Chương 629: Chapter 627 – Ruby Light.

"Hey, watch the vines!" The warning came a moment too late. A thick vine, glistening with green sap, lashed out from beneath the cracked earth, snaring one of the adventurers by the leg. He yelped and tumbled backward, barely managing to slice through the sticky tendril before it could drag him closer to the strange green creature. A twisted fusion of bird, serpent, and blossoming plant spread its wings to intimidate the group of adventurers.

Where feathers should have been, green petals grew, each lined with faintly glowing veins. Its eyes shone with a toxic green light, and its beak dripped with a viscous yellow liquid, the same substance that oozed from the cut tendril nearby.

"What's a cockatrice doing here?"

"I don't know, but watch its gaze. It will petrify you if you're not careful!" Another vine lashed out, but this time they were ready.

"I've got it!" A second man shouted back, letting the green appendage strike his shield. When it rebounded, he slid forward and sliced it cleanly in half. Yellowish liquid spilled out, sizzling as it hit the ground and the surface of his shield.

"Look out for the acid!" A woman with elongated ears called out while drawing her bow. She notched an arrow, released it, and with a shimmer of magic, it split into several more. The arrows struck the monster's side, sending it tumbling.

"Why is one of these things here?"

"I don't know, but it's easier to kill here than in that poisonous forest. Just watch the stare and the…shit, jump!" Before the armored man could finish, the creature raised its beak toward the sky in a motion he recognized. As its head came down, a blast of acidic breath burst forward. It was aimed at the woman who had shot the arrows, and even though she jumped aside, the monster continued to release its corrosive bile in her direction.

"I've got it!" The armored man shouted as the breath attack moved toward him. The symbols on his armor began to shine, their light focusing on the shield he carried. A moment later, a blue barrier expanded and covered more than the entirety of his body. When the sizzling attack collided with the shield, it was stopped, but it was clear that the man could not hold it for long.

"Is the spell ready?" Behind him stood a fourth party member, an older man wearing a robe and holding a staff topped with a large gem. He was slowly casting a spell while mana gathered around him, turning the gem on his staff bright red.

"Volyn, hurry up! I can't hold this much longer!" The armored man shouted as the shield around him began to falter. The acidic breath started eating through the barrier. The blue light flickered, and cracks spread across its surface like a spider's web. The armored man gritted his teeth, his muscles trembling under the strain. Volyn's voice trembled as he continued to chant words that no one could understand. His robe fluttered violently in the wind created by the swelling mana.

The gem on his staff pulsed faster and brighter, flooding the clearing with waves of heat. Even the vines on the ground began to shrivel and smoke from the intensity. The monster sensed danger, cut off its breath, and tried to retreat by beating its leafy wings, but it was too late. Volyn's eyes snapped open, glowing a deep crimson, and mana began to form beneath the creature's birdlike legs.

"High Flame Cyclone!" The world erupted into fire. From the magical circle beneath the monster's feet, spirals of flame shot upward and merged into a massive vortex. The roar of the blazing tornado drowned out every other sound as it expanded and engulfed the cockatrice-plant hybrid in an inferno. The creature shrieked as the flames devoured its leafy body. The petal-like feathers were torn apart by the spiraling fire, and the vines that lashed out from its back burned to ash inside the blazing storm.

The force of the spell made even the armored warrior stagger backward. Heat waves rolled through the clearing, the air shimmered, and the ground cracked as the earth began to turn to glass.

"Is it dead? It has to be, right?" Once the monster was consumed by the flames, the armored man lowered his shield and let out a sigh. Just as it seemed that everything was over, the creature charged forward again. Its body was half charred, its green feathers reduced to ash, yet it still had its beak and legs to strike.

"Damn it, don't look!" He shouted to his allies as a strange pulse flashed from the creature's eyes. The mage who had cast the spell failed to avert his gaze and was caught by the petrifying stare. His body froze instantly, and his limbs began to turn to stone.

"I told you to close your eyes, you old fool!" Without the ability to move, the mage was frozen in place. He tried to step forward but could not. One of his hands reached into a pouch, pulling out a small vial. His fingers were moving slowly, already turning to stone before he could remove the cork. To make matters worse, the creature charged at him without slowing down.

"Shit, Volyn, get out of there!" The armored man shouted, but just as all seemed lost, a dagger flew from the side and sank into the monster's large eye. From its flank, the fourth member of the party appeared, holding another dagger. He plunged it into the creature's neck, causing it to collapse. With a quick pull, yellow acidic blood sprayed in every direction. He jumped back to avoid the spray and ran toward the mage.

Moving quickly, he picked up the vial the mage had dropped, uncorked it, and poured its contents over Volyn's face, halting the petrification. A grayish light surrounded the mage, and soon his stone limbs returned to normal.

"That was a close call," The man with the dagger said, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Are you all right, Volyn?" Once the monster was dead, the warrior finally joined the mage and the rogue.

"What, you won't even ask if I'm fine? You wound me, Culdor."

"Shut it, Heister, you're fine." Soon, the fourth party member joined them. The elven woman with the bow jumped down from one of the trees she had been using for cover. She slowly approached the dead cockatrice and knelt beside it. Placing her hand over the creature, she murmured a few words, and the rest of the party appeared behind her.

"Syl, got anything?" Heister stepped forward while Culdor supported the injured mage behind him. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

"This creature seemed frightened. Something must have forced it out of its habitat. Perhaps it was an 'Apex'."

"An apex? In that place?" Syl stood up and nodded without replying. She looked toward the area filled with plantlike drachinids.

"If not an apex, then maybe a monster rampage. We should warn everyone before these creatures start flooding in." The others nodded and stared into the distance. Something had clearly frightened this plant drachinid. This creature was strong and would not easily leave its habitat which implied that whatever caused this was probably tearing through other monsters as they spoke.

"Let's just collect the materials and get back. I don't want to be here when whatever scared this cockatrice shows up." The adventurers exchanged a brief glance, and as if on cue, a fifth person stepped out from behind a tree stump. They carried a large backpack and held a carving knife ready in their hand. Once gathered, the five adventurers spread out around the body, ensuring their companion could work safely. All of them remained on high alert, wondering what could have caused such an anomaly.

"Awooo!" Agni howled as his ruby form shimmered. The crystals in his fur and tail began to glow and grow in size. As he ran forward, they detached from his body and hovered in the air before a Fungalfang Lindwurm. The monster tried to strike the wolf with its powerful forelimbs but hit nothing but air. With great leaps, the horse-sized wolf bounded around the larger creature. Each time his paws touched the ground, another red gem separated from his mane and circled the greenish drachinid.

The monster grew frustrated with its opponent's agility. Since it could not catch him with its claws, it prepared another kind of attack. It opened its toothy maw and gathered a foul breath. A moment later, it released a brown cloud of noxious gas, spraying it in all directions in an attempt to disable its foe. When the air cleared, the wolf was gone.

"Rrrrr!" A deep growl drew the Lindwurm's gaze upward. The ruby-covered wolf stood above on a temporary platform, the horn on his forehead glowing brightly. When the charge completed, a ray of crimson light shot forward. It was not aimed at the monster but at one of the floating crystals. The beam struck the gem, split apart, and reflected across the other rubies, creating a storm of crimson beams that rained down upon the creature. The drachinid shrieked as dozens of crimson rays tore through its green hide.

Steam and spores burst from the creature's wounds, filling the air with a thick haze. Agni landed gracefully on a patch of grass, his claws digging in to steady his weight as his fiery aura blazed. The crystals floating around him pulsed once more, then shattered into harmless dust as their energy faded. Roland stood several meters away, the faint glow of his visor reflecting the data from his scans. He watched his partner unleash a new skill that he had recently learned, and it was far stronger than expected.

The floating rubies had refracted the main beam attack, turning it into hundreds of smaller rays that overwhelmed everything caught within their reach.

"A powerful technique, but it takes too long to prepare. If someone figures it out, they can escape before it hits." Ruby Prison Active Skill When activated, multiple floating rubies form around an enemy. This skill is available only in the [Ruby Form]. The created rubies can refract ray-type fire skills and magic, but with repeated refractions, the spell's power weakens. Ruby Ray Active Skill When activated, a ray of concentrated fire energy shoots from the user's horn.

The attack deals heavy single-target damage and can pierce certain magical barriers. When combined with Ruby Prison, the beam splits and refracts through the surrounding rubies, creating a storm of scattered fire rays.

"It's not dead yet Agni, finish it off."

"Awooo!" Agni howled at Roland's warning and gathered up magical energy in his own muzzle. While he was no dragon, those creatures were not the only ones that could create breathing attacks. Agni's chest expanded as flames built up within his throat. The runes engraved on his harness armor pulsed in tandem with the rhythmic flow of mana. The temperature around him rose sharply, and even Roland's visor dimmed to protect him from the surging heat.

"Let's see it then." Agni lowered his head and released the gathered power. A torrent of deep crimson fire poured forth, forming a spiraling column that resembled a corkscrew. The wave of flame struck the wounded Lindwurm square in the chest, consuming it in a whirling blaze. Once the monster was engulfed, its fungal spores and plant body erupted in flames. Although it tried to flee, it was too late. Within moments, it collapsed to the ground, reduced to nothing more than a pile of charred ash.

"That's enough, boy." Roland spoke while watching Agni cut off the stream mid-roar. The remaining embers scattered like glowing petals. Agni turned his large head toward Roland and let out a proud, rumbling bark. His tail wagged, sending red specks of mana drifting through the air. Roland walked closer to the remains and knelt beside the partially melted carcass. His gauntlet plunged into the monster's body, and after a moment of searching, he pulled something free.

In his grasp was a large mana crystal, the only salvageable part of this type of monster when fire energy had been used.

"It feels like a waste, but I do not have time to disassemble all of these corpses. He glanced to the side, where several other monsters of various sizes lay defeated. Their remains were blackened, and he maintained control over the area to keep the smoke from spreading. The hidden golems among the trees had detected movement nearby. Adventurers were snooping around, and he wondered how long it would be before his grinding spot became known.

"I might have to move from this area if other people come snooping… I should give it a go then." There was now a possibility that people from the nearby adventurer stronghold would come to investigate what was driving the monsters out of their normal territory. While this was problematic, it was not the end of the world. His base of operations was secure, and he also had a way to get the most out of this place in a short amount of time.

"Agni, you should stay away. Your nose won't like this."

"Woof?" Agni tilted his head in confusion at Roland's words, but once Roland took out a small square container, the dog quickly realized something was wrong. His nose wrinkled, and he backed away from his master.

"That smell is quite strong. I wonder how many will come once it spreads farther." The small case held a bead-sized object that emitted a harsh odor. To Agni, it was nearly unbearable, but it had a very different effect on the drachinids. Roland had already run several tests, and now it was time for the final one. With the small nest of monsters cleared out, he could set the next trap. If everything went according to plan, this little item would allow him to progress much faster than before.

Roland placed the small pallet on a rune-covered disk that he had prepared earlier. The carved symbols beneath it flashed to life, and the effect began almost immediately. A gentle breeze rose from the center, blowing air upward before gathering strength and forming a small spiral cyclone. The power output was weak, as its main purpose was simply to spread the smell, which it did with great efficiency. Within seconds, the stench became almost unbearable.

Even the filters in Roland's helmet struggled to block it out. Agni whined softly, backing away and pawing at his snout.

"Sorry, boy. You'd better stay back for this one." The smell was truly vile, somewhere between rotting vegetables and burnt sulfur, but it served its purpose. The drachinids would come. The effect had already been proven, and Rastix had adjusted his concoction to specifically attract the floral lesser dragons. With everything ready, Roland moved to a safer distance, and Agni followed him to a higher position. Roland crouched on the slope and observed the flow of wind energy through his visor.

To normal eyes it would have been invisible, but through his sensors, he could clearly see the scent spreading in every direction.

"Wind circle stable. Scent diffusion optimal. Let's see how long before they take the bait." Agni whined softly beside him, but once Roland cast a protective barrier around them and cloaked their presence, the wolf settled down. After a few loud sneezes, Agni sat and watched the dispersing winds. About five minutes later, the ground began to rumble. The lesser dragons were coming.

"Here they come… maybe I really should give Rastix a raise after this." A roar came first, followed by the swaying of trees as a large shadow moved between them, then another and another. Roland stayed still and activated his system of golemic lookouts.

"Three… four, five… and more incoming, all mid-sized drachinids." More dots appeared on his display as the monsters rushed toward the source of the smell. The alchemical concoction was small but powerful, enough to drive the dungeon creatures into a frenzy. They broke through the undergrowth, mostly spined, leafy wyrms with fungal growths clinging to their scales. Their nostrils flared as they caught the intensified scent, and their movements became wild. One struck another with its claw, shoving it aside.

Even though they were all dungeon creatures, they were not allies. They acted like natural-born monsters, which made things easier.

"Come, just a bit more…" Roland smiled under his helmet and watched the map. The monsters swarmed from every direction into the area he had prepared for them. Once they entered the zone, the fireworks would begin.