Wizard: Start with Biological Transformation to Grind Experience Chapter 20 - 020: Flames!

"This damn beast!" Lynch couldn't help but spit.

Lynch truly didn't expect this Twisted Tree Spirit to play the "better broken jade than intact tiles" card.

That sharp screech earlier was, in fact, a ssage to the surrounding Demons, informing them that the Soul Crystal on its body had been stolen by Lynch.

To these Demons, the Soul Crystal was undoubtedly a coveted treasure. After all, possessing it could significantly enhance their soul energy, which could, in turn, offer them the possibility of upgrading their life forms.

They dared not approach the powerful Twisted Tree Spirit before, but now, facing the thief who had stolen the treasure, every Demon was eager to act.

With their limited intelligence, they wouldn't evaluate what kind of powerful being could steal the Soul Crystal from the Twisted Tree Spirit. Their minds focused only on one thought: "Take the Soul Crystal and beco stronger!"

"Treasure! Treasure is out!"

"Seize the treasure!"

"With the treasure, beco stronger!"

Whispers filled with greed echoed continuously across the wasteland, as nurous Corrupted Tree Demons abandoned their shelters, crawled out from hidden branches, down the trunks, and advanced toward Lynch.

Wave after wave, countless numbers.

"This is maddening..."

For a mont, Lynch felt a chill down his spine. Corrupted Tree Demons may not be particularly powerful creatures, but their sheer numbers were overwhelming. As far as the eye could see, it was like a plague of rats—he quickly scanned, and there were at least thousands of them. Being engulfed in such a tide would an certain death with no remains left behind.

"Whoosh!" Parker had already dashed forward.

This ti, Lynch didn't stop him. To carve out a bloody path from the tide of Tree Demons, Lynch could only rely on Parker's combat prowess.

"Squelch! Squelch!"

Parker, who dove into the horde of Tree Demons, unleashed his full ferocity, using all his biting and clawing skills. In no ti, he had turned the tide of Corrupted Tree Demons upside down, clearing a path through their dense numbers.

Lynch dared not delay and hurriedly followed Parker to break through forward.

At this mont, the Elent Barrier's ti was running out. Once the barrier's protection was gone, facing such a number of Corrupted Tree Demons would be anything but enjoyable...

"I must leave here quickly!"

With this thought in mind, the situation showed little optimism. All roads were blocked by Corrupted Tree Demons, and every step forward required clearing them out, with the progress painfully slow—two minutes went by, and they had barely covered 200 or 300 ters.

"Sizzle..."

The inevitable finally occurred: the Elent Barrier, which had been holding on, reached its limit. The magical glow flickered twice before vanishing completely. Without its protection, Lynch was entirely exposed to the monsters up ahead.

It was as if a delectable feast had been taken out of the cupboard and placed on the table. A nearby Corrupted Tree Demon sprang at Lynch the mont it saw its chance.

Parker was clearing the way ahead and couldn't spare any assistance. Lynch had no choice but to fend for himself.

Clenching his Magic Wand with both hands, Lynch swung it like a baseball bat at the incoming Corrupted Tree Demon, landing a solid hit with a sharp "crack" that sent the creature flying.

Back on Earth, Lynch had once lived in Japan due to a work transfer. Struggling with unfamiliar surroundings, he'd often pass ti at the batting cages, and unexpectedly, the skills he had learned back then ca in handy now.

But their numbers were just too overwhelming. After batting away one, two more imdiately pounced on him. After he dealt with those, three to five more ca lunging at him.

After fending off over a dozen Corrupted Tree Demons, one of them managed to latch onto Lynch's right arm, sinking its sharp teeth in without hesitation.

"Hiss!"

The intense pain forced Lynch to suck in a sharp breath, and once he pried the creature off and inspected his arm under the cloak, a visible bite mark was left behind.

It was worth noting that the Apprentice Cloaks issued by the Tower were stitched with defensive properties equivalent to leather armor. The fact that the bite left marks indicated just how terrifying the attacks of these little monsters were.

"Damn it!"

Lynch burned with anger as his Magic Wand swiftly transford. It beca a hamr, and with a furious swing, he smashed the Corrupted Tree Demon's skull to pieces.

After venting his frustration, Lynch quickly regained his cool. Now wasn't the ti to lose control.

He assessed the situation fast, estimating that he had moved at most 500 ters. There still remained three-quarters of the distance to the slope. At this rate, even if he reached the other side, his body would likely be shredded beyond recognition.

He had to make a plan—and fast. But what could he do? Magic? Magic Plants?

Lynch's one mastered Shadow Touch spell could deal with these small creatures, but his current spiritual power was too limited to use it more than a few tis. It was absolutely unfeasible for massacring such a large number of Corrupted Tree Demons.

The Magic Plants he carried had the sa problem: with limited quantities, they couldn't resolve this ss either.

"If only I had greater strength..."

Lynch couldn't help but recall Yuri, whom he'd encountered before. Yuri's martial arts were perfect in such situations, requiring no spiritual power to handle small creatures efficiently. It seed Lynch needed to master so combat thods beyond magic in the future.

Yet that was a concern for later. For now, the pressing need was to address the imdiate crisis.

After pondering, Lynch finally devised a rather desperate strategy: adapting to the terrain and utilizing it to his advantage.

He slowed his pace and moved closer to the swamp, even heading directly into areas where it was swampier.

The Tree Demons and the swamp were far from allies, and the swamp wouldn't extend rcy just because they coexisted in the sa region. If the Demons stepped onto it, they'd be consud just as rcilessly.

Sure enough...

As Lynch moved into the swampy area, the assault frequency from the Tree Demons noticeably decreased. The swampy terrain hindered their movents, preventing them from attacking Lynch as relentlessly as before.

Of course, this posed challenges for Lynch as well. Walking close to the swamp ant that one misstep could lead to dismbernt—or worse, permanent burial.

He balanced sensing the swamp with fighting in the chaotic environnt, a task not many apprentices could handle. But Lynch could. His life experience from the past combined with dedicated cultivation and study had endowed him with extraordinary focus.

Night after night, amidst the noise of apprentice society, he had silently trained and honed his skills alone. To him, perceiving the terrain while enduring the chaos of the battlefield was rely training in a different setting.

Step by step, he inched forward, swinging his Magic Wand as he progressed.

One step, two steps...

Ten ters, twenty ters...

A hundred ters, two hundred ters...

At last, Lynch successfully crossed the dense swamp region and reached the foot of the slope ahead.

The incline was nearly seventy degrees, about seven to eight ters high. Sliding down had been easy earlier, but climbing up proved far more challenging.

There was no ti to rest—the Tree Demons continued their relentless pursuit. Lynch quickly transford his Magic Wand into a Mountain Climbing Axe and began climbing up the slope.

Four to five Tree Demons took this opportunity to leap onto his back, biting and ripping frantically.

The agonizing pain caused sweat to drip from Lynch's forehead, but he couldn't afford to let it distract him. Gritting his teeth, he continued climbing determinedly, knowing the priority was to reach the summit and return to the Tower's protective zone.

Seeing Lynch unable to retaliate, more Tree Demons leaped onto him. Within a few breaths, his body was covered from head to toe with attacking Demons, clawing and biting like they were trying to tear him apart.

The short seven to eight-ter distance felt like an eternity to Lynch.

Finally, he made it to the top!

"Crashhhh!"

Victory was within reach, but just then, the sound of a branch twisting echoed.

Upon hearing the noise, a sensation of dread surged through Lynch's body—

The Twisted Tree Spirit!

A single Fireball wouldn't be enough to destroy an Apprentice-level Magic Creature. After regrouping, the monster had extinguished its flas and, now re-energized, was charging straight at Lynch.

Its long branches wriggled like serpents, stretching from above the swamp and Tree Demons, unmistakably targeting Lynch.

He frantically crawled forward, hand and foot scrambling.

But it was a mont too late. Just as he was about to enter the protective zone, the branches reached him, coiling tightly around his ankle and pulling him back.

Without the protection of Defense Magic, the Twisted Tree Spirit's formidable strength was fully unleashed. Lynch stood no chance, and within seconds, he was dragged back down the slope.

Below lay a sea of hungry Corrupted Tree Demons, mouths wide open, ready to feast. More branches extended toward him to tear him apart. Even the swamp was rippling as if boiling in anticipation.

"Screech! Screech!"

Parker, who had just finished off several Corrupted Tree Demons, panicked. He spread his wings and dove madly toward Lynch, letting out loud cries as if shouting at Lynch and sending warnings to the surrounding monsters.

At the sa ti, red light visibly radiated from Parker's abdon. The glow was more intense than ever, piercing through his scales and traveling up his long neck. Sothing seed ready to erupt.

In the next instant...

"Boom!"

Parker opened his mouth, shooting out blinding flas. A raging fireball burst forth from his throat!

The innate power Parker had been building up finally culminated in an ultimate...

awakening!