22 Grove defense 2 !

There are various biological abilities utilized by the plant monsters to increase their lethality levels. Yes, they get buffs from sunlight and sometimes can regenerate quite rapidly but their offensive capabilities are also outstanding when compared to more drab monster types like the mammals. For example, there is a multitude of species who will use various forms of acid as a main or support weapon in killing prey.

Whether it is through restrictive acid, explosive acid, or just acid used to slowly eat away at prey while trapped inside of them you can be sure of one thing. Plants will find some of the most brutal ways to kill people. Other than that, you will see them use venoms, poisons, toxic fumes. Sometimes there are even plants who grow organic traps and servants to do their bidding. Not to mention the plethora of parasitic plants.

That's why I always suggest having a team of mages on standby when dealing with plant monsters. They can be one of the more unpredictable types of monsters. In fact, every year new subspecies of plants are discovered as well as entirely new base species. Just one anomaly can knock an experienced team off their game because of these factors. Remember hunters. Proceed with caution when facing plant monsters lest you end up as their fertilizer.

-Excerpt from the pocket guide to being an adventurer by Johnna Firehoof

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Just as I was about to dash back into to take advantage of the chaos the fairies were creating; I saw a glowing red rune flicker into existence in front of one of the crippled mages. And it was pointed right at the fairies! They were still all over one of the still-living adventurers! That mage couldn't be crazy enough to attack one of their own could they!?

I didn't have time to answer my own question as a stream of flames erupted from the rune dousing not only the fairies but two of the adventurers in the process. The entire terrible scene was completed by the maniacal laughter coming from the mage as she roasted those unfortunate enough to get caught in the flames. Even from here I could hear the pained screams of the fairies and the howling of the burning humans. All with the putrid smell of burning flesh and hair to accompany it creating a uniquely terrifying scene.

It was at the time I was within chainsaw distance and leaped onto the mages head and started gouging out their eyes and tearing up their throat with my thorn vines in a blind rage.

[Human mage apprentice slain. A total of 9 XP earned. 3 skill points and 3 mutation points collected. 50 MP absorbed.]

By the time I was finished venting my rage she was already dead. But it was too late. The damage had already been done. Looking back to where the fairies I could see dozens of burnt husks of their bodies littering the ground. There was thankfully a couple dozen fairies who were still flittering about having barely escaped the fire but that was only a fraction of their original numbers. While I was busy looking at the charred remains of the fairies but then a mage behind took advantage of my distraction to summon up a fire rune and blasted a ball of fire towards me.

"Chcípni, ty trávo!" They snarled while the ball of fire hurtled towards me.

(Translation: Die you weed!)

I dove to the side as the fireball flew past scorching off several roots as it barely missed my main body. Despite only burning off a few of my roots the parts that weren't burned to the point of having no functioning nerve cells were lit up with pain that ate away at my mind. I barely managed to keep from blacking out thanks to those points I put int my will my last level up. It looks like I was right to level that stat after all!

I launched myself towards the mage with dozen of my vines lashing out in retaliation quickly killing the mage with dozens of slashes to the throats and face. While I was busy with killing the mage, I was on the fairies were swarming the last couple of mages and tearing them apart like with the previous adventurers. However, they were taking it much slower and a far more painful process. I can't blame them for doing so.

[Human mage apprentice slain. A total of 9 XP earned. 3 skill points and 3 mutation points collected. 50 MP absorbed.]

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Now there are only the adventurers without magic to deal with. Maybe there's a chance we can clear them all up without leaving any survivors after all….

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(Esmeralda's POV)

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Everything has been going wrong since the beginning! First, it took longer than it should have for the scouts to locate the dryads. Then we were ambushed by that monster. And now these dryads were working with fairies!! And then there's that flower. Between that flower and the fairies, our entire mage squad was wiped out. Without the mages defeating the dryads is a pipe dream.

One of the branches took advantage of my inner panic and whipped forward colliding with my shield throwing me backwards. My grip on my sword loosened and the sword went flying out of my reach

"Shit! Captain! Are you alright!?" One of the greyhounds cried out while rushing over and crouched over me with their shield raised up to defend against several stray branches. He then offered a hand to pull me up which I promptly accepted.

"Never mind me! The mages have been taken out! We need to get out of here before we're overwhelmed!"

"Yes, sir!" The greyhound was about to yell for a retreat before I put my hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

"Don't announce it. Go around and discreetly tell our teammates. We'll need to use these rookies to buy us some time, so the monsters don't follow us." I whispered to him.

Ignoring the abhorred look on his face I went over to where my sword was and picked it up. Looking back to where the mages were at, I could see the fairies killing two mages while that flower was hacking away at another mage. Looking back to the frontlines against the dryads I could see one of the unlucky rookies getting picked up and wrapped up in branches by a maple tree before being squished into a bloody paste. I knew it was a bad idea to use a bunch of rookies as cannon fodder.

One by one my team was told the plan to retreat and the signal to leave. I waited while making sure to stay in the center of the group of adventurers and kept an eye on the flower. It was no normal monster. Of that I was certain. And if it was what I thought it was I had to get back to the guild and let the guild master know. It must be nipped while it was still a low tier monster.

The flower was sprinting towards the back of the adventurers with the fairies flittering alongside it. Two of the rookie adventurers armed with swords sprinted up to meet them with one of them swinging their blade downwards towards the flower. I saw it in action earlier and knew the foolish boy wouldn't be able to hit the flower, but it shocked me as it effortlessly slid to the side of the blade while launching four of its vines that impaled themselves on the rookie's hand.

The boy yelped in pain instinctively jerking his hand away as the thorns tore up the tendons and muscles in it crippling it. The fairies were busy chewing into the other adventurer who screamed and flailed around desperately swatting at his body to squish the fairies. A futile attempt with how agile the fairies were when compared to humans.

I didn't bother with watching the end of the fight and calmly strode away from the fight. This was the best chance we'd get to escape the monsters. Even if they finished off all the adventurers here and chased after us a few of us would be able to escape. Glancing back, I could see several of my teammates following me while the others were distracted. It seems we lost most of our members fighting that oak and maple team. But it seems that the plan to use my silent departure as the signal was a good idea since the rookies didn't have the breathing space to pay any mind to what we were doing.

I looked back one last time at the monsters. This was not good. Plant species will sometimes work together but for multiple different species of different tiers to work together is a rare and often disastrous occurrence. And that flower. If it is one of the elite variants… This was bad. With that final negative thought, I ran into the forest with the few remaining members of my team to escape.