Chapter 197: The Druid

Published Mar 17, 2026, 04:15 AM

Chapter 197: The Druid His gaze followed the branch as it withdrew, threading back through the mass of Rotten Pines until it finally connected to its source—a figure standing among the larger group of trees. Moon’s breath caught. ’A druid?’ The creature was humanoid in shape but clearly not human. Its body was composed of wood and bark, limbs that were simultaneously tree branches and arms, a torso that could have been a trunk or a chest depending on the angle. Leaves and vines wrapped around its body like clothing or perhaps skin—it was impossible to tell where the creature ended and the plant began. It stood partially obscured among the other Rotten Pines, barely visible in the chaos of flames and smoke. But Moon could see its face clearly enough—bark-textured features arranged in an unmistakably human expression. It was smirking. A huge, malicious grin spread across the druid’s wooden face as their eyes locked for a brief, frozen moment. There was intelligence in that gaze. Satisfaction. The look of a predator that had finally cornered its prey and was savoring the moment before the kill. Then it stepped back, disappearing once more into the mass of trees, hidden among its countless minions. But Moon had seen enough to know who their true enemy was, the creature behind this enormous number of trees. "Selene," he said, his voice carrying a solemn tone that cut through the battle’s chaos. "The bastard behind this has finally revealed itself, it’s druid or something similar, it’s controlling the trees to attack us." He helped her stand more firmly on her feet, assessing her condition with a quick glance. The potion had done its work—she was wounded but better than before. They could still move. "We’re near the exit," Moon continued, his eyes scanning the forest ahead, calculating distances and trajectories. "Can you keep pushing?" Selene’s face hardened with determination despite the pain he could see in her eyes. She wiped a trail of blood from her mouth with the back of her hand, her grip tightening on her staff that supported her weight. "Yes," she said, her voice steady now. Stronger. "Let’s keep moving." Moon nodded, respect flickering in his expression. Despite the injury, despite the fear he’d seen in her eyes earlier, Selene wasn’t breaking. She was pushing through. ’Good.’ The Tree Druid or whatever that creature was—had been content to hide behind its army of clones. But now it had revealed itself, and that meant one of two things: Either they were close enough to escape that it felt the need to intervene directly... Or it was confident enough in its victory that it no longer needed to hide. Moon’s hand tightened on his staff as he prepared to find out which. "Stay close," he said. "And watch for that branch attack. It’s fast, and it hits like a battering ram. If you see movement in your peripheral vision—" "Duck or block, I know," Selene finished, already channeling mana for her next spell. She left the offensive to Moon, with her injuries, she needed to cast her spells defensively to stay alive. They began moving again, pushing toward where Moon’s internal navigation insisted the forest’s edge lay. The Tree Clones swarmed around them, but they kept pushing forward, refusing to be overwhelmed. The druid continued its sneak attacks, striking from the chaos of burning trees. It was constantly changing positions, using the swarm of Tree Clones as cover, seeking different angles to launch its devastating branch strikes. Each attack came from a new direction, making prediction nearly impossible. But Moon had adapted. He kept two spells ready at all times now—one [Ignite] for the swarm of advancing trees, and another held in reserve, waiting. His eyes tracked every suspicious movement, every change in the patterns of the attacking clones. He was watching for the telltale signs that preceded the druid’s strikes: a subtle parting in the tree line, an increased pressure from a certain direction. During one of its sneak attacks, Moon caught it. The druid’s branch whipped out from between two burning Rotten Pines, aimed directly at Selene’s back. But this time, Moon was ready. His prepared spell released instantly—not fire, but rapid lightning. The bolt of electricity struck the attacking branch mid-swing, crackling energy surging through the wood. The druid’s limb charred black, bark splitting and cracking as the lightning struck through it. The branch broke, severed by the intensity of the electrical discharge. A cry filled the forest, the druid’s shriek of pain echoed through the Rotten Pine Forest, satisfying Moon. Moon didn’t hesitate. He immediately conjured another [Ignite], launching it toward where he’d seen the druid’s wounded form retreating. He tried to capitalize on the injury, finishing when it was vulnerable— The swarm of Tree Clones surged forward, creating an impenetrable wall of wooden bodies between Moon and his target. They threw themselves into the path of his fireball, sacrificing themselves to protect their master. The explosion consumed tens of clones, but by the time the flames cleared, the druid had vanished once more into the mass of trees. ’This isn’t going to work,’ Moon thought, frustration warring within him. His eyes flickered to Selene, who was still fighting but clearly struggling. The healing potion had closed her wounds, but she was moving slower now, her spells taking longer to form. She was exhausted, injured, running on fumes and determination alone. ’Selene might die at this point.’ They could keep fighting, keep pushing forward, but the druid was too smart. Too patient. It would keep launching attacks from cover, keep wearing them down, until one strike finally landed on Selene while Moon was occupied with the swarm. And one or two more hits like the first would kill her. "Moon! Selene!" A familiar feminine voice cut through the chaos of battle, reaching their ears from somewhere in the burning forest. Moon’s head snapped toward the source, his eyes straining to locate the speaker. Through the smoke, flames and swarming trees, he caught glimpses of movement—figures fighting their way through the Tree Clone horde. ’Yara and Gratis!’

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