Heart of Nature

It looked like the broken-off piece of an emerald-green fruit, yet its surface was covered in fine, dense patterns like the veins of leaves.

As it appeared, Lynn only felt his heart grow calm and peaceful. The rotten stench from ahead was blocked several meters away, replaced by the harmonious feeling of being within nature.

"This was originally a magic item called the 'Heart of Nature.' Though incomplete, it can still exert tremendous power in the wild."

Charlotte explained to them in a quick, clear tone:

"Only members of Green Tower can use it. Once activated, it generates a special domain, and all natural forces within that domain will return to their original state."

She looked at Lynn, her blue eyes turning deep and mysterious. "Birth, aging, sickness, and death—that is nature's original state. In other words, Rigel will properly meet his death."

Lynn's eyes widened slightly. What a tyrannical ability! This was a sacred relic capable of forcibly correcting the power of rules!

And it was only in an incomplete state. He did not dare imagine what kind of mighty power it would possess when whole!

"However, when I use it, the Magic Wolves under my control will also regain their consciousness. I'll send them away in advance. At that point, I'll need you to hold Rigel down.

"And I myself will also fall into a weakened state where I can't move..." she said, somewhat hesitant.

Lynn thought for a moment. His Shield Spell could only resist non-magical attacks, so it would not be very useful against Rigel's counterattack.

At that moment, Elaine, who was riding the Giant-Horned White Deer, said, "I can cast [Shelter Spell] on you. It can make you immune to one magical effect, but if the circle rank exceeds it by too much, or if effects are applied in succession, it may fail."

Lynn nodded. That made things much safer. After Charlotte unfolded the "Heart of Nature" domain, Celine, the other two, and he would attack with all their strength. They should be able to kill Rigel before he unleashed more counterattack methods.

The group quickly discussed their countermeasure and spread out. Celine attacked from the front, Liam launched a flank assault, while Ulshi took the high ground and waited for a chance to provide cover.

Lynn, Elaine, and Charlotte stood together on one side, keeping their positions so they could support one another at any time.

Seeing that everyone was ready, Charlotte pinched two fingers together and placed them by her mouth, blowing a clear whistle. The pack of Magic Wolves besieging and tearing at Rigel immediately stopped moving, then scattered and fled as though driven away by an invisible force.

They nimbly climbed onto the low mountain and scattered beneath the moonlight, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.

Rigel was sprawled on the ground now, his body already mangled beyond recognition. His flesh and skin looked as though they had been plowed back and forth by a cart plow, and stark white bone could be seen amid the filthy blood.

But he was still breathing, muttering to himself, his whole body twitching nonstop. Along with the continuous screams from the Flesh Rings around him, the injuries on his body were rapidly being transferred away.

"Ha!"

With a fierce shout, Celine charged forward with her spear in hand and thrust out with extreme sharpness, stabbing straight at Rigel's chest, wanting to pin him firmly to the ground.

At the same time, Rigel's muttering stopped, and mana surged out. The surface of his pitch-black, bloodstained skin suddenly twisted and shriveled, turning dark brown and hard.

Was this the second-circle [Tree Skin Spell]? It could turn the surface of the skin into hard, thick bark, with a remarkable effect against thrusting attacks.

Liam, holding twin daggers, happened to rush in as well. His silver twin daggers fell like raindrops, yet they could barely leave even a scratch on that layer of bark as hard as iron.

This was a bit awkward... The effects of the two of their attacks were completely countered by the other party's magic. Even Ulshi's arrows would not be easy to use.

However, no magic was invincible. The more powerful a spell, the more fatal its weakness became.

Lynn chanted an incantation in a low voice and raised the Super Magic Staff inlaid with an Aquamarine Gem high, while also activating the [Mana Surge] effect built into the staff.

For the duration, mana consumption increased, while all magic effects cast were strengthened!

Mana condensed, flames gathered, and a cluster of orange-red Fire Arrow shot out.

That withered-tree skin was extremely dry, the finest kindling. As soon as it was touched by the Fire Arrow, it quickly began to burn.

The flames spread from the initial shoulder to the upper body, growing fiercer and fiercer.

Rigel struggled desperately, trying to extinguish the flames on his body by rolling, only for Ulshi to shoot out a "Thorn Arrow Rain." Several brambles crisscrossed and bound his body, making it difficult for him to move for a time.

The scene looked exactly like he had been forcibly propped up over a fire and roasted alive.

With no other choice, he dispelled "Tree Skin Spell," but the skin underneath was also charred black. As the flames met the filthy blood, white steam immediately rose.

The Dark Elf instantly let out a heart-rending scream.

At this moment, Charlotte finally completed her preparations. The "Heart of Nature" peeled away from the staff in her hand and rose high into the air above the center of the valley, scattering waves of green radiance.

The entire valley floor between the mountains was bathed and purified by that radiance. For a moment, nature's harmonious power washed away that foul, rotting, evil aura.

On the body of the Dark Elf Rigel, the charred skin and remaining wounds indeed stopped being transferred.

Seeing this, Celine and Liam immediately brandished their weapons and rushed forward to meet him.

For a time, spear and dagger light flashed in a dazzling blur, while flesh and screams flew together.

As a pure spellcaster, once a Druid was closed in on by melee professions of the same level, he basically had no chance to strike back at all.

The battle situation turned one-sided for a while. That heavy, gory scene made Lynn click his tongue inwardly, while Elaine had already quietly lowered her head, not daring to look too much.

Adventurers like them hunted Demonic Beasts all day long, and though they had also killed subhuman Demonic Beasts like Goblins, slaughtering a humanoid intelligent race like Dark Elves was still a rare sight.

However, in this world, many countries, including the Yaxia Kingdom, had established strict laws against socially harmful acts such as Dark Magic and evil rituals.

Even without prior official action, the actors would be regarded as heroes and receive legal immunity.

Of course, afterward, the Magic Association would definitely send a group of people to conduct an investigation and verification, ensuring that they were not using the name of righteous bravery to slaughter innocents.

This operation of theirs had Charlotte, a member of Green Tower, and Elaine, a noble of Roan City, as witnesses, so naturally there would be no problems on the official side.

There was not even a need for Lynn and Ulshi to act. Celine and Liam had already left several fatal wounds on Rigel's body.

Charlotte maintained the operation of the "Heart of Nature" domain, her blue eyes quietly watching all of this.

Though she appeared very calm, Lynn's intuition was faintly stirred.

She was grieving...

Just then, Charlotte said, her voice trembling slightly, "The ritual hasn't stopped yet... You two, please try to behead him."

Her fine lashes quivered faintly. "His life has already fused completely with the ritual. Only by cutting off all vitality completely can we stop it..."

Celine and Liam both hesitated at that. They were only Adventurers, not executioners. They hunted Demonic Beasts, but rarely slaughtered their own kind...

"Charlotte..." Rigel the Dark Elf collapsed to the ground, his violet eyes gazing at Charlotte's calm face. As he called out to her, filthy black blood kept pouring from his throat.

His life had already reached its end.

But Lynn suspected that the moment the Heart of Nature's domain vanished, he would immediately regain that eerie immortality.

At that moment, a piercing red light suddenly flared from Rigel's scarred and battered chest.

His heart, which had already been pierced through, began to beat violently.

Thump, thump, thump—like peals of thunderous drums echoing through the valley.

That red light blazed even brighter, swiftly swallowing the dazzling green light radiating from the Heart of Nature.

At the same time, an evil, rotten, suffocating aura appeared once more!