BOOM!

The ground erupted as Leo's fist slammed down. With the force of a peak 3-star strike, the earth buckled in a violent tremor, a miniature earthquake rippling out in a five-meter radius. Roots that had been lashing wildly snapped at their base the moment they touched the trembling soil, and the Behemoth's defences shattered in that entire area in an instant.

The tree monster's whole body quivered at the display of power. In a panic, it tried summoning its golem for help—but the stone giant was barely able to lift a single arm. Only one core remained intact, and the Elk's relentless pressure was grinding even that down.

Its fear muddled its control; the roots it sent forth whipped past Leo harmlessly, completely off-mark. Leo slipped through them with effortless precision, as if the world had slowed around him and only he remained at full speed.

A massive opening—five meters wide—now gaped before him, leading straight to the main trunk. But Leo didn't bother walking. With less than a minute before his mana ran dry, he surged forward.

BAAAM!

His fist slammed into the area just above the quivering zig-zag mouth, which twitched and trembled as though begging for mercy, completely defenceless.

A deep crater blasted into the bark, the impact forcing the weakened trunk to bend. The earlier Solar Beam had already hollowed out much of its strength. Then—

Crack—

A spiderweb fracture spread from the point of impact, crawling around the entire circumference until it looked as if the massive tree was about to split clean down the middle.

SCRAaaaa—

The canopy shuddered violently, not with rage this time, but pure, paralyzing horror.

Leo didn't stop. Lifting his fist again, he drove a second blow.

CRIIP—CLACK!

The trunk tore apart. The upper body sheared off and toppled several meters backwards while the base remained anchored by its deep roots. But the screaming didn't cease—the Behemoth was still alive. That meant the core had to be near the base.

Leo summoned Shyra once more. The moment she materialized, she scanned the surroundings for any flailing roots. Seeing none, she exhaled heavily in relief. Then, catching Leo's intent instantly, she padded toward the split base to help uproot it. The eagerness in her steps was obvious—this was payback for every painful lash she had endured.

They positioned themselves on opposite sides of the trunk. Leo—out of sheer self-preservation—placed Shyra closer to the shrieking zig-zag mouth. The endless screaming had grown unbearable. Shyra, already irritated from earlier, didn't tolerate being yelled at twice. Activating [Critical Strike], she drove her claws straight into the warped mouth, splitting it apart. The scream dissolved into ragged, pitiful wails.

For a brief moment, Leo activated [Critical Strike] on both arms—something he'd learned by observing Shyra use both powered claws when dealing with the soilworms. The mana cost doubled instantly, but he no longer cared. The Behemoth was effectively incapacitated, and Shyra stood ready to handle the Elk if it suddenly turned hostile.

During her brief stay in the spiritual space, Shyra had recovered nearly an hour's worth of stamina, mana, and mental clarity. That was the benefit of the spiritual domain—rapid regeneration on all fronts. She was in perfect condition to take on the exhausted Elk. And if needed, Leo could summon Niri at any moment as backup.

With Shyra's claws buried deep into the base and Leo's arms blazing with peak 3-star power, the two hauled the massive stump together. The ground trembled as the roots tore apart one after another, each snap echoing like thick ropes breaking under strain. Inch by inch, the remaining trunk lifted, the soil ripping open in ragged clumps.

Then—right above Leo's head—a new mouth split open. Bark peeled back, forming jagged teeth, and the monster let out a scream so piercing that Leo felt his skull vibrate; if not for his regeneration, he thought he might face hearing loss.

"FUCKING BAAASTAAARD!" he roared back, fury flaring hotter than his mana. He poured every ounce of power into [Critical Strike], pushing it to full capacity. His strength spiked straight into low 4-star territory. The burst was so violent that even Shyra's claws, buried deep into wood and root, were ripped free as Leo hurled the trunk aside.

For a moment, everything spun.

That one second cost him nearly 600–800 mana units.

Huff! Huff!

He exhaled sharply.

Mana: 1570 / 18819

The shattered trunk rolled on the ground, twitching as it desperately tried to regrow roots to flee. With its smaller size and its root network severed, escape would have been far easier now—if Shyra weren't already moving.

Her eyes narrowed. She had spotted it—the core. Just a meter down and a meter behind the incessantly trembling zig-zag mouth.

[Critical Strike]!

SHIIING!

Her claws elongated to their full, deadly meter-long reach. In a single clean strike, they pierced deep into the exposed wood. Bark exploded in splinters. Shyra's claws clamped around the brown, veiny core, and she yanked it free in one brutal motion.

The Evergrowth Rootspire Behemoth spasmed, its mouth twisting in silent horror—and then went limp.

Ding!

Evergrowth Rootspire Behemoth (Mid 3-star) Killed — 20,000xp

Higher Rank Kill Bonus — 1,000xp

Intelligent (Juvenile) Beast Kill Bonus — 5,000xp

Initiate Soul plundering?

Level 22: 167 / 19055 → 19055 / 19055

Level Up!

Level 23: 7112 / 24772

Ding!

Stats Updated! (50% increase to base stats)

Vitality: 74.6 → 111.9 [174.6 → 211.9]

Strength: 64.1 → 96.2 [164.1 → 196.2]

Agility: 62.8 → 94.2 [162.8 → 194.2]

Stamina: 63.1 → 94.7 [163.1 → 194.7]

Intelligence: 109.1 → 163.7 [209.1 → 263.7]

Mana: 9819 → 14733 [18819 → 23733] {6484 / 18819}

Ding!

[Critical Strike] — 100% Intermediate → 4% High

Damage: 600% → 700%

Mana Cost: 200 → 500

A wave of raw, personal strength surged through Leo's body—not beast-fed, but his own. This wasn't the physical boost he got from feedback. This was a real advancement.

He could feel it.

He was now only a sliver away from reaching Low 3-star 'personally'. Meaning he could stand toe-to-toe with a 3-star beast in direct combat.

Which immediately reminded him of the Elk.

A Low 3-star.

One he now might handle alone—with Shyra or Niri backing him if needed.

Leo snapped his head toward the Thunderhide Elk, half-expecting it to leap at him while he was still catching his breath—

But it wasn't charging.

It wasn't even looking at him.

It was… digging through the golem's remains?

---

A/N: With this, the month comes to an end. I thank everyone who is and will be supporting my work.

Thank You, Truly(人 •͈ᴗ•͈)

Now, from December onwards, I will try to publish 2 chapters on a daily basis—please overlook the day when a single chapter is uploaded, as my exams are in a week and will continue for 2 more weeks.

Because of this, I am doubling the goal requirement for bonus chapters, as I also need to prepare the 10 mass release chapters on 22nd December of the Writer's end-of-year event.

That's all. I hope you keep on supporting me!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.