Every enormous tree, twisted into a monstrous shape, had three or four holes of varying sizes that spilled deep crimson light like moonlight, forming hideous, distorted faces.
Some belonged to humans, others to monsters lurking in the darkness.
Gulp.
Cyril's throat bobbed slightly. Every tree surrounding him felt like a living evil spirit.
They were closely connected to the ground beneath his feet, as though they were extensions of the earth itself.
"What are these things? Mutated monsters created by the Mother Earth's residual divine power?"
As he murmured, his figure suddenly flickered and vanished.
The next second, thick roots resembling beast claws pierced the ground, thrusting out of the spot where he had just stood.
The ground beneath Cyril, who had flashed to another location, suddenly softened into a pitch-black swamp.
After flashing away again, Cyril saw the monstrous, twisted trees charging toward him with a bizarre, writhing motion.
At the same time, their branches and leaves grew wildly, surging upward as though to form a green barrier that blotted out the sky.
Soon, Cyril felt the surrounding area's connection to the Spirit World weakening, and his flashing slowed with it. How strange. This should be an ability of the Moon pathway... As his thoughts stirred, the quietly burning Brilliant Spark in his hand suddenly swayed.
Roar!
A roar filled with madness and savagery rang out overhead.
The next second, biting winds swept through the air, and snowflakes the size of goose feathers drifted down. The temperature plummeted, making Cyril shiver involuntarily.
Amid the swirling snowflakes, a translucent, ice-blue great dragon suddenly folded its wings and dove, spewing great swaths of pale blue flames from its gaping crimson maw.
The flames pouring down from above were blocked by the spreading green barrier.
In an instant, a green "iceberg" took