With everyone back in formation, they executed the next phase of their plan.
Like before, they kited the deathworms—but this time, spraying several with the shimmering anti-spore liquid.
While obviously they couldn't coat every inch, especially not the parts still underground, it wasn't necessary.
The goal wasn't to kill the tree, but to distract it—long enough for them to slip into the labyrinth.
And it worked.
But not before witnessing what it meant to have such forces duke it out.
The battle was nothing short of apocalyptic. And Luca thought that they were so lucky they didn't attempt to fight against the tree like this.
It's not that it was impossible to win.
But at what cost?
And how would they be able to fight what's in the labyrinth when the gate alone would take most of their resources?
They watched in combined horror and awe as the liquid-soaked deathworms breached the edge of the grasslands, instantly attracting the tree's ire.
