Hope's figure almost turned into an afterimage, swiftly circling past two Treants locked in a standoff, instantly appearing behind the Crimson Treant.
This speed clearly exceeded the Treant's reaction limit; the Crimson Treant was still roaring at the Green Treant, completely unaware of the threat descending from behind it.
"Wood Shaping: Bind!"
Hope waved his hands, and magic condensed into dozens of vines shimmering with a faint blue light, shooting out as if alive, accurately coiling around the Crimson Treant's trunk and limbs.
The Crimson Treant let out a piercing shriek and struggled violently. Its strength was immense; the sturdy magical wooden strips were pulled taut, emitting a grating sound that made one's teeth ache, as if they could snap at any moment.
Hope frowned slightly, maintaining his magic output.
This mutated Treant's strength exceeded his expectations, but it was far inferior compared to the demon lullaby.
Seeing that brute force couldn't break free, the Crimson Treant suddenly erupted in scorching flames, attempting to burn through the restraints. The Creation vines crackled in the blaze, their light flickering, yet they remained as stable as before.
However, Wood Shaping ultimately contained the character 'wood', making it inherently disadvantaged against fire.
Hope's mind raced. He raised his hand, changing the Creation. Some of the magical vines quickly altered their structure, transforming into solid wood, interlocking and fitting into the Treant's joints and branch crevices like LEGO bricks.
Within a few breaths, a complex three-dimensional luban lock had formed, firmly immobilizing the Crimson Treant on the ground.
The more it struggled, the tighter the wooden strips clamped, its joints restrained, rendering the mutated Treant's brute force useless. Even the flames on its body weakened considerably due to suppressed magic, leaving it only able to let out roars of impotent rage.
"Fall!"
Accompanied by Hope's low shout, the Crimson Treant's massive body, under the dual effect of its own struggles and the luban lock, lost its balance and crashed to the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust.
The Green Treant and the Lumberyard Boss, who had just run to a safe distance, watched in stunned silence.
Was it that easy?
If they knew that Hope had once used the same technique to control the demon lullaby, they would probably be even more shocked.
Having dealt with the immediate threat, Hope walked over to the bound Crimson Treant and observed it closely.
As he approached, he clearly felt a chaotic, violent energy flowing within the Treant's body, completely out of place with the inherently peaceful Treant race.
"Something's wrong, it doesn't look like a natural mutation."
Hope mused, placing his hand on the luban lock and closing his eyes in concentration, cautiously sensing the Treant's entire body through the magical construct as a medium, tracing the source of the chaotic power.
Gradually, near the mutated Treant's forehead, he discovered an extremely faint but unusually domineering trace of magical aura.
This method didn't seem naturally formed.
It was this external, domineering magic that influenced the Treant's mind, causing it to become violent and belligerent.
Hope opened his eyes and tried to dispel that wisp of magic with his own, but the magic was extremely stubborn, like a parasitic growth. Forcibly dispelling it might harm the Treant's foundation.
Since that's the case, it's better to simply eliminate it.
After all, this was just a subjugation quest.
Hope was not a kind-hearted person. He clapped his hands, and suddenly, numerous sharp wooden stakes appeared all around the luban lock that was restraining the mutated Treant.
"Wood Shaping: Forest of Spears."
Just as the mutated Treant was about to be impaled like a hedgehog, the Green Treant next to it suddenly stepped forward and let out a low growl at Hope.
Hope couldn't understand the Treant's language, but the Lumberyard Boss, who had been with it for many years, understood and quickly said, "Mage, please show mercy, please show mercy!"
Pausing his gesture, Hope turned to look at the Green Treant, which made soft rustling sounds, its massive canopy gently swaying, as if pleading for something.
The Lumberyard Boss, who had scurried back, translated, "It says this mutated Treant was originally a good tree... it begs you to save it and restore it to normal."
Hope looked troubled. "The quest request doesn't include this requirement..."
Years of business experience made the Lumberyard Boss instantly understand Hope's meaning, and he subconsciously offered, "100,000 J?"
Hope's expression shifted, a glint flashing in his eyes. He then shook his head and smiled, "Dispelling unknown magic is delicate work, very taxing and laborious..."
The Lumberyard Boss continued to probe, "150,000 J."
Hope continued to refuse, "It's not appropriate, really not appropriate."
The Lumberyard Boss was expressionless, "200,000 J."
"Aren't you forcing my hand..."
"250,000 J."
"It's not about the money..."
"Final offer: 500,000 J for both the quest reward and the rescue reward. If you can do it, do it. If not, take the original 180,000 J and leave."
"Hehe~" Hope's troubled face instantly changed, his smile radiant. "Boss, you're a keen judge of character. I guarantee I'll complete this task."
The speed of his change in expression left the Lumberyard Boss speechless, but 500,000 J was mere pocket change to him. It was best if this Mage could completely solve the problem in one go.
The deal was settled.
Hope took a deep breath and placed his hands on the Crimson Treant again.
This time, he no longer tried to dispel it, but instead manipulated the tiny magical threads extending from the magical wooden strips, like a delicate surgical scalpel, carefully cutting open the mutated Treant's forehead and guiding out the wisp of magic that was affecting its consciousness.
Just as the magic left the Treant's body and was about to dissipate.
The system's cold voice inappropriately rang out.
[Ding~]
[Host has come into contact with extraordinary power — Lost Magic 'Arc of the Great Tree']
[Analyzing—]
[Analysis complete. Estimated time to decipher 'Arc of the Great Tree' is 45 days.]
[Current deciphering slots: 'Plant Magic' (remaining Curse: Death Curse (remaining 15 days))]
Hearing the system's prompt, Hope's heart trembled, and his wrist quivered, almost piercing the magical thread into the Treant's brain.
45 days, which is a month and a half.
This was the longest time required to decipher a magic recorded by the system to date. Its power was evident; it truly lived up to its name as the legendary "Lost Magic."
In this world, "Lost Magic" is a general term for magic that has been lost or is on the verge of being lost.
These magic spells, whether in terms of power or function, far surpassed ordinary magic, but due to their excessively high learning difficulty and stringent aptitude requirements, they were difficult to pass down.
He never expected that just by going out to complete a C-rank quest, he would also pick up a Lost Magic... It made him a little excited.