Chapter 363 - 363: Terrifying Vine Army (1)

"Come on, guys. Don't you think that 1000+ against one is pretty unfair? So let's even the playing field a bit."

The moment those words left his mouth, his body started to change.

The body that had shrunk suddenly began to bulge once more as he transformed into a massive gorilla. His head remained human, but his enormous chest became dark black, with stripes of emerald-like veins moving across it in swirling patterns, intertwining and spreading until they formed something that seemed almost like a heavenly tattoo carved directly into his flesh.

Strength surged and filled every part of Aiden's body.

At the same time, a system notification appeared right before his eyes.

Ding!

Transformation Mode...

Emerald Vine Mode Completed.

Aiden smiled.

Then he proceeded to the next step.

He was going to even the playing field.

And to do that...

Emerald Vine Mode alone was not enough.

He needed an army of his own.

And since he didn't have one...

Why didn't he do something simpler?

Why couldn't he just create one?

Aiden's eyes flashed with a radiant green glow.

Following that...

The creation began.

The creation of his own warriors.

The ground beneath Aiden suddenly trembled.

At first, nothing seemed to happen.

Then...

BOOM!

Countless vines suddenly burst from beneath the ashen ground.

They erupted upward in a massive torrent, twisting violently as they surged into the air. They spread across the space beside and behind Aiden, covering the battlefield in an enormous tidal wave of emerald-green force.

The vines were thick.

Massive.

And impossibly numerous.

Some were as thick as a person's waist, while others were even larger, their surfaces covered in intricate patterns that pulsed with radiant emerald light.

They twisted around one another like countless serpents moving in perfect synchronization.

One vine wrapped around another.

Then another.

And another.

They intertwined, compressed, and tightened until the seemingly chaotic mass began to take shape.

The emerald vines started rising higher.

They twisted upward from the ground like enormous pillars of living energy before bending inward.

Then they began to condense.

The vines that had originally looked wild and untamed suddenly moved with frightening precision.

They began forming skeletal structures.

A spine.

A rib cage.

Shoulders.

Arms.

Legs.

Hands.

And finally...

Heads.

The vines continued weaving together, layer after layer wrapping around the developing forms.

First came the bones, formed from tightly compressed emerald vines.

Then came the muscles.

Thick strands of vines coiled around the skeletal structure, layering themselves over one another until they formed powerful limbs and sturdy torsos.

More vines flowed across their bodies, filling every gap and sealing every opening.

Their bodies became humanoid.

Then the emerald energy intensified.

The vines tightened even further.

Their surfaces became smooth and firm, no longer resembling ordinary plants. They looked more like an unknown material forged by nature itself, radiant emerald light flowing beneath their surfaces like blood.

Then armor began to form.

Emerald vines rushed forward and coagulated around their bodies, forming strong and firm armor that radiated an extraordinary aura.

The armor wasn't simply wrapped around them.

It grew directly from them.

Vines layered over their chests, forming thick breastplates capable of protecting their vital areas.

Others wrapped around their shoulders and hardened into heavy pauldrons.

Vines twisted around their arms, forming gauntlets that covered their hands and forearms.

Their legs were similarly reinforced, emerald vines flowing downward before hardening into armored greaves.

Then helmets formed over their heads.

Some had simple rounded designs.

Others had sharp, intimidating structures.

Several had narrow openings where their eyes should have been, from which a faint emerald glow radiated.

The entire process looked almost like watching an army being forged from the earth itself.

But Aiden wasn't finished.

The vines continued moving.

Some detached from the bodies of the warriors and flowed toward the ground.

Then they began changing shape.

One mass of vines stretched outward before becoming straight and rigid.

It formed a long spear.

Another gathered together and became a sword.

Another flattened and widened, becoming a shield.

Others bent and curved, forming bows.

Then came arrows.

Daggers.

Greatblades.

Axes.

Halberds.

Maces.

Clubs.

Chains.

And countless other weapons.

Each weapon was created from the same emerald vines.

Each one radiated a powerful aura.

Some warriors carried massive greatblades that were almost as tall as their bodies.

Others wielded enormous shields.

Some held spears while others carried bows, their emerald arrows already formed and resting against their strings.

There were warriors designed for close combat.

Warriors designed for long-range attacks.

Warriors carrying shields.

Warriors carrying two swords.

Warriors carrying enormous weapons that looked capable of crushing anything standing in their path.

Every single one of them was different.

Yet somehow...

They all looked like they belonged to the same army.

Soon, before long...

The battlefield had completely changed.

There were now about five hundred emerald warriors standing around Aiden.

Five hundred.

An entire army.

All created from vines.

All armed.

All radiating an aura that was not too far from reaching the A-Rank level.

Elen, who was already in complete shock, widened her eyes in absolute, pure disbelief as she stared at what was happening right before her.

Her lips parted.

Her entire body became stiff.

Her brain simply refused to process what she was seeing.

Did Aiden just summon five hundred warriors?

Five hundred warriors...

And every single one of them was radiating an aura that was not too far from being at the A-Rank level?

Elen shuddered involuntarily.

She didn't even want to think anymore.

She feared that if she stretched her brain too far trying to understand this ridiculous situation, she might actually suffer a mental breakdown.

Fortunately for her, Aiden had already thought about her safety.

Aiden wrapped her in an enclosed vine cocoon and shifted her away from the battlefield, safeguarding her life before the real battle even began.

Inside the cocoon, she couldn't see anything.

And that was exactly what she had been praying for.

At least she wouldn't have to see death again.

Nor would she have to see the ridiculous things the human was doing.

That was her plan.

And she was supposed to feel thoroughly ecstatic right now.

Yet...

What she felt right now was the complete opposite of relief.

She was worried for Aiden's sake.

Mostly because she didn't think that even with all five hundred of his Vine Warriors, they were enough to face the one thousand Ashen Warriors with twenty S-Rank Monsters among them.

It was crazy.

There was no way he was winning this.

That was what she thought.

But alas...

What could she do here?

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

She was more than useless.

Elen's face dropped as she sighed.

"Whatever... I can only hope..."

She clenched her fists inside the cocoon.

"Hope that he wouldn't die."

Meanwhile...

Back on the battlefield...

Aiden was now in his Emerald Vine Warrior King Mode.

A large greatblade appeared in his right hand.

Vines twisted and shaped themselves into a great shield that he held firmly in his left hand.

A warrior king helmet, also made entirely from vines, appeared on his head, covering his face.

Only his eyes and the lower portion of his face remained visible.

Aiden grinned.

Then he stepped forward.

Standing there in front of his self-created army, he looked over the hundreds of Vine Warriors behind him.

They stood completely still.

Hundreds of emerald bodies.

Hundreds of weapons.

Hundreds of warriors.

Waiting.

Aiden grinned and nodded calmly.

"Yes... this is way better now."

He tightened his grip around the greatblade.

"Now we can have a proper fight."

He said it calmly.

As if what stood before him wasn't an army of more than a thousand monsters.

As if the twenty S-Rank Monsters weren't standing among them.

As if this was nothing more than a casual sparring match.

The eyes of the Ashen Monsters darkened.

Their red eyes glowed with barely concealed rage.

"Damned human!"

One of the S-Rank Ashen Monsters roared.

"I will tear you apart!"

The Ashen Monster raised its weapon.

"Charge!"

The order was given.

A terrifying, mind-numbing roar shook the sky.

Thousands of Ashen Monsters surged forward.

At the same time...

Aiden's Vine Warriors also rushed into battle.

The two sides collided.

And the battle began.

The impact was immediate.

The already damaged Ashen ground trembled violently beneath the combined force of thousands of monsters.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Despite how inherently sturdy the Ashen World was, the ground couldn't withstand the sheer intensity of the battle.

Long, deep cracks began spreading across its surface almost immediately.

The battlefield turned into chaos.

Ashen Warriors collided with Vine Warriors.

Weapons clashed.

Shields smashed against bodies.

Swords tore through emerald flesh.

Spears pierced chests.

Axes chopped through limbs.

The Ashen Warriors had the advantage in numbers.

Most of them were A-Rank, with only a few being B-Rank.

As for Aiden's Vine Warriors...

They possessed strength that rivaled A-Rank Monsters.

Although they had not yet truly reached the A-Rank level, they could easily face an A-Rank Monster.

And they could even win.

The reason was their inherently high regenerative factor.

And more importantly...

They did not feel pain.

They were like efficient warriors who neither felt pain nor truly cared about damage.

Their bodies could be pierced.

They could be crushed.

They could be torn apart.

They could even be dismembered.

But none of that mattered.

If one of their hands was cut off...

Emerald vines would immediately surge from the wound, twisting and swimming through the air before forming another hand.

The entire process wouldn't even take more than a second or two.

If an arm was severed, another would grow.

If a leg was destroyed, another would form.

If their chest was ripped apart...

The vines would simply regenerate.

Even their vine weapons could be destroyed.

But that meant absolutely nothing in this battle.

After all...

They could simply grow another weapon of the same quality as the previous one.

Destroy a sword?

Another sword would appear.

Break a shield?

Another shield would form.

Shatter a spear?

Another spear would grow from their bodies.

They were perfect warriors.

Warriors that neither felt pain nor feared death.

And there was a third factor that made them even more terrifying.

They were of one mind.

Every single one of them was connected.

Every single one of them possessed the same combat instincts.

And every single one of them was as skilled as Aiden himself.

Adding all three factors together...

They became a nightmare for anyone who wanted to kill them.

The battle erupted into complete carnage.

Each of the Vine Warriors was immediately outnumbered three to one.

They were bombarded and attacked from every direction with a ferociousness and brutality that made it almost look as if the Ashen Monsters were determined to kill them at any cost.

Oh, sorry...

They wanted to kill them.

Too bad for the Ashen Monsters.

They were about to experience everything the warriors that had the bad luck of facing off against Aiden's Emerald Vine Warriors were destined to experience.

They were about to experience true horror.

In the middle of the battle, a look of shock appeared on the face of one Ashen Monster.

It had just beheaded one of the Vine Warriors.

The Ashen Monster relaxed.

A mocking glint appeared in its red eyes.

It looked down at the fallen Vine Warrior with the satisfaction of someone who had just eliminated an annoying opponent.

That relaxation became its demise.

Because...

As it looked down...

It saw a sharp dagger made entirely of vines piercing through its chest.

Puchi!

The blade emerged from its back.

Pain instantly radiated through the creature's chest.

It let out a startled yelp.

But that was only the beginning.

A second later...

The monster's eyes widened.

Its pupils contracted in pure, absolute despair.

The Vine Warrior's severed head suddenly began reforming.

Emerald vines twisted together.

They knitted.

They regenerated.

They reconstructed the head in a matter of moments.

And then...

A mocking, sweet smile bloomed across the Vine Warrior's face.

"What's up?"

The Vine Warrior tilted its head slightly.

"Scared of something?"

Before the monster could reason anything...

The vines embedded inside its chest suddenly spread.

Like wildfire.

They exploded through its body, rapidly growing through its flesh and wrapping around its organs.

Emerald vines spread through its entire body.

They pierced through its muscles.

They wrapped around its bones.

They invaded every part of its body.

And then...

They began sucking the vitality out of it.

The Ashen Monster's body rapidly began to shrivel.

Its skin dried.

Its muscles weakened.

Its enormous body rapidly lost its strength as the vines drained everything from it.

A shriveled cry of dying pain escaped its lips.

Then...

Silence.

The Ashen Monster died.

The Vine Warrior didn't waste another second on the dead Ashen Warrior.

After all...

Now it was surrounded by three more.

The warm smile that looked suspiciously like the same smile Aiden had been wearing ever since he entered this dungeon appeared on the Vine Warrior's face.

It attacked.

Three against one.

The Vine Warrior engaged all three of them without a shred of regard for its own life.

But wait...

Why should it be worried?

As long as Aiden had energy to spend...

It would never truly die.

That was simply the reality.

The Ashen Monster that had just been killed and had its life sucked out of it was not the only victim.

It was only the first.

Never the last.

Because the real battle only truly began once the Vine Warriors became accustomed to the changes around them.

They began learning.

Adapting.

Synchronizing.

Their movements became smoother.

Their attacks became more precise.

Their reactions became faster.

They fully synchronized with each other.

And when that happened...

The already nightmarish warriors became even more nightmarish.

They moved and fought as if they were nothing more than puppets controlled by a single master controller looking down at the battlefield from above.

One moved...

Another immediately understood.

One attacked...

Another covered the opening.

One defended...

Another counterattacked.

Whenever an opening appeared, one of them was already there.

A killing blow.

Or at the very least...

A crippling blow.

They didn't need to communicate.

They didn't need to shout orders.

They didn't even need to look at one another.

Their minds were connected.

Their movements were synchronized.

Their combat instincts were shared.

It was as if hundreds of Aiden's were fighting together.

And that realization was perhaps the most terrifying thing about them.

Because there was no hesitation.

No fear.

No pain.

No concern for their own survival.

They could willingly sacrifice an arm if it meant creating an opening.

They could allow an enemy's blade to pierce through their chest if it gave another Vine Warrior the chance to strike.

They could let themselves be torn apart...

Because they knew they would simply regenerate.

The Ashen Warriors, however, didn't have that luxury.

Soon enough...

The cries of pain from the Ashen Warriors began to ring out across the battlefield.

"AAARGH!"

One scream.

Then another.

And another.

The screams soon became dying cries.

And then...

Silence.

One time.

Two times.

Then multiple times.

The faces of the twenty Ashen Warriors serving as the commanders of this force twisted with hatred and anger as they watched their men get slaughtered.

And yet...

They couldn't stop it.

They had tried.

They had attempted to kill the Vine Warriors themselves.

But alas...

That was a foolish endeavor.

The Vine Warriors were literally immortal.

No matter how much they attacked them, it wouldn't kill them permanently.

They were like a squad of undying monsters.

Cut them apart?

They regenerated.

Crush them?

They reformed.

Pierce their hearts?

They continued fighting.

Behead them?

Their heads simply grew back.

Destroy their weapons?

They created new ones.

It was absurd.

It was completely ridiculous.

And the most annoying thing...

The thing that truly freaked the Ashen Monsters out...

Was the smiles.

Those warm smiles on the faces of the Vine Warriors as they slaughtered them.

At first, it was merely a smile.

Then the smile turned into a chuckle.

The chuckle soon became laughter.

A warm, angelic-like laughter echoed across the battlefield.

Yet to the ears of the Ashen Warriors...

It sounded nothing like an angel.

It sounded like the maddening laughter of the devil itself.

A laughter that followed them through the battlefield as their comrades were torn apart.

A laughter that continued even when they killed one Vine Warrior...

Only for that same warrior to regenerate moments later and return to the fight with that same warm smile.

The sight was enough to drive fear into even the hearts of the Ashen Monsters.

And that was why...

The leaders had decided to sort this out from its root.

By taking down the one who created them.

Of course.

Their gazes simultaneously shifted toward Aiden.

The twenty powerful S-Rank Monsters surrounded him.

They stood in a formation that completely sealed off every direction of escape.

Their auras surged.

Their killing intent exploded.

Twenty S-Rank Monsters.

All targeting one person.

Most people who found themselves in this situation would be shaking in their boots.

Their bodies would be trembling.

Their hearts would be pounding wildly.

Fear would have completely taken over their minds.

But not Aiden.

Instead...

His smile only deepened.

His eyes gleamed with excitement.

He looked around at the twenty S-Rank Monsters surrounding him.

And rather than fear...

There was anticipation.

Excitement.

Almost as if he was celebrating his birthday today.

"Finally..."

Aiden tightened his grip around his greatblade.

The corners of his lips lifted even further.

"Now this is getting interesting."