As soon as Leon stepped within range of the [Will of Nature], he felt it instantly.
It wasn’t sothing he needed to think about or analyze in detail, but rather a sharp, instinctive awareness that told him he had reached the exact distance required to activate his new skill: [Crimson Dance].
The description had ntioned that the user needed to be close enough to the target, but it hadn’t specified the exact range.
Now that he was here, Leon could finally feel it clearly.
’So this is it...’ Leon thought as his eyes narrowed slightly while keeping his focus locked on the restrained figure ahead of him. ’The activation radius is probably around five ters.’
If he had tried to activate the skill any earlier, it likely wouldn’t have worked at all, and if he moved any closer than this, he might risk putting himself in unnecessary danger.
Right now, however, everything had aligned perfectly.
The [Will of Nature] was focused entirely on defense.
All of its vines had gathered inward, forming a massive, dense barrier around its body, clearly intending to block Leon’s attack head-on.
But that decision... Was exactly what Leon needed.
’Perfect,’ he thought calmly.
A crimson glow began to erge from his body.
It started faintly, barely noticeable at first, but within a second it intensified rapidly, spreading across his eyes and flowing along the edge of his sword like burning energy.
The aura pulsed, and Leon could feel the power building up, concentrating itself toward a single point as if it was waiting for the exact mont to be unleashed.
And then, he swung.
His blade cut through the air in front of him, yet it didn’t strike anything physically present.
For a split second, nothing seed to happen.
Then—
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Dozens upon dozens of crimson slashes erupted all around the [Will of Nature]’s defensive barrier.
Each strike appeared instantly, as if space itself had been cut apart, and they tore through the tightly woven vines with overwhelming force.
The barrier didn’t stand a chance. The vines were shredded apart in an instant.
They were cut, split, and destroyed from every possible angle as the crimson attacks continued raining down relentlessly, leaving no room for recovery.
"Hah..." Leon exhaled, his eyes widening slightly despite himself. "Holy shit... that’s insane."
Even he hadn’t expected this level of power.
But as the final slashes faded, Leon imdiately understood how the skill worked.
He didn’t need to physically reach his opponent.
As long as the target was within that radius... As long as he maintained his focus...
Every strike from [Crimson Dance] would connect. It was essentially a guaranteed hit.
An overwhelming offensive ability that allowed him to unleash dozens of attacks instantly without giving the enemy any ti to react.
’That’s... broken,’ Leon thought, a faint grin forming on his face.
An ascendant-rank skill indeed deserved that kind of strength.
Still, Leon didn’t allow himself to get distracted by it for too long.
The mont the [Will of Nature]’s defensive barrier collapsed, he moved.
He dashed forward, closing the remaining distance in less than a second.
"You lose," Leon said as he appeared directly in front of the restrained figure, his sword already raised and a confident smile spreading across his face.
The [Will of Nature]’s expression twisted slightly as he looked at Leon.
"Fucking [Goddess of Nature]..." he muttered with clear hatred in his voice. "I wish she would just—"
SLASH!
Leon didn’t give him the chance to finish.
His blade cut through the [Will of Nature]’s body in a clean, diagonal strike.
For a mont, everything went still. Then the body split apart.
The upper half slid slightly before collapsing, and the lower half followed shortly after, both pieces hitting the ground heavily.
Just like that... It was over.
"Damn," Leon muttered as he lowered his sword slightly, glancing at the fallen body. "I was planning to use [Celestial’s Might] first to reduce his [Combat Power]..."
He clicked his tongue lightly, "Oh well."
If this was enough to kill him, then there was no point in overthinking it. A win was a win.
Leon turned around, his attention already shifting toward Celeste as he prepared to check on her condition.
But the very instant he moved—
Fwoosh!
A massive vine suddenly appeared behind him.
This one was completely different from the others. It was thicker. And far more powerful.
"Oh."
Leon reacted imdiately, raising his sword in an attempt to block the incoming attack.
But the mont the vine made contact—
BAM!
A terrifying force exploded through his body.
Even though he tried to slash it, the impact alone sent him flying backward violently, his feet leaving the ground as he was thrown across the chamber.
His body slamd against the stone floor repeatedly, bouncing once, twice, before finally sliding to a stop near the entrance of the [Temple of Nature].
"Argh..." Leon groaned as he pushed himself up quickly, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth while staring forward. "What the hell was that..."
"Leon!"
Celeste rushed toward him imdiately, stepping out of the [Fla Do] as she looked at him with concern.
"I cut that thing in half," Leon said while keeping his eyes on the figure in the distance. "But it still attacked... be careful."
Even as he spoke, Leon could already tell sothing was wrong.
The vine that had just hit him... Was much stronger than the others.
Stronger to the point that even his sword hadn’t been able to cut through it cleanly.
That alone was enough to raise a red flag.
Both Leon and Celeste turned their attention forward.
And then—
"Thank you very much, human."
A voice echoed through the chamber.
"If not for you," the voice continued, "freeing myself in this state would have taken a very long ti."
A chill ran through the air, "But now... I am finally free."
Leon’s eyes narrowed.
"And I can do what needs to be done."
They watched silently as the body of the [Will of Nature], the one Leon had clearly sliced in half, began to move.
The two separated halves trembled slightly.
Then, from within the severed sections, small vines and wooden tendrils began to grow.
Slowly but surely, the two halves were pulled back together, rging seamlessly as if the damage had never happened in the first place.
Within seconds... The [Will of Nature] stood whole again. As if Leon’s attack had ant nothing.
"Wow..." Celeste whispered, her eyes wide. "He... he did the sa thing as you...!"
Leon didn’t respond imdiately, "Hm."
So that was it. Regeneration.
The [Will of Nature] could recover from non-lethal damage entirely.
Which raised a simple but dangerous question.
If that attack hadn’t been enough to kill him... Then what would be?
"From despair... to sudden hope..." the [Will of Nature] spoke as he took a step forward, his body shifting and creaking as vines and bark moved along his form. "I must say... this is incredibly exciting."
He spread his arms wide, his expression filled with genuine joy.
He was truly enjoying this mont.
After being trapped for so long, the chance to move freely again, even slightly, was enough to fill him with excitent.
In fact, he stretched his body lightly, as if savoring the feeling of movent after ages of confinent.
"As a sign of gratitude," he continued, his tone almost polite, "your deaths will be quick."
His expression twisted into sothing darker.
"And they will serve as the first step toward my new glory."
He raised both arms. And in the next instant—
BOOM!
Hundreds of vines erupted from the ground across the entire chamber.
But these were not the sa as before.
Each one felt as dangerous as the vine that had just sent Leon flying.
"H-Holy shit..." Celeste took a step back, her voice trembling slightly as she stared at the overwhelming scene in front of her. "This is... this is unwinnable..."
Even Pyra let out a small, nervous cry before hiding behind Celeste.
The pressure in the chamber had completely changed.
Like death was closing in from every direction.
And yet, Leon stood there. His expression didn’t change at all.
The [Will of Nature] had every reason to be confident. His [Combat Power] was at 750,000.
Leon and Celeste weren’t even close to that level.
Under normal circumstances... This fight would already be decided.
And yet, a small smile ford on Leon’s face.
"I guess the battle is fair now, I guess," he said casually.
"Huh?" the [Will of Nature] tilted his head slightly, clearly confused. "You think this is fair—"
But he stopped as his entire body suddenly trembled.
A subtle shudder ran through his form, as if sothing invisible had just taken hold of him.
And at that exact mont, Leon released the main passive effect of his title.
Celestial’s Might!
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