The vines quivered but did not retreat. Instead, they thickened, fusing together into colossal tendrils as wide as tree trunks. The Guardian Beast roared, its voice cracking the air like thunder. Its antlers flared, summoning down another storm of viridian lightning that danced across the vines, charging them with molten green energy.
The forest itself was being weaponized.
Roots tore free of the ground, writhing into a cage that threatened to close around Rhys, Bounce, and Puddle.
"Trying to box us in?" Rhys growled, eyes flashing silver. He raised his sword, light spiraling along its length. "Not happening."
He dashed forward, blade igniting with layered power—Puddle's water flowing around it, Bounce's lunar glow reinforcing it, and his own Aether Vein blazing white-hot.
Magic Sword Technique – Arc Surge Slash!
The blade cracked down, lightning-infused mana ripping a path through the roots. Sparks and steam burst in every direction, momentarily opening a gap.
