“Sharp,” Tower said.

“Yes, Sir.”

“What is it?”

“Just everyone stop moving.”

A very faint sound of hooves could be heard in the distance; it sounded like just four but the group couldn’t tell. They were getting louder and louder, so all six of them tightened their grips and moved backwards. Through the greenery they saw movement of something big. Trees snapped in its wake.

“Sharp, I’m gonna need some info on what’s coming towards us,” Tower said with haste.

“I can’t see it from above, I just know it’s a large quadruped,” Sharp said as he closed his eyes. He was trying to get information for his team.

Tower was fed up waiting. “Mute, get in the trees. Spike backline. Sharp move back and add support. Lady Elora, it would be best if you sat this one out,” he said, “and Sol, just do you.”

Sol grinned, puzzling Elora.

“I will absolutely not sit about-”

“Lady Elora! Your specialisation is large groups, not large monsters. Not to mention we are also in a forest,” Tower shouted, his voice demanding authority.

Elora tried to respond; her ego was clearly too big to accept orders from someone beneath her. But as of now Tower was in charge of this mission. She backed away, even further than Sharp.

The sound of the hooves were now louder, and the group could see trees exploding in the distance. Eventually they had eyes on it.

Level 49 Undead Armoured Bull

Monster Lore Beginner III

-An armored bull raised from the dead by a necromancer.

-It’s main attacks are charging and kicking.

“What a great fucking description!” Tower shouted sarcastically. The rest of the group all grunted in agreement.

“Mute! I need you to cut off its horns. Cut away at its spine after, the head will be far too armoured. Spike, keep it suppressed on charges- don’t let it build up speed. Sharp, aim for its eyes, and Sol, try not to die,” he said, finishing with a smile.

A loud roar shook the forest as the beast came into view. It was 20 feet tall and half rotting, it’s flesh was maggot infested and black, and the smell of miasma was already in the air. Some of its bones were already sticking out underneath. The two horns on its head were coated with liquid miasma, a much more potent variant than the gas the regular undead gave off.

Mute had disappeared into the trees; her elven genetics favouring her in this situation. Tower stood in front, clutching onto his sharpened hammer with both hands, while Sol stood a few metres behind. Sharp was far back in the trees and Spike was ten metres behind Sol.

Golden lines began to envelope Tower’s hammer, and it began to shake violently. Sol could hear Sharp charging a mana shot, and Spike was already playing a heavy rock song on his guitar.

You have received the buff Exhilarate Nature from the song Born to be Wild.

10% increased damage to all enemies in a forest.

10% to all elven damage.

-2 Charisma.

“Hold!” Tower shouted.

They were all quiet, and only the sound of the bull bashing into trees could be heard.

“Hold!”

“Hold!”

“Now!”

The bull came directly into their view and was at full speed. Mute dashed out from the trees above, her huge longsword glowing silver and appearing weightless as she maneuvered it at inhuman angles. Her sword cut off one horn cleanly while it only scraped along the other one.

“Good enough,” Tower said.

An mana arrow shot forward at an incredible speed from the backline, hitting the bull in its eye. A loud noise could be heard as the rotten eyeball exploded into a gooey mess. This however did not stop the bull but only slowed it down.

Tower dived to the side while swinging his enormous hammer. The point penetrated deeply through the armour plating and into its ribcage. The flat end followed through and caused a shockwave across its flabby skin. The force caused the bull to stumble, but it found its footing and went to body slam Hammer.

A sound wave from Spike softened the bull’s move long enough for Hammer to move out of the way. Sol slid under its belly where there was no armour, and dragged his two daggers with him. Guts and other bodily fluids dropped out in a gruesome manner. The bull didn’t seem to care, stepping on them as it turned around to face Sol.

The bull lashed out and kicked Sol straight in his face, sending him flying into a tree. It knocked his health down to half, and he coughed up some blood as he got to his feet again.

“Nice kick,” Sol said to himself.

By the time Sol had gotten back into the fight, Mute had slashed away at its spine so much that its back was now exposed. Her longsword had an armour penetrating effect that caused massive damage to the undead bull.

The bull had gotten fed up with the constant arrows flying at it, and so started to charge directly at Sharp, who was far away at the back. There was no way he could dodge it in time.

Tower jumped in front and held it back before it got too fast to stop. He held its horn and the top of its mouth down, but he was skidding back at an alarming rate. The giant man’s muscles bulged to their max as he tried to stop the pushing, but even he couldn’t out muscle the enormous bull.

“I can’t hold it!” Tower said.

“Send me in!” Sol shouted.

Tower glanced at Sol through the sweat on his face and nodded. Sol ran and jumped; his arms connected onto a tree branch and he swung towards the bull’s face. Tower switched his hand up, so the bull opened its mouth just in time for Sol to dive head first into its mouth.

“No!” Elora screamed from the back.

The bull seemed surprised at the easy meal and hesitated for a slight second. A mana arrow popped its other eye out. It reared backwards from the pain, just as Mute slashed its spine in half. It began to kick upwards but hit nothing.

“We’ve royally pissed it off now!” Tower shouted.

In the bulls stomach, Sol was suffocating because of the miasma. With every breath in he could feel the life force being sucked out of his cells. He was just thankful he had the pain resistance skill. The bull's stomach acid was slimy but barely stung his skin, unlike other monsters' stomachs he had been inside. He brought his two daggers against the stomach lining and dragged it all the way down. Black blood splashed in his face and mouth, causing Sol to throw up right there and then.

He soldiered on and slashed deeper into its body, finding its main organs and slashing again wildy at them. The bull had stopped attacking his teammates and was now kicking back violently, trying to get Sol out of his stomach.

It was a wild rodeo, but Sol eventually found its brain. The miasma was getting far too potent for him and he had to breathe in a bunch of it. The air was 90% miasma, but Sol only needed that 10% to keep him going. He could feel his brain rotting but he pushed through. He pierced its neck and stabbed wildly into its brain.

Outside of the bull, his teammates had gathered together. They knew the fight was over now. The bull had been kicking back slower and slower.

“What are you doing!” Elora screamed.

“Did no one tell her?” Tower asked rhetorically.

Spike stroked the top of his mohawk. “Sol just sacrificed himself for us. He will be missed.”

Elora looked as if she was about to burst. “Get him out of there! Fucking save him!” She screamed.

“By Odin, do you have to swear?” Spike pleaded mockingly.

The team were surprisingly cool with Sol dying, which freaked Elora out.

Back in the bull, Sol could feel the miasma taking over his body. He managed to crawl

back towards its stomach and stabbed his knife in, but it was too late. He felt the cool embrace of death taking over his body. His motor function turned off and then his thoughts went.

You Died!