Mutagen

Day 253 - 8:21 AM - Mountainous Crater, Municipality of Viga, Province of Catanduanes

Watching from the northwestern mountains, everyone saw the tree trunk-thick vines quickly making their way up the [Giant Mechid's] enormous body.

The battle had finally started.

Diwata Iraya raised her right hand, signaling the Elementals and Nature Spirits around her to get ready.

Ordulk, on the other hand, aimed his bow and pulled its string, making the archers under his command follow suit.

Mei also aimed her [Shooting Moon Blade] while Amihan readied to use her magic.

The remaining people remained on standby, clenching their spears.

Nonetheless, no one had fired their weapons yet. While the battle started, it was not yet the signal for them to join in.

Back within the corrupted forest of the crater, Mark saw the vines that began to constrict the [Giane Mechid].

"Chimetrice reached it first."

Mark said with a frown while he waved his [Slicer], wrapping around the head of an [Insect Type Mechid] before decapitating it. He then continued on his way to rush towards the [Giant Mechid].

It may be a bad stroke of luck, but Mark was encountering more [Mechids] compared to Chimetrice's side. Or rather, there seemed to be more [Mechids] gathering to intercept him.

The current situation was making Mark feel strange and annoyed. It was as if he had already been marked as an enemy. Did the [Giant Mechid] recognize him? He was wearing armor that also covered his face, though.

No... there were more methods to recognize a person other than just appearance. Mark knew that well as he was someone who could recognize a person depending on their emotional fluctuations and aura.

If this was the case, the possibility of Mark being recognized by the [Giant Mechid] was not zero.

No. Mark was definitely recognized, considering the amount of resistance he was facing.

One would be afraid of the unknown. However, the same person would fear something they knew but could not fathom even more.

It was the situation that Mark was currently facing.

The [Giant Mechid] deemed both Mark and Chimetrice as an enemy. However, while it had never seen Chimetrice, it already saw what Mark was capable of. Comparing the two, the data it gathered had turned Mark into a priority than Chimetrice.

This situation gave Chimetrice to give the first blow, however.

BAM! BAM!

The loud sounds of something heavy falling echoed across the crater. It was the [Giant Mechid], falling over after trying to free itself from the vines creeping unto its enormous body.

The [Giant Mechid] was trying to pull its legs from the vines. However, the attack Chimetrice made was also planned. Before the battle, Mark had already told him to focus the vines on the less damaged legs of the [Giant Mechid].

Normally, one would target the damaged legs. It would be the most reasonable approach.

However, the goal of the vines was not to damage but to constrict the [Giant Mechid]. In the first place, these vines could not deal much damage to the target's body made of otherworldly metals.

With its less damaged legs becoming constricted, the [Giant Mechid] could only rely on its more damaged legs to balance its body as it tried to break free. But with the severely damaged legs unable to hold its weight alone, it fell to the ground without much resistance.

The [Giant Mechid] fell. However, not much damage was done aside from its body getting covered in black goo and mud. It was not surprising as its daily routine was falling down and standing back up repeatedly while trying to escape the confines of its natural prison.

Nonetheless, with the [Giant Mechid] fallen to the ground, it became easier for the vines to over the body of the enemy.

With the opportunity he created, Chimetrice waved his hand, which began to release a bright greenish glow, and slammed it to the ground. More vine, thicker and stronger than before, sprouted to the ground and quickly tried to envelop the [Giant Mechid's] body.

The ground trembled as the vines moved. As the [Giant Mechid] tried to resist, it shook the ground even more.

But then, the area opposite Chimetrice was suddenly veiled in flames.

The flames, forming a gigantic ball, shot towards the [Giant Mechid] while enveloping everything in its path.

After leaving a trail of burning trees and evaporating black goo, the bright orange flames hit the [Giant Mechid] with overwhelming heat. Since it was being covered in flammable magical vines, the [Giant Mechid] was immediately enveloped in flames.

Towards the north of the [Giant Mechid], Mark flapped his wings with his hands outstretched. In front of his palm was a [Mental Crystal] with a reddish-orange glowing orb inside it.

This crystal was the [Flame Manipulation Mental Crystal] that Mark got from the [Lava Infected] in Taal Volcano. The remaining essence of the power of the [Flame Demon], Gar'Vlam, from his body.

While the power of this crystal was not comparable to the full strength of Gar'Vlam, it was still the flames of a Deity-level [Flame Demon]. It swallowed Chimetrice's vines without resistance, enveloping the [Giant Mechid] with these demonic flames as a result.

The giant torch was lit in the middle of the mountainous crater.

SHOOM!

A beam of light shot from the northwestern mountain peaks more than two kilometers away.

BOOM!

The beam of light pierced through the flames and vines, hitting the enormous body of the [Giant Mechid].

Mei stared over her [Shooting Moon Blade] in full concentration. In her hand was another empty [Mental Crystal] and another disposable [Crystal Converter]. Once the result of her shot was clearly observed, she was ready to fire another shot.

Following Mei's beam, Ordulk and the archers under his command released their arrows.

Looking at the arrows raining from the sky, it actually looked foolish. Although these magical creatures were far stronger than humans, it was still impossible for these arrows to reach the [Giant Mechid] kilometers away, even if these arrows were enchanted by their magic.

However, as the arrows shot by the archers reached their highest points, Diwata Iraya waved her right hand forward. The [Sylphs] behind her released their magic.

[Sylphs]. These small wind elementals were mostly weak on their own. However, with dozens of them bonded together, summoning a small raging tornado was not a problem. But this time, their goal was not to summon a destructive weather phenomenon that would impact the battle negatively for them.

Instead...

The [Sylphs] waved their hands in unison, with their eyes and wings glowing brightly despite the morning sunshine. The arrows that were supposed to fall after reaching their highest points stabilized and shot towards the [Giant Mechid] engulfed in flames.

The wind surged, carrying the arrows away. There was no doubt that these arrows would reach their target despite the distance.

But then, Amihan flew up high in the sky, with her stopping at the height where she formed a long slope with the [Giant Mechid] with the arrows between them.

Amihan began to release her magic. The markings on her body glowed brightly with her wings. Like a green star in the daytime, Amihan shined in the sky.

Even Diwata Iraya and the other magical creatures were surprised by the amount of magic Amihan began releasing.

And then, Amihan abruptly raised her hand and waved it forward.

The sky above the crater shook. The arrows flying towards the [Giant Mechid] became blurs to everyone's eyes.

BOOM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

By the time everyone noticed, the flames and the charred vines around the [Giant Mechid's] body were blown away, along with the loud sounds of impact hitting its body.

BAM!

To everyone's surprise, the [Giant Mechid] was slowly being pushed back by the continuous arrows hitting its body.

RUMBLE!

The [Giant Mechid] rolled uncontrollably after being pushed, toppling everything behind it.

It was amazing to see a giant prism actually rolling like a spear.

After the first attacks, Mark and Chimetrice flew over the trees and reunited. Depending on the damage they did with this attack, they would choose what steps they should make next.

SHOOOM!

Suddenly, two large beams of light shot toward Mark and Chimetrice, forcing them to evade in separate directions.

Mark frowned, facing the direction where the beams came from.

From the shade of the trees, two odd-looking [Mechids] appeared. And surprisingly, rather than being insect or animal-like, these two [Mechids] were humanoids. Both stood about three meters tall, armed with a variety of weapons. What made them strange was their arms being laser cannons and having track wheels as legs.

These [Mechids] were clearly not the same as the other ones used for experiments and scouting. These two were clearly made to defend this place.

But were there only two?

Unfortunately... No.

THOOOM! THOOOOM!

Several more beams shot toward Mark and Chimetrice. There were exactly sixteen more beams fired from the shade of the trees.

This was not good. The two that appeared were just to distract Mark while the rest hid under the trees. Mark and Chimetrice could do the same. However, it was unlikely that they would have the upper hand by doing that.

Mark immediately conjured another crystal out of the [PsyCrystal]. Seeing its green glow, Chimetrice understood what Mark planned to do.

The two both released their wind magic, shooting sharp blades of wind towards the [Mechids].

CLANG! CLANG!

The wind blades hit the two [Mechids] in front, causing loud sounds. However, unlike the other [Mechids] they encountered earlier, these ones actually endured the attacks, only leaving slight dents on their metal bodies.

But damaging the [Mechids] was not the goal of those wind blades.

CRASH!

The [Mechids] could endure a direct hit, but definitely not the trees behind them.

One after another, the trees where the other [Mechids] hid fell with their trunks cut neatly.

All eighteen [Mechids] became exposed as they moved along the destroyed trees.

Mark looked at the [Mechids]. All of them looked the same. It was clear that they all shared the same strength, both offense, and defense.

RUMBLE!

The ground shook once more. The [Giant Mechid] had already recovered from the attack it received.

At the center of its body, one could see a hole that was now oozing with black goo. The attack it received managed to puncture its strong body. It was a good thing.

Unfortunately, the damage was far from enough for the [Giant Mechid] to cease its function.

Mark tapped the ring that Bathala gave him and Mei. He began sending instructions to her for another volley of attacks.

However, the [Mechids] began their attack while Mark was giving his instructions. It was not a turn-based game. The enemies would not wait for Mark to finish his turn.

Like a disco night, beams of light shot towards the sky as the [Defense Mechids] shot their laser cannons towards Mark and Chimetrice.

Mark also retaliated, aiming his [Shadow Piercer] and shooting it at full charge.

BAM!

The projectile the [Shadow Piercer] launched pierced through the body of one of the [Defense Mechids]. The damage was not heavy, but as it was shot through the chest of the [Mechid], it damaged its vital circuits. The first of the [Defense Mechids] fell.

Of course, the defeat of one of the [Defense Mechids] was not taken positively as the remaining [Mechids] intensified their attacks.

At this time, the [Giant Mechid] made its move.

Half of its body began dividing. It was as if a stadium was opening its room.

"TSK!"

Mark clicked his tongue at that sight.

More than a hundred [Mechids] took flight from the [Giant Mechid's] body. These [Mechids] were not large. In fact, they were just as large as a basketball.

However, Mark did not click his tongue because of its size or the number. It was because he was familiar with that kind of [Mechid]. These [Mechids] were the very same kind of [Mechid] that attacked Infanta Settlement the day before they left.

These flying robots were the kind of [Mechid] that would explode, turning everything within its explosion radius into dust.

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