SSS Ranked Shadow Monarch: Summoning Infinite Shadows-Chapter 235: DRUID

’What the heck was even that? Whatever is attacking me now, it’s definitely something powerful. The issue is I’m in their territory. Whatever I do or however I fight, they’ll have the upper hand. Tch, there has to be another way out.’

Aren looked at the place where the attack had landed. If it had hit him, it wouldn’t have been pretty at all.

He clenched his jaw, scanning around with his shadow sense, all to find whatever might be attacking.

WHOOSH!

The roots came attacking again from different directions, their speed seeming to increase now that they knew Aren was fast.

’They aren’t an issue, I’ll just have to use Shadow Form and allow them to pass right through me. I don’t have to worry about them at all.’

As if hearing his thoughts, the roots all lit up in green flame.

’Shit, magical attacks. My Shadow Form is weak to that,’ Aren thought as he saw the roots covered in green flames heading toward him.

Since he had no other choice, he had to dodge.

He moved through the forest extremely fast and nimbly. Each root lashed at him with crazy speed, like whips cutting through the air. His body danced through them as he dodged cleanly.

Left. Right. Forward.

He flipped into the air and landed a few meters away, clear of the roots that had attacked him.

But the moment his feet touched the ground, more were already coming.

These ones were larger than the last, moving with even more force and speed, striking from multiple directions.

"This is just endless," Aren muttered.

Without choice, he pulled out his blade, the ancient Devourer.

The ancient weapon gleamed as he dropped into a full stance, waiting for the perfect moment as the roots closed in from every direction.

Then he moved.

His blade flashed at full speed, cutting through the roots rapidly.

But something was wrong.

As his blade severed them, the roots instantly regrew.

"What the hell? They’re growing back?"

’This isn’t good,’ Aren thought, already scanning for an exit.

If this continued, he would eventually be overwhelmed and captured.

He slammed his feet into the ground and burst forward like a rocket, tearing through the forest with his sword held ahead of him, hacking and cutting as he moved, trying to put as much distance between himself and the roots as possible.

But the trees were everywhere.

And so were the roots.

More shot forward as he ran, whipping toward him from every direction.

Aren planted a foot and leaped into the air, flipping over them while slashing at the same time.

He landed, and immediately one struck from the side.

He tilted his body, cutting it apart instantly before spinning away and continuing his run.

But more kept coming.

He dodged, evaded, cut, and parried in rapid succession.

There was no escape in sight within the forest.

He was running without a clear escape plan, but truthfully, he wasn’t planning to escape.

He was thinking.

Which summon... which skill could counter these roots?

When he burned them earlier, it worked.

Lava.

With that thought, he planted his foot, spun around, and thrust his free hand forward.

A massive surge of lava burst from his palm, splashing onto the roots and burning through them.

For a moment, he thought it had worked.

But seconds later, the roots regenerated.

Even worse—

They began moving faster than before.

"What?!"

Several roots suddenly shot forward and wrapped around his arm. Green flames burned across their surface as they tightened around him.

The fire instantly began searing his skin.

"Ah—!"

Aren groaned in pain as he slashed the root off his arm, but more were already coming.

’Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.

This isn’t good.

If this keeps up, I’m going to end up in serious trouble. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

How the hell do I escape this? he thought.

Even if I break away now, won’t they just keep chasing me? ’

But his situation grew even worse.

His Shadow Sense suddenly flared.

Multiple figures entered its range.

Lizardmen.

And they were all heading toward him.

Now he had to deal with endless roots and incoming lizardmen at the same time.

’What the hell is happening?’ Aren thought.

’How am I supposed to show my purity to the Forest Druid if I don’t even have a moment to think?

What kind of damn druid even runs a trial like this?’

Ah... curse this forest.’

Rage bubbled inside him.

He was ready to pull out every stop if that’s what it took.

He wasn’t failing here.

Athena was still trapped in that town.

And he had to reach her.

No matter the cost.

No matter what it took.

"I have to save her," Aren muttered to himself.

With that thought, he summoned the Dagger.

The weapon appeared in his hand instantly.

He gripped it tightly with his left hand and stared into the distance.

"I hope this works."

He clenched his jaw and slashed forward with full strength.

The strike was terrifying.

The blade tore through the air itself, ripping open space.

A spatial tear formed, dragging in trees and ripping apart sections of the forest as space distorted violently.

Aren stared at the destruction.

A slow smile formed on his face.

If he could do this repeatedly...

He could carve a path straight through the forest without ever needing to find the druid.

He could simply force his way through.

With that thought, he tightened his grip on the dagger and began slashing again and again.

Each strike ripped open space, shredding roots and leaving spatial tears scattered across the forest.

He restrained his strength slightly, careful not to trigger a full spatial collapse like the one that occurred during his battle with Geisha.

But he used just enough power to make sure the roots couldn’t regenerate fast enough to catch him.

Aren unleashed a few more slashes, carving a path by force, and then rushed in that direction.

He ran through the spatial cuts he had just created, which was extremely risky. If he grazed even one of them, he would start bleeding out mercilessly. But there was no other option now except forcing his way through.

He kept running.

Behind him, the vines and roots tried to give chase, but they were caught in the spatial tears he had left behind. As soon as they touched them, they were sliced apart and erased into nothing.

Because of that, he was able to gain distance, with no roots getting anywhere close.

’I just have to keep running straight. Maybe I can make it out of the forest before the next change happens,’ Aren thought.

But the moment that thought finished forming—

The forest shifted again.

Just like before.

The trees moved.

The ground moved.

Everything began rearranging itself like a giant puzzle.

The spatial tears he had created were buried under hundreds of trees and massive layers of earth as the terrain warped and twisted.

Aren was pushed into an entirely new location.

When everything stopped, he had no idea where he was anymore.

He didn’t even know what direction he was facing.

"Shit," he cursed under his breath.

He had wanted to avoid exactly this situation, but it seemed he hadn’t been fast enough.

The forest was clearly playing games with him.

Of that, he was certain.

He waited for the next wave of roots.

Or another monster.

Or anything that might attack him again.

But this time...

Nothing came.

Instead, he suddenly heard a voice.

"You’re a pretty interesting one."

The voice was calm.

Feminine.

Soft and sweet.

It reached his ears gently.

Aren immediately looked around.

"Who are you?" he asked, scanning the surroundings with his shadow sense.

He searched for any presence nearby.

But there was no one.

Then, after a few seconds, something changed.

One of the trees in front of him began to shift.

The bark slowly peeled apart like a curtain being drawn aside, and a figure stepped out from within it.

Aren froze for a moment.

The woman standing before him was breathtaking.

She wore what looked like translucent leaves that wrapped naturally around her body like clothing formed by nature itself.

Her hair was a deep, beautiful green.

Her eyes shimmered like emeralds.

Her skin was pale like porcelain, flawless and smooth.

Everything about her looked delicate, yet she radiated an overwhelming aura of calm power.

She stepped forward barefoot.

The moment her foot touched the ground, flowers and fresh grass instantly sprouted beneath it.

Life itself seemed to follow her every movement.

She looked at Aren with a gentle smile.

"You’re a pretty interesting human," she said again.

Aren stared at her cautiously.

He had never seen anyone like this before.

But it didn’t take long for him to realize what she might be.

"The druid?" he asked carefully.

"Are you the druid?"

She smiled softly.

Then she nodded. "That’s what I am, and you human, who are you?" She asked, taking a few steps toward him.