Ren's sapphire-blue eyes swept across the battlefield, their sharp gaze cutting through the thin veil of mist.
Tendrils of humid air rose from the ground, swirling briefly before vanishing under his piercing stare, revealing the twisted silhouettes of the remaining monsters.
The plant-like tentacles writhed and convulsed, exuding a rancid, decaying scent of rotting grass and viscous fluids, blending into the suffocating atmosphere of the sealed-off forest.
The sticky mucus clung to the ground, reflecting the dim, eerie light, as if the entire place had been claimed by these grotesque entities.
Six Little Nepenthes remained.
Not a small number, but far from the overwhelming force they had been at the start. They still moved in their uncanny manner, tendrils wrapped tightly around the surrounding trees, retracting and striking out at random, making it difficult to predict their attacks.
If he had to fight alone, he would have to struggle against every assault, calculating each movement down to the second to avoid a fatal mistake.
A single misstep could lead to being ensnared, entangled in those vines, crushed beneath the relentless fury of the creatures.
He had fought these Nepenthes before, and he could take down three on his own, but four at once would be pushing his limits.
But this time, things were different.
With Nautilus providing covering attacks, Ren no longer had to shoulder the entire burden alone.
He still dictated the battle's rhythm, still tore through the enemy's defenses, but he was no longer fighting in solitude.
A slash. A glint of light in the mist. A tentacle severed, writhing on the ground like a decapitated snake.
Immediately, Nautilus lunged forward. His strike might not have been strong enough to finish the monster, but it was enough to sever another part of its tendrils, drawing a shrill, inhuman screech from the Nepenthes.
Nautilus's attacks still lacked power. His movements were still clumsy. But there was determination behind every swing of his sword.
They were no longer meaningless strikes. Each time Ren created an opening, Nautilus rushed in to fill the gap, capitalizing on the enemy's weaknesses.
Every slash carried effort. Every step was steadier than before. He might not have been fast enough yet, might not have been strong enough, but at the very least, he was no longer paralyzed by fear.
And most importantly, he was no longer standing still.
Ren could feel the change in every movement.
Nautilus no longer hesitated when swinging his sword, no longer panicked when the monsters closed in. Instead, he pressed forward with persistence, clumsy but undeniable.
He still had weaknesses, but at the very least, he had begun to truly fight.
But in that very moment, a faint hissing sound came from behind.
A Nepenthes had slithered silently through the mist, concealed by the trees, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Its vines stretched forward like living serpents, closing in on Nautilus, ready to ensnare him in an instant.
Ren dashed forward.
No hesitation. No second thoughts.
He kicked off the ground, using the recoil from the damp earth to propel himself forward. His sword carved a gleaming arc through the dense fog, slicing through the air with terrifying speed.
Drops of thick mucus sprayed as the blade came down, emitting a sharp, grating sound as it met the monster's slick body.
The vines were severed just before they could reach Nautilus. But Ren didn't stop.
He twisted his body, adjusted his wrist, and his sword followed a flawless trajectory, driving straight into the Nepenthes' core.
A precise strike. No excess movement. No hesitation. A strike honed through countless life-or-death battles.
The blade cleaved clean through the pitcher plant monster, its cold steel effortlessly slicing through the slick outer layer.
A shrill screech rang out, blending into the sickening sound of fluids splattering as the monster's body split apart.
Its tentacles twitched violently in their final moments before its entire form shattered into crimson pixels, vanishing into the air as if it had never existed.
But Ren didn't stop.
His blade continued its path, carving through the mist like a streak of lightning.
This time, it aimed for the Little Nepenthes behind it, the one that had just raised its head, preparing to pounce after witnessing its kin fall. But it was too late.
Ren adjusted his grip, channeling all his strength into the next slash.
The mist seemed to tear apart, making way for the cold glint of his sword.
For a fleeting moment, all the Nepenthes could see was the dazzling reflection of metal, before pain erupted through its form, and its world shattered into a cascade of crimson pixels.
The monster's silhouette dissolved, leaving a void amidst the lingering haze.
Ren lowered his sword, his breath slightly ragged, but his eyes remained sharp.
Four more to go.
Not much, but they still couldn't let their guard down.
Ren scanned the battlefield, reassessing the positions of the remaining monsters. They were no longer charging in recklessly like before.
Their movements had become sluggish, perhaps from the shock of seeing their kin cut down so quickly, or perhaps their survival instincts had finally warned them that the opponent before them was no easy prey.
But that didn't mean they would run.
One of the Nepenthes on the left suddenly coiled its vines, pulling itself into a taut, compressed shape, a telltale sign of an impending powerful strike.
Another one on the right began to slither forward slowly, its long tendrils tightening, ready to ensnare its prey the moment an opportunity arose.
Without exchanging words, both Ren and Nautilus recognized the situation.
Four monsters left. One more battle.
And they would end it here.
Beneath the thick mist, Nautilus was no longer the trembling boy paralyzed by fear in front of a monster.
He was still far from mastering combat, his movements were still clumsy, but now, each swing of his sword carried real weight.
Gone were the desperate, aimless slashes. Instead, every strike aimed for a weak point, every step taken with clear intent.
Ren could feel it.
A Nepenthes lunged at Nautilus from the right, tendrils stretching out, ready to constrict him. But this time, he didn't retreat.
Swish!
The sword in Nautilus's hand flashed, slicing clean through the vine before it could reach him. Green fluid sprayed out as the monster shrieked in pain, twisting wildly. Seizing the moment, Nautilus adjusted his grip and delivered a swift horizontal slash.
Slash!
A streak of light cut through the mist. The Nepenthes convulsed, then shattered into glowing red pixels, vanishing into thin air.
Three left.
Ren glanced at Nautilus, who was still panting but no longer panicked. He had just taken down a monster, cleanly, decisively.
A faint smile flickered across Ren's lips.
"Well done."
Nautilus didn't reply right away, but his shoulders eased slightly.
Even with sweat beading on his forehead, even with his breath still ragged, he had crossed an invisible boundary.
No more fear. No more hesitation.
He was beginning to show his potential and the fight wasn't over yet.
He didn't stop... Nautilus shot forward like an arrow, his blade cleaving through the monster that had been closing in on them.
Even as the red pixels of the first Nepenthes scattered into the air, he was already turning, a rare gleam of determination flashing in his eyes.
Two left.
Another monster lunged from the left, its tendrils snaking toward him like living serpents, but this time, Nautilus didn't back down.
Swish!
He sidestepped the attack, pushing off the ground to spin and swing his blade.
His sword carved through the Nepenthes's thick outer shell, slicing a clean wound across its bloated body. A piercing shriek echoed, and in an instant, the monster burst apart into red pixels.
Two kills.
Two monsters down in under forty seconds.
The awkwardness in his movements had faded. Confidence now filled every action.
Nautilus was no longer just swinging his sword by instinct, he was fighting.
And then, in that moment, he made a choice.
His grip on the hilt tightened. Clenching his teeth, Nautilus activated a sword skill.
The blade began to glow.
A faint aura wrapped around the steel, the air around him trembling slightly as if raw energy was surging from within him.
Swish!
Nautilus dashed straight toward the third monster, the last Little Nepenthes.
A sharp streak of light tore through the mist, scattering the dense fog to reveal the twisted figure of the hidden Nepenthes inside.
This was the decisive moment, and Nautilus had no intention of stopping.
But… something was wrong.
Ren realized it instantly when his gaze locked onto the monster.
This Nepenthes… was different.
Atop its head, a glowing red sphere swayed with its movements.
The dim radiance it emitted was unsettling.
It wasn't just reflected light or a natural coloration, it was something unnatural, pulsating like a living heartbeat in the dense darkness.
Ren's instincts screamed at him. A chill ran down his spine. Something was very, very wrong.
"Nautilus! Stop! Get back!"
He shouted, but his warning cut through the mist too late.
Nautilus's sword had already swung down, carving a sharp arc through the air, straight into the monster's slick, glistening hide.