Chapter Nine
Ambrose hadn’t been just standing idle, waiting to be eaten. He had been pumping mana into [Smite], and as the beast's jaws closed around him, he swung the axe with all the power of his shoulders and hips. The blade exploded with silver-white fire that detonated as the blade bit into the slimy roof of the questing beast’s mouth. Silver fire exploded as ichor spurted out of the wound, hot, putrid, metallic air rushing out of its throat as the beast screeched in pain.
That didn’t stop it from closing its mouth, but as the jaws closed around Ambrose, trapping him in darkness, he set his lips into a firm line, hardening his green eyes as he tightened his grip around the axe that was embedded into the roof of his mouth, his skin going white. The Questing Beasts' tongue licked around Ambrose like he was a piece of hard candy, saliva coating him like thick goo.
Ambrose paid no attention to this. He instead activated [Sanctuary] and watched as mana pulsed out of him in a clear blue wave, settling in around him. Now, how is this going to work? Ambrose thought, hanging on to the axe. Sanctuary was supposed to inflict debilitation on anyone who took a hostile action. That included Ambrose. Except he wasn’t taking that hostile action, he was just trying to prevent being swallowed as the beast’s mouth constricted around him, attempting to dislodge him even as its blood and saliva mixed.
Just as a green glow began to build within the beast's throat, it shuddered violently.
[A monster has entered Sanctuary! A monster has attempted hostile action against you! Questing Beast is suffering from debilitations!]
Whatever it was suffering from was working. The beast's mouth opened as it crashed into the ground, writhing as the skill inflicted it with something. Ambrose removed the axe with a squelch of ichor and wet skin. He climbed out of the mouth, avoiding the sharp fangs as best he could.
Ambrose hefted the axe and walked towards the beast's side. He hefted his axe and used [Smite] as he slammed the axe overhand into the belly of the beast; at the same time, he dismissed [Sanctuary]. Skin split, and ichor slushed out like water out of a cooler. Ambrose did not stop. He continued his manual labor, hacking the beast up like the roots of weeds.
It tried to get up, legs kicking, trying to find purchase.
But there was no purchase to find. Ambrose’s gaze was implacable, and he was unrelenting. He did not stop chopping or cutting chunks out of the beast.
[You have slain a Questing Beast-Level 45 and have gained increased experience for slaying a monster above your level. You have advanced to level 28.]
Power surged through Ambrose on a wave of euphoria. As Ambrose looked down at the beast, its body burst into orange light, which swirled and threaded in on itself into a simple pummel and hilt. The hilt was silver and threaded black. The pummel was a silver ring with the design of a book inlaid within. Ambrose put it through his belt and went to where Thomas lay.
The old man was breathing. Thomas fluttered his eyes open, and his jaw twitched, and his chest heaved. His voice was a rasp,
“Wanted…not to…be…useless.”
Ambrose nodded.
“Yeah,” he said simply.
Thomas coughed and winced as his body writhed.
“Foolish…tried to be…young. Thought... I was…some warrior.”
Ambrose turned his lips into a smile.
“Yeah.”
Thomas tried to move but flopped instead, a pained sigh escaping his lips. Ambrose reached down and picked up the old man like a child after he slipped his axe through his belt. Thomas tried to protest, but Ambrose paid him no attention as they moved down the tunnel, returning to the others.
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He has grit, I must admit. Ambrose thought.
“I can…walk.” Thomas huffed.
Ambrose’s snort was his only reply as they exited the tunnel.
“How long do you think they’ll be?” Andrea was asking.
“As long as it takes,” Darren replied.
“I bet they’re fighting cool monsters!” Jenny said, holding up a clawed hand.
“RAWR!” She growled, drawing together her lips and eyes in a snarl.
When the others saw them coming, their eyes widened, and they rushed over.
“What happened to Mr. Thomas?” Jenny asked.
Ambrose set the old man down like one might set down a box filled with fine china.
“He’s fine, honey. Just a little bruised, is all.”
Thomas grunted, his eyes twitching as he gripped at his side.
“Fine, lassie. I’m fine.”
Darren shook his head,
“What happened?”
Thomas flicked his eyes up to the stone ceiling.
“Was…stupid.”
The old man closed his eyes, and a second later, he was snoring like a bear. Darren flicked his eyes towards Ambrose.
“There was a monster. Old man tried to take it on. He was knocked into the stone wall, probably broke a few ribs. We found this after I beat the monster.”
Ambrose produced the pommel and hilt that had formed after defeating the questing beast. Darren grunted,
“Starting to see how this puzzle works.”
Ambrose raised his eyebrow at him. Darren went on,
“It doesn’t really matter what the answer to the riddle is. You have to go get the answer down those tunnels. There’s two more to go.”
Ambrose rubbed at the bridge of his nose.
“I think you’re right. I’ll get going then. Quicker we get this done, the better.”
Darren put a hand on his shoulder as Ambrose turned.
“I can go with you, if you like.”
Ambrose shook his head,
“I shouldn’t have ever let the old man come. As I said before, you all are just level one. You’ll just die or get in the way.” Ambrose flicked his gaze over to Jenny, who was leaning over Thomas.
“Besides, you have a little girl to look after. I can do this alone.”
Darren glanced at his daughter, his eyes softening.
“Yeah. You’re right. Don’t die. You got us into this mess, and I expect you to get us out.”
Ambrose said nothing. He merely strode to the entrance of the next tunnel, beginning his trek to the next challenge.
__________
As Ambrose walked down the tunnel, it started turning into thick vegetation. Green vines extended outward from the wall, thick leaves swaying in the dank air. The deeper Ambrose went, the more the vegetation grew, and different colored plants, vines, and flowers sprouted from all around. Ambrose took the axe from his belt and physically hacked through plants, using [Mana Infusion] to make the process easier.
Ambrose hacked his way into the cavern. When he finally got through, the room pulsed with that same orange-gold light, and the vines and foliage behind him twisted and flowed, closing over, preventing him from being able to leave. The foliage covering the room began to weave together, forming this giant vegetation knight. It resembled a root knight but larger and colored with all the hues of a garden. It hefted a large great sword formed of the same vegetation, its texture like the bark of some tree.
Ambrose hefted his own axe and rolled his neck from side to side. Let’s see what I’m dealing with.
[Green Knight-Level 55]
Ambrose set his jaw and quickly assigned the attribute points he had. Three went into constitution, and three went into strength. Strength and power surged through him, and he gripped his axe tighter. The knight decided to make the first move, hefting the great sword upward and swinging it toward Ambrose in a deadly arc, air surging around it.
Ambrose focused his mind and rushed forward, dodging the blade's arc and using [Mana Infusion] to empower his axe as he swung it at the green knight's shins. The knight shifted his hands, altering the blade's arc into an overhand swing. It was too late; Ambrose was too close to the knight for it to do any good. The ground shook as the giant blade bore into it.
Ambrose’s axe cut into the knight’s shin, spilling a greenish sap that many plants secreted when crushed. The green knight stomped downward with a huge foot in an attempt to crush Ambrose like an ant. Ambrose rolled out of the way, but the green knight must have known he would do this because it whirled around faster than anything its size had a right to do and kicked Ambrose in the back with crushing force.
Like Thomas, Ambrose was thrown toward the vegetation-covered wall like a wayward basketball. Ambrose tucked himself in as best he could, covering his head and taking the impact on his shoulder. That made the resulting collision less painful but still immense. Ambrose groaned as he fell to the ground, his shoulders feeling like someone had hit him with sledge hammers.
Move, boy! Or do you want to die here? The ghost of his father's voice haunted him as Ambrose looked up to see the giant's large green and red foot descending toward him like a collapsing tree.