"Waaaah!" Yvlena said falling to her knees on the watery floor, she held her hands to her head and then searched the water for any signs of the amphibian.
Crocante swam about, paying her no mind as she pounded her fists against the water whining for her sword back.
"Ugh," she groaned, shaking the water off her hands and standing up to stomp her foot once more in frustration.
Her eyes fell on the timer telling her she had already wasted a minute pouting. The urgency made her spring to action, coming up with a plan sure to work against the frog.
"Alright, I've got to brew the freeze potion," she said running over to the tree stump Crocante had previously rested on. Yvlena hoisted herself up, just enough to keep the effects of the Water Resistant Elixir from wearing off.
Stepping on something even as small as the wooden stump would count as solid ground and risk ruining her ability to continue the fight on water.
"Gotta brew the potion and lure him out with the rancid pork, I'm so lucky I have that!" Yvlena said, adding the ingredients to the boiling pot and waiting for the potion to cook.
Behind her, the summons monitored the giant frog leisurely swimming beneath the water.
Rabbit Knight stomped his foot hard, trying to get Crocante's attention, to no avail, the frog didn't even glance in their direction.
Sprite blasted a few stings at the water with the same results. The summons exchanged looks with each other, running to Yvlena's side to see if they could be of help.
They watched her stir the potion, wondering what she was cooking up.
[Yvlena Acquired
Freeze Potion x3]
"Got it," Yvlena said. "Only one way to find out, but I'm sure these bottles will be enough,"
She took the rancid pork from her inventory, holding it away from her nose as she flung it towards the water and waited for Crocante to emerge from the depths.
'Bingo,' she thought as the water's surface broke with the rise of the green skinned frog.
Crocante's tongue shot out, wrapping around the rancid carcass and pulling it back into its mouth in one swift movement.
[Crocate The Terrible inflicted with poison]
"Gotcha!"
Yvlena popped the freeze potion's cork as quickly as possible before hurling it toward the frog about to leap out of the water.
The icy blue liquid touched the wetness causing ice to explode all around Crocante's lower half. The former Swamp Guardian struggled to rip itself free and remained stuck.
"Attack it now," Yvlena said reaching for her sword only to remember.
"Crap! It's in Crocante's stomach!" she said with a groan. She tried to remember if there was any other weapon in her inventory, but she had gifted her beginner sword to Olivia's son, Dylan.
"Unless..."
Yvlena equipped the Moon Sickle and prepared for battle. She leaped at the frog and began slashing hard.
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[Yvlena Cast Harvest Skill: Wild Sweep]
The impact of the attack wasn't just effective on Weed Mimics but on Crocate the Terrible, the being's eyes darted around until it could break free of the ice that held it down.
Yvlena dodged the frog's flying feet. Nearly being knocked back by the force of his jump. She looked at the frozen water in surprise.
"I guess it would make sense that the freeze potion would last longer in water," Yvlena said looking at the ice fragments left by the amphibian's hasty escape.
Her eyes followed Crocante and he prepared to make another dive into the water, she opened another bottle and threw the contents to the area before he could.
Crocante dove head first, bashing its head against the newly formed ice floor for added damage against itself.
The frog's confused croak let her know she was on to something, it set his slit eyes on her before shooting out its tongue to seize her weapon again.
[Crocante The Terrible cast Tongue Whip]
Yvlena parried, giving Rabbit Knight time to scurry up and stab Crocante's tongue in a volley.
[Rabbit Knight Cast Rabbit Volley (05MP)]
She wielded her sickle, bringing it down on the frog's tongue as hard as she could. The sharp blade sliced right through and the sound of flesh ripping frightened her, soon, the leathery tongue wriggled and squirmed all over the Swamp's floor. She gasped in horror as the thing entered her inventory.
[Yvlena Acquired
Leathery Frog Tongue x1]
"Oh my God I didn't expect that to happen!" she exclaimed watching Crocante close its mouth, now its primary means of attack was gone.
"It won't be long now, the bleed and double poison status ailments should kick in to end this," Yvlena said, looking at the timer that told her she had only two minutes to finish this boss before her beloved Carrot Sword would be gone forever.
[Crocante The Terrible cast bellow]
The large creature opened its mouth and blew a fierce wind intending to sweep them out of the Tree's Hollow. But Yvlena would not allow herself to be sent out without her sword, she held her summons close to her and braced herself.
[Yvlena Cast Harvest Skill: Wild Sweep]
The force of her sweep cut through the rank odorous winds of the Crocante's breath.
With that final attack, Yvlena's party had secured their victory with only thirty seconds left on the clock.
The winds sliced through forcing Crocante's mouth to snap shut, the giant frog swayed landing hard beside the tree stump that was once its throne as the former Swamp Guardian.
Yvlena watched the frog's stomach rumble before the frog burped and spat a piece of metal toward her. She reached out and caught her beloved Carrot Sword.
The blade was bent, missing pieces along the edge. The Carrot Sword's shine had dulled, making it look like a flimsy piece of metal instead of the wonderful Sword that had carried her thus far.
If she wanted it fixed she would need to head to Soren's workshop.
[Yvlena Acquired
Carrot Sword (Corroded) x1]
A croak left the former Swamp Guardian's mouth and the rumbling began.
Yvlena nearly lost her footing as the Tree Hollow shook vigorously, the wooden walls rattled, pushing splinters out of the wood and into the swamp water.
"It's happening again," Yvlena said recalling her last battle with another Minor Miasmic Entity.
Corcante opened its mouth and expelled a beam of darkness that shot into the air, breaking through the top of the tree and into the Avaresh Swamp's sky.
"We have to leave!" Yvlena said, taking her summons by the hand and rushing towards the exit. She avoided the pieces of wood that rained down as the Tree Hollow began collapsing in on itself with Crocante's defeat.
[Crocante The Terrible's Domain is collapsing, escape before you are crushed!]
The game told her on her way out of the structure, she looked behind her to see the darkness swirl in the sky before vanishing.
"The Miasma's influence..." around her, the murky waters changed. Gone was the sickly dark green and murkiness. Now the deeper swamp possessed a shimmering quality to its greenish waters.
Fish swam underneath the surface and tiny swamp flora began to bloom, Yvlena faced the tree where the battle had taken place. Like a giant, the tree began its descent. The wood creaked and groaned as it fell back unable to keep standing.
It landed with enough force to lift her off the ground.
[You Defeated A Minor Miasmic Entity]