I watched Elandris and Methild say their farewell to the fallen child. It looked like they were praying for her but with the beliefs of elves being so different, I couldn’t make sense of the cryptic prayers they were saying. Honestly, I also couldn’t understand how they had this much compassion for someone have fallen this much. Again, I didn’t think that she was like the beastkin I had fought before. Absorbing mana from others seemed to be a conscious choice and she made it. Which is why I didn’t try to purify her soul. However, the idea of using a sapient being to strengthen my sword seemed too heartless. I decided to hold onto it until I could sit down and come to a decision.


    “Thanks for giving us time to say our farewells. Even if she was fallen, she was our kin.”


    I nodded to Elandris’s words as I handed him his arrows. While he and Methild prayed I went around and gathered the arrows he used against the spiders.


    “Thank you.”


    “No problem.”


    We got into the same formation as we used before.


    “Can’t you use the same marker spell to find Nidhogg?”


    I asked to Methild.


    “Unfortunately, no. I either need a part of it or I need to see it. It won’t work otherwise.”


    She explained solemnly.


    “It is okay. We just need to search harder.”


    I consoled her. Well, we were searching for a giant dragon so it shouldn’t be hard to find, right? We soon got out of the webs and I no longer need to keep using Ice Wolf’s Breath. With that strain in my mana reserves gone, I felt better. The darkness on the other hand was the same. The idea that we could just step into the mouth of Nidhogg was a possibility but I tried to not think about it too much. While I could take the stress created by that kind of thought, I doubt that my companions could. I looked back at their faces from time to time, making sure that they didn’t look too mentally exhausted.


    That’s how I was able to catch both Elandris and Methild grimace at the same time. After a second later the root in my body burned, causing me to grimace as well.


    “Woof?”


    G?kb?rü popped his head and licked my chin. I patted his head.


    “It is okay. I think we are close.”


    My elven companions nodded to support my claim.


    “Will you guys be okay? If getting close to it hurts you, I don’t think you will be able to fight.”


    Lily voiced his concern, his eyes reflecting the worry that wasn’t common to see from him.


    “I think this is Mother’s way of warning us. It won’t happen in combat.”


    Elandris straightened his back and spoke with a calm assurance. While I also thought like him I also couldn’t help but be salty about Mother Tree’s warning system. Couldn’t it be less painful? Thankfully, the pain didn’t last for long and we were able to move forward without stopping. It was good as the ground became even more difficult to walk on. When I looked down I realized why. The wooden floor which covered the ground was rotten and broken down just like a piece of wood that’s been left in the rain for a long time. Every step we took caused it to crumble into a weird mud. Was this another sign of Nidhogg?


    For a second I thought of freezing the ground as I did to the webs but I decided against it. We could actually move here albeit with a small amount of difficulty, unlike the webs before. Also wasting mana while we were this close to Nidhogg could be dangerous.


    “Everyone, spread out!”


    Out of nowhere, Elandris shouted. Rather than questioning the experienced ranger’s warning, I threw myself to the side with G?kb?rü and Lily. I was able to catch a glimpse of Methild and Elandris withdrawing to the opposite side. Before I could mutter a single word to ask Elandris what was happening, three claws each coated with mana equal to half of my maximum mana reserves tore the ground, leaving massive scorch marks on the ground. Something with immense mass and speed passed beside us, wind created by its movement causing my cloak to flutter.


    “Damn. It found us before we could find it.”


    I couldn’t see all of its body as the darkness shrouding it coupled with its size made it impossible to fully gaze upon its form. Thankfully, it seemed to be smaller than the hydra we fought while still being big enough to activate Titan Slayer’s Rune. Its back was turned to us and I could see a massive reptilian tail ending with a stinger. I wondered why it even had venom. That stinger was big enough to open a massive hole in any humanoid’s body. The scales covering its body were also weird-looking. They looked like dried-up, black tree bark instead of any kind of scales I had seen before.


    Before I could analyze its form more, the massive tail came crashing down on us. While a part of me whispered I could block it with my shield, I chose to dodge it. Not only dodging was safer but what if it had the ability to bypass the shields to inflict its venom? Arachne had the ability to inflict status effects with the attacks I parried so it wasn’t worth risking it. The tail slammed to the ground, sending wood shards everywhere as we dodged.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.Nidhogg’s attention shifted quickly as I saw a green explosion lit up the area where its head was. I gritted my teeth. Damn, those elves and their impulsiveness to jump into combat! They should have waited for me to get its attention first!


    “Lily, run!”


    I knew that he was faster than me and could dodge every attack thrown at him if he only focused on that. He could take the aggro until I reached the head of the creature. With a burst of speed, he passed me and reached Elandris’s side while I was halfway to Nidhogg’s body. The creature was pretty long, probably around 25 meters or so. The weirder part was the number of legs it had and how they protruded out of its body. Not only did it have 6 legs but they also protruded out of its body like an ant’s. Damn. That will make it harder to knock it off balance.


    I was able to regroup with my comrades half a second after Lily reached them. Just in time to see Nidhogg opening its leech-like mouth with countless fangs and dripping a sludge-like substance. I got ready to block whatever it was by gigantifying my shield but roots exiting out of the ground and grappling it to the ground caused it to miss us.


    “Elandris, Methild, get some distance! Support from far away! Don’t use anti-dragon arrows until I say so!”


    I leaped forward to the Nidhogg as I avoided the sludge-like substance. I had to get its attention and make sure that it stayed on me. According to what I understood, it had a skill like my Dragonic Slayer title that allowed it to deal more damage to elves. To do that I had to at least annoy it.


    As I charged towards Nidhogg, my heart pounded in my chest, the adrenaline coursing through my veins as I prepared to face the mighty dragon head-on. I could feel the weight of my shield in my hand, the familiar weight offering me a sense of security as I braced myself for the battle ahead. Nidhogg melted the roots binding it with the acid it was spurting and facing me. Its six eyes, 2 each on the side of its head and 2 in front reminded me of an angler fish. They didn’t look like they were made for taking in light. Despite that I could feel that they were looking at me, or more accurately the root of Mother Tree inside of me. I felt its hunger. It was so intense that I could feel the tingling sensation of it biting me. Despite that I moved closer, its massive form looming over me. Despite being smaller than the hydra and wurm, it was still giant. I must look like a bite-sized snack jumping into its mouth.


    Yeah, its mouth was huge. Rather than having lower and upper jaws like a normal being, it was more like a leech’s, except like several thousands of times larger. With a primal roar, Nidhogg lunged forward, its gaping maw descending upon me like a shadowy abyss, ready to swallow me whole.


    “Fuck that.”


    Gigantifying my shield enough to not get shallowed, I braced for impact. Despite the increased weight of the shield, the impact sent reverberations coursing through my arm. Despite the amount of mana I used to reinforce my body, I was quickly overwhelmed and pushed back. My legs and shield left marks as got dragged by the creature’s immense weight. Despite its rather skinny look, it was strong. If it wasn’t for attacks from Elandris and Methild hitting its tough scales, I was sure it would have pushed me back to their side. Thankfully, it raised its head and roared in pain so I was able to take a deep breath.


    (You resisted Dragonic Fear.)


    (You resisted Dragonic Fear.)


    (You resisted Dragonic Fear.)


    “What’s up, bitch?”


    Lily popped from the side and attacked the legs of the creature. I took that opportunity to grab my shield. Shadows slowly wrapped around it before it disappeared.


    (Your Strength and Vitality increases by 2.)


    (You can summon a copy of Megalithic Ward of the Water.)


    With the disappearance of the massive shield, Nidhogg made a noise I assumed was a yelp.


    (Ferocity of Wolf King is activated. Your speed and reflexes increase by 20 percent for 3 minutes.)


    (Ferocity of Wolf King is activated. Your speed and reflexes increase by 20 percent for 3 minutes.)


    Using two stacks of Ferocity of Wolf King, I also jumped in dealing damage to the creature. My long spear, coated with mana and Armor Collapsing Claw struck the creature. My skeleton shook as if I was a solid stone the moment my spear reached its body.


    “It''s tough!”


    Lily voiced what I was thinking. While I still had more buffs I could stack, the after-effects they had were immense. If it was possible, I wanted them to use them after I learned how it moved so I didn’t waste them.