Reading the notification confirmed Theo's suspicions. He recalled how those serpentine roots had once effortlessly embraced corpses, dragging them beneath the ground. Monstrous tomatoes, predatory carrots, Infernal Dragonfruit, and nightmare nuts—all these threats paled in comparison to the danger now facing him. If caught by these relentless roots, Theo knew his fate would be grim.
Yet, there was someone he needed to protect. His mind raced to find a solution. In the worst-case scenario, he could either destroy the Eldritch trees or perhaps escape the Demonic Farm with Lilith. Contemplating his next move, he braced himself for a showdown with the most formidable adversary on his own farm.
As the deadly roots approached, they lunged at him from all directions—six or seven roots converged, aiming to ensnare him. Theo nimbly stepped on them, using them as platforms to leap to safety. Drawing his dual swords from his golden vault, he began slashing at each root that crossed his path from various directions, severing them in two.
However, he could feel the resistance; these roots were sturdier than flesh. His hands felt the hardness, but he persisted, cutting his way through the spider-like web of wild roots that sought to capture him.
As he continued to dodge and weave through the onslaught, more roots protruded from the ground. Just as he kicked off the ground to evade them, another root whipped at his back, sending him crashing to the ground.
Before Theo could regain his footing, an aggressive onslaught of roots converged on his position. Despite his enhanced speed and heightened vision, the roots were relentless, each movement he made was countered with brutal precision. He twisted and turned, ducking and weaving through an ever-tightening noose of gnarled tendrils that seemed to anticipate his every move.
With each dodge, Theo felt the sting of the roots slicing through the air, narrowly missing him time and again. But for every successful evasion, another root would lash out, each strike more ferocious than the last. The roots were merciless, whipping furiously, grabbing at his limbs, and thrashing against his body with punishing force. Even with his formidable defenses, the sheer number of attacks began to wear him down.
Theo fought back desperately, his dual swords flashing in the crimson light as he tried to cut through the entangling mass. Yet, for every root he severed, three more seemed to sprout, as if the ground itself was alive with malevolent intent. His arms ached from the effort, his movements slowed by fatigue and the relentless pressure of the assault.
As he continued to battle against the overwhelming odds, the roots managed to land crushing blows. One particularly vicious root wrapped tightly around his ankle, yanking him off balance. Simultaneously, another coiled around his wrist, wrenching one of his swords away.
Though momentarily hindered, he was not yet completely defenseless. But that brief respite was short-lived. Almost immediately, a third root surged up, cunningly snagging his other sword from his hand, effectively disarming him completely. Now, without either sword, he found himself truly defenseless in a critical moment of the fight.
In that brief vulnerability, a barrage of roots struck, leaving deep gashes across his body. Each cut served as a harsh lesson in the peril he faced—even with his formidable defenses, the roots relentlessly found their mark, slicing through his clothes and skin with agonizing efficiency.
Suspended in the air, his head hung downward while his legs were pulled upward. Blood spilled from his fresh wounds, mingling with the soil beneath him, while bruises blossomed across his skin.
The roots had him completely ensnared, displaying their ruthless nature as they dangled their captive, now corrupted by the Abyssal Eternal Flowerbud.
As he endured the pain, his eyes opened slightly, droplets of sweat and blood trickling upward across his forehead. A cold, creepy smile flashed across his lips—a smile that could instill fear in anyone. Yet, neither the Eldritch trees nor the Abyssal Eternal Flowerbud seemed concerned by his expression.
Just then, a swirling vortex of shadows materialized, and from within it, something formidable emerged. The long, sleek handle of black metallic alloy appeared first, giving way to a menacing blade that shimmered like coagulated blood.
Streaks of crimson electricity crackled along its edge, enhancing its fearsome appearance. The scythe's presence was ominous, resonating with a low, eerie hum that seemed to pulse with the heartbeat of the night itself.
The handle, wrapped in a grip of shadow leather as dark as a starless night, provided the wielder with unyielding control and comfort, marking it as a weapon of both power and peril.
The sudden appearance of the Scythe, coupled with his chilling smile, was evoked by a notification that had flashed before him moments earlier, just as he found himself in a dire situation.
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[Witnessing your relentless struggle, the Darkreaper's Scythe has awakened its sentience. A soul bond has formed, enhancing synergy between wielder and weapon.]
[Your proficiency with the Darkreaper's Scythe has ascended to Level 10!]
[Congratulations! The Darkreaper's Scythe has evolved into the "Deathreaper Scythe."]
[With this transformation, your Deathreaper Scythe now supports combat operations and can harvest crops over a 100x100 area.]
[Feed the Deathreaper Scythe with beast cores to boost its efficiency in battle and enhance its harvesting capabilities.]
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As the Deathreaper Scythe emerged from a swirling vortex of shadows, it immediately set to work and effortlessly sliced through the confining roots, liberating Theo from his entrapment.
In the midst of his release, Theo was caught in a free fall, his head perilously close to striking the ground, when he suddenly vanished from his original position. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in mid-air, his hands firmly gripping the handle of the Deathreaper Scythe. The moment he seized it, dark smoke began to billow from the blade. He swung it in a wide arc, and crimson electricity crackled along its edge, ruthlessly cleaving through everything in his path.
Notifications appeared one after another as Theo took control of the situation:
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[You have gained Eldritch Wood x 6.]
[You have gained Eldritch Wood x 9.]
[You have gained Eldritch Wood x 4.]
[You have gained Eldritch Wood x 14.]
[You have gained Eldritch Wood x 7.]
[You have gained Eldritch Wood x 11.]
[Eldritch Wood successfully stored in the Golden Vault!]
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The Deathreaper Scythe proved far superior to his dual swords, slicing through the roots with no resistance, as though cleaving through air. Each swing felt effortless, akin to a hot knife through butter.
Despite feeling a stinging pain from his earlier wounds, Theo pressed on without hesitation. He was a formidable sight, with each swing of his scythe cutting cleanly through the serpentine-like roots that dared to block his path. Crimson electricity continued to crackle around the blade, leaving a trail of dark smoky air that lingered as the light from the electricity faded.
In no time, the aggressive roots began to diminish under his relentless assault. As more of them surged towards him, Theo swiftly collected another wave of enemies into his Golden Vault, effectively neutralizing the threat and securing his victory in this chaotic farm.
After successfully subduing the Eldritch roots and ensuring their complete neutralization, the immediate threat seemed to dissipate. Theo perceived that the Eldritch trees were no longer under the sway of the Abyssal Eternal Flowerbud.
Gasping for breath and exhausted from the confrontation, Theo wiped the blood from the edge of his lips. Turning around, his gaze settled on the Abyssal Eternal Flowerbud. He pondered whether this brief respite was merely the calm before another storm, mentally bracing himself for whatever might come next.
At that moment, the system began to update him with a series of notifications, each flowing seamlessly into the next, providing clarity on the unfolding situation:
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[System Alert: The Abyssal Eternal Flowerbud's influence is waning due to a lack of sufficient flora to control. Attempt to gain control over the Demonic Farm has failed.]
[Initiating containment protocols. Demonic Farm is now actively subduing the foreign entity...]
[Transformation Detected: The Abyssal Eternal Flowerbud is being subdued. Commencing metamorphosis.]
[Evolution Complete. The entity formerly known as Abyssal Eternal Flowerbud has evolved into the Abyssal Eternal Bloom.]
[Status Update: The Abyssal Eternal Bloom experiences a loss of control over the farm's ecosystems. It expresses regret and a desire to maintain a connection with the Demonic Farm.]
[Proposal Initiated: In response to its current limitations, the Abyssal Eternal Bloom seeks to formalize a partnership. It extends a 70-30 Bond of Unity. This pact aims to enhance synergies and share powers, granting the Abyssal Eternal Bloom a defined role within the Demonic Farm's hierarchy. In return, it commits to the protection and prosperity of the farm and its master.]
[Details of the Proposal: The 70-30 Bond of Unity will authorize the Abyssal Eternal Bloom to operate with a degree of independence under the oversight of the farm owner. It will contribute positively to the farm's operations without requiring constant directives, yet it will remain bound by the owner’s commands and the overarching goal of protecting the farm.]
[Do you wish to form a 70-30 Bond of Unity with the Abyssal Eternal Bloom? Accepting this bond will grant the entity a measured role in farm operations, balancing autonomy with allegiance to the farm owner's interests.]
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