Three days later, Cole and Celia finally arrived at the center of the Flowerhead Forest.

The place had a big contrast in the usual sight of the forest because the location was very desolate. Dried trees, blackened land, occasional skeletons of both beast and humanoid creatures... The center of the Flowerhead Forest looks like a land of dead.

Both Cole and Celia frown at the strange condition of the place.

Just what happen to this place?

The party raised their guard to the maximum. The forest might have something more dangerous than the main body of the parasite.

Cole immediately summon his [Summoning Grimoire] and activate the skill [Protect] that envelopes them both.

"Stay vigilant and never lower your guard down. There might be something more dangerous than the parasite here." Cole warned Celia.

"Or maybe, that parasites' level was high that it actually acquired the skill to absorb the energy of this piece of land." Celia said seriously. It seems that the parasite are not limited to just another living beings, it looks like it also can parasite to the very world itself. If her theory happen to be true... Chills runs throughout her body.

"Could be." Cole said heavily.

After their short moment of preparation, they finally continue their investigation and enter the center of the forest.

The center truly are desolate. Not even one beast, or even a bug, could be seen and not any kind of flora are alive. It was all black and dry.

And without any hindrance, they finally arrived at the very center of the Flowerhead Forest. The place was full of tall but dried up trees and in the middle was the biggest tree of them all.

Cole and Celia inspected everything they pass as they float forward toward the biggest tree. Until they arrived at the front of the biggest tree, they didn't encounter any obstruction. However, instead of lowering their guard down, it was raised up even more.

Seeing her very tense Master, Celia can't help but suggest at Cole through their [Soul Link], "Why don't we postpone this mission for the meantime and wait until we increase our level?"

Cole tensed body ease up a little. He shake his head and reply, "No need. With this defensive bubble protecting us, I doubt that there is someone or something that could break this within this place. We only have to probe. We will leave immediately if something bad arises."

Celia shrug. Well, she try.

"Come on, come closer to me. I'll shrink this bubble to the limit and maximize the defense it can provide." Cole instructed while stretching his hands to Celia.

Celia smile widely and hold her Master's hand tightly.

After they make sure that there was nothing that could threaten them outside, they finally walked towards the opening of the biggest tree. They were pretty much sure that the main body of the parasite was inside of this dried up tree.

The space inside the tree had the size the same of basketball court. Although the space was a little dark but it could easily be seen that the place was clean.

There was nothing inside the space except for a strenge, evil looking tree with a shape of a human. Female human to be exact. It's tree body have a curves a sexy woman possessed and a bump on its chest. It looks very sexy. If it was a human, Cole was pretty sure that it will be one of hell woman. Pity, just like a tree, it possessed a skin of a dried bark and it let out a dark and evil repulsive aura.

General Name : Evil Forest Dryad Stage : First-Level Tier-4 (Magical) Progress : 35% Affinity : Dark, Soul, Wood Type : Guardian Spirit Description : A forest dryad corrupted by evil energy.

Slowly, the Evil Forest Dryad raised its head and look at Cole and Celia with its dark green pair of eyes.

Cole felt a chills runs through his whole body. The eyes of the said spirit was like an eye of a demon, just its stare was enough to bring terror to one's soul. Except, Cole was yet to see a demon.

Although the eyes of Evil Forest Dryad don't have an eyeballs and only compose of dark green aura, Cole could feel its scrutinizing gaze. It was checking them just like how they checking it.

Cole then finally realized, although the Evil Forest Dryad looks like a tree and a part of Plant Race, but the truth is it was a part of the Spirit Race. It was not the same with others as it had its body. Not a body composed of pure, crystallized energy but a body of a tree.

Cole didn't know the reason why as this was also the first time he encounter this kind Spirit Race but his instinct told him that it had something to do with 'corruption of evil energy', just like what it said with its given description.

Cole subconsciously tighten his hold with Celia's hand. The difference between them was not just a level, it was a stage. Both him and Celia was a Tier-3 in standards but their opponent was actually a Tier-4.

Celia squeeze his Master's hand back as a gesture of comfort. She could feel and smell in the air the fear her Master is feeling. She can't deny the difference between their strength but she was a Dragon, fearing the others was the last thing she will feel.

Cole loosen his hold to Celia's hand. When he look at her and saw her fearless face, Cole can't help but smile and relax his nerves at the same time. It's not appropriate for him as a leader to show his fear. It seems like he have a long way more to go as a cultivator.

Smelling the fear from her visitor, the Evil Forest Dryad make the first move. She stretch her hand and open her closed fist, and she release a good number of [Controlling Seeds]. This time, instead silently floating in the air, all of those [Controlling Seeds] rush towards Cole, only to be block by invisible wall.

"Skree!!!" The Evil Forest Dryad shrieks loudly when it saw its technique fail because it was block by invisible wall.

Seeing the enemy make the first move, Celia didn't stand still and immediately breath deeply while stimulating her dragonic energy and release a big pillar of purple fire...

[Dragon Breath]!

It was the signature move of all Dragons and it was renown for its high destructive power!

All of the [Controlling Seeds] passed by the purple fire didn't burn and was also not reduce to ashes but it immediately lost its luster and control and fall to the ground.

"Skree!!!"

The Evil Forest Dryad shrieked loudly once again but this time, pain was evident on its unpleasant cry.

All of those [Controlling Seeds] was drived by its spiritual force and every single one of them had the trace of her soul. So after the good number of them was burned by the purple fire, her spiritual force that was attached to every [Controlling Seeds] was also burn to nothingness which gave her quite a soul damage.

However, despite the pain it could feel from her soul, it still summon a rattan full of thorns and create a wall to protect her from the purple fire. Only, the moment the sea of fire touch the wall of thorns, it immediately went limp and fall, making the unobstructed pillar of fire fully hit the Evil Forest Dryad!

"Skree!!!"

The Evil Forest Dryad let out a painful cry. It then tried to extinguish the fire. Since the spirit knew that Wood are nor effective against this fire, it tried to use Dark-Energy. Pitch black and full of evilness rose from its body and fight to extinguish the fire. Only, the dark-evil energy can only suppress the fire a little, much less to snuff out the fire.

"Skree!!!"

The Evil Forest Dryad can only continue to screech as the fire continue to burn her soul. Soul damage was more painful and as a Spirit Race who were sensitive to souls, the pain it could feel was more excruciating.

Meanwhile, all of the burned soul energy that was release as the time passes by, instead of dispersing to surrounding, it was passively directed to the accessory Cole was wearing, the Soul Jade Bangle. There is no one bit of refined soul energy was wasted and dispersed to the Heaven and Earth, it was all absorb by the equipment, gradually increasing its reservoir of soul energy. And since those soul energy was from a Tier-4 Spirit, it has a rich amount for the current them.

"Huff, Huff..."

On the other hand, while the Evil Forest Dryad was currently occupied by the threat of [Soul Fire], Celia was heavily panting on Cole's side. Although [Dragon Breath] was powerful, it costed Celia one-third of her energy. Just that single move tire her out a little. She can't help but tighten her hold to her Master's hand for support.

Still, despite the cost, that one move demonstrated the tyrannical power of Dragon. It enables her to damage heavily a opponent one stage higher than her own level. And not just difference with stage, even the difference in their level was big, after all, Celia was just on the First-Level of Tier-3.

Seeing the huffing little girl beside him, Cole can't help but grimace a little inside. But he showed an encouraging smile on his hardworking Dragon. The grimace was for his lack of strength and its uncapability of lending hand in times of need.

For the first time, Cole yearn for a greater strength.

Cole shifted his sight to the tormented Evil Forest Dryad and think of way to help the situation. The first thought that surface in his mind was to use Blue's [Mental Corrosion] through [Soul Mimicry] to weaken the spirit's soul defense and hasten the process of burning its soul. But when he thought about it, it was not applicable. [Mental Corrosion] use soul energy and since it was a soul skill, there is a high chance that it will also get burn by Celia's [Soul Fire]. Instead of helping, he may become a burden.

Also, Evil Forest Dryad was a Tier-4 Spirit, in addition of it being a parasite, he was sure that its soul strength was more powerful than him. It may backfire him and get soul damage instead.

Out of all his beast's skills, he could only use Blue's [Lightning Discharge] and Coal's [Fire Breath] as both soul was weak in these elements while Wood have a disadvantage with Fire attacks. He could also use Bell's [Multi-Bell] and [Mental Shout] as it was a long-range sound type attack that damage souls.

Feeling confident with his idea, Cole silently chanted, "[Soul Mimicry Arts, Fire Breath]!" His soul stirred and connect with Coal, then his Fire-Core in his Dantian also stirred and let out a scorching fire energy. The fire energy concentrate on his mouth first and when it was enough, Cole finally let out the skill.

And since the Evil Forest Dryad was full on dealing with the purple time, it couldn't block the scorching fire. However, unlike the purple fire, the red fire was block by the dark-evil energy. Without causing any significant damage, the [Fire Breath] was neutralized.

Seeing the result of his first attack, Cole knew that [Lightning Discharge] probably won't cause any significant effect either. He decided that he will use his other plan.

He silently chanted, "[Soul Mimicry Arts, Multi-Bell]!" and a big bell was summon from the void. He adjust the size of the bell and enclose the Evil Forest Dryad inside and use the attacking sound option. He then immediately follow with "[Soul Mimicry Arts, Mental Shout]!"

On normal occasion, this kind of low level sound attack won't have any effect on the Tier-4 Evil Forest Dryad. But since its mental defense was full on defending from the purple fire and that said defense was gradually crumbling from continuous damage of [Soul Fire], those sound attacks added more damage that it recieve.

The Evil Forest Dryad finally felt the threat of death.