Bran entered his living room carrying a tray filled with three cups and a small teapot that let out a gentle herbal smell. He placed the tray on the small table where his two guests sat by before seating himself opposite them. “So, may I hear your side regarding your little ‘quarrel’ with the Head Hunter, honored Wardens?”

His guests, the two Night Wardens that had come to his village a week ago claiming they were conducting an ‘urgent investigation,’ shared sheepish glances at each other before Kazimir spoke. “Ah, you don't need to be bothered by something small like that, Chief. It was just a practice duel we agreed on to help us, uh, improve our skills.”

“Is that so?” Bran said as he poured tea on the cups. The golden-brown liquid steamed and spread its fragrance in the small room. “I've never heard of a practice duel where the augmenters involved unleashed their auras, something that is only done when the fight turns serious. To make things more interesting, a mage was involved.”

The Night Wardens averted their eyes as Bran stared at them while sipping his tea.

“It was nothing serious, Chief,” Samantia said. “All of us made sure to hold back.”

Bran stared at them for a few long seconds with a neutral gaze. As the seconds ticked by, the two Night Wardens started to get uncomfortable. At last, Bran spoke again. “Aren't you going to drink your tea?”

“Oh, with pleasure,” Samantia said quickly before picking up her cup. Kazimir immediately followed.

“If I may be so bold, honored Wardens, I think it would save us a lot of time if all of us spoke honestly for the entirety of the conversation. I know there was a spat between you and my Head Hunter,” Bran said calmly.

Kazimir almost spat his tea at the Chief's bluntness. Before he could deny it, Bran continued speaking.

“I'd prefer if you didn't deny it, Sir Kazimir. Rumors fly fast around here, and all of them eventually end up in my ears.”

Kazimir glanced at his partner, who gave an imperceptible nod, before sighing in surrender. “Alright, we'll admit the truth. But before we do, please know that we did not intend to insult your hospitality, Chief Bran. We are thankful to you for allowing us to stay here.”

Bran nodded. “I know that, Sir Kazimir, and I'd prefer if you referred to me simply by my first name.”

“Then I request that you do the same with us, Bran,” Kazimir said. He sipped his tea to wet his lips first before speaking again. “As for the incident yesterday, there had been a bit of a disagreement between us and your Head Hunter.”

Bran raised an eyebrow.

“Alright, it was a bit worse than a disagreement,” Kazimir admitted. “But I swear it wasn't us who started it! We were just going back to our guesthouse when the Head Hunter threatened us.”

“Threatened you how?”

“She just walked up to us and threatened to do something to us if we misbehaved,” Kazimir said with an angry expression.

“Can you tell me what she said to you word for word?” Bran asked.

“I believe she said ‘if any of you step out of line, I'm going to feed you Night Freaks to the wolves,’” Samantia said with an angry frown before muttering under her breath. “We're not freaks, we help people…”

Bran sighed as he shook his head. Hearing the words was proof enough for him that Belka was the one that started it first. She was the only one who was brave or stupid enough to say it to the faces of two Night Wardens.

“I see. So it was not your fault but my Head Hunter's,” Bran said with a tired sigh. “I apologize on behalf of my Head Hunter. I offered both of you my hospitality and yet you had been insulted.”

Kazimir and Samantia looked shocked at the Chief's reaction. “You believe us?” Samantia asked.

“Of course. I know my Head Hunter very well and she's the only one stupid enough to butt heads with Night Wardens,” Bran grumbled as he sipped his tea. “I hope you forgive her for her brash attitude.”

“I would have wanted to hear the apology come from the woman's mouth itself, but we understand. You have only been kind to us,” Kazimir said. “But if you don't mind me asking, why is the Head Hunter angry at us? We've noticed her glares when we first came here, but we thought it was just like the ones everybody else was giving to us. When we fought though, I realized she hated us with a different kind of passion.”

Bran sipped on his tea before replying. “Have you seen other Night Wardens at work, Kazimir?”

“Before we were sent here to Gigas on our first mission, Samantia and I were trained by Night Wardens in one of their schools in the Dark Continent,” Kazimir replied. “One of the requirements before graduating was coming along with a seasoned Night Warden on one of their missions. We were assigned to an old veteran and had the honor of watching him wipe out a nest of vampires hiding in a forest all by himself.”

Kazimir smiled as he remembered the memory while Samantia grimaced. Trudging through a dark forest for hours on end while staying vigilant for threats was not a fun memory. The fatigue, the hunger, and the thirst had almost made Samantia go insane. The only reason Kazimir enjoyed it was that he was an augmenter who had enough stamina to traverse vast forests for hours on end before getting tired.

“Oh, I'm afraid I haven't made myself clear enough,” Bran said. “What I meant to ask is if you ever witnessed Night Wardens work in a place with people? A town or a village.”

Kazimir frowned. “No, we haven't, but what has that got to do with anything?”

“You do know that Night Wardens generally have a negative reputation, yes? Most people fear you.”

“That's just a stigma that people put on us,” Kazimir said with a bit of indignance. “The type of monsters we hunt usually prowl in the night, so we had to do our jobs in the night as well. Eventually, people mix us up with the same monsters that roam in the dark.”

“That's not the only reason,” Bran said. “What did they teach you during your training when the monster you're hunting is hidden among people?”

“‘Trust only your partner and yourself. The Creatures of the Night can wear any face, be it young or old, man or woman. Look for the Signs that show a glimpse of their true nature. And when in doubt, trust your instincts, for they never lie,’” Samantia said with closed eyes, reciting it from memory.

Bran felt a chill that went down his spine as he listened to Samantia's mantra, but he hid it well. “That is the reason why people fear you.”

Kazimir and Samantia shared confused looks. “Because of a mantra?”

“Because of how you Night Wardens follow that mantra of yours,” Bran said with a bit of tension in his voice. “I have witnessed a veteran Night Warden's work many years ago. I was young then, a civil official working in Halros. I was sent to a remote village to check on a Night Warden who went there and ask for his report of the sequence of events so we could keep it in our records. The village was supposed to have a population of a hundred people. When I arrived there, the Night Warden was the only one left alive waiting for me.”

“Did the Night Warden fail to reach the village in time? They were hunting a vampire, weren't they?” Kazimir asked with a grimace. “Vampires are known to eradicate all the people around them when they are exposed to make it harder for us to track them down through witnesses.”

Bran chuckled mirthlessly. “You're right that there was a vampire in the village, but it wasn't the monster that killed the people. It was the Night Warden.”

Samantia and Kazimir looked at Bran in horror. “I-It must have been for good reason,” Samantia said.

“When I asked for his report, the Night Warden said ‘the bloodsucker was good at hiding, so I rounded up all the villagers and pierced their hearts with a stake one by one until the vampire revealed himself,’” Bran said with blank eyes as he recalled the terrifying memory. “And then when he had killed the vampire, he told me that he killed the rest of the survivors because there were sure to be thralls charmed by other vampires hidden among them. The man massacred the rest for the chance that one of them was a vampire's thrall, and the kingdom allowed it because he was a Night Warden.”

Kazimir and Samantia were silent as they processed the Chief's words. They felt the same indignance and anger when the Head Hunter insulted their status as Night wardens, but they couldn't lash out at the old man as they did with the arrogant huntress.

“We don't kill innocent people for no reason,” Kazimir began with a serious face. “We do our jobs to protect the innocent, and I'm sure that the Night Warden you witnessed had a compelling reason to wipe out that village.”

“I know,” Bran said. “He told me himself when I asked him. He said he killed a hundred innocent people to protect thousands more.”

The room was silent after that. Kazimir and Samantia no longer had anything else to say to that. They wanted to deny what Bran said, but they recalled how the people treated them, the fear in their gazes. Maybe there was a reason for all of that.

“I tell you all of this not to spite you, but for both of you to understand what you represent,” Bran said. “You two are kind people, the first I've seen among the Night Wardens. Your youth is to blame, but being kind is not a bad thing at all. But I want you both to know that your organization isn't as heroic as you think. A lot of people have lost someone to the Night Wardens' methods, and Belka is one of them.”

“But we didn't do any of that,” Kazimir said weakly, but even he knew that was pointless as long as he was a part of the Night Wardens.

“I know, Kazimir, because both of you are different. Both of you are still young and new to the job. I just hope you retain that kindness well after you spend decades doing it,” Bran said before deciding to change the subject. The mood had become too gloomy for his liking. Even his tea didn't taste right anymore. “By the way, what's the mission you were given when you were sent here in Gigas? As far as I know, only veteran Night Wardens are sent abroad while the young ones continue their training in the Dark Continent.”

“I don't think we're allowed to disclose that,” Samantia said hesitantly, but Kazimir waved off her concern.

“It's all right, Samantia. I think Bran can be trusted with a secret.”

Young indeed, Bran thought in amusement as he nodded at Kazimir. “Of course. I will not betray trust freely given.”

“See?” Kazimir said, much to Samantia's reluctance. “We were actually supposed to stay in the Dark Continent to continue our training, but we received reports that an Eldritch escaped to Gigas, so the higher-ups sent us in force to search for it and hunt it down.”

Bran, who had kept his calm all throughout the conversation, sprayed his tea violently as his eyes widened like dinner plates while his hands started trembling. “An Eldritch?! Where?! Is it here in Edria?! Tell me!”

“Oh, so that's why they told us to keep it a secret,” Kazimir muttered as he watched panic consume the Chief.

●●●

Snow and dead leaves crunched under Taloress' feet as she followed Selise's lead through the forest. Her gaze would roam everywhere, looking at the quiet forest around her with awe as if she was sightseeing. As a result, Taloress didn't see Selise shooting annoyed glances at her from time to time.

“Loress, keep your footsteps quiet!” Selise whispered to her friend. “We don't know what lies in this part of the forest. Your noise could attract something.”

That would be fun, Taloress thought as she imagined fighting against a powerful monster. She didn't worry like Selise did, not because of her near-immortality, but because the Master was with her. As long as the Master was there, they could take on anything the forest could throw at them.

Taloress peeked behind her and saw the Master following a few dozen paces behind. He had told her that He would keep His distance so she could have her private time with her friend, but Taloress didn't really mind if the Master stayed near. In fact, she preferred it, but the Master insisted to stay behind. The Master is too kind…

Taloress' reverie was interrupted when Selise suddenly gave a hand signal before crouching low to the forest floor. Taloress followed and stayed low as she went to Selise's side, who was hiding behind a gnarly tree.

“I see something up ahead,” Selise said with a voice so faint Taloress could have mistaken it for the rustling of the leaves above. “Look over there.”

Taloress followed Selise's finger and shifted her gaze to the forest ahead of her. Try as she might, she couldn't spot anything weird amongst the backdrop of trees and bushes. Nothing moved except for the swaying of the leaves.

Taloress gave Selise a shrug, who pointed once again. “Look at that tree over there. Do you notice anything odd about it?”

Taloress looked once again and took a few more seconds before she realized what Selise was pointing at. The trees in this part of the forest were sparser than in the central area of the Wild Woods, which meant each tree was spaced far apart from each other.

But the tree Selise was pointing at was unusually far from its brethren. The lone tree stood in a small clearing where no other plant grew as if the soil in the clearing had something that prevented plant growth. And yet the lone tree stood tall and mighty, its leaves a vibrant green and its trunk a healthy brown that showed no signs of sickness.

“I think it's a treant,” Selise said excitedly. “Treants, despite their appearance, are known as forest killers. They sap their surrounding area of nutrients, killing off everything in their vicinity and strengthening their bodies, making their trunks an extremely valuable material. If we take it down, we can sell its body for a huge fortune, Taloress! We'll be rich!”

Taloress nodded at Selise's explanation, although she did not care about money. All she wanted was to fight the treant and hope it would provide a challenge.

What's wrong, Taloress? Why did you guys stop? the Master asked in her mind.

A monster up ahead, Master.

What monster? I can't sense anything in my fabric sense. Is it a reptile?

No, Master. Selise said it's a treant. A tree.

Ooooh, the Master said in realization. I wasn't paying attention to the trees. Are you guys going to kill it?

Yeah! Taloress replied happily.

Just be careful, alright?

Taloress felt giddy at the Master's concern for her, even though she found it unnecessary. As long as the Master had mana, she could regenerate her body indefinitely. Unless, of course, if she caught on fire, but monster trees didn't use fire. That'd be ridiculous.

“Here's the plan, Loress,” Selise said as she started rummaging in the pouches attached to her belt. “I'll slowly unleash fire arrows at the treant, but only to weaken it. We can't afford to burn its precious body to a useless husk, so we'll have to kill it with our own hands once it's weakened enough. By the way, do you want to bring Mr. Marion into this? An extra hand would be welcome, but then we'd have to split the profits three ways…”

Taloress sent a mental message to the Master. Master, please don't interfere with our fight.

You don't get to tell the Master what to— Mr. Marion began, but he was interrupted by the Master.

Alright, but if I deem it necessary, I will intervene, He replied.

Thank you, Master, Taloress replied mentally before shaking her head at Selise.

“Good. I'm sure we can handle this, anyway,” Selise said with a grin as she started pouring oil on her arrowheads. “While I weaken the treant, you keep an eye out for other stray monsters, Loress. By the way, where's your weapon?”

Taloress looked at her empty hands for a moment before she shrugged.

“You don't have a weapon with you right now?! Why would you enter the Wild Woods without a weapon?!” Selise hissed. “Fine. Here, take my knife, but return it to me in one piece, okay?”

Taloress nodded and received a hunting knife with a blade twenty centimeters long. The blade was chipped in places and the handle was wrapped with worn cloth, evidence that it was frequently used. This knife looks cool! I don't need it to kill monsters, but it makes the job faster.

While Taloress played with the knife, Selise lit a candle nearby and started dousing her arrowheads with flammable oil. When she was done, she lit an arrow on fire with the candle before nocking it, breathing deeply as she aimed at the treant dozens of meters ahead. In time with her exhale, Selise released the arrow, which flew true and struck the treant's thick canopy of leaves.

The silence of the Wild Woods was broken as a loud groan, like that of creaking wood, echoed from the treant. Its branches started moving in an attempt to put out the small fire that had ignited on its crown of leaves.

“Hit!” Selise cheered silently as she lit another arrow and nocked it on her bow. With a loud thwip, Selise released another flaming arrow that landed on the treant's trunk. “This should be easy,” Selise muttered with a grin.

Right as Selise thought that the battle would be completely one-sided, a shriek emerged from the treant. It wasn't a groaning noise like creaking wood, but a human-like shriek. Treants aren't supposed to make that sound, Selise thought in confusion.

She was surprised even further when the treant's thick trunk started squirming and shifting. The mass of gnarled bark made snapping noises as it separated from the treant and rearranged to assume the shape of a humanoid creature. What is that? Selise thought in shock.

The humanoid mass of bark stood half as tall as the treant, at least three meters tall. It reached a gnarly hand on its shoulder and plucked the second arrow that Selise shot earlier before snapping it between its wooden fingers. Then it turned its face towards Selise.

What is that? Selise thought again in fear as a face made of wood with holes for eyes and a crooked line for a mouth stared back at her. Before Selise could nock another arrow, the humanoid monster shrieked again before charging, its long spindly legs crossing several meters for each stride.

Where Selise felt fear, Taloress felt exhilaration as she charged to meet the monster head-on. When there were only a few meters of distance between them, Taloress jumped, Selise's knife in her hand as she prepared to stab the monster in the face.

The humanoid monster made a snorting noise as it swung its arm at Taloress. With her body in the air, Taloress couldn't dodge the monster's log-like limb, which swatted her out of the air like a fly. The force was powerful enough to send her flying dozens of meters away before her ragdoll body collided with a tree.

“LORESS!” Selise screamed in horror. She felt tears in her eyes as she scrambled to fire another arrow at the incoming monster. She's dead! Selise thought in despair. No ordinary human could withstand a hit from a three-meter-tall monster like that.

Selise fired her arrow, which harmlessly embedded itself in the large monster like a small splinter. Selise turned to escape, but she knew it was impossible to outrun the monster.

Before the monster could reach her, Selise heard a loud boom behind her as a powerful blast of force slammed into the monster's face, sending bark and splinters flying in the air. The monster stopped in its tracks and shrieked in pain.

“Selise!” Mr. Marion called out before arriving by her side. “You good?”

“Mr. Marion! L-Loress, she's, she's—”

“Taloress is fine, Selise,” Mr. Marion said calmly as he pointed somewhere behind the recovering humanoid monster. Skulking among the bushes was Taloress, a hunting knife held tightly in her hand. When she realized that Selise and Mr. Marion were watching her, she gave a little wave.

“But she… I saw her… Wha?!” Selise said in a fluster, the shock and relief jumbling her words.

“It's going to take something worse than that to take down Taloress,” Mr. Marion said proudly. “Now, I think you should sit this one out, Selise. That thing's definitely way above what you can handle. I don't even know what it is.”

Selise would have normally felt affronted at being set aside like a child, but she knew Mr. Marion was right. The truth hurt, but Selise knew she can't do anything to help. “Alright. Be careful.”

Selise retreated to a safe distance and watched as Mr. Marion and her friend battled the humanoid monster. The monster would move between the trees with an agility that belied its tall frame, but Mr. Marion and Taloress would move just as quickly as they harried the monster with perfect teamwork. When the monster was on the verge of reaching Mr. Marion, Taloress would dart in from the side with blurring speed and shift its attention to her. Likewise, Mr. Marion would increase the intensity of his magic when Taloress was starting to get overwhelmed. They're moving as if they could read each other's minds, Selise thought in wonder.

Selise was so amazed that she forgot her bitterness for being left out of the fight. Her two friends' teamwork was perfect in the literal sense. There were times when Selise thought that Mr. Marion's magic would accidentally hit Taloress, but every time, the masked woman would move out of the way just in the nick of time. Their actions complemented each other so well that the humanoid monster seemed like a child as it tried to catch one of them, only to fail time and time again.

Even we don't have that kind of teamwork, Selise thought, referring to her own fellow hunters. The Head Hunter drilled them tirelessly to develop their teamwork since it was the best weapon they had in the harshness of the Wild Woods, but not even their years of experience fighting alongside each other could match what she was seeing now.

The flow of the battle was interrupted when the monster made a loud roar and plunged one of its arms into the ground, turning immobile. Mr. Marion didn't miss the opportunity and started releasing blast after blast of invisible force that kicked up dirt and bark everywhere as it struck the monster, but it didn't give any signs of caring. What is it doing? Selise wondered.

Mr. Marion suddenly jumped in surprise and turned to face her, pure panic in his voice. “Selise, run!”

Selise had been trained to never hesitate in following those kinds of orders, but even her fast reaction was not enough to escape the tree roots that burst out of the ground beneath her that immediately bound her legs in place. “Shit, it got me!”

Selise saw Taloress begin running towards her to help, but a mass of vines suddenly burst forth and entangled her friend. Selise followed the source of the vines and realized it was the treant from earlier, which she didn't notice until now was already just a short distance away from them. How did it come so close?!

A glance at its base revealed the mass of squirming tree roots that slowly pulled the treant forward inches at a time. It could move on the ground!

The humanoid creature started laughing, a rasping sound that sent a chill down Selise's spine. Then it spoke. “Outsider.”

●●●

“Outsider.”

I felt my blood run cold as what was supposed to be a mindless monster spoke.

“I hold your companions captive, Outsider. Leave, or their blood shall water our roots.”

When I realized that I was dealing with a sentient monster, I felt my heart constrict. Why is a monster talking?

The memories of all the monsters I killed came unbidden as poisonous doubt overwhelmed my mind. Have I been killing intelligent monsters all along?

Before I could break down in horror, the humanoid monster spoke again. “I will not repeat myself a third time, Outsider. Leave, or they die.”

Master, what do we do? Mr. Marion suddenly asked in my mind. My puppet's voice fought back my turmoil and helped me focus on the present situation. There was no time lamenting my morality.

We have to get Selise out of the monster's grasp. Taloress cannot be killed, so we'll leave her be, I replied to Mr. Marion before reaching out to my smaller puppet. Tedd, I want you to remain inside my coat. When all hell breaks loose, I want you to help me fight the monster.

With pleasure, Master, Tedd replied.

“I did not know monsters could speak,” I said to the humanoid creature, keeping the fear and panic out of my voice. “If I'd known you were sentient, we would have stayed away.”

“Humans,” the monster croaked with utter disgust. “You call everything that isn't one of you a ‘monster’ and think yourselves above everything else. Your arrogance astounds me.”

“Then what are you?” I asked, delaying the fight as I took control of Taloress' hand that clutched the hunting knife. I separated her hand from her body and slowly levitated it towards Selise, making sure that it didn't touch any of the vines that bound Taloress.

“A human who engages in diplomacy instead of resorting to violence first? Interesting,” the monster said as the corners of its ‘mouth’ rose in a creepy smile. “My kind call ourselves the Dayadra, the Guardians of the Sacred Forest. But just like with all things, humans call us by a simpler name. Dryads.”

Selise uttered a shocked gasp. “But there aren't supposed to be dryads in the Wild Woods!”

“You are no longer in the Wild Woods, manling,” the dryad said acidly. “You are in the Sacred Forest, and you desecrate our holy grounds with fire.”

Realization dawned on Selise's face, but I spoke before she could say anything else. I needed the dryad's attention on me. “We had no idea of our unlawful trespass, honored dryad. Please forgive us and let them go.”

“I know you were ignorant of your actions, but that does not mean I will let them go,” the dryad spat. “Countless men have trespassed before you, seeking to destroy us, but none had left alive. Your two companions had done the same thing, and I will not let it pass.”

As the dryad went on with its tirade, Taloress' hand that held the knife finally reached Selise. She jumped a bit when the handle touched her hand, but her fingers closed around it as soon as she felt the familiar sensation of its handle.

Alright, everything is in position, I told my puppets. All of you, get ready. Our priority is to protect Selise until she cuts herself free from the roots.

Master, is it alright for the girl to know the truth? Mr. Marion asked.

We have no choice. The dryad before us is almost as strong as the Grisly Bear. If we want to get Selise out of here alive, we cannot hold back.

Is our goal to subdue the dryad, Master? Tedd asked me.

I hesitated for a split second, but when I remembered that Selise's life was at stake, my uncertainty immediately disappeared. No, we are to eliminate the threat.

“So tell me your decision, human,” the dryad said as it finally finished its tirade, the bark that served as its ‘skin’ squirming in anticipation. “I give you the chance to get out of here alive. All you have to do is to leave these two behind. What will it be?”

I was silent for a few moments. The dryad patiently waited for my answer, probably thinking that I was considering my options. When I was sure that all the magic circles made of thread that I hid in the bushes everywhere were in place, I gave my answer. “Selise, start cutting.”

Before the dryad could react, I overloaded all the magic circles in the range of my spellcasting range. Not only my skin, but my entire body burned as several thousands' worth of mana left my body at once to fuel the magic circles. Twenty Force Blasts burst from the bushes around me with a roaring explosion and went for the dryad like an invisible tidal wave that destroyed everything in its path.

Another explosion echoed throughout the forest as the Force Blasts hit the dryad, but I didn't get to see the result as I screamed in pain. “Fuck, it burns!”

Master, you're seriously hurt! Mr. Marion cried in alarm, but I waved off his concern.

“Forget about me! Get ready for close combat!” I shouted through gritted teeth as I transformed Mr. Marion's body. Eight spider legs sprouted from his back and his arms turned into two large spikes. “Tedd, you control the legs. Mr. Marion, you're responsible for attacking. I'll handle the support. Now go!”

Tedd complained that he wasn't used to controlling spider legs, but my puppets didn't need to be told twice. The spider legs immediately took hold of the trees around us and after Tedd got a hang of controlling them, we were jumping from tree to tree as we approached the dryad's location, which was covered in a large cloud of dust.

When we got closer, we saw the dryad still in one piece. It seemed it had formed a large shield made of thick wood on its arm before the blasts arrived, blocking most of the force. Only a few blasts seemed to get past the shield, as evidenced by the dryad's furious and cracked wooden face.

“I will water the forest with your blood!”

I didn't bother replying as I directed my puppets to charge in. Tedd controlled the spider legs and made us dance around the dryad as it tried to hit us with its arm with the shield. The dryad was too slow and Mr. Marion took the opportunity to stab at openings, his spike-arms sinking into the dryad's body with high resistance. Its body is tough!

The dryad cried out in pain, but all it could do was ward us off with its shield arm. When I looked at its other arm, I realized that it was still embedded in the ground. That must be connected to the roots binding Selise, which is why it can't move from its position!

“Say goodbye to your companion!” the dryad screamed as it pulled its arm from the ground, violently pulling the roots back to its body.

For a moment, my body froze as I watched the roots pull out from the ground. If Selise failed to free herself, then the roots would be dragging her under the ground violently, through sharp rocks and stones, and the only thing left of her would be a mangled corpse when the dryad fully pulled its arm out of the forest floor.

I didn't look at where Selise was, because I feared what I would see. Please be safe.

When the dryad finished pulling the roots back, there was no corpse. It screamed in rage as a tremendous amount of tension left my body. “You cheat!” the dryad shouted.

My relief slowly turned to anger as the dryad reformed its arm. It almost killed Selise, and I wasn't going to let that slip.

I gave the signal and my puppets charged once again at the dryad, who was now able to move around and defend itself more effectively. But even with its mobility, it was no match for our combined efforts.

With three minds functioning in one body, we overwhelmed the dryads' attempt to fight back. Tedd, despite never having controlled spider legs before today, maneuvered us deftly to dodge the dryad's lumbering attacks. Mr. Marion's spike-arms would dart in at every opening he could see, stabbing the dryad's vulnerable parts again and again. I would overload magic circles hidden in the shrubbery around us, sending empowered Force Blast after empowered Force Blast at the dryad every time it was about to hit us.

In a corner of my mind, I could feel Taloress escaping from the tangle of vines and ravaging the treant by herself, her own arms turned into spikes just like Mr. Marion's. When the treant tried to strike her with its huge branches, she would dart around like a nimble cat and stab the treant as she went, eliciting a cry of pain from the tree and the dryad every time. So the dryad and the treant are connected.

As the battle went on, my mana pool started to empty. The constant barrage of overloaded spells was costly, and my puppets drained a huge amount of mana when they were fighting. I estimated that I could only keep this up for a minute more before we had to retreat. We have to finish this.

As Mr. Marion dodged one of the dryad's attacks, he darted in to stab at its vulnerable chest, the only part of its body that we haven't damaged yet because of how it vehemently defended that area. I expected the dryad to block Mr. Marion's attack just like it did the previous times, but it seemed I wasn't the only one getting tired.

The dryad tried to move back and block the attack, but it was too slow. Mr. Marion's spike-arm managed to stab it right in the center of its chest, eliciting a pained shriek from it.

Sensing that it was a vital opportunity, Mr. Marion split his spike-arm embedded inside the dryad's chest into countless tendrils that dug in all directions. When the dryad began to swing at us to get us to back off, Mr. Marion pulled his arm away forcefully, ripping off a large portion of the dryad's chest with it.

The dryad shrieked again, the loudest I've ever heard, as it fell like a toppled tree. The gaping wound on its chest leaked amber-colored liquid that looked like sap.

When Mr. Marion stepped closer to the fallen creature, the dryad looked at us not with the haughty nature it had earlier, but with fear.

“It seems our situations have reversed,” I said coldly as I gave Mr. Marion the command to stab its head.