Edited by: KenChi死

I was following the butterfly lady on my journey to the unknown, unconquered lands!... okay, yes. We were lost.

“You said, that you knew where you are going.” “Yes, I know. But then I realized, that there is completely no fun in following already known paths! Let’s wander! Let’s get lost!” “You are such a bitch! You are wasting my time! I have like 19 hours more to colle…” “And I have 19 hours of life! Shut up, we are going to enjoy the time that is left! That’s the main purpose of this realm!” “What do you mean by 19 hours of life?”

She rolled her eyes as if it was obvious fact.

“Look. This dimension in not permanent and as you would leave it, it would cease to exist. A few creatures are guests here, like Heady, and after their job is done they will go back where they came from… but what about everyone that was born here? Like me? I was given 24 hours of life, and boy, I am gonna use em’ fully! After you die you would be reincarnated. But I have no soul. What would happen with me? nuthin!”

Somehow I felt bad for this girl.

“What’s your name?” “Do you really think someone would bother to name an existence that would vanish after 24hours? You are naaaiiiveee! But thanks to this, I know the answer to the greatest philosophical question that humanity asked since the dawn of time: what’s the meaning of life? Why are we alive? It’s actually pretty easy, u know? It’ just that… is that a blue mushroom? I LOVE BLUE MUSHROOMS! THIS WAY ALICE! C’ON THIS WAY!”

There is no point in demanding an answer. She either said it to mock me, or she already forgot what she was saying. Just keep moving.

“elp me… please help me…” I heard not for away.

What I saw was a woman, buried in the ground up to her belt level. Beautiful, wearing a white, her breasts were nicely curved. She looked to be weakened, as if she was buried there for quite some time.

“Stranger… please… help me, before he gets back.” “Oy, Alice! Why are you standing there like that? Be a good knight and help the damsel in distress!”

I considered all pros and cons along with possible scenarios. I only shook my head and said.

“Nah. Better keep moving.” “Wha… no, NO! Please! I beg you! I will give you everything I have just please…” “Alice! And I thought that you were such a good boy! Tsh-tsh. Shame on you!... but may ya tell me why…” “Read to many stories. If this would be some kind of sick romantic story, right after I would dig her out some strange monster would come out and I would have to duel him, after glorious victory I would ride away with her on a white horse in the direction of the sunset. But as I am more realistic, she is either a bait placed by a monster or a monsters herself. The fact that I can’t appraise her also says something. Now, can we keep moving?” “Eeeeh, and I thought I would see the funny part. Floria! He ain’t gonna fall for it!” “But you told me that he was an idiot!” the woman dropped her weak, begging tone. Now she sounded like a classic bitch. “But he is! Your acting skills simply suck! Really?! A woman buried in the middle of nowhere? You could think about something more sophisticated, but nooooo! Let’s play the most boring scenario!” “Shut up you dumb whore! I murdered more creatures than minutes you have left before you will die!” “… Touché… Yup, that hurt badly…” “Oy…” I said looking at butterfly “you leaded me into an ambush… again? For a moment I felt sorry for you… but now I think that I am going to reduced your lifespan even more…” “PLAN B FLORIA! GO FOR HIM! GO!”

The woman put her hands to the ground and pushed herself up, freeing from the embrace of the ground. But what came from the dirt were not legs. From her waist down her body was attached something that looked like a bloomed, pink-purple flower.

Floria [Corrupted Alraune] [Boss]Level26Hp[400+100/400]Sp[18/20]Mp[288/300]SkillsWhip Strike [Level 9]

Petal Dance [Level4]

Alluring Smell [Level 6]

Nature Manipulation [Level 18]

Water Magic [Level 4]

Regeneration [Active] [Level 2]

Spore Shot [Level 3]

Earth Resistance [Level 10]

Water Resistance [Level 15]

Fire Vulnerability [Passive]Usually friendly and protective guardians of backwoods.

This kind creature experienced horrific damage from the hands of humans, or was influenced by dark magic.

Those creatures have reduced ability of movement, yet their excellence with magic compensates it.

[I hope that you were not dumb enough to battle her on her own territory...]

“Now, my sweet morsel… where were we? Ah, yes, this is the part, where you are coming closer to give me a hug….” She smiled kindly while spreading her arms invitingly.

A-a. Ain’t going to happen.

“Alice? Should you… I don’t know… fight her?” “Boss rank beast 10 levels stronger? Nope. I think ingabout running away, yet somehow I doubt that she would let me simply turn around and walk a…”

As if wanting to prove me right, the ground below be bulged spreading thorns-like-vines that surrounded the place creating some kind of round arena.

Over her head 4 red health bars appeared, alongside one gray atop of them. So 4 x 100hp and 1 armor bar? Just don’t tell me that after I would break each bar, her battle pattern would change… pretty please?

Two whip-vines were raised from behind her backs. I won’t like it… will I?

“We could do this in the easy, no-pain-way. Why are you so stubborn lil-morsel? I don’t want to hurt you… why do you force me to be so cruel?”

The whip hit the place where I was standing a second ago. The strike made the ground crumble a little.

I start dodging whips while creating some explosive bolt in my hands. Spreading mana from my heart, through my veins to my palm, just to change its nature, forcing molecules to shake and vibrate in order to generate heat, controlling those heat and vibration to make them NOT explode in my hands, while dancing like a drunk between whips was NOT exactly easy task.

Whips flew at me from both sides in a slicing manner; I ducked, feeling as one of whip that was about to cut my hair millimeter shorter. I straightened my body and pushed the vibrating ball of fire right at her face.

With a bored expression she raised her hand creating dense cube-like pool of water floating between us.

The orb of fire flew through the block of water, losing its power all its way in, so from the other side the only thing that flew out was warm breeze.

Tsh, if not quality, then quantity? Let’s play with our magic a little.

I start gathering fire, from the bottom of my body, it looked as if the fire came from the ground to surround my arm and finish between my palms. Yet together with fire, using nature manipulation I also raised a few rocks from the ground.

Once again I threw the pulsating orb of fire, but this time for a second before it would hit the pool of water, I scattered it. Normally, it would make the fire disappear (to powerful blow of wind would simply put my fire down), but this time, I used those small rocks within the flames as a catalyst.

She tried using her own nature magic to take down my rocks with her own, yet the element of surprise was on my side.

She was forced to strike down some rocks with her whips.

This was the time I noticed it. The gray bar fell down. In the moment when she used her whips to strike the rocks down.

Haha. Haaa… don’t tell me… the gray bar is for her whips? I was told to take em first? Of course…. In many games where you fight whit tentacle like monsters you are forced to cut his arms of before you could attack main body.

I WANT TO CRY IN ANGER! I AM AN IDIOT! 20 YEARS OF PLAYING GAMES TAUGHT ME NOTHING!

“Scimitar, D’iabel.” “As I was told…” I heard the low growl of my weapon.

A whip attacked from the side. I twisted my body and perform a swing from below. The momentum of my blade combined with force she used to strike down. The vine fell behind me twisting a few time. At the same time I heard a somewhat painful-irritated hiss. Half of gray bar vanished.

Cutting the other one was only matter of time.

As the other whip fell beside me, I charged forward.

“Hammer, D’iabel!” “I was made… to obey.”

I jumped in the air bringing the hammer down. Yet I was kicked back like an annoying fly. What I didn’t notice, was that a bit lower, behind her flower like body, she was surrounded by another plant. It looked just like the thorn-fence that build arena.

She indeed somewhat changed her fighting pattern. Now she was dropping spells right and left.

It somehow made me recall my duel with the three water magicians. The only difference was, that I would prefer fighting with those three… Oh, and the occasionally boulder as big as myself flew from the sky.

Once again I couldn’t get to her. Keep looking around, what did I miss again!?

Of course.

Who ever made this “game” had to be a sick sociopath. He combined tentacle-type strategy “cut off tentacles first” with plant type “cut off roots”

Why am I still wondering? There were indeed four, almost completely invisible small roots, traveling below the ground. I someone didn’t know what he was looking for, it was impossible for him to find them.

Anything more I need to take into consideration?

“Through the power of shadows,

I made my call,

For pact we…”

You took [20] damage

“ FUCK! BE A NICE GIRL AND LET ME FUCKING FINISH!” “Eh? But this is a game between you and me! No cheating with calling help!”

CODEX! How long will it take for her to take down my fire tentacles from fire seeds?

~ ”Not very long. But it should buy you enough time to cut one of those. Then simply repeat…”

I don’t want to run out of mana in the middle of boss fight…

~ “You can either risk, used all your mana but maybe you could bring her down, or fight as long as possible, just tell me, who would get tired sooner, you or her?”

Fuck.

~ “Exactly”

What more could I do?

The fire erupted, shaking rapidly

“AXE, D’IABEL” “As I was told…”

I swung from over my head. The earth gave away pretty quickly revealing thin roots, that spattered green liquid on the sides.

Now I heard really painful squeal. Four strikes. I needed to hit it four time for one of roots gave away completely.

One of the bars was reduced by 50%. Three more to go.

“YOU LITTLE ANNOYING BRAT!”

I ducked under another fist-sized rock bolt, as I was heading to another root. If I only had teammates that would hold her occupied… nah, it would still be one annoying battle.

Wait. I am an idiot. Yet another time. Why the fuck am I cutting those roots with an axe? Change of plans.

With horror I found yet another fact. What Regeneration skill stand for. Her grey bar was quickly filling itself up. As it reached 50% a whip one more time emerged from the ground behind her backs.

I am fucked.

As I ran passing another root I dropped fire seed right on it, continuing my charge.

As Alraune noticed the change in my behavior, she dropped her defense. The pool of water that floated in the air got scattered and froze in mid air. Hundreds and hundreds of small needles were send my way. I Hit the ground erecting a layer of earth to cover me. I heard the sound of dozens small things hitting the earth a split of seconds.

You took [2] damage

You took [7] damage

You took [4] damage

You took [3] damage

You took [7] damage

You took [3] damage

You took [1] damage

You took [4] damage

You took [5] damage

You took [2] damage

You took [10] damage

You took [2] damage

The ground couldn’t endure the hailstorm of attack, letting some fly past it piercing my legs and stomach.

You are now [Bleeding]You will lost [1]Hp per each 10 secondsRemaining time: until you stop [Bleeding]Your movement may empower [Bleeding] effect

There is no way I could win it. The difference is too big. I barely scratched her, and I am pretty much done.

I am not the hero of some kind sick chunni story. I will not overcome my opponent thanks to power of discipline nor friendship.

I can’t run either… the ground is completely guar… the ground… not the air…

I am not skilled with this, last time I tried it I end in some tree… there is also risk, that I could jump into an even more dangerous monster…

FUCK THIS SHIT

If I stay here I am going to die.

I start throwing fireball after fire ball. Rapidly. With almost no power.

Plant-girl once again raised water shields and began taking em’ down.

I didn’t mind. Actually I even hoped she would do so, if not, I would be done.

The fire I casted, had no damaging purposes. It was only pure heat. As every single bolt touched the water pool, it changed into a small clouds of mist.

Home-made smokescreen.

As her vision was reduced, I began shifting.

Custom shape shifting in processArms morphing into Wings in processReducing Bones weight in processReducing Fat amount in processIncreasing muscles mass in processShifting Lungs structure in process

I hope I didn’t fuck anything up on my way. I used my knowledge gathered in biology classes about bird’s body structure. It was quite some time ago.

I spread my wings and hit the air a few times. I couldn’t fly right away. But of course…

I start running, flapping wings all the time…

Your condition is getting worse[Bleeding] will deal [3] damage each 10 seconds

I felt as warm liquid start dripping out of my body in greater quantities.

I slowly start hovering over the ground for few seconds

Your condition is getting worse[Bleeding] will deal [5] damage each 10 seconds

Fuck.

“What are you doing morsel…” I heard an angry hiss

I also heard vines that was moving right behind me, probably trying to catch me.

I flew. My muscles were torn with pain. My lungs were burning, shifting process ended either with failure, or I am lacking enough DNA to complete a full shift. Because of that, my lung couldn’t provide enough air to my body. I will lose consciences in a minute max.

I am almost there… 5 meters and I will move past the fence of thorns…

Your condition is getting worse[Bleeding] will deal [7] damage each 10 seconds

Just a little bit more and I will be free… I will be able to treat my wounds… 2 meters… 1 meter..

Something was tied around my ancle.

“Got you…” I heard sweet moan

I was pulled back.

No, no, no, no, no!

I can’t end here! Not like that! I have barely started my journey!

As I was dragged back, pretty roughly, my consciousness slowly start fading away. Maybe because of blood loss? Maybe because of too small lungs? Well, the fact that I got hit in the head didn’t help my condition much. That’s for sure.