'Oh!'

The whole line of messages that popped up after another confirmed that this trial was obviously quite different compared to the last one, not only in name, but also in its aspect as a whole.

While the 'Trial of Ice & Fire' was just a battle of endurance and a clear mind test, the 'Trial of Vegetation' seemed to be a mixture of a starter up stat qualifications that lead to the main test.

[ Trial starts now! ]

Following the announcing of the trial's start, the place that I was currently at that was only a green colored space greatly shifted as it took the shape of a green lush forest that almost seemed perfect. Unfortunately though, the beautiful and great scenery wasn't the only thing that needed my attention…

Swish!

Dark green vines that seemed to come from the heart of the forest rushed towards me as I simply dodged to the side, but apparently, it wasn't the only vine that seemed to be interested in attacking me…

Swish! Swish! Swoosh!

In the very little amount of time that has passed, which was less than ten seconds, over 20 vines had already appeared as they started wriggling like life snakes, with their target most likely being strangling me to death…

'Let's see where this 'Eye' may be…'

Running around to get rid of the vines attention surely wasn't a solution, after all, the target wasn't 'Survive for 1 hour', it was to find the 'Eye', so I couldn't just wait it out as if I would simply be able to leave here that way…

Focusing my perception around me while conducting my 'search and run' tactic, I could notice there seemed to thin thread like lines which appeared to be the main material that weaved the current reality that took the shape of a forest, these lines were seemingly made out of the light element, staying true to the name of the technique that should be its source, 'Illusory Light'.

While I wasn't a practitioner of the light element, it wasn't that hard to notice that the elements in these threads flowed in a certain direction once I examined the threads that were in my 'Sensory Area'. As such, I started running towards what seemed to be the source of this illusory space…

`~~`~~`~~`

3 hours later...

'This is getting annoying…'

After tracking the source of the light elements for a total of three hours, the number of the vines had already grown quite a bit that it started restricting my mobility, and while I did try cutting them to get rid of the problem and search for the 'Eye' more easily, the vines just continued regenerating as my acts of destruction towards them seemed to be futile…

'Should I increase the spe… Oh?'

However, just as I was contemplating whether I should just activate my body of elements to completely throw the vines that followed me in the dust and find my target easily, I seemed to have finally reached the end of the threads, the source of all of this trouble.

'An apple?'

The source of the light elements that flowed within the threads was actually a red apple that was born by a strange yellow colored tree…

'An apple it is then.'

After making sure that it was truly the source of the light elements that weaved this troublesome reality, I took out a one of my old crossbows, before adding a lightning arrow to it through 'Elemental Armament' and directly firing it toward the red apple…

At this point, the countless vines that were hunting me were already big in number enough to move a vine wave that was likely to make me struggle a bit if the red apple wasn't really the source…

[ You have managed to find the 'Eye' of the 'Illusory Light'! ]

The system's notif which was like music to my ears sounded out as the apple was split into two scorched halfs under the effect of my lightning arrow...

[ As you have succeeded in destroying the 'Eye', the 'Illusory Light' is starting to dissipate… ]

[ You have managed to pass the 'Trial of Vegetation'! ]

[ As you are in possession of the Water attribute, you are qualified to receive this Trial's reward… ]

[ You have acquired the secret method 'Cultivation practice'! ]

'It wasn't that hard.'

Compared to how I have had to go through during the 'Trial of Ice & Fire', starting from being both scorched and frozen to receiving a direct torture created by the true essence of the 'Icy Fire Formula', this Trial seemed like a literal walk in the park…

Of course, when comparing the benefits of both trials, this trial only gave me another secret method mental package, while the 'Trial of Ice & Fire' and its special torture at the very end not only gave me a secret method, but it also allowed me to obtain another elemental physique, so the degree of worth each trial had could be somewhat relative to how torturous it was…

'I wonder how the other three fared…'

Looking at the creepy thorny vines dissipating into green dust as the forest was slowly being eaten away, I wondered if any of the other three would have already finished their trial this fast, but it seemed quite unlikely.

'It seems like this will last for quite a bit…'

Sitting down on the ground while observing the decay of the whole space, I yawned while awaiting this strange scenery's end...

`~~`~~`~~`

'This took long enough…'

Finally standing before a completely dark space that no one could tell that it looked like such a healthy and lush green forest just about one hour ago, I stared at the yellow colored space crack before me that resembled a corruption gate's opening quite a bit.

Taking calm steps towards that crack, I wondered about the possibility that this space crack might lead directly to the underground demon base before shaking my head as it was unlikely for such a thing to happen, unless those old powerhouses were dumb enough to actually send those who passed the trial into the middle of a demon base without any preparation...