Fist King - Chapter 1 - Episode 27: Conquering the Sea of Trees at Mt. Fuji ② Sea of Trees' Baptism

Fist King: I Will Save the Earth from Zero in Another Reincarnation, Starting from Real World

Conquering the Sea of Trees at Mt. Fuji ② Sea of Trees' Baptism

After stepping into the Sea of Trees and walking for a while, I started to understand the difficulties of this dungeon.

First, since there were few traces of people having stepped into this place, the ground was uneven with tree roots, and the vegetation obstructed my path and view.

Moreover, I hadn't encountered any monsters yet, so I needed the mental fortitude to keep my nerves on edge, wondering where they might come from.

I was having Mao-san follow the path I had already confirmed was safe.

(Mao-san seems to be having a tough time pulling the cart, too.)

As I was thinking about Mao-san, I heard a sound as if something was falling from above.

I instinctively looked up in the direction of the sound and saw something like a long, thick tree falling.

I dodged it immediately, and just as I tried to identify the fallen object, my opponent was already moving towards me.

When I parried it with the staff I was holding, I felt a sensation like hitting something thick and elastic.

The opponent was a snake-like monster with a long, thick green body, mottled patterns, and a long tongue extended from its mouth.

(Poison Snake…)

I identified the Poison Snake and warned Mao-san to keep her distance.

"Mao-san, this is a Poison Snake. It's poisonous, so please stay back!"

"Got it!"

Mao-san slowly retreated, and I confronted the Poison Snake.

The Poison Snake seemed to be wary of my attack, observing my movements.

However, that was just to catch me off guard, and the Poison Snake's tail was already coming at me from the side.

By the time I noticed, it was too late. The tail hit my cheek, and I staggered.

The Poison Snake didn't miss that opening and tried to bite me, aiming for my torso.

(I can't dodge it, so then!)

I couldn't regain my balance and prepared to be bitten by the Poison Snake.

However, I decided not to let it end with just a bite. I swung up my staff before being bitten by the Poison Snake and intended to strike the Poison Snake with all my might after it bit me.

The Poison Snake bit into my right flank.

Even though I struck it with the staff, the flesh of its body was elastic, making physical attacks ineffective.

No matter how many times I attacked with the staff, the Poison Snake wouldn't let go of my torso.

On the contrary, the Poison Snake strengthened its bite.

I felt as if my body was being corroded from where I was bitten.

I used Heal and forced my body to move.

This time, even when I used Break Attack from the side to try and shake off the Poison Snake, it wouldn't release its grip from my abdomen.

(If it comes to this, I'll keep going until I defeat it!)

I pushed my aching body to its limits and began to repeatedly strike the same spot with Bash.

After striking Bash several times, a sensation of my strength draining from my abdomen throughout my entire body spread.

(Is this the poisoned state?)

The Poison Snake, true to its name, had poison and would inflict the poisoned status on me.

And now, the Poison Snake's poison had completely spread throughout my body.

Just then, with a dry, popping sound, a part of the Poison Snake's body was gouged out.

I looked in the direction of the sound and saw Mao-san holding a shotgun.

Perhaps feeling more threatened by Mao-san than by me, the Poison Snake released me and went towards Mao-san.

I tried to pursue the Poison Snake, but my body wouldn't move as I wanted, and I fell to my knees.

Mao-san tried to run away from the Poison Snake, but the footing was bad, and the Poison Snake was faster.

To help Mao-san, I put my hope in my staff, pouring magic into it, and prayed as I visualized the magic and chanted its name.

"Fire Arrow!!"

The moment I chanted the spell, a fiery arrow was unleashed from the tip of my staff.

The Fire Arrow hit the Poison Snake, and the Poison Snake, which hadn't fallen even after so many Bash strikes, was instantly defeated, its head separated from its body.

(Even with good magic efficiency, this is too strong...)

The Poison Snake became motionless, its head gone, and behind it, Mao-san was sitting down as if she had fallen on her backside.

As I tried to approach Mao-san to check on her safety, I started to see moving shadows from both sides.

I dragged my heavy body towards Mao-san.

Mao-san stood up and seemed to be noticing the surrounding anomaly.

"Mao-san, it seems this is a Poison Snake nest."

"A nest?"

Looking closely at the ground around me again, there were traces of something crawling everywhere.

I held my staff to protect Mao-san and began to intercept the Poison Snakes closing in from all directions.

"Fire Arrow!"

The Poison Snakes moved quickly from side to side as they approached, making it difficult to land a Fire Arrow.

So, I decided to hit their heads from the side with my staff and then, when they were slightly staggered, hit them with a Fire Arrow.

Even so, I couldn't handle all the Poison Snakes, and I was bitten in several places, including my legs and abdomen.

(Try biting me if you can!)

I made up my mind and chanted Fire Arrow at the Poison Snake that had bitten me. When the Fire Arrow hit the Poison Snake, I, who was in close proximity, was also blown backward by the aftershock of the explosion.

The impact of hitting the ground made me feel as if I would lose consciousness.

As I lay on the ground, I looked at Mao-san, and she was also fighting back against the approaching Poison Snakes with her gun.

However, she didn't seem to notice the Poison Snake approaching from behind her.

I tried to use Fire Arrow to make her notice, but I had no magic left and couldn't infuse my staff with magic.

Realizing I couldn't use magic, I put down my staff and began to run towards Mao-san, using all the strength left in my body.

I shoved my right arm into the mouth of the Poison Snake that was about to attack Mao-san from behind.

The Poison Snake, which bit my right hand, then tried to coil around me.

Mao-san noticed the commotion behind her, checked on me, and then tried to shoot the Poison Snake biting me with the gun she was holding.

"I'm fine here. Mao-san, please take care of the other enemies."

"You're not fine! Get out of the way, I'm going to shoot right now!"

Since Mao-san was aiming her gun at me, I thought my magic might have recovered a little and tried to shoot a Fire Arrow at the Poison Snake coiling around me.

"Gah!! Fire Arrow!"

However, no matter how much I tried to pour magic into my hand, Fire Arrow wouldn't activate.

"Move!"

Mao-san, seeing that my magic wouldn't activate, aimed her gun at me and tried to forcibly push me away.

To make Mao-san's gun effective, I also shoved my left arm into the Poison Snake's mouth, forcing it open.

As I opened its mouth, Mao-san fired and defeated the Poison Snake.

"Can you move?"

"It's a bit tough."

The wave of Poison Snakes subsided for a moment, and Mao-san immediately made a suggestion to me.

"We're using the Return Stone now."

"I don't want to go back yet."

"Is this really the time to be saying that?!"

I looked into Mao-san's eyes, indicating my resolve not to return.

Poison Snakes started to reappear, and Mao-san, as if resigned, confirmed with me.

"The staff?"

"Over there."

Mao-san confirmed the location of my staff and then suddenly hoisted me onto her shoulder.

Then, carrying me, she started running, dodging the Poison Snakes' attacks, and reached the staff.

"Hold this."

"Yes."

"Can you drive off the ones chasing us from behind?"

"Leave it to me."

Carried by Mao-san, I received the staff and shot Fire Arrows at the Poison Snakes chasing Mao-san, blocking their advance.

When Mao-san reached the cart, she tossed me into it and then started pulling the cart, leaving the area.