Chapter 45: Fallen II

The Fallen Guardian gathered more green energy around her body, and the corrupted roots surrounding the battlefield began to grow rapidly.

Ryan watched as the roots twisted together, forming several enormous vines that attacked his summons from different directions.

The Skeleton King swung its greatsword, cutting through one of the vines, while the Death Knight blocked another with its weapon. The Spirit Wolf moved between the roots, looking for an opening to attack, and the Spirit Serpent continuously released venom toward the boss.

However, the Fallen Guardian was not easy to deal with.

Whenever one of her roots was destroyed, another quickly emerged from the ground. She also used the surrounding plants to create barriers, blocking attacks from the Skeleton Great Mage and preventing the summons from approaching her easily.

Ryan watched the battle while maintaining the effects of his totems.

"Her control over plants is quite troublesome. Unless we deal with her directly, this battle could drag on for a long time."

He was about to order his summons to concentrate their attacks when something unexpected happened.

The Fallen Guardian suddenly stopped moving.

The green energy surrounding her body began to change, spreading across her shoulders and neck. Her long hair floated in the air as another face slowly emerged from the side of her head.

Within seconds, the transformation was complete.

The Fallen Guardian now had two faces.

One retained the beautiful features of an elf, although half of it was covered in black corruption. The second face was completely different, with dark skin, glowing green eyes, and an expression filled with anger.

Ryan looked at the weird transformation.

"The second phase already. It seems I am doing more damage then I think."

A system notification appeared before him.

[The Fallen Guardian of the Tree of Life has entered her Second Phase.]

[Combat Ability: Increased.]

[Corruption Level: Increased.]

The second face opened its mouth, releasing a strange cry that shook the surrounding area.

Immediately afterward, the ground beneath Ryan’s summons began to crack.

Thick roots erupted from the earth, moving much faster than before. Several roots wrapped around the Skeleton King’s legs, while others attacked the Death Knight from behind.

The Skeleton King immediately swung its greatsword, cutting through the roots holding it down. However, before it could counterattack, a massive vine struck its chest and forced it backward.

The Death Knight tried to assist, but several more roots emerged around it.

At the same time, the Fallen Guardian raised both hands and released a wave of green energy.

The corrupted plants surrounding the battlefield began growing at an alarming rate. Their branches twisted together, creating a dense wall that separated Ryan’s summons from one another.

Ryan nodded.

"She’s become stronger than before."

He immediately adjusted the positions of his totems, making sure their effects continued to cover as many summons as possible.

The War Totem released another pulse of energy, strengthening the physical attacks of his summons. The Spirit Totem improved the flow of spiritual energy, allowing the spirit summons to use their abilities more efficiently.

With the additional support, the Spirit Wolf broke through the wall of plants and rushed toward the Fallen Guardian.

The second face turned toward it.

Before the Spirit Wolf could reach her, several sharp branches shot out from the ground.

The Spirit Wolf dodged the first few attacks, but one branch caught its side and forced it to change direction.

Blizzy immediately released a wave of freezing energy.

The temperature around the battlefield dropped as ice spread across the roots, slowing their movements. The Skeleton King took advantage of the opening and charged forward, swinging its greatsword with enough force to destroy the frozen plants.

The Death Knight followed closely behind.

Their combined attacks finally forced the Fallen Guardian to retreat several steps.

Ryan nodded.

"Good. Keep pressuring her."

However, the second face suddenly began laughing.

The Fallen Guardian raised her head, and the green energy surrounding her body changed again. Black veins spread across her remaining healthy skin, while the corruption covering her other half became thicker.

Then, a third face emerged from the back of her head.

Ryan stared at the transformation.

"Three faces? Seriously?"

The third face looked completely different from the other two. Its eyes were closed, and its expression was peaceful, almost as though it were sleeping.

Yet the moment it appeared, the entire battlefield changed.

The corrupted plants stopped moving for a brief moment before their colors began to shift. The green energy flowing through them turned dark, and the surrounding air became heavy.

Even the totems behind Ryan flickered as they resisted the strange energy spreading through the area.

A system notification appeared.

[The Fallen Guardian of the Tree of Life has entered her Final Phase.]

[Combat Ability: Greatly Increased.]

[Corruption Level: Maximum.]

[Warning: The target has awakened the remaining power of the Fallen Tree of Life.]

Ryan’s expression became more serious.

"Now this is getting interesting."

He had originally expected to defeat the hidden boss without much difficulty by relying on his summons and totems. However, the Fallen Guardian’s strength had increased with every transformation.

The third face slowly opened its eyes.

Unlike the other two, its eyes were completely black.

The Fallen Guardian spread her arms, and a tremendous amount of energy erupted from her body.

The roots surrounding the battlefield began moving in unison. Some rose into the air, forming enormous spears, while others spread across the ground and attacked everything within reach.

The three faces moved independently.

The first face controlled the plants, the second released waves of corrupted energy, and the third seemed to manipulate the life force flowing through the surrounding vegetation.

Ryan quickly understood why the boss was so dangerous.

Each face possessed a different ability, allowing her to attack, defend, and control the battlefield simultaneously.

The Skeleton Great Mage launched several powerful spells, but the Fallen Guardian raised a wall of roots to block them. The Spirit Serpent attempted to attack from the side, only for a wave of corrupted energy to force it backward.

Meanwhile, the Skeleton King and Death Knight continued fighting through the roots, trying to reach the boss.

However, the Fallen Guardian’s attacks had become much more powerful.

A massive root struck the Skeleton King and sent it sliding across the ground. Another wrapped around the Death Knight’s weapon, attempting to pull it away.

The Death Knight resisted and cut through the root, but several more immediately appeared.

Ryan clicked his tongue.

"She’s not giving them any room to breathe."

He began creating additional totems.

This time, he focused on defensive effects and resistance against corrupted energy. Several new totems appeared around the battlefield, releasing pulses that strengthened his summons and helped them resist the Fallen Guardian’s abilities.

The Vitality Totem continued restoring their health, while the defensive totems reduced the damage caused by the boss’s attacks.

Ryan also ordered the Fallen Priest to concentrate on supporting the summons that suffered the most damage.

With these adjustments, his summons gradually stabilized their positions.

The Spirit Wolf and Spirit Serpent worked together to distract the boss, while Blizzy froze the roots whenever they gathered around the Skeleton King and Death Knight.

The Skeleton Great Mage continued attacking from a distance, forcing the Fallen Guardian to divide her attention.

The Vampire Baroness also joined the assault, using her speed to approach the boss whenever an opening appeared.

For several minutes, both sides continued exchanging attacks.

The Fallen Guardian’s three faces worked together, making it difficult for Ryan’s summons to approach her. Whenever they broke through her defenses, she used her corrupted energy to push them back.

However, Ryan’s summons were not fighting alone.

His totems continuously strengthened them, allowing them to recover from injuries and maintain their attacks.

Ryan watched carefully, searching for a weakness in the boss’s defenses.

Eventually, he noticed something.

Whenever the third face released its corrupted energy, the other two faces became slightly less active. The difference lasted only a moment, but it was enough to create a small opening.

Ryan’s eyes lit up.

"Found you."

He immediately gave his summons a new command.

"Concentrate your attacks on the third face whenever it releases that energy. Don’t waste your attacks on the roots."

The summons changed their tactics at once.

The Skeleton Great Mage began preparing a powerful spell, while the Spirit Serpent and Vampire Baroness moved toward the sides of the boss. The Spirit Wolf waited for an opening, and the Skeleton King raised its greatsword.

The Fallen Guardian seemed to realize what Ryan was planning.

She tried to increase the number of roots protecting her body, but the Death Knight charged forward and forced her to defend against its attack.

At that moment, the third face opened its eyes wider and released another wave of corrupted energy.

"Now!"

The Skeleton Great Mage unleashed its spell.

A powerful blast struck the roots protecting the Fallen Guardian, destroying a large portion of her defenses. The Spirit Serpent immediately attacked through the opening, while the Vampire Baroness rushed forward from the opposite side.

The Skeleton King followed with a powerful sword strike.

For the first time since entering her final phase, the Fallen Guardian was unable to block every attack.

The greatsword struck her body, forcing her backward as the third face released a strange cry.

The green energy surrounding the battlefield became unstable.

Ryan watched the scene carefully, but he didn’t relax. The Fallen Guardian was still standing, and the corruption covering her body continued to release energy.

"She’s not defeated yet. Everyone, keep attacking!"

His summons immediately resumed their assault.

With the support of the totems and Ryan’s commands, they continued pressuring the Fallen Guardian, gradually wearing down her defenses.

The battle had become much more difficult than Ryan initially expected, but he was finally beginning to gain the upper hand.

Now that he had identified a weakness in the boss’s abilities, he intended to use it to end the fight.