Chapter 104 — The Verdant Primordial.
Chapter 104 — The Verdant Primordial.
The blinding celestial light, white star-marble temples, and golden clouds of Floor 15 dissolved into pure mana particles as the spatial gateway behind Solarius’s throne collapsed into non-existence.
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[WORLD SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT!]
FACTION ’SOVEREIGN’ HAS ASCENDED TO FLOOR 16!
ZONE ENTERED: The Verdant Jungle of Yggdrasil — Primordial Roots
HAZARD RATING: TIER-SS+ (Neurotoxic Spores & Infinite Life Drain Curse)
SPECIAL RULE: Root Entrapment — Non-Sovereign Entities Lose 6% Attack Speed & Stamina Every 30 Seconds!
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When Kaelen stepped out of the spatial rift, the environment shifted into an ancient, colossal rainforest where giant trees with trunks as wide as city blocks reached into an emerald-tinted sky.
They stood upon a massive, moss-covered ancient root suspended above a misty green abyss.
Towering bioluminescent flora, ancient stone idols wrapped in glowing vines, and thick poisonous fog surrounded the path leading toward a massive wooden citadel. The air was heavy with the scent of wild damp earth, ancient floral toxins, and dense primordial life mana that felt thick enough to coat their skin.
"From blinding sun straight into a jungle overrun by overgrown weeds," Ignis grunted with a broad grin, swinging his heavy claymore so that black dragon flames sizzled against the damp, humid air. "At least this place has plenty of wood to burn!"
"The biological toxicity level is severe," Ren reported calmly, her gauntlet projecting green holographic displays while sterile filter barriers activated around her visor.
"My sensors indicate Floor 15 is a primordial forest realm created by ancient spirit-druids to harvest infinite life energy." She adjusted her scanner, analyzing the dense flora.
"Standard poison resistance potions will be bypassed by these spores. However, Fire, Lightning, and Spatial Void attributes retain 100% operational efficiency."
"A realm of wild roots," Tsubaki whispered, emerging quietly from the dark green shadow cast by a giant fern leaf. His crimson eyes scanned the swaying vines. "My shadow scouts report that Floor 16 is ruled by Druid-King Thorne, an ancient wooden demigod." Lyra stood gracefully beside Kaelen, her hand held securely in his dark-gloved grip.
The completed Key of the Holy Grail within Kaelen’s chest core emitted a soft, pristine golden aura, creating a golden protective domain that instantly neutralized the poisonous spores and root entrapment for their squad.
"No poison can touch us while I stand beside you, Kaelen," Lyra whispered softly, her blue eyes shining with absolute devotion as she leaned gently against his arm. "This wild jungle will bow to your feet." "A jungle is merely wood waiting to be pruned or erased, my light," Kaelen purred smoothly, his velvet voice breaking through the roaring rainforest wind.
He gently stroked her hand, his dark violet eyes gleaming with triple-ringed golden authority. "Thorne can command his vines... until he realizes the void erases all life."
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[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION!]
The key of the holy grail is activated!
EFFECT: Sovereign Verdant Shield Active! All squad members gain 100% immunity to neurotoxic spores & life drain!
RESONANCE: Floor 16 Waystone Location Identified!
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Suddenly, the thick canopy of vines above the ancient root path surged violently!
ROAAAAAAAR!
The wooden ground trembled as thousands of fifteen-foot treant warriors clad in bark armor, wielding giant thorn spears dripping with green neurotoxins, erupted from the misty canopy!
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[AMBUSH INITIATED!]
HOSTILE ENTITIES: 1,900x Primordial Sylph Guardians (Level 185 Elite)
COMMANDER: General Root-Breaker — The Iron Bark (Level 187 Tier-EX)
OBJECTIVE: Crush the Intruders!
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FLESH INTRUDERS!" General Root-Breaker bellowed, his voice sounding like ancient wood grinding together. He stood twenty-five feet tall, his body forged from petrified ironwood and pulsing with green spirit energy. "YOU DARE TREAD UPON THE SACRED ROOTS OF HIS MAJESTY THORNE?! BE CRUSHED AND CONSUMED AS FERTILIZER!" One thousand nine hundred Sylph Guardians raised their thorn spears in unison, launching a massive barrage of venomous wooden stakes surging directly toward Kaelen!
BOOOOOOM!
"Let me show these overgrown weeds what real heat feels like!" Ignis bellowed with a wild laugh, leaping into the air and swinging his heavy claymore!
"Dragon Fire Art: Wildfire Inferno!"A massive wave of black-and-gold dragon flame erupted from his blade! The sheer temperature of the dragon flames ignited the humid air, flash-burning one thousand Sylph Guardians into harmless ash in a single second!
"Shadow Style: Vine-Severing Flash!" Tsubaki glided across the mossy roots like a phantom, his katana leaving dark spatial cuts that severed the life cores of six hundred treants before they could react!
"System Hack: Bio-Disruptor Array!" Ren deployed twenty sonic pylons into the roots. The resulting high-frequency vibrations shattered the petrified bark of the remaining three hundred guardians, causing their life conduits to collapse!
General Root-Breaker watched his vanguard destroyed in under two minutes, his glowing green eyes burning with fury.
"IMPOSSIBLE! FLESH CREATURES CANNOT BURN PETRIFIED IRON-WOOD!" Root-Breaker shouted, leaping from the canopy with his giant thorn club aimed straight for Kaelen’s head!
"Primordial Secret Art: Iron-Bark Shatter!"
Kaelen didn’t even shift his posture.
He took one calm step forward, his dark coat fluttering softly in the humid draft generated by the falling giant.
His slender dark-gloved fingers wrapped around the hilt of the Void Blade.
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[PASSIVE EFFECT: Void Sovereign’s Eye]
TARGET WEAKNESS DETECTED: Spirit Core at Central Heart Node!
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Kaelen purred softly, a cold, dark smile touching his lips as he drew his blade by half an inch.
SHING!
A razor-thin line of pitch-black spatial deletion flared through the emerald air.
"Void Art: Spatial Deletion—Forest Sever!"
SKRRRRRRRAASH!
The half-inch draw of dark steel was completely silent, yet the spatial tear expanded five hundred meters across the misty jungle canopy!
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[CRITICAL HIT!]
TARGET: General Root-Breaker & 300x Primordial Sylph Guardians
DAMAGE DEALT: 190,000,000 (Pure Spatial Eradication)
DEFENSE NEGATED: 100%!
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[FORCE OBLITERATED!]
CASUALTIES: General Root-Breaker & Sylph Vanguard (Eradicated!)
EXP RECEIVED: 35,000,000 Points!
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"AAAAARGH!"
General Root-Breaker let out an agonizing wooden shriek as his twenty-five-foot body, his club, and his remaining troops were sliced horizontally in half mid-air.
The spatial cut erased their wooden forms and spirit cores instantly into glowing green experience particles.
Kaelen smoothly clicked the Void Blade back into its sheath.
CLICK.
The suffocating toxic pressure vanished, replaced by the quiet, golden aura of the squad’s domain.
"Flawless execution, my lord," Tsubaki said, landing softly with a bow.
"These treants thought wooden armor could save them," Ignis chuckled, resting his claymore on his shoulder.
Ren checked her holographic displays, scanning the colossal wooden temple at the center of the jungle—The Primordial Sanctum.
"My Lord, the elimination of General Root-Breaker has alerted the druid-king," Ren reported.
"The Druid-King Thorne is awakening his root network.""Let him awaken every root," Kaelen purred smoothly, turning back to Lyra and taking her hand into his once more.
Her blue eyes sparkled as she smiled up at him. "It only means his downfall will be swifter."Lyra smiled sweetly, leaning close against his side as they began walking toward the central sanctum.
"Lead the way, Kaelen. The forest is yours."Kaelen purred softly, his dark violet eyes gleaming with god-like authority as he led the Sovereign Faction deeper into Floor 16.