As Erik continued his journey deeper into the rotting forest, the air became thick with a putrid odor, assaulting Erik's nostrils with the smell of decay and rot. The once-dappled sunlight was entirely obscured by the oppressive darkness blanketing the place.
There was an unnaturally long silence that only was broken by the ominous echo of his footsteps, which hung in the air, and as he continued to make his way down, a gruesome sight met his gaze and greeted him. The skeletal remains of some thaids could be found strewn among the twisted plant's roots.
Their limbs and bodies had become entwined and trapped within the suffocating grasp of the shadowy tendrils, which Erik wasn't sure what they belonged to.
The bones were strewn about in a disorganized manner, each serving as a macabre reminder of the terrible end that had been visited upon the unfortunate creatures.
Their bleached white surfaces stood in stark contrast to the decay that was all around them and served as a reminder for Erik: that place wasn't safe.
As the young man observed the scene, he couldn't help but look around with anxiousness because it was as if the forest had turned into a cemetery, a place where life withered and died.
On the other hand, that was also encouraging because it indicated that what he was going to find ahead was unquestionably "that thing."
"This is probably a Shadowthorn Dahlia…" Erik said to himself, and then he reasoned. "These things usually require a lot of energy to survive, which was usually given by the surrounding thaids. Still, probably, due to the Heniate, there is no more prey around here, so it was forced to suck the mana and nutrients from the surrounding vegetation," Erik said to himself.
"That would explain why the forest is in this mess…"
Everything was exactly right; the Shadowthorn Dahlia was an extremely uncommon variety of thaid that resembled a plant.
Because of the power of its brain crystal, it was able to exert dominion over the vegetation that was all around it, turning it into a dangerous creature.
The Dahlia could control the growth and movement of plants with just a touch, molding them to satisfy its most basic urges. It flourished in the dark recesses of forests and enchanted groves, drawing its power from the creatures it captured with the help of the plants it commanded.
Its hypnotic allure lulled creatures into a false sense of security while simultaneously luring them closer to its deadly embrace.
Once its prey neared, the Dahlia unfurled its animated vines, ensnaring victims in a labyrinth of thorns and petals.
However, when the prey wasn't enough to sustain it, the creature maintained its existence by drawing energy from nearby vegetation.
Human eyes seldom glimpsed this creature due to its preference for the hidden recesses of its chosen habitat. When the environment was full of prey, the surrounding vegetation wasn't as decayed as it was now, making it impossible to find this plant-like thaid.
Erik probably managed to do so due to the Heniate's past activity, which took away most of the plant's prey and forced it to draw nutrients from nearby vegetation.
The awakener observed the dark roots belonging to the thaid and commented, "This thing grew unhindered for a long time. These roots span at least kilometers away from their source."
The roots themselves appeared to writhe and pulse, almost as if they were under the influence of an evil consciousness. They reached out with gnarled fingers, curling and twining around the skeletal remains, binding them to the forest floor in an eternal embrace.
The darkness seemed to thicken around the young man, a suffocating presence that threatened to consume him as he went further ahead. There was an eerie echo in the air, like the sound of barely audible whispers but packed with malice.
Erik's heart was filled with unease, but he persisted anyway, driven forward by a potent mixture of greed and fear.
If he successfully obtained the brain crystal power of this creature, he could merge it with the one he was born with, thereby producing something more, something better.
With each new step, he discovered that he was entangled in a labyrinth of twisted roots and that the gnarled fingers of the forest itself were blocking the path before him.
It appeared as though the skeletons of the thaids were following him, their empty eye sockets staring in an accusatory manner.
The deeper he went, the more suffocating the atmosphere became. The roots coiled around him, tightening their grip as if attempting to claim him as their own, but in a subtle manner. The very ground beneath him seemed to shift and writhe as if the forest itself sought to consume him.
"I need to pay attention not to step on the roots, or the thaid will attack me," Erik muttered, and so he did.
His eyes swept the ground as he took each step, and he was extremely careful to avoid the roots that snaked their way through the undergrowth.
He was well aware that if he disturbed them, he would be inviting a swift and lethal response from the predator that was hiding nearby.
He had seen the destructive capabilities of Dahlia's plant manipulation firsthand, and the number of dead thaids was astounding. The thought of ending like that sent a shiver down his spine because he had witnessed the capabilities of Dahlia's plant manipulation firsthand.
The young man moved with deliberate caution, avoiding the sprawling tendrils that reached out, hungry for food as he went. It was almost as if he could sense the anticipation emanating from the plant, as if it was aware of his presence and ready to pounce at the right moment.
Erik understood that venturing any deeper into the creature's territory carried an increased risk, the odds stacked against him, but his greed prevented him from turning around.
If he could control and grow plants, similarly to how Martha did with her thorny vines, he could solve many problems. If what he imagined he could do was true, he could create a natural shelter, make traps, or fight from a distance.
As Erik continued to delve deeper into the forest's center, he noticed a central point where the roots converged to form a magnificent display of interconnectedness.
This point was at the heart of that part of the forest. At the center stood a small figure, shrouded in dark colors and draped in dark foliage. It was the source of the pulsating roots, emanating an aura of power, the Shadowthorn Dahlia, and the roots were an extension of its very being, an intricate network through which it commanded the forest's flora.
The roots of the plant-like thaid were pulsating with otherworldly mana, and their dark tendrils undulated and writhed as if they were living entities. A faint glow suffused their twisted forms, a manifestation of the energy that coursed through them.
It appeared as if the roots were gaining a sinister sentience with each pulsation and were responding to the very will of the creature commanding them. They reached out with a macabre grace, seeking their next victim, their movement fluid and purposeful.
Erik's gaze was fixated on the plant-like thaid before him, contemplating the daunting task of bringing it down.
However, in that moment of assessment, a shiver ran down his spine as the Shadowthorn Dahlia's tendrils attacked, grazing his skin with him noticing at the last moment.
An icy dread came over him as if the creature could sense and feel his presence, and it promptly attacked as it noticed. This caused him to feel sick to his stomach.
With a sudden surge of power, the surrounding vegetation responded to thaid's command. Vines snaked their way toward Erik, their thorny ends poised to capture him.
"Holy…!"
In a split second, he leaped back, narrowly evading the clutches of the encroaching tendrils. The forest, which had previously been peaceful, was suddenly turned into a combat zone as the air crackled with the mana that the plant controlled.
Erik became aware of the seriousness of the situation, and his heartbeat quickened. Even though he had faced other dangerous creatures in the past, the Shadowthorn Dahlia was exceptionally difficult to fight due to the sheer number and the length of each tendril.
The knowledge that it could not only manipulate the surrounding vegetation but also perceive and react to his presence heightened his sense of vulnerability.
The creature's now fully animated tendrils launched another assault on Erik. The long, sinewy vines lashed out with lightning speed, aiming to wrap around his limbs and constrict his movement.
Erik, anticipating the attack, leaped high into the air, narrowly escaping the grasping tendrils as they crashed into the ground below, leaving deep gouges in the earth.
Undeterred, the thaid unleashed another wave of attacks. This time, the tendrils snaked through the air in a serpentine fashion, seeking to entangle Erik and pull him into the suffocating embrace.
Erik twisted and turned deftly, dodging and weaving as he attempted to avoid the slithering tendrils that appeared to have a mind of their own.
Even more impressive was that he managed to cut some of them, thereby severing their connection to the mother plant.
He felt a rush of air as the tendrils brushed against his skin, their touch cold and clammy, filled with an unnatural life force.
Erik had to pump Nathaniel's power to the utmost limit.
The creature was neither particularly powerful nor particularly quick. Still, there were an alarming number of tendrils, and in order to avoid being struck by them, he had to be quick.
As the battle intensified, the Shadowthorn Dahlia launched a more coordinated attack. Countless tendrils surged toward Erik, weaving a tangled web of thorns and foliage around him.
They attacked from every angle, like the tentacles of some monstrous sea creature. Erik fought back with an equal amount of ferocity, using his blade to hack and slash at the tendrils, eventually severing each one of them one by one.
However, for every tendril Erik cut, two more came to replace it—a relentless onslaught that pushed him to the edge of his capabilities.
The plant-like thaid kept up its assault with each passing second, commanding the surrounding vegetation to launch attacks against the awakener from all directions.
The ground beneath his feet began to shift with malicious intent; branches tore through the air, and rocks were transformed into razor-sharp projectiles.
The young man performed a deadly dance with agility and determination, employing evasive maneuvers to avoid the onslaught being leveled against him.
As the awakener studied the creature, his thoughts raced as he looked for a way to eliminate the thaid. He gave some thought to the source of its power, assessing its weaknesses and strengths.
He was well aware that relying solely on brute force would not be sufficient; instead, he needed a strategy, a game plan, to outwit the sentient plant.
(A.N: Hello, as you have seen from the late upload, one chapter is all I can upload for today. Sorry.)
This content is taken from freewebnove(l).com