The trees on the outskirts, where the Shtis Dazlang had settled, were falling one by one, toppled by green Ogres and monstrous beasts with tough, rock-like gray hides, resembling gorillas.
When the Shtis Dazlang fell from the trees and revealed themselves, they were either dissolved by the acidic solution spewed by massive toad-like creatures with feathers on the backs of their heads, or devoured whole by the enormous red moths that swooped down upon them.
“That’s what happens when you set up a proper formation.”
Any makeshift defensive line like this was bound to collapse in the end.
Even the Ashid Trappers and Kwoolli stationed further back could only buy a little more time before they’d inevitably be overwhelmed by the torrent of incoming enemies.
*Should I send back the last of the Ashid Trappers?* The thought flashed through my mind for a moment, but waiting for them to return, breed, and replenish their numbers would take too long. It would be faster to simply find another colony in a different area, so I quickly dismissed the idea.
“Calm down, Eril.”
As the defensive line began to crumble, Eril spread her wings wide, ready to charge in at any moment, but this wasn’t her job.
“Just provide cover for now.”
Eril seemed somewhat dissatisfied with my command, but for the moment, she stayed put, occasionally spewing flames at the approaching enemies.
-What exactly are you aiming for?
Granviphra didn’t seem particularly worried, but the emotion I sensed was laced with curiosity and a hint of frustration.
“As I said, we need to lure in as many as possible.”
It would have been nice if this makeshift defensive line built from Shtis Dazlang and Kwoolli had held, but simply wishing for it wouldn’t accomplish anything.
A stopgap defense made from soulless monsters could never be perfect, and just increasing the number of summoned creatures would only mean greater losses on our side in the end.
What we needed wasn’t simply a thicker defensive line or more summons—it was strategy.
Not just holding the line, but a strategy that could break their momentum in one decisive blow.
“And then, make sure they never dare to attack again.”
-Why not just bring out your trump card from the start?
“You mean summon a creature as formidable as yourself?”
Unfortunately, among the summons I could command, there was nothing that fit that description.
Even with Eril already revealed, the enemy showed no sign of retreat, and even if I added Morotai, putting aside my emotional wounds, nothing would change.
For the enemies—or at least their leader—this was a matter of survival.
No matter how many walls and layers of traps I set, if even the smallest gap appeared, they would never give up.
Of course, if I could somehow keep Neaphis Naka Honus active for a little longer, things might be different, but such hypotheticals were always meaningless in the face of harsh reality.
“Regrettably, I don’t have a summon of that caliber.”
To truly drive the enemy to despair and break their will completely, just holding the line wasn’t enough.
We needed to overwhelm them utterly, and for that, something dramatic was required.
“But don’t worry. There’s always a summon suited to the situation.”
The bodies of monsters approaching were stained with black spots or twisted grotesquely as the Puppet Crows’ curses spread across the ground, causing them to collapse one by one. But now, the number of enemies breaching the defensive line outpaced those being felled, and even the Kwoolli and Ashid Trappers were being trampled underfoot, unable to withstand the enemy horde.
One side of the defensive line was breached relatively quickly, naturally drawing the enemy’s focus there.
“Eril.”
Eril’s flames brightened the area for an instant, reducing the onrushing horde to ash.
Of course, the trees in the flames’ path and those nearby caught fire as well, but the toad-like creatures quickly spewed acidic solution, dissolving the burning trees on the spot.
No doubt this was both to prevent the spread of fire and to ensure the flames couldn’t serve as a barrier.
-Is it still not time?
“It’s almost ready.”
Unless I could shatter most of their forces at once, this tedious battle would continue as long as they came at us with all their might.
Little by little, I could sense the surroundings growing more restless.
Up until now, the enemy had acted cautiously, focused on breaking through the defenses, but time was running out, and with a breach on one side, they must have sensed victory.
They would soon launch a full-scale assault to seize that chance.
And finally, it began.
Though my view was limited by the dense trees all around, I could feel the shift in atmosphere.
Not only had the number of charging monsters increased, but their momentum made it clear: this was the moment they had been waiting for.
Perhaps anticipating a repeat of what had just happened, monsters surged forward not only from the cleared paths but from every direction, even where the Puppet Crows and Kwoolli still held their ground.
No matter how many fell at the front, their advance didn’t falter—instead, they shoved aside the bodies, surging forward like a **tidal wave**.
-Is it all right now?
“Of course.”
I called the wolves to my side and severed the magical link, sending the Puppet Crows away.
At the same time, black-brown sigils appeared across the earth at my gesture, and Brown Moss began to spread, covering the ground.
Beneath the dark night sky, the earth looked as if it were suddenly rotting and vanishing as the Brown Moss spread, and in some places, the ground even sagged slightly.
Even the entities at the rear, sharing consciousness with the monsters, seemed to flinch and freeze at the sight.
But it was already too late. The summoning was complete.
The moss continued to spread, covering not only the thick tree trunks but even the highest branches.
Gradually, the leaves withered, and the starlight and moonlight fell directly onto the ground.
Now, except for the small area where Eril and I stood, there was no land untouched by Brown Moss.
Yet despite the spreading moss and transformation, the monsters’ hesitation was only momentary—their menacing advance soon resumed.
-That moss isn’t all there is, is it?
As the enemy closed in from all directions, Eril prepared to unleash her flames again, but I stopped her.
“Everyone, just watch.”
The reason I waited until this very moment, letting the enemies close in, wasn’t just for dramatic effect.
*Now…*
As the beasts bared their sharp fangs and claws, launching themselves at us, **black tree roots** shot up from the brown earth, impaling them like spears, followed by **red vines** that wrapped around their bodies.
No, it didn’t stop there.
Every living thing standing on the moss-covered earth was pierced and ensnared by endless roots and vines reaching up from below.
Under the indifferent moonlight, all manner of **screams** and **wails** mingled as blood of different colors spattered across the moss.
The Brown Moss took on an even more grotesque hue as it soaked up the blood, and with each passing moment, more black roots and red vines erupted from the earth.
-What is that?
Even Granviphra seemed truly shocked this time, and Eril could not hide her revulsion at the alien scene before her.
“Anterami Betelgeuse. The Butcher of the Earth. One of the most ferocious plants dwelling in Limbo.”
This plant, native to the peculiar earth of Limbo, transforms its surroundings to suit itself the moment it’s summoned.
It absorbs everything beneath the ground as nourishment, then soon turns its attention to living creatures above.
“It’s grown much faster than I expected. I thought it would take at least another minute.”
Whether following its master’s orders or its own will, the monsters tried to push forward despite the horrific scene, but each one became nothing more than food for the dreadful plant and the brown earth.
-It’s truly remarkable. Even I have never heard of such a plant.
“Summoning creatures from Limbo is usually only done in restricted areas or laboratories.”
This was one of the ideas I desperately came up with while searching for a substitute for that incantation I never wished to memorize during my last journey.
There were no recorded cases of using a Limbo creature like this in actual combat.
-So you waited because of the duration, I see.
“Well, that’s not entirely wrong…”
Of course, duration was an issue, but the real reason I delayed was something else.
“Eril.”
At my request, Eril breathed fire toward the slowly encroaching Brown Moss.
*Yes. This is why.*
“In truth, it’s not something that can be controlled.”
Its nature as a plant aside, this creature grows and spreads so rapidly and widely that perfect control is nearly impossible.
Before you can even target a single enemy, new roots and vines are already sprouting elsewhere, and those new growths are practically separate entities.
No matter how many Summoner’s marks I place, it doesn’t make much difference.
But that doesn’t mean there’s no way.
Limbo creatures are only summoned in labs or restricted areas not just because they’re dangerous.
They can only survive in Limbo’s unique earth and atmosphere; outside of that, they can’t live.
So by exploiting this trait, even if I can’t fully control its movements, there is a way.
I’m not only summoning Anterami Betelgeuse right now.
The Brown Moss spreading across the earth and the trees is the same.
This Brown Moss is a type of fungus that covers much of Limbo’s earth.
It feeds on Limbo’s unique energy to multiply, so under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t last long in the material world.
But now, I’m forcibly accelerating its growth, sustaining it with my mana and the sacrifices, far surpassing the rate at which it would otherwise wither and die.
If I can’t control the plant directly, I can control the earth itself, guiding its movements as I wish.
Anterami Betelgeuse, unable to survive outside Limbo’s earth, will instinctively follow these fungi as it spreads its roots and vines.
By recreating Limbo’s earth within a specific range using these fungi, I’m not only keeping Anterami Betelgeuse alive but also guiding its actions.
“But if there aren’t enough prey above ground, even with this instinct, it might target us.”
That’s why I left some distance from the start.
The fungi don’t just spread on the surface—they reach underground as well.
So the more enemies that come, the less danger for us.
-You’re not going to harm the forest, are you?
A fungus that keeps multiplying, a plant that ravages everything in sight—it certainly sounded dangerous, but there was no real need for concern.
“Even if it uses blood as nourishment up to a point, the moment my mana is cut off, these fungi will wither and decompose almost instantly, leaving not a trace behind. And when that happens, Anterami Betelgeuse will also wither and die. The ground here might be a little weakened, but that’s all.”
In fact, the rate of fungal growth was already slowing compared to the start, and decomposition was gradually overtaking growth.
Of course, it couldn’t match the rate at which the enemies were being wiped out.
The presence of enemies that once filled the area as thickly as the roots and vines had now dwindled to a pitiful few.
Of course, there were still some left, and I didn’t think this was all that lurked in this vast, primeval forest, but the momentum had completely shifted.
A short while ago, the monsters were desperately resisting the vines and roots, but now, they were already retreating.