dryad has entered your Warrior's Presence]
[Deadwood Dryad is somewhat weaker then you]
[Deadwood Dryad's attributes have been reduced by 4]
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
The dryads rushed towards Matthew, each one letting out a screech that sounded like wood being splintered.
The hunter deflected one swipe from a dryad before side-stepping another.
Matthew spun his spear and chopped off the arm of one dryad while impaling another. He leaped away from the small group so they wouldn't surround him. He watches as the dismembered dryad picked up its arm and held it to the stub on its shoulder. Roots grew from its base before intertwining with the wooden arm and reattaching it back to its body.
Likewise, the dryad who now had a fist-sized hole through its side began to grow back its lost body part.
"Not so fun when the enemy does it, huh?" Susana shouted from the opening in the hut.
Matthew pursed his lips before thrusting his spear forward at Susana. The spearhead shot from the polearm strait towards the witch.
Susana eyes widened as she held up her staff. Suddenly, a surge of green mana surged through one of the dryads as they dove between the spearhead and Susana.
As the spearhead struck the dryad both exploded into a mix of metal shards and wood chips.
The final two dryads charged Matthew. He shot passed both of them as they tried to swipe at him, shooting towards the mage beyond them.
Susana's staff shown a bright green.
The last thing Matthew heard before the pain coursed through him were the splintered shrikes of the dryads.
Several small sharp spindles of wood pierced his back, bursting through the other side of himself. While each wound wasn't nearly as visceral as when he had been impaled before, there were several more.
[HP: 245/245 > 130/245]
The vines continued to grow around his limbs, restraining him in place.
Susana stepped toward, out of the relative safety of her hut.
A black rune floated from her hand and stuck to Matthew's chest.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
[You have been marked with a 'Witch Rune']
[MP costs for all skills has been doubled]
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Finally, another mark- this time scorching red- floated forward and stuck to Matthew's head.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
[You have been marked by 'Relapse Rune']
[When MP is used, you will take damage equal to the amount of MP used]
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
"And to keep you busy..." Susana muttered to herself. Strands of magic outstretched from her staff and coiled around trees near them.
Matthew heard the familiar cracking and splintering of wood as several more dryads emerged from the trunks of trees.
Suddenly, a golden screen flashed before Matthew. Likewise, a green screen appeared in front of Susana.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
[Quest: Monarch of Witchcraft]
[Rank: B-]
[Objective: You have encountered the vessel of the Monarch of Witchcraft who may one day threaten the world. End this threat before they can grow too powerful.]
[Rewards: Random B-rank item]
[Bonus Objective: Evacuate all allies]
[Bonus Reward: Varies based on number of allies extracted]
[Allies extracted: 0/6]
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
"Interesting," Susana looked around. "Where are the others."
Matthew eyes widened, he didn't have time to retaliate before Susana suddenly became enraptured in the glow of her staff and, a second later, disappeared.