Floor 46 looked simple at first.
Too simple.
The moment the group stepped through the portal, they found themselves standing inside a dense forest corridor with towering tree walls rising on either side.
The path ahead twisted left.
Then right.
Then split into three directions.
Bunny scratched her ear.
"…This looks like a maze."
They walked forward anyway.
The first few turns seemed harmless.
Until they reached a dead end.
Jax turned around to retrace their steps.
Only to find the path behind them… gone.
The trees had closed together like a living wall.
The group froze.
Then the forest shifted.
The walls moved.
Branches creaked.
Roots slid across the ground like muscles flexing beneath skin.
Llandra slowly lowered Starpiercer.
"…This is a labyrinth."
Jax nodded.
"And a living one."
Another section of wall shifted, sealing one path and opening another deeper into the maze.
Jax's expression hardened.
"Careful," he said calmly. "These walls will try to separate us."
The Vixens all nodded.
They had trained for situations like this.
Pixelle blinked.
"…We have?"
Nyxian gently grabbed the fairy by the collar before she could drift away.
"Stick with me during this mission."
Jax raised a hand.
Shadow mana poured across the ground.
Dozens of shadows rose instantly.
Shadow Knights.
Shadow Mages.
And several packs of Iron Jaw Wolves.
Before sending them out, Jax crouched beside the wolves.
"Come here."
Each wolf stepped forward.
Jax had them sniff him.
Then each of the Vixens.
"Memorize that scent," he said.
The wolves growled softly in understanding.
Then they vanished into the maze.
Their mission was simple.
Clear the labyrinth.
And hunt anything pretending to be them.
It didn't take long before the sounds of combat echoed through the living corridors.
Stealth predators known as Root Stalkers were dragged from hiding and torn apart.
Mirror Sprites tried again to impersonate the group, appearing as fake Vixens and fake Jax clones.
But the wolves immediately recognized the deception.
The scent was wrong.
The shadows attacked without hesitation.
And the Mirror Sprites shattered quickly.
Their copying ability had limits.
Especially when trying to duplicate someone like Jax.
Still, the labyrinth itself remained the biggest problem.
The walls constantly shifted.
Paths that were clear moments ago sealed shut.
Others opened in entirely new directions.
At one point the forest forced the group apart.
Jax, Llandra, and Zee were pushed down one corridor.
Nyxian, Bunny, and Pixelle down another.
Jax could still hear his shadows moving deeper into the maze, their battles echoing through the forest like distant thunder.
But sound was unreliable.
Every time they tried to follow the noise…
The walls moved again.
Llandra sighed.
"Ugh. Now we have to backtrack again."
Then suddenly—
A section of wall opened directly beside them.
The bark folded outward like a door.
Beyond it was a straight corridor stretching all the way to the far exit of the labyrinth.
At the distant end, a tiny glowing figure floated in mid-air.
Pixelle.
Her wand was raised.
Her tiny face scrunched in concentration.
Jax smiled.
"Plant control."
Llandra blinked.
"Oh."
Pixelle was manipulating the trees themselves.
The walls parted slowly as she forced the labyrinth to open.
Jax glanced at Zee.
"We should hurry before she gets tired."
They ran.
The living walls stayed open just long enough for them to reach the exit.
By the time they arrived, Pixelle was panting slightly.
Nyxian patted her head.
"Good work."
Zee nodded.
"Labyrinth puzzles are much easier when you can see them from above."
Everyone silently agreed.
Pixelle puffed up proudly.
Floor 47 was far less subtle.
The moment they stepped through the portal, they entered a massive forest clearing.
But this forest wasn't peaceful.
The trees themselves moved.
Branches twisted.
Roots tore free from the earth.
And suddenly the entire forest attacked.
Massive wooden limbs swung down like clubs.
Spears of thorns shot forward.
Vines lashed across the battlefield.
Jax raised a hand.
"Grendel."
The massive Shadow Ogre rose from the ground with a thunderous roar.
He slammed his club against the earth and activated his taunt, drawing the attention of the forest.
Branches lunged toward him immediately.
Behind him, Loki appeared.
The towering Frost Giant raised his hands.
A wave of freezing magic spread across the battlefield.
Entire branches froze solid.
Shadow mages followed up instantly.
Explosive spells shattered the frozen limbs.
Bunny rushed forward.
Her hammer smashed through thick tree trunks like they were glass.
Llandra's arrows flashed through the air, severing spear-like thorns before they could strike the group.
The forest tried to overwhelm them.
But the Vixens advanced steadily.
Breaking.
Burning.
Freezing.
Destroying everything that moved.
Finally, the true master of the forest revealed itself.
The ground trembled.
Trees split apart.
And a massive form rose from the center of the clearing.
Forty feet tall.
A colossal wooden titan armored in bark and twisted roots.
Jax's Inspect skill activated instantly.
S-Rank Entity Detected
Forest Sovereign — Mid Tier Boss
The creature roared.
The surrounding forest obeyed its command, branches whipping forward like spears.
Jax rested Peacemaker on his shoulder.
"If the raid wants to throw a forty-foot tree monster at us…"
He raised one hand.
"…then we'll answer with something bigger."
"DANTE."
The ground exploded with shadow.
The Flame Dragon emerged with a deafening roar.
Nearly fifty feet long.
Wings spreading wide as hellfire ignited in his throat.
The forest trembled.
Even the massive golem hesitated.
"Formation Whiskey!" Jax shouted.
The Vixens instantly snapped into formation.
Llandra covered the air.
Zee reinforced the defensive barrier.
Nyxian whipped away incoming branches.
Bunny guarded the front line.
Dante surged forward, engulfing the battlefield in Hellfire.
The tree titan raised its arms to defend itself.
Its armor resisted the flames.
But not completely.
Jax could see the damage building.
Perfect.
Dante pushed the creature backward with relentless flame attacks.
While the golem focused entirely on the dragon…
Jax moved.
He sprinted forward.
Requiem appeared in his hands.
The twin pistols fired in rapid bursts as he closed the distance.
Then he jumped.
Wind Walk activated beneath his feet.
He stepped through the air like invisible stairs, climbing above the towering monster.
The golem roared and swung upward.
Jax twisted midair.
Instead of attacking directly—
He angled his descent.
He landed briefly on the monster's shoulder.
Then jumped again.
His body spiraled downward like a falling drill.
Peacemaker spun in his hands.
The blade carved through the monster's armor in one devastating spiral strike.
The bark plating shattered and crashed to the ground.
Jax landed beside the fallen armor, grabbing a massive piece as he rolled to his feet.
Now he stood calmly facing the Vixens.
Behind him…
The now-exposed tree titan prepared to strike.
Pixelle gasped.
"Jax! Watch—"
Then she heard Dante roar.
Hellfire erupted across the now-unprotected body of the monster.
The wood ignited instantly.
The creature screamed.
Dante dove through the flames.
His claws ripped the burning titan in half.
Then into quarters.
Then into scattered fragments of charred wood.
The dragon rose into the sky again, roaring triumphantly as flames poured from his jaws.
The forest fell silent.
Jax's system chimed.
Boss Eliminated
Would you like to summon: The Thorn King
Jax shrugged.
"Why not."
"Yes."
Shadow energy gathered.
A towering demon-like tree rose from the ground.
Nearly forty feet tall.
Dark branches spread outward like living weapons.
Summoning successful.
Name your summon.
Jax looked up at the new shadow.
"Thorn."
The massive Tree Demon bowed slightly.
Jax smirked.
With the summons they were gaining from this raid…
His shadow army was growing stronger than ever.
And they were only halfway through the World Tree.