CHAPTER 38: SOUL ENSNAREING TREE

*Step...* *Step...*

After completing climbing the towering vertical cliff veiled in a poisonous fog. Black and Zephyr finally took their first step on the ground.

"The foggy haze here is even thicker then the one down the cliff?" Zephyr spoke with a vigilant expression as she glanced at Black then at the dark-violet haze surrounding them like a vail blurring the sense of reality.

"You’re right.." Black nodded in response, as he too glanced at zephyr as he continued "It is still hard to believe that we climbed a staggering three thousand meters but the ceiling of this section of the caverns is still so high above.. " said Black, his voice tinged with a mixture of wonder and amazement as he gazed at the caverns ceiling high above.

’It must be tens of kilometers above the ground even though I’m already standing three kilometers above the earth..’ he thaught as he turned his attention towards the towering giant tree roots connecting the caverns ceiling to the ground.

No matter how many times he observed them, just the sheer size of the gnarled tree roots left him baffled, ’these hundreds upon hundreds of meters wide tree roots with a gap of kilometers between each root. Just what dose the outside look like for it to produce such marvel... " Black thaught as he again turned his attention towards the ceiling high above, his golden eyes glazed with desire to explore the outside.

Meanwhile, upon hearing Black’s response Zephyr also noticed the ceiling high above, and momentarily let her guard down, it was only a second but that one second was all it took for the poisonous mist embracing her to enter her body like infinite parasites tying to entrance and entrap her making her grunt in pain "ughh.. " Zephyr let out a low growl.

Though the poison above the vertical cliff was indeed much stronger compared to the one below even so it wasn’t strong enough to ensnare and entrap her again. ’Ughh.. but it still hurts like hell though.. ’ Zephyr grumbled in her mind as she used her dissonance ability to neutralize the potent poison.

’Whatever it is the source of this annoying poison, just you wait, ones I get my hands on you..’

"Pfftt.. you again got poisoned, you sure you’re poison user yourself.. " laughed Black, his lips graced with a teasing grin as he eyed Zephyr.

"Shut up... it was because of you that I let my guard down.." she grumble as she tried to defend herself, even she was embarrassed by the fact that she got poison for the second time by the same damed poison.

"Yeah! Yeah! Its my fault you little serpent.. " he responded with a soft lough. As he shifted his attention to the dark-violet haze embracing them.

His eyes narrowed in scrutiny. The abrupt transition from a smile to serious also caught zephyr off-guard.

Zephyr simply clicked her tunge upon being teased and taunted by Black. Even so she didn’t say anything upon noticing that he was using his ability to find the source of this thick poisonous haze.

’This haze is so thick that our eyes can’t see past a few meters in it, despite our obvious strength’ thought zephyr, she rased her hand as she observed the poisonous haze clung to it. Trying to invade her body again nonetheless her serpentine scarlett onyx pupils glazed with a possessive glint, ’haah.. I can’t wait to devour this delicious meal. This is what I want, this is what will make me stronger’. Thaught zephyr, her velvet lips curled into a vicious smile.

Previously when she had eaten the scorpions core with much anticipation, thinking as a poisonous insect it would help her immensely in improving her strength. However the whole ordeal had ended in an anticlimactic end since other then giving her a massive amount of magical energy to aid in her assencion to the next rank it was complete garbage.

She was so infuriated at the dead scorpion at that time that if she had it her way she would’ve bought it back to life again just to torture and kill it again. To this day she still gets embarrassed whenever thinking about that incident.

And now she finally met a poison that works against her, something even her inhuman resistance towards poison couldn’t defend against for the first time it invaded her body. So of course she was going total crazy over it.

’I wonder how will Black prase me, upon becoming even stronger them my current self.. hehehe.. ’ with another thought accompanied by a giggle, she again shifted her attention towards to Black.

Meanwhile, Black’s Golden eyes shone with a soft light in the dark haze enshroudeing the area as he used his ’Resonance’ trait to create an ethereal bond with the poisonous mist itself and trace it back towards its origin.

"Hmm... I think I know where this poisonous mist is originating from." Black spoke as glanced at zephyr.

"Really... " she asked, with a beaming smile, her face reflecting her excitement.

Watching her Black knew exactly what she was thinking, nonetheless with an amused smile he grabbed her hand and without saying anything, started walking towards the source of the poisonous mist.

The said mist parting like clouds against the tempest winds as he navigated his way towards the source in the hazey darkness embracing them. Each step fading in silence as though poisoned by the mist itself as he moved with the practiced ease of someone who knew the path like the back of their hand.

And within minutes they stood before the source of the poisonous haze.

What stood before them wasn’t a monster, a magical beast or a spirit instead it was a tree. A grand seven hundred meters tall tree, it’s trunk blood hued as though stained in the vermillion blood, held within its embrace was a crystalline gemstone. The crimson stone embedded in the blood hued trunk glittering, sparkling even blazing with an infernal glow.

A majestic crown of pinkish-crimson leaves double it’s height adorned the grand tree, creating a dome of empty space beneath it like a stage of silence echoing the whisper of wind and the rustling of leaves.

There was no foggy vail, no hazey mist, or a poisonous cloud.

Just a field of crimson grass grows beneath the ensnareing tree, bathed in the pinkish-crimson hue of the majestic crown of the grand tree as the sea of crimson blades swaying eerily in the light breeze.

Meanwhile zephyr spoke, "It really is beauti- " she stopped as she glanced at Black, who quickly killed the smirk forming on his lips.

Black spoke trying to divert her mind, "even though it couldn’t move, it’s still trying it’s best to uue it’s poison to enchant us, quiet amusing don’t you think, zephyr." Black suggested with a shrewd expression.

"Tsk.. I’ve had enough of it.. " said zephyr, annoyed as she again almost got ensnared by its majesty.

Even her pride had a limit as to how much disrespect or disregard it could endure.

"The nerve of it trying to ensnare me like some lowly puppet." Echoed zephyr, infuriated like a venomous serpent about to strink. At the same time she moved towards the majestic tree who clearly didn’t know its lowly place like a force of nature.

"I’m gonna put you in your place worm.. and that is I’m going to devour you.. hehe" she giggled her suppressed desire for the poison of the ensnareing tree bursting out like a volcano, as she covered half the distance, each step crushing the grass beneath.

Simultaneously unsheatheing her sword from her waist.

"..."

Black watched her moving towards the poisonous tree with a calm expression not knowing what to say upon watching her peculiar behaviour.

Still his golden eyes glowed gazing at the information before him...

[ Name : Soul Ensnareing Tree | Age : 400 years ]

Race : Soul Ensnareing Tree

Physique : Hypnotic Soul Ensnareing Physique

• Physique Trait ---- [ Ensnare ]

Transformation Core : Rank 3

First Phase : Mortal

Assencion Rank :- 6

Level - 69

[ Ding... ]

[ Ding... ]

...

She stood beneath the majestic crown of the grand tree near its trunk at the same time closely observing the crystalline gemstone embedded in it’s trunk albeit with an intrigued expression, then as though senseing something, she spoke..

"Yean! Nice try, but I’m not gonna fall for that again." Said zephyr upon senseing the tree trying it’s best to ensnare her again to protect it’s life. Although vauge she could even sense its emotions such as fear, terror and afraid.

"Anyway it’s finally time for you to say good bye since the game is over now and I’m the winner... hehehe... " She finished with an amused giggled. An evil grin adorned her beautiful lips as she swing her sword in a clean and precise horizontal arc, directly cutting the ones majestic tree in half.

"Slash... "

"Booooom... "

"..."

...