Raleigh had imagined that at the bottom of the towering skyscraper, he would encounter something like a plant core,a heart of sorts,likely guarded by a swarm of special mutants. Or perhaps, it would simply be a mass of root tendrils with nothing particularly extraordinary about them.
He never expected to see this: a colossal Root-Vine Giant.
"So… this must be the core of the vine," he muttered, his eyes narrowing. "But was it once a human transformed, or is it some lifeform the vine generated in a humanoid form?"
Raleigh pushed aside the chaotic thoughts racing through his mind. Questions about the Root-Vine Giant's origin were irrelevant. What mattered now was fighting it,and eliminating it completely.
Leaping down, he dodged the whip-like lashes of the vine tendrils and plunged into the empty plant-filled cavity. No matter what this creature was, it was the final challenge of this tower, and he would confront it head-on.
The moment his feet touched the ground, the Zero-Type Mecha shifted into Extreme Speed Form, transforming Raleigh into a black and purple streak of light. Agility had spiked to eight points, and he charged at the Root-Vine Giant with lethal precision.
His target was clear: the vine-like hair cascading from the giant's head, connecting to the surrounding ground and drawing in purple liquid and the ominous black orbs. It was clearly vital to the creature's vitality. Without hesitation, Raleigh aimed to sever it.
But to his surprise, the Root-Vine Giant matched his speed. Hundreds of tendrils interwove over its fists, swinging at him like whips, smashing with terrifying force.
The Zero-Type Mecha twisted midair to evade a direct hit but was still sent skidding backward by a punch. The impact was brutal,armor value dropped by seven points in an instant, leaving only three, with deep cracks spider-webbing across the exoskeleton.
"Approximately 11 points of strength and 7 points of agility…" Raleigh noted silently, pushing himself to his feet again. He had deliberately taken a glancing blow, half a beat slower than necessary, to gauge the giant's attributes.
Even if his armor were destroyed, his combat power as a Mech Warrior would remain fully intact. Knowing the enemy's strength and speed gave him control,he could fight or retreat on his terms.
Now, he had a clear picture. With 11 points of strength and 7 points of agility, the Root-Vine Giant surpassed every special mutant he had fought so far. For a rookie Mech Warrior limited to three modules, it would have been almost impossible to defeat. Even Raleigh , with 7 points of strength and 8 points of agility in his base state, was technically outmatched in raw strength.
But that wasn't a problem.
"Bang!" The Root-Vine Giant swung another punch. This time, Raleigh dodged cleanly, pressing down on its massive fist with both hands. Even with 11 points of strength, the giant could not lift its own limb. Compared to the enormous size of the Root-Vine Giant, the Zero-Type Mecha's hands, now augmented by his talent, felt as immovable as mountains.
[Uncontrolled Mutation],Double Release!
Inside the mecha, Raleigh activated his ability. Muscles swelled like balloons, adding four points of strength from his talent. Outside the Mecha, layers of pale purple fibers rippled over the exoskeleton, forming dense, sinewy patterns that added another five points of strength.
7 + 4 + 5… sixteen points of raw strength.
With an effortless roar, Raleigh grasped the Root-Vine Giant's fists with both hands, hoisting the towering behemoth over his shoulder. With a mighty heave, he executed an over-the-shoulder throw, slamming the six- to seven-meter-tall giant into the ground with earth-shaking force.
Without pausing, he leapt forward, cutting the root tendrils connecting the creature's head to the ground. Even this colossal BOSS was meaningless in the face of absolute attributes.
The Root-Vine Giant's vitality, however, was extraordinary. Even after its head was severed and its body shattered repeatedly, it attempted to heal and regenerate, its life force seeming inexhaustible.
But Raleigh was faster. With his overwhelming strength and superior agility, he relentlessly battered the creature. After repeated destruction, he finally spotted a fist-sized, pulsating purple crystal embedded in its left leg. Crushing it underfoot, he watched as the Root-Vine Giant withered completely, finally succumbing.
A surge of Abyssal Aura poured into Raleigh 's Abyssal Mark. Lines of prompts flashed before his eyes:
[Killed Newborn, destroyed root tendril branch, obtained Materials: Spiritual Vein Fiber]
[Killed Newborn, destroyed root tendril branch, obtained Module: Root Core]
[Killed Newborn, destroyed root tendril branch, obtained Trait: Life Soul]
Only the Root-Vine Giant itself had been destroyed. The root tendrils forming the massive cavity remained intact. Initially, this surprised Raleigh . But seeing the word "branch," it clicked: the root tendril system that had destroyed entire civilizations was far larger than he had imagined. He had only eliminated a single "fruit" extended from the infinite root network. The death of the fruit did not wither the branch.
Focusing on the spoils of war, Raleigh analyzed his gains.
The Spiritual Vein Fiber was an excellent enhancement material, capable of increasing a Mecha's agility, energy capacity, and recovery speed. He couldn't enhance his Mecha yet, so he stored it safely in his Abyssal Mark.
The Root Core module, a core-tier item, promised incredible potential:
[Root Core]
Tier: Zero
Quality: Excellent
Type: Core Module
Effect One: Grants the Mech minor self-repair, restoring 0.01 armor per second when undamaged; recovery speed doubles under sunlight.
Effect Two: Low probability to unlock the Wood Attribute Evolution Module during Mech evolution.
Description: I am the root tendril!
Mechs operated on a tier system. Each tier limited the number of modules equipped, and increasing a tier triggered Evolution, a process where a Mech absorbed its equipped modules, gained massive attribute boosts, and often adopted a new form,sometimes a semi-biological appearance. With the Root Core installed, Raleigh's Zero-Type Mecha could eventually shed its metallic exterior and transform into a root-tendril-based biomechanical mech, capable of continuous regeneration.
"A mech that can self-repair… extremely rare and useful," Raleigh thought. If he ever needed to destroy his mecha during battle, the ability to recover would be invaluable. Swapping a new Mech slot for self-repair ability wasn't a loss,it was an investment.
Finally, there was the Life Soul trait, a rare personal trait for the Mech Warrior:
[Life Soul]
Type: Trait
Effect: Allows barrier-free communication with plants and animals; enables perception of emotions from inanimate objects.
Description: Mirror, mirror, tell me…
Raleigh's eyes gleamed. This trait could be game-changing,not only in combat, but also for gathering intelligence, predicting environmental hazards, and even interacting with otherwise passive elements of the trial world.
He collected all the drops and paused, surveying the vast root-tendril network below. A smile slowly spread across his face.
"This… is just the beginning," he murmured. "Now I finally have the tools to take control of this city and uncover the true source of the mutation."