Chapter 171 Parasite tree

Chapter 171: Chapter 171 Parasite tree

Minutes had passed inside the vine cage, yet the four figures trapped before Kai hadn’t moved an inch. Their eyes remained tightly shut, their bodies completely motionless as the thick vines wrapped around them. No matter how many times Kai called their names, none of them responded.

Fear slowly began to consume him. At first, he had hoped that they were merely unconscious—perhaps trapped in some strange illusion, and all they needed was time to wake up. But as the minutes passed without any sign of movement, Kai began to fear that the situation was far worse than he had imagined.

It couldn’t be what he was thinking. It simply couldn’t.

He struggled against the vines wrapped around his wrists, only to feel them tighten around his body. Something strange was happening to him. His strength was fading, and his head felt increasingly heavy.

At first, he thought it was the pain from being thrown against the wall. Then he felt a strange sensation moving through his arms.

Something was draining out of him.

Kai froze. His eyes widened as he realized what was happening.

His blood. The vines were sucking his blood out of his body.

He could feel it happening, even though he couldn’t see exactly how the plant was doing it. The vines had wrapped around him so tightly that he could barely move, and every passing second seemed to leave him weaker than before.

He turned toward the others. Were they experiencing the same thing? Their bodies were covered in vines, just like his, but they weren’t reacting at all. They didn’t even seem aware of what was happening to them.

Why weren’t they moving? Why weren’t they screaming? Why weren’t they fighting back?

"Luna..." His voice came out weakly. He tried to pull himself free again, but the vines only tightened around his arms and legs.

As he struggled, he noticed something else. More vines were spreading across the ground. They moved frighteningly fast, crawling over the surface before curling around the walls. Some were as thick as his arms, while others were thin enough to slip through the smallest spaces. They intertwined with one another, forming a complicated network that covered almost everything around them.

The place they were trapped in didn’t even look like an ordinary cage anymore. It looked like they were inside a massive tree. The walls were covered in roots, and the vines continued growing as though the entire structure were alive.

Kai stared at them, his breathing becoming increasingly uneven.

Then something clicked inside his head.

The island. They had been on that strange island, trying to escape the creatures that hunted them at night. He remembered the trees, the unnatural plants, and the branches that moved like living things.

That damn tree! It had attacked them before. He remembered how dangerous it had been, how its branches had moved in ways that ordinary trees never could. They had been struggling to survive when the situation became even more complicated.

And now this? Had the plant finally managed to capture them? Had they failed to escape after everything they had endured?

Kai swallowed painfully. But if the plant had caught them, why was he the only one awake?

He looked at Luna again. She remained motionless inside the vines. Rowan, Ethan, and Adrian were no different.

"Okay, think, man. You’ve got to think!"

Kai forced himself to calm down. Panicking wouldn’t help him. If he wanted to survive, he needed to understand what was happening and figure out a way to get everyone out.

His brain raced through everything he knew about the island. The world had changed beyond recognition. They had encountered monsters that shouldn’t exist, creatures that could survive conditions that would kill ordinary living things, and plants that seemed to possess intelligence.

There was no reason to believe this was an ordinary mutated plant. It was probably feeding on them in the same way some of the monsters they had encountered fed on their victims.

But how?

His eyes moved toward the vines covering the walls. Perhaps it wasn’t simply drinking their blood. Perhaps the blood was only part of it.

"Oh my goodness, fucking hell!"

The words escaped him as another frightening possibility entered his mind.

He remembered the missing people. The aircraft. The survivors who had disappeared without warning. And the people Talia and her companions had told them about. Some survivors had vanished suddenly, leaving no clear explanation for where they had gone. Others had disappeared after venturing into the forest, never returning to tell anyone what had happened to them.

At the time, Kai had been more concerned about the monsters that came out at night. He hadn’t considered that something else might be responsible.

Now he was beginning to understand.

His gaze shifted toward the darkness behind him. Something pale caught his attention.

Kai turned his head slowly.

A shattered skull hung from one of the vines.

For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. He stared at it, unable to look away. The skull was cracked, with several pieces missing. Other fragments dangled beneath it, caught between the twisting roots. It was impossible to tell how long the remains had been there, but one thing was clear.

Someone had died inside this place. And judging by the condition of the remains, they hadn’t escaped.

Kai gulped. His throat felt painfully dry.

What if the plant didn’t merely feed on blood? What if it attacked the mind as well?

The thought made his stomach twist. Perhaps it trapped its victims inside an illusion, creating a false reality in which they believed they were safe. Maybe it made them think they had escaped the island and returned home, allowing them to lower their guard. Then, while they were distracted by the illusion, the plant would slowly drain them. Blood first. Then whatever else it needed to keep them alive long enough to feed.

Perhaps it could even consume them from the inside, leaving nothing behind except bones and skeletons.

Kai didn’t know whether his theory was correct. He had no way of confirming it. But looking at the shattered skull hanging from the vines, he couldn’t dismiss the possibility.

This was what might have happened to the missing survivors. They could have been trapped inside their own minds, believing they were somewhere else while their bodies remained inside this living prison.

And if that was true, the creatures that came out at night weren’t the only things they needed to fear. This plant might be even more dangerous.

At least with the monsters, they could see their enemies. They could fight back with their powers, weapons, and the equipment Luna had acquired through her system. But how could they fight something that could manipulate what they saw? How could they escape if they couldn’t even recognize that they were trapped? And what good were their superpowers if the plant could drain their strength before they had a chance to use them?

Kai’s expression darkened. He felt utterly helpless.

"Luna, are you in there?" His voice was barely above a whisper. He looked directly at her cocoon, desperately hoping that she could somehow hear him. "Come out, please. I need you."

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the vines around his body began to move.

Kai stiffened.

The thick roots loosened slightly before sliding upward, crawling over his shoulders and toward his neck. His eyes widened.

"No..."

He tried to pull away, but his hands were bound. The vines continued climbing. One wrapped around his throat. Another curled across his cheek. Before he could react, several more began winding around his face, tightening around his mouth and nose.

Kai struggled violently. "Luna Hart!" His voice came out muffled. "You have to come out! We’re going to die if you don’t!"

Nothing happened. The vines continued tightening around him.

Kai twisted his body, trying to free his hands, but the more he struggled, the more firmly the roots held him. He couldn’t summon his ice properly. His body was growing weaker, and his thoughts were becoming increasingly difficult to organize.

He turned his head toward Adrian. His friend was still trapped inside the vines, his eyes tightly shut.

For a brief moment, Kai thought he saw Adrian’s body move. But when he looked again, there was nothing. Luna, Rowan, and Ethan remained just as motionless.

Kai’s mind raced. Where were they? What were they experiencing?

Then a memory suddenly flashed through his head. The dining room. The table. Luna telling them to sit down and eat. Rowan warning him to stop acting strangely. Ethan asking about his powers. Adrian questioning him. The strange way everyone had stopped moving at the same time before continuing as though nothing had happened.

Kai’s eyes widened. "Yes..." He drew a shaky breath. "I was there."

He had been inside that strange world with them. He remembered noticing the vines and trying to warn the others, but they hadn’t seemed to see what he was seeing. They had continued behaving as though everything were normal. He had tried to make them understand, but it was as if they couldn’t hear him.

Then he had been thrown against the wall. And when he opened his eyes again, he had found himself back inside the vine cage. But the others hadn’t returned with him.

Which meant they were probably still trapped inside that false reality. They were still experiencing whatever illusion the plant had created for them. And until they found a way to escape it, they might never wake up.

Kai’s body shuddered. The blood loss was making him dizzy. His vision blurred at the edges, and his arms felt heavier than before. Even keeping his eyes open required an effort.

He didn’t know how much longer he could remain conscious. And if he lost consciousness, there would be nobody left to warn the others. Nobody to help them. Nobody to protect Luna.

"No..." He shook his head weakly.

He couldn’t allow that to happen. He had to get back inside that illusion. He had to find a way to reach them. And if the plant was responsible for everything, he would destroy it. He would burn it down, tear it apart, and make sure it never had the chance to hurt anyone again.

"I’m going back," he growled, forcing the words out despite the pressure around his throat. "I’ll rescue them, and then I’ll destroy you. I’ll burn you down to the ground. That’s my promise!"

The vines tightened around his face.

Kai grimaced, desperately trying to draw a proper breath. His body felt strangely light, as though he were floating away from himself. His thoughts began to scatter. He tried to hold on to the last bit of strength he had left, but the darkness was already creeping into his vision.

"No..." His voice weakened. "I need to prepare..."

He struggled to keep his eyes open.

"I need to know what I’m going to do..."

But the words became fainter. His head dropped.

And just before everything disappeared, Kai felt himself slipping away. He had to find them. He had to save them. He couldn’t let the others die here. Not after everything they had survived. Not now, Luna had done her part now it was his turn. Everyone sacrificed a lot for him to stay alive, now it was his turn to return the favour.