The soil under their feet suddenly surged, and dozens of thick green vines, as thick as an ordinary person's arm, roiled like living snakes, violently tossing up waves of earth with immense force that threatened to send Shuma and Beinrich airborne.
"Don't think you can succeed!"
Both Shuma and Beinrich were experienced warriors, well-versed in not easily falling into the enemy's attack rhythm. They were also prepared for the dynamic growth of underground plant roots, reacting almost instinctively.
Before the force reached his feet, Shuma forcefully charged forward, slashing several vines' roots with a sword, rendering them lifeless by the time they reached him.
On the other hand, the mercenary leader without a weapon faced greater trouble, having to deal with the exceptionally resilient vines only with his fists and Chi. Eventually, he used Chi to explode and tear apart two sections of the vines, barely avoiding being tossed up.
As they looked up, two man-eating plants had extended their plant stalks and menacingly lunged forward, with visible petals that could swallow a full-grown adult and emitting a foul smell of digestive fluid.
"Get out of my way!"
Swiftly dodging a biting attack, the mercenary leader unabashedly unleashed his Chi to cover his body, then bit down on the stem under the carnivorous plant's mouth part, pulling fiercely with his left foot on the connected roots to release a thick corrosive fluid that quickly eroded surrounding trees and grass.
On the other side, Shuma's battle went smoothly with the aid of her sharp weapon and her skilled and agile combat style. She effortlessly tore through the terrifying yet not very formidable man-eating plants, cutting through their predatory mouths and slicing their roots cleanly with her sword wreathed in white flames.
The only problem was the disgusting digestive fluid inside these plants, which was not only viscous but also highly corrosive, causing quite a headache. Though Chi offered some protection, the sustained use would be taxing.
By the time the two had dealt with the two man-eating plants, more than ten similar plants had emerged from the ground, their rustling sounds foreboding another wave of attacks.
"Hey, knight miss! Isn't this supposed to be the little prince's castle?! How did it turn into a monster garden?!"
"Aren't you the castle's permanent guard? Isn't it neglectful for you not to know this?" remarked Shuma, as she sliced through another man-eating plant with her sword.
"Well, we're not responsible for patrolling the back mountain..."
The mercenary leader quickly changed the subject, trying to cover up his laziness for assuming the castle was protected by a barrier, "Instead of that, are you okay fighting like that?"
"Huh?"
Shuma, avoiding attacks from the man-eating plants, glanced down at herself. Indeed, her swimsuit-clad appearance was inappropriate for battle, and in the heat of combat, certain areas swaying around was affecting her balance.
"What does that have to do with you?! You're just wearing beach shorts!"
With a blush of indignation, Shuma swung her sword, cleaving through three man-eating plants neatly in the vicinity.
"I'm a man who bathes in the northern snowfields! What's the big deal?"
"You're bragging for what?! I'm not interested in how you bathe!"
The knight lady nearly gave the man a saber, thinking, "Can't he just stop talking?!".
At the start of the battle, they bantered with each other, but as time passed, they realized continuing in this manner was not a wise choice.
In less than three minutes since the man-eating plants appeared, they had already slain over thirty, yet the rustling sounds and looming shadow of huge flowers around them showed no signs of diminishing.
"It seems we can't kill these things efficiently enough," Beinrich sighed in frustration, unleashing a blast of Chi to explode a man-eating plant in front of him, evaporating the digestive fluid with a raging flame. However, this explosive strike dimmed his Chi considerably.
"They seem to be trapping us. We need to break through and inform the prince; otherwise, we might be worn down here," Shuma analyzed. With a weapon in hand, she cleared the plants faster and consumed Chi less compared to Beinrich. After a brief fight, her condition did not worsen, showing a growing momentum.
Nevertheless, she realized these man-eating plants were mere cannon fodder, easily controlled by their manipulator without concern for their depletion. Continuing to fight seemed unwise – prolonged battle at this spot left them vulnerable to the caustic digestive fluids sprayed by the dead plants, requiring excessive Chi to protect themselves.
"Got it, retreat, huh? Then let me take the lead!" Beinrich grinned ferociously.
As their fists met, the dimming Chi flame suddenly flared up once more, shining even brighter than before. His robust muscles swelled further with a loud cracking noise, and his height reached nearly three meters, resembling a small giant.
Transformation?
Shuma, who intended to lead with her preserved state, did not expect Beinrich to unleash his hidden skill.
It seemed her worries about him were unfounded. As he boasted, having endured hell multiple times as a mercenary in the northern ice and snow, toughness and perseverance were ingrained in his very bones.
"Roar!"
After his transformation, Beinrich let out a battle cry, thrusting out a punch infused with Chi into the front, creating a pressure cannon effect, uprooting several man-eating plants in his path and clearing a way forward.
Though transformed, Beinrich's combat awareness remained sharp. Instead of lingering in battle, he charged along the path he cleared, like a humanoid war machine flattening the man-eating plants closing in from both sides.
Shuma closely followed behind, slashing with her sword to protect Beinrich's back from any attacks.
The combat prowess of the man-eating plants was at best of junior monster level, if not lower. With two high-level swordsmen like them in action, the plants were not a match, and a breakthrough was soon made.
"Ah...so it's not that simple, is it? But, I have more than just man-eating plants in my hands," Vera, a young girl perched on a web-like hammock woven from tough vines between the treetops where the two had just battled, mused to herself and gestured with a crooked finger.
