Chapter Fifteen: Song of the Sword

At this moment in the arena, as the green-skinned giant’s radiance spread outward, vines burst through the earth, swiftly followed by saplings that shot up and, before their very eyes, grew into towering trees. With the sudden emergence of the forest, the gathered crowd was forced apart, unable to remain clustered as they had at the start.

Now scattered in small groups, the participants stared in astonishment at the scene unfolding before them. Meanwhile, the green-skinned giant—whose health had previously been depleted and whose regeneration couldn’t keep up with the damage—began to recover at a frenzied rate, returning to its prime in mere moments.

“How is this possible!” someone shouted in shock, unable to believe that all their hard-fought efforts had come to nothing. They had all seen the giant’s profile: in the forest, its regeneration was ten times faster. With such an advantage, how could they possibly fight it?

“Why so discouraged? Do you want to die?” someone snapped, hacking at the encroaching vines with a longsword in his hand. This was a striking young man in flowing robes, long hair streaming behind him, exuding the aura of an ancient swordsman. On his back, he bore a massive iron case.

“That’s Sword Song!” someone recognized him and called out excitedly.

Sword Song (thanks to the reader Yiyue Ming for the character) gave a cool nod, his expression unchanged. Some in the crowd began searching urgently for another familiar figure. Sword Song was a powerful lone wolf in the Magic Tower, but what fascinated people wasn’t just his strength; it was also his like-minded companion, a friend so inseparable that where one was found, the other was sure to be nearby.

Since Sword Song was here, surely his ever-present swordmaster companion must be as well. Both were renowned for their swordplay—having them around lent the group a sense of security.

Sword Song ignored the glances directed his way. He slapped the sword case on his back, sheathed his longsword, and drew forth a strange chain sword from within. Though the weapon was unfamiliar to many, those who’d heard tales of Sword Song knew its name.

Sword Song gripped the hilt and let the chain sword fly—the hilt and blade connected by a long length of chain. The weapon shot out like lightning, piercing a thick tree with a resounding crash. With a flick of his wrist, Sword Song jerked the chain and retrieved the blade.

As the trees began to fall, the giant let out a furious roar.

For the forest giant, the woods were its sanctuary; any act of destruction was an unforgivable offense. Sword Song paid no heed to its wrath—again the chain sword flew, spinning in a wide arc and felling trees all around.

Now, in this dense forest, the giant hesitated to attack for fear of destroying the trees, leaving it awkward and constrained.

“If only Thirteen were here,” Sword Song sighed. His real name was Wen Feng. He had suppressed his own level to enter the novice zone for a particular war mission, only to find himself accidentally swept into the territory of a fifth-tier powerhouse.

If his sworn brother, Yi Thirteen (thanks to the reader Yiyue Ming for the character), were here, his flawless sword control could have made short work of the woods and the giant’s projection alike. With his strength limited, Wen Feng found himself struggling in such a predicament.

Inspired by Wen Feng’s example, others joined in the assault on the forest. The giant, roaring in frustration, could only lash out at the nearest players. Yet, in this environment, the smaller players were agile and repeatedly slipped through its grasp.

With no restrictions on their abilities, the players unleashed every trick they had, leaving the giant battered and bloodied. Even with its tenfold regeneration, it was beginning to falter.

“You’ve forced my hand!” the giant bellowed at last. All around, the trees ceased growing and visibly wilted before their eyes. The giant, whose health had dropped by more than half, was suddenly restored to full strength.

“It’s using its skill!” someone shouted, invigorating the crowd. At first, the giant had relied solely on its natural healing, but now it had finally expended its Rapid Regeneration ability. Realizing this, the players pressed their attack with renewed enthusiasm.

“How much longer?” Dark Night couldn’t help shouting back to Mu Rongxun.

“What’s your hurry?” Mu Rongxun replied coolly, shifting the mobile kitchen a little farther back. “Go pick me some mushrooms.”

“Mushrooms? Where am I supposed to find mushrooms at a time like this?” Dark Night wanted to curse aloud; only his desire to preserve his image held him back.

“Your eyes aren’t just for decoration,” Mu Rongxun retorted, continuing his work.

Reluctantly, Dark Night tore his gaze from his ruined puppet and scanned the area. At last, he spotted where the mushrooms grew: clusters of colorful fungi flourishing on the trees conjured by the giant—unfortunately, all dangerously close to the monster itself.

[Sleeping Mushroom: A forest giant’s favorite delicacy. The only flaw is that after eating, the giant always falls into a deep slumber!]

[Diarrhea Mushroom: The forest giant’s favorite treat. Even though it causes relentless bouts of diarrhea every time, they simply can’t give it up.]

[Misfortune Mushroom: After eating, the giant’s powerful regeneration is suppressed for a time. Once the effect wears off, its strength will increase!]

The attributes of the various mushrooms appeared before him, and only now did he understand why Mu Rongxun wanted them—adding these to the mix would tempt the giant to eat!

“Anyone have a way to harvest those mushrooms?” Dark Night asked for help, unwilling to risk his own safety.

“I’ll give it a try,” Wen Feng offered, frowning slightly but stepping forward. With a flick, he sent his chain sword flying, hooking it around a tree laden with mushrooms. A quick jerk broke off a chunk of bark, which he reeled in with practiced ease.

The giant reached out to snatch it, but Wen Feng was faster, giving it no chance to catch up. Without a glance, Wen Feng tossed the prize toward Mu Rongxun.

Mu Rongxun, wearing a Primordial Glove on his left hand, caught it deftly, plucked the mushrooms without bothering to sort them, and tossed them all into the pot.

Meanwhile, Wen Feng, now the focus of the giant’s ire, kept moving and weaving, engaging the beast in a relentless dance.