I kept a careful distance as I studied the Soldure Corrupted Treant through Noir's phantom scouts. Every movement it made showed power that dwarfed the lesser Treants I'd been hunting. The human torsos extending from its vines twisted and writhed, their frozen screams a silent warning of what awaited those who got too close.

It was obviously stronger than the Little corrupted treants, at least that was very clear even as I watched from afar.

"Time to use our trump card," I muttered, reaching for the weapon I'd been keeping in the storage ring for all this time.

What appeared in my hand was a sword.

It was the same sword that I had sto….won from Kai.

Anyway, as the Sword Blaze materialized in my hand, its blade immediately warmed to my touch. I'd avoided using it earlier because I didn't want any trouble with Malakani family and also because I didn't know much about swords, but against this monster, I needed every advantage.

Blaze was a weapon that could release fire based on the user's willpower and fire was an excellent element to use against the treants.

As I watched the monster, Noir landed on a nearby branch, tilting its head questioningly.

"Yes, I know it's risky," I responded to its unspoken concern. "But fire against wood? That's an advantage we can't ignore."

The sword pulsed in agreement, its blade already beginning to shimmer with heat. Blaze's ability [Will Fire] meant its flames would match my determination - and right now, seeing that piece of Lyssandra's jacket clutched in the monster's grip, my will was burning hot indeed.

I activated my Demonic Transformation, crimson patterns spreading across my skin. The combination of demonic essence and Blaze's heat created an interesting resonance - my transformed state seemed to feed the sword's flames, making them burn darker, more intense.

"Noir, spread the phantoms wide. I need to know every move it makes."

The shadow bird complied, its phantom copies creating a perimeter around the massive creature. Through their shared vision, I could see every angle of our opponent. The Soldure was even more impressive up close - easily four stories tall, its bark-covered heart pulsing with corrupt essence.

I needed a plan. Direct confrontation would be suicide - the thing could probably crush me with a single step. But fire... fire might give us an opening.

"Let's test its defenses," I whispered.

I channeled essence into Blaze, feeling the sword's eagerness to burn. With a quick movement, I sent a arc of flame toward one of the Soldure's smaller vines. The fire struck true, and the reaction was immediate - the vine recoiled, the human torso at its end screaming in very real pain. MyVirtualLibraryEmpire(M|V|L0EMPYR)hoststheoriginal.

But even then it didn't seem to be good enough to kill the treant.

Of Course, I'd already figured out this thing was well beyond the regular Treants. But the classification was useful. Exalted-Fallen meant it had not just raw power, but intelligence. This wouldn't be a simple fight.

The soldier treant turned toward my position, its movement surprisingly fluid for something so massive. Dozens of vine torsos reached in my direction, their arms grasping at the air. The corruption around it intensified, making the very air feel thick and poisonous.

"Showtime," I muttered, readying Blaze. The sword's flame reflected in my eyes as I prepared for what would likely be the hardest fight since entering the sanctum.

The monster made the first move. Multiple vines shot toward me with devastating speed, their human arms reaching with grotesque eagerness. I dove to the side, simultaneously slashing with Blaze. The sword left a trail of fire in its wake, forcing the vines to pull back.

But the soldier treant was just getting started. It uprooted itself completely, revealing more trunk-like legs than I'd initially seen. The ground shook as it began to move with surprising agility, its massive form defying natural law.

I kept moving, using the trees for cover while looking for weaknesses. Noir's phantoms gave me a complete view of the battle, showing me angles I couldn't see myself. The creature's bark-covered heart seemed the obvious target, but reaching it would be nearly impossible with all those vines protecting it.

Then I noticed something - when my flames hit its vines, they didn't just burn. They seemed to disrupt the corruption itself, causing the essence pattern around the monster to fluctuate.

"Fire cleanses corruption," I realized aloud. "Noir! We need to-"

I didn't finish the sentence. One of the vines had snuck around my flank, its human torso lunging with unexpected speed. I barely got Blaze up in time, the sword's flames forcing it back. But another vine was already coming from above, and a third from the side.

They were herding me, I realized. Each attack wasn't meant to kill - they were pushing me toward something. Through Noir's eyes, I saw it - a massive patch of corrupted ground behind me, pulsing with the same essence as the Soldier treant.

I jumped back just as the ground erupted, more vines bursting from beneath the earth. The trap had almost worked. The soldier was far more cunning than I'd expected.

"Alright," I growled, feeling my demonic essence surge. "No more testing. Time to show you what Blaze can really do."

I focused my will on the sword, watching as its flames turned from orange to a deeper, almost blood-red color. The heat it gave off intensified, making the air shimmer around the blade.

The soldier seemed to sense the change. It pulled its vines back slightly, the human faces all turning to watch the burning sword with something like recognition in their frozen eyes.

That's when I noticed something else - the piece of Lyssandra's jacket. It wasn't just caught randomly in the monster's grip. It was being held carefully, almost... deliberately.

But before I could process what that might mean, the Soldier treant launched its next attack. This time, all of its vines moved at once, creating a wall of writhing human torsos that blocked out what little light filtered through the canopy.

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