The moment Jorah's plundering power made contact with the mother tree through the golden-red vine, the entire "consciousness" of the forest seemed to freeze for a second.
It had perhaps never imagined that this weak, ant-like "kin" of its own would dare to, in turn… devour it!
After a brief moment of stunned disbelief, came a towering, offended rage!
The mother tree let out a silent roar that was nevertheless powerful enough to make the entire space tremble! Countless golden-red vines, like furious giant pythons, whipped crazily from all directions towards Jorah, who was still hanging in mid-air, attempting to tear this insolent "parasite" to shreds!
However, Jorah was now like a completely different person. His eyes, now stained a decaying green, held no trace of fear or cowardice, only a primitive, greedy desire for life!
He clung desperately to that one vine, letting the others lash his body, but refusing to let go! Streams of pure, immense life force were being continuously absorbed by him through that vine, pouring into his long-parched body!
The mother tree soon discovered, to its horror, that it couldn't easily shake off this tiny "parasite"! Not only that, but its own life force was draining away at an alarming rate!
After several failed attempts to shake Jorah off, the mother tree, possessing a rudimentary intelligence, made a decisive, self-sacrificing choice!
"SNAP—!"
With a crisp cracking sound, the golden-red vine Jorah was clinging to, actively and forcefully, broke off from its base!
And at the other end, Cassian and Zephyr, who had been waiting for an opportunity, simultaneously seized the fleeting weakness created by the mother tree's "distraction"!
Their eyes met, and in an instant, they understood each other's intent!
In the air, the dense, lightning-filled water vapor, which had been dispersed, began to contract and condense towards the forest's core at an incredible speed! Then, under the influence of Zephyr's ice ability, pushed to its absolute limit, the water vapor was rapidly covered by a thick layer of solid ice that radiated a bone-chilling cold!
"HRAAAGH—!"
Zephyr let out a low roar, his muscles tensing tightly from the extreme output of his power! In the extreme cold of his own making, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his whole body steamed with white vapor! A thick layer of frost condensed on his signature silver hair and long eyelashes, making him look like a deity who had walked out of a kingdom of ice and snow!
Under Zephyr's full power, the core area of the mother tree, which had been covered in high-temperature "magma," was actually, forcefully, frozen solid! The flowing, golden-red "magma" solidified under the extreme cold into dark red, glass-like crystals!
Now!
A cold, emotionless resolve flashed in Elara's eyes!
Her dagger, enveloped in a power capable of cutting space itself, struck down mercilessly towards the frozen core area!
In the apocalypse, there is no mercy, and no hesitation!
As this last "main root" of the vine was severed, the trembling of the entire forest stopped in an instant.
And Jorah, having lost the support of the vine, fell from mid-air like a kite with a broken string.
However, just as he was about to hit the ground, another miracle occurred!
With the destruction of the mother tree's core, the terrifying heat on the ground began to rapidly dissipate. This, in turn, created the possibility for other plants to grow!
And Jorah, having absorbed the mother tree's immense life force, was now filled with an energy that had nowhere to go! Unconsciously, he poured this newly "stolen" life force continuously into the ordinary thorn seeds that had fallen from his pocket to the ground!
To everyone's astonishment, the small thorn seeds were rapidly matured and mutated! They grew and shot up at a speed that defied nature, sprouting countless thick, python-like vines in the blink of an eye!
Not only that, but the newborn vines were covered in extremely sharp thorns that glinted with a cold, metallic luster!
The mutated thorn vines, as if alive, quickly wove themselves into a huge, soft "safety net" in the air, steadily catching the falling Jorah.
As the terrifying "mother tree" completely lost its vitality, the entire forest seemed to lose its "soul" in an instant. The frantically dancing branches and leaves drooped listlessly. Sheets of withered, decaying leaves, like fluttering butterflies, drifted down from the canopy, carrying a poignant, beautiful poetry of a post-apocalyptic end.
In this expanse of decay and silence, the mutated briar roses that Jorah had personally cultivated, growing tenaciously in the ice and snow, appeared exceptionally vibrant and stunning. Their ink-green vines were adorned with blooming, flame-red roses, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
Jorah, still held aloft by the "safety net" of briar roses, maintained his outstretched-arm posture. The withered, decaying green that had tinged his eyes had completely faded, replaced by a bright, vibrant emerald green, full of life and vitality.
After absorbing the mother tree's immense life force, his body, which had become depleted and gaunt from his first forced use of his powers, was now visibly and rapidly filling out. His once-pale complexion became ruddy and healthy. He no longer looked like the weak, fragile "bean sprout" from before.
Everyone was still immersed in the aftermath of the heart-pounding battle and the miraculous scene before them, not yet fully back to their senses.
Just then, the tallest, most magnificently blooming red rose, the one that had gently lowered Jorah, began to wither and shed its petals one by one after completing its mission. But it didn't simply dissipate. Instead, it transformed into countless shimmering green points of light, like fireflies, which slowly drifted apart and landed on everyone present.
The green specks of light carried an indescribable, warm, and gentle power. The moment they touched the skin, a scent like fresh grass and earth quietly appeared. The fatigue, pain, and tension from the battle were quickly soothed and healed by this warm power. The entire clearing was enveloped in a dreamlike, tranquil, and peaceful atmosphere.
Aurelia, who had been trapped in the cocoon, her life force nearly drained, her body so emaciated she looked on the verge of death, was also nourished by this powerful healing force. Though still thin, her complexion was markedly better, and her breathing had become steady and strong.
Even Alan, who had acted like an outsider the whole time, stared at his own hands in astonishment after being touched by the green light, his eyes widening slightly, as if he felt some subtle, positive change within his own body.
And Jorah, the "instigator" of it all, finally exhausted all his strength after releasing this final group heal. His bright green eyes slowly closed, his body went limp, and he was about to fall straight from the dissipating "safety net."
"Hey!"
Seeing this, Elara instantly flashed over and, just before he could fall into the patch of thorns below, which were still bristling with metallic spikes, caught him and pulled him into her arms.
"Honestly, you're nothing but trouble," Elara muttered under her breath, but she also breathed a sigh of relief.
At least he didn't fall directly into the thorn patch he himself had created. Even with his powerful healing abilities now, being pricked by those metallic-looking spikes would definitely still hurt. And besides, no one could guarantee that these newly mutated plants wouldn't be "indiscriminate," pricking even their own "creator" without a second thought.