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Chapter 220

Irregular explosions began erupting above the Flame Tide. Columns of fire shot up several meters before collapsing and scattering in all directions. The garden of decay, already a sea of fire, had become unrecognizable. The flames engulfed the branches of the tree that spread out like cobwebs. Unlike the garden, these branches did not burn away but bubbled and melted from the surface like boiling oil.

"GROAR—"

The Defiled Tree let out a cry mixed with lingering thoughts. Simultaneously, its branches trembled. Black slime spread across the surface and rained down like a downpour. The poisonous liquid carrying a deadly disease was now being used to extinguish the fire. However, the flames, fueled by the power of chaos, only spewed out acrid smoke without dying down. The continuous eruptions, rising like lava, were no different.

Swoosh.

Ian, who had been casting Wind Blade and Whirling Barrier in succession, suddenly furrowed one of his brows.

What the fuck now?

The resonance that started from the fragment of chaos was now spreading throughout his entire body. The moment he focused his consciousness, a selection quest window appeared before his eyes.

[Fusion.]

According to the description, it was a continuation of the previous quest, offering a temporary boost in abilities and experience points as a reward. Despite the ominous name, his hesitation was brief.

Go ahead, let\'s see.

Ian accepted the quest. Simultaneously, the fragment of chaos began to emit the power of chaos as if it had been waiting for this moment. He could feel his body filling up with chaos power. It wasn\'t an illusion. His veins turned purple in an instant, and even his skin discolored.

Crack, crack—

The sound of bones reverberated throughout his body. The chaos power was reconstructing his flesh. It might even be close to a mutation. Ian instinctively opened the status window. All his stats, except Intelligence and Mental Fortitude, were increasing.

Crunch.

Ian gripped the hilt of the black sword as if it would shatter and raised his head.

His vision, now reversed, was merging with reality. Beyond the raging flames and rising smoke, the magic of the Defiled Tree, flickering in purple and dark green, became clear.

The remnants of chaos power thick in the air and the shapes of the roots connecting underground also became visible to his naked eyes. Even fragmented emotions pierced his mind. They were shards of confusion and anger—the resonance emitted by the Defiled Tree. All this information was beyond the limits of human sensory perception.

... This was temporary, right? They better be prepared if my body doesn\'t return to normal.

With a bitter thought, Ian finally pushed off the ground. The swirling Wind Blade around him propelled his body like a projectile. Ian maintained his balance, keeping pace with the speed, and pushed off with his legs. With each step, he felt like he was advancing several meters.

Rumble—

Each time he pushed off the ground, flames erupted beneath his footprints. It was the Flame Steps. Normally, it continuously consumed a significant amount of Mana, so it wasn’t activated unless he could use it alone.

But now it is different. An immense amount of chaos power was coursing through his entire body, replacing his Mana. It was a sensation different from the Blessing of Battle—cold and sticky. The only similarity was the seemingly infinite energy it provided.

Fwoosh—

A purple haze spread from the cross guard of the black sword. The afterimage of Fangs of Heaven Defier, burning with chaos power, trailed behind him like a comet\'s tail. The seething wave of fire closed in almost instantly.

"...!"

Boom!

A column of fire erupted nearby at that moment. It was an explosion Ian hadn\'t expected, with no warning at all.

Fwoosh.

A massive whirlwind swirled around Ian faster than he could react. The Whirling Barrier swept up the flames from the explosion and even Ian himself. Yet, even in that fleeting moment, Ian perceived everything clearly. He caught sight of the branches rapidly approaching as he stabilized himself in mid-air.

The black sword extended as if alive.

Crack.

The path carved by the haze twisted chaotically. Everything in its way was severed. The branches lost their form the instant they were cut and melted into a sticky mess. His ascent only slowed when he neared the ceiling.

Ian turned his head. Through the thick smoke, the Defiled Tree became clear.

Its numerous eyes focused on Ian.

"...!" Almost simultaneously, a vision of the void flooded Ian\'s mind.

Shattered fragments of a planet lie scattered. A jungle, teeming with plants and insects of bizarre shapes, thrives in a relentless cycle of consumption and rebirth. Psychic waves rippled through the air, sowing fear, confusion, and madness.

As if you didn\'t come from the void...

To Ian, in his current state, it was merely an unpleasant hallucination. The vision dispersed with just a shake of his head, the only effect being the disruption of the spell he was preparing. Simultaneously, the surrounding branches bent and sharpened. His body reacted before he could think.

Fwoosh!

The Gale erupted from Ian\'s outstretched hand.

Whoosh!

Almost simultaneously, the sharp-tipped branches whipped through the air from all directions, but they only sliced through the empty space.

Flare—

Ian had already conjured dozens of Dancing Flames and was closing in on the trunk of the Defiled Tree.

Let\'s see if you’re still immortal.

Dozens of fireballs shot toward the trunk simultaneously, its thickness eliminating the need for precise aiming. Ian, with both hands, raised the black sword overhead.

Boom!

The trunk of the tree was engulfed in chaotic explosions. Amidst the chaos, Ian brought the black sword down with all his might.

Crack.

The blade, enveloped in a purple haze and glowing red-hot, cleaved into the tree\'s surface. It felt less like cutting through wood and more like slicing through hardened clay.

Ian\'s eyes, shrouded in purple, flared a deep red.

Boom!

The Pinpoint Explosion erupted from the tip of his blade, scorching the interior of the giant tree. Ian, thrown back by the force, watched the rising pillar of fire as he crashed into the ground. Sparks flew everywhere as he rolled to a stop, regaining his stance. He felt neither pain nor the sensation of something breaking. Beneath his torn wrist guard, his skin appeared covered in a purple fibrous substance. Ian paid it no mind.

"O— O— O—"

He simply looked back up at the Defiled Tree, which was now howling grotesquely from the explosion. Only now did he feel its pain, but it wasn’t significant. Ian could clearly see the flow of purple chaos power surging inside the tree. Neither the flow nor the light had diminished.

...It didn’t seem like the cycle was fully complete yet. But I guess it’s practically immortal.

Even as he clicked his tongue in frustration, Ian\'s eyes flared red once more. He extended his left hand toward the tree and clenched his fist.

Boom—

The soaring explosion reignited and reversed its course, crashing downwards. The Defiled Tree, now resembling a figure drenched in molten lava, writhed. Its blazing eyes burst, spewing yellow pus. Just then, the remaining eyes focused on Ian, their purple glow intensifying.

"...!" Ian widened his eyes and sprinted forward.

Shoo-whoosh—

Purple beams shot out from the remaining eyes, sweeping across the area.

The explosion came a beat later.

Boom—

Swept up by the shockwave, Ian scowled.

A magic beam, damn it.

Had he taken a direct hit, even his chaos-enhanced state wouldn\'t have saved him from severe injury. Scenes from the game played out in Ian\'s mind. Acid rain poured down, branches fell like blades, priests attacked from all sides, and mental waves caused status ailments. On top of that, there was nearly infinite health.

... It\'s clear this thing can\'t be killed head-on either.

Ian quickly concluded.

In the game, his encounter with a void entity manifesting in the physical realm happened after crossing the Black Wall. That entity, much like this tree, was nearly invincible except for its weak points.

He had learned that fact only after dying several times, but finding the weak points had been so difficult that he eventually gave up. It was a decision made just hours before he concluded he could no longer progress with his character. So he thought things might be different now, at an earlier stage.

The core mechanics are the same. But at least... it should be easier to find weak points this time.

With this thought, Ian scanned the chaotic battlefield. His eyes were fixed not on the raging flames and explosions, but on the purple roots writhing beneath the ground. He remembered the condensed nodes of chaos energy he\'d seen before entering the garden. Sure enough, there were parts where the purple was so bright it was visible to the naked eye. Rolling on the ground, Ian sprang up and launched himself forward.

Boom.

Behind him, sharp branches rained down like artillery. Ian didn\'t even glance at them as he summoned more Dancing Flames.

Boom-boom-boom!

The quickly regenerating trunk was engulfed by the barrage of fireballs. Ian, sliding to a stop, fixed his eyes on the pulsing purple mass beneath the ground. Before he could even ponder his next move, a quest window appeared.

Two quests...?

[Disrupting the Cycle] and [Erosion of Chaos.]

As Ian read the contents of the two quests in succession, his expression grew complex. One quest called for severing the root nodes, and the other instructed to stain the nodes with chaos energy. It seemed both a normal quest and a corrupter quest had appeared simultaneously.

Is this some kind of tutorial? To teach me how to fight void entities?

Ian let out a dry chuckle. It was a plausible theory. When he had faced a void entity beyond the Black Wall, there had been no such helpful quests.

Thump.

His entire body resonated with chaotic energy.

I understand what you\'re expecting, but—

Gripping his black sword in a reverse hold, Ian plunged it deep into the ground.

Not anymore.

Crash.

An explosion erupted from beneath the earth, propelling Ian into the air. Purple chaos energy mingled with the flames and burned fiercely.

It was a fire that would eventually die down, and the tree would likely regenerate. Even as he was flung back, Ian\'s eyes were already searching for the next node.

"O–- O–- O— O–-" The regenerating Defiled Tree let out a wail.

To Ian\'s ears, it was proof that his attack had been effective. Rolling on the ground, his eyes flared red. He completed a spell in an instant and sprang to his feet, charging forward.

Woosh.

The Flame Barrier erupted across the tree\'s trunk. Though less efficient than a Flame Tide, the casting speed made it a necessary choice. Ian sent out more Dancing Flames as he skidded to a stop above another node.

Rumble—

Another explosion rocked the area. The Defiled Tree writhed in the flames, its movements becoming frantic. The creature\'s thoughts of confusion, surprise, and anger echoed in Ian\'s mind. It was to be expected. The tree had likely never considered that its physical form could have a weakness.

Whoosh, boom!

The tree fired beams erratically, but couldn\'t hit Ian. The emotions of surprise and urgency in its thoughts resonated with Ian.

Of course, you\'d be surprised. I often feel the same.

Enhanced by the chaos energy and at the peak of his Concentration, Ian\'s Intuition was almost precognitive. Normally, his senses only worked within their usual range, but in this underground space, his awareness had no such limits.

Swoosh.

Even as Ian severed the root nodes one after another, the Defiled Tree did not summon its minions. This suggested that his companions were still holding their own in the fight above.

They might even be doing better than expected. Based on what Ian had seen earlier, the priests were directly influenced by the tree\'s thoughts. Now, with the tree consumed by confusion, rage, pain, and fear, the priests were likely in complete disarray.

Boom.

The quest completion window appeared as Ian severed the fourth root node. The tree\'s eyes darted around frantically. Amidst the chaos, a small sense of relief washed over him. Ian immediately understood why. The flames on the first node he had severed were dying down. He could see the tree\'s chaotic energy extending to reattach the root. But it couldn\'t act faster than Ian could cast his spells.

Woosh.

The Flame Barrier surged from the sunken ground, covering not only the first node but also the second.

"...!" The tree\'s eyes widened in apparent shock, all focusing on Ian.

Shhh—

However, Ian was already charging toward the tree. A grin spread across his face, revealing a second set of sharp teeth that had grown without him realizing.

"Now it\'s fair, isn\'t it?"

From the gaze of the tree\'s eyes, a foreign emotion reached Ian.

It was fear.