Heart of the Forest and the Challenger

The figure vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving Yanaki with a deep sense of unease. That person was too fast, too strong. Racing against someone like that on a path they had already chosen was foolish. She would always be one step behind.

She had to change her strategy.

"Elara, Sylva," she said, her voice filled with resolve. "We're not following the footprints anymore. Feel it. Where in this forest is the sorrow deepest? Where is life crying out most desperately for help? That's where we need to go."

Her two companions understood immediately. This was their way of playing, not the other's.

Elara closed her eyes. Her aura vibrated, connecting with the anguish of the entire forest. At the same time, Sylva stomped its foot lightly on the ground, and small, invisible roots spread out, sensing the flow of the land's diseased energy.

After a moment, they both pointed in the same direction. It deviated significantly from the path the footprints had taken. It led into a denser, darker area, where the fog seemed even thicker.

They began a new route. This path was clearly more dangerous. The whispers grew louder, clearer, telling tales of betrayal, decay, and despair. The Vines of Despair also became more aggressive, lunging out of the fog without warning.

But Yanaki's party coordinated perfectly. Sylva, with its instincts, always sensed the danger a second beforehand and raised its shield to block. The torch in Yanaki's hand was immediately brought forward, searing the vines and forcing them to retreat. Elara, meanwhile, continuously warned of areas with heavy, resentful energy, helping them avoid unnecessary dangers. They moved slowly but surely, a small, mobile fortress in the heart of the dead forest.

After a tense journey, they felt the air around them begin to change. The whispers faded, and the fog thinned. They stepped out into a large, circular clearing.

And in the center of that clearing, was it.

A colossal ancient tree, so large it would take three people to encircle its trunk. But it was dead. Its trunk was black and cracked, without a single leaf, and from those cracks, a black, viscous sap, thick as tar, was slowly seeping out, forming a sticky mire around its base. The entire tree radiated an aura of extreme sorrow and despair. This was the Heart of the Forest, and it was rotting.

Yanaki used [Appraisal].

[Sorrowful Treant (Area Boss)]

Level: 20 (Sealed)

Description: Once the great Tree God of Erathos. After the Great Cataclysm, it absorbed all the sorrow and corruption of the forest to save the other creatures. It has now become a living prison of despair.

Status: In pain. Unable to attack. Requires purification.

Yanaki let out a breath of relief. It wasn't a monster to be fought. Her mission was to save it. She took out the [Seed of Growth]. The seed immediately emitted a warm green light, as if responding to the Treant's cry for help.

She prepared to step forward.

"Stop."

A voice as cold as ice rang out from the other side of the clearing. "That thing doesn't belong to you."

From out of the mist, the figure in the dark cloak emerged. They had followed the trail and had just arrived as well. The confrontation was unavoidable.

The person reached up and pulled back their hood. Yanaki was slightly surprised. It was a woman, perhaps a few years older than her, with a stylish short black haircut and razor-sharp silver eyes. A long, narrow, brilliantly silver sword was sheathed at her hip. Her expression was cold and filled with the confidence of a professional hunter.

"I've been tracking this monster all day," the woman said. "The Memory Shard is mine."

Yanaki remained calm, pointing towards the tree that was "crying" black sap. "This isn't a monster to be 'killed'. It's in pain. Can't you see that?"

The woman smirked. "Compassion won't help you climb the tower. Only strength will. Step aside, or I'll consider you and your pets as obstacles to be removed."

Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword. Her gaze was no longer a warning, but a declaration of war.

The situation suddenly became incredibly tense. In front of Yanaki was the Sorrowful Treant that needed saving. Beside her was a high-level, powerful, and hostile player, aiming for the same goal but with a completely different method. Behind her, Sylva and Elara were both poised for battle.

In the clearing, amidst the mournful whispers of the forest, Yanaki's philosophy of "empathy" was about to have a direct collision with the ruthless law of the tower: the strong take all. One wrong decision, and everything she had painstakingly built would turn to smoke.