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"Damn it! Everything is falling apart—and all because that woman's power completely counters mine! Why couldn't I think of another way to fight? My own body has beco my greatest weakness! What else can I do? What can I do now?!"
Root kept thinking, searching within himself for anything that could help. His Aura surged, forming a do of golden and green energy that protected everyone nearby. It boosted their abilities, stamina, and healing factor.
"T-This isn't bad, Root. Thank you!" Alma said, noticing the twins regaining so color and no longer looking pale. "Damn it, Knife, are you recharged yet?!"
"I'm not! Can't you feed so of those monsters?" Knife asked. The floating pink and purple weapon needed to recharge before unleashing its strongest attacks. Normally, Alma would feed him Monster Cores, but she couldn't access her Mana Space—a spell she created using raw Mana to form a pocket dinsion for storage. The Corrupted Miasma and the distorted nature of this realm had sealed it off.
"What I'm doing isn't nearly enough... I need to do more. I need more power, but even touching her aura will turn into a withering monster. I can't afford that. I promised Yggdrasil I would protect this world. I haven't even t my brother again to talk about all of this. Until then, I can't die—let alone let these people die."
Root began tapping into his body, his soul, and then back into his body again. Sothing flashed in his mind as he rembered a core component of his existence.
When he was reincarnated, his soul was placed inside a World Tree Seed. That seed was planted within the skeleton of a long-dead Nature Dragon. The bones fused with his soul and wooden body, forming the Root that existed now.
But...
"No, this is ridiculous! It won't work! But what else can I do? Exposing my soul like Triton won't help either. That boy was born with a special soul—mine is still conventional. It would be destroyed if exposed. It's filled with Nature and Life Elental Energies, which that goddess's powers predate. Then what do I do? What can I even do... Ah!"
FLASH!
As Root infused his Aura and Soul into his body, letting his essence flow freely, he dug deeper into his wooden form. His gigantic body, once a source of pride, would now endanger everyone if unleashed.
Then he felt it. Sothing buried within the wood. His body began compacting around it, rapidly reshaping his entire being.
"This is my only chance. If I must beco sothing entirely different to help them, then so be it!"
FLUOSH!
RUMBLE!
Alma and the others gasped as the ground behind them trembled and split apart. Toyouke-Ōmikami's Dominion had transford the surroundings into a forest with dirt beneath and a dark sky above. Root had hidden most of his being deep underground, directly beneath Alma.
Now, to everyone's shock, he erged.
"Wait, Root! Don't do it!"
His silhouette appeared through the smoke. Toyouke-Ōmikami grinned viciously, her powers surging as she unleashed toxic gases and cursed miasma. Her corrupted Nature Dragon roared, and her golems attacked Root from every direction.
"Hahaha! You foolish man! You couldn't stay down, and now you co to help your pathetic friends? That body of yours will make a fine slave! Go! Tear him to shreds!"
Toyouke-Ōmikami laughed, sending the corrupted half of Root toward the silhouette in the smoke. Her golems charged in, attacking from every angle.
"RAAAHHHH!"
Root's roar echoed. His fists overflowed with glowing energy as he struck his monstrous half, tearing it apart with powerful claws. The golems were stomped and destroyed instantly.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
The corrupted half of his wooden body was sent flying, engulfed in golden flas. Its cursed miasma form burned away, slowly turning to ash.
"W-What?!"
Toyouke-Ōmikami's eyes widened in disbelief. She had been certain Root would be corrupted the mont he touched her familiars, yet nothing happened.
"Root?! Did you find a way to protect yourself from the—Eh?!"
Alma and the others gasped, nearly screaming in disbelief. Erging from the smoke was not Root as they knew him, but a massive dragon skeleton glowing with radiant white light and a golden aura.
Its empty black eye sockets glowed with golden and green light. Inside its hardened ribcage, a mass of wooden branches, leaves, and roots compacted together, releasing an Aura that protected the skeleton. Deep within, a crystallized heart of green and gold pulsed with energy.
Despite the strange appearance, there was no doubt.
"Root?!"
Alma, Hers, and Callon shouted in disbelief as the skeleton stepped forward, its Aura overflowing.
"Yeah, it's . Don't be afraid. This is part of my body—one I never considered using until now. These are the bones of a Nature Dragon that died long ago. They rged with my seed and beca my skeleton. By compacting my wooden body inside the ribcage, I can move using the skeleton alone... and fight. It turns out that cursed power can't affect as easily now."
"A-Amazing!" Alma was stunned.
"Way to go! That's genius!" Hers nodded.
"Lord Root, you're truly resourceful," Callon added.
Though none of them wanted to admit it, they all sighed in relief. Root was their backbone—no pun intended.
"H-Hah! As if using your damn bones will change anything!"
Toyouke-Ōmikami raised her hands. Giant black trees with crimson eyes erupted around Root. Their sharp branches stretched toward him, so wrapping around his bony legs, trying to crush them.
However...
"Hmph!"
CRAAASH!
Root tore the trees apart with imnse force, revealing his incredible durability. His bones were astonishingly hard, and Toyouke-Ōmikami's attempt to crack them failed.
"You thought you could break these? This is the skeleton of Nefeil, the oldest Nature Dragon to ever live—aside from Alf herself. He was the eldest brother of all Nature Dragons and renowned for his incredibly tough body."
Root wasn't exaggerating. The Nature Dragons had prepared Nefeil's skeleton for Yggdrasil's plan.
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