Chapter 230 Chapter229-A Bitter Struggle (1st update, Cheer me with Power Stones!)
Though the Desire Treant had developed intelligence, perhaps due to its origins in the abyssal dark powers, its wisdom was starkly lacking despite its towering level of 150.
Its mind was a muddled mess, chaotic and unstructured.
The reason for its presence here was merely to follow an order from a higher being to welcome some guests.
But upon seeing John and his companions, it seemed to forget its master's commands.
John, of course, needed no elaboration.
When he fully concealed his aura, not just the Desire Treant in front of them but even the mysterious entity lurking behind would be hard-pressed to detect any flow of energy.
Blue Sea and Adam, however, were a different story.
They lacked the ability to conceal their aura, and having engaged in combat earlier, their energies were firmly imprinted in the Treant's memory.
Now, the simple-minded treant had only one thing in its head: the insatiable desire to devour those two humans.
The birth of the Desire Treant's intelligence was rooted in its yearning for desires.
As a former ancient tree, its utmost desire was to absorb various energies, aiming to evolve into a true living being.
Before John and his party arrived, it had already consumed many human class beings.
That exhilaration of absorbing energy intoxicated it, leaving it hopelessly addicted.
The treant's blood-red eyes were fixated on Blue Sea and Adam, its chaotic gaze brimming with an insatiable thirst for blood and energy.
This predatory look made both Blue Sea and Adam feel deeply uneasy.
"Why do I get the feeling that this thing wants to eat us?" Adam whispered with a hint of sarcasm.
Blue Sea, sharing the sentiment, nodded gravely. "Not gonna lie, I'm getting the same vibe."
The two exchanged glances, their expressions filled with trepidation.
This conjecture was too horrifying for them to fathom. Facing a formidable enemy was one thing; even in the worst-case scenario, death was the end.
But the idea of being devoured alive was pure terror.
Shaking his head to dismiss the horrific images conjured in his mind, Adam rationalized, "Surely not. It's just an ancient tree turned creature. How could it possibly want to eat humans?"
Before Blue Sea could reply, John's chuckle echoed from a distance.
"I'd be careful if I were you. I can detect the scent of more than one person's blood on that Desire Treant. Consuming humans is definitely within its capabilities."
Both Blue Sea and Adam tightened their grips on their equipment, instinctively stepping back in unison.
But this small retreat only piqued the Treant's interest.
With its already limited intellect and nearly nonexistent patience, the Desire Treant immediately assumed that the duo was attempting to flee.
"Roar... roar..."
The Desire Treant let out a thundering roar, and from its withered trunk, four vine tendrils, each the thickness of an infant's arm, emerged.
They danced in the air, lunging towards Blue Sea and Adam.
Upon closer inspection, one would notice that these whipping Vampire Vines were covered in a dense array of tiny, razor-sharp teeth.
[Vampire Vine (Unique Talent)]: A special talent exclusive to the Desire Treant. It allows the summoning of four robust Vampire Vines covered in bloodsucking fangs from its body, attacking all enemies within a 500-yard range. If entangled by the Vampire Vine, the victim will suffer a continuous 2% health drain per second...]
After activating the Eye of Artemis, John's eyes widened slightly as he read the information.
The attack effect of these four Vampire Vines was this potent?
A consistent 2% health drain every second might not sound substantial at first.
However, this percentage-based damage could bypass any player's health value.
This meant that a player with 100 HP would lose two points every second, while one with 10,000 HP would lose two hundred.
The ability to inflict damage that ignored health pool size was truly terrifying.
If entangled by these twirling vines, one would be rendered healthless in just 50 seconds.
Clearly, both Blue Sea and Adam had perceived this skill's property details.
With a swift motion, Blue Sea cast a Windriding Spell on himself, allowing his body to glide backward.
He shouted, "Adam, hold the line! I'll begin chanting a powerful offensive spell..."
"Damn it..." Adam cursed, his brows furrowed in irritation.
But with the four Vampire Vines sweeping toward him, he had no choice but to hold his sword and shield aloft and face the onslaught.
Even though the Desire Treant was only an elite-level boss, its staggering level of 150 made evading its attacks almost impossible.
One had to endure the blows head-on...
Planting his silver greatsword firmly into the ground, Adam braced his shield with both hands and murmured, "Divine Sanctuary!"
[Divine Sanctuary (Unique Skill) (Level 4)]: A protective embrace from the sanctified, it purifies all impurities. Upon activation, it manifests a defensive barrier, which can expand or contract, covering an area up to a 10-yard radius. Within the Divine Sanctuary barrier, one remains untouched and unsullied, all hex effects are nullified, and it can withstand a full blow from foes below a lord level...]
This skill is an exclusive defensive ability of the Divine Vanguard.
Once fully leveled up, it can automatically evolve into the Divine Skill: "Divine Guardian," which John had once wielded.
However, to reach this skill's pinnacle, a vast number of skill points are needed.
As of now, Adam had only leveled it up to the fourth rank.
There's still a considerable way to go to reach the maximum tenth level.
Still, against an elite boss's full force, this skill was as apt as it gets.
A serene and pure white light quietly emanated in front of Adam.
The luminance grew, extending out from his shield and slowly enveloping the surroundings, eventually crafting a defense barrier as delicate as cicada wings...
"Thud... Thud... Thud..."
The baby-arm-thick Vampire Vines, quick as lightning, fiercely lanced the Divine Sanctuary's barrier, producing muffled resonances.
Adam's face drained of color, his towering figure retreating several steps.
The barrier wavered incessantly, looking perilously unstable.
Yet, it managed to fend off the first onslaught of the Vampire Vines.
However, the danger wasn't over. When the Desire Treant realized its Vampire Vines couldn't penetrate the man shielded before it, it shifted its tactics.
The four vines rapidly coiled around Adam and his defensive barrier, exerting pressure.
The sharp fangs on the Vampire Vines thrashed wildly, desperately trying to pierce the barrier and reach Adam's flesh.
[Barrier Defense Remaining: 50%... 30%... 25%...]
Witnessing the rapidly diminishing defensive capability of the barrier, both shock and fury overtook Adam as he swiftly grasped his broad silvery-white sword embedded in the ground.
[Holy Light Judgement (Unique Skill)]: An exclusive skill of the Divine Vanguard, harnesses the Holy Light, transforming it into a sword aura that judges and eradicates all who dare tarnish its sanctity...
A silvery arc of sword aura materialized from the tip of the massive blade, roaring forward to cleave the Vampire Vines that ensnared him.
However, to Adam's astonishment, when the sword aura struck the vine, it emitted a screeching sound reminiscent of clashing metal.
A massive gash appeared on the Vine, oozing dark green sap, but it wasn't severed.
Adam's expression grew stern; how could these Vampire Vines be so resilient?
It's worth noting that Holy Light Judgement is the mightiest single-target skill he wields, capable of cleaving even steel.
Not far away, the Desire Treant continued its ferocious roars.
The Vampire Vines danced and snapped, their display intimidating.
Without a moment to contemplate, Adam gathered his strength once more, his silvery-white sword whirling in a fervent dance.
Another Holy Light Judgement surged forth.
This time, his target remained the vast wound previously inflicted.
Several consecutive bursts of sword aura shot out, each precisely striking the same spot.
At last, one of the Vampire Vines was sliced in two.
A bright red number appeared above the Desire Treant's head.
[-1200]
Seeing that his assault finally took effect, Adam felt a surge of renewed vigor.
Panting heavily, Adam lifted his silvery-white massive sword, aiming to press his advantage.
However, to his shock, the severed section of the Vampire Vine writhed madly on the ground.
In the next instant, it returned to its original position.
A brief flash of black light, and the wound healed seamlessly.
Adam's face drained of color in alarm.
The hard-won advantage he'd gained was so effortlessly undone by the Desire Treant?
Just as Adam braced himself to strike again, a crisp sound rang out.
The protective barrier surrounding him shattered under the immense pressure from the Vampire Vines, disintegrating into countless shards.
The next moment, the four Vampire Vines surged at him like sharks scenting blood in the ocean.
Left with no other choice, Adam activated the defense mechanism of his armor set.
The Divine Vanguard's exclusive Epic armor set he wore erupted in blinding white radiance.
The Vampire Vines engulfed Adam, their razor-sharp fangs trying to penetrate the armor.
Fortunately, the defensive prowess of the Epic set held firm.
The fangs could only clash against the armor, unable to pierce through and harm Adam's flesh.
John, watching silently from the side, perceived the escalating danger.
He was about to intervene when he suddenly paused.
For within his divine power sensing, Adam's life force remained stable.
Though his health dwindled slightly, it was far from fatal.
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