"Crocante the terrible?" Yvlena whispered to herself, the former Swamp Guardian did nothing but sit on its throne of swamp grass, it closed its eyes for a moment waiting for something.
Yvlena stared at the majestic toad bathed in the light of the flowers with her hand ready to draw the carrot sword at any moment.
She returned the Fairy Lit Torch to her inventory and faced her new foe with rapt attention. It wouldn't do to be caught unawares no matter how peaceful the boss seemed now.
Crocante the former Swamp Guardian was a giant frog that wore rusty silver armor over its hulking form. Its green spotted skin was pale, slimy, and dripping with what Yvlena assumed to be toxins.
Miasma oozed from every inch of the creature's armored body, tainting its once lush green skin and what she assumed to be vibrant eyes with horizontal, slit pupils. Slowly the frog's throat began swelling with air making Yvlena take hesitant steps back.
The giant amphibian's eyes snapped toward Yvlena and her summon, it croaked once then prepared itself to lunge.
"It's about to attack!"
[Crocante The Terrible cast Tongue Whip]
A long slimy tongue whipped out of the frog's mouth making a wide sweep over the area, Yvlena dodged but her fairy summon could not move in time to avoid the strike from the leather-like tongue.
"Sprite!" Yvlena called, running to catch the Sprite as she sailed through the air, leaving Rabbit Knight to watch their backs.
Crocante leaped into the air, diving for the water where its skin would blend with the murky water.
Yvlena caught her summon with both hands before she could hit the wall of the tree's hollow.
"Are you okay?" she asked trying to straighten the fairy's crooked wing impacted from the hit.
Sprite shook herself off and took to the sky, rubbing her tiny head to regain her bearings.
"I'm fine! Watch out!" Sprite yelled, pointing a tiny finger at the incoming figure behind her summoner.
Yvlena rolled out of the way in time for Crocante to emerge beneath the muck. Slit eyes watched Yvlena before powerful hind legs lifted the frog upward.
"Sprite heal yourself quick!"
[Sprite Cast Cure (05MP)]
[Crocante The Terrible cast Tongue Whip]
The leathery tongue struck again but this time Yvlena and Rabbit Knight were ready. Yvlena blocked the strike, pushing the tongue away as Rabbit Knight aimed for Crocante's eyes.
[Rabbit Knight Cast Rabbit Volley (05MP)]
The rabbit jumped, landing on the frog's head and jabbing the frog's eye rapidly until Crocante bucked him off. The rabbit fell with a splash, landing on its feet thanks to the effect of the Water Resistant Elixir.
Unlike previous foes, the frog did not roar or yelp it simply dove beneath the water waiting for its chance to attack.
"Sprite when he comes up again use your new skill," Yvlena said. She knew it had a chance to cause paralysis but would it work on the boss?
"Only one way to find out!"
As she predicted Crocante leaped out of the water ready to gobble them up with its large mouth.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
[Sprite Cast Stun (05MP)]
Electricity surged from Sprite's tiny fingertips, blasting the frog with a loud buzz, sadly it didn't seem to do much.
"I guess Crocante is a bit too big for a single blast," Yvlena said to her summon. They moved out of the way, dodging the large webbed hand Crocante swiped at them.
[Yvlena Cast Carrot Burst (50MP)]
[Sprite Cast Stun (05MP)]
The orange beam swept through the Tree's hollow, hitting Crocante square in its face and piercing one of its eyes, combined with Sprite's skill it forced the single eye shut.
They watched the skin crackle with electricity, Crocante tried to shake it off but to no avail.
The frog opened its mouth in a silent yelp of pain and dove beneath the waters giving Yvlena and her summons time to catch her breath.
[Crocate The Terrible inflicted with bleed]
"Nice, losing HP by the second," Yvlena whispered. Rabbit Knight hopped to her side, waiting once again for the frog to emerge.
The party waited for a moment, each posed to strike but...
"Huh?" Yvlena checked the water under her feet watching Crocante swim lazily through the swamp water.
"Hello?" She said striking the water to get the frog's attention. The frog didn't even glance her way. Its hind legs continued to push it to and fro beneath the dark, swampy waters.
"I need to get its attention?" she asked resting her hand on her waist, she couldn't believe the former guardian of the swamp was such a coward.
"Well I have the rancid pork from the creature I fought earlier," Yvlena said.
With a plan in mind, she nodded to her summons and enacted her plan.
With the blackened meat in hand, Yvlena sniffed before abruptly moving her hand away from her nose and gagging. Even the faint smell of rotting meat was strong through the power of VR.
She threw it across from her party, waiting for the frog to catch the scent. It didn't take long before the water's surface broke to reveal Crocante's armor.
"Now!"
[Yvlena Cast Carrot Burst (50MP)]
[Sprite Cast Stun (05MP)]
[Rabbit Knight Cast Slash (05MP)]
[Crocate The Terrible inflicted with poison]
"That's right, the meat was rancid!" Yvlena said, running towards the frog.
Crocante began sucking in, filling it's throat pouch with air in a new attack.
"Uh oh!"
[Crocante The Terrible cast bellow]
A monstrous sound left Crocante's mouth, with the roar came a rush of air pushing Yvlena and her party back with airwaves.
The winds howled, splitting the water under their feet. Yvlena held her hand up trying to keep her hair from whipping around. The winds were too much for Sprite, nearly pushing her away until Rabbit Knight caught her mid-air.
"Hold on, it's almost over!" Yvlena yelled over the winds and water.
The frog closed its mouth, staggering as the combined damage of Bleed and Poison got to it.
The party spared no mercy rushing towards the Miasma infected being and unleashing multiple attacks upon its prone body.
Crocante croaked loudly as it was hit with another stun from Sprite, fueled by the rage of being blown away multiple times throughout the fight.
[Yvlena Cast Carrot Burst (50MP)]
The beam soared across, crashing into Crocante's armor, it fell off with a snap revealing more spotted green skin.
[Crocante The Terrible cast Tongue Whip]
The whip-like tongue shot out again, aiming for Yvlena's, she held her sword up to block but watched as the tongue wrapped around her blade and pulled it out of her grip faster than she could react.
"What the hell?!"
The party watched Crocante swallow her weapon with a gulp and dive beneath the water again.
"Hey!" Yvlena growled, falling on her knees and pounding the waters as she watched the frog swim leisurely.
[Objective:
It seems Crocante The Terrible has swallowed your sword, its powerful stomach acid is slowly digesting your weapon as we speak!
You now have a limited time to defeat him before your sword is digested and lost forever!]
A timer flashed before Yvlena's eyes showing she had all but eight minutes to defeat the frog for her Carrot Sword would be lost.
"Oh no! Oh no!" she gasped as the panic set in. She already knew how to lure the damned creature out but fighting without her sword meant she needed to use her potions.
"And keep it from diving back under, I need to brew a freeze potion,"