If properly processed, those materials could greatly increase a person's mana reserves or be used in high-level magical crafting.
Of course, consuming them directly was another matter.
The raw mana within the tree was far too dense and volatile. If an ordinary human tried to eat any part of it without refinement, the uncontrolled surge of mana would overwhelm their body and cause a catastrophic mana backlash, potentially tearing them apart from the inside.
Monsters, however, were different. Their bodies contained far more chaotic mana and their body were naturally more robust, allowing them to endure the raw energy much better than humans.
Perhaps because of this constant threat, the banyan tree had developed a strong instinct for self-preservation.
Anyone who stepped too close was treated as a potential predator.
And so the tree attacked without hesitation, its countless vines lashing out at any intruder that dared approach its trunk.
