Chapter 854 Chapter 853: Terracotta Grottos (15)
I healed the wound on my palm as I moved backwards, washing away the blood and ensuring my hand would be able to grasp the hilt of the Khopesh without issue, whilst also getting rid of the slight sting that stole away some of my attention - I would be needing all of it as I continued to silently move away from the Wurm.
I couldn't see it directly, only the faintest of outlines as it leaned down to sniff the patches of blood I had left behind, its long tongue flicking out and appearing suddenly within the grass, the black appendage far too dark to blend in perfectly like the rest of its body.
The slight tremors pulsing through the ground as it crawled towards me were able to be felt as well, albeit briefly and very faintly, the monster's sheer size and weight making it almost impossible for something that big to remain completely unnoticeable, but the fact it was barely noticeable was already scary enough.
Now that it was out of its den, by my estimates it was around ten feet long, upwards of fourteen or fifteen feet in total, whilst its width was easily within the three feet range, keeping it slightly slim for its length but still borderline huge for a land monster.
Then there was the fact it had taloned hands that seemed capable of gripping things; they weren't exactly fingers, but the talons were attached to small digits, whilst the talons themselves seemed flexible... which was disturbing and worrying.
Keeping my pace, I eventually reached the ring that the party had formed around the den, and as Jahi gave me the nod, I made myself known, stamping down too hard on the ground and ruffling some of the nearby grasses, luring the monster out even more.
The air was tense as I froze, trying to mimic the actions of an animal that had just given away its position as I waited for the monster to make its move, the others hidden away and waiting to spring out and attack.
My eyes raked over the grasses, before I grit my teeth as I watched the Wurm leap free from the sea of green and arc downwards towards me, the monster launching itself and reaching for me with its outstretched hands, those talons gleaming with a rich green glow that would help it kill me in a single strike.
Sadly for it, those talons screeched against a golden barrier, blocking its attack and surprising the monster, but it didn't remain stunned for long as it swiftly retreated, its eyes narrowed as it studied the barrier of golden Light Mana around me.
Standing up, I grasped my Khopesh and ran my mana through its blade, activating the outer enchantment as I raked the tip along the gravel covered ground, sending a wave of icicles out to catch the monster.
Raising itself off of the ground, the serpentine Wurm spread its arms before slamming them back into the grass, countering my magic with its own as it erected a wall of stone around itself, cutting off my line of sight.
In fact, the wall arced around it, shielding the monster from the various spells and arrows that flew towards it, ensuring it would be protected as it prepared to do whatever it was doing behind that barrier.
Jahi rushed past me, the Demoness leading with her tortoise shell shield raised and held steady, whilst her great sword was pointed at the barricade, its blade covered in Light Mana.
The others rushed in behind her, whilst the mages bombarded the barricade, cracking it and reducing it to rubble to allow the melee fighters to get within range of the monster, turning the grotto from a relatively quiet, peaceful place to one echoing with explosions and shaking as mana was unleashed upon a singular spot.
The overhang above shook and rained down dirt and pebbles onto the earth below, whilst the cries of monsters nearby joined the booming explosions that filled the air.
Meanwhile, the Wurm was hissing as it reared its head back, standing tall on its serpentine body and brandishing a twin set of long, gnarled root whips that were covered in thorns and surrounding rocks.
Its body was covered in a growing, alive armor made from roots as well, slowly encasing its entire green serpentine body and protecting it as it brandished the whips, swiftly turning the tide of the battle as it cracked them out towards us.
Arcing through the clearing, the heavy, stone and thorn laden whips crashed against the shields of the Demons, pushing them back and even sending the surprised ones stumbling back quite a few steps as the roots dented their shields and fractured their arms.
Hissing at us, the Wurm fluidly brandished the whips again, cracking them back down, but this time creating a giant 'X' that targeted one person; Jahi, who was right in front of it, and the one it had identified as the most dangerous thanks to the Light Mana surrounding her person.
Planting her feet, Jahi raised her shield and grunted as the two whips crossed over her shield, slamming into it with enough force to crack the ground beneath her as she endured the blow, surprising the Wurm.
However, that surprise didn't last long as the Wurm continued to crack those whips, its short arms fluidly directing the long, nimble weapons with such ease and elegance; elegance that wasn't translated to the damage dealt as it cut through the air and slammed against the shields again, only to then spin them around itself and block the spells that the mages had barraged it with.
They had tried to catch it off guard with a singular wave of attacks, but the Wurm saw them and blocked it all, only to then raise its arm and crack the whip yet again, this time sending the mass of vines and rocks snaking through the air and above our heads, aiming instead for the mages behind us.
The roots twisted and lengthened with its mana, and we heard a mage hiss in agony as the whip slapped against their body, breaking through their mana barricade and making it clear that the Wurm had the ability to reach the mages with frightening ease.
In mere seconds, the Wurm had already attacked more than once, its eyes filled with malice as it glared at us all, its wooden armor and weapons far more durable and lethal than one could expect from just a glance.
Already, it was living up to its Draconic lineage, displaying power well above the other monsters nearby.
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