The glade shimmered with new life, reborn under the sacred bond between dragon and spirit. Flowers bloomed where once only ash and rot lingered, and the wind whispered in jubilant tones. Yuki stood at the heart of it, the spirit crest on his chest still softly glowing, his body pulsing with newly refined power.
Beside him, Sylvaeria floated with an almost weightless grace. Her silver-green hair drifted with the breeze, a gentle contrast to Yuki's imposing form. But there was no imbalance—between them, the connection was seamless.
Still, peace was short-lived.
Sylvaeria's smile faded, her expression tightening. "Can you feel that?"
Yuki focused. His soul-sense, recently sharpened through his Mindforge and the pact, tingled with unease. Beneath the rejuvenated forest, something churned. Not corruption—no. This was older. *Buried rage.* Residual energy bound deep beneath the roots.
"Something's still bound under here," Yuki muttered, claws digging into the soft earth. "How deep does this place go?"
Sylvaeria stepped forward and touched the ground. A series of glowing lines, like spiritual veins, surged outward. "This entire grove was once part of my Core Domain. And at its heart were the Guardians. They were noble beings—constructs of spirit essence and elemental will, protectors of balance."
Her voice wavered.
"But when the seal was placed upon me… they went mad."
The wind trembled. Yuki looked up as a gust swept across the glade—unnatural, wild. The very ground beneath them began to rumble.
> **Warning: You are being targeted by a High-Tier Spirit Guardian (Corrupted Variant).**
> **Name:** Varnaxis, Rootwrought Sentinel
> **Class:** Spirit-Tier Guardian (Corrupted)
> **Type:** Earth/Wood/Soul Hybrid
> **Threat Level:** S+
A groaning cry like bending trees shattered the silence. From the edge of the grove, the massive figure emerged—an amalgam of root, bark, and decaying soul essence. Its towering form resembled a twisted treant with glowing green eyes oozing with dark mist. Four arms of gnarled wood ended in bladed roots, and its back carried a writhing mass of corrupted spirit vines.
Sylvaeria paled. "That… was once Varnaxis. My eldest warden."
The creature's gaze locked on her, then on Yuki. It let out a guttural, grief-twisted roar that rattled the trees.
Yuki's eyes narrowed. "He's beyond saving, isn't he?"
Sylvaeria hesitated… then nodded solemnly. "Only release remains."
Yuki's soul flared.
> **Ultimate Skill Activation: Phantom Ripper – Awakened Form**
> *(Mindforge enhancement integrated)*
> **Sub-Skills:**
>
> * **Phase Rend** – Tears through spiritual matter in a separate dimensional layer.
> * **Echo Reaver** – Strikes leave afterimages that detonate on delay.
> * **Soul Tear Drive** – Amplifies attack against soul-corrupted enemies.
> * **Wraithstep Surge** – Instantly blink behind enemy while ignoring physical resistance.
> * **Mindhook Slash** – Binds enemy's thoughts momentarily to prevent retaliation.
"Let's end this."
Yuki vanished in a flash of spiraling mist, appearing behind Varnaxis. His claws ignited with soulflame, enhanced by **Soul Tear Drive**, and slashed across the guardian's bark hide. The blow tore deep, ghostly fragments spilling like mist.
The corrupted spirit bellowed, retaliating with a heavy swipe, but Sylvaeria summoned **Winds of Warding**, creating a vortex that deflected the massive strike. Her hands danced with green fire as she launched **Floral Bloomstrikes**, sharp petals bursting across Varnaxis's chest and limbs.
Still, the beast endured.
Varnaxis roared, sending out tendrils of soul-root that wrapped around Yuki's limbs. Dark mist poured from its mouth—**Spiritrot Howl**—a curse designed to decay both mind and soul.
Yuki grit his teeth. "No you don't—"
> **Sub-Skill Activation: Mindhook Slash**
He slashed in a ripple of mental pressure, and Varnaxis staggered—confused, unable to process its next move. Using the opening, Yuki blinked forward with **Wraithstep Surge** and plunged both claws into its heartwood.
Sylvaeria raised her hands to the sky, the air thick with her power.
> **Spirit Art: Verdant Sovereign's Bloom**
Light poured downward like holy rain, flooding the battlefield. Flowers bloomed along the corrupted vines—first green, then white, then golden. The corruption sizzled and cracked.
Yuki roared, merging his strike with the falling spirit light, and channeled his full might through **Phase Rend**.
With a deafening cry, Varnaxis's core split in two. The ancient guardian's body began to collapse, slowly fading into motes of spirit light, its tortured soul finally released.
Sylvaeria whispered, "Sleep now… old friend."
As the grove quieted once more, a glowing orb floated toward Yuki.
> **Skill Acquired: Verdant Shell (Passive)**
> *Grants resistance to spirit decay and enhances natural defense regeneration in spirit zones.*
> **Skill Acquired: Rootpulse Step**
> *Allows temporary fusion with terrain for surprise movement and soul-based stealth.*
Yuki let out a slow breath, muscles tensing and relaxing. The fight had been short, but intense. More importantly, it showed him just how deep this forest's scars went.
He turned to Sylvaeria. "There are more, aren't there?"
She nodded. "Three more corrupted guardians remain… and beyond them, the true force behind my seal."
Yuki's eyes burned with resolve.
"Then we'll hunt them down. Together."
Sylvaeria smiled, soft and fierce. "Together."
---