"What did you do?" Yarnha shouted again, as a trail of blood run down her left nostril.
With a hand, she tried stopping its descent, but to no avail.
"Kekekek..." The Monster chuckled.
The next second, Yarnha's hair stood on end.
She turned around as quickly as she could.
As soon as the dark weapons had gone below the trees' tips, their presence could be felt.
But seeing them was a completely different thing.
She raised her arms towards them.
Yarnha's eyes suddenly widened as,
Wind Blast-
Her body twitched, as she turned back.
The Monster's arm had barely been stopped on time.
Its dark claws were only inches away.
A second later, Yarnha jumped back as a wave of pain went through her body.
She tried to hide but,
"I got it, right?"
The Spirit clicked its tongue.
Fanhs appeared on the Monster's arm, cutting away its restraints.
The next second, a sphere of roots was formed around its body once more.
Dark Corrupting Spear-
The Monster nodded as the weapon was unable to pierce through the roots.
After letting go of the weapon, its fangs got to work.
Meanwhile, something sprouted on the interior surface above the Monster.
Silently, and quietly, a pinkish pod grew.
The Dark Corrupting Spear that had been let go of turned into a dark liquid.
Whether the liquid would be absorbed by the roots and ground or not, the Monster did not know.
One thing was clear.
The areas controlled by the Spirit are untouchable.
That is the reason why the trees and roots in its vicinity are indestructible.
By channeling Mana through portions of the forest, Yarnha can manipulate and control them.
But by channeling that Mana through a tree's root, the root changes. In fact, the tree changes. The root's 'activities' as a living being are halted, and it turns into something akin to a weapon.
As the roots halt their 'living behaviors', they become something between living and dead.
The reason as to why Mark could manipulate the flames used by the Fire Spirit more easily than those that made up the latter's body is a similar one.
The portions controlled by Yarnha at any given time, could not be damaged by anything but the Devourer's Fangs.
Fangs that could pierce through any inanimate object or dead living being.
Mark had, somewhat, figured these things out.
But this still posed a problem.
Added to the uncertainty and doubt, how could one know the areas that Yarnha currently had control over?
There seemed to be a limit imposed on how many roots could attack at once, but that was nothing more than conjecture.
The ground being part of the Forest was something that Mark had figured out early on. Additionally, he had witnessed Yarnha disappearing by hiding into the ground just like she had into the trees many times. This furthered his belief. Still, would harming the ground really lead to harming the Spirit?
Yes. He firmly believed the positive.
Why? It was simple.
The constant shaking of the ground below him.
No matter how much he extended the distance between him and Yarnha, the latter continued extending the territory on which she had control, hence the ground's shaking.
The Spirit was following him too. Which allowed the idea that, perhaps, it needed visual information on the threat to defend itself. It needed to see where the attack was going, to decide which part of the Forest needed protecting.
Multiple Dark Corrupting Spears had been shot already. Without a doubt, many of them had found their way into a tree or into the ground.
Why was the Spirit's nose bleeding only now then?
Because this was the only time it couldn't see the attack.
The only time it couldn't calculate its trajectory. The only attack the Spirit hadn't seen coming.
By hiding his next move with the Freezing Mist, Mark was able to, unbeknownst to Yarnha, throw the Dark Corrupting Spear to a faraway portion of the Forest.
Mark had the means of damaging the Spirit. All that was left, was finding a proper opportunity.
Moments earlier, as the Monster lay unmoving on the ground, it focused all of its attention on channeling its Mana.
Just like he had against the Olga, Mark used the "Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon" Magic Skill.
A Skill that, unlike his Dark Corrupting Spear, did not make the Weapon appear between his hands but rather, in the air above.
Since the ground was part of the Forest, Mark found it natural to assume that the Wind could be part of it too.
Therefore, he focused on forming the Weapons above the trees.
Above the Forest.
Outside the Forest.
The fact that Yarnha only sensed those Weapons approaching once their altitude was inferior to the trees' height proved him right.
The ability to make those Colossal Harpoons appear dozens of meters away was an incredible addition to Mark's toolbox.
But it didn't come free of charge. The further from the User the Weapons were to appear, the more Mana their conception consumed.
Mark had hoped that his claws would pierce the Spirit's chest.
Unfortunately, the attack was stopped.
Or rather, only one of the two.
A bulging vein appeared on the Spirit's face.
The Battle Of Devourers wasn't as simple as it had expected.
Mark clicked his tongue internally.
A one-time pincer attack that Yarnha probably wouldn't allow again.
The two remained silent, but their thoughts raced.
Suddenly,
Cough-
Despite being trapped inside the sphere of roots, Mark could hear.
He imagined a drop of blood going down the Spirit's mouth, which cause his lips to curl.
Yarnha unclenched her hand, and a pinkish mist was released inside the sphere.
Upon taking one breath, Mark felt his heart rate increase like never before.
His fangs worked even harder to tear the roots entrapping him.
It beat so fast that Mark felt like his heart was about to explode.
'Taking him more time to get out than-'
Yarnha's eyes widened.
She immediately raised her gaze to the sky.
The Spirit hadn't noticed at all.
It was raining. Why so suddenly?
A drop fell on the Spirit's arm.
Yarnha cursed internally.
The area covered wasn't large.
Nevertheless, it couldn't be stopped.
A rain of dark blood fell on the Forest.
Yarnha took control of as much as she could.
But the 'attack' truly couldn't be stopped.
Sure, the ground and trees wouldn't absorb the Corrupting Liquid while they are being controlled. But what happens after that?
It didn't take a while for dark tears to start going down Yarnha's eyes.
A substance that attacked both Body and Soul.
As Mark would further learn and understand, Corruption is an especially potent Weapon against Spirits.
