Third Brother: Tree World Descent!

The four of them took a quick tour around the various functional areas of the Essence Hall.

The forge, safe, flowerbeds, vending machine...

The facilities were all there and could be interacted with, but...

"The good news is, these facilities should all be usable in theory." Second Brother sighed.

"The bad news is, we don't have any currency to interact with them..."

First Brother inspected the weapon forge, a trace of puzzlement in his voice.

"Looking at the style of this hall and the fully unlocked weapon blueprint library..."

He turned toward Fourth Brother. "Isn't this your hall?"

Fourth Brother said, "I think so... I was the one who created the room in our last match before we got transported. Could that be why?"

"In that case..." Second Brother fiddled with the forge for a moment, then looked disappointed.

"The weapon blueprints are fully unlocked... but why aren't there any crafting materials at all?"

"Huh? Impossible!" Fourth Brother squeezed over in disbelief and checked it himself.

"I clearly remember storing a ton of materials! Iron ore, wood, parts... Why is everything empty?!"

First Brother stared at the empty materials panel, his brow furrowed.

"Without materials, how are we supposed to craft weapons? Do we have to farm them in the dungeon?"

The words instantly silenced them.

As one, they turned their gazes toward the most conspicuous thing in the center of the hall—

The portal that emitted a faint glow and led into an unknown realm.

"Come to think of it..." Third Brother spoke quietly, his massive antlers swaying slightly with the motion. "Does this portal... really still lead to that pixel dungeon?"

The atmosphere grew heavy. In the end, First Brother shook his head, rejecting the idea of taking the risk.

"We have physical bodies now. We're not data anymore. Those pixel monsters that used to look cute—who knows what they've become now? The risks are unknown. We should be cautious."

He looked at the other three and made a decision. "First, we need to familiarize ourselves with our own powers. Come on, to the test dummies."

The group arrived before the testing dummies. Fourth Brother was eager to give it a try and was the first to jump out, swinging his enormous Breath of Death scythe for a slash.

"Wait!" First Brother stopped him, his tone grave. "If I remember correctly, Breath of Death consumes health, doesn't it? Your body..."

"It's fine, it's fine, First Brother!" Fourth Brother waved him off carelessly. "I'm playing a vampire! Watch this—"

Before he could finish, he spun sharply. His huge scythe tore through the air with a shrill howl, carving a crimson arc!

"I cleave open Heaven's Gate with one blade!"

Along with his incredibly chuunibyou shout, an enormous ring-shaped blood blade shot out, instantly cutting the sturdy test dummy in half!

The blood blade continued onward, flying all the way to the pixel wall at the edge of the hall. The instant it made contact, it vanished like a stone sinking into water.

"Holy shit! It's that huge?!" Even Fourth Brother was startled by the exaggerated effect, nearly losing his grip on the scythe.

The others were equally stunned. The power of that strike far surpassed anything they had experienced in the game.

First Brother was the first to recover and hurriedly asked through their link.

[Fourth Brother! Do you feel unwell? How much health did it consume?]

"No big deal!" Fourth Brother checked himself and quickly reassured them. "Watch!"

[Bat Assault!]

Effect: Summons a large number of bats to attack enemies and drain health. If health is full, there is a chance to restore energy and armor.

A flock of crimson flying swords, flapping their wings, appeared out of nowhere and pounced on the restored test dummy like sharks that had smelled blood.

The bats summoned by this skin turn into flying swords. I always thought they looked like bottles before.

As they attacked, an extremely faint flush appeared on Fourth Brother's pale face.

"See?" Fourth Brother lifted his chin smugly. "A little bloodsucking and it's all restored. No problem."

"..."

The area fell silent. First Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother all stared at him with extremely strange expressions.

Fourth Brother's scalp began to tingle under their stares. "N-no, what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Second Brother's voice drifted over, filled with disbelief. "What you just used... was your first skill?"

"Yeah! What about it?" Fourth Brother answered instinctively, then suddenly realized something. His voice rose. "Wait! I remember bringing my third skill in my last match! How can I use my first skill?!"

They looked at one another as a startling possibility surfaced in their minds.

"Could it be..."

Fourth Brother swallowed, then cautiously and excitedly spoke the name of another skill.

[Otherworldly Vortex!]

Effect: Creates a black hole that draws in nearby enemies and bullets from both sides, while draining health.

As soon as he spoke, a twisting, rotating crimson black hole abruptly appeared in the middle of the testing area.

A powerful suction force erupted instantly, even dragging the invisible dust on the ground into it.

"Holy shit!" Second Brother cried out. Caught off guard, her petite body was yanked forward by the tremendous pull.

"Careful!" Third Brother, who was closest to her, reacted immediately. He grabbed Second Brother and held her firmly in place.

Fourth Brother hurriedly dispelled the skill, leaving chaotic energy ripples in its wake.

"..." x4

Fourth Brother stared blankly at his hands before looking up at his equally shocked brothers. His voice cracked with excitement.

"I... I think... I can use all my skills?!"

This astonishing discovery instantly set them ablaze with excitement, and they began testing their own abilities.

First Brother let out a low roar. "[Apotheosis]"

In an instant, a surging sense of power swept through his body. His already massive lava body seemed to swell another size, and a cracking sound came from his back.

Two enormous arms made entirely of blazing lava burst from his body and flexibly swung behind him, radiating a suffocating pressure.

Second Brother raised a hand lightly. "[Nightmare Mark]"

A dim light flashed across the test dummy, and the space beside her twisted.

A one-eyed little demon about half a person tall appeared, flames burning across its body as it flapped its fleshy wings. It floated obediently at her side, letting out faint hisses.

Third Brother cast all three of his skills in succession.

A massive shadow crow and shadow wolf condensed in the air, casting vast shadows.

Huge thorn-covered vines, as though twisted from flesh and blood, burst from the ground and thrashed wildly.

A gigantic deer-headed spirit manifested with a roar, its violent aura instantly drawing everyone's attention.

In the blink of an eye, the previously spacious testing area was occupied by these colossal beings.

The giant shadow crow cast its shade. The ferocious shadow wolf crouched and growled. The ominous flesh-and-blood vines writhed and tangled.

And the largest of them all, the deer-headed spirit, occupied nearly half the space. The candle flames burning on its antlers cast bizarre, shifting light across the entire hall.

"Good lord..." Fourth Brother's eyes widened as he took in the scene, which looked straight out of a monster movie. "Third Brother, your summons are way too huge, aren't they? With this scale, tearing down buildings would be easy!"

Second Brother swept her gaze across the overwhelmingly powerful summoned army. Her calm voice carried a trace of restrained excitement.

"It's not just a matter of scale. Have you considered... that skills might be used in combination?"

First Brother looked thoughtful. The enormous lava arms behind him collided, producing a metallic clang.

"You mean..."

"For example," Second Brother said, pointing at Third Brother. "Third Brother's first skill, [Frost Ash Wolf Assault], can enhance a summon's attack, size, and speed. It can also imbue them with ice and fire enchantments."

"Then could that enhancement affect the spirits and vines summoned by his other two skills?"

Third Brother froze for a moment. His huge deer head tilted as he tried to activate the enhancement from his first skill and direct it toward the vine summon—

The next moment, a jaw-dropping change occurred!

The shadow wolf and shadow crow, already sizable to begin with, rapidly expanded as if inflated, while the shadows on their bodies flowed like flames.

The already massive flesh-and-blood vines began growing and mutating wildly!

The main body of the vines became thicker, lashing about like prehistoric pythons. Their height and range of coverage exploded, instantly bursting through the room and into the hall.

What had once been nothing more than giant vines had now become a violent, aggressive forest!

"Holy shit!!!" Fourth Brother was so excited that he threw away his scythe. "Third Brother, you could cosplay Hashirama Senju now! This is Tree World Descent!"

Third Brother stared at the enhanced army of summons before him, which now resembled Titans, his eyes filled with shock.

Looking at this change that was practically strategic in scale, First Brother showed the first truly genuine smile he had worn since being transported.

It was the solid confidence that came from power.

"It seems..." His deep voice rang through the link, carrying unprecedented confidence. "Our chances of surviving in this world, even of finding a way home, are far greater than we imagined."

"Not just that!"

Second Brother grew even more excited and turned urgently to First Brother.

"First Brother! Haven't you noticed..."

"Our skills have no cooldowns!"