Chapter 222 — The Monster Beneath the Curse

Evan slowly turned around.

The first thing he saw was the settlement.

Or what remained of it.

For a moment, he simply stood there.

The Goblin settlement that had once been hidden deep within the forest was almost unrecognisable now.

Its wooden walls had collapsed beneath the destruction.

Ice covered entire sections of the ground, while enormous craters and jagged pillars of frozen earth marked the places where the battle had reached its peak.

Bodies were scattered everywhere.

Goblin corpses.

Broken skeletons.

Shattered weapons.

Everything that had once represented this settlement had been reduced to a battlefield of death.

Evan let out a slow breath.

The battle had finally ended.

He was about to open his status panel and check the rewards for clearing the settlement when something behind him changed.

Something he didn't notice.

The wooden totem still buried inside the Shaman's corpse had begun to tremble.

The blood markings carved across its surface slowly darkened.

At the same time, the Shaman's corpse began losing its colour.

His green skin gradually became pale.

Then grey and then dry.

It was as though every drop of blood inside his body was being pulled away.

Yet there was no wound.

No visible spell.

Only the totem.

Blood began flowing toward it.

Not from the Shaman alone.

The corpses surrounding him started to leak blood as well.

Thin streams crawled across the frozen ground, moving against gravity as they converged toward the wooden object.

The totem absorbed everything.

The more blood it consumed, the brighter its markings became.

A faint crimson aura began surrounding it.

Then another corpse joined the flow.

And another.

Soon, dozens of blood trails were crawling across the battlefield.

Evan finally noticed.

His eyes shifted.

"...What?"

He turned toward the source.

The Shaman's corpse was gone.

Only a dried husk of skin remained where the Goblin had fallen.

Above it floated the totem.

Suspended in the air.

Completely covered in a sphere of dark-red mist.

Evan's expression hardened.

His hand immediately moved toward his weapon.

'I should've destroyed that thing.'

He had already suspected something was wrong when the Shaman sacrificed himself.

Now that instinct was screaming at him.

'I knew this trial wouldn't end things that easily.'

Crimson mist continued spreading around the totem.

Evan's flames erupted across his blade.

Without hesitation, he swung.

A blazing slash tore through the air.

The moment it was about to reach the totem—

BOOM!

The earth exploded.

A massive wooden trunk erupted from beneath the ground and intercepted the attack.

The flames collided with the wood.

The trunk cracked.

But it didn't break.

Evan's pupils contracted.

'What the hell?'

The wooden structure twisted around the crimson sphere like a living creature.

Vines and roots wrapped around the totem.

Then the entire mass began sinking into the earth.

Evan immediately rushed forward.

But the moment he reached the spot, the ground had already closed.

The Shaman's corpse was nowhere to be found.

Only blood continued disappearing beneath the soil.

Evan's expression became colder.

"So you're still feeding."

He raised his hand.

Ice spread across the ground.

Within seconds, a thick layer of frozen earth sealed the hole completely.

Evan's senses expanded.

He searched for mana.

Any movement.

Anything.

But no presence.

No aura or even sound.

For a few seconds, the forest remained unnaturally silent.

Then—

RUMBLE.

The ground moved.

Evan's eyes snapped downward.

Another tremor followed.

BOOM!

The frozen earth beneath him exploded.

Evan instantly retreated.

Something enormous pushed through the ground.

First came a hand.

Then an arm.

Then a massive wooden head.

Evan's expression changed.

The creature continued climbing out.

Five meters.

Perhaps more.

Its entire body was constructed from twisted wood, roots and thick vines.

Its limbs resembled enormous tree trunks, while countless roots wrapped around its torso like natural armour.

The chest was the most heavily protected area.

Layer upon layer of wood and vines surrounded a glowing crimson core buried deep inside.

Evan's eyes narrowed.

'That's... the totem.'

The creature's head slowly lifted.

Two eyes opened.

Dark green light burned inside them.

Then—

ROOOOOAAAAARRR!

The roar shook the forest.

Trees trembled.

Loose ice shattered from nearby branches.

Even Evan's clothes fluttered from the pressure.

He didn't move.

His gaze remained fixed on the monster.

'What exactly did that Shaman create?'

This wasn't a Goblin or an undead.

And it wasn't anything Evan recognised from the creatures he had encountered inside the trial.

More importantly...

He couldn't determine its strength.

Even after extending his senses, Evan couldn't properly read its aura.

His expression became serious.

'That's impossible.'

Tier 1 beings should possess an obvious presence.

Yet this monster gave him nothing.

No clear rank or readable limit.

Only an overwhelming sense of danger.

The monster suddenly turned its head.

Its gaze locked onto Evan.

Then it raised one enormous hand.

WHOOSH!

Dozens of vines erupted from the ground.

They shot toward Evan like enormous serpents.

Lightning immediately covered his body.

Evan vanished.

The vines smashed into the location where he had stood.

BOOM!

The earth exploded.

Evan reappeared several meters away.

But the vines didn't stop.

They twisted through the air and chased him.

Evan's blade ignited.

He slashed.

A blazing arc severed several vines.

They fell to the ground.

Before they could even burn completely, new vines erupted from the monster's body.

More.

Stronger and faster.

Evan's expression tightened.

'Regeneration?'

He continued moving.

The vines followed every movement.

One nearly caught his leg.

Evan sliced through it at the last moment.

Another came from his blind spot.

He barely avoided it.

The creature wasn't merely attacking.

It was controlling the entire battlefield.

Every root and vine.

Every patch of earth around it had become a weapon.

After several exchanges, the monster suddenly stopped.

The vines slowly withdrew.

Evan didn't lower his weapon.

His instincts were screaming.

Something was coming.

The monster bent its massive legs.

Evan's eyes widened.

'Don't tell me...'

The wooden giant jumped.

BOOM!

The ground beneath it collapsed.

Its massive body shot into the sky.

For a moment, the creature hung above the battlefield.

Then it fell.

Straight toward Evan.

Like a meteor.

Evan's pupils contracted.

He immediately turned and sprinted.

The monster crashed behind him.

KRAAAAAA-BOOOOOOM!

The earth exploded.

Trees were uprooted.

Ice shattered.

The ground collapsed into a massive crater.

A shockwave swept through the surrounding forest.

Evan stopped several dozen meters away.

His expression had finally become grim.

"What kind of monster is this...?"

He couldn't sense its proper level.

He couldn't predict its abilities.

And worst of all...

It hadn't even shown its true strength yet.

The wooden monster slowly rose from the crater.

Not a single movement showed hesitation.

Evan clenched his blade.

"Fine."

Earth energy gathered around his feet.

The ground beneath the monster suddenly rose.

Stone and soil wrapped around its legs.

The monster was restrained, but it was only temporary, as the bindings began to crack when it tried to break free.

Evan raised his other hand.

Ice began forming above him.

One spike.

Then another.

Then dozens.

They hovered in the air, their sharp tips aimed directly at the monster.

"Let's see how much your body can take."

His fingers moved.

The ice spikes descended.

SHAAAAK!

They pierced into the monster's wooden body.

Ice spread across its chest and limbs.

For a brief moment, half of its body froze.

Evan's eyes narrowed.

But the monster simply moved.

CRACK!

The ice shattered.

The roots underneath twisted.

The wooden body repaired itself almost instantly.

Evan's expression darkened.

'That defence is absurd.'

He didn't hesitate.

If physical attacks weren't enough, he would increase the heat.

Flames gathered above his palm.

A small sphere appeared.

Then grew.

Larger.

Denser.

Evan compressed the flames again and again.

The colour gradually darkened.

The sphere became blackened at its centre, with ash-coloured flames crawling across its surface.

The pressure around his hand increased violently.

Even Evan's arm trembled from maintaining it.

He supported his wrist with his other hand.

'If this doesn't work...'

His eyes locked onto the crimson core buried within the monster's chest.

'Then I'll have to find another way.'

The flame sphere pulsed.

Evan lowered his stance.

"After absorbing all that blood..."

A cold smile appeared beneath his armour.

"...let's see if you can handle something hot."

He released it.

BOOOOOOM!

The compressed flames shot forward.

And for the first time since the monster had emerged...

The creature's dark-green eyes changed.

It noticed the attack.

It finally looked at Evan as though he had become something worth acknowledging.

The monster didn't stand there and take the attack this time.

The moment the compressed flame sphere approached, its enormous arm moved. Dozens of thick vines erupted from its body and shot toward the incoming attack, attempting to intercept it before it could reach the creature.

The result was completely different from what he expected.

The instant the vines touched the flame sphere, they disintegrated.

They didn't burn slowly.

They were reduced to ash instantly.

The blackened flame sphere continued forward without losing its momentum and slammed directly into the monster's massive arm.

For a brief moment, it stopped.

Then it began drilling through.

Wood cracked.

Roots ruptured.

The sphere tore through the entire arm before emerging from the other side, leaving a burning tunnel through the creature's enormous limb.

Flames immediately spread across the remaining wood.

They crawled toward the monster's shoulder, consuming everything in their path.

For the first time, the creature reacted.

Its crimson core was dangerously close.

The monster abruptly tore the burning arm away from its body.

The entire limb dropped to the ground and was swallowed by Evan's flames, turning into a pile of black ash within seconds.

Evan's eyes narrowed.

'It sacrificed its own arm just to prevent the flames from reaching that core.'

The monster stood there with only one arm remaining.

Yet somehow, it looked even more threatening than before.

Its dark-green eyes burned brighter.

A roar erupted from its throat.

ROOOOOAAAAARRR!

The surrounding trees trembled.

Evan couldn't help but smile beneath his armour.

"So you can feel pain after all."

He had finally found something that could damage it.

But the relief lasted only for a moment.

The monster started walking toward him.

Each step crushed the ground beneath its feet.

Evan straightened himself, though his body felt considerably heavier from the amount of mana he had just consumed.

His gaze remained fixed on the monster.

'Let's see how much I can recover from you.'

He stretched out his hand.

[Mana Siphon]

The skill activated.

A faint stream of mana entered his body.

Evan's expression froze.

That was it.

Barely anything.

He could feel the amount clearly.

Three hundred.

Perhaps five hundred mana points at most.

Compared to the monster's enormous body, it was practically nothing.

And the monster barely reacted.

It slowed for a fraction of a second before continuing toward him.

'What...'

Evan's brows furrowed.

'That's all?'

He had siphoned mana from the Shaman before and recovered a considerable amount.

But this creature was different.

It possessed an enormous body and a terrifying level of strength, yet its mana reserves were almost nonexistent.

'It can't be operating purely on blood and sacrifices... can it?'

He didn't have time to investigate.

The monster suddenly reached toward the surrounding forest.

Evan's instincts screamed.

His eyes widened.

An entire tree had been ripped out of the ground.

Roots and soil were still attached to its base.

The monster grabbed it with one hand and threw it.

Straight at him.

"Sh*t!"

Evan immediately moved.

But without enough mana to maintain his lightning enhancement, his speed was far lower than before.

The tree slammed into him.

BOOOOM!

His body was carried several meters by the impact before crashing beneath a pile of broken branches and other fallen trees.

Pain exploded throughout his body.

Evan tried to move.

But several trunks had landed over him.

His fingers dug into the ground as he attempted to push himself free.

Then he heard it.

THUD.

A heavy footstep.

Then another.

The monster was coming.

Evan's expression hardened.

'Move.'

His body refused.

'Move!'

The monster's shadow covered the debris.

Evan looked upward.

The wooden giant stood above him.

Its remaining hand reached down and ripped the trees away.

For a brief moment, Evan thought he had an opening.

Then vines erupted from the ground.

They wrapped around his limbs and torso.

Evan's pupils contracted.

He tried to break free.

The vines tightened.

The monster raised the uprooted trees in its hand.

Evan stared at them.

Then at the monster.

"...You're not seriously planning to..."

The creature swung.

BOOOOOOM!

The trees smashed into him.

Evan's earth armour formed around his body.

The impact shattered it instantly.

Bone armour appeared over it.

CRACK!

It broke apart.

The second strike came before Evan could even recover.

BOOOOM!

His body was driven deeper into the ground.

A third strike.

A fourth.

The monster wasn't fighting anymore.

It was beating him into the earth.

Every impact sent another wave of pain through Evan's body.

His ribs cracked.

His shoulder twisted unnaturally.

Blood poured from his mouth.

Yet the vines continued holding him down, giving him no room to escape.

Evan gritted his teeth.

'This bas*ard...'

Another strike landed.

His vision blurred.

His body went numb in several places.

He could feel bones breaking beneath the relentless assault.

But his consciousness remained.

Barely.

The monster raised the tree again.

Evan's eyes narrowed.

Flames suddenly erupted from his body.

They spread across the trunk.

The wooden weapon ignited.

The flames quickly crawled toward the monster's hand.

The creature immediately released it.

The burning tree crashed beside Evan.

The monster stared at its hand.

The same strange flames were already spreading across its wooden fingers.

It immediately detached the affected section away.

Evan rolled out of the vines.

He barely managed to rise before the monster's hand shot toward him.

Its enormous fingers wrapped around his body.

Evan's eyes widened.

The grip tightened.

His ribs groaned.

More pressure.

His bones began cracking again.

The monster was crushing him.

Evan felt his breath becoming harder to draw.

'If I don't do something now...'

His flames suddenly erupted around him.

His entire body ignited.

The flames crawled across the monster's hand.

The creature reacted immediately.

It threw Evan away and detached the burning section from its body.

Evan was thrown through the air.

His body spun several times before crashing into what remained of the Goblin settlement.

CRASH!

Wood shattered beneath him.

Ice broke apart.

Old walls collapsed.

His body disappeared beneath the debris.

For several seconds, nothing moved.

The monster stood in the distance.

Its damaged arm was already beginning to regenerate.

Wood grew outward.

Roots twisted together.

The missing limb slowly began reforming.

Then its gaze shifted toward the ruined settlement.

Silence.

No movement or sound.

The monster took a step forward.

Meanwhile, beneath the wreckage, Evan's body lay motionless.

Blood ran down his face.

His vision had already begun fading.

His consciousness struggled to hold on.

The last thing he could hear was the distant sound of the monster's footsteps approaching through the ruined settlement.

Then darkness swallowed his vision.

Evan lost consciousness beneath the remains of the settlement.