Mutagen

Day ▊▊ - ▊▊:▊▊ ▊▊ - Northern Boundary, Forest of Illusion, Eastern Mountain

BOOM! THOOM!

Sounding like explosions or even loud boom of the thunderclap, the heavy steps of the forty-nine-meter tall giant boomed across the mountains. Its enormous feet sunk into the soil, toppling everything from a little strand of grass to the hundreds of years old tree. As sluggish it might move, its threatening size and appearance did not diminish any danger that everyone felt from it.

Compared to the mountains around the region, which had the average of a kilometer in height, this gigantic mutated infected looked rather small. Still, it could not conceal the fact that even the tallest races in the Stone Fortress could only reach a bit above its ankle.

Nevertheless, while they might feel the threat, the races did not want to give in to their fears. No, it was not that they did not want to. It was that they could not. For the sake of protecting the last safe place they had, they could only keep charging forward.

At this moment, a large number of non-human races rushed out of the Forest of Illusion. Of course, compared to the human army, their quantity was far fewer. But comparing the strength of the two, this army of Spirits and Elemental were far more powerful.

There was a group of twenty Anggitays on the left while there was a group of fifteen Tikbalangs to the right. These two groups led the battle. To all the Spiritual and Elemental Races participating in this battle against the multi-eyed giant, these two races were the fastest.

Both had advantages and disadvantages, though. The all-male Tikabalangs were faster than the all-female Anggitays. However, the Anggitays that had four legs ran more stably in the rough and rugged terrain of the mountainous forest.

The two groups of speeders rushed towards the giant, leaving the other races behind. Of course, it was not for competition. These two fast races would be able to rush to the giant first and stop its advance while the others catch up. Furthermore, the speed of the two races would make them the most suitable for decoys.

NGISNGISNGISNGIS!

The loud and creepy giggle of the giant echoed as it saw the two groups rushing its way.

This giggle further confirmed that without a doubt, this giant was a Mutated Infected Bungisngis. The name it had, Bungisngis, came from the word, ngisi, that meant, to show teeth. Looking at its face where its lips were always open, and along with the sounds it made as if it was giggling, it was no wonder that it got that name.

And of course, seeing living prey, the giant immediately sprang into action.

BAM! BOOM!

It hastened its steps, trying to get close to the Tikabalangs and Anggitays. The movements of the giant might be slow. However, with its enormous size, a single step forwards, allowed it to get close to its prey. It immediately bent down, trying to grab the half-horse races in front of it.

That was when the two groups went unto separate directions. They did not only avoid the huge hands but also they confused the dumb giant. Then, the Anggitays took the opportunity of this confusion and used the cover of the large trees to obscure the giant's vision. On the other hand, the Tikbalangs did the opposite. They continued to run in the open, drawing the attention of the giant unto them.

Using that opening, the Anggitays prepared to attack behind the giant. They drew their bows, took out their arrows, and pulled the strings of the bows backward. 

Of course, regular arrows would not be able to damage this giant. That also meant that the Anggitays were firing, not just regular arrows. Their murmurs buzzed as they recited their incantations. The arrows on their bows then started to glow.

"SHOOT!"

Amayana, who led the Anggitays, shouted.

SHOOM!

Twenty cannons..., no, twenty glowing arrows flew carrying a force similar to a tank's Armor Piercing Shots. The arrows flew straight to the back of the neck of the giant in succession.

The giant staggered after the twenty arrows hit its neck. A large chunk of flesh disappeared from its neck after the arrows dug through its flesh. One of the projectiles, which came from Amayana, even pierced deeper than the others. It shot unto the giant's spine, making a bit of a cracking sound.

The Anggitays aimed for the neck as they already experienced fighting an Infected Giant before, albeit a smaller one. These giants had hardened skulls that even their enchanted arrows were unable to pierce. That was why they started to aim at the neck, trying to behead it.

Unfortunately, it was far from being able to kill this infected giant. Although the impact from the arrows made it bend forward and stagger, it immediately stood back straight. 

Then, the horror had struck everyone.

The missing chunks of flesh from the giant's neck started to regenerate. However, it restored not in a way that it replaced the injury with the same kind of tissue. An enormous eye grew out of the giant's nape overlooking the scene behind it.

It was moving, it was blinking, and it was searching for those that attacked it. It was all while it chased after the Tikbalangs that were drawing its attention. The same was happening to the other eyes that were all-over its body. Before, the eyes at the back were all closed, while the eyes on its front searched for prey. Now, everything was open.

This thing had no blind spot at all.

Then, finally, the other races caught up to the battle.

Many Sylphs flew towards different directions accompanying the different groups of races. Being able to control the wind, they could exchange messages towards each other. Of course, not every Sylph trained for this but only those with aptitude. Most of the Sylphs went unto a single group of a hundred green buzzing little people.

They flew towards the distracted giant with the lead of the king and queen of Sylphs.

The eyes of the giant saw the green swarm of little creatures. However, the group did not take the giant's interest. They were too small for it despite their large number.

And that gave them the opportunity.

Led by the king and queen, the Sylphs flew in front of the large eye of the giant. There, they shot their greatest magic in unison.

BAM!

A powerful burst of wind exploded at the giant's enormous front eye, tearing its eyeball, splattering blood and flesh everywhere.

GRAAAUUUWWWWW!!!

With a painful wail, the giant staggered backward this time.

However, that was not the end.

Diwata Danaya also made her move.

With her command, the trees by the foot of the staggering giant lifted their roots and clung unto the giant's feet. 

With its feet suddenly restricted, the unstable giant immediately fell on its back.

BOOOM!!!

An immense cloud of dust and debris rose unto the air as the almost fifty-meter giant crashed unto the face of the mountain.

The Sylphs immediately blew the cloud of dust away to clear their view of the giant.

It was not damaged with that, of course, and was already trying to get up.

CREAK!

The roots of trees entangling its feet started to get broken. The giant was pulling its feet while using its hands as support.

Of course, the races would not let that happen too easily.

The Tikbalangs that were already done with being decoys moved in unison and charged towards the giant's left arm. They did not hold back on their speed and leaped towards the arm with their feet first one by one.

Their feet, it was the strongest asset of a Tikabalang. Their kicks had a force of a tonne or more.

A fifteen-tonne kick from fifteen Tikbalangs was not something the giant, who had yet to regain its balance, could withstand. Its left arm was displaced, causing the left side of its body to fall once more.

The giant's right arm was not spared either. The Sarangays, wielding their giant axes and hammers, charged and hacked unto the giant's arm without mercy. The axes chipped away the giant's flesh, while the hammers made the giant's arms unstable.

Like the right arm, the giant's left arm also lost its balance making the giant fall on its back once more.

Diwata Danaya did not stop either. She commanded more and more trees, vines, and plants to entangle the giant's body and pin it to the ground.

The Brown Duendes also did not let themselves get left behind. The earth and stones around the giant started to move and form shackles that would stop the giant from moving. Unfortunately, their magic was not enough, or they would have tried to bury the whole giant alive.

Restricting the giant continued while it struggled to break free. Its thousands of eyes darted everywhere in a menacing manner. The roots of the trees continued to creak while the shacks made of earth and stone continued to crack. Still, Diwata Danaya and the Duendes continued to suppress the giant.

On the other hand, the other races took the opportunity to weaken the giant using their own ways. Most of them were trying to pierce the giant's head from a distance while others aimed for its neck. However, its skull was too hard that none of them were able to pierce it. 

They tried piercing it through the giant's enormous eye, but it was even harder. It was not like the eye was as hard as its skull. However, the regeneration of its eyes was faster than its actual body. Before they could fully pierce through the eyes, the damage they had done already regenerated.

Everyone noticed how this thing was very hard to kill, this caused everyone to focus on restricting its first. Once it could not move anymore, things would be easier even with its features.

There was also the other infected getting attracted to the battle. They also needed to deal with this nuisance. 

***

"They're doing fine, aren't they?"

Karlene voiced out, seeing how the Spiritual and Elemental Races dealt with the giant.

"It's not that surprising, really," Pefile replied. "The Spirit Dimension is riddled with conflicts. Almost everyone had an experience of a life and death battle once or twice. It was even more for the warriors of the race."

Mark also nodded at Peffile's explanation.

Looking at how the races organized and planned their strategy in a short period, it seemed that they were used to fighting. Not only used to fighting, they probably fought gigantic beings before too.

Remembering that the Spirits and Elementals of the surface and the Demons of the underworld always fought, it was very plausible.

Back at watching the battle, it seemed to be going smoothly.

But then, everyone shivered.

The only ones who did not were Karlene, Edzel, and Pearl, who were humans and could not feel magical energy.

On the battlefield, Diwata Danaya could be seen shouting. Accompanied by her shout, all the races scurried away from the giant like black ants.

"This is insane..."

Mark voiced out.

The giant was an infected cryptid. A Bungisngis that was not known to be able to use magic at all.

But what was with the current situation?

The giant that was already pinned down to the ground using shackles of rocks and thick entangled roots was releasing such a very thick magical energy.

And furthermore, the energy was not just something similar to the Spirits and Elementals had.

From this dense energy, everyone could feel a sinister and evil aura.

Sensing the evil energy, Mark suddenly felt his heart beating hard. It felt the same when he and Ignis did the naming ritual.

He then held his head. He felt a severe headache.

"MASTER!"

Ignis that was left inside their room suddenly flew out, causing everyone that did not know about the Demon Sword around them shocked. He came out sensing what Mark was feeling.

Then, Mark heard a voice in his head. The very same voice that came out of his mouth when he fought the headless priest.

He could not understand what the voice wanted to say exactly. However, he could understand two words clearly.

The voice repeated over and over.

"Eyes... Observers... Eyes... Observers..."