The seemingly withered old tree suddenly sprang to life and launched an attack on Lynch.
But Lynch wasn't the least bit surprised. After all, the Soul Crystal, as a parasitic lifeform, clearly needed a host to survive, and it was impossible for him to think of this old oak as a dead object merely because it appeared desiccated.
Wizards perceive the world with knowledge, not their eyes.
"So it truly is a Twisted Tree Spirit?"
From his vantage point on the slope earlier, Lynch had already speculated about the identity of this old oak, with the Twisted Tree Spirit being one of his prime suspects.
This is a type of magical creature native to forests, whose physical appearance closely resembles that of an ordinary oak tree. However, upon maturity, it secretes its life essence to make its branches wither and bark dry up, disguising itself as a completely dead tree.
In the Dark Forest, vitality and peril coexist. Often, the places that appear lush and thriving are the most dangerous, whereas these seemingly lifeless old trees are more likely to lull living creatures into a false sense of security.
When exhausted creatures drag themselves to what they perceive as a safe spot to rest, a seemingly dead old oak tree is undoubtedly the least alarming choice. But as they approach, that is precisely when the Twisted Tree Spirit feasts.
The soul sparks surrounding other withered trees in the area numbered only a handful, yet the sparks blooming around this particular tree were abundant. It's important to know that Corrupted Tree Demons feed on soul sparks, and they usually harvest them as they mature. For sparks to grow to dozens in quantity, there could only be one explanation.
The Corrupted Tree Demon had been devoured.
The elemental concentration in this area was average, unlikely to harbor any overly powerful creatures. Coupled with the presence of this disguised withered old oak and the inducement of Corrupted Tree Demons being drawn here to be eaten, it wasn't difficult to ascertain this old oak's identity as a Twisted Tree Spirit.
"Hiss hiss! Ee-yah!"
Perched on Lynch's shoulder, Parker reacted immediately, raising its head and stretching its limbs while flapping its wings, ready to fly out and engage the creature in battle at Lynch's command.
"Stay calm, Parker!"
Lynch restrained Parker's battle-hungry tendencies. The Twisted Tree Spirit was a genuine Mid-level Apprentice Level magical being, far more formidable than a Corrupted Tree Demon. Before unlocking its Breath ability, Parker might not be able to triumph in a direct fight.
More importantly, the main objective right now was to retrieve the Soul Crystal, not to get embroiled in combat.
Ignoring the creature, Lynch issued another command to Parker and shifted his full attention to the tree trunk, quickly wielding his Rune Pen to continue inscribing the Magic Array.
Meanwhile, after its sneak attack had failed, the Twisted Tree Spirit promptly changed its approach, extending four or five branches all at once to fiercely lash at Lynch, clearly opting for a more aggressive strategy.
"Whip! Whip!"
The branch, as thick as two fingers, sliced through the air like a slave master's whip, producing sharp, ear-piercing crackles that sent chills down one's spine. From the sound alone, it was evident that a solid strike could incapacitate a person instantly.
Under such intense attacks, the transparent Element Barrier flickered with magical brilliance, and what was even more frightening was that the frequency of the Twisted Tree Spirit's strikes was increasing steadily, causing the barrier to shimmer incessantly.
An average person, or even a green apprentice like Lynch, would have likely been deeply unsettled upon witnessing such ferocious strikes—knowing that there was defensive magic in place wouldn't alleviate the underlying tension.
But Lynch remained completely unperturbed, not even sparing a glance at the tempestuous attacks from outside.
This was because he understood perfectly well that, as a Mid-level Apprentice Level magical creature, the Twisted Tree Spirit's maximum attack strength would not exceed 8 degrees, whereas the Rock Element Defense Scroll he activated could withstand magical attacks below 15 degrees.
With nearly double the defensive energy, the Twisted Tree Spirit could shred its branches to tatters, but it still wouldn't be able to penetrate this protective layer.
That said, Lynch couldn't afford to grow complacent. After all, the Defense Scroll's duration was limited to 15 minutes, and if he couldn't retrieve the Soul Crystal within this timeframe, he wouldn't be in such a comfortable position.
Time ticked by.
A minute...
Two minutes...
The disruptive energy of the Magic Array had begun to take effect, creating invisible ripples that radiated across the tree trunk. The blue crystal embedded at the center of the trunk started to tremble as well.
Aware of Lynch's intentions, the Twisted Tree Spirit's attacks grew increasingly frantic, gathering an additional seven or eight branches to furiously strike at Lynch.
Although the Soul Crystal is a parasitic lifeform, it can share soul energy with its host while attached. Should Lynch remove the Soul Crystal from the Twisted Tree Spirit, its soul energy would plummet irreversibly—a fact that drove the Spirit into madness.
Three minutes...
Five minutes...
The relentless barrage intensified further. Perched on Lynch's shoulder, Parker's agitation mounted; it paced incessantly and its abdomen oft-exuded a glowing red light.
The Fire Dragon Lizard's combative disposition made it crave constant action—either battle or death. Being cornered to endure such passive battering was immensely vexing for it. Were it not for Lynch's Spirit Imprint forcibly restraining it, Parker would have charged out long ago.
Six minutes...
Eight minutes!
Finally, at the eighth minute, Lynch completed the Magic Array designed to disrupt the Twisted Tree Spirit.
Magical brilliance illuminated immediately, and a prominent ripple surged outward from the Spirit's trunk. Accompanying this ripple, the towering tree convulsed violently.
"Crack!"
Simultaneously came a sharp sound—at the junction where the Soul Crystal had been tightly fused with the Spirit, a fissure began to form.
Now's the time!
Lynch swiftly grabbed the prepared Rune Knife, plunging it into the gap, and quickly traced its edge around the Soul Crystal. With a slight upward twist, a crisp "crack" resounded as Lynch dislodged the crystal from the trunk.
Beneath the glimmering blue crystal were countless writhing tendrils, their surfaces marked by blood-red capillaries and neural networks. The sight was grotesque.
Driven by instinctive survival impulses, the tendrils convulsed and stretched frantically in search of a new host. Some tendrils reached Lynch's arm and immediately tried burrowing into it to establish parasitism.
These tendrils featured tiny openings at their tips, lined with sharp, tooth-like structures resembling mouths. Since Lynch had opted not to wear gloves to ensure operational precision, these "mouths" bit into his arm, causing a piercing sting and small wounds within moments.
Quickly discarding the Rune Knife, Lynch used one hand to grab the blue crystal and the other to hoist the prepared Corrupted Tree Demon corpse, placing the Soul Crystal onto it.
Like bloodthirsty leeches thrown into a tank, the tendrils darted into the corpse at lightning speed. Without any obstruction, they burrowed deep into the body, merging seamlessly within moments.
"Done!"
A delighted expression crossed Lynch's face as he hurriedly stowed the Corrupted Tree Demon's body.
"Argh!!"
At the same time, a piercing scream echoed in Lynch's Sea of Consciousness—seething with fury and resentment—as the Twisted Tree Spirit lashed out in rage after losing its Soul Crystal.
Lynch ignored the outburst, hastily packed his belongings, and turned to leave.
However, the Twisted Tree Spirit was clearly not about to let him off easily. With a loud rustle, its countless branches suddenly coiled toward him.
The dense branches enveloped Lynch entirely, although unable to breach the Element Barrier, they succeeded in trapping him and immobilizing him completely.
At this point, nearly ten minutes had elapsed since the barrier's activation. With only a few minutes remaining, the barrier would soon dissipate, leaving Lynch defenseless and stranded in this Withered Forest—his current strength insufficient to escape unscathed...
After several attempts to break free proved fruitless, Lynch swiftly opened his Space Pocket and retrieved a red scroll—none other than the Fireball Technique scroll worth an astonishing fifteen Magic Stones.
Without hesitation, he activated the scroll immediately.
"Sizzle..."
A crackling sound emerged as a faint ember flickered across the scroll's surface. The scroll then floated upward and ignited rapidly, transforming into a basketball-sized fireball in an instant.
Lynch pointed forward, and the hovering fireball immediately roared ahead, slamming into the surrounding branches with a deafening "boom."
Fire inherently counters wood, and its destructive impact was further magnified against these parched and brittle branches. The fireball exploded into flames, engulfing the nearby vines while any stray embers that touched the branches sparked raging fires instantly.
The Twisted Tree Spirit attempted to extend additional branches, but the flames were already spreading rampantly. Adding more branches merely fueled the fire instead of extinguishing it, worsening the blaze.
Within mere breaths, the branches were reduced to ashes, and the ones ensnaring Lynch quickly loosened.
Seizing the opportunity, Lynch bolted.
"Argh!!"
The peril was far from over, as another piercing scream erupted from the Twisted Tree Spirit behind him.
This was no frustrated wail. Shortly after the scream, rustling noises began to stir across the desolate plains.
The entire barren expanse seemed to come alive. Withered old trees scattered across the plains swayed in unison as one Corrupted Tree Demon after another crawled out from their trunks.
Like predators drawn to the scent of a feast, these creatures raised their heads in a unified motion. Their hollow, black eyes locked onto Lynch in the distance, their dry bark-like faces contorted with greed and ferocity.
They looked like a pack of beasts poised to devour!
In the next instant.
The beasts began to move...