The bramblewood stirred to life, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a legion of animated treants.
Each tree-beast brandished thorn-covered limbs, their twisted forms exuding an air of primal terror.
The rasp of branches grinding against bark sent shivers crawling across Meng Hao's scalp.
A deluge of leaves cascaded down, blanketing the earth in a thick, rotting carpet.
Only now did Meng Hao understand the origin of the decayed foliage that covered the forest floor.
So this was the reason.
With a roar, he summoned his fighting spirit—murderous intent flaring with unprecedented ferocity.
Booted in shoes of agility and gauntleted with gloves of power, both his speed and strength surged to terrifying new heights.
He charged forward like a humanoid tyrannosaur, iron axe in hand, bulldozing through the horde with unmatched fury.
Yet numbers were against him.
For every treant he felled, more surged from the woods, and soon thorny limbs lashed toward him.
A sharp sting flared as one struck—blood burst forth from the wound in a crimson spray.
[You have been struck by an Ancient Withered Tree. Paralysis Poison inflicted. Agility severely reduced.]
[Poison Immunity Trait Activated. Paralysis Neutralized.]
Meng Hao's heart seized, then released its tension with a sigh of relief.
Pain was manageable. Poison was deadly.
If paralyzed, his speed and reflexes would plummet—leaving him vulnerable to the treants and the monstrous horde closing in from behind.
"Ancient Withered Trees…"
He eyed the gnarled creatures surrounding him, killing intent boiling in his chest.
"Damn it all. If I survive this, I'll burn this whole forest to ash!"
Though the poison had no effect, the bleeding wounds had slowed him.
In his current state, the monsters would catch up in moments.
"Madman's Mask!"
He gritted his teeth and pulled the freshly acquired mask from his inventory.
[Madman's Mask: Bronze Tier. A mask that drives its wearer into bloodlust, increasing combat power by 10% for 10 minutes. WARNING: Drains stamina rapidly. After removal, user suffers a 30% decrease in combat power for 1 hour.]
In a fight for his life, there was no room for hesitation.
He strapped the mask onto his face.
In that instant, his aura exploded. His presence shifted.
Cold, bloodthirsty, savage, unhinged—he became the embodiment of war.
Flames seemed to flicker within his eyes. His posture turned feral.
"Kill!"
With a deafening roar, Meng Hao's combat power soared to its apex.
The iron axe in his hands became a whirlwind of devastation.
Blood poured from his reopened wounds, but he no longer cared.
The mask elevated his power—and with it, his damage taken rose by 10% as well.
He could feel his body reaching its limits.
But there was no other choice.
If he didn't break through now, he'd die here.
"RAHHH!"
Eyes bloodshot, voice hoarse, Meng Hao descended into a crimson trance.
He was already a Tier-1 warrior, immune to all poisons, enhanced by agility boots and strength gauntlets.
Now, with the Madman's Mask driving him, his total combat effectiveness had reached terrifying levels.
Against these wooden foes, the iron axe proved more devastating than any spear.
His garments soaked with blood, his form bathed in gore, he looked like a demon risen from carnage.
Vision blurred. World tinted red. Path obscured.
He had only one belief left: break through or perish.
Swing after swing, the axe cleaved, and treants fell like wheat before a scythe.
Every trunk in his path—felled without mercy.
Then he heard it.
The pounding footfalls of the monster horde—closing in fast.
"Is this the end for me?"
"This so-called Treasure Island… why is it a death trap?"
"Was this all just one cruel deception?"
His mind reeled, but his body fought on—an automaton of death.
He didn't know how many times he had swung.
Suddenly—space opened before him.
He had broken through!
Joy surged in his chest.
Without sparing a glance behind, he dashed toward his home island.
With his agility boots enhancing his speed by 20%, he covered the five-minute journey in just four.
His footsteps were like wind. His figure a blur.
Within moments, he crossed the landing bridge.
"Big guy! Guard the bridge!"
He shouted, issuing commands to the three goblin sentinels.
Guard #1, with a crimson headband, braced his spear at the front of the bridge.
Guards #2 and #3 flanked him, holding the narrow two-meter span with unwavering resolve.
"Good thing I never upgraded the bridge's width," Meng Hao muttered with relief.
"Any wider and I'd be doomed right now."
Having returned to his island fortress, a sense of safety flooded him.
He turned, glaring at the oncoming tide of beasts, eyes filled with ruthless resolve.
"Damn it! Since the moment I entered this cursed game, I've never suffered such humiliation.
If I don't wipe you out—I'll write my name backward!"
From the depths of the jungle, wave upon wave of enemies surged toward him.
The swifter monsters now led the charge, far outpacing the lumbering treants.
Meng Hao retrieved his 98K sniper rifle from his storage ring.
He didn't even aim—just fired.
BANG!
[-100 HP]
A moose-like beast collapsed, trampled by its kin.
His gaze sharpened, reloaded, fired again.
BANG!
[-100 HP]
A massive black ape fell in a spray of blood.
Only two shots in, and the horde reached the bridge.
The three goblin guards surged forward.
Spears thrust in unison—piercing hide and sinew with lethal precision.
[Stab –50 HP!]
[Stab –50 HP!]
[Stab –50 HP!]
The bridge held. The monsters fell.
Its narrow width funneled the beasts into a death trap—perfect for defense.
But now, the treants arrived.
They moved with awkward menace, dragging their roots and raising clouds of dust.
Against flesh, spears were effective.
But against wood?
The goblins' weapons faltered.
"What now…?"
"Will they break through?"