The mutated tree must have been patiently waiting for Kisha, Duke, and Vulture to venture further into the fog, carefully observing their every move, knowing that the deeper they went, the easier it would be to ambush them.
It had been biding its time, silently preparing to ensnare them with its roots.
However, when Vulture uncovered the arm and Kisha showed signs of trying to escape, the tree's patience snapped.
It couldn't afford to let its prey slip away—especially now, after the recent blood rains. The tree must be ravenous, needing more sustenance to fuel its evolution and grow even stronger.
Now that the mutated tree's cover was blown and it sensed its prey trying to escape, it could no longer feign to be just a normal tree.
The transformation was swift. Kisha, Duke, and Vulture were confronted by a massive Weeping Willow tree, its branches resembling the long, slithering arms of a jellyfish, undulating in the air as if reaching for them.