Maximus ran through the trees, leaping from branch to branch as hot, humid air clung to his emerald fur. Behind him, the monstrous centipedes moved at immense speeds, crashing into one another, smashing through trees, and stumbling over the massive twisting roots of the ancient forest.
Maximus noticed Vesper’s wolves running in the distance, keeping track of him and the monsters, no doubt feeding Vesper a constant stream of information.
I can feel my body growing weary, even in this form, I am still but a simple mortal being, he thought as, finally, he spotted in the distance large silver trees shimmering faintly under the sparse moonlight.
He sped up as fast as he could and leapt into the walled-off plot of land. “Be ready, you two!” he roared as he stopped right in front of the Lilies and dropped his stealth.
The swarm of bloodthirsty centipedes lunged, spewing acid as they came.
The moment all seven crossed the boundary of the lowered wall, Maximus roared, “NOW, PULL, NOW!” He poured all the power of his feline body into his legs and jumped, mid-air shifting back into his human form as he activated Gale Step three times, launching himself onto the top of the wall just as Silex pulled the ropes, raising the fourth wall and sealing the beasts inside.
Vesper rushed forward and slammed into the rising wall, helping Silex force it up faster as the centipedes crashed into the Scorching Lilies, raising a thick cloud of fire and debris.
Maximus tossed a single poisonous grenade and grabbed a vine he had prepared atop the wall, and poured Static Surge into it.
The lightning raced instantly through the connected system and into the buried napalm containers, igniting them in sequence.
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM
Explosions erupted in rapid succession as the centipedes screamed, their massive forms writhing inside a growing inferno as flames swallowed the entire enclosure. “Perfect! Starlight Shower!” he cast, and comets of pure starlight rained down into the already burning hellscape.
Maximus tossed a Cinder Seed into his mouth and shifted his legs into a lupine form as he landed beside Silex. “Good work. Now we wait, but stay alert. Two are still unaccounted for,” Maximus warned.
“Hopefully, those will be more fun than this,” Silex complained.
“Boss, they’re trying to burrow through!” Vesper shouted.
“Curse them, Silex, with me!” Maximus snapped as he ran, Sprout immediately joining him.
One of the larger centipedes hauled itself over the smallest wall, its entire body engulfed in fire, its shell melting as the starlight purified the corruption within.
Vesper howled and unleashed a thick beam of blood that struck the creature square in the head, forcing it back.
“You cannot do anything properly without little old me,” Silex complained as he spat Aqua Jet, the pressurized stream tearing through the softened shell and splattering brain matter and flesh across the walls.
Maximus leapt with his enhanced legs and climbed atop the fourth wall. Within the enclosure, six charred corpses lay twitching and burning. “Oh no… One is missing!” Maximus shouted just as the ground beneath Vesper exploded.
Vesper’s bloody barrier flared to life, protecting him as he was hurled into the silver trees, and a half-melted beast burst from below and lunged straight at Maximus.
Maximus activated Barkskin and Cyclone Shell, raising his staff like a spear as he released a concentrated beam of emerald flame. Emerald Laser, enhanced by the lingering effect of Starlight Shower, pierced clean through the centipede, bisecting it even as its immense body crashed into him and sent both of them tumbling over the wall and into the enclosed inferno.
“Aaaargh!” Maximus screamed as the heat began to melt through his defenses.
He cast Rejuvenation and summoned Embi, whose presence bolstered his resistance to fire and heat, then shifted into his Tank Form and charged straight into the wall. “Move away from the wall!” he roared as he burst through it like a living burning cannonball.
Silex and Vesper jumped aside while Sprout used vines to pull himself onto a nearby tree.
In his tank form, Maximus tore through stone and timber alike, and a wave of searing heat surged outward from the shattered enclosure, igniting leaves and branches nearby. The silver trees, however, stood untouched, their iron bark unyielding even to the raging flames.
You have defeated: [Skittering Shadow Centipede Lv. 28]
You have defeated: [Skittering Shadow Centipede Lv. 29] x2
You have defeated: [Auric Shadow Centipede Lv. 30] x4
Tamed beast Silex Leveled Up. Level 30 reached.
Talent Points gained: +6
Battle Tokens earned: 4900
Maximus transformed back into his human form as Vesper released two globes of blood that exploded on impact, snuffing out the lingering flames. The last thing they needed now was a forest fire.
“Boss, are you alright?” Vesper asked, worry evident in his voice.
“I’m burned a bit, but I’ll be fine,” Maximus said as he chugged a potion. That was careless of me… Just what was I thinking… Sometimes I wonder if I’m changing alongside this body, he frowned.
“What about the meat?” Silex asked, his tone eager.
“It’s cooked, but I don’t think we have time for that. I’ll store them in my inventory for now. Luckily, my storage space is quite large,” Maximus said, waiting for the worst of the heat to dissipate before storing all seven corpses, or at least what remained of them.
“Two are still on the loose. I don’t know where or when they will attack. Oddly, they didn’t join the others,” Maximus said.
“Centipedes do not work together, so it’s not surprising that they didn’t attack alongside the rest. Still, my wolves found no traces of any others,” Vesper added, concern creeping into his tone.
“Come, let’s eat while we can and restore our energy. They cannot hide forever,” Maximus said as they moved back behind the rear wall and alongside the massive trees, which served as a perfect temporary shelter.
Maximus took out one of the centipedes, already thoroughly cooked, and all three began to eat. He even pulled out a small fork he had stored, trying to preserve at least a shred of decency as the rest of them tore into the meat like savages.
***
Once they finished eating and he had recovered and healed properly, they prepared to leave. “There is no point in staying here any longer. The walls are cracked and broken, and I doubt the same trap will work twice. They might’ve been watching from somewhere. If we end up fighting them, take care and be mindful of the poison,” Maximus warned as he shifted into his cat form and they moved deeper toward the east.
They travelled carefully through the night when Sprout tugged on Maximus’s ear. “Yes, buddy? Found something?” he asked.
Sprout squealed and jumped off, transforming into his beast form and pointing toward the north. “Boss, let my wolves scout the area as we move forward,” Vesper said as he paused, instructing his pack to follow and clear the path ahead of Sprout.
Sprout moved efficiently through the darkness, something beyond sight guiding him forward.
Twenty or so minutes later, Vesper paused. “It’s a pond surrounded by trees in a circular pattern, allowing moonlight to bathe the water. No enemies nearby,” Vesper reported.
Maximus nodded, and the trio followed until they reached the shores of a large pond that shimmered like a mirror under the moonlight. At its center, clusters of lotus flowers bloomed, scattered unevenly across the surface.
“This cannot be…” Maximus stared.
[Lunar Pathfinder Lotus]
A plant that spends its lifetime absorbing pure lunar mana. It blooms only after twenty years of accumulation. Once it blooms, it reveals a fruit within that can cleanse the body of all impurities.
“What is it now, Max?” Silex sighed.
“Silex, go in and bring them closer to shore, and make sure not to damage the flowers,” Maximus warned.
“Hah, I’ll do it, if only for a swim,” Silex grumbled as he slithered into the pond.
His massive body sent ripples across the otherwise calm surface as he swam toward the flowers and carefully swept them toward Maximus.
Maximus smiled and picked them up gently. He separated the pristine white fruits from the flowers and even preserved the roots; every part of the plant held value to him. With this, I should have everything for the elixir. All that remains is to finish cultivating my roots, though finding a few more rare ingredients wouldn’t hurt, he thought as he set three fruits aside.
“Sprout, Silex, Vesper, come here. This is for you,” he called.
Vesper and Sprout rushed over immediately, while Silex took his time, still enjoying himself in the water.
“Eat this, it should help strengthen your bodies. Sprout, you absorb it through your roots. Embi, I’m sorry, cold mana would only harm you,” he said, bowing slightly, though Embi paid it no mind and continued drifting about happily.
Silex swallowed his fruit whole and lazily floated as moonlight seemed to gather around the trio.
Vesper and Silex released low exhales as a black, tar-like substance began to seep from their bodies, and they grew larger by ten or so centimeters.
“How do you feel?” Maximus asked.
“Boss, I feel incredible… And I can feel a faint connection to the moon now, as if it’s feeding me strength,” Vesper said in awe.
“Yeah, yeah, me too. You’re not special, furry,” Silex muttered.
“Good, it should allow you to grow stronger once you can level again,” Maximus explained as he turned to Sprout, who had fully absorbed the fruit. His body had expanded, nearly doubling in size, while the bud atop his head had grown plumper, taking on a pale white hue, as if on the verge of blooming.
Skill Leveled Up: [Plant Spirit (E) Level 12]
“You did well, Sprout!” Maximus patted his head and took a bite of one himself. He had five more fruits remaining for his alchemy, so tasting one wasn’t the end of the world, and he secretly hoped it might cleanse the curse as well.
He bit into the round, pale, tomato-shaped fruit and smiled as a crisp sweetness burst across his tongue and flowed through his body. A surge of cool mana spread through his veins, mending old wounds and purging the impurities his body had accumulated over the years. Purified mana from plants does not cause the body to rupture, unless I try to forcefully draw it in. Everything in life truly has its rules, he thought, nodding slightly as his muscles tightened and grew denser before the soft light faded.
He checked his status, and it had indeed changed almost instantly.
[Physical Condition: Purified Strengthened Human Vessel (Growing, Recently Cleansed)]
----
Body Traits:
Purified Strengthened Human Vessel (E) – Strengthened through reforging the body with spirit energy and cleansing it with pure lunar mana. Increases stamina by 17% and overall physical strength by 19%.
----
“Alright, let’s go. Once we’re done, we can come back here to wash up a bit,” Maximus said just as the surface of the pond began to ripple.
“Oh, god damn it, Max, you damn jinx. Leave it to you to jinx us,” Silex complained, while Vesper suddenly stiffened. “Boss, they’re coming, and they’re double the size of the others. Probably the ones that have lived as long as I have,” Vesper warned as two enormous centipedes emerged from the northeast and northwest, towering over the smaller trees as they advanced toward them.
“By the stars…” Maximus inhaled deeply and tossed Sprout his puppet. “This is it, boys!”