Ethan didn't have time to dwell on what she might be thinking. His mind had already moved ahead, piecing together something far more urgent. If being a soul wielder really was the fastest path to reaching the next layer, then hesitation and weakness would only slow them down. There was no room for dead weight, not here.
So he healed Onyx.
The shift into Tree Form came as naturally as breathing now. His energy core had fully recovered, his reserves brimming, and his skills flowed without resistance, as if they had always belonged to him. But this time, something felt different.
Something clicked.
Energy fusion.
His healing abilities weren't just his own anymore. As he cast them, he felt the world respond, felt the life in the surrounding plants stir and answer his call. He could draw from them, pull that vitality into his spells, and amplify their effects far beyond what they should have been.
