The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 44: The Ever-Changing Illusory Mist Beast

Vol 2 Chapter 44 The Ever-Changing Illusory Mist Beast

Footsteps moved rapidly up the steps. When Sylutia stopped considering hiding her strength and instead exerted her full power, her light body was like a flowing beam of light, reaching the end of the mountain path at an extremely fast speed.

Then she leaped up, her form twisting in mid-air as she drew her bow. She aimed almost simultaneously with finding the enemy, and then loosed the arrow.

The arrow, cold as a star, shot towards the lizard, impacting on its scales but failing to pierce through. However, the seed on the arrowhead had been pre-infused with the power of the Verdant Nectar Aspect. After landing, it began to sprout and grow. The spreading vines interrupted the lizard's process of devouring Bad Apple and forced it to retreat, tearing away the thorny vines entangling its body.

Had she made it in time? Her gaze searched, finding the already rigid Captain Bad Apple.

After landing, Sylutia moved again, not stopping for a moment as she rushed towards the cliff wall at the back of the mountain. She leaped into the air to gain a better vantage point.

This time, she switched to a different arrow, this one loaded with 'Thickwood Vine'—a type of vine plant with relatively slow growth but exceptionally thick and powerful vines.

Her target wasn't the lizard itself, but the sandy soil beside the lizard.

After the arrow landed, the seed germinated. Thick, woody vines spread out in all directions, some even probing into the stone spring pool. This enraged the lizard. It tore apart the wooden vines in front of it with a bite, then looked towards Sylutia not far away—this 'insect' that had come to cause trouble.

Formless magical power radiated from its pale gray eyes, causing Sylutia's body to stiffen and fall to the ground. Fortunately, her Lunar Radiance Breathing Technique was operating at full speed within her body at that moment, dispelling this stiffness. This allowed her to adjust her posture at the last moment, only stumbling instead of falling completely.After this brief clash, Yan and Karl finally appeared at the stone archway, discovering the battle situation here.

"Petrification Lizard!?" Karl couldn't help but exclaim the moment he saw the lizard.

Facing the monster, Yan, who had been ready to raise his shield and charge forward, now halted his steps.

Ordinary enemies were one thing, but a 'Petrification Lizard' was a monster that extremely countered heavy-armor warriors without means of resistance. The thicker the armor, the more easily one could be restrained, and with sluggish movements, it would be impossible to dodge the Petrification Lizard's gaze and breath.

"What do we do?" He was caught in a dilemma. If he didn't go save Bad Apple, the captain might die. But if he went to save him, he himself would likely be in grave danger.

Brief thinking couldn't provide a method or answer. At this moment, he didn't have much time to ponder. He could only steel himself and charge forward, placing his hopes for victory on his companion behind him.

The silvery power of the 'Castle' Aspect covered his entire body. Mysterious patterns, like a sealed gate, appeared on his shield.

'Door of Tilaria'—said to be the gate of the first wall in the magnificent city founded by the 'Swan King', and the origin of the array patterns inscribed by countless castle scholars in later generations.

Compared to Bad Apple's petite stature, Yan, who was roaring and charging over from not far away, was clearly a more threatening opponent. Ignoring the interfering wooden vines to the side, the Petrification Lizard turned and aimed at Yan's raised shield, spewing a white mist breath.

The misty breath, upon contact with the shield, coated it with a layer of gray. The originally flowing, radiant gate patterns quickly dimmed. At this moment, Yan behind the shield also felt his body become as heavy as if filled with lead.

This is bad, he thought silently, once again circulating the power of the 'Castle' Aspect, striving to dispel this negative effect, but the results were always limited.

'Castle' was suitable for defense, but to dispel magical power with the 'Mist Shadow' concept, one probably had to rely on 'Luminous Moon' or 'Blazing Sun'.

Fortunately, he wasn't fighting alone at this moment. After preparing for a long time, Karl finished chanting his witchcraft. The special pale powder in his hand floated up like mist, slowly drifting towards the lizard.

As soon as these grayish-white powders landed on the lizard, they caused black corrosion within the gaps of its scales. Like a plague, they gradually spread into the lizard's body, causing it immense pain.

Seizing the time gap while the lizard struggled and was too preoccupied to pay attention, Sylutia leaped forward, lifted 'Bad Apple', and carried his rigid form away from the dangerous environment, throwing him down the steps by the stone archway.

"Let's go!" Karl called to Yan in front, preparing to retreat.

Don't be fooled by their seeming slight advantage;

in reality, they had merely made the lizard flustered and disoriented because it was unaccustomed to their tactics. They were still a considerable distance from victory.

Hearing this, Yan retreated quickly, but still didn't dare to turn and run. Exposing his back would only be more dangerous.

Just as everyone felt they should be able to retreat safely, the lizard moved again. This time, it stopped struggling. It glanced at the several people, then its entire body dissipated like mist, causing the vines entangling its body to grab at empty air. The Dead Embers mist that had been corroding its body also missed its target, slowly settling to the ground.

The group hurried along the mountain path. Yan carried Bad Apple at the rear, while Sylutia walked at the very front.

Then a strong wind swept over their heads. Formless mist gathered, and the giant lizard appeared before them. Its body half-raised, it spewed its pale gray mist breath once more, filling the mountain path.

Yan, who had been running, completely froze in place at this moment. Karl, who was about to fetch spellcasting materials, also stiffened, unable to move.

Sylutia, who suffered the most direct impact of the gray mist breath, also found it extremely difficult. Her body felt as if rusted. She could only leap into the air, her toes barely finding purchase on the cliff wall, avoiding the gray mist spreading below.

Below, the lizard with stone-like scales raised its head. Its pale gray vertical pupils fixed on Sylutia in the air. A strange stiffness once again spread from her limbs.

A silvery halo appeared on Sylutia's body surface, constantly circulating, dispelling the spreading stiffness and keeping her conscious. She finally landed on the rear side of the mountain path, an area not yet eroded by the gray mist breath.

Panting heavily, the light in Sylutia's eyes swirled. Only now did she fully analyze the situation of this giant lizard before her.

Race: Lizard (Mutant)

Status: Healthy (Mist Form)

Talents:

Hibernation [Excellent Grade]: Can put the body into a hibernation state, not eating or drinking, while maintaining its own Aspect power without decay.

Fate Card: [Petrification Lizard] [Third Tier · Mist Shadow]

'A lizard lying in wait by the spring, relying on continuously drinking the spring water over a century, has finally reached the third tier, powerful and bizarre'

-Effect: [Petrification Breath Lv.6], a talent in your bloodline, granting you a breath that can petrify targets, with strength further increasing as you advance.

-Effect: [Stiffening Gaze Lv.5], merely by looking, you can make distant enemies' bodies stiffen, unable to move. (This effect is difficult to resist)

Core Card: [Hundred Transformations Mist Beast] [Mist Shadow]

'You have already relied on your transformation and concealment abilities to deceive over a hundred enemies of the same tier, killing and devouring them, making you a forgotten legend'

-Influence: [Mist Form], can mistify the body at any time, escaping restraints, removing the effects of injuries and negative statuses. (This is a conceptual ability, ignoring the influence of conventional effects)

Ability Cards:

[Transformation Method Lv.7] (Mist Shadow): Can transform the body into other inanimate objects. Unless detected by means exceeding one's own tier, it cannot be perceived or distinguished.

[Lizard Scale Armor Lv.4] (Snail Fish): Tough scales that can resist most attacks and have good resistance to low temperatures.

[Hibernation Method Lv.6] (Slumbering Winter): Requires only a small amount of food to maintain extremely long periods of hibernation, digesting and assimilating devoured Aspect power, extending your lifespan and slowly increasing your strength.