Leon’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of the [Will of Nature]’s status panel.
Celeste’s reaction was even stronger.
"How... are we supposed to beat that thing?" she muttered quietly while staring at the panel. "That... doesn’t seem doable."
Leon didn’t answer imdiately.
Even from this distance, he could feel the terrifying amount of power radiating from the creature.
Still, there was sothing important.
The [Will of Nature] was still restrained by the divine vines placed by the [Goddess of Nature].
He couldn’t move freely.
"We still need to approach him," Leon eventually said calmly. "But be careful. Even like this, he’s still dangerous."
"Alright."
However, hearing them talk so casually about him seed to irritate the creature greatly.
"DON’T SPEAK LIKE THIS ABOUT... !"
SLASH!
After countless centuries of struggling against the divine restraints, the [Will of Nature] had managed to loosen them slightly.
It wasn’t much. But it was enough.
Suddenly, a vine burst violently from the ground directly behind Celeste and slashed toward her at terrifying speed.
The attack was so fast that Celeste didn’t even have ti to react.
Even Leon only noticed the movent at the very last mont.
’Shit,’ Leon thought instantly.
He could probably dodge it himself.
But Celeste, she would definitely be hit.
She would revive eventually, but that process would still take three full days.
So without hesitation...
Fwoosh!
Leon shoved Celeste violently out of the attack’s path while raising his staff to cast his defensive skill.
Darkness Barrier!
A dark shield instantly ford around him. But the vine was far too powerful.
SLASH!
The razor-sharp attack cut straight through the barrier as if it barely existed.
And in the very next instant... Leon’s body was sliced cleanly in half.
There was no ti to react to it.
And so as Leon’s consciousness faded, a small system panel quietly appeared before his eyes.
Ding!
[You have died... but it’s not the end yet.]
"LEON!"
Celeste’s voice echoed across the massive chamber as she scread in disbelief, her eyes widening in pure shock as she watched Leon’s body collapse onto the ground in front of her.
"No!!"
She imdiately rushed forward, instinctively spinning her spear in her hands as another vine suddenly burst out of the floor and lashed toward Leon’s fallen body.
Celeste swung her weapon with full force.
CLANG!
The spear deflected the incoming vine just in ti, pushing it aside before it could strike Leon again.
But even as she did so, Celeste already knew that it was pointless.
Leon’s body had already been cut cleanly in half.
The upper and lower portions of his body lay separated on the stone floor, completely motionless as blood slowly spread beneath him.
Leon... was actually dead.
"Unlucky for him," the [Will of Nature] said slowly from the far end of the chamber, a wide grin forming across the vine-like structure of his face. "He shouldn’t have underestimated ."
Celeste stood frozen for a mont, staring down at Leon’s lifeless body as her hands trembled slightly around the shaft of her spear.
Her teeth clenched tightly.
’It’s... my fault.’
The thought imdiately filled her mind.
If she had noticed the vine sooner... If she had reacted faster...
Leon wouldn’t have needed to push her out of the way.
He wouldn’t have needed to sacrifice himself to protect her.
Still, even with that guilt clawing at her chest, Celeste knew one important thing.
Leon wouldn’t stay dead. He had his [Resurrection Stone].
Eventually, he would co back.
But even knowing that didn’t change the current situation.
Right now... She was alone.
"Alright..." the [Will of Nature] muttered quietly, his glowing eyes flickering with excitent as he focused on the vines restraining his body. "Just a bit more..."
Celeste slowly lifted her head, her expression turning cold, "DIE!"
With a furious shout, she spun her spear and thrust it forward as flas erupted from her hand.
An [Ember Ball] instantly ford in front of her palm before shooting toward the restrained creature at incredible speed.
Fwoosh!
The blazing sphere of fire shot straight across the chamber and slamd directly into the [Will of Nature].
BOOM!
The explosion erupted violently upon impact, flas spreading outward and lighting up the entire temple chamber as scorching heat filled the air.
For a mont, Celeste thought the attack had worked.
But as the flas slowly faded... The [Will of Nature] remained completely unmoved.
Not only that... He was smiling.
"Such powerful flas..." the creature murmured slowly as he observed the vines wrapped around his body.
Celeste’s fire had scorched them badly.
Large sections of the divine vines had blackened and weakened under the intense heat.
"YES... MAGNIFICENT!"
Using every ounce of strength and willpower he possessed, the [Will of Nature] began to struggle violently against his restraints.
His body trembled as the burned vines around his shoulders and arms started to snap one after another.
CRACK! SNAP!
With a violent jerk, the creature finally managed to pull both of his arms free from the divine restraints.
The limbs were monstrous in appearance, made entirely from thick vines, bark-like trunks, and layers of twisting leaves that constantly shifted and moved.
Normally, the divine vines placed by the [Goddess of Nature] would have restrained him forever.
But after so much ti passed, Celeste’s flas had weakened them.
And that weakness had given him the opportunity he had been waiting for.
Now that his arms were free... His power imdiately increased.
"I appreciate it, phoenix-race girl," the [Will of Nature] said slowly as he extended both of his arms toward Celeste.
Although his chest, legs, and lower body were still tightly bound by countless vines, aning it would still take years for him to escape completely, simply freeing his arms had already restored a massive portion of his strength.
Only then did Celeste realize the mistake she had made.
Her attack hadn’t damaged him. It had helped him.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
Dozens of vines erupted violently from the stone floor all around her.
Each one was just as sharp and deadly as the vine that had killed Leon monts earlier.
They surrounded her from every direction, twisting through the air like massive spears ready to strike.
"Damn..." Celeste muttered quietly as she tightened her grip on her spear, "I shouldn’t have acted recklessly..."
"DIE!" the [Will of Nature] roared in response.
At that command, every single vine lunged toward her simultaneously.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
The attacks ca from every direction. There was no escape.
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