Our Family Has Fallen

Upon seeing the Warwolf, Grendel’s mind uncontrollably flooded with the vision of that figure frantically slaughtering her kin and the scene of the great fire devouring her tribe, among other chaotic memories. She hadn’t forgotten! And she never could forget this deep-seated hatred borne of bloodshed!

Hatred made her attack without hesitation. She slammed her Magic Wand into the ground, and the force of nature flowed through it into the earth. The very place where they stood had once been a forest. Though the trees had been felled, their roots couldn’t possibly have been entirely cleared away. Now, Grendel awakened the fury of the forest with her power.

”Feel the wrath of nature!”

With a swing of her Magic Wand, countless roots burst forth from the earth. Under her control, they writhed like grey-black pythons, strangling the enemies.

A warrior, wounded in the previous fight with the soldiers, couldn’t escape in time and was promptly ensnared by the roots. His limbs were bound fast, and the roots around his neck tightened suddenly, suffocating him.

Most of the warriors and white wolves were not caught off guard; they either protected their vital points or quickly moved out of the area. As for the Warwolf, he didn’t even bother to dodge. Given his massive size, he cared little even when entangled. With his berserk strength, he easily tore apart roots as thick as fingers.

But Grendel’s purpose in using this tactic wasn’t to kill. It was merely to delay the enemies, giving the soldiers time to regroup.

”Come over here, quickly.”

The soldiers, of course, understood and hurriedly ran to Grendel’s side. The captain, who had been struck by the Warwolf’s axe, was dragged out by two others.

”Those who are injured, drink this,” Grendel threw out a bottle of Potion.

The uninjured soldiers quickly picked up the Potion and gave a mouthful to the wounded to keep them alive. They also rallied, readying their weapons to face the enemy. A white wolf, quite agile, dodged the tangling roots and took advantage of Grendel’s momentary distraction to rush at her.

However, it didn’t realize that Grendel was no ordinary ranged Mage; her profession was Shaman Priest.

Facing the lunging white wolf, she extended her hand, and a verdant thorn shot straight out of her sleeve, biting into its prey like a swift, venomous snake.

The thorn extended and entangled the white wolf. The more it struggled, the tighter the spikes on the thorn constricted, piercing its flesh and draining its Life Force. Red lines visibly emerged on the verdant thorn, spreading towards her sleeve. No one could see the enticing blush that crept over Grendel’s face beneath her mask.

The earlier effort of commanding the roots had significantly drained her. Now replenished, her condition naturally recovered a great deal. When the thorn retreated, the white wolf, though not yet dead, was gasping for breath, its Life Force almost entirely drained.

Unfortunately, even this moment’s peace couldn’t be guaranteed, as the enemies quickly broke free from her control while she was distracted.

”Capture her!” commanded the Warwolf, and the warriors and white wolves charged.

Grendel, now replenished, waved her hand. A cool mint scent wafted out, instantly making the somewhat languid soldiers more alert and their reactions sharper.

Grendel knew no one else could stop the Warwolf; at this moment, only she could hold him off. Without hesitation, she reached into her pocket, grabbed something, and flung it out. Infused with Spiritual Essence, the antler-like branches of her Magic Wand seemed to grow even more verdant and full of vitality.

As she knocked her Magic Wand on the ground, the Seeds she had just scattered burst into sprouts instantly.

Wild growth!

The Seeds sprouted new shoots that rapidly took root in the earth. Supported by the power of nature, they grew with an unreasonable, savage wildness. Within just two or three seconds, a lush green meadow sprang up between them and the Warwolf, its plants rapidly growing past their calves.

As the Barbarian Tribes’ warriors charged into it, the weed-like plants seemed to possess a consciousness of their own, clinging to them.

”Strangler Vines!”

Some of the Barbarian Tribes’ warriors recognized these plants and cried out in alarm.

Strangler Vines were infamous plants in the Mountains. They grew silently like ordinary weeds but were particularly vigorous, waiting until herbivores were attracted or other animals passed by. Only then would they reveal their terrifying nature: countless Strangler Vines would suddenly spring to life, binding and strangling any intruders, turning them into fertilizer.

The sharp edges of their leaves, like saws, could easily slice through skin and even cut Flesh. Generally, their prey consisted of small creatures like mice and rabbits. But that didn’t mean they only consumed such small fare.

As they accumulated nutrients, Strangler Vines would grow larger, and their diet would expand. Some people had even discovered patches of giant Strangler Vines. After killing the vines, they found the bones of large beasts like wild boars and bears—and, of course, humans—at their roots.

The people of the Deerhead Tribe had long utilized Strangler Vines, planting them around the perimeter of their medicinal gardens to prevent creatures like mice and rabbits from causing damage. Now, under Grendel’s nurturing and control, these domesticated Strangler Vines displayed extraordinary power.

The leaves climbed up the warriors’ calves. This prompted them to struggle involuntarily, but this movement only caused the saw-toothed edges of the leaves to rip through their trousers and dig into their Flesh, inflicting even greater damage.