The experience was terrifying. Theo's heartbeat thumped so intensely that it felt as though it might tear apart his chest and burst out. His nails dug into his own skin, a desperate attempt to anchor himself and restrain any movement. The mental pressure was overwhelming; he found himself unable to breathe—not by choice, but because he simply could not draw any air. It was a condition he had never encountered before.

All of this unfolded within the span of a dozen seconds, but for Theo, it felt like an eternity. Then, those eyes closed again, and the pressure vanished. Theo felt as though a massive weight had been lifted from him, yet he was still in no condition to move.

Theo was concerned at the thought of the Azure Primordial Terragon attacking if he tried to escape. He knew he was no match for its speed, and Theo understood that the Terragon’s attention was focused on the real culprit who had stolen the Eternal seed and caused the beast’s current wounded condition.

Theo waited, expecting the Terragon to open its eyes and intimidate him once more. Time passed, and he stood there like a statue, blending into the landscape as if he were just another silent piece of stone. He dared not risk any movement.

After nearly thirty minutes, he heard soft footsteps approaching from behind. He didn’t dare turn to see who it was—he already had a feeling it was her.

In his mind, he pleaded, ‘Not this way... not this way...’

However, the soft footsteps continued unabated. Like a child drawn by insatiable curiosity, she moved past him and approached the Azure Primordial Terragon.

She stood beside the behemoth, her stature almost matching the size of the Terragon’s closed eye. Yet, she displayed no fear.

Surprisingly, the Azure Primordial Terragon did not open its eyes. However, Theo could detect slight movements—a gentle exhalation from its nostrils and the slow rise and fall of its back, almost imperceptible.

As Theo kept his gaze on the beast, he also noticed a deep, charred gash on its neck. The wound was so severe that he could see the inner tissues; blood still seeped out slowly, revealing the white of bones through the deep cut.

As Theo was observing the wounded beast, the Abyssal Eternal Bloom looked back at him with an innocent frown and murmured, "Food?"

Her question caused Theo's blood to run cold. He cursed inwardly, 'That's not what you call food; it's what calls us food... Shh!! already...'

This time, however, her expression turned a bit sad, as if she realized she was denied the chance to eat more and finally understood that she couldn’t have it.

She began to withdraw, her face drooping as she came to terms with not being fed further. Retreating back to Theo, she squatted down beside his still figure, wrapping her arms around her knees, her head lowered.

Theo's eyes shifted to her, noting her innocent demeanor, but he didn’t dare to move. Questions surged in his mind about why the Azure Primordial Terragon hadn’t attacked her or him yet.

Trying to calm himself, yet still pressured by the presence of the unmoving beast, he decided it was time to escape. He gently patted the Floral Beast, who looked up at him with a saddened expression.

He sent a mental message, ‘Follow me...’ keeping it simple for her to understand, considering her developing intelligence.

She stood up, her head still lowered, as she turned to follow him. Theo took silent steps, each one measured, as he moved away from the den of a beast that, for a moment, seemed more like the lair of the Grim Reaper.

Slowly, the duo kept moving, Theo mirroring his own guardian beast's movements. After a thousand steps of hard trial that left him covered in cold sweat, they finally reached a safe distance.

As he turned to look back, his eyes stayed fixed on the Azure Primordial Terragon. He waited a moment, then, just as he was about to turn again, its eyes opened.

This time, with a safe distance between them and the immediate danger lessened, Theo could clearly see. In the Terragon's eyes, there was no malice, nor anger or disappointment. Instead, there was only a profound emptiness, as if the beast had lost its will to fight or had resigned itself to its fate.

After locking gazes for another dozen seconds, the beast's eyes closed once again.

For some reason, Theo felt a pang of bitterness inside him when those eyes stopped staring at him. Previously, when those same eyes had looked at him, he had failed to discern the void of emotions due to the immense pressure. Yet, this time, it was laid bare before him.

He clenched his fists, collecting himself, and mused, "I know this is crazy, but..."

It was a difficult decision. His mind urged him to flee, but his heart pulled him toward a different course of action.

Gathering his resolve, he decided to take the risk and started retracing his steps, much like the Abyssal Eternal Bloom had done. This time he moved at a brisk pace, moving with the soft thud of his steps, careful not to exhibit any threat or ill intention.

After the arduous trial of each step towards what could be his demise, he found himself in front of the Terragon again.

Standing before the ten-meter beast that had previously fixed him with its gaze, Theo retrieved several bottles of high-quality Healing Elixir from his inventory. However, the challenge remained—how would he reach that height?

He couldn't simply climb the Terragon; it was too risky and could provoke the beast—what if it attacked?

An idea sparked in his mind, and he called out for Sower's Abyssal Pouch. A dark void opened, and the pouch flew out from it.

Grasping it in his hand, he opened the pouch and began manually pouring the contents of the healing elixirs into it.

The bottles emptied one after another, and after ten minutes of continuous effort, he had poured two hundred bottles of the healing elixir into the Sower's Abyssal Pouch. Considering the deep gash on the Azure Primordial Terragon's neck, he thought it would need at least this much.

Once done, he commanded the tool to execute its task. The pouch flew off from the ground, hovered above the injured beast, and then opened its maw to release the healing elixir.

As the healing liquid descended from a distance, it rained precisely in the deep gash, washing the exposed bones. Dark smoke billowed up, accompanied by the soft crackling sound of flesh sizzling.

The negative reaction from the high-quality healing elixir was unexpected. Theo hadn't anticipated that it would cause the flesh to burn, turning his good intentions to naught.

“Arrrrghhhhhhhhhhhh…”

Theo flinched as a harsh, agonized groan tore from the beast's throat. Suddenly, the Azure Primordial Terragon’s eyes snapped open, locking onto him with a ferocity that chilled his blood.

Those eyes, ablaze with rage, seemed to burn into Theo's very soul, intensifying the pressure to a degree that was a hundredfold more crushing than before. It was as though all the creature's fury was funneled directly at him.

Theo's knees buckled under the immense force, and he collapsed to the ground in front of the Azure Primordial Terragon. Despite the overwhelming urge to look away or bow his head in submission, he maintained eye contact, unwilling to show any sign of weakness.

Time seemed to slow as the massive beast continued to glare at him, its eyes burning with fury. Theo could almost feel the heat of its anger radiating towards him. The sheer intensity of its gaze suggested it was moments away from lunging forward to tear him apart for his audacity. The air between them crackled with hostility, thick with the scent of charred flesh and the metallic tang of blood.

As the moment dragged on, Theo noticed a subtle shift in the creature’s condition. The burning flesh, which had been releasing tendrils of smoke under the influence of the healing elixir, began to twitch and wiggle. Small patches of damaged tissue started showing signs of reformation, knitting together right before his eyes.

The beast's fierce frown deepened, a hint of confusion mingling with its pain. Slowly, its eyes started to lose their fiery anger, cooling to a wary glow.

Theo sensed the oppressive pressure gradually diminishing as the beast processed the changes occurring within its body. The Azure Primordial Terragon seemed to be piecing together the cause and effect—the initial pain from its wounds and the sudden, unexplained alleviation of that pain.

Theo held his breath, his body tense and ready to react, knowing that these next moments were critical.

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