BOOOOOMMMM!!!
The enormous mass of nature impacted the floating crystal possessed by the Demon King. But from within, an enormous phantasmal aura of miasma and darkness emerged, reflecting my attack easily and resisting its enormous power…!
CLAAAASH!
What?!
I felt shocked, he wasn't able to block my blows in such a way before.
What is this?!
He was already acting weird by letting go of the body of the Tree of Beginnings and only take his weakest part, the jewel inside of him that was the former "Heart of the Forest".
I think I get why he was so confident. He had done something he has been trying to get all this time… He even said it out loud.
From within the Heart of the Forest, an enormous quantity of Spiritual Power began to emerge, the power that he should be weak against… he was absorbing it and using it?!
"This is it! My ultimate goal, has finally been accomplished. I win!"
"What are you doing?!"
"What am I doing? You foolish little sapling. Do you truly think I was merely fighting you mindlessly? I've been buying time this entire time, all for this moment!"
FLAAASH!
The Spiritual Power converged with his Miasmic Power, but they didn't negate one another, they fused, and created something… completely aberrant!
FLUOSH!
The mass of spiritual energy and miasma fused, turning into a pure black and red energy, emanating a deadly, destructive wave of energy of incredible strength.
"Spirit Essence and Miasmic Essence, both of these powers… I can finally wield them both! With this, I've finally refined the ultimate power, Demonic Essence!"
"Demonic Essence?!"
The Great Spirit panicked, her weakened soul quickly forcing herself to talk with me. The three other Farm Spirits didn't had much time before they were to dissipate and go away.
"I am no longer restricted to my Miasma! I've become superior! An ultimate lifeform!" The Demon King laughed like a madman. "And you will be the first victim of my new power!"
His phantasmal body surged from within the jewel, shaping and materializing into a giant made of darkness in the slight shape of a humanoid. He resembled a man made of shadows, but his very composition was both the same aberrant one I fought and also… a spirit.
He became a Spirit, pretty much. I can't believe it… Was this his aim from the very beginning?! And not only that, but he also underwent some sort of evolution, because he regained tons of his power, and looked at me fearlessly!
Does he has the confidence of taking me down now?
"Now that I have ascended, nothing can stand in my path towards my goals. I will destroy you, then this world will become mine. I will invade the Realm of the Gods, Asgard, and devour their weakened souls! Not even the God of Creation will stop me once I absorb your powers and then the souls of all those other Players… I might as well take a stroll on your world for a last powerup before confronting them all!"
"So your goal from the beginning… it wasn't even this world?" I asked. "You want… to kill the gods?!"
"You've lasted a long while against me. As a reward, I will briefly explain to you why I desire this…" He laughed. "The Gods… they're my creators!"
"Eh?!"
"They made me! And then… they tossed me away. I was a failure, one of their first creations, yet an abominable thing they didn't wanted to have anything to do with!" He roared angrily. "I was abandoned. I will crush them for what they had done to me…! I will take away everything that makes them happy. I will take away… their creations."
He looked back at me, his eyes glowing redder.
"…However, I have thought about it. Join me."
"W-What?"
He suddenly extended a hand towards me.
"You were forced into this game, didn't you? You were forced to become what you are now… weren't you? You're merely a puppet of the gods. And now, you're risking your life for a world where you don't even belong to, all for their selfish desires? Because they're cowards that can't do it themselves?"
He smiled; his tall, humanoid figure made of shadows expanded his aura.
"Become my wife, you're a fitting one. You're powerful, you're brave, you're gentle as well… I can tell you have empathy for me. Despite my words earlier, I can tell… You might become someone I can trust."
What is he even saying?!
He's…
"You're really insane."
"Eh?"
"There's no way I'll ever be with a crazy lunatic like you."
"Ah…!"
"You're a sick egomaniac. I would rather die!"
"Nnnggh?! You…!"
"And… I also already have someone I love."
I looked into the seed in my hands.
"Without realizing it, he has already filled my empty heart after my husband's death, and has made every day of my life since I meet him happier…"
His seed slowly began glowing brighter.
"You might have almost killed him… But he lives, and his soul is way stronger than you imagine."
"You mean that damn Ent?!"
The Demon King of Miasma furiously glanced at me and then the seed in my hands.
"His name is Mark."
FLAAAASH!
Ding!
[You've assigned [Player: Titan] has your [Forest Guardian]!]
[Player: Titan] is currently in a state of comatose, necessary energy has been administrated to wake him up.]
[Starting Forced Evolution.]
[Administrating Skills, Magic, and Materials…]
FLUOOOOSSH!
An enormous explosion of Spiritual Energy surged from the palm of my hands. Mark's seed quickly began growing from a tiny sapling all the way into a gigantic tree, growing dozens of meters in seconds!
FLAAASH!
His body started stretching into the skies, branches grew all around, beautiful leaves surged, flowers bloomed, his bark was beautiful and healthy, shining with a golden and amber color. I began adding my own power to his new form, as hundreds of Lesser Spirits merged with him, which I had summoned while buying time by talking with the Demon King, enhancing his evolution even further!
"You'll need this as well."
I quickly cracked the Trident in half and added it to his developing body. The flames encompassed his body, but didn't burned him, they embraced him, fusing with his very core.
"It's time to wake up, sleepyhead."
