[NR] No In-Between - Chapter 750

The team aren’t far from their clearing, yet have already found a rough fight. This wasn’t what they had been looking for, but there wasn’t really a choice about it. For monsters to be so close to the clearing, it was either fight them now or hope they stumble on the clearing during the day instead of at night.

Oh sure, Jason had set up alarms around the clearing so it isn’t like they’d be taken by surprise. But no one really likes being woken up like that. And these monsters certainly seem like the type to wake a person up in the middle of the night.

They’re some kind of gaunt humanoid. Almost skeletal in appearance, their skin is so tight against the bone you wonder where they’re hiding their muscles. Which thankfully in this case seems to mean they’re weak instead of supernaturally strong. Because in Rosha’s experience with the Deep Wilds, it is one or the other. No “in-between” to speak of.

Not that they’re as weak as a human would be, if looking like that. Though some animals might rock the look if you shaved them. Of course, these monsters aren’t shaved or anything. Their pale flesh is a sickly green color without a single hair on sight.

And the green makes sense when you see their heads. Where instead of some humanoid or beast’s visage, is a mass of plant vines coiling around a wooden skull of sorts. Though calling it a skull is more an act of trying to impart familiarity to these beings.

The wooden thing resting atop their body lacks features like eye holes and is smoother than it should be. Much of the shape you would expect on a skull is flattened, leaving a dome sitting on top of a band of wood. Vines instead of any actual joint hold together the two segments.

Though these monsters certainly didn’t skimp on teeth. Almost thorns mesh together and disturbingly, they are bone-white. Which honestly? If the rest of the “skull” had been that color, it wouldn’t be as freaky. Instead, these pearly whites are clasped between two warm wood tones.

Oh, and there’s a lot of them. Jason stands surrounded by these beings as they try to grapple him or use their numbers to bring him down. Though they certainly aren’t shy about biting either. The saving grace, the fact they don’t seem intelligent.

These monsters swarmed out of the forest and went right for the closest person. Which was Courtney at first, but they easily switched targets when Jason stepped in-between.

So as these things try to bring down Jason, Rosha and Courtney stand back. Their ranged attacks carefully pick off monster after monster. The only quirk that took a moment to figure out, was that the heads aren’t a weak point.

Early on, Rosha was able to shatter more than a few pseudo-skulls and all this did was make the monsters switch to using the vines that had been holding said skill. Thankfully, the center of mass seems to work just fine. Not that it is the easiest shot. The monster’s slim form leaves little to aim for.

The good news is that all of Jason’s recent work on acquiring talents hasn’t been a waste. While he is easily bullied around by the mass of monsters, their white thorn teeth and splinter nails don’t pierce his skin.

So, barely able to remain standing and only losing small bits of health, Jason tanks the monsters. Though he can still fight back. While his strongest attacks require him to strike at his enemies, these monsters are grappling him and so simply blasting out Energy works.

Each blast sends one, or two of the flesh plants reeling. Not dealing much damage, but the fact they are knocked away being the more important factors. Because once away from him? That opens them up for Rosha’s arrows and Courtney’s magic to finish them.

This cycle continues, the strange monsters unwilling or unable to retreat as their numbers dwindle, though so does Jason’s health. A point at a time, but it adds up. From over 400hp, it has dropped to less than 150 and is nearing 100.

A disaster waiting to happen, except the fight reaches a tipping point. The monsters were strong, but light. Their mass did most of the work of keeping Jason from effectively fighting back. Except now there are fewer of them, and each monster killed, Jason regains more of his ability to move around.

And then he was free. Oh sure, the monsters still clung to his limbs and body. They still tried to bite chunks out of his flesh. Except now not only were they unable to sink their teeth in, but Jason wasn’t struggling to stand.

He begins to grab them one by one and methodically smash their chests in. Their bones splintered with the force. Whether actual bone or hardwood, Jason ignored. Instead, now helping to thin the numbers of what had been a horde of monsters. Blasts still going off so Rosha and Courtney could continue assisting.

And before long, Jason is left standing alone in the middle of a pile of corpses. He looks around cautiously, but there really does seem to be no more of the monsters.”So uh, think they have any good loot?”

Rosha shakes her head, “They’re some kind of wood spirit. Not fae, mind you. More elemental. You can actually find monsters like this all around. Though going by what Peter said, you’ll only find groups this large in the Deep Wilds. They tend to be solitary because it takes a lot of a certain terrain type to form.”

Jason, “What does that have to do with loot?”

Rosha shrugs, “Well for one, they’re not carrying anything. More to the point though, they’re made of trees and animals. So, you’d be better off logging the trees. More material for less effort. Though I’m sure someone out there has a use for them. I just don’t know any mages using plant-based necromancy.”