Jade rushed forward without hesitation.
The forest floor was uneven, covered in damp leaves and twisting roots, but he moved quickly through them, focused only on the struggling man ahead. The middle-aged man was still trapped in the vine's grip, his body lifted slightly off the ground as the thick plant tightened around him like a living rope.
When the man saw Jade running toward him, his eyes widened.
At first, he looked shocked.
Then relief appeared on his face.
Even though pain filled his expression, the sight of someone coming to help him gave him a small burst of hope.
"Kid…!" the man gasped weakly.
Jade didn't slow down.
The vine twisted slightly, reacting to the sudden movement nearby, but Jade moved quickly to the side of the trapped man.
The vine that held him looked thick and heavy, like several ropes braided together. Its surface was dark green, almost black in some places, and small sharp thorns lined its body like tiny blades.
It didn't look like a normal plant at all.
It looked alive.
Jade grabbed the man firmly under the arm and pulled with all his strength.
"Hold on!" Jade said.
The man groaned in pain as the thorn that had pierced his body shifted slightly, but Jade didn't stop pulling.
With a sudden jerk, the vine loosened just enough.
Jade dragged the man away from the plant.
The thorn tore free from the man's body as he was pulled away.
Blood spilled quickly onto the forest floor.
Jade pulled the man several meters away from the vine before finally stopping.
The middle-aged man collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.
For a moment, Jade thought the man might die from the wound.
Blood was pouring from his chest.
But something surprising happened.
After a few seconds, the bleeding began to slow.
Then the wound slowly started closing.
Jade blinked in surprise.
The man's skin moved strangely as the injury healed itself. The torn flesh pulled back together, and the bleeding gradually stopped.
Within moments, the man was breathing much more steadily.
Jade realized something immediately.
"This man is strong…"
Ordinary people couldn't recover from injuries like that so quickly.
The middle-aged man sat up slowly, still breathing hard.
He looked at Jade with a complicated expression.
"Kid… you shouldn't have done that," the man said.
Even though he sounded slightly grateful, his voice was filled with urgency.
He stood up quickly and grabbed Jade's arm.
"We need to run!"
Jade looked at him calmly.
The man continued urgently.
"That vine… it's a Divine Wrath Vine."
Even saying the name seemed to make him uncomfortable.
"I can't kill it," the man admitted.
"And if I can't kill it, you definitely can't."
He began trying to pull Jade with him.
"Come on! If we run now, we might still escape!"
But Jade didn't move.
Instead, he gently pushed the man's hand away.
"You should go," Jade said calmly.
The middle-aged man stared at him.
"What?"
Jade pointed toward the deeper forest.
"Run."
The man hesitated.
For a moment, it looked like he wanted to argue.
But then the vine behind them began moving again.
The thick plant twisted slowly, its long tendrils spreading across the forest floor like searching snakes.
The man's face turned pale.
"Kid… you're crazy," he muttered.
But he didn't argue anymore.
Instead, he turned and ran.
And he ran fast.
Within seconds, he disappeared between the massive trees, leaving Jade alone behind.
Now Jade stood facing the vine.
Around them, several nearby fighters had witnessed everything.
Some had been battling monsters before, but the strange situation had caught their attention.
They stared at Jade with disbelief.
One man shook his head.
"That vine will definitely kill him."
Another fighter sighed heavily.
"We couldn't even destroy that thing with all of us working together."
Someone else spoke quietly.
"Yeah… that plant is practically immortal."
Another person looked at Jade more carefully.
"It seems like he's a newbie."
The man crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"No experienced participant would be naive enough to save someone like that."
A woman nearby sighed.
"I just wish him luck."
Some of the fighters began walking away again.
"Let's go," one of them said.
"We might die here if we stay too long because of his mistake."
But not everyone left.
A few people remained nearby, watching Jade with curiosity.
One man smirked slightly.
"Let's watch."
"If he somehow survives, that'll be interesting."
Another person nodded.
"And if he doesn't… maybe we can at least try to recover his soul."
The group stood at a safe distance, observing.
Meanwhile, Jade focused only on the vine.
The plant stretched across several trees, its thick body twisting through the forest like a massive serpent.
But something about it felt strange.
Jade narrowed his eyes.
"This vine might not be the real creature," he thought.
The vines that attacked earlier had moved quickly and precisely.
Too precisely.
Almost like they were being controlled.
"If this thing is only a part of the creature…"
"Then there must be a main controller somewhere."
Jade slowly began moving.
The moment he took a step forward, several vines suddenly shot toward him.
They moved like spears.
Fast.
Sharp.
Jade reacted instantly.
He jumped to the side.
A vine stabbed into the ground where he had been standing just moments before.
The impact sent dirt flying.
Jade immediately started running.
The forest floor made movement difficult.
Roots stuck out of the ground everywhere.
Low branches and hanging vines blocked parts of his path.
But Jade moved carefully, weaving between obstacles.
More vines shot toward him.
He twisted his body to the side.
One vine barely missed his shoulder.
Another stabbed toward his leg.
Jade jumped over it and kept running.
The watching fighters stared with surprise.
"He's dodging them."
Another person nodded slowly.
"His speed isn't incredible…"
"But for a newbie… it's impressive."
Someone else frowned.
"Yeah… beginners usually freeze when facing something like that."
But Jade didn't freeze.
He kept moving.
As he ran, he carefully watched the direction the vines were coming from.
Each attack seemed to originate from different points.
But they all had something in common.
They seemed to be guided by the same source.
Jade twisted his body again, leaning sideways to avoid another vine strike.
The sharp tip passed just inches from his face.
A nearby observer whistled quietly.
"Look at that."
"He's flexible."
Jade bent low under another attacking vine, then rolled across the ground to avoid the next one.
Leaves and dirt stuck to his clothes, but he didn't slow down.
He continued running in a wide circle around the vine-covered area.
Every movement had a purpose.
He was watching.
Studying.
Trying to understand where the attacks were coming from.
The vines were fast.
Faster than he expected.
But they weren't random.
Each attack seemed to be directed from a central area.
Jade suddenly changed direction.
Instead of running away from the vine, he ran toward a cluster of thicker vines near the base of a massive tree.
Several observers gasped.
"What is he doing?"
"Is he trying to die?"
More vines lashed toward him immediately.
Jade twisted his body again.
His shoulder turned sharply as he leaned sideways to avoid a stabbing thorn.
Then he ducked under another attack.
Even though his movements weren't perfect, they were surprisingly effective.
For someone new to this world, his reflexes were remarkable.
The watching fighters grew more surprised.
"That kid…"
"He's learning while running."
Jade kept moving.
His eyes scanned the forest floor, the tree trunks, and the dense mass of vines spreading through the area.
Then suddenly—
He saw something.
Hidden behind a large cluster of roots near the base of the tree.
A strange shape.
It was partially buried beneath leaves and soil.
But Jade could see faint movement there.
Something was pulsing slowly.
Almost like a heart.
Jade's eyes widened slightly.
"So that's it…"
He had found the controller.
And just as Jade realized what it was—
Another vine shot toward him from behind.
The sharp tip rushed toward his back.
And the scene ended there.