Chapter 121: The Secret Weapon
The Ancient Forest Giant roared as it struggled to remain standing.
Its enormous hand reached toward one of the hunters.
The man barely managed to move out of the way before the giant’s fingers closed around the tree behind him.
CRACK!
The trunk snapped.
The hunter ran through the branches while the giant tried to grab him again.
A few yards away, Emily disappeared in a flash of electricity.
She appeared on the boss’s arm and delivered a punch.
BAM!
Carol struck one of its legs.
Duncan did the same from the other side.
Robert fired his rifle.
BOOM!
A section of the giant’s bark exploded.
But despite all of that...
The hunters kept fighting.
And none of them seemed to be getting tired.
A thin cloud of powder floated around the battlefield.
The white-haired hunter remained perched on one of the branches, waving his hands and scattering the powder over the others.
Every time someone breathed in the substance, they felt their energy returning to their bodies.
It was as if they had recovered all their strength.
The Ancient Forest Giant slammed both hands into the ground.
BOOM!
The earth rose beneath the impact.
Several hunters jumped to avoid the shockwave.
"Keep it up!"
Liam shouted.
Beneath one of the giant’s legs, Jordan and Duncan continued pushing.
Jordan gritted his teeth.
"A little more!"
Duncan planted both feet firmly against the ground.
"Ivy!"
"On it!"
The vines tightened.
Ivy pulled on them with all her strength.
The plants wrapped around the giant’s leg and began dragging it backward.
The monster roared and struggled to maintain its balance.
But between Jordan and Duncan’s pushing and the strength of the vines, it finally gave way.
One of its legs shifted backward.
Then the other.
"It’s stepping back!"
Carol shouted.
The giant took a step, and its enormous foot landed directly on the area covered by the slippery liquid.
Then it began to slide.
"Now!"
Jordan and Duncan pushed with all their strength, Ivy pulled on the vines, and the giant completely lost its balance.
"AAAAARGH!"
Its enormous body began to tilt.
The hunters ran in every direction.
The Ancient Forest Giant fell backward.
BOOOOOOM!
Its body crushed several trees as it fell.
Branches snapped, and the ground trembled.
A huge cloud of dust covered the forest.
◇◆◇
Liam shielded his face with one arm.
"Chuck!"
The hunter approached him.
Liam smiled.
"It’s time."
Chuck popped a bubble of gum inside his mouth.
POP.
Then he grinned.
"I’ve been waiting for you to say that, Boss."
Liam looked toward Lydia.
The small green slime was beside him.
"Lydia, trust me."
[Lydia: Don’t worry.]
The small gelatinous sphere moved slightly.
[Lydia: I’m ready.]
Liam nodded.
"Then you have to consume it."
Lydia remained silent for a few seconds.
[Lydia: Understood, honey.]
Liam looked at Chuck.
"Now throw my wife."
Chuck blinked.
"What?"
"You heard me. The secret weapon."
Chuck took Lydia into his hands.
The gelatinous mass wobbled slightly.
Chuck raised an eyebrow.
"She’s pretty similar to chewing gum."
Liam looked at him seriously.
"Don’t take it the wrong way."
"Relax. It’s better than when she said she was a green booger."
Chuck began laughing.
Lydia sent a message.
[Lydia: I can hear you two.]
Liam smiled.
"Sorry, honey."
Chuck took a few steps back.
"Well, Liam’s wife..."
Liam raised a hand.
"Careful."
"Yeah, yeah."
Chuck took several more steps backward.
"Hold on!"
Lydia didn’t respond...
Chuck bent his knees.
And launched the small slime into the sky.
◇◆◇
As Lydia began to rise, the other hunters continued attacking.
The Ancient Forest Giant was still lying on the ground.
But it wasn’t defeated.
Carol slammed both fists into its chest.
BAM!
The bark cracked.
BAM!
Another punch, and wooden fragments went flying.
"This should hurt!"
Duncan ran toward one of its legs.
His fist struck with tremendous force.
CRACK!
The leg began to break apart.
On the other side, Jordan repeatedly struck the other one.
His body seemed to be changing.
The fat on his body was slowly decreasing as his awakening transformed those reserves into energy.
Jordan struck again.
BOOM!
The giant’s leg sank into the ground.
Robert continued firing.
BANG!
A bullet struck the shoulder.
Robert pressed his thumb against his fist.
BOOM!
The shoulder exploded.
"Another!"
He fired again, causing another explosion.
The giant’s bark was completely destroyed in several places.
But then Liam noticed it.
The bark began growing back.
First, tiny fibers.
Then branches.
Then a thick layer of wood.
Within seconds, the destroyed area was practically restored.
Liam frowned.
’It can regenerate.’
The giant raised an arm and tried to grab Duncan.
Ivy reacted immediately.
"No!"
The vines shot toward the arm and wrapped around it.
The giant pulled hard.
CRACK!
The plants snapped.
Ivy stumbled backward.
"It’s too strong!"
The giant moved again.
Despite all the attacks, it was beginning to stand up.
Robert fired another bullet, causing it to explode...
But the giant simply regenerated and ignored it.
Robert looked toward the branch where the support hunter was standing.
"Hey, Carl!"
The white-haired man looked down.
"What?"
"Why isn’t your energy recovery ability working?"
Carl smiled weakly. His face was completely pale, and sweat ran down his forehead.
"Because I’m the one who needs to recover my energy."
Robert stared at him in disbelief.
"What?"
Carl took a deep breath.
"I’m running out of energy."
Robert rolled his eyes.
"You’re an idiot."
He pointed toward the giant.
"I didn’t expect that from someone who’s ninth in the rankings."
Carl let out a small laugh.
"Neither did I."
The giant placed both hands on the ground and began to rise.
"No!"
Liam shouted.
Everyone turned toward him.
Liam pointed toward the sky.
"Don’t let the boss get up!"
The hunters looked upward.
"Here comes the secret weapon!"
A small green sphere was slowly descending from the sky.
Lydia.
Chuck was using his awakening to control her trajectory.
He had thrown her incredibly high.
And now he was slowly guiding her downward toward the Ancient Forest Giant.
Chuck grinned.
"Dead center!"
Liam watched Lydia descend.
Then the small sphere began to change.
Her body stretched several yards.
The small shadow she cast began to grow.
The hunters looked up.
The shadow covered the trees.
Then the ground.
Then them.
"Everyone out of the area!" Liam shouted.
The hunters began running.
Emily disappeared in a flash.
Carol backed away.
Duncan moved aside.
Jordan rolled across the ground.
Even Robert looked up with a surprised expression.
The gelatinous mass continued expanding.
Her round shape began to deform as she fell.
Now she was enormous, much larger than when Chuck had thrown her.
The Ancient Forest Giant finally managed to lift part of its body.
It looked up and saw something green covering the sky.
Liam closed his eyes and used his ability.
[Call]
Lydia heard him directly in her thoughts.
’I trust you.’
The slime descended.
’You can do it.’
Lydia responded.
[Lydia: Thank you, honey.]
The enormous green mass continued falling.
The giant tried to stand.
The hunters watched from the surrounding area.
And Liam smiled.
’Come on, Lydia.’
The shadow completely covered the Ancient Forest Giant.
’Consume it.’