The monsters screeched wildly as they rushed toward Reigns from every direction.

Their claws tore through the broken ground while chunks of debris scattered beneath them as they swarmed around, emitting eerie screeches and shrieks.

But Reigns did not retreat, not even after seeing them approaching closer and closer.

Instead, a dark grin slowly spread across his face.

His eyes gleamed with a dangerous madness as he raised his hand forward.

"Come out..."

A green glow erupted beside him.

The next instant, a massive Dryad burst from the cracked ground.

Its enormous wooden body towered over the ruined street while thick roots twisted around its limbs like giant serpents.

Its glowing green eyes immediately locked onto the monsters ahead.

At the same time, several floating Splash Shooters appeared behind Reigns, surrounding him in concentric circles.

The air around them vibrated faintly as water pressure rapidly built within their hollow bodies.

Reigns slowly cracked his fingers as he stared coldly at the incoming creatures.

"Go..."

Then his voice turned colder.

"Pummel these bastards."

"And crush them into dust as brutally as possible."

SKREEEEEECH!

The monsters charged forward wildly.

BOOOOM!

The Dryad slammed its gigantic wooden fist downward.

The entire ground exploded apart instantly.

One of the monsters was smashed directly into the street, its entire body bursting apart beneath the monstrous force. Cracks spread across the road while broken concrete flew everywhere.

Before the others could react...

FWOOOSH! FWOOOSH! FWOOOSH!

The Splash Shooters immediately fired high-pressure orb blasts at the monsters one after another.

The water bullets pierced straight through them with terrifying force.

One after another, the creatures burst apart as the relentless hail of orbs tore through their bodies.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

One creature lost its arm completely while another had its chest violently blown open.

Dark blood splattered across the ruined surroundings.

The remaining monsters screeched in pain and fury as they tried to surround the Dryad from all sides.

But the giant tree creature simply roared and swung its massive arms wildly.

One monster was struck directly by the swing and sent flying across the street before crashing into a broken bus.

CRAAASH!

The shattered bus was hurled aside like trash, along with two other monsters that got caught beneath the impact.

Their bones shattered instantly.

The Dryad continued rampaging forward, crushing debris, concrete, and monsters beneath its enormous body.

It grabbed one of the creatures tightly by the neck.

Then, after raising it high into the air, the Dryad brutally slammed it into the ground before punching straight through its body, creating a bloody crater across the ruined road.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Blood and broken flesh scattered everywhere.

Meanwhile, the Splash Shooters kept firing nonstop from behind.

Their attacks blasted holes through one monster after another, never giving them a chance to approach Reigns.

The eerie shrieks gradually turned into screams of agony.

Reigns stood silently amidst the destruction, watching the massacre unfold before him. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Cold wind blew through his hair while the smell of blood mixed with dust filled the air, but his dark eyes remained emotionless.

At this moment, all the grief, frustration, guilt, and rage within him was being directed at those unfortunate creatures.

And the monsters could do nothing but scream as they were mercilessly torn apart.

[You have killed Lv12 Scritter.]

[You have killed Lv11 Mutated Rat.]

[You have killed...]

Notifications continuously flashed before his eyes one after another.

[Splash Shooter Lv8 >> Lv9]

[Splash Shooter Lv9 >> Lv10]

[Dryad Tier Lv1 >> Lv2]

The moment the Dryad leveled up, its enormous body shook violently.

Thicker roots rapidly spread beneath the cracked streets while its wooden frame grew even larger and more monstrous than before.

A deeper roar escaped from the Dryad as green energy surged around it.

Reigns quietly watched the scene with a cold expression.

Then, slowly, a dangerous smile formed on his lips once again.

"Good..."

"Keep killing them."

_____

Moments later, Reigns found himself standing on a decadent ground soaked with blood and littered with corpses.

The ruined street had completely turned into a battlefield.

Broken monster corpses were scattered everywhere while dark blood flowed through the cracked roads like small streams. Some corpses were crushed beyond recognition, while others still twitched weakly before finally going still.

Massive piles of dead creatures lay beneath the Dryad’s enormous feet as it slowly moved through the destruction.

The smell of blood and burnt flesh hung heavily in the air.

Amidst all the chaos, Reigns stood quietly at the center, breathing slowly. His dark eyes calmly scanned the battlefield around him.

But after a few moments, he frowned slightly, as if sensing that something was wrong.

His troops had leveled up quite well.

The Dryad had evolved stronger, and the Splash Shooters had also risen rapidly in level.

However, he himself hadn’t leveled up in the slightest.

Reigns’ brows slowly furrowed deeper.

"Now what’s going on?"

He looked around in confusion.

"Did my monsters absorb all the experience?"

His expression darkened.

From the number of monsters they had killed, he should have leveled up at least twice by now. Yet not a single notification about his own level had appeared till now.

That honestly made no sense.

As Reigns continued thinking about it, his gaze fell upon a few Splash Shooters floating nearby. The moment he examined them more closely, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Something strange was happening to them.

The Splash Shooters were undergoing some kind of evolution.

Their bodies were slowly changing before his eyes.

The hollow, plant-like bodies they originally had were growing larger and thicker. Their smooth green surfaces began hardening while dark blue lines spread across their bodies like veins.

Their leaf structures expanded as well, becoming broader while sharp edges slowly formed along their sides. Around their heads, pointed leaves extended outward like crowns made of blades.

At the same time, several root-like tendrils slowly emerged beneath their bodies and swayed strangely in the air before piercing directly into the ground. The cracked roads trembled faintly as the roots dug deeper.

Water energy continuously gathered around the creatures while faint blue mist spread through the surroundings.

The entire area vibrated slightly.

Reigns quietly stared at the evolving creatures, surprise clearly visible in his eyes.

A deep, hoarse roar escaped from one of the Splash Shooters.

The sound was heavy and eerie. It no longer resembled the cry of a normal plant creature.

Instead, it sounded like some monstrous entity was awakening after a deep slumber.

The roar echoed across the ruined streets, immediately sending chills down Reigns’ spine. Even the Dryad slowly turned its massive head toward the evolved Splash Shooters, as if reacting to their sudden transformation.

Reigns’ expression slowly stiffened as he stared at them.