CHAPTER 39: DEVOURING THE CRIMSON CORE

*Booooooomm...*

*Thuuuud... *

The ones majestic soul ensnaring tree who stood with a grand presence like an immortal diety looking down on the mortals.

Using his poisonous abilities to ensnare his victims in an ethereal web of illusion of their desire, controlling them like his eternal puppets.

For four hundred years it stood tall on this vertical cliff like a king with no one to challenge his regin. Nonetheless the soul ensnaring tree finally met his end at the hands of two creature’s who were resistant to his poison. Being it couldn’t fathom.

Upon being cut in half by zephyr’s sword swing the majestic soul ensnaring tree fell as though carried by the fickle winds of change and pulled by the gravity of the earth.

The ones majestic soul ensnaring tree started free falling on the ground in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile both Black and Zephyr also quickly distanced themselves from the now free falling dead soul ensnaring tree, in just 8 seconds they covered a whooping distance of five hundred meters and turned just in time to watch the grand tree hit the ground.

Rising a massive cloud of dust and debris all around followed by another deafening boom just a moment after the impact. The cloud of dust rising high above covering thousands upon thousands of meters. The debris flying till kilometres.

Whilst the blood hued trunk of the ones enigmatic ensnaring tree shattered into multiple fragments upon impact, flying with the scattered debris becoming a forgotten echo of its past majestic self.

*Booooooooom... *

*Crack... * *Crack... * *Crack... * *Crack... *

The rough earth toned ground cracked and bent inwardly creating a large crater double the size of the soul ensnareing tree itself.

Five minutes later...

When the dust and debris cleared, the hazey poisenous mist obscureing the land also began to fade away with time like the fragile leaves by the stormy wind.

The enigmatic, otherworldly even majestic landscape became nothing but a past memory.

The land was cracked, The ground was bent, and The Grand Soul Ensnaring Tree which ones stood tall like a sovereign lay shattered on the cracked and bent ground.

It’s both small and big fragments glittering the deep crater in a blood red hue like the crimson stars on a stygian night. Making for a devastated and ruined scene.

Meanwhile Black and Zephyr walked towards the meters deep crater, each of their step a heavy echo in the silence followed by the great devastation.

The grass bent, crushed beneath their steps, it’s past enigmatic apprence lost in the whispers of time.

*Clang... *

A sudden sound of something braking was heard, Zephyr totally unbothered by the catastrophe devastation before her, echoed..

"Aww... it broke too, what a shame.. " said zephyr whilst looking at her broken sword which had also split in two separate parts after she had reenforced it using her potent magical energy beyond its structural capacity when she dilevered her clean cut against the soul ensnaring tree, severing it, in half.

"Haah.. what did I expect.. " said zephyr, as though mourning the loss of her improvised weapon more then the devastation caused by her.

Even though it was the first time zephyr used her weapon after her assencion to rank six, it still couldn’t handle the purity of magical energy she poured into it. It was already a merical that it didn’t brake the moment she poured her magical energy into it and even dilevered a strike strong enough to completely severe a level 69 lifeform in a single move. It was all because of the rank 3 core the Orc-ox possessed that his bones had the structural capacity to even withstand her pure magical energy.

Meanwhile when zephyr was lost in her thaughts, Black had already descended the large crater, he suggested, though his voice was low, she still heard him clearly..

"Nevermind that, look at this blood hued crystalline gemstone, I think this must be it’s transformation core." Black finished as he bent down and picked up the meter long core nestled beneath the scattered wooden fragments and debris.

"Man.. its so big?" Black mumbled, his words tinged with fascination.

With the sudden voice, Zephyr snapped back to reality, "with for me! Let me see!?" Shouted zephyr, as she turned her attention towards Black, while sprinting towards the 10 meters deep crater, and jumped without a second thought, landing on the ground with a loud bang near Black causing the stilled dust to rise again.

*Bang.. *

*cough... * *cough... *

"What are you doing zephyr". Black muttered.

"sorry sorry.. hehe". Zephyr purred in apology with a soft giggle.

"Anyways here, its your" Black breathed, as he threw the transformation core towards zephyr.

Though initially startled, she still caught the core with both hands, then turned towards Black with a curious look

She question, "what do you mean its mine."

"Ooh! So now you are acting innocent on me, fine I’ll be consuming this glittering core then" Black responded with a mischievous grin, his hands moving towards her to take the transformation core back.

However zephyr quickly hid the core behind her back, and stuttered...

"Wh-what innocent I don’t know what are you talking about Black". She mumbled,

Then with wide eyes she screamed, " Don’t tell me-" However before she even finished, Black intrupted..

"Yup! I knew! You were practically lusting after the soul ensnaring trees core, since the moment you saw it, I don’t even need our soul bond to figure out that you wanted to devour this delicious poisen, my cute little serpent." Black finished with a shrewd smile.

Zephyr blushed from ear to ear in embarrassment, her face reflecting the crimson hue of the transformation core in her hand, she couldn’t believe he saw through her this easily, ’and here I thought I would be able to surprise him and get prasad upon becoming stronger.’ Her embarrassment deflated upon thinking that.

Upon noticing her somber expression, Black’s eyes softened, his hand moved without him even realising it, even so ignoring that he simply petted her head, "you know, their is no need for you to do all this to get a simple prase from me, if it make you happy, I’ll prase you even without you doing anything, you just have to ask. Hmm!" Black whispered.

Zephyr simply nodded with a low hum. Her head lowered with a rosy blush, then as though trying to change the topic, she spoke as she shifted her attention towards the transformation core in her hand,

"Black look... it’s so stunning, it even had a novel air to it depict being the core of a poisonous lifeform." She mumbled, regarding the core in her hands with a curious expression.

Black didn’t mind her trying to change the conversation, instead he complied and told her something else about the transformation core...

"I suppose we were both lucky and unlucky since its core is just a step away from assending to the next rank. In just 100 years this soul ensnaring tree would’ve crossed 500 years old mark and would’ve awakend it’s spirituality becoming an intelligent lifeform and both its transformation core and it’s assencion rank would’ve assended to the next rank." Black explained observing the crimson core in zephyr’s hands.

However zephyr question, "But in hundred years we would’ve become who knows how much stronger, so wouldn’t this core become worthless to us." She asked. Not understanding what he was trying to say.

With a soft chuckle, Black responded, "You are right. Forget what I just said. Anyways why don’t you quickly absorbe this core since we aren’t that far from the dark-fall lake! No!?" Black suggested as he gazed into the distance in the obscureing fog or at least what remained of it then again shifted his attention towards zephyr.

"Alright.. " Zephyr Nodded. She compressed the meter long crimson core burning with a raging intensity in her hand using her magical energy until it became just an inche long.

Moving her right hand towards her mouth, her velvet lips parting as the crimson core grasped between her thumb and her forefingers entered her mouth.

With a crunchy noise, she bit on it, a honeyed, juicy, and a slightly spicy flavor assaulted her mouth, causing her to moan in delight.

"So good... " she mumbled and breathed a contented sigh. Both her hands moving forward and clasping her cheeks which had a slightly rosy shade to them as she moaned again when the sudden overwhelming sweetness of the poisonous core hit her tunge.

Even though lost in the deliciousness of the core she didn’t forget to use her Resonance ability to resonate with the poisonous essence of the Soul Ensnaring Tree present in the crimson core to devour it, to absorbe it, to make it hers.

Black watched her enjoying the deliciousness of a rank three core in slight envy, he also wanted to have some...

...