CHAPTER 682: THE BLOODROOT LAIR

Ethan blinked, dazed for a moment, then snapped back to awareness. He was in a massive underground cavern, the walls slick with thick, blood-red liquid that oozed steadily all around him.

The energy radiating from it was intense—almost overwhelming.

But it wasn’t the kind of energy he could absorb.

Trying to take it in would only tear his body apart from the inside.

"What the hell is this place?" he muttered, his breath quickening.

He backed into a corner, crouching low as he focused his strength. A faint glow shimmered around him, casting eerie reflections on the wet, glistening walls.

That’s when he saw her—Feylora.

She was lying just a few feet away, her body wrapped tightly in thick, pulsing vines. They were coiled around her like a predator, and worse, they were draining her energy.

"Feylora!" Ethan rushed over, slamming his fists into the vines with all his strength.

With a grunt, he tore them apart, ripping them away from her body.

Only then did he notice the rest of the cavern.

Not far from them, piles of bones and rotting corpses lay half-submerged in pools of blood-mud. The stench was suffocating, and the energy radiating from the remains was just as twisted and powerful as the liquid dripping from the walls.

It didn’t take a genius to figure it out.

Those vines—whatever they were—dragged people in here, drained them dry, and left behind this grotesque sludge.

"Shit! What kind of nightmare is this place?!" Ethan’s voice cracked with panic as he pulled Feylora to safety, eyes darting around for any sign of an exit.

Just then, a sharp chime echoed in his mind—system alerts firing off in rapid succession.

Alert: You have entered The Bloodroot Lair. Warning: Domain of Angorath. Extreme danger!

So that’s what this hellhole was called—The Bloodroot Lair.

And the thing that ruled it? Something named Angorath.

According to the system, it wasn’t just some monster—it was a sentient tree. A massive, ancient creature whose roots could stretch for miles, dragging the living into its lair to feed.

Ethan quickly pulled up its data panel—and his stomach dropped.

Angorath was a mid-tier 18Tier entity.

No wonder.

No wonder it had been able to snatch both him and Feylora without breaking a sweat.

Just then, Feylora stirred, groaning softly as she sat up, her eyes fluttering open. The moment she took in their surroundings, her face went pale.

She curled into herself, trembling.

"My Lord... where are we? This place... it feels wrong. There’s something here—something terrifying. I can feel it watching us..."

Before she could finish, a sharp whooshing sound cut through the air.

A massive vine shot out from the darkness, fast as a whip.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

The ground shook with each impact as the vine slammed down, cracking stone and sending debris flying.

"Watch out!" Ethan shouted, spinning around.

In a flash, the Blade of the Fey appeared in his hand.

He drove it deep into the vine with a savage thrust.

A high-pitched, inhuman shriek echoed through the cavern as the vine recoiled, slithering back into the shadows.

Feylora was shaking uncontrollably now, all her usual confidence gone.

There was no doubt about it—Angorath wasn’t just strong.

It was a monster.

A terrifying, unstoppable force.

Ethan studied Angorath’s data panel carefully, eyes narrowing as he scanned the stats. Then he spotted it—a weakness.

The bastard was vulnerable to something called Lucenite Crystal.

It wasn’t a common material in most places, but back in his own territory—the Emerald Castle—Lucenite Crystals were practically everywhere.

A grin spread across Ethan’s face. Jackpot.

He reached into his inventory and pulled out a handful—more than a dozen shimmering Lucenite Crystals—and laid them out on the ground. After tapping a few to test their integrity, he picked the sturdiest one and gripped it tight in his hand.

Didn’t take long before another vine came slithering out of the shadows, snaking toward them like a predator.

Ethan didn’t hesitate.

He timed it perfectly and brought the crystal down hard—smashing it straight into the vine.

The impact pierced through the thick, rubbery flesh, and in the next instant, the crystal flared with a blinding light.

Before Ethan could even process what was happening, the energy inside the vine surged into him—raw, powerful, and overwhelming.

Whummm! Whummm! Whummm...

The rush hit him like a tidal wave.

His body swelled with power, his level spiking upward in an instant. The energy pouring into him was so intense, it felt like his veins were on fire—in the best possible way.

"My Lord—what is that?!" Feylora gasped, eyes wide as she felt the pressure radiating off him.

She reached out instinctively, placing her palm against his chest, worried the sudden surge might tear him apart.

But the moment her hand touched him, the energy began flowing into her too—like a current splitting between two conductors.

Both of their bodies lit up with power.

Ethan’s level climbed rapidly, and within moments, he broke through to 18Tier—early stage.

The vine in his hand withered instantly, shriveling into a brittle husk before crumbling to dust.

Ethan’s eyes gleamed with excitement. He hadn’t expected this kind of bonus.

Behind him, Feylora had fully recovered—her strength back to peak condition. Her Tier hadn’t increased, but she was more than ready to fight now, no matter who they faced.

Ethan took a deep breath, steadying himself. He knew they couldn’t stay here long. This place was a death trap.

He turned to Feylora. "Let’s get out of here."

Together, they began channeling their energy, trying to tear open a spatial rift to escape.

But just as the air started to ripple—

A figure appeared.

Not far from them, a man stepped out of the shadows.

"Who the hell are you?" the stranger growled, voice low and dangerous. "How are you absorbing my power?"

Ethan’s head snapped toward him. The man looked like he was in his forties, but there was something unnatural about him—his skin bark-like, one arm completely withered and blackened.

That arm... it had to be the one they’d just drained.

So this was Angorath.

Ethan didn’t flinch. He stepped forward, power crackling around him.

"Maybe you should be asking yourself that," he shot back, voice sharp. "You’re the one who dragged us here."

The air around him pulsed as he summoned his strength, forming a massive energy sphere above his head. It crackled with raw force, the pressure alone warping the space around it.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

The cavern trembled under the weight of it.

But Angorath just sneered.

"Hmph."

He didn’t look impressed. And why would he? He was already mid-18Tier. Ethan had only just broken into the early stage. The gap between them was still massive.

"You arrogant little shit," Angorath growled. "I asked you a question, and you answer with an attack? Fine. You won’t leave here alive."

With a blur of motion, Angorath lunged forward.

Vines exploded from his back, whipping through the air like monstrous tentacles.

But Ethan was ready.

He smirked, eyes gleaming with cunning, and raised the Lucenite Crystal again—then slammed it straight into the incoming vine.

The crystal flared once more, and the energy inside the vine detonated, flooding into Ethan’s body.

Another surge.

Another boost.

And Ethan’s power climbed even higher.

...