Why does it have to be this way?
The moment the Dwarf warrior was snatched away by the branches, it was obvious to even a fool why it happened.
“The rules here are like this.”
Theodore’s voice carried a near-numbing sadness.
Her eyes were locked onto the direction where the Dwarf warrior had vanished, her small hands gripping the wooden handle of her warhammer until her knuckles turned white.
“Every single time, someone must… willingly walk inside and offer themselves to the forest to trade for 15 minutes of safe passage.”
She took a deep breath, struggling to swallow the sob in her throat, and forced herself to turn toward Muxuan and Qiansitelin, her small face tense.
“Hurry! We don’t have much time! Follow me!”
Seeing Theodore prepare to step into the forest, Muxuan did not hesitate for a moment.
A massive surge of Lightforce gathered in his hands and shot instantly toward Theodore.
“Yikes!”
The massive, claw-like tree branches moved without warning! Accompanied by Theodore’s exclamation, the bolt of Lightforce grazed her cheek, instantly piercing the branches that were lunging at her.
Like a mouse encountering a cat, the branches recoiled immediately.
The wounds pierced by the Lightforce continued to emit a sizzling sound.
But what followed was endless malice.
The branches were no longer rigid wood; they acted like giant tentacles imbued with evil life, whistling through the air again as they struck down toward the trio like a torrential downpour.
Qiansitelin was quick-witted; she kicked off the ground, spun forward, and tossed the dazed Theodore aside.
Lyrasel appeared instantly in Qiansitelin’s hand.
Then, countless rays of silver light flashed, blocking all the incoming branches.
In just a short moment, the ground at Qiansitelin’s feet was piled high with withered branches.
After swiftly eradicating the majority of the branches, she seized an opening and leaped backward, exiting the forest’s attack range.
Lyrasel erupted with brilliant silver light.
“Are you all right?”
Muxuan supported Theodore with one hand and patted her back with the other, his tone gentle but tinged with gravity.
“This forest truly has some kind of rule… but it seems very strange. It’s more like a certain powerful type of The Strange has forcibly accommodated even stronger rules… and these rules are incomplete.”
“The rules here are currently being completed.”
Seeing Qiansitelin land before him, Muxuan stated his conclusion in a heavy voice.
Rubbing her aching wrists, Qiansitelin nodded in agreement.
But upon hearing Muxuan’s words, Theodore’s expression worsened.
“If that’s the case, then the sacrifice was all for nothing?!”
The blood drained from her small face, tears welled in her eyes, and her voice became choked with sobs.
Qiansitelin landed in front of Muxuan, shielding the two of them.
She gripped Lyrasel tightly, her hands trembling slightly while fine beads of cold sweat seeped onto her forehead.
“How could it… be like this…”
The brief outburst had clearly worsened her discomfort, yet her eyes remained fixed on the twisting branches that lurked and writhed as if possessed by a malicious consciousness.
“Rest assured… at least they can be injured.”
Muxuan offered words of comfort before slightly raising his Crosier, causing a golden aura to swirl around it.
“Things aren’t entirely hopeless yet. This forest’s rules remain incomplete, which means it cannot seal off the entire interior—that is our opportunity.”
Theodore was noticeably stunned by Muxuan’s words.
The branches that were incredibly troublesome to the Dwarf, impossible to damage no matter what, had been pierced through by the beams of light and severed by Qiansitelin, leaving a pile on the ground!
Instantly, the way Theodore looked at Qiansitelin and Muxuan seemed filled with stars, and hope and expectation returned to her gaze.
“The Pope is so powerful, there must be a way! And with the Pope’s help, the Watcan tribe will surely be safe! Uncle Pope, do we still have a chance?”
“We do.”
Muxuan raised his Crosier high, and golden light poured out continuously, forming a golden barrier.
“Move!”
Muxuan’s voice was low and firm.
The light from his Crosier stabilized, and once more, it channeled a gentle yet incredibly piercing pillar of light, shattering the thick darkness at the forest entrance ahead.
Seeing Muxuan dash toward the depths of the forest, Theodore and Qiansitelin quickly followed.
Because of the rich aura of light, the branches coiled and twisted above the trio’s heads, but they dared not strike.
Their footsteps were varied, but none were slow; Theodore was already in the lead, guiding the way.
The interior of the forest was more oppressive than the edge.
The towering ancient trees were twisted like giants in agonizing struggle, and dark green moss covered everything, emitting a thick, decaying stench.
Muxuan could sense that the malice surging in the depths of the forest did not come from a single consciousness; it was more like a chaotic vortex pieced together from countless fragments of pain and confusion, greedily hungering for the souls and flesh of all living things.
As if to confirm Muxuan’s assessment, the entire Canoches Forest let out an ear-splitting roar!
It was a screeching sound filled with hatred and hunger, composed of thousands of rotting logs grinding, the earth tearing, and the air warping!
Whoosh—
The circling branches could no longer restrain themselves.
With the sound of air being torn asunder, they struck toward the light barrier.
Muxuan had anticipated this; his golden eyes instantly broke through the outer camouflage as an even more massive surge of Lightforce poured out.
Almost simultaneously, Theodore felt a clean, grand, and majestic pressure descend upon her.
Though it was pressure, for some reason, Theodore felt warmth, and her entire body felt much more at ease.
The barrier became brighter at this moment, forming a sharp contrast with the deep, dark forest.
Inside the barrier, Theodore felt a sense of absolute safety.
But after being briefly repelled by Muxuan’s immense Lightforce, the forest seemed enraged, launching a much more violent attack!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
It was no longer a probing strike, but a bombardment like a torrential storm!
Countless jet-black, twisted, and rotting branches whistled with air-tearing screams.
Even from the soft soil beneath their feet, countless tree roots burst forth, crazily stabbing at the golden barrier.
“Your Holiness!”
Watching the ripples constantly forming on the barrier, Qiansitelin’s expression was exceptionally grave.
She slowly moved to Muxuan’s side, her tone filled with concern.
She knew very well that although everything seemed fine for now, this frequency of attacks put an immense strain on her young Your Highness.
They had to hurry!
Theodore needed to pick up the pace.