NOVEL NEXT Chapter 16.2
16.2. Collecting Crystal Flowers
“Haah!!”
With a shout, Nord braced his shield arm. The shield, which barely covered half of his body, faced a massive creature far beyond his own size, speeding toward him.
As the giant green-scaled beast collided with his shield, Nord added a sideways force to deflect the impact. The slight redirection caused the incoming attack to veer off target, a technique known as a defensive parry.
Parrying was a high-level defensive technique said to be mastered by experts, but even though Nord was far from mastering it, the technique still worked.
The serpent’s head, launched by its powerful muscles, struck with brutal force. While the attack could have shattered Nord, the parry diverted its trajectory, preventing serious injury.
The snake’s head flew past Nord and missed its target. Though his shield was dented and his arm was numb, the shield remained securely fastened to his gauntlet.
The serpent’s body, stretched thin during its attack, became more vulnerable, and Nord seized the opportunity for a counterstrike.
Using the force of the deflected attack, Nord spun and stepped forward, transferring the momentum into a powerful sword strike. The blade tore through the serpent’s scales and skin, slicing through muscle and perhaps even bone, reaching its vital organs.
The serpent’s scream echoed through the swamp as it writhed in agony, glaring at Nord with rage.
“Shhh!!”
The serpent hissed, its forked tongue flicking as it prepared to strike again. Nord, having pulled his sword from the creature’s body, shook off the blood and braced himself behind his shield. But his arm was still numb—parrying another attack would be difficult.
However, the serpent never got the chance. From the side, a small pouch was thrown at its head. Enraged and in pain, the serpent failed to notice the attack, and a moment later, a gleaming dagger cut through the pouch, scattering its contents onto the serpent.
“Gyshaaah!!?”
The serpent recoiled, overwhelmed by an intense, unfamiliar sensation. While it thrashed in confusion, a spear came from above, piercing its body. Elsa, leaping from Nord’s shoulders, delivered a precise blow, pinning the serpent to the ground. But snakes are resilient, and it wouldn’t be safe until its head was severed.
“──Genius!!”
“Leave it to me!”
As if on cue, Nord, Elsa, and Shino all called out in unison. Genius responded with a fierce cry.
“Haah!!”
With one fluid motion, Genius’ sword cleaved through the serpent’s neck, severing its head from its body.
Holding his stance, Genius watched for any signs of life. After a few moments, the serpent’s body twitched violently before finally going still.
Seeing this, Genius wiped the blood from his sword and sheathed it.
“Finally, it’s over!”
Shino cheered, announcing that it was time to harvest the serpent’s materials. The group gathered around the slain serpent, ready to begin the extraction.
“Phew, I really thought we were in trouble when it surprised us.”
Genius reflected on the ambush as he stood before the serpent’s corpse.
Indeed, after efficiently handling their tasks in the swamp, the group had ventured deeper to collect the crystal flowers. They spotted the pink flowers ahead, but their momentary distraction allowed the serpent, hidden in the reeds, to launch its attack.
It was Shino who first noticed the danger.
“Something’s here!”
Thanks to his warning, they managed to react in time, but the serpent was an unusually large specimen, twice the normal size, making the ensuing battle difficult.
After regrouping and coordinating, they had finally managed to turn the tide.
“Whew… Honestly, if anyone had been missing, we would’ve been in serious trouble.”
“Absolutely.”
“Sorry I didn’t notice sooner.”
“No, you did fine.”
“Great teamwork.”
“Everyone’s getting better.”
“We sure are.”
They chatted while working on the serpent’s remains, expertly harvesting its materials.
Though they hadn’t adventured with Genius’ group in some time, it was clear they had all improved. Genius’ swordsmanship was sharper than ever, and Shino had learned not only scouting but also the art of harvesting materials.
The serpent yielded valuable materials that Nord and Elsa would never have been able to gather on their own.
“All right, that’s the harvesting done!”
“Which means it’s time for the real prize.”
With the serpent’s materials safely packed away, the group turned their attention to the main reason they had come to the swamp.
In front of them, the crystal flowers bloomed beautifully, their pink petals glistening in the autumn light.
“Genius.”
“…Yeah, thank you.”
At Nord’s prompting, Genius knelt down and carefully picked one of the flowers, handling it as though it were a precious treasure.
§
On the way back, the group smiled at the wagon overflowing with requested items and the materials they had harvested.
At the campsite, they enjoyed a meal of serpent prepared by Shino’s skilled hands, leaving both their spirits and bodies satisfied as they made their way back to the royal capital.
Once in the capital, after Nord, Shino, and Genius gathered the necessary materials, they each received their share of the reward and went their separate ways.
Though Genius had another adventure quest awaiting him afterward, no one was foolish enough to get involved.
Later, when Nord saw Genius’s party at the guild, the distance between the leader and the healer seemed noticeably closer than before.