CHAPTER 206 - TREANTS’ RUINS

“Kill them all!” Han Wu shouted, sending his skeletons charging forward.

The treants’ bodies proved exceptionally tough. The skeletons’ Chainsaw Daggers barely pierced their bark-like skin. Even more frustrating, the treants regenerated rapidly, closing wounds with fresh growth almost instantly.

Meanwhile, their attacks came in two forms. They either swung heavy branches to bludgeon their enemies or used thick roots to strangle them. Surprisingly, these strikes were strangely effective against the skeletons. The repeated bludgeoning managed to kill even the Unique Skeleton Knights.

The battle dragged on for fifteen minutes before Han Wu ordered a retreat. The skeleton army simply could not match the treants. Not only were the treants incredibly resilient, but they also resisted the skeletons’ unique abilities.

Han Wu gained nothing from the clash. Instead, he lost 1,000 Wood and several hundred skeletons. He left the ruins seething with frustration. To vent, he commanded his skeletons to scavenge the nearby altars.

They marched for an entire day, securing five altars, a wealth of resources, and new skeleton variants. Although this lifted his spirits, Han Wu still resented the Treant Ruins. It infuriated him that the treasure lay just out of reach. He returned to his shelter and started drafting countermeasures for the Treant Ruins.

The treants were tall with formidable defenses, immense vitality, and rapid regeneration. To defeat them, he needed overwhelming destructive power. Using sheer numbers to chip away at them with his skeleton army would be inefficient. Only a handful of variants or the Osteomancer possessed the strength required to fight them head-on.

The Osteomancer was renowned as the strongest Heroic life form. It manipulated bone fragments and encased itself within a colossal bone giant, unleashing devastating attacks. Unfortunately, Han Wu couldn’t summon it from his divine realm just yet. Even so, that didn’t stop him. It was only an Osteomancer, and he could merge one on his own!

That very night, Han Wu ordered all of his newly summoned skeletons to gather around him and started merging them to get an Osteomancer.

Ten Common skeletons combined into one Iron Skeleton; ten Iron Skeletons merged into a Skeleton Knight. Then, ten Skeleton Knights fused to form a Heroic Osteomancer. However, this Osteomancer bore the influence of the Boulbear’s skeleton, giving it the appearance of a bear’s skeletal frame.

When Han Wu inspected its skills, he confirmed it was a genuine Osteomancer. After resting for the night, he led his army back to the Treant Ruins and spent 1,000 Wood to start the trial once more.

As before, 1,000 treants lumbered forward, easily shattering Han Wu’s skeleton fodder into fragments. This time, he stayed composed. Everything was going according to plan. The Osteomancer needed a large supply of bone fragments to display its full strength, so he waited patiently. Once enough had gathered, he sent it in.

The scattered bones rose into the air and swirled around the Osteomancer, assembling into a ten-meter-tall bone giant shaped like a bear. It was smaller than he had expected, but it still was a formidable force. Its huge paws effortlessly shattered the treants into fragments. The entangling roots failed to restrain the massive Osteomancer, which broke free from their grasp with barely any effort. The treants’ bludgeoning branches inflicted no damage either.

Han Wu passed the trial as all 1,000 treants lay torn apart. The Osteomancer remained unscathed.

A notification chimed, presenting him with three reward options.

[Reward 1: 2,000 Wood.]

[Reward 2: Level 1 Vanguard Altar: Treants. It can summon 10 Elite treants daily.]

[Reward 3: 10 Unique saplings. They grow 100 times faster than regular trees and can produce abundant Wood after nurturing.]

Han Wu sighed as he surveyed the rewards. They felt underwhelming, but he had expected as much after passing only the first trial. Four more awaited him, and he was certain the rewards would improve with each victory.

“I will take the second reward,” he decided.

The altar had its advantages. His skeletons worked around the clock, ensuring a steady flow of resources day and night. Wood was not a pressing concern, so he dismissed the first and third rewards without hesitation.

Though the second reward was the only option left, he did not feel disappointed. He had witnessed firsthand the durability of the treants as Vanguard units. Unfortunately, their fighting style did not mesh with his own, so he planned to give them to Qin Shuang. He recalled she commanded treants in her divine realm, where they complemented her Thunder Sparrows perfectly.

Han Wu proceeded to the second trial on the second level. This time, his opponents were tougher. They were upgraded versions of the treants, called Decaguard Treants. Each stood four meters tall and had an extra skill called Branch Pierce, in addition to their usual branch swings and root attacks.

Even so, they were no match for the giant bone bear. These treants were simply hardier versions of their predecessors. The bear’s lack of flesh rendered the piercing branches useless, shaving only a few bone fragments that the Osteomancer easily reabsorbed. The attacks left no lasting damage.

The second trial lasted an hour before Han Wu emerged victorious. As he had expected, the rewards this time were more generous.

[Reward 1: 4,000 Wood.]

[Reward 2: Level 1 Archer Altar: Needleant. It can summon 10 Elite Needleant daily.]

[Reward 3: 1 Life Fruit. It can help a Unique life form become a Heroic life form.]

Han Wu ignored the first reward and focused on the other two. He had never encountered Needleants before, so he couldn’t gauge their strength. The third reward, though, sparked his excitement. He already commanded skeletons, half-dragons, and Scorching Dwarves. If he could add a Heroic half-dragon or Scorching Dwarf to his ranks, the path ahead would become far easier.

He made his choice, took the Life Fruit, and gave it to one of the half-dragons that was accompanying him.

The half-dragon devoured the fruit and felt a rush of vitality spread through its body. Its muscles swelled with new strength, and its stamina surged. Its hide thickened, toughening as it evolved into a Heroic life form. Along with the transformation came a new Skill called Life Burst, a support ability that temporarily boosted its damage output.

Han Wu nodded with satisfaction and continued his challenge against the treants.