Vine Bind wasn't a hard-coded stun. It was a targeted projectile. Dodgeable. His earlier hit stemmed from underestimation and the triple-cast perfectly blocking his escape routes.
Now, hyper-focused, Tianhao watched for the telltale wind-up animation of Vine Bind. The moment a Lieutenant raised its limb vines, he was already sidestepping, leveraging his increased range to stay just out of reach. Combined with his devastating DPS and the chaining Lightning Leap, the Elite Treants fell one by one. As their numbers thinned, his control solidified.
Finally, the last Lieutenant crashed to the ground.Ding! You have reached Level 9! +5 Free Attribute Points.Attack Speed: 2.43 → 2.53. A whole level gained in a single chamber. The speed was terrifying. His Renewal passive had already topped off his massive health pool during the lulls.
Meanwhile, Floating Pagoda Clan Headquarters - Offline Briefing Room
A high-definition video played on the main screen: Lin Tianhao soloing the Twisted Treant King. A young man stood at the head of the conference table – FloatingPagoda_ShieldMountain.
"You've all seen it. DivineWolf," ShieldMountain addressed the guild leader, "you're an Archer. Your analysis?"
FloatingPagoda_DivineWolf stood immediately. "The raw damage is impressive, yes. But his technique... that's the true horror. Even without those numbers, just his skill alone could have soloed that Boss."
FloatingPagoda_Berserker chimed in, "Young Master, why show us this? What's the intent?""Analysis," ShieldMountain replied crisply. "I offered him ten million annual. He refused without blinking. What's his real price?"
DivineWolf frowned. "Skill like that doesn't come from nowhere. He was likely a top-tier legend in the keyboard era, commanding eight figures or more even back then. Given Godslayer's scale, his stats plus that technique? One hundred million annual isn't unreasonable. Factor in the potential guild prestige boost, early-game momentum, and overall influence... One hundred fifty to two hundred million per year is justifiable."
His assessment was brutally honest. DivineWolf himself, the guild leader, earned only twenty million plus bonuses.
"Understood." ShieldMountain nodded. "DivineWolf, organize our members still in Newbie Zones. Prioritize the Twisted Thicket dungeon. Also, advise everyone across all villages to farm the Level 10 Twisted Treants if possible.""Will do," DivineWolf confirmed.
ShieldMountain cleared his throat, a hint of pride entering his voice. "Now... check out my current stats." He projected his character sheet, highlighting the Treant Set bonuses.
DivineWolf's eyes bulged. "Total HP boost over fifty-eight hundred?! That Armor and Magic Resist... and these set effects..." He s*ck*d in a sharp breath. "Young Master, how much did this set cost you?""Four hundred thousand yuan. Plus power-leveling to 10. Originally three hundred; I paid extra for these two Obsidian pieces." ShieldMountain gestured to the necklace and helm.
DivineWolf looked stunned. "...That's cheap."Cheap? Individually, Level 10 Elite pieces sold for twenty thousand plus. Thirteen pieces? Easily four hundred thousand alone. Add the set bonuses and the power-leveling service? It was a steal."Snow Emperor sold it to you?""Mm.""Then he clearly doesn't need money," DivineWolf concluded. "Otherwise, he'd have squeezed far more out of you." He couldn't fathom that Tianhao had simply been desperate for immediate funds for his sister, or that he knew fiat currency would soon become worthless.
Back in the Twisted Thicket - Chamber Three
Tianhao stepped into the third zone. Four colossal figures dominated the space.
Twisted Treant King (Obsidian Boss - Dungeon): Level 10
HP: 186,800 / 186,800
Attack: 598
Skills: Treant Summon, Renewal, Vine Bind, Thornshield, Vine Prison
Same skills, but stats inflated by Hell difficulty. Four of them.Tianhao assessed his health pool and fired.Thwip!-1685! (CRITICAL HIT!)Tough. The dungeon Obsidian bosses boasted significantly higher defense, drastically reducing the impact of his bow's +300 Attack. Most damage still came from Hand of Heavenly Punishment.Crucially, the Kings' Vine Bind was different. It manifested instantly beneath the target – almost a hard CC, incredibly hard to dodge on reaction.
With his current Attack Speed (2.53), he could realistically interrupt two Kings simultaneously. Facing four? It was a different beast.Combat erupted instantly. The Kings displayed rudimentary intelligence, spreading out to flank him. Glowing green energy coalesced around them – Vine Prison.Luckily, Vine Prison had the longest cast time, making it the easiest to interrupt. Tianhao's arrows flew, disrupting two casts. But the other two Kings timed their casts perfectly, blocking his primary escape path.
Tianhao didn't retreat. He charged forward, straight into the gap between the flanking Kings.THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!-598!-597!-598!...He entered their melee range. Four simultaneous vine lashes ripped over 2,000 HP from his bar. The moment their Vine Prison effects faded, he disengaged violently, putting distance between them again, resuming his stutter-step barrage.
As long as they didn't chain Vine Bind perfectly, his massive HP pool and constant Renewal tick made instant death unlikely. It was a war of attrition, kiting and chipping away.Finally, the first King crashed down. The fight became progressively easier. Soon, only one remained, then none.
Ding! Level 9 EXP climbed significantly, but no loot. Godslayer dungeons awarded loot only upon final boss kill or full clear. No looting mid-run. A small mercy, saving time.
Tianhao stepped through the final barrier into the Fourth Chamber – the heart of the Twisted Thicket.
He stood in a vast, unnatural clearing. Dominating the center was a single, monstrous tree soaring over a hundred meters tall. Countless thick, serpentine vines writhed and swayed from its branches like living dreadlocks. It looked less like a boss and more like a geographical feature... a terrifying one.
Hydra Cypress (Bronze Boss): Level 10
HP: 1,528,000 / 1,528,000
Attack: 1,358
Skills: Withered Wood's Rejuvenation
Tianhao's eyes narrowed sharply. One skill?! A Bronze Boss with over 1.5 million HP, massive Attack... and only one skill listed? That single skill name – Withered Wood's Rejuvenation – screamed danger. This wasn't simplicity; it was concentration of power. The true test of Hell difficulty had arrived. He nocked an arrow, every sense screaming alert. The sheer oppressive presence of the Hydra Cypress dwarfed the previous Kings. He had to find its weakness... fast. Before he was overwhelmed