The group advanced toward the Sacred Tree, encountering some Undead and Spike Fiends—which, despite having "Fiend" in their name, were actually the evolved forms of the animalistic Quill Rats.
As before, no signs of the Carver clan or the Fallen Rogue lineage were seen on the road, and the squad reached the edge of the forest smoothly.
It was no wonder this place was named for its forest; experiencing the Tree Inifuss up close made it seem even more majestic. A lone tree standing between heaven and earth, it continuously gushed forth its dense vitality to combat the overwhelming Hellish aura, protecting its home at any cost.
A truly stalwart, real man. Too bad it's just a tree; otherwise, I'd definitely make friends and have a good, hearty drink together.
"Roar—!"
A penetrating roar echoed from the forest. A tall Brute, green-tinged with black, took the lead and charged out in front, followed by a large swarm of Brutes who looked like mere underlings compared to the figure in front.
Leo compared his height with the opponent's and instantly became the "underling of underlings."
> [Beep beep beep! Extremely dangerous monster detected: Treehead Woodfist. Level: ??. Warning, warning: flee immediately.]
>
Nani?! There's no chance to run even if I wanted to! Though the opponent was massive, his speed was like a green whirlwind, arriving before the squad in just a few breaths.
Everyone drew their weapons, warily watching the beast before them. They saw the opponent's eyes shifting between madness and clarity; one moment blood-red, the next normal. It was exceptionally eerie.
While the two sides were in a standoff, the opponent's forces all arrived as well—an incredible number, with nearly a thousand Brutes staring the group down.
> [Brute: Level 38. Evolved form of the Great Beast.]
>
Leo looked at the dense mass of muscular "bros" before him, his brain working at high speed. He couldn't show weakness when facing beasts, but how on earth was he to break this deadlock? He couldn't think of any way to withdraw safely unless he used his teammates as bait and escaped alone with his sister. Relying on his Vigor aura, plus his sister's Cloak of Shadows and Mind Blast, there might be a sliver of a chance of survival.
"Max, Buckle, stay with me to cover the rear. Thales, you take the others and retreat first; we'll follow shortly." Leo smiled bitterly in his heart. I really am too soft-hearted. In my past life, I had no choice; in this life, must I choose this way again? Forget it—you only know victory or defeat after the fight. I can't lose face for my original hometown.
Max's already pale face turned snow-white, his voice trembling: "Boss, after this round, I can be called a 'real man' too, right?"
Buckle remained silent, taking a few steps forward to stand directly beside Leo, using action to state his intentions.
"Brother, I'm not leaving. If you dare abandon me again, I won't let you off even as a demon." Majesty immediately bristled. Ever since her spirit had been invaded by that strange entity, her perception abilities had failed, leaving her with a severe lack of security; her entire aura had become gloomy.
Thales laughed with confidence: "Leo, how much do you look down on women? An Amazon warrior would never leave her teammates behind to flee alone. I'm not going."
"The women who come out of the Rogue Encampment are not weaker than you men." Shika pulled out her Rogue's Bow and thoughtfully stroked the riser, giving off an air of being completely composed.
"This time when I see Father, I must ask for clarity," Inceyste muttered to herself, holding her long sword vertically before her chest before making a clanging, forceful statement: "Please do not underestimate my resolve. I fight for the honor of my family."
"I remember someone once told me we would be back-to-back teammates. Do you want to abandon your teammates now?" Gerdie smiled very happily. It's so good to have met this group of teammates.
Holy crap, you silly women... we're really finished this time. There isn't even anyone left to pick up the pieces.
Just as the atmosphere reached a breaking point, the somewhat flighty Dire Wolf jumped out, swaggering over to stand before Treehead Woodfist. Awooo, woo-awoo! It used all four paws while letting out a frantic series of howls.
This stupid dog... seeking death. Treehead Woodfist is about to have dog-meat salad.
"Roar! Roar!"
To everyone's surprise, the green-furred gorilla actually howled back in coordination, even performing some head-scratching, foot-stomping, and hand-shrugging gestures.
Seeing these two animals starting to communicate, Leo realized they might not be wiped out here today. He looked at Buckle with a questioning gaze: Do you understand what these two beasts are saying?
"What the Dire Wolf is saying... I can't be one hundred percent sure. It's roughly saying that we are enemies of the demons, not enemies of animal friends." Although Buckle was a Druid and naturally shared an affinity with animals, it didn't mean he could understand every animal language; he was guessing the gist based on context.
"Have the Dire Wolf tell the opponent our intent. If possible, we are willing to ally with the animals of the Dark Wood to fight Hell together and purify the Hellish aura." Leo had previously looked down on this Dire Wolf for being lazy and slippery, but seeing that they were saved now, he was overjoyed.
To his surprise, the Dire Wolf gave Leo a very human-like eye-roll and lay down on the ground, refusing to move. Leo's teeth itched with rage: "Hurry up and translate! Once we're out of this danger, I'll have Gerdie grill meat for you every day."
"Awoo! Awoo!" The Dire Wolf barked excitedly, jumping up quickly with a spark of intelligence in its eyes. Drool dripped from its mouth as it rapidly conveyed Leo's meaning.
After the Dire Wolf's translation, Treehead Woodfist nodded slightly toward the group, as if signaling friendship.
Seeing the confused looks from everyone, Buckle hastily explained: "He doesn't trust humans, but he can ally with us. Our squad destroyed the altars and purified part of the Hellish aura, making us the number one enemy of the demons. To show his thanks, he invites us to the foot of the Sacred Tree to witness our friendship."
Seeing Leo agree, Treehead Woodfist let out a few roars. The spectating Brutes quickly dispersed, leaving only a few slightly taller Elite Brutes. These ferocious beasts became docile, placing the group on their shoulders and running as fast as lightning.
The trees and bushes they passed along the road seemed to have gained sentience, actively moving aside to clear a path. Brutes were very well-suited for running in the forest. Leo gripped the opponent's black-green fur; sitting on the shoulder, he didn't feel any jolting at all. He wondered if it was because their lower limbs were too short and they were top-heavy, but they were particularly focused on maintaining the balance of their upper bodies while running.
The group soon arrived at the base of the Tree Inifuss. The closer one got to something truly great, the harder it was to see clearly; all they could see was a white trunk filling their vision.
Several streaks of green light shot into the bodies of the group. A powerful vitality nourished their bodies from head to toe.
> [Beep beep beep! Received the Blessing of the Tree Inifuss. Vitality +50. Dark Wood animals have become friendly units and cannot be attacked.]
>
After the green light faded, Leo felt his body's toughness had increased significantly. It seemed he was moving further and further down the path of being a "meat shield."
Seeing some magical patterns emerge on the tree trunk, he stepped forward to take rubbings of them. Then, he pulled out three wine skins and poured them all out onto the roots of the Sacred Tree before taking two swigs himself: "Big Brother Sacred Tree, you're a real man. I'm impressed. I toast you three skins; though I don't know if this bit of wine is enough to even fill the gaps between your teeth."
A white vine whipped out rapidly across Leo's face, spinning him 1080 degrees in the air. Smack! He landed face-down on the ground.
> [Beep beep beep! Received blessing again. Energy +50. Obtained passive effect: Nature Affinity. All natural animals and plants will hold a favorable impression of the host.]
>
His mental power surged instantly. Leo felt the world become clearer. A majestic force was shoved directly into his brain; he was lucky his head didn't just explode.
A lively, pleasant voice rang out in his mind: "You blind, stinky man! Pouring wine down someone's throat without a word... Where do I look like one of you stinky men? Go away, go away! This forest does not welcome you!"
•
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