Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 155: Decisive Battle on the Plant Continent

Episode 155: Decisive Battle on the Plant Continent  

◆　　◆　　◆

A few hours before Fuwa Katsu encountered the “Ancient King,” far to the northeast of his location. A decisive battle for the fate of the continent was reaching its final stage in the Eastern Great Magical Wilderness.  

“G-gegege…”  

“…………”  

Bursting forth from the ground with a crack was a fresh, vibrant green.  

It shot upward with blinding speed, so fast that even a master swordsman’s thrust would seem slow in comparison. The culprit was none other than bamboo, a plant.  

This swift strike was made possible through a combination of bamboo’s natural fast-growing properties, a high-speed growth [Skill], a [Dominion] that rapidly accelerated plant growth, and regeneration [Skills].  

However—  

The nearly hundred bamboo shoots that emerged at once, while they managed to pierce the enemy, failed to inflict any significant damage.  

“…………”  

“Gegubuaa!?”  

Worse yet, as soon as the bamboo touched the enemy, it lost its form and was absorbed.  

The bamboo beast let out a scream, overwhelmed by the unknown sensation of having its body burned, melted, and consumed.  

Though it quickly self-amputated to avoid further harm, it had already lost some of its power and part of the root network that spread deep underground.  

With this, the bamboo beast’s [Territory] shrank further, and the enemy drew one step closer to its main body.  

There was no escape for the bamboo beast.  

Its enemy surrounded it on all sides with its massive, bloated body.  

“G-gugu…”  

“…….” 

The bamboo beast, known as the “Green King,” The Lush and Thriving Bamboo Full of Vitality, could not halt the advance of its enemy, the chaos-spawned creature, Karkinos.  

The outcome of the battle was now painfully obvious. Karkinos was on the verge of delivering the final blow.  

The “Green King’s” main body was not the particularly thick bamboo at the center of the forest but the roots buried underground. However, Karkinos had also spread its own roots deep beneath the surface.  

It was only a matter of time before Karminos’ sinister grasp enveloped the “Green King.”  

“G-gegegegege…!”  

Thus, the “Green King” made a decision—to use its ultimate trump card.  

[Green King’s Authority: A Harmony of Countless Greens]. 

This ability granted the “Green King” powerful regenerative effects while also causing excessive combustion of its life force, triggering rapid and extreme growth.  

The speed and volume of this growth far surpassed its usual strikes.  

In addition, the technique absorbed |Life|, |Mana|, moisture, and nutrients from whatever it pierced.  

If it could break through even a small part of the enemy’s defenses, it would continue to grow stronger and stronger by consuming the stolen life force—a deadly [Skill].  

However, the drawback of burning up its life force was that the “Green King’s” regeneration speed would be drastically reduced for a while—a double-edged sword.  

Despite this, the “Green King” had no other choice, and the technique easily pierced through Karkinos.  

“……….”  

“Gegegegege!”  

Yet, this did not signify the “Green King’s” victory.  

Karkinos’ form lacked clear definition.  

Its vast body, comparable in size to a sea of trees, was unstable like a stormy ocean—free-flowing like flames.  

At one moment, it bloomed like a dandelion; the next, it bore leaves similar to shepherd’s purse; before finally resembling pampas grass.  

This transformation was happening erratically all over its body, making it impossible to define whether it was a flower, grass, or tree.  

The portion of Karkinos’ body that had been pierced by the bamboo was immediately discarded, negating the absorption effect of the “Green King’s” attack.  

Even though the “Green King” had unleashed hundreds of bamboo shoots, they were little more than drops in the ocean compared to Karkinos’ colossal form, which dwarfed even Beast Kings.  

Despite the hundreds of holes in its body, Karkinos advanced as if it felt no pain or discomfort.  

“Gugugu…”  

With its trump card easily thwarted, the “Green King” resigned itself to its fate.  

There was no way to stop Karkinos anymore.  

Emerging from the ground, the “Green King’s” main root flipped itself upside down.  

It bent its body like a pole vaulter and leapt into the air, attempting to escape from above.  

However, the “Green King” knew all too well that it was a futile effort.  

If escape had been an option, it would have done so long before resorting to its royal authority.  

What prevented its escape was the horizon, covered in Karkinos’ amorphous plant-like mass.  

Karkinos’ gargantuan body, composed of countless jumbled and constantly recombining plants, stretched to the ends of the earth.  

Even with the “Green King’s” exceptional physical abilities as a Beast King, escaping with a single jump was impossible.  

Still, driven by its survival instinct, the “Green King” fled toward the sky. Only to begin a free fall shortly after, lacking any ability to fly.  

Seeing this, Karkinos gathered its strength to attack.  

As expected, the “Green King’s” attempt ended in failure—  

“(Bon appétit!)”  

—A single bolt of lightning pierced the air. 

◆　　◆　　◆

―――Non-Notification Information Recording Zone―――――――――――――

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

>> The Radiant One with the Amber Sun and Divine Wisdom (?), Fuwa Katsu’s <Soul Accumulation Level> has increased to 814.  

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

“(Phew, that was a close one.)”  

I stored the “Green King’s” corpse in my [Weapon Storage], taking a moment to assess the situation.  

A few hours ago, I had arrived in this Great Magical Wilderness.  

The gods had foretold the “Green King’s” defeat on the fifth day, which was today.  

There was no way I could take down five Beast Kings in time by fighting normally.  

That’s why I decided to snatch the <Soul Fragments> from the “Green King” after Karkinos had weakened it.  

It was a two-birds-one-stone plan, as I could prevent Karkinos from growing stronger at the same time.  

“(The combat speed was so fast that I had no idea where to break in, but I’m glad it jumped over to me.)”

From the feeling I got when I touched the , it seems the roots were the main body.

I was using my stealth [Skills] at full power to observe from the air, but I thought I would win by breaking that large bamboo.

The Chaos Beast produced by the Demon Cult also had the roots as the main body, so maybe it’s necessary to crush the roots of higher-level plant-type magical beasts.

“…………”

At that moment, I felt a creeping sense of murderous intent.

It was Karkinos.

It was directing countless plants toward me, the one who snatched its prey. Judging by the movement of the |Mana|, it looked like a long-range attack was coming.

Moreover, its [Dominion] was extending. This was because the [Dominion] of the “Green King,” which had been countering, had disappeared.

I had cut my [Territory] to increase my stealth. So if this continued, I would get swallowed up by that thing.

“Well, I don’t have time to deal with you right now. It’s your turn next, see ya!”

Leaving that parting shot, I flew up into the air.

There, my companion, Paula, was preparing magic. And soon a hole opened up that was just big enough for me to pass through. As we slipped through, the hole closed immediately.

And thus, my first encounter with Karkinos came to an end.