The Elk, startled by the sudden shift in the battle, braced itself to counterattack.

In a heartbeat, its antlers lit up with a brilliant bluish-white radiance—so bright even its eyes reflected the electric glow. It pulled its head back, gathering every scrap of stored charge into a single point and then—

Ziiipppzz!

With a sharp forward snap of its neck, the Elk unleashed the compressed thunder, its antlers acting as the twin fangs of a lightning strike.

BOOOOM!

The discharge collided with the golem's raised arm, exploding across it. Cracks spider-webbed instantly, fragments of stone blowing out where the blast concentrated. For a moment, Leo thought the limb might fall apart entirely.

But the earth trembled.

The ground around the golem churned, loose rock and clumps of hardened soil rising and swirling like a miniature landslide in reverse. They slammed into the damaged arm, filling gaps and replacing shattered pieces—mending it with brutal efficiency. This confirmed the tree monsters' Earth affinity, since the way its main trunk shuddered, it seemed to be utilising its power.

What formed next were hands even larger than before.

Following the pattern of earlier constructs, Leo knew exactly what was happening. This one would keep repairing and reinforcing itself, growing bulkier and stronger until it reached the full might of a mid 3-star beast.

And the Elk… the Elk wouldn't last that long.

In fact, it wouldn't even last until that point.

Huff… huff… huff…

The beast's breaths came harsh and heavy. It had been sprinting, weaving, and breaking through obstacles nonstop, and that thunder discharge—though powerful—had drained what remained of its mana.

The tree monster seemed almost pleased, its jagged mouth curling into a delighted shape as it sensed the Elk's declining state. Throughout the entire confrontation, it still hadn't spared Leo so much as a glance. As if he were less relevant than a falling leaf.

Shyra and Niri were still somewhere outside the canopy, tearing their way inward—perfect for Leo. All he needed was a second to touch the Titanbreath Lotus and transport it whole into his spiritual island, where unending spiritual particles would feed it and let it produce Earthpulse Heartstones indefinitely.

For that distraction to continue, the Elk had to stay alive.

Leo lips curled. He had the perfect way to keep it kicking.

[Stealth]

His form blurred, half-melting into the shadows. The forest dimmed around him as he slipped forward with swift, soundless steps. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled out a football-sized dark blue pseudo 3-star mana crystal and an Earthpulse Heartstone charged to roughly seventy and thirty-five per cent—one in each hand, cool and dense with energy.

The Elk, wheezing with its mouth slightly open, suddenly stiffened. Even in its weakened state, it sensed something closing in—a presence moving with impossible speed.

Before it could react—

Beh—gup!

Crunch!

Something jammed into its mouth, and instinct kicked in. It bit down.

Cold, invigorating power flooded its throat like a soothing drink after a scorching summer run. Its muscles tightened, refilling with strength, its mana core pulsing back to life in steady waves. Eyes widening, it whipped its head around, searching for the culprit—but only caught a faint, humanoid silhouette slipping back into the shadows and vanishing completely.

Leo grinned.

First part of the plan, success.

As expected, the revitalized Elk wasted no time. Though it didn't launch any more mana-based attacks, arcs of electricity danced faintly around its legs, boosting its speed to frightening levels. It blurred across the battlefield, relying on pure physical strikes amplified by momentum.

Each impact shattered another turtle-shell barrier core, while the Elk darted in and out of reach, weaving between the golem's slower, heavier swings with renewed vigour.

And just as Leo hoped, the tree monster's focus was entirely locked onto the Elk. It truly felt as though the moment he slipped into stealth, the creature erased him from its awareness. Even the golems that had been marching toward him earlier abruptly turned away, rerouted toward Shyra and Niri, who were still outside the canopy, tearing through the outer layers of the battlefield.

Leo had even instructed Shyra to create more chaos—shake the ground, destroy the golems destructively, do anything that forced the behemoth to divide its attention. And it worked perfectly; the Evergrowth Rootspire Behemoth kept its senses stretched thin everywhere except where Leo was.

His gaze returned to the glowing treasure. The budding fruits pulsed faintly, their skins translucent enough for warm light to glow through. Above them, the lotus at the crown should've been the brightest, but coils of serpent-like roots shielded it completely.

Without wasting another breath, Leo sprinted toward the treasure—only to stop dead in his tracks.

The root-wrapped lotus burst with a vibrant yellow radiance, the glow so intense it bled through the gaps in the roots and lit the surrounding canopy like a lantern. Leo dove into a darker patch of shadow, heart hammering, cloaking himself deeper with his skill so he wouldn't be exposed.

The Evergrowth Rootspire Behemoth, which had been intensely focused on controlling the towering puppet golem, snapped its attention toward the lotus. Its zigzag mouth twisted sharply in that direction.

Then, with unsettling precision, it peeled back the protective roots. Another thick root extended from above, tip splitting into delicate tendrils that slipped into the lotus. It wrapped around something nestled within and plucked it free.

Information surged into Leo's vision.

>Earthpulse Lifecore — Low Yellow-Tier Treasure<

A rare vitality-rich fruit created whenever the Titanbreath Lotus undergoes a minor advancement. Saturated with potent life force, it greatly boosts constitution, physical resilience, and recovery rate. Consumption permanently enhances the body's foundational vitality.

"Enhancing constitution…?" Leo whispered. His eyes widened a heartbeat later as the realization slammed into him. "It's going to eat it."

The guardian itself—consuming the treasure it was meant to protect.

Then he recalled Dale's words:

'Treasures nurture their guardian beasts so that they can protect them better.'

Leo's brows drew together.

He pictured the flimsy, brittle roots that had tried to block him earlier—good for reach, terrible for offence. They snapped like twigs under Shyra or even Leo's blade. They weren't meant to fight.

The golems were the true weapons—massive, powerful constructs born from the monster's Earth manipulation.

Meaning the tree had grown only in intelligence, not in strength—and relied on these treasures and constructs to compensate for its physical frailty.

"So the behemoth's strength is lacking… and it uses the treasure to bolster itself, while its golems do the fighting?" Leo muttered, eyes narrowing.

He looked again at the behemoth's jagged mouth, now yawning open as it prepared to swallow the Lifecore whole.

"This, this cannot be allowed—!"

"Master! Solar Beam is ready!"

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