Swoosh! Swoosh!
Multiple sharp arrows shot out, slicing through the air, penetrating the bark-like skin of the Verdant Monarch. At the end of these arrows were thick black cables.
Growl!
The Verdant Monarch let out a loud groan filled with pain. In a desperate defense, the spores coming out of its back intensified, making the air toxic. Like agile monkeys, they leaped into the surrounding iron trees, using the cables to hoist the massive beast into the air.
Some huffed and coughed, but their grip on the iron cables didn't loosen.
"Very well, now get back. I will deal with it."
Matt walked closer to the Verdant Monarch step by step. Now the first step of the plan was successful. There was no point wasting any time. It was better if he finished things quickly.
His gaze moved upward to focus on the Verdant Monarch's mind-shaking figure. Although the monster while on the ground was a force to be reckoned with, in midair and tied up it was no more than a slightly stronger monster.
Shing!
The sword in Matt's hand vibrated slightly as if reacting to Matt's thoughts.
Growl! Growl!
The Verdant Monarch cried furiously. The crown on its back lit up, a small explosion sounded, and the entire area was filled with thick toxic spores. A few white coats who were not careful enough inhaled the spores by mistake. They fainted immediately, their faces turning pale and green leaves appearing on their skin, quickly growing by devouring their vitality.
"Shit!"
Matt cursed out loud. This was exactly what he was afraid of. A slight delay and he had already lost a few of his men.
…
Lukas was completely alert. His hand already held faint currents of star energy gathering around it.
This was the perfect scenario he could have hoped for: the Green Heaven Guild and the Verdant Monarch fighting it out while he reaped the rewards.
Under his watch, the battle soon began. Lukas watched with anticipation.
He was already familiar with just how strong star monsters could be, but he had yet to see any peak human Star Refiners in action.
This was the perfect opportunity to compare his strength against them.
Some might say there was nothing to compare. He was a lowly Rank 1 Star Refiner while the other was a peak Star Refiner. The difference was clear as day.
At the peak of Star Refining, even a casual attack could generate a force of more than one ton.
A punch packed with a thousand kilograms of force—that was a force to be reckoned with.
Not just that. This was only the basics. Some geniuses using specialized techniques could take things to the extreme.
Just as Lukas was watching, Matt in the distance took a fighting stance. The vibration frequency of his sword intensified.
Hmmm!
A soft hum resounded through the air.
Matt's eyes looked lazy, his posture still relaxed. If the Roaring Dragon Guild wanted to survive the upcoming disaster, this Verdant Monarch had to die.
The Verdant Monarch seemed to sense its impending doom. Its struggle turned even more frantic, horrifying cries coming out of its throat.
Then Matt raised the sword and slashed.
"Final Separation."
Matt muttered lazily as he brought the sword down.
It wasn't clear whether it was his hand moving that fast or the sword itself, but the sword whistled upward and vibrated like a high-frequency knife, hundreds if not thousands of minute movements generating vastly greater force.
Before the sword could even make contact with the Verdant Monarch's head, an extremely fine line appeared on its throat.
Not just on the Verdant Monarch's throat. Even the few iron trees that had stood proudly for hundreds of years had the exact same line across them.
Huh!
Before Lukas could even blink, suddenly everything slid down.
The Verdant Monarch's head slowly slid down and fell toward the ground. In the background, the crowns of iron trees also tumbled down. It looked as if gaint had chopped a piece of a painting in half.
Lukas forcefully came out of his dazed state. The glow of the Sovereign Grasp in his hand intensified.
The Verdant Monarch's head, which was slowly falling to the ground, suddenly changed trajectory and shot toward the bush where Lukas was hiding.
Matt was calming down the raging star energy in his veins when he noticed this abnormality.
Before he could fully understand what was happening, the shady-looking bush suddenly exploded. A figure covered in glowing skeleton bones, with a mask covering his face, shot out like a bullet.
Bang!
Where Lukas' feet touched the ground, a small crater formed.
For a moment, the world around Lukas turned into a blur.
With each step he took, the Meteor momentum passive forcefully accelerated him beyond his normal limits.
In the blink of an eye, Lukas managed to create considerable distance between himself and the Green Heaven Guild members.
Matt's eyes flickered coldly. He finally understood what was happening.
"Damn thief! Don't even think about escaping!"
With that thought in mind, he instantly gave chase, his body shooting forward like another bullet, his speed incredibly fast for someone who looked so lazy.
Lukas' entire focus was on running. He didn't even bother wasting time looking back.
Both of his stars were filled with star energy, so with Fusion of Life and Death active, he had one full minute to escape.
If he wasted even a second, the peak body-refining expert might catch up with him.
Holding the Verdant Monarch's head in his hand like a football, Lukas ran with all his might.
In the thick Iron Tree Forest, two shadows flashed—one glowing with starlight and the other furious.
"You are not going anywhere!"
Matt frowned, feeling surprised by the thief's speed. For a lowly thief, Lukas was incredibly fast.
He had a feeling...he might not be able to catch up, so he had to change tactics.
Thinking up to this point, his grip on the sword unconsciously tightened.
Lukas suddenly felt an intense sense of danger.
Without thinking for a second, he ducked.
At that exact moment, a thick crescent sword slash filled with star energy flew past his head, striking the iron trees in the distance and chopping them into two pieces like a hot knife through butter.
The sword slash continued forward, cutting down multiple trees.
Lukas swallowed hard as he saw the giant U-shaped opening carved through the Iron Forest. Birds and small star beasts fled for their lives.
If he had been just a moment slower, his body might have been split into two pieces.
Thinking up to this point, a cold chill ran down his spine.