Chapter 86: Looting Is the Challenge

As Ain trespassed into the perception range of the Thornwood Treants, their branches twisted ominously, suffused with an eerie green glow. This warning didn't deter Ain; instead, an eerie yet pleasant humming reverberated throughout the surroundings, instantly lulling the nearby Thornwood Treants unconscious.

This was Hex: Cursed Lullaby, used in his possession state!

Unlike Nox, whose Hex: Cursed Lullaby sounded like a haunting "Wooo..." Ain's manifested as an unknown melody. The origin of this melody was a mystery, as it had appeared in Ain's mind naturally. He set aside its origin and maintained his focus on the upcoming battle.

The moment Hex: Cursed Lullaby took effect, the rustling branches ceased, and the green glow dimmed. The range of Ain's skill had grown significantly larger, though still not enough to encompass three Advanced Rank-1 Thornwood Treants at once. However, it was sufficient to affect the remaining Thornwood Treants and eliminate the threat of Thorn Barrages. Those Advanced Rank-1s with the longest range had been dealt with in the earlier skirmish.

Frans, Hugo, and Paula sprang into action, casting a barrage of spells, alongside their spirit pets. The forest resounded with thunderous explosions, accompanied by the sounds of collapsing Thornwood Treants.

The nearby spirit plants, while affected by the chaos, weren't the primary targets. The group's attacks focused on the Thornwood Treants, minimizing collateral damage. Some spirit plants inevitably got crushed as Thornwood Treants fell, but they represented only a small fraction.

Ain closed the distance to the nearest Thornwood Treant and slashed with his white claws, shattering the target upon impact. He proceeded immediately to the next Thornwood Treant and executed a brutal horizontal slash, ripping a substantial portion from its trunk. The creature fell lifeless.

Without pause, Ain moved on to another target. This time, a Beginner Rank-1 Thornwood Treant was in his sights. He ascended its trunk, dragging his claws along its length. By the time he reached the top, the trunk was nearly severed in half. In a fluid motion, he leaped from the now bisected Thornwood Treant, landing on the branches of a nearby Intermediate Rank-1 Thornwood Treant. Using the branches as footholds, he descended the trunk with the force of gravity, ripping it apart as he went.

The slumbering Thornwood Treants continued to be culled with each passing second. The trio supporting Ain from a distance had a clear view of his actions.

Frans, having the deepest insight into Ain's abilities, was left speechless by the barbaric attacks which was a stark contrast to Ain's usual reserved demeanor. As he contemplated, memories of Ain halting his claws atop his head during the interclass competition flashed past his mind. He remembered the eerie and dreadful aura emanating from his eyes at that time.

"Can't judge a book by its cover," Frans sighed inwardly as he continued his assault. He hadn't used his innate talent since the initial battle with the Advanced Rank-1 Thornwood Treant. This was an opportune moment to do so.

With a powerful surge of spirit energy, Frans boosted the Brilliant Fae's power beyond its rank. A series of powerful Radiant Bolts were fired in quick succession, targeting multiple Thornwood Treants. The speed at which they eliminated the creatures almost matched Ain's efficiency.

Hugo, stationed at a distance, relied on Spirit Blast as he had exhausted his arrows during the prior battles. In the skies above, Hugo's Grand Eagle , Ace, beat its wings, using Air Slash and Gale at cycling intervals. Among their group, Gale was the sole wide-range attack, and it served its purpose well.

Paula, positioned in place with her palms directed towards the Thornwood Treants, used Spirit Blast with her left hand and Vital Blast with her right hand, which was equipped with her mechanical spirit pet.

Ain's stamina far exceeded that of his companions, and his killing speed showed no signs of diminishing. Periodically, he cast Invigoration, maintaining an optimal state. The threshold for teamwork in this battle wasn't particularly high. As long as they remained within the range of enemies affected by Hex: Cursed Lullaby, they could engage the enemy and withdraw as needed.

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As time continued to elapse, small explosions echoed throughout the region. Occasionally, faint hums preceded the explosions. At one point, Ain began consuming Spirit Condensing Pills and Blood Refinement Pills, in addition to Spirit Recovery Pills. This combination temporarily enhanced the quality of his spirit energy, slightly boosting his attack power. The Blood Refinement Pills, on the other hand, were consumed to seize the opportunity as physical training.

By the time the blazing summer sun had passed its zenith, the battle finally concluded. Ain battled throughout this period, while the others had rested at brief intervals. They couldn't match Ain's endurance, especially after he used Possession.

Amidst their heavy panting, Ain, Hugo, Frans, and Paula eventually regrouped. The exhaustion extended to their spirit pets, which were equally fatigued.

"Huff, huff, let's take a seat," Hugo managed to utter as he collapsed onto the forest floor. In contrast, Ace, his spirit pet, remained vigilant, hovering above in the sky.

The others followed Hugo's lead, sprawled on the ground, their heavy breathing evidence of the battle's intensity. They remained in this state for several minutes, slowly regaining their composure.

Ain took the lead, addressing the group, "Let's collect all the resources before we rest further."

With no injuries sustained during the battle, they were capable of moving once more. Eager to secure their loot, no objections arose among the group. Even Frans and Paula were expectant of their harvest. These hard-earned rewards held a different value.

"Alright, let's get to it," Hugo's enthusiasm was evident, surpassing everybody else’s.

With their roles clearly defined, they got to work. While Ain retrieved the Thornwood Hearts, the rest focused on harvesting the surrounding spirit plants. Just a rough estimate alluded to over two hundred lifeless Thornwood Treants laying strewn across the forest floor. A conspicuous bald spot had appeared in the Thornwood Grove.

The group soon realized that gathering the loot was more time-consuming than the battle itself. Despite Ain's endurance, he couldn't help but take brief pauses during the process. At one point, while digging out Thornwood Hearts, Ain's dagger reached its limits and broke. He had no choice but to borrow one from the others.

Finally, after two hours of grueling effort, they completed their harvest. Before finishing, Ain went to the outer edges of the cleared region, using Hex: Cursed Lullaby to lull the Advanced Rank-1 Thornwood Treant, seizing the chance to quickly recover the last two Advanced Rank-1 Thornwood Hearts.

During the battle, the team had deliberately avoided triggering the Thornwood Treants positioned at the outer perimeters of this clear region, where the unending rows of Thornwood Treants extended into the distance.

With a final glance at their accomplishments, Ain turned towards the group , "Our missions are complete, let’s leave."

"Finally. I've had my fill of Thornwood Treants," Hugo expressed, eager to return.

Paula nodded in agreement. This journey had been different from what they had initially imagined, after particularly underestimating the challenges of an extreme mission.

"Let's use the rover. We'll move slightly higher to avoid the range of Thorn Barrage," Frans suggested, fiddling with the holographic interface on his storage ring. Soon, the familiar rover materialized, "Let's get in."

Paula was the first to enter, followed by Hugo and Ain. Within seconds, the rover smoothly ascended.

Frans took the opportunity to rotate the rover, providing an unobstructed view of the Thornwood Grove's expanse. A seemingly endless stretch of Thornwood Treants extended both left and right from their position. The bald spot they had cleared earlier appeared minuscule in comparison. Deeper into the Thornwood Grove, even larger Thornwood Treants stood tall, clearly surpassing Rank-1.

Paula marveled at the spectacle, voicing her wonder, "Is this the real Thornwood Grove?"

Frans offered an explanation, "Thornwood Treants reproduce rapidly, continuously expanding the Thornwood Grove. Perhaps the region we travelled previously was just an extension."

Ain concurred with Frans's theory, which accounted for the contrasting density and strength of the Thornwood Treants between the two regions.

After admiring the scenery for a while, the rover resumed its journey, speeding toward Duskfield City. They had left the city in the early hours of the morning, and evening had already descended. They had plenty of time to return to the city and submit their missions.

The howling wind outside went unnoticed as the Thornwood Grove gradually receded from view. Looking down, there were no longer skeletal remains surrounding the trees, and the spirit plants were no longer as abundant.

Occasional spirit beasts emerged among the branches, growling at the passing rover. A few flying spirit beasts made attempts to attack the vehicle, but their speed was insufficient.

This morning, the journey to the vicinity of the Thornwood Grove had taken an hour. Moreover, this distance was farther than Ain had ever travelled alone. As he gazed out of the window, he observed various details in the landscape, committing them to memory.

Ten minutes passed in silence. Perhaps it was due to exhaustion, but conversations died down as they each silently reflected on the day's events.

Suddenly, Frans's voice broke through the silence "Watch out!"

Immediately, a deafening explosion shook the rover.