Chapter 106: The Defeat Is Inevitable
The man in the white robe could feel his boiling body suddenly chill, as if he were trapped in a frozen wasteland.
Slash!
The Sharp Debt Collector’s long blade struck the tree trunk, cutting deeper and deeper into its core.
Red moss oozed from the great tree, which, battered and wounded, could no longer stand.
With a final wail, the tree’s roots rose and crashed heavily to the ground.
The massive quantity of red moss began to wither, its vibrant crimson turning pitch black, transforming into a black pus-like liquid that seemed to form a face twisted in agony.
Morning Star leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the thrashing roots struggling to strike.
After a moment of contortion, the roots ceased their movement.
[You have slain the Red Ant Moss Great Tree, gaining 400 experience points, with an additional 80 experience bonus. You have reached level 11, current experience: 67/700.]
Finally, it was dead...
Morning Star’s grip on the blade relaxed slightly.
The man in the white robe, hearing the roots slam against the earth, trembled uncontrollably.
An outcome he could never accept had come to pass.
He had failed to prevent this...
The tree was dead!
...
At the same time...
All the Flesh Eater faction members rushing here suddenly collapsed, overwhelmed by intense pain.
Their home had exploded!
The red moss had merged with their blood, boosting their combat abilities.
But the moss had begun a backlash; as it withered, their movements became rigid and stiff.
Then, an even more terrifying transformation occurred.
A sensation of annihilation, as if punishing them, spread—the red moss turned into black venom, seeping into their blood and inflicting a terrible psychic assault.
Many Flesh Eater players could not endure and fell to the ground, wailing in pain.
In an instant, most of the Flesh Eater members were incapacitated.
They collapsed so suddenly?
Players watching the scene looked to Seabird in confusion.
What was happening?
Had a supreme expert cast a mass spell?
Seabird shook his head; this was not part of his plan.
Many players, bewildered by the scene, soon had their suspicions clarified by a well-informed Lore Scholar player who collected the black blood and pieced together the truth from the frantic Flesh Eaters’ ramblings.
Their bodies were intimately connected to a plant called the “Red Ant Moss Great Tree.”
Using his expertise, the Lore Scholar offered his analysis.
Everyone listened in shock.
A twin-tailed female player asked, “Can you explain it more simply?”
The Lore Scholar adjusted his glasses and said, “Maybe, a big shot blew up their ‘home.’”
Blew up their home!
Everyone gasped. Seabird was still on the battlefield, so it was obviously not him.
What on earth had happened?
“Seabird, any other masters coming to support?”
“Is the enemy’s base still intact?”
“Wait, are we winning without even trying? Am I dreaming?”
Stunned by this sudden turn of fortune, the players silently thanked the mysterious benefactor.
No matter what, the enemy had wilted. They drew their weapons and began clearing the battlefield!
...
Boom!
The man in white shattered the ice wall and witnessed the fall of his mother tree with his own eyes.
This was a rare catastrophic sapling discovered beneath the caves. They had poured immense effort into nurturing it.
Besides its usual functions, when combined with a special potion, this tree could alter players’ blood composition, allowing them to identify other players.
If all went as expected, the tree was destined to grow even larger.
Its death meant the extinction of the Flesh Eater organization.
The man in white watched as black blood oozed from the seams of his scales.
His blood was being corrupted by the red moss.
Soon, the black liquid polluted his mind, strange thoughts flashing through his brain.
It was over. Everything was over...
His heart sank as he looked at the Lore Scholar before him—a failure as a leader.
Morning Star took from the tree what the Morning Star had guided him to, gripping his long blade, ready for battle.
Contrary to his expectations, the man in white did not rage but remained eerily calm.
It seemed he possessed some means to resist psychic assault.
The enemy’s level was “???”, making it impossible to gauge his strength.
Morning Star sent the items from the tree back to the game, making survival his top priority.
The man in white’s hands trembled as he gazed upon the withering tree.
It was all over...
He wielded a special psychic technique that enhanced mental resistance.
Previously, it had helped him stay composed amid the mist storm.
Yet, despite this, the red moss continued to spread in his mind, eroding his sanity.
He was only slightly better off than other Flesh Eater players. His body’s decay worsened, and his physical abilities waned.
Morning Star held his long blade tightly, maintaining his sharpness despite exhaustion. He refused to show weakness.
The man in white retreated slightly. Seabird’s pet beast had locked onto his scent and would soon find him.
They had hidden this organization for so long, just finishing a grand plan—and now it was about to be lost...
They had intended to harvest a wave of newcomers after the official launch to expand and even seize the city.
But before this plan could begin, a low-level Lore Scholar had destroyed the source sustaining their organization.
Not defeated by a top-tier player, but by an unnoticed one.
The man in white sighed deeply, weighing his options, torn inside, and finally chose to flee.
The situation was grim; this opponent could not be judged by level alone. His body was damaged and could not defeat this player quickly.
Moreover, even if he won against this Lore Scholar, it would be useless.
Other players would mobilize immediately, and Seabird would soon track him down.
The best course was to minimize losses, send all valuable items back into the game, and request reinforcements.
The defeat was certain; now the priority was damage control...
The man in white looked at the Lore Scholar before him, utterly fatigued. Even in the mist storm, he had never felt such despair and exhaustion.
He wanted to say much...
But no words came out. Anger and resentment choked him silently. Only a simple sigh escaped:
“Alas...”
He had been utterly defeated, and by a low-level player no less.
Had it been a high-level player, he might have felt bitterness, but now, he couldn't even describe his feelings.
His heart felt dead.
A sense of helplessness clung to him. The tree’s core was likely taken into the game by the opponent.
He still had trump cards, but this seemingly weak Lore Scholar made him feel powerless.
Hopefully, they would never meet again...
The man in white took a step back, drank a vial of spiritual essence potion to restore his power, then hurriedly fled.
Gone...
Morning Star exhaled deeply as he watched the figure retreat.
His own stamina was limited; cutting down the tree had drained him completely.
He stuck his long blade into the ground, feeling weak, and chose not to pursue.
What mattered most were the three items from the Red Ant Moss Great Tree!
After confirming safety, Morning Star checked the game messages.
[You have obtained the Scarlet Bat’s Sigil.]
[You have obtained the Core of the Red Ant Moss Tree.]
[You have obtained the Seed of the Polluted Sunflower.]
All three were Sigil-class items.
These items seemed to have been swallowed by the tree from the beginning, growing inside its trunk.
Inspecting the core:
[Weak Core of the Red Ant Moss Tree
Type: Sigil
Description: The heart of the Red Ant Moss Tree’s core, containing immense Sigil power.
Function: Can be used to craft powerful Sigil equipment, serve as potion ingredients, or be consumed directly to enhance the physical abilities of Sigil users, among other uses.]
According to the description, this was a rare pure Sigil material, likely worth a fortune on the market.
Not bad; though it might need to be traded.
Morning Star examined the next item.
[Scarlet Blood Bat’s Sigil:
Type: Sigil
Description: Their flying and bloodthirsty desires are now under control.
Function: Imprinted on magical weapons to enhance their strength. For melee weapons, it increases base damage.
Once imprinted, the weapon’s base damage rises, and it gains the skill “Blood Bat Harvest.”
Blood Bat Harvest (ranged release): consumes 2 spiritual energy; when the weapon is activated, a swarm of blood bats bursts from the rune.
The number of bats depends on spiritual inspiration, capped at 50.
The bat swarm absorbs enemy blood, returning it to the user to restore health.
If health is full, bats that cannot heal the user will attack the enemy.
(Cooldown: 6 hours)]
Sigils are special items designed to strengthen weapons, containing unique circuits that augment certain weapons.
Typically, a magical weapon can be enhanced with one Sigil.
Weapons that already have innate skills usually cannot be imprinted.
This one boosts base damage and grants a powerful ranged healing skill.
His Debt Collector’s long blade was a purely magical weapon, suitable for Sigil inscription.
Judging from the effect, this was quite a valuable Sigil!
A fine haul indeed.
The final item:
[Seed of the Polluted Sunflower:
Type: Sigil, Flower
Description: An extremely rare sunflower seed. When planted, it produces fruit that increases constitution and can be used to make potions. However, the seed is contaminated by Sigil energy and cannot grow normally.]
This seed was very rare, only flawed by its contamination.
Morning Star accepted it.
To check the outside situation, he glanced at the group chat.
The entire Flesh Eater faction had collapsed, and thanks to a knowledgeable Lore Scholar’s analysis, they understood the cause.
While Morning Star inspected the loot, many players were busy binding the anguished Flesh Eaters.
Everyone momentarily lost their target.
Because of this, a “deduction show” erupted, speculating which player had toppled the great tree and pulled off this base-rushing maneuver!
Some even guessed internal strife.
Little Twisted Braid: “Did a big shot defeat the Prisoner and enter the base? Did anyone see?”
“...”
Following this, the crowd buzzed. The player known as Night Wanderer was quickly highlighted.
Combined with headcounts and prior details, suspicion firmly landed on him.
Seabird said, “I think it was him too.”
As the speculation solidified, Night Wanderer became the group’s top player.
A swarm of players began tagging him repeatedly.
Morning Star read the messages and sighed deeply.
If there was time for chat, it meant the Flesh Eaters had been crushed.
Just as he expected, after the tree’s death, the Flesh Eater faction had instantly collapsed.
Except for the man in white, most could not withstand the psychic whispers emitted upon the Red Ant Moss Great Tree’s death.
However, Morning Star did not immediately respond in the chat but summoned the Morning Star.
Now, a large number of Flesh Eater members were combat-ineffective.
That meant somewhere in this vast base, valuable items still remained uncollected!
Morning Star sheathed his long blade at his waist and let the little Spirit Shadow Fox retreat under his clothing.
With the threat gone, and the man in white the only exception, the Flesh Eater base was an unguarded treasure trove.
It was time for his Morning Star to fully explore it!
(End of chapter)