When they neared the heart of the forest, the organic feeling of the area became that much more intense. As Li and Launcelot waded their way through waist deep mud while the heroines flew above, Li could smell a peculiar stench lying rank around them, only intensifying as they took steps closer to the heart.

It was a raw, gruesome smell. The smell of butchered innards freshly laid bare. It smelled like raw meat with a strong hint of bloody iron that permeated through the nostrils in thoroughly nauseating fashion.

"Thank the gods we've no Darkbeasts to face under this stench," said Faye as she crinkled her nose. "I am precisely this close to retching."

"You mean, the Darkbeasts he's facing?" noted Ava as she pointed to Li.

"Goodness, you know what I mean," replied Faye, and the two sisters exchanged light smiles.

"We've never made it this far," said Celeste in almost a whisper. "I'm nervous."

"The center of this swamp is but a few minutes away," said Launcelot. "And already, the pressure is unimaginable. I feel I am wading in the jaws of some monstrous, unfathomable beast, and at any moment, it may think to grind me under its teeth."

"That isn't helping with Celeste's nervousness," said Ava to Launcelot.

"I agree the feeling of this place is rather unpleasant, but nothing that dramatic," said Li. "But we shall see when we get to the heart. I somewhat look forwards to what these Darkbeasts can muster up as a final defense."

"He said he looks forward to moving ahead?" said Faye. She paused, blinking. "Ah right, I did tell myself to not be surprised."

"You know, seeing that confidence, I myself feel far less fearful," said Ava.

"It is truly a relief to be standing behind the back of one strong," said Launcelot. "I had been a living shield for so many for so long that I had come to nearly forget that feeling."

"And it's good that you're humble enough to appreciate that feeling," said Li. "But come, the end is near for this journey, and with it, there will be answers to your crusade to aid heroes."

=======================

The heart of the Chattering Forests appeared abruptly in front of the group. The trees with overgrown roots suddenly stopped, leading to a wide clearing that looked like a lake, except the liquid was not the reflective, sun-kissed blues of waters in Riviera, but thick, cloying black liquid that had the consistency and color of tar.

At the edge of the swamp where there was still some solid ground underfoot, Li and the adventurers watched the lake, their eyes gliding over its bubbling surface. A black smoke plumed outward from the popping bubbles, flying in the air and gathering into a dome of darkness overhead that prevented any light from penetrating through despite it being no more than midafternoon.

The stench of blood and innards was horrendously intense here, so strong it could make the average man dizzy, strong enough that Li actually registered that it was weakly toxic. He looked back to Launcelot and the heroes and found them fine.

Launcelot had naturally high resistances as a warrior sub classing as a shielder, and the heroes seemed to be innately more resistant to Dark beast related effects than the normal humans of this world.

"No enemies," remarked Launcelot quietly. He instinctively raised his shield, for he knew his words were too good to be true.

There was a feeling that settled in this lake of primordial darkness that did not speak at all of gentleness. Instead, a deep, concentrated sense of foreboding as thick as the black liquid of the lake permeated the air, making the heroines also put their hands to their sides in preparation to use their powers.

"Dark beast movement into this area stopped a few minutes before we arrived," said Li. "If I heard correctly, they swam under the surface of this…lake, if it can even be called that. It is more like an oversized pool of filth."

"Then, are they waiting for us?" said Launcelot. His eyes cast downwards to the black liquid that was but a mere step ahead. "For us to submerge?"

"I'd truly rather not," said Faye, shuddering.

"No," said Li as he began to hear movement from underneath the tar-like water. He thrust a hand out to his side, motioning the humans to stand behind him. "They were simply waiting for us to arrive. Gathering their strength, or, hm-,"

The surface of the lake began to undulate, as if a great force had begun to swirl underneath, and then it began to bubble like mad, the rolling boil of black spheres far larger and more energetic than before.

A groaning sound rumbled through the lake, shuddering even through the unstable and marshy ground everyone stood on, the shockwave of that sound traveling up through their bones. It sounded like the groaning heard right before some colossal building fell – the great death rattle of things that are mighty and tall and meant to stand for ages.

"I see," said Li with a nod.

"See what?" said Faye with a hint of panic, her eyes darting from side to side as she slowly floated backwards. "We are not as gifted as you are, you know."

"The Dark beasts did not come here to concentrate their numbers in one area," said Li. "No, they came here to become one. A single entity. A wise decision, I would say, considering I have already shown the ability to wipe out armies of their lesser forms with ease."

The earth began to shake, and as it did so, the lake's boiling reached a peak, geysers of black bursting upwards.

Then, in a grand instant, the lake surface broke, and a colossal arm emerged.

It was comprised of the same organic darkness the Dark beasts were made of, but on closer inspection, Li realized that it was the amalgamation of every single Dark beast in the forest all bound together in the structure of a hand, all of their writhing forms glued together with the organic tar of the lake.

Countess eyes, mouths, tongues, pincers, wings, and limbs of all shapes and sizes jutted out from every inch of the arm, and as it continued to emerge from the lake, its immense size became that much more apparent.

"Gods," remarked Launcelot, his eyes widening as he raised his shield. "It is as large as the walls of Riviera."

"Not even Northwaste giants get this big," said Faye, equally disturbed.

The heroines became pale, and Li could sense nausea and discomfort in their bodies that welled up from being in the mere presence of this immense creation and its deeply unnatural, deeply threatening aura.

Li agreed with Launcelot's calculation. Riviera's walls were fifty meters tall, making this arm amalgamation perhaps the largest thing he had ever fought in this world to date. He scrutinized the thing.

The hand at the end of the arm had five digits and looked humanoid, and its fingers were splayed open with its palm facing Li like a face. With a squelch, the center of the palm parted, revealing a gargantuan mouth lined with pulsating black flesh and the spines of Dark beasts that acted like teeth.

A dozen large eyes began to open up around the mouth, and they gleamed a bright yellow as they aimed their wide black pupils at Li.

When Li looked at those eyes, he knew that, at least on this realm of existence, this was the strongest foe he had faced.

"Get back," said Li as he stepped back, and seeing Li give ground, the humans immediately followed suit.

He noted that from its simple emergence that enough force had been expelled such that the thick waters of the lake were crashing outwards in an omnidirectional tidal wave. "And stay near me, if you don't want to get washed away."

Li watched as the tidal wave became taller and taller, large enough to wash over the tops of the trees and completely flood everyone away. He felt the adventurers listen to his words and hang close to him.

"[Deeproot Bunker]" said Li.

The A-ranked spell took effect. A green light emanated from under Li's feet spreading outwards in a circle that covered everyone he needed to protect.

Roots emerged all around the perimeter of the green circle, forming an airtight, water-sealant dome all around everyone. Roots also traveled through the ground, reinforcing the mushy soil into solid, dense ground.

Flowers sprouted from under the bunker. Some were orange, glowing and providing light. Others were white, emitting oxygen and nutrients needed to survive. Others were blue and green, providing a mana and health restoring aura respectively.

The muffled sound of heavy liquid crashing down on the top of the bunker rumbled overhead as the tidal wave of darkness slammed into the bunker.

"Can we defeat this giant?" asked Launcelot to Li, his voice urgent.

Li thought about the question.

The answer was an obvious yes if it was just a fight between Li and this thing.

The creature, Li estimated at perhaps level eighty in terms of the pressure of power that emitted from it. A number that did not seem too threatening, but from its physical stature and power, Li determined it had boss-type stats.

Boss-type creatures always had stats far above what their level would allow them in exchange for their attacks being slow and telegraphed as well as their forms usually being larger and easier to target.

Although Li could not completely accurately classify this hand amalgamation of every Dark beast through Elden World terms because it did not have power that originated from the game, he could still make comparisons, and he believed this a fair assessment.

But even a level eighty boss was not much of a challenge to Li. Certainly, attacks from it would damage him, and if he just stood there and let it hit him, he would actually be in danger in contrast to the vast majority of entities he encountered whom he could let them wail on him for a thousand years and not feel a single instance of damage.

Of course, Li was not a simple and unmoving target dummy. He had the spells, stats, and experience to handle the attacks.

The issue was destroying it. Li could sense an enormous amount of vitality coursing through the innards of the abomination, and he knew that it would take multiple rounds of A+ ranked spells to beat down this creature.

In that time, its immense stature could easily cast attacks that could kill the fragile humans behind him through simple collateral damage, and Li could not guarantee an absolute defense for them.

The amalgamation was strong enough that even if Li casted high ranked buffs on them, it would not help too much.

Buffs were generally amplifiers. Multiplying weak stats meant little, not to mention that his buffs would not work as effectively on the heroines, and conversely, he had no idea if the Dark beast had some ability to ignore his buffs.

And fortification wise, not even this A-ranked spell, the [Deeproot Bunker], could hold off against more than three of four strong boss level attacks, and he did not want the humans to suffer the trauma of having to be healed from life-threatening wounds or, if worst came to worst, resurrection.

Which led to one option: absolute and utter destruction of the thing in a single instant.