Floating Island - Triple S Talent

The tremors intensified. Bright green light shone from the cracks in the ground beneath Jen. The light was like a small sun rising from the depths, illuminating the human-like face hidden below. Without warning, the light surged into Jen's body, burning through him with searing heat, causing his skin to smolder and melt.

"ARGH!" Jen's scream echoed, a cry of utter despair.

His skin shriveled and began to liquefy, dripping slowly onto the ground, where it was absorbed by the encroaching roots. With each drop absorbed, the wooden face grew more lifelike, its mouth curving into a faint, satisfied smile.

At the forest's edge, Jen's remaining subordinates looked on in horror—some frozen, others attempting to advance and help. But as soon as they stepped within the circle of trees, they collapsed, lifeless, their bodies immediately consumed by the ground just like Jen.

"Sir, we can't leave him there!" one of the subordinates whispered urgently to their captain, his voice laced with anxiety.

The captain only gave him a sharp, cold stare, as if warning him to keep quiet.

"Everyone, fall back," he ordered without hesitation. "This man is too powerful."

The subordinate wanted to protest, but his words were cut off by the threatening look in his captain's eyes. One by one, they began to retreat, their steps quick but silent, leaving behind the towering walls and artificial forest. In the distance, the sounds of battle echoed faintly, like whispers amidst chaos.

Holas' forces watched as the foreign attackers withdrew. "Sir, should we pursue them?" asked a soldier, his voice filled with hope.

"No," his captain replied curtly, his eyes still fixed on the forest fading into the distance.

"Hold your positions. We finish things here first."

He was about to turn away when he noticed several World Market Trade Alliance soldiers beginning to chase the retreating enemies, led by a man hovering in the air. From afar, the man launched blue fire arrows, raining them down on the fleeing group with deadly precision.

Some team members followed suit, unleashing their attacks. Massive boulders were hurled through earth magic, smashing into the remnants of the opposition. Others transformed, turning into fierce beasts, pouncing with swift and feral movements, giving no respite to their enemies.

Budi stood tall in the midst of the battle's chaos, his eyes monitoring his subordinates as they attacked relentlessly. The corner of his mouth curled upward when a notification appeared at the edge of his vision.

[Killed (Jen - Faithwarden) exp +411,500]

A slow, victorious smile spread across his face. The small forest he had created now shimmered with a yellow hue, writhing as if reflecting the power it had just absorbed. The glowing tattoo on his forehead flickered brightly for a moment before gradually fading away.

In the distance, the enemy's ranks still appeared like an unending black wave, and Budi could sense the presence of several other Tier-3s. He raised an eyebrow, preparing his next move, when another figure approached—Holas, his breath still a little ragged but his face refreshed, the wounds on his body healed.

"Honored Sir Budi," Holas greeted, bowing respectfully. His gaze remained fixed on Budi, admiration evident beneath his sweat.

"Don't waste time; finish them first," Budi replied, his tone light but firm. With a swift motion of his hand, he reached into the space ring on his finger, pulling out a series of dolls clad in golden armor, each holding a gleaming weapon.

Holas fell silent, observing the dolls with a curious expression. His eyes narrowed as he read the status panel that appeared before him.

[Golden Warrior]

- Attributes: 1476 STR, 920 INT, 1355 AGI, 1316 RES

- Skills: (Double Slash), (Deadly Stab)

"My god... their attributes are above 1000?" Holas muttered, his eyes wide with disbelief. The numbers flashed through his mind—these dolls were almost half as powerful as he was.

"What are you waiting for? Take care of them. I have other matters to attend to," Budi's voice cut through the clanging swords and battle cries. His gaze sharpened, impatience creeping into his expression.

"Yes, Sir," Holas nodded quickly, his body darting toward the battlefield, heading straight for a serpent-like creature slithering in the distance.

Meanwhile, Budi moved his fingers, and almost a thousand battle dolls sprang to life. Their eyes, once gray, slowly turned red, and their metallic bodies creaked, moving with unnatural agility.

In an instant, the dolls surged forward, following Holas into the fray. Some charged with swords, slashing relentlessly, while others stayed at the backline, preparing bows and staffs to launch attacks from afar.

Above them, Budi hovered on a Vortex Plate, observing the scene with calm detachment. His hand moved subtly, and a new forest began to sprout in another area where the battle raged on. Massive roots snaked across the ground, trapping enemies who failed to notice the lurking danger.

At first, the foreign attackers paid little attention to the dolls. But when the sharp blades of the dolls began cutting through their ranks with ease, their expressions changed. Panic and shouts erupted.

"Living dolls? This is insane, they're as strong as Tier-3s!" cried a soldier, stumbling as he tried to dodge.

"Don't let them surround us! Quickly, use the soul-release talisman!"

A captain at the frontlines reached into his robe, pulling out a small talisman. Golden light radiated from it, spreading like a gentle wave and enveloping the nearest dolls. The red glow in the dolls' eyes dimmed, returning to gray, their bodies freezing in place as if time had stopped.

"It worked! Destroy them now!"

Victory cheers erupted, and the foreign attackers surged forward, smashing the immobilized dolls with devastating blows and fatal strikes. But even though they managed to deactivate some, many dolls remained active, moving swiftly and with unrelenting fury.