novelraw Chapter 45: Dark Grovedweller Shaman
Chapter 45: Dark Grovedweller Shaman
[Dark Grovedweller Shaman – Lv.58]
An elite shaman twisted by ancient forest corruption. It commands dark nature magic and is capable of summoning poisonous mist, binding roots, acidic shots, and sacrificial rituals that empower allies or curse foes. It’s also highly intelligent and serves as both a spiritual leader and battlefield commander.
Threat Level: Very High
A level fifty-eight! And it’s definitely an elite monster to boot.
There weren’t any explicit visual differences between normal and elite monsters, but one thing was certain—elite monsters always possessed significantly higher stats than their regular counterparts at the same level. In other words, taking down that head shaman wouldn’t be anywhere near as easy as the others.
Before long, the ceremonial procession began in full. Almost all of the tree-like creatures assembled around the central temple, forming tight rings around the glowing totem. The way they knelt and raised their clawed arms toward it gave the impression of pure, unfiltered fanaticism. They weren’t just ordinary monsters; they were cultists.
But a different thought was swirling in my mind. Yes, keep praying to that totem—pour all your devotion into it! The more faith you offer, the more it accumulates… and the more plausibility I’ll gain when I finally absorb it.
As time passed, the woodland creatures became eerily quiet except for the guttural chants echoing from dozens of throats. My skin prickled at this sight, as whatever they were invoking gave me a bad feeling. Then, I saw the head shaman step forward. It raised something above its head—an object faintly glowing with a golden hue—and gently placed it at the base of the wooden totem. The surrounding monsters let out a unified growl of reverence.
I squinted my eyes to focus on the object. Thanks to Night Vision skill, the darkness of the forest didn’t impede my sight at all.
“…Is that the second key fragment?”
It looked identical to the one we’d found before—smooth and translucent like polished crystal, pulsing gently with an inner light. That confirmed it. The second key fragment was right there, being revered like a sacred relic by these creatures.
At the very least, we had located the key fragment. But retrieving it would mean tearing it from the very heart of the enemy’s stronghold, which, to be fair, was our objective from the beginning. A direct confrontation was inevitable.
Right now, the outer sentries were few in number, and it could’ve been our chance to start thinning their ranks. Unfortunately, I was the only one in our group who had the Night Vision skill, and the enemies seemed completely unaffected by darkness, likely due to their nature. If we were to fight now, Boris and Michelle would be at a clear disadvantage. And if any of the sentries disappeared, it would only increase their alertness.
“Welp, it’s better to wait till morning then,” I muttered under my breath.
As I was deep in thought, mulling over the plan for tomorrow, a rustle of leaves behind me drew my attention. I glanced back to see Boris and Michelle emerging silently from the bushes.
“Maxim, we’ve finished setting up the traps,” Michelle reported in a hushed voice. “They’re just simple ones—pitfalls, tripwires—but they should do the job if we lure a few out. When should we start?”
“Definitely not now,” I replied, shaking my head. “Even with the element of surprise, it’s too dark for us to operate properly.”
Dark, huh… I creased my brows as the word stuck at the edge of my tongue. Wait a second… This is a forest with numerous dry undergrowth and wooden structures; there’s plenty of natural fuel. And the monsters are all tree-like in nature—highly susceptible to fire. Why not make the place light up on its own?
Still, I shook the idea off for the moment. Doing that would alert the entire settlement too soon, and we weren’t fully prepared for that kind of chaos. Furthermore, creating a large fire would require me to possess a legendary figure because doing it in other ways would be far too slow. We should only do it once we were fully certain.
“Actually, let’s wait until dawn. There should be more visibility by then, and if the morning mist rolls in, it might help mask our presence.”
Boris gave a low chuckle. “That’s pretty smart, lad. We will let ‘em think they’re safe a bit longer and then gut them when the sun rises.”
“I agree,” Michelle said, nodding. “We’ll have enough light for ranged support, and the traps will be easier to use in daylight.”
“Exactly.” I smirked. “Once they lower their guard, we swoop in and cull them little by little.”
With that, we returned to our temporary camp, set roughly a hundred meters away from the vantage point. There, we took turns resting and keeping watch, careful not to let our guard down.
One small advantage we had was that spending a night within a scenario didn’t cost any soul coins—unlike the time spent in Fantasia. As long as the scenario hadn’t been cleared or failed, the time inside was effectively free. If the time limit was long enough, we could spend days—or even weeks—here without paying a single coin. That said, scenarios with generous time limits were exceedingly rare this early on. Most would wrap up within two or three days at most.
***
As soon as dawn came, we set our plan in motion.
The first rays of sunlight pierced through the forest canopy, casting dappled light across the mossy ground. Morning mist curled between the trees, exactly as we had hoped. It was thick enough to obscure our presence, but not so dense that it impaired our vision.
Perfect.
Michelle had already taken a position in the branches of a tall tree, giving her an elevated vantage point with a clear line of sight. Boris and I crouched behind a thick patch of bushes near the village’s outskirts, keeping watch on one of their patrol routes. I had already observed them enough to know which one to lure without arousing suspicion.
The monsters were still loosely clustered in the center of the village, but their numbers were starting to redistribute a little. Some sentries had returned to their posts, and their overall vigilance had dropped noticeably. This was our chance.
As planned, I picked up a stone and tossed it across the patrol path, drawing the attention of a pair of full grown warriors. As they turned toward the noise, Boris emerged from cover and bolted into view, immediately catching their attention. Without hesitation, they pursued him. He led them straight into the trap-laced corridor we’d set up the night before. A snap echoed as the first pitfall collapsed beneath one of them, swallowing it whole. The second tripped over a hidden wire and stumbled forward just long enough for Michelle to release a perfectly timed arrow into the back of its neck.
While this was happening, I moved to locate another cluster. I found a group of six and tossed a pebble to draw them in. As they approached, I lured them toward the traps. The same routine played out—pitfalls, wire snares, and arrows. Two got stuck in the pitfall trap, and I finished them off with precise spear thrusts.
You have hunted [Grovedweller Lv.29].
You have gained 390 EXP.
You have leveled up.
You have hunted [Grovedweller Lv.27].
You have gained 370 EXP.
We repeated the luring tactic several more times until we had claimed the lives of thirty of the monsters and used up nearly all of our traps in the process.
“Let’s move on to the next plan.” I rose to my feet and brushed off my hands.
The next phase was basically repeating what we had done to the previous four settlements. Michelle would move in closer to the village’s perimeter and begin picking off the stronger enemies from range. Her arrows would land before the monsters even realized what was happening, and the chaos that followed would allow Boris and me to move in from different angles and strike hard.
Of course, I could only hope she still had enough spare arrows stocked in her inventory for what was to come.
Michelle gave a sharp nod and quickly repositioned, slipping through the undergrowth like a ghost. Meanwhile, Boris circled around to the opposite side of the village, ready to charge in once things escalated. I remained hidden near the central path, keeping an eye on the monsters’ behavior.
A few tense moments passed before the first arrow found its mark. A brute let out a muffled grunt and collapsed without warning.
Whoa, that’s impressive. Michelle can now snipe a brute with just one arrow! Although I believed that she used an offensive skill to boost her power, but still one shot, one kill.
Before the others could even react, another arrow whistled through the air and pierced the eye of a second adult woodland monster. Then came the third. The fourth. The fifth… the tenth… the thirteenth…
Then, finally, the alarm broke out. Roars erupted throughout the camp as monsters began scrambling in confusion, desperately trying to locate the source of the attacks. It was all within expectation. But what came next wasn’t.
Without warning, the head shaman burst out from the central temple, bolting straight toward Michelle’s position at an alarming speed.
“Uh-oh. That’s not part of the plan,” I muttered to myself.
Usually, the shamans would remain at the rear, guarding their totems or issuing commands, but this one charged ahead with reckless abandon. Its glowing eyes locked onto Michelle with furious intent, clearly wanting to end her. Even worse, Boris was still on the opposite end of the village, too far to intercept in time.
I gritted my teeth. I should do something, and fast!
Resolving myself, I quickly activated Fabled Vessel, enunciating the words clearly through my mouth.
You have activated Fabled Vessel.
Please select a divine hero or demigod that you want to possess.
[The Crimson Sovereign – Tyrant of the End]
[Voldrath the Eternal – The Lich-King of a Million Souls]
[Alric the Sword Saint – Hero of the Eternal Blade]
[Veyra the Thousand-Arrows – Huntress of the Stars]
[Selene the Moonlit Blade – Phantom of the Night]
[Ezekiel the Divine Apostle – Voice of Radiant Judgment]
[Merlin the Grand Magus – Keeper of Arcane Truths]
[Kaelen the Beastborne Warden – Guardian of the Wild Realms]
[Uldrek the Blood Berserker – Avatar of Endless Wrath]
[Argus the Lantern Seer – Prophet of Forgotten Tomorrows]
In an instant, a blue menu flared to life before me, displaying a list of powerful names. There were ten choices—each one a legend in their own right.
Without hesitation, I chose Merlin the Grand Magus, calling upon a heroic spirit whose mastery of magic and arcane knowledge was second to none.
You have possessed [Merlin the Grand Magus].
Warning: Your current stats are too low to receive his full power!
Only 0.3% of Merlin’s power is transferred to you.
Your stats have temporarily increased significantly.
Your magic-related skills have temporarily improved drastically.
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Mana Manipulation Lv.10].
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Basic Elemental Magic Lv.10].
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Intermediate Elemental Magic Lv.3].
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Chantless Casting Lv.4].
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Multiple Casting Lv.3].