As Reinhart and Maze reached the Massive tree, Sprout poked his head out of Reinhart's front pocket of his robe.
"Prrrdt!" Sprout chirped and then pointed at the tree.
"What do you mean, drink the tree?" Reinhart asked, but Sprout chirped at him again. "Ah, you want me to absorb the Mana, right?"
Sprout gave another chirp in confirmation, and Reinhart gave the massive tree a speculative look. The tree, while looking quite ordinary at first glance, was brimming with concentrated Mana. A feeling of unease crept into Reinhart's gut, but together with Maze, he proceeded forward.
As they approached the tree, a sudden rush of hostile energy sent them sprawling backward. An ear-splitting roar echoed through the forest, the beast unveiling itself from the shadows of the gigantic tree. It was the Divine Beast - The Carbuncle. Its body glowed with dense mana, eyes glinting as it assessed the intruders. However, something about the beast wasn't right; it was distressed and fiercely hostile.
