The moment the AK-47 appeared in Ren’s hands, the atmosphere of the battle changed.
Lyra’s eyes widened slightly, but she said nothing. She already understood. There was no more room for pretending.
Ren pulled the charging handle, raised the rifle, and opened fire.
The sharp, thunderous roar of automatic gunfire exploded through the fog-filled clearing. Bullets tore into the nearest roots, shredding wood and forcing the Evolved Tyrant Tree to recoil. Splinters flew in every direction. The boss let out a deep, creaking roar of rage and pain.
From their hidden position, Alex flinched at the unfamiliar sound.
“What… is that weapon?”
Silvia’s expression remained controlled, but her eyes sharpened with interest.
“Continue watching.”
Ren moved while firing, never staying in one place. Short, controlled bursts. He targeted the joints where the roots connected to the main trunk. Lyra supported him with everything she had left, launching wind spears and lightning bolts to keep other roots from flanking them.
The Evolved Tyrant Tree adapted quickly. It began using the fog and its own falling leaves as cover, then slammed multiple roots into the ground to create tremors that threw off Ren’s footing. One root managed to wrap around Lyra’s waist and lift her into the air. She cried out as the wood tightened.
Ren immediately switched targets and poured fire into that specific root until it snapped, dropping her back to the ground. He pulled her behind a half-broken tree trunk for a brief moment of cover.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” Lyra panted, though her arm was bleeding. “Don’t stop!”
The battle stretched on.
Minutes felt like hours. Ren’s ammunition began to run low. The Tyrant Tree’s body was covered in deep bullet holes and scorched marks from Lyra’s lightning, yet it still refused to fall. Its core remained protected behind layers of extremely dense wood.
Finally, Ren saw an opening.
The boss reared back to deliver a massive overhead smash with two giant roots. In that brief moment, the glowing green core near the center of its trunk was fully exposed.
“Now!”
Lyra poured the last of her mana into a single powerful spell.
“Storm Piercer!”
At the same time, Ren switched the AK-47 to full automatic and emptied the remainder of his magazine directly into the exposed core, mixing in several Holy rounds he had crafted earlier.
The combined assault punched through.
The green light in the core flickered violently, then shattered.
The Evolved Tyrant Tree let out one final, earth-shaking roar before its massive body began to collapse. Roots went limp. The trunk crashed sideways into the ground with a thunderous impact that sent a wave of dust and broken wood across the entire clearing.
Silence returned.
Blue windows flooded Ren’s vision.
[Level Up]
Level 17 → Level 22
A powerful wave of energy swept through his body, healing minor wounds and restoring a portion of his stamina.
Ren did not celebrate.
He immediately turned and knelt beside Lyra, checking her carefully for injuries. There was a deep bruise around her waist from the root, several cuts on her arms, and she was clearly exhausted, but nothing life-threatening.
“I’m okay,” she said softly, placing a hand on his wrist. “Really.”
Only then did Ren stand and begin collecting the drops.
Glowing items lay scattered around the massive corpse of the Tyrant Tree.
Boss Drops Acquired:
Tyrant Wood (Special Hardwood) ×6
Evolved Tyrant Tree Trunk ×1 (Value: 15,000 gold)
Level C Mana Stone ×1 (Value: 10,000 gold)
Level C Magic Stone ×1 (Value: 10,000 gold)
Gold Coins ×5,000
High-Grade Tree Core ×1
Ancient Root Essence ×2
Rare Growth Seed ×1
Ren stored everything carefully.
When he finally opened his full inventory for a quick review, the list had grown significantly richer than before.
From the edge of the clearing, two pairs of eyes continued to watch in silence.
The real strength of the targets had finally been revealed.