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**[D-Rank Mission: Conquer the Tree of Life]**
*Description:* The Tree of Life is a mystical tree that produces life-giving fruit. Its enormous canopy constantly bears ripe, nutrient-filled fruit. It is a highly valuable N-Rank resource point.
*Conditions for Victory:* Defeat the boss, "Golden Crown Serpent," and complete the resource point capture.
- **Sub-mission 1:** Defeat 10 Double-Clawed Serpent Monsters (0/10)
- **Sub-mission 2:** Defeat the Red-Crested Serpent Monster (0/1)
- **Sub-mission 3:** Defeat the boss, Golden Crown Serpent
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The enormous green tree, now known as the Tree of Life, bore precious fruit with a name that seemed almost too grand for a mere N-Rank resource point. And it was guarded by a horde of serpent monsters, likely on par with the creatures they had encountered on Grizzly Mountain.
After accepting the mission, Alex led the group through the massive stone gate.
Upon crossing the gate, it felt as though they had entered another dimension entirely. The space was vast, with walls, floors, and ceilings made entirely of warm, brownish-yellow wood.
However, the scene that greeted them was far from peaceful. The entire area, resembling a giant plaza, was littered with the corpses of monsters—mostly blue-bladed scythe creatures but also a number of strange, never-before-seen serpents.
The appearance of the serpents was bizarre. Their massive, elongated bodies rivaled the size of the world's largest pythons, yet their heads were nothing like a snake's. Instead, they resembled something straight out of a movie, with enormous skulls that seemed disproportionate to their serpentine bodies. Below their necks, they possessed a pair of powerful forelimbs.
It was easy to tell from the deep claw marks on the scythe monsters' corpses that the serpents' massive claws were devastatingly lethal. However, despite their fearsome abilities, the overwhelming numbers of monsters had still managed to defeat them.
Seeing that the first level had already been cleared, the group grew anxious. They quickly found another door and made their way to the next level.
The second level, unlike the eerily quiet first, still contained a few remaining monsters locked in combat with the serpent creatures. However, the numbers were dwindling—fewer than a hundred of them remained in total.
The 2,000-strong force of survivors quickly made short work of the serpents and monsters alike. Aware that the monster count attacking this resource point might number in the thousands, they didn't linger, hurrying toward the third level.
As they approached the stairs, Alex suddenly raised his hand to stop them. His expression turned serious as he spoke, "I don't recommend that everyone go up. Based on our last experience, the boss will likely try a surprise attack. With its strength, no one here except me could withstand its hits. I suggest that only the strongest and fastest come with me. I'll take down the boss first, then you all can come up to finish off the rest of the monsters."
The survivors from the school knew Alex's terrifying strength and had witnessed the danger of bosses firsthand, so they offered no objections. The group from People's Park, however, found his confidence somewhat overbearing, even arrogant. But since no one else protested, they kept their opinions to themselves.
As Alex headed up to the third level alone, the bald man from People's Park muttered, "He's so full of it. If he gets himself killed up there, it's going to be quite a show."
Hearing the comment, Liam, one of Alex's close companions, smiled. He was also an R-Rank Awakened with an enhanced perception attribute that had already reached E-Rank. His senses far surpassed those of ordinary people, and he easily overheard the remark. With a smirk, he replied, "You might want to get ready to move. If you're too slow, you won't even get a share of the spoils."
The nonchalant response confused the bald man, who stammered, "What do you mean?"
Claire, another of Alex's trusted allies, rolled her eyes and snapped, "Alex will probably take out the boss in one strike! If you don't hurry, even the elite monsters will be dead by the time you get there!"
The bald man was still skeptical. After all, in this game, pure damage wasn't everything. Without the necessary attributes, even a "one-hit wonder" could easily be taken down in return. But Claire and the others spoke of Alex's abilities as if they were absolute, as if he could single-handedly clear the entire resource point.
That level of confidence seemed absurd, right?
Yet, when Liam, Claire, and the rest of Alex's group reached the third level, they were momentarily dumbfounded.
The space was enormous, filled with monsters locked in battle. Among them were numerous purple-tier beasts, but the most eye-catching creatures were the enormous, roaring serpent monsters.
Even after seeing the corpses of Double-Clawed Serpents on the lower levels, witnessing the living versions was a different experience entirely. These towering creatures, each standing nearly three meters tall when upright, launched attacks like dragons breaching the sea. Their powerful claws would seize their targets, and their massive jaws would follow up, tearing the blue creatures apart with ease.
Some of the scythe monsters survived the initial assault, but the overwhelming strength of the serpents left them crippled, bleeding out as they waited for death.
The most terrifying among the serpents were the massive orange-scaled beasts, much larger versions of the Double-Clawed Serpents. These monsters stood 7 or 8 meters tall and had massive claws and fangs to match. Their heads were adorned with a bright red crest, which was not only a mark of their strength but also their weak point.
Armored in impenetrable scales, these Red-Crested Serpents could crush purple-tier monsters with ease, using their coiling bodies, powerful claws, and jaws to tear through anything in their path. Were it not for the fact that attacks on their crest could deliver fatal damage, the battle would have already been lost.
But none of these terrifying creatures held Liam or Claire's attention for long. Instead, their eyes were drawn to the enormous "mountain of flesh" coiled in the center of the battlefield.
It took them a moment to realize that the massive coiled structure was actually part of a snake's body—an unimaginably large serpent. It lay motionless, its massive form stacked in coils, towering three stories high.
There was no doubt about it. This had to be the boss.
But strangely, the massive creature wasn't moving at all.
Had Alex already slain it?