Leonâs eyes slowly turned silvery white as he released the passive power of [Celestialâs Might].
And the moment the effect spread outward, the entire presence of the [Will of Nature] visibly reacted.
His body shuddered, as if the very core that sustained him had been forcefully suppressed.
Even the hundreds of vines surrounding him trembled in response, their movements no longer as fluid or overwhelming as they had been just moments before.
"You..." the [Will of Nature] muttered as he slowly lifted his head, the green glow within his eyes locking onto Leon with a different kind of intensity now, "...I see."
There was a brief pause. Then his expression shifted.
"Youâre one of them."
At that exact moment, Leon could feel the effect of his passive fully take hold.
The overwhelming aura that surrounded the [Will of Nature] dropped noticeably, and even without needing to rely on instinct alone, the system confirmed it.
---
[Will of Nature (Zone Boss)]
[Combat Power: 525,000]
---
Still, Leon didnât let himself relax.
Even after such a massive drop, the [Will of Nature]âs [Combat Power] remained slightly higher than his own, exceeding him by a few thousand points.
Under normal circumstances, that difference would still matter.
But right now...
âThatâs good enough,â Leon thought calmly as he tightened his grip slightly.
Before, the gap between them had been overwhelming to the point where any direct confrontation would have been borderline suicidal.
Now, however, things had changed.
"His [Combat Power] is far higher than yours," Leon said without taking his eyes off the boss, his voice steady as he spoke to Celeste. "So be careful, but your flames should be able to damage him properly."
The [Will of Nature]âs entire body was made of vines, bark, and leaves.
Which meant one thing: fire would be devastating against him.
Leon didnât waste any time testing that assumption.
He raised his staff slightly and aimed forward.
Powerful Fireball!
A blazing sphere of fire formed instantly before shooting forward at high speed, heading straight toward the [Will of Nature].
Butâ
"I donât need your flames anymore," the [Will of Nature] said calmly, his tone completely different from before as several thick vines rose up to intercept the attack.
BOOM!
The fireball exploded violently upon impact, completely destroying the vines that blocked it.
However, that also meant the [Will of Nature] himself remained unharmed.
Leon clicked his tongue lightly.
âHis defense is still ridiculous,â he thought.
The [Will of Nature] could summon vines endlessly to shield himself, sacrificing them without hesitation to block incoming attacks.
And at the same time, he possessed enough strength to fight directly if needed.
Even now, with their [Combat Power] nearly equal, this wasnât going to be an easy fight.
âAnd unless I kill him instantly... heâll just regenerate again,â Leon thought with a faint sigh. âThatâs the real problem.â
Even a clean, fatal-looking strike hadnât killed him before.
Which meant there had to be another condition, some kind of weakness.
âMaybe I need to restrain him completely and burn him... or maybe destroy a specific part of his body,â Leon considered quickly, his thoughts moving fast as he analyzed the situation.
But before he could come to a proper conclusionâ
"Come forth... my minions," the [Will of Nature] whispered as he slowly spread his arms outward. "Feast upon them... and grant me your strength."
Rumble...!
The ground began to shake violently.
Both Leon and Celeste immediately turned their attention outward as the area surrounding the [Temple of Nature] trembled, cracks forming across the surface as something began to emerge.
Thenâ
One after another, figures rose from the earth. Dozens of them.
---
[Nature Creature]
[Level: 75]
[Combat Power: 400,000]
[Details: Beings summoned by the "Will of Nature", every time they devour someone, the "Will of Nature" grows stronger.]
---
Leonâs eyes narrowed slightly as he read the panel.
âI see... so thatâs how he plans to grow stronger,â he thought, a faint grin forming on his face. âJust devour everything in [Higher Domain #1].â
Leon doubted the [Will of Nature] would actually succeed in wiping everything out, as there were bound to be powerful players and natives capable of stopping him eventually.
But even then... The number of casualties before that point would be enormous.
"GO!" the [Will of Nature] commanded.
The [Nature Creatures] immediately began moving, rushing forward toward Leon and Celeste with overwhelming intent.
But before they could even close the distanceâ
"KYU!"
Pyra acted first.
Torrent of Flames!
A massive pillar of fire erupted from above, crashing down onto the battlefield with explosive force and engulfing everything in its path.
The flames consumed every single [Nature Creature] instantly.
Not only that, but the attack also struck the [Will of Nature], setting part of his body ablaze.
Leonâs eyes widened slightly as he looked up at the small phoenix hovering above.
"Nice one," he said without hesitation.
And the moment he saw the flames take effect, Leon noticed that the [Will of Nature] actually reacted slightly.
There was urgency in how he tried to extinguish the flames spreading across his body.
And more importantly, there was some fear.
âThatâs it...â Leon thought as his eyes sharpened, âI get it now.â
He didnât need to overthink it anymore.
All he needed to do now... Was get close enough.
Leon turned slightly.
"CELESTE!" he shouted. "Assist me with your flames!"
"Got it!" Celeste didnât hesitate.
Now that she understood the situation better, she immediately rushed forward at full speed, her spear igniting with fire as Pyra circled above her.
Ember Ball! Flame Clone! Flame Throw!
One attack after another, Celeste unleashed everything she had, forcing the [Will of Nature] to constantly raise vines to block and defend.
The battlefield grew chaotic. Flames spread. Vines clashed against fire repeatedly.
And within that chaos, Leon advanced. Closing the distance.
"YOU WONâT KILL ME!" the [Will of Nature] roared as hundreds of vines erupted around them at once, forming a massive storm of attacks aimed directly at both Leon and Celeste.
âWhat do I do?!â Celeste thought, her eyes widening as she was suddenly surrounded.
But Leon... Didnât hesitate as he raised his staff.
Vine Cataclysm!
And in the next instant, vines erupted from the ground beneath them. HIS vines.
They surged upward violently, colliding directly with the [Will of Nature]âs attacks and deflecting them in all directions.
The two forces clashed head-on, buying just enough time.
The [Will of Nature] froze for a split second. Surprised.
And that was all Leon needed. He leaped forward.
SLASH!
His blade cut through the air as he pressed the attack.
The [Will of Nature] reacted quickly, summoning more vines to block and stall him, but Leon didnât stop.
He moved faster. Struck again. And again. Each movement pushed him closer.
Until, he reached him. Right in front of the [Will of Nature].
"You canât even beat me," Leon said with a small grin as he raised his sword once more. "And you think you can kill a god?"
"...SHUT UP!" The [Will of Nature] lashed out in fury.
Vine Claws!
Sharp claws formed along his arms as he swung them recklessly toward Leon, trying to tear him apart at close range.
But Leon remained composed. He dodged one strike. Parried another. Deflected a third.
Their movements clashed rapidly, each exchange happening within fractions of a second as they fought at close range.
For a brief moment... They were equal. Or at least, it seemed that way.
Until the [Will of Nature] finally noticed it: there was a faint crimson glow forming along Leonâs blade once again.
"...Oh."
CRIMSON DANCE
Leon swung. And instantlyâ
Dozens of crimson slashes erupted around the [Will of Nature], striking from every direction at once and cutting through his body relentlessly.
There was no escape. The attacks tore through him completely.
His form was shredded apart. Everything was cut into pieces.
The remains collapsed to the ground.
"FOOL..." the [Will of Nature] muttered as his severed head rolled slightly, his glowing eyes still fixed on Leon. "Iâm immortal!"
"Sure you are," Leon replied with a calm grin as he lifted his staff once more.
Powerful Fireball!