The front of the Mehko Research Center walls had been torn away, pushed aside like stage curtains. The roots' emergence had split everything, creating a massive entrance framed by broken cobblestone and twisted metal.

But none of them cared as they rushed towards the hole, rushing over the destroyed stone steps and entering the split building.

Then they continued rushing further in before stopping as everything was filled with roots.

They filled the space where rooms and hallways should have been, thick black wood wrapped in golden veins that glowed with small lights that rushed up to the black petal.

The roots twisted together in complex patterns, some climbing walls, others diving downward through holes punched in multiple floors.

At the center was a massive opening, which was created by the roots that tore through the floor and created that darkness.

The main trunk occupied the shaft's center, easily forty feet in diameter, covered in enough irregularities to serve as handholds.

The others arrived behind Reinhard. Their boots scraped against debris as they stopped at the edge and peered down into the depths.

"This should be close to the elevators. I can see a faint light down there." Joseph pointed downward, and far below, a golden light glowed.

"Four floors down at least." Roana's golden eyes tracked the distance.

Scath grinned, her wine-colored eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Then let's not waste time."

Scath launched herself over the edge without hesitation, hitting the surface of the roof, and then she began sliding. She was using gravity and the root's natural curve while her hands touched the bark occasionally for balance, guiding her descent without slowing momentum.

"Ahh, I wanted to go first, Scath!" Marie shouted before rushing out next and jumping on the root with the others following.

Reinhard jumped with his landing on the root surface before gravity took over. The descent began immediately as they all slid down the roots and used their hands to steer. Wind whipped past his face as he slid, one hand trailing along the bark to maintain balance and control speed.

Around him, the others were doing the same, with Joseph having a slight grin as he slid close to him.

While Marie was laughing as she slid down the tree, sometimes switching to not using her hand to steer and moving her hips. Nikki came down with flames flickering around her feet, using bursts of fire to adjust her trajectory.

Roana slid with her grey dress billowing, ice forming on her palms for a better grip.

The golden veins pulsing through the root provided light as they descended. Each pulse illuminated their surroundings in brief flashes and showed glimpses of destroyed floors, broken equipment, and scattered papers that floated in the updrafts.

But then movement caught Reinhard's eye.

Above them, on a smaller root branching off the main trunk, was a Werefang. Its golden eyes tracked their descent before it crouched down with its muscles tensing, and then it leapt.

The beast launched itself directly at Marie with its claw extended, three tails streaming behind it, mouth open.

"Left!" Reinhard's shout cut through the wind.

Marie twisted as her body shifted mid-slide, boots finding new areas on the root's surface. The Werefang sailed past her, close enough that its claws shredded the air inches from her face.

But Scath was ready as her crimson-purple spear appeared as the Werefang flew past Marie.

The weapon's blunt end came up in a brutal uppercut that caught the beast under its jaw, the sound of bone cracking rang out. Before the Werefang was sent hurling down into the darkness beyond the roots.

But as they kept sliding, they could see more movements.

To their right, multiple shapes clung to smaller roots, which showed it was three Cheronos that were pressing against the bark.

Their golden eyes were following the group's descent before they attacked simultaneously. All three launched themselves from different angles as they descended upon the sliding group.

"Joseph!" Marie shouted as Longinus appeared.

Joseph instantly uses wind drift, leading to the three falling Cheronos to drift off course, and leading to their trajectories to bend. It wasn't by much, but enough that they missed their targets by a couple of inches and fell down past them.

Just as Marie thrust Longinus forward. The spear's blade caught one Cheronos across its side, punching through ribs, and the beast shrieked before she flung it to the side.

Then Nikki's flames burst from her hands before streams of golden-orange fire rushed toward the second Cheronos. The flames engulfed it mid-air, drawing screams that cut off quickly, and the burning body tumbled away.

The third Cheronos managed to grab onto a smaller root, and then it started climbing back up, preparing for another leap. But ice formed in the air and condensed into an ice spear that blasted out, rushing through the air and piercing through the Cheronos's skull.

The beast's grip failed, and then it fell.

They continued sliding, but they noticed the descent accelerated as the root's angle increased.

Below them, something massive moved.

An Autumn Deer stood on a section where multiple roots intersected, creating a flat platform. Its antlers turned toward them with leaves growing from bone, rustling despite no wind.

The deer lowered its antlers and charged up the root toward them.

The deer ran with impossible grace for something moving on curved bark. Its hooves easily rushed up the bark as it picked up speed with the distance closing rapidly.

Reinhard pushed off, and as he came close, he crashed into the root before purple-black energy erupted from the impact point. The gravity well formed centered on the deer rather than himself, and the deer's charge faltered. Its hooves slipped as gravity pulled sideways instead of down, and it stumbled with its antlers swinging wildly as it tried to compensate.

Scath's spear transformed into a massive crimson-purple hammer before she planted her feet and swung with both hands as she slid past the deer.

The hammer connected with the deer's head, and an ear-splitting noise rang out. The deer was thrown sideways off the root entirely, sailing into the darkness with broken bone trailing leaves.

They slid past the platform and accelerated faster.

But more Phantasm Beasts appeared.

A Bumbodusk clung to roots to its left before it launched itself. The massive boar-creature flew through the air, and it descended on them with its tusks, aiming at Marie.

But Marie simply leaped forward, leaving the main roots entirely as her boots found a smaller branch that curved away at an angle.

The Bumbodusk sailed through the space she'd occupied with its tusks, striking the root where she was. Just as Joseph hurled Arondight over and its puncture into the Bumbodusk's side.

The beast roared out before it was pushed off the root, falling past all of them as the lance faded from its side. Marie jumped back to the main root, landing in a controlled slide that put her beside Reinhard.

Then, a couple of seconds later, they saw a Bear-Terror waiting ahead. It didn't charge but simply stood there as if acting like an obstacle they would have to go through.

"Together!" Roana's voice carried command.

Her hands moved before a ramp made out of ice formed. The frozen construct appeared on the root's surface just before the Bear-Terror, angling upward.

They hit the ramp at full speed with their momentum carrying them up and into the air, launching them over the Bear-Terror's head.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.