Chapter 345: What a cool skill
The moment the two of them disappeared from the area of effect, Damon calmly activated one of his new skills. [Poison Burst]
The next second, a wave of poisonous air erupted outward from Damon’s body like a rotting gale. It rolled through the clearing in a violent surge, thick clouds of black, purple, and green mist clinging to bark, soil, and flesh alike.
The runes carved into the trees flared angrily, their light flickering as if trying to repel the intrusion, but it was useless. Even the giant trees were not spared.
The rotting poison was relentless. It slithered into the grooves of the bark, seeped into the glowing runes, and crawled through the roots like venom coursing through veins.
The forest shuddered as if alive, branches groaning and leaves wilting in seconds. What had once pulsed with sacred, ordered power now twisted under poisonous corruption.
The horrific scene shocked the group to the bones, and their eyes froze as they witnessed the forest that they had worshipped until now, and even considered as their God, changed into something grotesque and dead.
The guardians staggered back, their eyes wide with disbelief as the towering trees they drew strength from warped before them.
The proud runes that had once blazed with divine authority now writhed like infected wounds, oozing violet ichor that dripped to the forest floor. The air, once vibrant with life, now stank of rot and decay.
One of the warriors fell to his knees, clawing at his chest as his rune-markings turned black and jagged. "N-No... this cannot be... the Forest God—!" Before he could finish the sentence, he simply dropped dead.
The leader’s face twisted with fury and terror. "Blasphemer! You dare profane the eternal grove?!" He raised his spear, and the next second, he too dropped dead, blood oozing out of his orifices.
In the blink of an eye, the entire area became similar to a graveyard with nothing living in sight.
The towering warriors, once overflowing with borrowed power, now lay scattered like broken statues. Their weapons clattered uselessly to the forest floor, their obsidian-toned bodies already dissolving into mush under the corruption eating away at them.
Not one had lasted more than a breath against Damon’s poison. The fight had ended before it had even begun!
Damon quickly began absorbing all the blood essence, and a series of notifications popped up in front of him.
[Ding! You have killed a Runebound Guardian]
[Ding! You have gained experience points]
[Ding! Blood Extraction Successful. You have acquired the skill Minor Harden]
[Ding! You have gained +1 Strength]
...
...
...
Damon quickly went through the notifications to see if he had gotten something interesting, but it was a bunch of minor enhancement skills, which basically improved his muscle power and his raw strength, and attack damage release.
[Minor Toughness (F, Passive)], [Minor Pain Resistance (F, Passive)], [Minor Poison Resistance (F, Passive)], [Minor Stamina Boost (F, Passive)]
Damon’s crimson gaze flicked across the scrolling text, his expression flat. These were scraps and crumbs thrown his way for mowing down enemies who should have been untouchable to anyone else. "Tch," he muttered, dismissing the screens with a flick of his hand.
The corrupted clearing hissed quietly around him, the poison mist still thick in the air. Before the two walked into the area and got themselves killed, he decided to meet them first.
He opened the map, checked the coordinates, and then blinked twice to reach them. "Hey, I am back." Damon casually waved at them. The two, on the other hand, were staring at them, dumbfounded.
Phoenix was the first one to open her mouth. "You killed them all by yourself?"
Blood Wraith looked equally shocked, despite his earlier overflowing confidence. Though he had said many things, he too looked like he never actually expected Damon to dominate the people here so effortlessly.
"Ya. They are some sort of Rune Guardians or some shit. They are using the forest to buff themselves. That’s why it was difficult for you guys to fight them. You were basically fighting them on their turf."
Damon only barely finished speaking when, once again, the space around them felt odd. The trees seemed alive, and a distinct feeling of being watched pressed down on them from all directions.
Phoenix’s head whipped toward the treeline, her hood slipping back enough to reveal wide, fearful eyes and a stunning face that could drive men crazy. "No... this isn’t over."
Blood Wraith frowned. "Don’t tell me there’s more of those muscle freaks."
Damon observed curiously as he watched a group of men emerge from the forest around them. More precisely, these men seemed to have the ability to teleport right out of a tree, possibly using the trees to move from one location to another.
"What a cool skill!" He whistled while the two next to him were extremely nervous and anxious. Phoenix had already started casting some sort of fire mage skill while Blood Wraith was erecting shields in all directions.
The men in front of them were higher-level than the Rune Guardians they had faced before. Each and every single one now was at least level 70. Damon was the only one powerful enough to stand in front of them.
He was about to once again order the duo to vacate the premises, but unexpectedly, a sharp pain erupted in his head. Damon staggered back, unable to focus when two of the Rune Guardians charged at him to use this setback to their advantage.
Their sharpened weapons slashed at him, and his crimson blood splattered everywhere. With a ruthless gleam in their eyes, the two men raised their weapons again to finish this troublesome enemy once and for all.
But their cruel eyes abruptly widened in shock, and their bodies froze in place, becoming sluggish and paralyzed. Their veins started bulging, and just like before, they dropped dead without any warning.
The other men were shocked as they witnessed this unbelievable sight. They stared at the ground in horror as the poison from the blood quickly started seeping into the ground.
And just like that, once again, the ground they were standing on became a vile and toxic graveyard.