---
Meanwhile, Yor respawned at the rear of the battlefield. Without wasting a second, he grabbed a sword, a bow, and a quiver full of arrows from the nearby weapon rack.
He turned around to assess the state of the battle and noticed that some of the lizard men were beginning to retreat.
Why are those guys retreating when they just sent Azakkin to battle?
Without wasting time, Yor took off toward the forest at the foot of the mountain on the western side—where Azakkin had appeared.
Back during the fight, when Azakkin flew overhead and briefly blocked out the sun, Yor had seen something—a faint thread glinting in the light, just for a second. It would've been easy to miss if not for that perfect angle.
He reached the edge of the forest, panting, one hand braced against a tree, the other resting on his thigh as he bent forward to catch his breath.
From the direction of that thread, the one controlling Azakkin must be hiding nearby.
He moved through the forest slowly, brushing past thick bushes and low branches. The trees were packed tightly together, making it hard to see far ahead. It felt like the forest was built to confuse him.
His eyes scanned the gaps between the branches above, following the faint path the thread had revealed—hoping it would lead him to whoever was controlling the beast.
Finally, he saw someone strange—not a lizardman, but a human. Old and frail-looking, the man stood alone in a glowing magic circle, right in the center of a forest clearing.
Yor crouched behind a thick bush, watching intently from a safe distance.
Above the man's head, glowing letters faded into view:
---
[BOSS MONSTER]
[Flora Enchanter]
[6000 Hitpoints]
The Enchanter's irises had sunk deep into his skull, leaving only milky white orbs behind.
His long, white hair swayed gently in the wind as his staff moved slowly through the air. Each motion was deliberate—connecting to Azakkin demanded all his senses, leaving him in a vulnerable state.
He wore a flowing black robe with a faint, leathery shine to it. The wide sleeves hung loose from his arms, swaying with every movement.
His HP is only 6000? That's low as a boss monster, but I bet it's offenses are super strong though.
I have to tell Rywes.
Yor was about to stand when a heavy thud echoed nearby, making the dirt tremble beneath his palms. The sharp rhythm of pounding footsteps followed, growing louder. He looked up—a lizardman was charging straight at him, gripping a bone spear
"Where do you think you're going, kid?" the creature snarled as it lunged with its spear.
Yor barrel-rolled aside, dodging the attack.
He could've killed me if he was sneaky.
Above the creature's head, a glowing text appeared:
---
[Flora Enchanter Guardian]
[3000 HP]
---
Unlike the lizardman I fought earlier, this one only has 3,000 hitpoints. I'll just try to kill him. After all, I can't escape—I'm lost deep in the forest.
Yor unsheathed his sword and took a classic fighting stance, blade held steady and pointed forward.
The lizardman grinned fiercely and lunged without hesitation.
Yor met the attack head-on, blocking the bone spear with his sword and pushing it aside. In one swift motion, he slashed at the creature's feet, forcing it to stumble and fall.
This one is certainly weaker than the one I fought.
But the lizardman wasn't done. Taking advantage of his fall, he quickly thrust his spear toward Yor's head. Yor barely dodged the strike by leaping backward.
The lizardman flicked its tongue.
"You're one slick bastard, aren't you?"
"Thanks for the compliment."
Guess I'm getting the hang of this game.
This time, Yor struck first. He dashed forward, meeting the lizardman head-on as their weapons traded heavy, deliberate blows.
The lizardman's brow ridge furrowed in frustration—how could a puny human like Yor keep up with him?
Yor parried a heavy strike, but the creature quickly countered with a sweeping kick, knocking Yor off balance.
The bone-tipped spear slammed into the dirt just inches from Yor's face, sending shards of earth spraying across his cheeks.
For a heartbeat, the world froze.
Then—
A dagger sliced through the air and buried itself deep in the lizard man's eye. He let out a scream of pain, staggered back, and collapsed to the ground. Dark blood dripped steadily onto the forest floor.
Wasting no time, Yor grabbed his sword and scrambled to his feet.
He raised the blade high, gathered momentum, and drove it deep into the lizard man's thick skull. Blood splashed across his face as the creature jerked and went still.
Breathing heavily, Yor turned around—just as Ludwig stepped out from behind a tree.
"Wuehh!" Yor jerked back, eyes wide.
Ludwig reacted like a vampire exposed to the sun.
"You almost gave me a heart attack."He muttered as he stepped up beside him. Daggers were strapped to his baldric and belt, and a sword was slung across his back.
Relief settled in Yor's chest the moment he saw Ludwig. The chaos of the fight faded slightly, and for the first time in a while, he allowed himself to breathe. Suddenly, the forest didn't feel so heavy anymore.
"Thank goodness you came," Yor said, repeatedly patting Ludwig's back with a wide smile.
"Of course, If you die, I die. Because, you're the brawn I'm the brain."
"Um..."
Yor squinted, trying to make sense out of it
"Wait, who's that crazy, old woman?" They both turned their eyes to the Flora Enchanter.
With a quick glare and a sigh, he said, "That's an old man!" like the stupidity was almost impressive.
Yor saw an arrow on the ground, it seemed like it fell when he got knocked off the ground. He bent over and picked it up.
His eyes turned to Ludwig, who was winding up to throw a dagger at the Enchanter.
Yor's eyes widened, his jaw dropped — in his perspective, everything moved in slow motion.
But the dagger just went flying—straight into the void.
"That's weird." Ludwig placed his hand on his chin.
Yor sighed in relief, then seized his shoulders and dragged him down.
"Don't attack yet idiot. We still have to call for backup," he whispered, crouched low behind the thick bushes.
"We can't take him down alone. He might have traps set up around him that we don't know about," he added.
"I only found this guy by chance. If we fail, we'll have to navigate these forest all over again just to find him." He pulled a branch aside slightly, just enough to peek through without revealing their position.
Unfortunately, the dagger grazed an invisible barrier, instantly alerting the Flora Enchanter.
His left iris rolled back into his eye, he then snapped his fingers, casting a spell to warn his guardians of a nearby presence.
He then sank his eye back, fully focusing his mind to properly control Azakkin.
Silhouettes of Flora Enchanter Guardians emerged on the horizon of the forest, pushing aside branches as they marched toward Yor and Ludwig.
"We're so screwed," Yor muttered, a hint of nervousness in his voice.