"Leo, see!" Lily said, thrusting her phone forward.

She had opened up information on druids.

"It says these beasts use nature magic," she read aloud. "Which includes wood and earth—and in rare cases, other elements like wind, water, or even fire."

Leo nodded, eyes scanning the screen.

"It seems we're going to have a tough fight," he said calmly. "Our skill sets overlap too much."

"I think Miho might be able to add some versatility with her fireballs."

As Lily spoke, she angled the screen toward Miho, who had been leaning forward with curiosity. But the moment Miho saw the dense text, her brows furrowed. She stared at it blankly, unable to make sense of the words.

Lily noticed and gently patted her head.

"Don't worry. I'll teach you soon—after we establish our territory."

She turned her attention back to the screen and let out an irritated sigh.

"They really charge for everything. See?" She pointed at the locked section. "I can't even view the beast's image without paying 100 AC. It says it's a rare and powerful beast, and that the photographer risked his life to capture the image. Part of the money goes to him. Hmph! I'm not paying."

Leo chuckled softly.

"We'll see it soon enough. In fact, we're going to kill it."

Lily smiled as well. "This time, I'll capture its image myself and reduce the cost by 70 AC so people will see mine—and I'll get paid."

Leo raised an eyebrow.

"That's a great idea. Honestly, we should make Shyra a superstar while we're at it. What do you think? Her pictures would be a hot topic."

Lily's eyes lit up.

"Yes! Absolutely! I just need to figure out how to do it." She immediately began tapping aggressively on her phone screen.

"Pay attention," Leo said, his tone turning serious. "I think we're close."

He checked the navigation.

"We're under five hundred meters now."

"We didn't spot a single beast along the way…" Leo muttered. "This druid must be highly territorial."

"Hm." Lily nodded in agreement.

Behind her, Miho fidgeted nervously. The forest around them had grown eerily silent—the kind of silence that pressed against the ears. Even the light seemed dimmer, shadows thickening as they moved deeper in.

Suddenly, Lunaria's pupils constricted as she leaped high into the air.

Leo twisted sharply, just in time to see several thick vines lunge toward Lunaria's foot, crashing into one another instead.

Rustle!

His head snapped toward the sound. A hulking silhouette flickered behind the bushes—then vanished, darting between the trees.

"That thing… it's nearly three meters tall!"

Leo hadn't even gotten a proper system prompt, yet the aura radiating from it was unmistakably formidable.

"Lily!" he barked. "Summon the treant. Get on Lunaria's back—both of you. Run around and look for the beacon!"

Lily complied instantly.

The earth rumbled as a ten-meter-tall tree giant rose from the ground.

Rustle!

GGRrr!

Without warning, the ground beneath Lunaria collapsed. She fell into a pit lined with jagged earth spikes.

Lily reacted immediately, generating thick vines to form a foothold. Lunaria sprang out in a powerful leap.

"This druid is crafty," Leo muttered as he hopped off the wolf.

He focused, extending his senses outward.

"There!"

Leo thrust his hand forward, and a torrent of vines erupted in that direction.

"Rooaarrr!"

A beastly roar echoed as the sharp points of the vines pierced into flesh.

"Grrrr!" Weak resistance followed as the vines began draining its vitality.

Trrrrr!

With brute force, it snapped the vines apart and prepared to leap away—but Leo was already there.

"Found you!"

Forest Druid (Low 3-Star) – Super Bloodline [Intelligent - Juvenile]

"Bigfoot!" Leo couldn't help but exclaim.

Broad, long-limbed, and slightly hunched, its body was covered in thick dark fur tangled with moss, soil, and creeping vine strands. Dull green eyes glared from beneath a heavy brow. It perfectly resembled the mythical monster from Earth—especially its massive ape-like feet, with irregular, elongated, razor-sharp nails on both hands and legs.

"It's even an Intelligent beast."

"Rooooarrr—!"

The roar was cut short when Leo's fist smashed into its face, sending the beast flying backward. It crashed violently into a tree before finally stopping.

Huff… huff… grrr…

The druid stared at Leo with incredulous, stunned eyes—as if questioning how it had been overpowered so easily. Yet its recovery was terrifyingly fast. No blood spilled. The twisted features of its face slowly began to reform.

Roooorrr!

It slammed its fists into the ground. Thorny green vines exploded upward, shooting toward Leo.

Leo merely smiled and leapt forward.

The druid snarled and met Leo head-on, throwing a punch empowered by its massive frame and some sort of skill.

BAM!

The collision produced a shockwave that forced both of them back.

"Not bad," Leo said, flexing his fingers. "That was on par with my regular punch. Let's see what happens with an enhanced one."

His right arm faintly glowed white as he activated [Critical Strike].

The druid, however, seemed shaken. It stared at its trembling hand.

"Grrr!"

It bared sharp, filthy canines in a threatening growl.

Suddenly, its attention snapped elsewhere. It turned sharply toward the forest's interior, realizing it had momentarily forgotten about the wolf.

ROAR!

The piercing roar made Leo's ears itch.

Then Leo watched in disbelief as the beast's body expanded in real time while it charged toward the source of its unease.

"Four meters… five meters… six—what the fuck! Six and a half meters?!" Leo exclaimed.

[Vine Estranglement]!

Countless vines burst from the ground, coiling tightly around the druid's limbs.

"I need to stop it," Leo muttered. "Lily must've reached the treasure."

Snap! Snap! Snap!

Vines broke apart—only to be replaced instantly by new ones, locking the druid in place. Then it thrust its massive palm toward Leo.

Swish!

Spinning earth cones condensed instantly and shot toward him like artillery.

Fhew! Fhew! Fhew!

"Damn!" Leo extended one arm.

[Astral Aura Weave]

Combined with Critical Strike, he shattered every earthen projectile with a single punch. The druid froze, baffled—panic creeping into its dull green eyes.

Then it clenched both fists and—

Smash!

It slammed them together in front of its chest, producing a thunderous impact.

Hiisss~!

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