Meryl breathed heavily, the pain radiating from the wound in her shoulder was beyond what she could endure. She moved her other arm with difficulty, scattering the remaining bombs around her, and soon the branches stopped attacking.
She cut the trunk lodged in her shoulder from the back, causing her to collapse downward. She used her sword to stab the ground and leaned all her weight on it before her feet settled firmly on the earth.
The ground was full of cracks and debris, with tree branches and trunks scattered everywhere due to the explosions.
Looking at the situation, Meryl realized that the bombs alone weren't enough to stop these trees—they would regrow just minutes after the explosion.
She needed something that would halt their growth, not just slow it down. She searched through her inventory, grabbed several healing potions, and drank them all. Her healing ability was still at a beginner level, and on top of that, she was healing three people besides herself.
She had to choose between cutting the life threads of her friends or drinking the healing fluids. So far, Tulip was in the best condition among them, unlike Elena and Alvin, whom Meryl kept healing nonstop. It seemed they were engaged in a fierce battle.
Meryl took one of the bottles Alvin had bought for her in the past few days and drank it as well.
{A pill with specific properties has been consumed.
This pill grants the ability to control flames for up to 12 hours maximum.
Note:
The following side effects may result from consuming the pill:
Side Effects (During Activation):
– Weakened performance of vital organs.
– Severe fatigue.
Possible Complications (After Duration Ends):
– Permanent damage to some vital organs.
– Partial neural or brain damage.
– Localized burning of nerves or tissues.
Timer:
[12:59:59]
}
"I've never seen anyone as useless as you!" Darsila mocked in her calm tone. Meryl narrowed her eyes to see her, as Darsila was hidden in the thick dust surrounding them.
"Admit it—you're useless. Just a burden on others."
Meryl felt her heart clench painfully behind her ribs, but she didn't let it affect her. She needed to defeat Darsila and get out of here alive.
Meryl straightened her posture, taking several deep breaths to steady herself. Darsila, watching her, assumed that Meryl was finally going to admit defeat.
But Darsila's calm expression quickly shifted to rage as she saw flames erupt from Meryl's body, devouring everything around them.
"What the hell are you doing, you lunatic?! You'll burn down the entire forest!"
"I don't care," Meryl said with a small smile as she unleashed fire in all directions.
"Your friends will burn to death if you keep this up!" Darsila tried desperately to stop Meryl from setting the forest ablaze, but all her attempts failed.
"Didn't you say they already left?" Meryl asked mockingly, causing Darsila's expression to tighten further. "In any case, my friends are strong—they can protect themselves."
Yes, Meryl was confident they could protect themselves from the flames. She grabbed another bottle from the "inventory" and drank its contents…
{A pill with specific properties has been consumed.
This pill grants the ability to control wind for up to 12 hours maximum.
Note:
The following side effects may occur upon consumption:
Side Effects (During Activation):
– Dizziness and temporary loss of balance
– Sudden pressure in the chest or ears due to internal air disturbance
Possible Complications (After Duration Ends):
– Pulmonary rupture or internal bleeding caused by air pressure
– Permanent damage to the auditory or nervous system
– Respiratory disorders that may lead to partial or temporary suffocation
Timer:
[12:59:59]
}
Her body would be in a miserable state later, but Meryl didn't care about that now. She was focused solely on the battle at hand.
She gave a small smile toward Darsila, who stood at a distance, then unleashed whirlwinds of wind in every direction her eyes could reach.
The flames grew more intense, moving faster from place to place. If it weren't for her fire-controlling ability, Meryl was sure she would've felt suffocated by the surrounding heat.
"Now then, Miss Darsila... you're forced to fight," Meryl said with a sly little smile.
"As you wish. But… I won't show you mercy even if you beg me later!" Darsila's expression relaxed, and a smile returned to her rosy lips.
Suddenly, a dark brown hue spread across her skin, and small things began to grow in various spots on her body. Meryl tried to focus on them, but the distance between them was a bit too wide, not to mention the dust hanging in the air.
Something grew on Darsila's head—it looked like… a hat? Its color changed to orange with golden spots. Was that… a mushroom? Meryl wasn't sure.
"Now, prepare to die!" Darsila said in a dark tone before charging toward Meryl. Just before reaching her, she planted her foot into the ground, then leapt into the sky. She spun swiftly, raising her right leg and aiming it directly at Meryl's head.
Meryl quickly raised her forearm to block the blow aimed at her head. She bent slightly under the force of the strike and braced her legs to avoid collapsing to the ground.
She stepped back, but before Meryl could catch her breath, Darsila advanced again. She opened her palm and struck Meryl's chest with the heel of her hand. The blow was swift and powerful, forcing her to stagger backward.
Meryl barely managed to steady herself. Something felt strange… She stared at her forearms, and her eyes widened in shock! Fungi were growing all along her forearm!
"Those fungi are a gift from me… for daring to steal my life energy," Darsila said sweetly. "Now, I'll give you one last chance. Either you—"
Suddenly, Meryl appeared right in front of Darsila. She extended her hand toward her opponent's face and unleashed a straight punch that struck Darsila hard in the jaw, catching her off guard.
Before Darsila could react, Meryl quickly swung her arm and hit her from the side with a fist, knocking Darsila's head in the opposite direction.
Meryl then launched a powerful side kick toward Darsila, feeling a violent shock ripple through the right side of her body. It felt like Darsila was letting her land those hits, and with every touch, the fungi were spreading even faster across Meryl's body.
Meryl swiftly swung her leg around her opponent and launched a high arc kick toward her head. But this time, Darsila blocked it, raising her forearm as a shield.
She then dropped her body low and delivered a powerful kick to Meryl's knee, throwing her off balance.
Without hesitation, Darsila struck the side of Meryl's thigh, causing her muscles to tremble violently from the impact. She followed up with a direct kick to Meryl's face, then quickly retracted her leg and finished the assault with a punch to the stomach.
Meryl ended up flat on the ground, her entire body groaning in pain.
Lying there, letting the pain take control of her nerves—these were not options Meryl ever intended to accept. That's why she kept pushing those thoughts away and forced herself to rise again to fight.
She had fallen countless times. The fungus had spread uncontrollably, and now, the side effects mentioned by the system had begun to manifest.
Meryl was utterly exhausted — so much so that even the healing vials no longer worked on her. Each time she forced herself up from the ground, it felt like her muscles were tearing apart, and her heart clenched in agony.
There's someone waiting for me, she reminded herself, striking back at Darsila even as she received brutal blows in return. Through the long hours of battle that stretched across the night, Meryl realized something:
This world had grown harsher than ever before. And if she wanted to stand beside Elena and the others, she would have to give everything she had to become stronger.
Now, with dawn nearing, Meryl once again lay on the ground, breathing rapidly as Darsila pressed her foot into her abdomen.
"It was an entertaining fight, but I'm afraid I have to end it now," Darsila said with a wicked smile.