I kept flying upward at a rapid pace. In just a short while, the roots below had become nearly impossible to see.
With a loud boom, I stopped halfway up the trunk. The wings on my back were still flapping hard, making a rhythmic whooshing sound.
I stared in amazement at everything around me. Now, I could almost see the entirety of the Rakshasa Tree's location—everything around was pitch black, nothing visible except for specks of purple and green light above.
And aside from this pitch-black Rakshasa Tree, there was barely any other color to be seen.
"Snowy, what's wrong? Say something!"
I called out, but Snowy still didn't respond at all. Just then, a cold, sinister laugh echoed inside my mind, and I stared wide-eyed in shock.
Suddenly, I started rushing straight toward the trunk, screaming in fright. I moved so fast that I stopped just before I was about to crash into it.
My heart pounding, I stared at the trunk in front of me—its rough surface was less than half a meter away.
"What's going on?"
As I spoke, my right hand automatically lifted, fingers pressed tightly together as Deathbane Aura seeped out, then quickly withdrew back into my palm. I cried out in shock as my hand swelled up, inflating like a balloon—thick and massive—then jabbed fiercely toward the trunk in front of me.
With a loud bang, a slit appeared before my eyes. My hand automatically drew back, deflating like a punctured ball and returning to its original size, but pain surged through my palm.
Thin streams of black sap oozed from the trunk of the Rakshasa Tree. I stared in shock, nearly forgetting there was another method—the second way to use Deathbane Aura. My hands could move again, so I slowly reached out, intending to touch the black sap.
The wings on my back flapped alongside me, inching me closer. The black sap flowed down the trunk, but instinct screamed not to touch it barehanded.
I fumbled around and found a small bottle of candy. I hurriedly unscrewed the lid and dumped out the sweets. My cousin had reminded me to buy it before entering the Netherworld—when you're not too hungry, eating one helps you stay alert.
I held up the small bottle and filled it with a bit of black sap, sealed the lid, and stuffed it in my pocket.
The wings on my back flapped again, lifting me upward. Suddenly, a purple glow lit up the trunk, and a mass of purple, mud-like sludge oozed out, taking the shape of a woman.
Gradually, it morphed into a pale-skinned, naked woman. She extended one finger, expressionless, her cold eyes locked on me. As I flew past, a streak of purple light flashed and swept toward me.
With a whoosh, my wings froze midair and instantly twisted in another direction. The sudden force wrenched my organs painfully, but the wings carried me clear of the purple beam. Flapping hard, I continued upward.
On the trunk, more and more purple sludge bubbled out, forming woman after woman. Each reached out with a finger. I knew this was bad—just as I thought it, streaks of purple light swept toward me.
My wings spun and tumbled, dodging the purple beams again and again—left, right, up, down. My head spun, and my stomach churned violently.