Creating A Succubus Army In A Fantasy World!-Chapter 116: Trial Phase 1! (11)

The raft rocked violently as water splashed across its sides, and everyone’s heads snapped toward the riverbank where the massive Stage 5 treeman had just launched itself into the river like a homicidal missile.

For the next three seconds, no one said a word.

The only sound was the bubbling of the water and the slow, menacing approach of the creature beneath its surface, like a sea monster awakened from centuries of slumber.

Then Creed broke the silence.

"...So that thing really just jumped?" he asked, blinking in disbelief, his soaked bangs sticking to his forehead.

"I told you it might," Lilith huffed, already clutching her sickle with both hands and glancing anxiously over the side of the raft. "You jinxed it!"

Amara folded her arms coolly, though even she looked a little startled. "Clearly, someone made it mad."

"Yeah," Lilith added with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Who was it that butchered its entire family again? Oh right... Creed."

"Wasn’t even me alone!" Creed protested, arms raised. "Tierra was there too! She sliced like... at least eight of them! You were there too!"

Tierra tilted her head thoughtfully. "I killed twelve."

"SEE?!" Creed pointed accusingly at her. "Why is no one blaming her?!"

Amara raised an elegant eyebrow. "Because she’s adorable."

Creed narrowed his eyes. ’Girls are dangerous. That’s what I’m learning today. Even my own summons are siding with the enemy. If Tierra starts giving Amara piggyback rides, I’m gonna lose it!’

"Focus!" Lilith snapped, though she was smiling now. "That thing’s getting closer!"

Creed turned his head, and sure enough, the treeman had begun paddling toward them like a torpedo made of wood and rage.

At first, its movements were clunky and awkward, like a toddler learning to swim. But then it started moving faster.

Much faster. Faster than it had any right to be moving for something that looked like a tree with arms!

Each stroke of its vine-covered limbs sent waves crashing forward, and it tore through the water like a possessed log monster.

"OH NO," Creed shouted, eyes bulging. "It’s learning! It’s—wait, it’s not gonna destroy the raft, right?!"

THWOOOM!

Another massive splash as the treeman surged forward.

"IT’S TOTALLY GONNA DESTROY THE RAFT!"

"Quick!" Lilith yelled. "What can we do?!"

Creed’s brain worked on overdrive, eyes darting between the approaching treeman and the gently bobbing raft they were all desperately clinging to.

Then he gasped. A lightbulb went off in his mind. "I got it!"

He stretched out his palms and a handful of glowing balls of purple lightning materialized above it.

Thunderclap Orbs!

Without warning, he hurled dozens into the water in front of the treeman.

"What are you—" Amara started.

But Creed had already activated them with a single mental command.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A thunderous explosion of lightning erupted through the water, sending up glowing bubbles and a horrifying sizzling sound as electricity coursed through the river.

The water conducted the lightning perfectly, and the treeman, caught in the middle of it all, let out a loud, painful growl as bolts of purple energy danced across its body.

"HA! GOT HIM!" Creed whooped. ’Man, I should patent that technique! Aquatic BBQ Surprise! We serve it extra crispy!’

Lilith grinned wickedly, eyes lighting up with her own stage 3 lightning intent. "Two can play that game."

She raised both hands, lightning crackling between her fingers, and conjured her own Thunderclap Orbs—but hers were enhanced with Stage 3 Lightning Intent, which gave them a dark purple hue and a deeper rumble.

She tossed them into the river like an angry chef seasoning soup, and once again;

BOOM! KRAKOOM! FZZZZT!

The river lit up like a techno concert. The treeman thrashed beneath the waves, snarling with frustration as the shocks rippled through its wooden flesh.

"Okay, okay, it’s clearly not dead," Creed said, watching the beast struggle to swim forward despite the lightning. "But at least we bought a few seconds."

Then the treeman roared underwater and began punching the river with its massive arms, creating violent currents and waves that surged in all directions.

The raft started tilting, rocking side to side like it was about to capsize. Everyone stumbled, and Creed suddenly lurched forward, trying to steady himself...

And instinctively wrapped an arm around Amara’s waist to keep her from falling in.

She gasped, eyes going wide, and looked at him like he’d just committed an international crime. "You—!"

"Reflex!" Creed shouted over the crashing waves. "Blame gravity!"

Amara’s face turned just a little pink, and she coughed to cover it up.

Then, with the elegance of an ice queen returning to her throne, she casually stepped out of his hold. "T-Thank you. But don’t do it again."

Creed held his hands up. "No promises. Raft life is dangerous."

Without another word, Amara raised her hand toward the river and conjured a massive spear of pure ice.

The temperature dropped instantly, their breath turning to fog as the air shimmered with frost.

The icicle was nearly two meters long and razor-sharp, with a core so cold it turned the water around it to slush just by hovering.

Then, with a flick of her wrist, she launched it straight at the treeman.

The icy missile shot downward with a terrifying screech, piercing through the air like a divine judgment.

The treeman tried to dodge—but submerged in water, its mobility was limited. The icicle narrowly missed its head... and then exploded.

KRA-KOOOM!!

The entire river shook as a massive blast of frost surged outward, instantly freezing a large section of the water.

The explosion spread out like a silver frost wave, coating everything it touched in a thick layer of ice, and within moments, a solid ice blockade had formed between the raft and the treeman.

The treeman howled, its body encased in thick frost, now drastically slowed as it tried to tear its way through the frozen current.

Even its super-charged swimming couldn’t help it now—it was like watching a rampaging bull stuck in molasses.

Creed exhaled deeply, wiping the sweat from his brow and leaning back with wide eyes. "That... was awesome. Remind me to never tick you off again."

Amara adjusted her hair with a small smirk. "Smart decision."

"Alright, no time to waste," Creed barked, turning to Lilith. "Quick! Paddle faster! Let’s get outta here before Big Barky breaks the ice."

Lilith nodded and pushed the raft paddles, speeding them away down the river.

Behind them, the furious howls of the treeman echoed through the forest as it thrashed in the frozen blockade, reduced to nothing more than an angry, tree-shaped popsicle.

Then after some time, there was silence. The river was silent. Dead silent.

For just a few seconds, the world felt frozen in time—literally.

The thick sheet of shimmering ice coated the entire width of the river, glittering under the sunlight like a giant mirror.

Cracks of frost snaked across the surface, and the freezing fog lingered in the air, making the scene look more like a winter painting than a battlefield.

The water underneath was completely still. Even the waves had gone quiet, as if nature itself was holding its breath.

And then... crack.

A faint tremble rippled across the frozen surface.

"Did anyone else hear that?" Creed asked, already gripping his spear tighter, eyes darting toward the source of the sound like a meerkat spotting danger.

"Ignore it," Amara muttered. "Maybe it’s the ice settling."

CRACK!

BOOM!!

The entire river convulsed like something had sucker-punched the frozen surface from below.

Long, jagged cracks erupted across the ice like lightning bolts, zig-zagging outward in a spiderweb of doom.

The calm, elegant lake transformed into a warzone in a heartbeat as enormous chunks of frozen water exploded upward, raining shards of ice into the air.

And then, with a deafening roar, the Stage 5 treeman burst from beneath the surface like an angry sea god.

Water surged with it, crashing in all directions as its thick, vine-covered arms slapped against the riverbanks.

Purple energy pulsed from its eyes as it let out a guttural, rage-filled howl that echoed through the trees and sent leaves fluttering from their branches.

"Oh come ON!" Creed groaned, nearly pulling out his own hair.

’You mean it survived three rounds of lightning, an ice explosion, and a full-on freeze-fest—and it STILL wants to fight?! Can’t this guy take a hint?!’

"I’m starting to think it has a personal grudge," Lilith muttered, floating above the raft with sparks dancing between her fingers.

"Well, we did kill its whole family," Amara added with a deadpan tone.

"Yeah, but like... accidents happen!" Creed exclaimed. "We just happen to be extremely efficient... accident-makers!"

The treeman let out another roar and began swimming toward them with renewed fury, churning the water into foam with every stroke of its massive, glowing limbs.

It was like watching a tsunami made of bark and hate.

"Alright, enough of this," Creed said, stepping forward with a sharp sigh and planting his spear into the raft’s deck for emphasis.

"Let’s take the fight to dry land. We can’t let it break the raft. It’s our only ride outta here—and I am not swimming back through this jungle!"

Lilith nodded. "Agreed. Let’s draw it out."

With that, the group carefully steered the raft to the riverbank, docking it beside a cluster of moss-covered rocks.

The four of them stepped off in near silence, each one radiating tension and anticipation like predators waiting for a signal to pounce.

The wind was cold and silent. The air had shifted. Every leaf and blade of grass seemed to be holding back a scream.

Despite the looming threat, Creed and Amara didn’t look worried in the slightest.

In fact, both of them looked calm—almost too calm. That was the confidence of tier-one geniuses. Monsters at the peak of their generation.

They hadn’t even used their main trump cards yet.

Creed rolled his shoulders, loosening his neck as he gripped his black and gold spear. His blue eyes locked on the turbulent water. "Let’s end this."

Then—KRA-KOOOOM!!

The river erupted!

Like a geyser made of fury, the treeman launched itself from the water with its full weight.

Its purple vine-covered body was soaking wet, glowing with a strange light that pulsed from the very core of its being.

Its bark skin seemed thicker than before, and dozens—hundreds—of its vines were twitching and curling in every direction like a nest of enraged snakes.

Creed’s expression darkened.

He didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward, raised his hand, and unleashed his aura.

Boom!

Instantly, the ground beneath him began to crack. A blood-red aura erupted from his body like an inferno, swirling and pulsing with terrifying intent.

The air grew heavier, thicker, and the entire area seemed to darken as if a storm was rolling in. His Path of Killing surged to full force, and the aura grew denser, like a living creature hungry for destruction!

It wasn’t just power. It was murder!

Every movement Creed made now carried that deadly will. As long as he desired to kill, every swing, thrust, or step could become a weapon capable of cutting through almost anything!

Across from him, Amara stepped up as well.

Her usually calm, icy expression took on a majestic glow as her blue eyes began to shimmer, and snowflake-like particles began dancing around her body.

Her long blue hair lifted gently in the air as if weightless, floating around her like an angel of winter. frёeωebɳovel.com

A freezing wind blew out from her, frosting the nearby grass and sending mist curling around her feet.

Lilith shot into the air, her body engulfed in arcs of purple lightning, so intense they crackled like the heavens had descended into her veins.

Her sickle pulsed with raw electricity, and her eyes flashed with excitement.

Tierra was nowhere to be seen—vanished into stealth mode. Her presence erased, cloaked by space itself, waiting to strike from a hidden angle.

The treeman, sensing the overwhelming power gathering, roared in return, refusing to be outdone.

Suddenly, its body lit up with a brilliant purple glow, and every vine it had turned an even deeper shade of purple, pulsing with unnatural energy.

The aura surrounding it exploded outward, its strength soaring beyond Stage 5.

And then, it happened.

Its pressure suddenly changed. Shifted.

BOOM!

The aura that washed over them now wasn’t Stage 5 anymore.

It had broken into Silver Level, Stage 1!

The sheer force of its presence made the trees behind it bend away as if pushed by a storm.

The ground vibrated. The nearby rocks cracked and floated into the air. Every vine on its body lashed outward, glowing like whips of divine punishment.

And still, Creed grinned.

He slowly raised his spear, the red aura dancing off the blade like blood on fire. "Well," he said calmly, "this just got interesting."