Frostfire Legacy

The Corrupted Demonic Treants never ceased coming for Faeloria. It seemed like one would appear every ten steps she took, as if they were conjured from the shadows of the dense, oppressive forest-like walls that surrounded her.

"Annoying..." she muttered under her breath, her voice calm despite the relentless onslaught.

But, of course, they were no match for her. At most, they could slow her progress, but never become a serious threat to someone of her caliber. The treants, with their twisted bark and glowing eyes, were powerful creatures in their own right, but against Faeloria, they were nothing more than a nuisance.

It was too bothersome to cast a 9th-tier spell every time, so she decided to rely on her class skills instead, keeping better control over her surroundings while using fewer resources.

*Swoosh!* *Swoosh!* *Swoosh!*

Much like with the Tree God's Wrathful Iron Spear, she was still using roots to attack. However, instead of being reinforced by the metal element, the roots were overloaded with mana, throbbing with energy as they shot out in waves, entering an unstable state.

*BOOM!*

In this volatile form, even the slightest contact with a treant caused a violent explosion, sending shards of wood and bark flying through the air. Entire groups of the corrupted creatures were obliterated if they stood too close together. By using her mana in this efficient manner, her energy consumption dropped to only 5% compared to casting 9th-tier spells in quick succession.

Still, a downside soon caught up with her. Your next chapter is on empire

"...Was it three steps right, five steps left, or the other way around?"

Splitting her focus between solving the complex puzzle of the maze and fending off the treants, she quickly found herself growing more confused. The ever-shifting paths of the maze were designed to mislead and disorient, and without full attention, even her sharp mind faltered.

She could backtrack her calculations to double-check, but that caused further delays. As a result, her pace was greatly reduced. She was now moving at less than a tenth of the speed she'd had in the first half.

"This won't do..." Faeloria sighed, sending another barrage of mana-overloaded roots outward, clearing all the treants coming for her from every direction. The acrid scent of scorched wood filled the air. "At this rate, Aster will be in danger."

Aster's level was only 101. If he encountered monsters like these treants, his fate would be sealed.

Of course, he could use his life as collateral to push his Frostfire Legacy beyond its limits to defend himself, but Faeloria wasn't aware of that yet. To her, Aster was just a young man in need of protection.

"..."

Recalling Aster's face made Faeloria feel a sense of urgency. "I can't delay anymore," she muttered, her tone sharp. "I need to break through this maze as soon as possible!"

However, there was one issue. Her class, Watcher of the World Tree, relied heavily on the strength of the World Tree itself.

It boosted her power far beyond what someone of her level could typically display. But the dimension they were trapped in was somehow disconnected from the rest of the multiverse. The World Tree's far-reaching branches couldn't reach her, meaning many of her most powerful abilities were temporarily "sealed."

Of course, what she lost was just her "ace in the hole." It wasn't as though all her abilities were unusable.

"..."

Faeloria closed her eyes, focusing deeply. To lower the risk of what she was about to do, she had already cleared all threats within her detection range.

*Vuooon!*

A moment later, a powerful surge of mana exploded from her center, sending ripples of energy through the surrounding air. The strength was enough to make the "near-indestructible" walls of the maze tremble.

When the release was over, there was a short silence... before everything reversed. Mana began flowing toward Faeloria, gathering in the center of her chest. What started as a small amount rapidly grew, far exceeding the amount of mana she had initially spread. The concentration became so immense that the air around her began to creak under the strain.

The mana's density was pushing the space to its limits, nearly breaking it!

"Hack...!"

But, of course, the mana she was trying to control was well beyond her capacity. Just holding onto the power made her feel like her body was on the verge of bursting. Power surged alongside the mana, even rupturing some of her blood vessels in the process.

"...Just... a bit... more!" She didn't stop.

Pushing herself past her limit, she gathered twice as much mana before finally opening her eyes. Her pupils glowed blue, the same color as the mana, with white sparks darting around her body.

Carefully, she clasped both hands before her chest, as if in prayer.

"Divine Skill: World Tree's Descent!"

She converted all the mana she had gathered into the fuel for a single skill. The sheer magnitude of the energy was enough to shake the very dimension, allowing the World Tree to finally "find" where its beloved Watcher was.

All around Faeloria, from the tough ground and the gaps between the tiles, green sprouts appeared. In moments, the dreary space turned verdant, with flowers blooming everywhere. But the transformation didn't end there.

A single sapling burst through the ground before Faeloria. The sapling quickly grew into a giant tree, pushing against the ceiling within moments. Its roots thickened, tearing apart the ground and walls surrounding them.

Faeloria, as if loved by nature, remained untouched. The roots moved around her, even forming a protective barrier. The branches spread far and wide, demolishing the walls as if they were made of clay.

In just a few seconds, the entire maze ceased to exist. The gigantic tree took over the area, leaving no walls, no Corrupted Demonic Treants, and no more tricky mechanisms.

"Phew..."

Faeloria sighed, checking her body's condition.

She had overexerted herself, causing her mana circuits to enter an overloaded state. A few minor injuries were visible, with blood staining her elf-style traditional clothes, but nothing that a simple potion couldn't fix.

But more importantly, she could finally see the exit.

"Right, Aster's safety takes priority over my own life!"

Her expression hardened as she leaped onto one of the squirming roots beside her. As if it were alive, the massive root moved her upward before delivering her carefully to the exit.

But just before reaching it, Faeloria hesitated. Her eyes narrowed as a foreboding sensation washed over her.

She could sense the presence of something else waiting beyond the exit.