BXBX NOVEL Chapter 32 -32-Burning the Treants
Chapter 32: Chapter32-Burning the Treants
The car door gently closed behind them.
Harrison was the first to cast the Stone Shield spell, enveloping himself in a protective layer of rock-hard skin.
He led the way, each step firm and resolute.
Emma followed closely, her eyes vigilant and mind racing, while the emotionless Skeleton King trailed behind, every step echoing with a chilling stillness.
The forest path meandered, surrounded by dense shrubbery and wild grass that seemed to have grown purposefully to keep intruders at bay.
Sharp thorns lined their stems, forming a prickly barrier.
This primeval forest appeared cut off from the world, every plant exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.
From the moment they entered, Harrison felt as if countless eyes were watching them from the shadows.
The sensation made his heart race, though he showed no outward sign.
Several times along the way, Harrison imagined that if real danger lurked here, he could easily set the entire forest ablaze, leveling this treacherous land to the ground.
However, he knew such actions would compromise their mission, so he treaded with caution.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly.
After about half an hour of exploration, the once dense forest gradually thinned out.
The once-abundant trees were now sparse, with solitary giants standing at considerable distances from each other.
The ground\'s wild grass displayed a sickly yellow hue and disintegrated into dust upon the slightest touch.
Harrison\'s eyes widened.
He felt as if this land had been drained of all its life force and nutrients by some formidable creature.
Silently, the Heart of Ice began to form in his hand.
Now enhanced to level three, the skill\'s control range had expanded, and he knew well that a fierce battle might be imminent.
Harrison turned, looking deeply into Emma\'s eyes.
"Emma, no matter what happens, make sure you stay close to me. The power of Heart of Ice won\'t harm you," Harrison cautioned.
Emma nodded tensely, drawing a deep breath. "Understood, I\'ll follow your lead."
Harrison\'s gaze refocused ahead, determination flashing in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he hurled the Heart of Ice towards the withered ground.
"Whoosh..."
The instant the Heart of Ice touched the soil, a ripple of chilling air emanated, as if winter had suddenly descended.
Every leaf, every twig, became enveloped in frost, shimmering with a cold gleam.
Yet, amidst this tranquility, Harrison detected a subtle tremor.
His intuition whispered that this was not the end but the onset of something. He gestured quickly for Emma to step back, "Emma, move back!"
As they began to retreat, the ground suddenly split open.
Sharp wooden spikes thrust violently towards the sky.
The surrounding trees shattered almost instantly under this unexpected onslaught, with wood splinters and debris clouding the air.
The crackling in their ears was unsettling, revealing tree roots churning and writhing, struggling to break free from the earth\'s grip.
Harrison\'s hand clenched tightly around the hilt of his sword.
He knew that what they were about to face was the legendary treant.
As the diminishing sounds of fracturing faded, every nerve in Harrison\'s body went taut.
He could distinctly sense the approach of massive entities, their footsteps heavy, each one resonating like the thud of a giant stone, accompanied by tremors akin to earthquakes.
Leaves rustled and branches snapped.
The once lush vegetation seemed insignificant in the wake of their arrival.
Then, emerging from the dense forest, a line of bizarre creatures came into Harrison and Emma\'s view.
Standing roughly five meters tall, they appeared to be crudely carved from tree trunks.
Their bodies resembled ancient statues - solid, weighty, mercilessly crushing everything in their path.
Each creature boasted two stout legs, and shockingly, they had four arms that flailed wildly in the air, seeming capable of unleashing devastating power.
But there was more to these beings.
Their skin was studded with thorns as sharp as knives, each gleaming coldly in the sunlight, inducing awe and fear.
Their grotesque appearance and their palpable aura of malevolence silently conveyed to Harrison and Emma that this was a battle not to be taken lightly.
Drawing a deep breath, Harrison quickly estimated their number. There were roughly twenty such creatures.
In an instant, he focused his attention, scanning these beings to discern their attributes and weaknesses.
[Twisted treant]
[Level]: 30
[Rank]: Bronze-grade
[Base strength]: 110
[Base constitution]: 200
[Base agility]: 40
[Base wisdom]: 2
[Talent]: Rooting.
[Skills]: Natural Growth, Vine Lash.
...
Among the many bronze beings, these treants undoubtedly stood out, their constitution reputedly extraordinary.
Silently calculating in his mind, Harrison raised his palm.
Then, with a resonating "boom", a beam of light, hot as summer\'s sun, targeted the treants, standing tall like an impenetrable forest.
Seeing the beam approach, the treants instinctively stretched out their intertwined vines, attempting to form a barrier against this lethal strike.
In that moment, the vines from all 20 treants combined into a shield resembling a knitted wool ball, pulsating as if alive.
However, a smirk crossed Harrison\'s face.
While the treants might be formidable, their understanding of fire magic seemed na?ve.
Such a shield might be effective against other spells, but facing the Scorching Beam, they were as vulnerable as tissue paper.
The moment the beam touched the vines, flames erupted, raging from within and consuming the exterior.
Pain from the flames drove the treants nearly mad.
The tightly-knit vines rapidly separated, but the flames had already spread, engulfing their entire form.
Under the glow of the fire, the treants, like enraged beasts, brandished their burning vines, charging frenziedly at Harrison.
Yet, he did not flinch, intensifying his magical assault.
The broad beam of fire weaved between the treants like a dragon, scorching all in its path.
The scene was reminiscent of a hellish landscape - flames, smoke, and charred treant bodies.
Being wooden creatures, fire was their mortal nemesis, impossible to extinguish.
Finally, amidst the roaring flames, the once-mighty treants fell, resembling charred wooden statues, collapsing heavily to the ground.
"Cough, cough."
The thick smoke choked Emma, causing her to cough continuously.
However, she soon exclaimed excitedly, "Harrison, I\'ve completed the task!"
Chapter33-Flora\'s Illusory Toxin Assault
As Emma\'s words faded, Harrison gave a silent approval to her decision, nodding gently.
To erase the remnants of the inferno from earlier, Harrison once again summoned the Heart of Ice, releasing it upon the scorched remnants of the treants.
A chilling aura swiftly spread, seeming to solidify the air instantaneously into tiny droplets.
A soft mist then enveloped the area, and when it cleared, all that remained were the ashes of the treants and scorched earth.
"The path ahead still beckons me," Harrison spoke, his gaze distant, a resolve evident between his brows. "If you wish, you can wait inside the vehicle."
Yet Emma shook her head, her face adorned with a confident smile. "After that battle, I\'ve successfully class-changed. I believe I can assist you."
Harrison met her gaze, and with another subtle nod, succinctly replied, "As you wish."
The two exchanged a warm smile, and then Harrison took the lead, delving deeper into the wilderness.
Emma chuckled softly, following closely with graceful steps.
They journeyed through the dense forest for approximately twenty minutes before finally reaching a vast clearing.
The expanse stretched seemingly endlessly, spanning tens of thousands of square meters.
At its center stood a Flora, its vibrant blossoms swaying gracefully in the wind, each flower appearing to tell its own story.
However, what drew the eye even more were the forms dangling beneath its canopy.
Upon closer inspection, they were revealed to be desiccated corpses, long devoid of life.
Their bodily fluids had been completely drained, each face frozen in its last moment of terror.
The sight was bone-chilling, and even Harrison\'s system prompt was unusually silent at this moment.
Clearly, this peculiar Flora was the anomaly\'s origin within the forest.
Steadying his mind, Harrison began to examine the properties of the Flora.
[Flora Spirit]
[Level]: 30
[Rank]: Gold
[Base Strength]: 248
[Base Constitution]: 600
[Base Agility]: 0
[Base Wisdom]: 200
[Talent]: Ethereal Form.
[Skills]: Flowering Mist, Petal Rain, Spirit of Flora.
...
Upon seeing the staggering 600 points for constitution, a hint of surprise flickered in Harrison\'s eyes.
This was the pinnacle at level 30, and it was almost beyond belief.
He couldn\'t help but wonder: if given more time to mature, to what extent would this Flora\'s power evolve?
However, all speculations ended at this moment.
For it had encountered him, Harrison.
He could not, and would not, allow this perilous Flora to grow further, especially after it revealed such unexpected capabilities.
He turned his gaze towards Emma and calmly instructed, "Emma, move to a safe distance." Emma, seemingly anticipating his decision, nodded slightly and gracefully stepped back.
In no time, Harrison had amassed a powerful surge of magic energy.
With a swift motion of his palm, a Scorching Beam burst forth.
This ray, akin to the scalding heat of the sun, struck unyieldingly upon Flora\'s trunk.
Those desiccated corpses hanging beneath the canopy of the Flora were instantly reduced to ashes upon contact with the beam.
Yet, it was evident that Flora was not an adversary to be easily defeated.
A bizarre and eerie scream emanated from the tree, a sound that seemed like a protest of life itself, woven from threads of sorrow and rage.
Concurrently, the flowers atop the Flora\'s crown appeared to come to life.
They ascended from the treetop, fluttering in the air like swarms of drones.
What followed was a downpour of pollen, which gently settled, forming a mist of blossoms, painting the entire space in a dreamlike hue of pink.
Within this floral haze, a sound suddenly echoed in Harrison\'s ears.
"You have been afflicted with a low-level hallucinogenic toxin attack."
"[God of Evolution] Talent activated, immune to hallucinogenic toxins. Acquired passive skill [Low-Level Hallucinogenic Resistance]."
When the familiar system prompt echoed beside Harrison\'s ear, a profound sense of astonishment engulfed him.
He didn\'t hide his admiration for the [God of Evolution] talent.
Without a doubt, it stood as one of the most formidable talents to exist on this continent.
However, while he was immersed in his sense of accomplishment, the situation with Emma caused his heart to race violently.
Emma\'s skin began to redden, as if a tumultuous emotion was surging within her.
Those previously clear and luminous eyes now bore a strange glint as they fixated on Harrison.
It seemed her rationality had been stripped away within the flower mist, leaving behind only a pure body, driven by some inexplicable force.
"Harrison..." Her voice, soft and tender, held a profound longing, "Hold me."
Before she could finish, her body surged towards him like a shooting star, clinging tightly to him.
The shock in Harrison\'s eyes was fleeting, and he quickly realized that Emma\'s current state was highly abnormal.
She seemed to have fallen into a strange illusion, having lost herself completely.
He held her close, attempting to awaken the Emma trapped deep within her psyche.
With all his might, Harrison channeled his Water Healing magic into Emma, but it seemed to have no effect on her.
He felt an overwhelming sense of desperation, as if he were trapped in a nightmare.
In his helplessness, Harrison gently positioned Emma onto his left shoulder, inhaling her faint, sweet scent intermingled with a hint of freshness.
Every now and then, it wafted through his nostrils, lingering in his heart.
Emma, with her slender frame, wasn\'t much of a burden for a robust man like Harrison.
Yet, at this moment, she resembled a restless bird, her legs flailing as if trying to break free.
"Harrison, give me..." Her words were muffled, and her tone held a boundless plea.
"Give you what?" Harrison furrowed his brows, lightly patting Emma on her backside, "Calm down first."
Perhaps it was Harrison\'s soothing touch, or maybe he had hit a particular spot, but Emma gradually began to relax.
Her body became soft, leaning entirely into Harrison\'s embrace.
Still, soft whispers escaped her lips, hinting at unspeakable secrets.
Meanwhile, the eerie Flora initiated a new wave of assault, releasing a skill named "Petal Mist."
As time elapsed, the smoky flower haze began to solidify into snowflake-like petals.
They gracefully danced in the air, as if performing a mesmerizing ballet.