The Extra's Reincarnation-Chapter 68: Arborax

Marcus’s eyes narrowed dangerously at Faustino’s words. A clear hit on the mark.

"Hey retard, what makes you think you can do better?"

"Better? well first of all, I’m not the type to let a low noble like you order me around,"

Faustino laughed in the face of Marcus pointing straight into his eyes, and just as quick as the exchange was made, a wind blade appeared in Marcus’s hand, he had all the intention of threatening Faustino with it.

WHOOOSH!

Marcus attempted to point his blade towards Faustino, but Julian stopped the blade’s path with just his hand.

-He stopped my blade…?!

Marcus didn’t even see him move from his spot and he was still able to move with a speed he couldn’t even sense.

"Enough, we don’t have time for petty arguments,"

Julian’s voice sounded more authoritative than usual, although he could handle friendly banter, he knew threatening a teammate was more than enough to step in.

"It’s only for one challenge, so if you think about it we’ll be able to pass this test if we work together and once it’s all done you two can fight each other afterwards,"

Marcus and Faustino exchanged glances. Both didn’t expect to see someone like him diffuse the situation, but the tension the two had for each other had calmed down for the sake of keeping the peace.

Kyra peeked out from behind her hands, where she’d been hiding her face during the confrontation. Even Jake seemed to stand a little straighter.

"He’s right," Marcus said after a moment, dismissing his blade.

"Let’s just get this over with."

Faustino scoffed, but nodded in agreement.

"Fine. So what’s the plan, then?"

In a moment of cooperation, they all figured out the roles needed to fight and without any more time to think, the preparation phase ended.

"Teams from one to ten prepare to enter your designated worlds. Remember, teamwork is key to overcoming the challenges ahead. Good luck to you all."

Meredith’s voice echoed through the hall and all groups mentioned began to move.

"Remember, win at all costs,"

Marcus turned to his teammates, who all nodded in agreement. As the five children stepped onto the magic circle, it lit up with a bright light. Without a moment to lose, they were transported to a new world.

WHAM…

As they emerged into a new world, they found themselves in a giant woodland forest.

From their surroundings, each tree seemed to have been stretched towards the sky, having the shadows of the leaves creating an eerie atmosphere within the forest.

Julian’s eyes darted from tree to tree, searching for any sign of movement. However, what he found odd was that the forest was unusually quiet.

There were no animals, no immediate encounter of enemies and, most importantly, no boss to be seen.

The very silence of itself was something that set his nerves on edge.

"Everyone, stay alert,"

Marcus whispered, his wind blade materializing in his hand once more.

"We don’t know what kind of monster we’re dealing with."

[Marcus Renfield #0,001 - Role: Cross Mage]

Faustino snorted, a small flame dancing between his fingers.

"Relax, pretty boy. Whatever it is, I can handle it."

[Faustino Skye #0,006 - Role: Battle Mage]

"Shut up, your overconfidence is going to get us all eliminated."

As the two bickered, Julian noticed Kyra trembling slightly, her eyes wide with fear.

He moved closer to her, offering a reassuring smile.

"Hey, it’s going to be okay. Just stay close, alright?"

[Julian Ryker Uzziel #10,000 - Role: Support]

"T-thanks… I’ll try too…"

She nodded gratefully, some of the tension leaving her shoulders.

[Kyra Devereaux #0,005 - Role: Frontcaster]

Jake, meanwhile, had taken up position at the front of the group, his stance wary as he peered into the gloom.

"I don’t like this," he muttered. "It’s too quiet."

[Jake Banter #2,451 - Role: Tank]

CRACK!

A twig snapped somewhere in the darkness, causing everyone to freeze.

"What was that?" Kyra whispered.

As everyone turned around, they saw an open field of light in the center of the forest.

Towards the middle there laid an eerie tree with a face of a frown carved into its trunk.

Marcus, who stepped forward first, led the group cautiously through the empty space.

"We have to be careful, so whatever you do, try to not make any sound."

Everyone nodded, and slowly they got closer towards the strange tree at its center.

The moment they reached an appropriate distance between them and the tree, Julian felt an odd sensation prickling at the back of his neck.

-That energy... what is it?

Something about this tree was... off.

"Wait," he whispered, holding out a hand to stop the others.

"There’s something not right about this."

Marcus shot him an irritated glance.

"What are you talking about? It’s just a tree."

Marcus had a good feeling that it was one of the bait traps set by the monster, but even as the words left his mouth, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble.

RUMBLE...RUMBLE...RUMBLE...

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The tree’s branches creaked and groaned, twisting and elongating like writhing tentacles and suddenly the tree itself began to grow at a rapid pace.

10ft...20ft...30ft tall.

The tree grew to a colossal 30 feet tall, and it revealed itself to have a carved frown that deepened, and its wooden lips parting to reveal jagged bark teeth.

GYAKKK!

"It’s alive!" Kyra screamed, stumbling backward in terror.

As they all realised the boss monster they were against, it was probably the only monster no child would not want to fight against.

Arborax, a monster that is usually found in dark swamp biomes, these colossal beings are usually much smaller as a monster. But this case is different as this monster had grown 20ft higher than it should’ve.

From its intimidating appearance, it had hardening wood that turned into a shell-like armor and, with its constant growth, a multitude of branches sprouted out of pure anger.

However, one of the downsides of an Arborax is that they’re routed to the ground.

GYAK!!!

Without a second to waste, its branches lashed out at lightning speed, aiming to ensnare the young challengers.

"Scatter!"

Marcus yelled, leaping to the side as a branch smashed into the ground where he had been standing.

"Get into the formation!"

When subjugating a boss monster, it is extremely necessary to have a formation that simultaneously supports, defends, and attacks throughout the entire battle. This is because boss monsters, with their immense power and diverse attack patterns, can easily overwhelm an uncoordinated group.

This meant that those who came prepared for battle were more likely to survive than those who did not. It was crucial that, in this battle, they found a way to defeat the monster without sustaining major damage. Marcus’s plan wasn’t exactly perfect, but he knew it was more effective than the ones Faustino had devised.

The Arrow Formation (1-1-2-1)

This is a common yet powerful offensive strategy used in smaller groups when subjugating dungeons.

The arrow formation is designed to penetrate enemy defenses while providing maximum protection for key damage dealers.

Imagine an arrowhead piercing through the enemy. At the very tip is the tank, our shield and disruptor, drawing the enemy’s attention and creating an opening. Behind the tank, like the shaft of the arrow, stand the cross and battle mages, providing crucial support and additional firepower. They act as the bridge, connecting the frontline to the rear.

Forming the fletching at the back, providing stability and power, are the support and Frontcaster. This duo works in perfect synergy, with the support acting as a guardian angel, ensuring the Frontcaster can unleash multiple attacks without interruption as they must prioritize more on creating a constant stream of damage that weakens the enemy and disrupts their defenses.

As the Arborax’s branches lashed out once again, the team quickly fell into the formation they had hastily planned.

Jake, despite his initial reluctance, took his position at the front.

His face was pale, but he gritted his teeth and raised his hands, summoning a swirling barrier of wind while also enhancing his speed.

"I’ll... I’ll try to hold it off! Please support me," he shouted, his voice cracking slightly.

Marcus and Faustino flanked to the sides of Jake as their opposing elements of wind and fire creating a chaotic dance of energy.

Marcus’s wind blades sliced through the air, severing smaller branches that came too close. Faustino, for all his bravado earlier, seemed to have found his focus. Jets of flame erupted from his palms, scorching the Arborax’s wooden limbs.

"Kyra, Julian, we need support!" Marcus called out, ducking under a sweeping branch.

Julian positioned himself in front of Kyra.

He wasn’t sure of how to contribute since he mainly thrived in fighting in the front lines, but it was clear they were in over their heads.

"Kyra, focus on boosting our defenses," he instructed. "I’ll ensure nothing reaches you."

Just as swiftly as Julian reassured her, a rain of armed branches rushed forward, towards the two of them.