Chaos

"We can begin."

Thor, who was being torn at by countless branches and leaves, suddenly spoke.

This made Dean Pang across from him wary once more.

He no longer dared underestimate Thor, this newly advanced Third Rank wizard.

But he was only a Tier 2 Wizard. Even with the help of the Inverted Tree, he could only hold Thor temporarily.

So when the man who seemed bound suddenly spoke without any difficulty, Dean Pang's heart, which had just settled, leapt into his throat again.

Thor continued talking to himself. "Herman got the Tree Seed. I have to go get him out."

Hearing the words "Tree Seed," Dean Pang didn't know whether Thor was trying to bluff him. He could only command the branches to wrap around Thor layer after layer, nearly turning him into a ball of yarn.

Yet Thor's voice remained steady and strong.

"Tell Keli the Magic Array can be activated."

Before Dean Pang could think through what Thor meant, the seemingly solid branches binding Thor, which he couldn't possibly break free from, suddenly split open down the middle.

The vertical crack then kept extending and splitting, extending and splitting again.

It was like an eggshell being easily smashed.

Then came a loud crash.

The branches, leaves, and countless slender roots binding Thor all shattered and fell to the ground.

The insides of the fragments were stained with black liquid, which continued to corrode the remains of the branches.

Thor stepped forward, out of the ring formed by the scattered branches and roots, and stood before Dean Pang.

"I told you not to compete with me in Corruption. If I didn't still have a use for the Inverted Tree, I'd have melted you all down already."

The Black Skeleton before him seemed like a messenger from the Abyss.