This time, he had really picked up something big!
The original owner, the Elf King Aurel, was dead—this was an ownerless relic now!
Besides, it was far more legitimate for him to take it than for the murderer who killed Aurel to do so!
Lin Jun’s move had carried risk—one misstep, and it would become hard for him to operate in elven territory ever again.
But this was a divine artifact!
Not just any enchanted gear, but a true artifact on par with the Sunstone!
Even with only half of the Sunstone, Lin Jun had managed to avoid magical depletion even when his entire Mycelium Carpet was destroyed.
And now this “Heartwood Core”—though its exact power was still unknown—was clearly tied to life energy, and that could only be a good thing!
Now it lay right there, within reach of a puji’s tentacle—how could Lin Jun resist giving it a try?
Of course, things weren’t that simple.
Just as Iros was distracted by Eko, Lin Jun had the puji sneak closer—but Iros still noticed.
“You dare not!”
Just as the artifact was about to be pulled away, Iros maintained the Firewall and at the same time shot out vines from beneath him, far faster than usual, to grab the staff’s tail!
A double cast!
That old man’s panel clearly didn’t show a “Dual Casting” skill!
The puji had been specially modified for stealth, but even so, it was no match for the elven archmage’s vines.
The puji tried to slice the vines with its bladed tentacle, but only left shallow cuts—it couldn’t sever them.
Before long, half the Heartwood Core was already being dragged out.
But they weren’t the only ones there.
Setting aside the rangers in the distance—still frozen between helping or intervening—Eko’s intent was clear: kill Iros. A mere wall of fire couldn’t stop him.
Wind roared around his blade.
He cleaved through the seven- or eight-meter wall of flames, leapt forward, and in an instant appeared before Iros, striking down with a single devastating slash!
Boom!
A close-range [Flame Burst] sent both men flying again.
Iros’s magic shield kept him uninjured, though the enchantments on his robe dimmed visibly.
Eko, singed and battered, barely seemed to notice the burns. He was furious only because he hadn’t managed to split the traitor who murdered the Elf King in two.
Yet Iros’s magic shield could protect himself—it couldn’t protect the vines extending outward.
The explosion’s flames and shockwave shredded them.
And the little thief hiding underground seized the chance to drag the Heartwood Core downward again.
Iros had no choice but to repeat the same tactic, summoning new vines before the artifact disappeared completely into the ground.
But this time, before he could pull it back, Eko’s relentless strikes came crashing down.
Forced to defend against the storm of sword blows while keeping the vine intact, Iros grew increasingly desperate.
He shouted, “Eko! Calm down! There’s been a misunderstanding between us! Let’s retrieve the artifact first!”
“Misunderstanding? Then why is the King dead and you’re still alive?”
Rage blazed in Eko’s eyes—he saw only the murderer before him.
Hampered by his need to protect the vines, Iros fought with increasing difficulty.
He knew this couldn’t go on.
Seizing an opening, Iros used the last of his robe’s shield to block a downward strike, then poured all his magic into the vines, trying to snatch the artifact in one go.
But just as the puji and artifact were about to be dragged out of the hole, Lin Jun made a swift decision—he detonated the puji!
With a thunderous explosion, the already-damaged vines snapped instantly.
The Heartwood Core was blasted high into the air, arcing gracefully before plunging into the Dungeon’s vast spiral below.
Iros felt a crushing pain in his chest, nearly vomiting blood.
He couldn’t understand it.
That thief in the tunnel—he’d sensed him before. Weak, almost laughably weak.
How could something like that unleash an explosion of such magnitude?
He still wanted to chase after the artifact, but Eko’s blade was already descending again.
With his robe’s protection gone, Iros didn’t dare take the hit directly. He twisted aside, fending off blow after blow.
Now truly enraged, Iros abandoned his restraint.
His plan had been simple: seize the Heartwood Core, exploit Aurel’s death and the ritual’s aftermath, merge it with abyssal magic, and take full control of the Divine Tree—thus seizing the entire forest.
Then, with the power of the Ark faction behind him, he could plant his people in key positions, use the surveillance array to purge opposition, and unify elven power.
After that, he’d release Eko, Saryan, and the others—by then, no matter what they chose, they’d be powerless to resist.
But now, at the very brink of success, everything had gone wrong!
Eko’s unexpected escape had shattered his careful plans.
Now the control of the Divine Tree—the key to all—was slipping away.
And that unknown thief had blown the Heartwood Core into the Dungeon depths!
Though he had left a tracking sigil on it, the situation had spun completely out of control.
“Eko, I’ll explain everything later—but for now, let me retrieve the artifact! The elves need it!”
It was his final plea.
The only answer was a blade flashing coldly toward his throat.
Iros laughed bitterly through his rage. “Fine! Then die here!”
Though his robe was gone, freed from the artifact’s distraction, he could now fight with full strength.
With his Dual Casting unleashed, the tide turned swiftly—Eko was being pushed back.
……
Meanwhile, the Heartwood Core tumbled down the spiral, bouncing off ledges like a stick, until finally it didn’t stop at any level but dropped all the way to the very bottom.
Half a minute later, Pelagel appeared at the center and carefully picked up the unscathed Heartwood Core, reverently offering it to the puji perched on his head.
Honestly, Lin Jun hadn’t expected it.
He’d triggered the self-detonation just to erase evidence—he hadn’t thought the Heartwood Core would end up falling right to him.
No—this was the artifact’s will choosing its master!
Still, Lin Jun soon noticed the magic traces clinging to it.
After testing a few times and finding them impossible to remove quickly, he realized he had to move the artifact to safety at once.
The problem was… this was the bottom layer, while the rift entrance was on the fourth floor.
Although much of his Mycelium Carpet near the entrance had been burned away by the battle’s shockwaves, Lin Jun’s vision extended far—he could still see the situation above.
Eko appeared to be losing ground. It was uncertain how long he could hold out.
One thing was clear, though—there wasn’t enough time for Lin Jun to climb all the way back to his base.
He ran through several options in his head: guiding the nearby ranger units, or sending a message to other elves to block Iros.
But either it was too late, or too unreliable.
Even those ranger squads—if Iros descended while they still didn’t know the truth, would they listen to Saryan, or to their Chief?
They might even be manipulated into turning on Lin Jun instead.
Too many uncertainties. There was no safe way to take the artifact home.
At last, Lin Jun decided to carry the artifact back into the abyssal chamber beneath the Divine Tree.
There, with the information cubes and familiar terrain, he would have the advantage.
At the same time, atop the expanding Mycelium Carpet—now reaching the fourteenth layer—countless pujis were emerging one after another.
They bypassed the main elven forces and raced downward.
Many were slaughtered by the animated giant trees along the way, but through their sacrifices, some pujis would always make it to the end!
Each fallen puji fed the Mycelium’s growth, and each death freed up a “slot” for a new one to be born and continue the journey.
Within moments, the fifteenth layer had a living fungal path—woven by sacrifice and persistence.