CHAPTER 407: ACCIDENT

The vine reacted instinctively, whipping one of its thicker tendrils protectively in front of its main body.

Yet the missile struck with unstoppable force, melting straight through the thick, rubbery vine in mere milliseconds, penetrating deeper into its core.

Orion narrowed his eyes sharply, not celebrating prematurely. As expected, the main body of the Dreamshade Vine abruptly jerked backward, shifting its bulk dozens of meters away just before the missile detonated.

The explosion unleashed a violent inferno, obliterating the portion of vine that lingered behind, causing molten fragments and burning embers to scatter fiercely in every direction.

"Tsk," Orion muttered softly, observing the main body retreat with surprising agility. He had anticipated resistance, but the Dreamshade Vine’s evasive capabilities were even greater than expected.

Without thinking further, he summoned more mana, the air around him visibly distorting from the scorching heat he emanated.

[Crimson Nova], he uttered coldly while snapping his fingers, launching a spark of fire forward, swiftly followed by [Infernal Lance].

A searing red lance condensed purely from fire mana launched itself toward the fleeing main body of the vine.

Yet again, the vine demonstrated extraordinary slipperiness, shifting its huge bulk and narrowly dodging each attack as its numerous tendrils whipped about chaotically, attempting to disrupt Orion’s accuracy.

At the same moment, the vine shifted its behavior from passive defense to active offense. Dozens of thick, whip-like tendrils surged forward, moving with deceptive speed and uncanny coordination, each aiming to entangle and incapacitate Orion.

Orion unsheathed his Realm Guardian sword, gripping the obsidian-black blade with unwavering confidence.

His muscles tightened as he swung forcefully, attempting to cleave through the attacking tendrils with pure physical force.

But his eyes flashed with brief surprise as he felt his blade bounce back slightly, unable to cleanly slice through the flexible, rubber-like texture of the vine.

Reacting immediately, Orion quickly channeled sword aura into his blade, igniting the sword in fierce, brilliant flames.

With a swift pivot, he unleashed [Blazing Execution Arc] once again. The radiant arc of fire cleanly bisected the tendrils, sizzling and burning the edges of their remains as they recoiled sharply, thrashing in apparent agony.

The battle swiftly escalated, the surroundings vibrating violently from their exchanges. Orion’s potent mana clashed repeatedly with the Dreamshade Vine’s sinister, elusive powers.

The sheer intensity of their confrontation strained the already distorted spatial fabric of the labyrinth. Reality itself seemed to tremble as faint fissures, cracks through which chaotic void energy leaked, began appearing in mid-air around them.

Orion’s expression grew increasingly serious, sensing the escalating instability of their environment. The vine, aware or not of the danger, continued its assault relentlessly, its massive form twisting around the chamber walls and ceiling, launching continuous barrages of whip-like strikes and toxic spores in an attempt to immobilize him.

Flames and mana erupted repeatedly, their confrontation reaching a critical point. The room became a blazing inferno interspersed with glimmers of distorted space.

Orion ducked and weaved between attacks, each step carefully calculated, responding decisively with Intermediate Grade Sword Aura and bursts of fiery spells.

Finally spotting an opening, Orion surged forward in a powerful burst of speed, channeling an immense amount of mana into his sword once more.

[Blazing Execution Arc], he growled decisively, ready to cleave straight through the vine’s main body.

However, just as Orion swung down with overwhelming force, the already strained fabric of space suddenly tore open beneath both combatants, revealing a chaotic void.

A spatial fissure yawned wide beneath their feet, immediately unleashing an irresistible pull.

Orion’s eyes widened in shock, his strike forcibly redirected as he tried to stabilize himself, but even his powerful Draconian form could not resist the enormous gravitational force of the fissure.

"Damn it!" he muttered in frustration, forced to abandon his attack as the fissure swiftly expanded, swallowing both him and the Dreamshade Vine whole.

The chaotic pull dragged Orion into a whirlpool of unstable spatial currents, and he quickly glanced backward to see his companions fading rapidly from view.

He briefly felt a pang of worry for their safety, yet he knew they’d be safer without the Dreamshade Vine nearby.

The spatial tear swiftly closed behind him, leaving no trace but faint ripples of residual mana. The surroundings calmed down as the spatial cracks began to heal themselves.

***

Orion felt his consciousness blur slightly under the chaotic currents of spatial distortion, yet quickly regained clarity.

He found himself tumbling through a turbulent space between realms, fragments of void energy brushing dangerously close to him.

The Vine, too, was thrashing helplessly nearby, seemingly disoriented by the sudden displacement.

Orion steadied himself amidst the chaotic currents, eyes sharp and unwavering as spatial energies violently battered his protective aura.

Instinctively, his hand shot toward his inventory, swiftly retrieving an Uncommon Grade defensive Runic Scroll he had previously drawn from the Gacha.

The scroll emanated a subtle golden glow, intricate runes shimmering faintly on its delicate surface.

Without hesitation, Orion channeled mana into the scroll, activating it instantly. A protective dome formed around him, radiating a translucent yet resilient barrier, warding off the destructive forces of spatial turbulence.

The chaotic void twisted violently around him, roaring angrily against the newly formed shield, yet it remained sturdy, unwavering in the face of spatial currents.

Orion’s eyes narrowed as he glanced to his side. The Dreamshade Vine was thrashing uncontrollably in the spatial storm, its thick tendrils flailing wildly.

Unprotected by any defensive means, the monstrous plant was quickly ravaged by the sharp, slicing currents. Vine segments were severed cleanly, the main body dissected into numerous pieces, each rapidly disappearing into the void.

Observing its fate, Orion felt a brief moment of relief mixed with lingering annoyance at the unexpected turn of events.

Gradually, the storm began to weaken, and the spatial energies slowed, signaling their imminent arrival at their destination.

Orion braced himself as a sudden pulse of spatial energy pushed him forcefully through an opening rift, depositing him abruptly back into the physical realm.

He landed solidly, the residual spatial currents dissipating around him. Slowly straightening, Orion exhaled deeply, his gaze sweeping over the scattered remains of the Dreamshade Vine.

Now reduced to severed, lifeless segments, the plant posed no further threat. Its previously fearsome aura was extinguished, leaving only scattered pieces as a grim reminder of the intense battle.

His gaze returned to the spent Runic Scroll, now dull and inert in his hand. He sighed softly, shaking his head with mild regret. "That was my only Uncommon Grade Defensive Scroll," he murmured thoughtfully, "I must be more careful going forward."

Immediately, Lumi’s cheerful voice resounded in his mind, brightly optimistic as ever,

[Master! The Gacha is always available! You can always draw more!

Orion’s lips twitched involuntarily at her enthusiasm. "Lumi, out of six hundred draws, this was the only one I obtained. You should know the odds better than me," he replied dryly, gently dismissing her suggestion.

After a brief pause, he added more seriously, "If necessary, I’ll use the Gacha later. For now, there’s no urgent need."

Lumi giggled softly, evidently amused but refraining from further teasing.

"Sigh, I hope those guys can handle themselves." He gently exhaled and said with a bit of worry.

Lumi spoke in an optimistic tone,

[You don’t need to worry, Master. They aren’t weak. I’m sure they can handle themselves. ( •̀ ᴗ •́ )و ]

Orion gently nodded his head, "Yes, I guess they also need to weather some storms."