The tip of the blade pierced half an inch into the wooden fibers, then ground to a halt.
The runic patterns on the vine's surface suddenly flared to life, absorbing all the energy on the rapier.
The Sentinel's expression shifted as he tried to pull his blade back and retreat.
But the vines had already closed in.
Thick vines surged from all directions, wrapping around his wrists, arms, shoulders, and torso.
He let out a hoarse roar, slashing frantically with his rapier.
Silver-white sword light flashed repeatedly amidst the mass of vines, severing several of them with every slash.
But there were simply too many. For every ten he severed, a hundred more took their place; for every hundred cut down, a thousand more rushed to fill the gap.
The shield-wielding Sentinel reacted just as quickly.
Raising his shield with his left hand, the runic patterns covering its surface lit up in unison.
Earthy-yellow energy erupted from the shield, forming a spherical barrier around him.
Vines slammed against the barrier, unleashing a rapid barrage of dull thuds.
The barrier shuddered violently, its surface rippling with countless tiny waves.
Clenching his right hand, the earthy-yellow energy condensed into a massive spectral fist, which he slammed into the surrounding vines.
Each punch blasted a deep crater into the ground, shattering dozens of vines at once.
Yet more vines erupted from the depths of the craters, even more numerous than before.
The archer Sentinel leaped into the air the moment the vines began to surge.
Treading on empty air, he propelled himself higher into the sky.
He drew his longbow repeatedly, unleashing a torrential rain of emerald-green arrows upon the vines below.
Each arrow exploded into a plume of emerald-green fire upon impact, shredding the surrounding vines.
He had shot fewer than ten arrows before the vines caught up to him.
A thick vine shot up from the ground, moving so quickly it left an afterimage in its wake.
He executed a sharp, right-angle turn midair, letting the vine graze past the soles of his feet.
Before he could stabilize himself, a second vine whipped in from the side.
He raised his bow to block, but the vine lashed against it, sending him flying.
He spun over a dozen times in the air, but the moment he recovered his balance, a third vine wrapped around his ankle.
The vine tightened, dragging him ruthlessly toward the ground.
He shot arrows frantically, the arrows exploding into plumes of light as they struck the vine.
However, the runic patterns flowing across the vine's surface absorbed most of the impact, leaving behind only a few shallow scorch marks.
A minute later, the defenses of all three Sentinels crumbled simultaneously.
The rapier-wielding Sentinel's weapon was ripped from his grasp.
Three vines wrapped around the silver-white blade, pulling in opposing directions. The steel groaned under the immense pressure before snapping in two.
Stripped of his weapon, dozens of vines wrapped around his limbs and torso.
As the vines tightened, a sickening, continuous crunch of shattering bones echoed from within him.
The shield-wielding Sentinel's shield was pierced through by roots from underground.
Thick roots erupted from the ground directly beneath him, impaling both the shield and his left arm.
The earthy-yellow barrier shattered instantly.
Even as he swung his right fist, a vine wrapped around his neck.
The archer Sentinel was the first to fall.
Dragged down from fifty meters in the air, he crashed heavily onto the sandy ground.
The longbow slipped from his grip, spinning through the air before landing in a distant pile of rubble.
Before he could stand, dozens of wooden spikes erupted from the ground, pinning his limbs to the earth.
The vines dragged the three corpses before Ethan.
Ethan looked down at them.
The rapier Sentinel's chest had collapsed, with ribs puncturing through his skin.
The shield-wielding Sentinel's neck was twisted at a grotesque angle, his head lolling onto his shoulder.
The archer Sentinel was riddled with wooden spikes, pale green blood pooling from dozens of puncture wounds.
【Life Energy +104421, +97815, +108776. Current Life Energy: 3155387.】
Three people.
Three Sentinels.
Less than a minute had passed since Deep Forest Emergence took shape.
High-level knowledge really was expensive for a reason.
Ethan withdrew his gaze.
Vines rose from beneath his feet, wrapping up the three corpses along with their Supernatural items and sweeping them into his storage ring.
Meanwhile, Roly was barely managing to fend off the plants, relying on the fading remnants of her infused energy.
Ethan's voice drifted out from deep within the vines.
Roly hovered in midair, the emerald-green light surrounding her dimmed to a paper-thin layer.
The glowing particles drifting from her body grew increasingly sparse, like the final, dying embers of a burnt-out campfire.
Her eyes flickered, but she didn't reply.
Instead, she traced an arc in the air with her short staff.
A crescent of emerald-green light shot from the tip of her staff, slashing toward the source of the voice.
The light blade sliced through a dozen vines.
The severed vines tumbled from the sky, kicking up clouds of dust as they hit the sandy ground.
Yet more vines erupted from the ground to fill the gap.
Roly swung her staff once more.
Light blades shot out in rapid succession.
Surrounded on all sides, she attacked frantically, each flash of light from her staff clearing a small pocket of space.
Severed fragments piled up beneath her feet, quickly forming a small mound.
Roly's breathing grew increasingly ragged.
Her chest heaved violently.
The hand holding her short staff began to tremble, the light at its tip flickering unsteadily.
Then, the vines suddenly parted.
The thick vines rolled back like a tide, parting to reveal a path down the middle.
Ethan walked through the clearing.
He stepped over the vine fragments and sandy ground, coming to a halt ten meters in front of Roly.
His wood armor was completely intact, without a single scratch to be seen.
Roly's short staff froze midair.
She stared at Ethan's face, taking in his completely expressionless features. Her amber eyes reflected his figure, along with the surrounding vines that were still slowly writhing.
“Listen,” she said, her voice tinged with a pleading note. “I think we can talk.”
A vine whipped her wrist, sending the short staff flying. It bounced twice against the rocks before rolling into a deep crevice.
The impact sent Roly tumbling to the side.
She tried to push herself up with one hand, but a vine had already wrapped around her ankle.
It tightened, her bones emitting a soft creak.
Then a second one wrapped around her waist.
A third bound her clenched wrists.
Then a fourth, and a fifth.
The vines hoisted her entire body into midair.
Her limbs were pulled taut in opposite directions, her joints groaning under the relentless tension.
Deep purple bruises formed against her pale green skin, her leather armor already shredded beyond recognition.
Bound tightly by the vines, Roly lifted her head.
“My mother is a Guardian Priest! I know secrets!” Roly spoke faster and faster, her voice rising to a frantic shriek. “I grew up in the Sacred City! I know every secret passage, every hidden chamber! I can take you to the World Tree! Without me to guide you, you won't even make it past the outer city!”
Ethan stopped in front of her, looking up at Roly as she hung suspended in midair.
Their eyes locked in midair.
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