Chapter 424
Chapter 424
The ground trembled as the Verdant Behemoth, a colossal tree-like monster, rushed through the forest, charging at Jake once again. The bark that covered its body was as tough as armor, and its eyes, glowing with an unnatural green light, were fixed on him.
The colossal beast lurched to a stop, its massive claws carving deep furrows into the earth as it fought to halt its charge. With a thunderous roar erupting from its maw that echoed through the trees, the Behemoth unleashed its first special ability. Its mouth opened wide, releasing a summoning cry that seemed to resonate with the very heart of the forest. All around Jake, vegetation came alive, bushes writhing and warping, their shapes elongating into lean, agile creatures with sharp, twig-like limbs.
The first of the transformed creatures sprang toward Jake in a sudden blur of motion. But Jake was ready. Sidestepping, he swung the sword extended from his right wrist through the air, cutting one creature down with a swift, clean stroke.
But more were coming, darting from all directions, forcing him to dance a deadly ballet of defense and attack. Dodging the claws lashing out at him, he countered with his swords. It wasn’t the first time he had fought these creatures, and from experience, he knew that among all the weapons in his arsenal, the swords were the most effective against this type of mutant.
Each creature he felled was replaced by two more, their numbers swelling with the Behemoth’s continuous cry. Undeterred, Jake continued to cut down the plant monsters, slaying them one after another. As the battle raged, the Behemoth unleashed its second special ability. Instantly, from every tree surrounding Jake and the Verdant Behemoth, thick, sinewy vines burst forth, whipping through the air like living whips.
One vine curled around his ankle, pulling him off balance. He hacked at it with his sword, but it was immediately replaced by another. He fought vigorously, yet for every vine he severed, two more emerged, wrapping around his legs and arms, tightening their grip with each passing moment. His movements grew restricted as the relentless vines lifted him into the air like prey caught in nature’s ruthless trap.
The Behemoth, sensing its advantage, thundered forward, ripping through the dense foliage with unstoppable force. A surge of raw power coursed through Jake as he wrenched one arm free, his blade flashing in a swift, decisive arc that shredded the ensnaring vines. As soon as he dropped to the ground, the Behemoth was upon him, its massive arm already swinging down like a club. Rolling to the side, he narrowly avoided the crushing blow, which left a deep crater where he had been only moments before.
Jake sprang to his feet, ragged strips of severed vines still clinging stubbornly to his arms and legs. There was no time to tear them away. The Behemoth wheeled toward him with impressive speed and agility for something so massive, its eyes glowing brighter with malice.
Without hesitation, it swung its hammer-like fist again, but this time Jake was ready. He ducked beneath the blow, swiftly closing the distance, and with a mighty leap, he thrust his sword upward, aiming for the creature’s underbelly, where the armor-like bark had been weakened by his previous attacks.
The sword met resistance, but his momentum and strength pushed the sword through, the blade sinking deep into the Behemoth’s flesh. A howl of pain and rage erupted from the monster. Thick, sap-like blood dripped from the wound. The smaller creatures faltered, their forms beginning to revert back to mere bushes as the Behemoth’s control over nature waned.
But the battle was far from over. The colossal wooden beast let out a furious roar, thrashing in rage as its enormous fists carved sweeping arcs through the air. Jake dodged and danced, his swords slicing through more vines that snaked through the air to ensnare him.
After dealing with the vibes, he turned his attention back to the Verdant Behemoth. Feigning to the left, drawing its attention, he darted right, then jumped, launching himself toward the Behemoth’s head, his sword aimed for the glowing eyes.
The tip of the blade plunged into one of them, and the Behemoth reared back, its cry now a deafening screech of pain. It grabbed Jake with one hand and tore him away from its body with incredible strength. In the next instant, it hurled him through the air like a ragdoll, sending him crashing into a massive tree.
The impact was so fierce that the trunk splintered and cracked. His armor absorbed the worst of it, but a wave of dizziness washed over him, blurring his senses. The severely wounded Behemoth was now even more dangerous than before, flailing its limbs and roaring in rage.
As the massive monster charged toward him once again, Jake swapped his swords for chainsaws, their internal engines idling with a menacing growl, the blades spinning with deadly precision. As it ran, the monster let out another summoning cry. As the bushes all around him began to shift into agile, twig-like creatures, Jake revved the chainsaws, ready to put them to good use.
Charging toward the nearest of the plant monsters, he swung one chainsaw at the creature, the roaring blade slicing through its form with ease, sending splinters flying. He used the other chainsaw to fend off another attacker.
Then the Verdant Behemoth employed its second special ability again, sending vines whipping through the air toward him like venomous serpents. With a deft movement, he used one chainsaw to slice through the incoming vines, and the other to defend against the plant creatures. The air filled with the scent of cut wood and the sound of chainsaws biting into living wood.
The battle had been unfolding in this manner for some time now. Jake alternated between his weapons, smashfists, chainsaws, drills, swords, and others, as he fought against the Verdant Behemoth. The massive wooden monster likewise cycled through its special abilities, using vine attacks, summoning plant creatures, and releasing clouds of noxious fumes that billowed from its core. Yet the poison haze barely fazed Jake, as his 55% Poison Resistance and maxed-out Toxic Resistance at Rank V shielded him from the worst of its venom.
Sensing the futility of its smaller minions’ attacks, the Behemoth swung its colossal arms downward like titanic mallets. Jake dropped low, narrowly avoiding a crushing strike, but the impact shook the ground violently. A powerful shockwave exploded outward, lifting him off his feet and hurling him back.
He landed hard but was on his feet again in an instant, the chainsaws never ceasing their deadly dance. He charged at the Behemoth, aiming the rotating blades at its midsection, an area battered and weakened by earlier attacks. The jagged teeth of the blades tore through the armor, tearing into the monster’s flesh, shredding the bark in a spray of chips.
Thick, transparent blood sprayed as he carved a path through the creature, the chainsaws’ roar drowning out the Behemoth’s cries of pain. The massive creature staggered, its movements becoming sluggish as Jake continued his assault, the chainsaws biting deeper and deeper.
Taking advantage of the Behemoth’s loss of focus, he climbed onto its back, using the chainsaws to saw at the joints of its massive limbs, aiming to cripple the creature. The monster thrashed, trying to dislodge Jake, but he held fast, Adhesive Secretion keeping him anchored in place. With a final, brutal swing, Jake severed one of the massive arms, the limb crashing to the ground with a solid thud.
The Behemoth, now severely weakened, attempted one last desperate attack, its remaining arm swinging wildly, trying to grab him again. Jake jumped off just in time, landing with a roll. He came up, chainsaws still running, and charged once again. This time, he aimed for the Behemoth’s neck, the chainsaws cutting through the tough armor-like bark with a shower of wood chips and sap. A moment later, the monster’s head came off, the Behemoth’s life force draining away.
For a moment, the monster remained standing before collapsing onto the forest floor with a crash that reverberated through the air.
Enemy Killed. +45,575 XP
XP: 184,010 / 201,600
Jake wasted no time in instructing one of his arachnids to come to his position and secure the Verdant Behemoth’s severed head. Rather than allowing the arachnid to carry the head back to his ten-story lair, risking human interference and the possible loss of the head, he used a tumor from his inventory to teleport the creature directly to the lair. A moment later, the arachnid vanished.
Opening a mental link to his lair, Jake ordered the Chlorocore Strand to be extracted from the Verdant Behemoth’s head and placed in storage. That made two of the three unique genetic materials he needed. Just one more, and the primorph’s transformation into a Stage I Kaiju could begin.