Chapter 45
"Here it comes."
Rhodes raised his hand, shielding his eyes from the sun, and looked skyward.
Above, a flock of black-feathered birds darkened the sky, casting a shadow over the Forest of Silence. The air thrummed with tension as the earth beneath his feet began to tremble.
The rumble of trampling feet grew louder, shaking the ground. From the underbrush, countless pairs of glowing green eyes glinted ominously, belonging to beasts and monsters swarming around the water's edge.
---
The creatures clawed at the earth restlessly, ready to attack at any moment—yet they held back, waiting for a command.
Suddenly, the beasts parted, creating a path. From their midst emerged a woman draped in black.
---
She had sharp, high cheekbones, a pair of devilish horns curling from her head, and a strange beauty marked by her deep red lips. But her wide, eerie mouth gave her an unsettling appearance.
Rhodes frowned. He found this kind of sharp, Western beauty unappealing, though he knew it was coveted by many in this world.
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The river god, still lurking nearby, saw the woman and blanched with fear. Without hesitation, he submerged himself back into the river with a splash.
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"Human," the banshee rasped, her voice hoarse and grating. She paid no attention to the river god's retreat, her dark eyes narrowing in malice as they fixed on Rhodes.
"No human is welcome in the Forest of Tranquility."
Rhodes rested his divine axe on his shoulder, a grin spreading across his face.
"And who are you to tell me what to do?"
He looked her over with mild interest. Beneath her striking features, her eyes gleamed with a madness born from deep corruption—likely the work of abyssal energy.
If she weren't wary of me, she would've attacked by now.
---
Rhodes clicked his tongue. Forest banshees are supposed to be neutral and even kind-hearted creatures. Her current state could only mean she had fallen under some external influence.
The aura surrounding her felt disturbingly familiar.
"Looks like abyssal corruption again," Rhodes muttered, recalling the abyssal god he had slain not long ago.
---
"These demons are everywhere. Can't they just behave?"
But there was no avoiding it—Rhodes would have to deal with her. Leaving a corrupted banshee unchecked would spell disaster for the forest and beyond.
"It's best to end this quickly."
He raised his divine axe, and a bright, radiant glow began to spread from his body.
In that moment, Rhodes transformed into the embodiment of the sun itself, a golden king standing tall under the sky.
The axe in his hand expanded, growing to over ten meters in length, radiating intense heat.
---
BOOM!
With a single swing, Rhodes unleashed a blazing slash that scorched everything in its path, turning trees and earth alike to ash.
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"Phew!"
The banshee opened her mouth wide, revealing two rows of sharp, jagged teeth. A powerful sonic wave erupted from her maw, carrying the magic of decay and death. Everything it touched crumbled into dust.
---
Commandment: Loving Kindness!
The decaying energy dispersed harmlessly upon contact with Rhodes.
He dusted off his clothes and gave the banshee a condescending look.
"Is that the best you've got?"
---
Without waiting for her response, Rhodes activated multiple abilities in quick succession.
Magic Sun!
Power Snatch!
Magic Disaster!
Critical Breakthrough!
Rhodes's power surged to its peak, his body enveloped in radiant energy.
---
"The sun falls!"
A dark sun, formed from the fusion of sunlight and abyssal energy, took shape in Rhodes's hands. It radiated an aura of complete annihilation, capable of erasing anything in its path.
Though it wasn't as devastating as the blow he had used to kill the abyssal god, it was more than enough to destroy a mere sanctuary-level banshee.
The dark sun exploded with overwhelming force.
---
The banshee's body was consumed instantly, obliterated in the brilliant light.
Rhodes lowered his axe, resting a hand on his hip, and sighed. "That was easier than I thought."
But just as the thought crossed his mind, the banshee reappeared, her form restored by a powerful surge of life energy.
---
"You cannot kill me in this forest, human," she said, her voice trembling slightly with fear.
The aura of death she had experienced moments ago was unlike anything she had ever encountered. It had brought her closer to the brink of oblivion than she had thought possible.
"This forest loves me. As long as it stands, so will I."
---
Rhodes gave a weary sigh. "Well, if killing you won't work... maybe I just need to burn the whole forest down."
With a flick of his wrist, Rhodes summoned a blazing sun, hundreds of meters wide. The heat radiating from it was unbearable, causing the surrounding trees to wither and die.
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"No!"
For a brief moment, a flicker of green light appeared in the banshee's eyes, hinting at a fragment of sanity breaking through the abyssal corruption.
In a desperate bid, she lunged at Rhodes.
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"Exploding Sun."
Rhodes murmured the words calmly, and in an instant, the sun's power exploded outward.
The brilliance of the sun engulfed everything, bathing the forest in radiant light. Every trace of corruption burned away, including the banshee.
---
But just as the banshee's form was reduced to ash, a burst of life energy erupted from the heart of the forest. Emerald-green rain began to fall, restoring the withered trees and breathing life back into the land.
The forest, which had moments ago teetered on the brink of destruction, sprang back to life.
---
Rhodes narrowed his eyes, watching the transformation. "Interesting..."
He sensed that the power behind this miracle was no ordinary magic. It had to be the work of a being with at least demi-god-level strength.
Driven by curiosity, Rhodes began making his way toward the forest's center.
---
The banshee reappeared once more, her form whole but weakened. She charged at Rhodes again, wild and desperate.
SPLAT!
With a single swing, Rhodes cleaved through her, scattering her essence.
Though the banshee could resurrect indefinitely, each revival left her weaker. Her strength was now a mere shadow of what it had been.
---
At noon, with the sun blazing at its peak, Rhodes's power was unmatched. Even a god would struggle to face him at this hour. A weakened banshee stood no chance.
"The timing couldn't be better," Rhodes muttered as he pressed deeper into the forest.
---
The forest grew denser and darker the farther he went, the creatures within becoming stronger and more dangerous.
But Rhodes cut through them with ease, dispatching any monster foolish enough to stand in his way.
Ten minutes later, after defeating the banshee once more, the dense forest opened into a vast clearing.
---
In the center of the clearing stood a tree—a majestic being radiating ancient life energy.
The trunk, thick enough for several people to wrap their arms around, was covered in intricate emerald-green patterns. But fat, ugly insects were gnawing at its branches, leaving scars as they burrowed into the wood.
Rhodes's eyes narrowed.
"The Tree of Life..."
He was surprised. "What's it doing here? Isn't this tree supposed to be exclusive to the Elven Forests?"
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