System of the Beast Slayer [litrpg Adventure]
Copyright© 1999 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 143
Firelight and steel flashed through the entire forest. The air rang with the sounds of hacking blades, thrumming bowstrings, and shouted orders.
A small-bodied degenerate vodyanoi burst out from between the trees, shrieking as it lunged at the young Witcher.
He bent like a drawn bow, longsword held crosswise beside his face, holding a steady Ox Guard without dodging or retreating. When the rush of wind hit his front, he suddenly stepped forward, the blade thrusting out with it. A tremendous force pinned the attacker in midair in an instant.
Roy flicked the corpse off his sword. In the blink of an eye he had already drawn his hand crossbow, raised it, and fired, blowing apart the head of a mutated cat that leapt down from a tree.
Very quickly, the five-minute skirmish came to an end.
Leaving the mangled bodies behind, the soldiers continued forward. Blood spattered their armor, weapons, even their faces. Their expressions were weary, their spirits held up by sheer force of will.
One after another, dozens of degenerate vodyanoi and mutated creatures native to the island appeared, launching ambushes in every manner imaginable. Some sprang without warning from dense brush, others disguised themselves as hanging vines atop trees, waiting for the column to pass before dropping down to strangle their prey.
But the soldiers had long since formed an unbreakable formation. Sword and shield, bow and crossbow worked together with practiced ease, cutting down every monster that delivered itself to them, without serious incident.
Only two unlucky soldiers suffered minor injuries.
Along the way, Roy casually harvested over a hundred points of experience, yet his mood grew heavier by the minute.
Ever since entering the forest, he had randomly selected several Knights to observe, and discovered that every single one of them had gained an additional negative status without exception.
Weakened: You have entered the heart of Black Gull Island. Exposure to a mysterious geomagnetic field has caused a comprehensive decline in your physical condition. Your stamina consumption has increased by 100%. Warning! Brief exposure to the field will result only in temporary weakening. Prolonged stay within the geomagnetic influence will trigger irreversible physiological changes.
“Irreversible changes?” Roy turned the description over in his mind. Both he and Letho were suffering the same negative effect. Whether HP or attributes, all of them glowed faint red, reduced by roughly ten to twenty percent.
Ordinary people were affected far more severely. Less than half an hour after entering the forest, nearly thirty percent of the Knights had grown pale-faced, their eyes dulled and unfocused. The hands gripping their weapons trembled from time to time, their backs hunching slightly, as if they could barely bear the weight of their heavy mail.
“When we reach the altar, besides me and Letho, how many will still be standing?”
“Adda!” Roy growled in a low voice. “Look at their condition. We can still leave now!”
Princess Adda was only a woman. Physical endurance was not her strength. She too was drenched in perfumed sweat, her cheeks flushed, yet her gaze remained fixed straight ahead.
“Master, haven’t you noticed? We’ve already arrived.”
Roy froze, then followed her line of sight to the end of the forest path, where a strange band of prismatic light had appeared. Its colors shifted constantly, seductive violet, warm yellow, holy white, profound black.
Like a rainbow gone mad, it seized the eye and refused to let go.
“Just a bit more effort, everyone. The altar is right ahead!”
Adda called out brightly. The Knights immediately rallied, quickening their pace toward the glowing light.
Roy, however, swayed slightly, confusion clouding his mind. He smelled an overwhelmingly strong fragrance.
...
A minute later, the rapidly advancing group entered the deepest part of the forest, an open space paved with smooth, immaculate marble slabs.
At last they saw the long-desired colors clearly.
“What is this?”
Standing among the Knights, Roy rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Within the light, he saw the faint outline of a female form.
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