Chapter 553: Sacred Vines of Sylvaris

The griffin spread its enormous wings, and the air inside the chamber suddenly began to spiral.

A powerful gust swept through the room, growing stronger with every beat of its wings. Loose stones and debris were lifted from the floor, swirling violently through the air.

"Get down!" Adam shouted.

He immediately lowered his center of gravity and dug his claws into the stone floor, using his strength to keep himself from being swept away. Even so, the pressure was tremendous. His long purple hair whipped wildly behind him as the wind continued to intensify.

Azrynn wasn’t as fortunate.

The sudden surge caught her off guard and lifted her from the ground. Her body was thrown backward, and she struggled to regain control while several sharp blades of wind approached her.

"Azrynn!"

Adam reacted instantly.

He pushed against the floor and launched himself toward her, catching her around the waist before she could crash into the wall. However, the wind blades were already closing in.

Without hesitation, Adam spread his wings.

His enormous wings folded around both of them, forming a protective barrier. The razor-sharp currents struck his feathers and scales, producing a series of sharp impacts.

SHING! SHING! SHING!

Several feathers were torn away, and shallow cuts appeared across his wings, but he maintained his position until the barrage finally subsided.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Azrynn looked up at him, slightly startled by how quickly he had caught her.

"I’m fine. Thank you."

"Good. Hold on to me for a moment."

Adam waited until she secured her grip before spreading his wings again. He carefully set her down behind him, making sure she was steady before turning toward the griffin.

The guardian continued beating its wings, preparing another massive wind attack.

While Adam struggled against the powerful gusts, Sylphy hurriedly flew around the chamber, her eyes scanning the walls and the surrounding structures.

"There has to be something here..." she muttered, searching for a hidden mechanism that might deactivate the guardian.

She examined the nearby pillars and even circled the pedestal where the artifact had been placed. However, no matter how carefully she looked, she couldn’t figure out how the mechanism worked.

After several moments, she finally stopped, looking rather confused.

"...I don’t understand how this thing works."

Adam glanced at her briefly.

"Damn, you’re useless."

"HEY! I WAS TRYING!"

He shook his head and turned his attention back to the griffin.

There was no point waiting any longer.

Adam raised one hand.

Mana began gathering around his body, accompanied by a growing current of air. The surrounding atmosphere responded to his command, and the wind inside the chamber started moving in a different direction.

[Tempest Sovereign.]

A powerful vortex erupted around Adam.

Unlike the griffin’s chaotic gusts, his wind currents moved in controlled spirals, gathering into several rotating layers. The two opposing forces collided, producing a deafening roar that shook the chamber.

The griffin’s wind blades swept toward him.

Adam raised his arm, directing his tempest against them.

The currents clashed in midair, scattering into smaller gusts that tore through the chamber walls and floor. Dust and fragments of stone filled the air, but Adam remained firmly in place.

Gradually, the pressure pushing against him began to weaken.

His tempest was starting to overpower the guardian’s wind.

Azrynn watched from behind him, her eyes following the movements of the two opposing currents.

’He’s actually matching its wind magic directly...’

Adam extended his other hand, increasing the intensity of his tempest.

"Let’s see how long you can keep that up."

The vortex expanded, pushing the griffin’s wind currents backward and forcing the ancient guardian to spread its wings wider just to maintain its balance.

The griffin was being pushed onto the defensive.

Seeing the opening Adam had created, Azrynn immediately took action.

She pulled an arrow from her quiver and nocked it against her bowstring. Several purple runes appeared around the arrowhead, rotating rapidly as she poured mana into them.

"Adam! Keep it occupied for a little longer!"

"Got it!"

Azrynn released the arrow.

Rather than flying directly toward the griffin, the projectile split into several smaller rune projectiles, each following a different trajectory. They spread throughout the chamber before suddenly changing direction and converging on the guardian.

The first few struck its wings, while the others embedded themselves in the stone floor around its feet.

Purple symbols illuminated the ground.

"Rune Seal!"

The symbols connected, forming a complex magical formation beneath the griffin. Chains of purple light emerged from the runes, wrapping around its legs and wings.

The guardian immediately struggled, releasing a furious screech as it attempted to break free.

Azrynn didn’t stop there.

She raised her free hand, and several rune butterflies emerged from her fingertips. They fluttered toward the griffin before attaching themselves to different parts of its body.

Each butterfly released a small burst of mana, reinforcing the restraints.

"Adam! Its movements are restricted! You should be able to reach its core now!"

Adam’s gaze settled on the purple crystal embedded in the griffin’s chest.

He had considered destroying it earlier, but there was a risk that the crystal was directly connected to the ring. If the guardian’s core and the artifact shared the same energy source, a careless attack might damage both.

But now, with the griffin completely restrained by Azrynn’s runes, he finally had a clear shot.

"That’s exactly what I was waiting for."

He folded his wings slightly before launching himself forward, his body accelerating as he crossed the chamber. The griffin struggled against Azrynn’s restraints, its enormous wings beating violently as it attempted to break free.

However, the purple runes continued restricting its movements.

Adam raised his scythe, channeling Pure Mana into its blade. A pale glow spread across the dark weapon, growing brighter as he concentrated more energy into it.

"Let’s see how you handle this."

The griffin noticed his approach and desperately tried to raise its head. Its beak opened, gathering wind around it, but Adam was already within striking distance.

[Abyssal Pierce!]

He thrust the scythe forward.

The blade struck directly against the purple crystal embedded in the griffin’s chest.

CRAAAAACK!

A sharp fracture spread across the crystal.

The guardian released a deafening screech. Its entire body convulsed as the golden light in its eyes flickered violently.

Adam didn’t stop.

He twisted the scythe and drove it deeper, forcing more Pure Mana into the damaged crystal.

"Break already!"

BOOOOM!

The crystal shattered.

A wave of energy erupted from the griffin’s chest, sending Adam backward. He spread his wings to stabilize himself before landing several meters away.

The guardian remained motionless for a moment.

Then its enormous body began to crumble.

Stone fragments fell from its wings and limbs, scattering across the floor. The golden light in its eyes gradually faded until the creature finally collapsed into a pile of ancient rubble.

The violent winds inside the chamber disappeared.

Adam lowered his scythe and examined the remains.

"Good work."

Azrynn approached him, lowering her bow.

"Are you injured?"

"Nothing serious. What about you?"

"I’m fine. Your timing was rather impressive, though."

Adam chuckled.

"I could say the same about your runes. Without them, getting close to that thing would’ve been troublesome."

A few meters away, Sylphy suddenly cheered.

"We did it! We defeated the guardian!"

Adam turned toward her.

"Technically, you activated it."

"Don’t ruin the moment!"

He shook his head before looking toward the treasure.

The transparent barrier surrounding the green ring had disappeared along with the guardian’s core. The ring was now floating freely above the pedestal, its purple gemstone shining softly.

Azrynn’s expression immediately changed.

She approached it slowly, almost as though she were afraid it might disappear if she moved too quickly.

"It’s really here..."

Her voice was quieter than before.

For her, this wasn’t simply another treasure hidden inside an ancient temple. It was a relic connected to the history of her people, something that had been missing for generations.

Adam watched her for a moment before speaking.

"Go ahead. It’s yours."

Azrynn carefully reached out and took the ring.

The moment her fingers touched its surface, the purple gemstone flashed brightly.

A faint warmth spread through her hand, and several delicate green patterns briefly appeared along the ring’s surface, resembling vines slowly growing around its frame.

Azrynn’s eyes widened.

"...It responded to me?"

Sylphy flew closer, examining the ring with curiosity.

"Ooh! Does that mean it recognizes you?"

"I’m not sure," Azrynn replied, still examining the ring.

Before she could say anything else, the purple gemstone suddenly began to glow.

"Ah?"

The ring trembled in her palm. Its green vines slowly unwound, extending and twisting around one another. The entire artifact began to change shape, its circular frame stretching into a long, slender form.

Within seconds, the ring had transformed into an arrow.

Azrynn stared at it in surprise.

It was unlike any ordinary arrow she had seen. Its shaft was white, formed from what appeared to be delicate interwoven vines. Intricate patterns resembling branches and leaves ran along its surface, while several small, sacred-looking ornaments adorned its body. At the tip was the same purple gemstone, now shaped into an elegant arrowhead that radiated a faint, almost divine glow.

Even without touching it, Adam could sense the unusual mana emanating from the artifact.

"That’s quite a transformation," he remarked.

Azrynn carefully held the arrow between her fingers, examining its details.

"It feels different from before. The mana inside it is also much stronger than I expected."

Adam tilted his head.

"Let me take a look."

He activated his system’s appraisal function, directing his attention toward the artifact.

A familiar notification appeared before his eyes.

[Artifact Identified: Sacred Vines of Sylvaris]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Type: Transformative Artifact]

[Description: An ancient sacred artifact created by the spirits of nature and entrusted to the guardians of the Verdant Sanctuary. Its original form is a ring, but it can transform into a sacred arrow when its rightful wielder awakens its power.]

[Abilities:]

[Sacred Transformation: Allows the artifact to transform between its ring and arrow forms.]

[Nature’s Blessing: Enhances the wielder’s affinity with nature-based mana and improves the effectiveness of nature-related abilities.]

[Griffin’s Bond: Gradually increases the wielder’s affinity and familiarity with griffins, making it easier to establish a connection with them.]

Adam raised an eyebrow.

’So it’s not just a weapon.’

He looked at the arrow in Azrynn’s hand again.

The ability to increase one’s affinity with griffins was particularly interesting. It didn’t seem to grant direct control over them, but rather made it easier for the wielder to establish a bond. That alone could prove useful, especially if griffins were as difficult to approach as the guardian they had just fought.

"What’s it say?" Azrynn asked.

"It’s called Sacred Vines of Sylvaris. A legendary artifact that can change between a ring and an arrow. It also improves your affinity with nature-based mana and makes it easier to establish a connection with griffins."

Azrynn looked down at the arrow.

"Griffins..."

"Apparently, it was entrusted to the guardian of this place."

Her expression turned thoughtful.

"Then it might have been created specifically for someone like me."

"Possibly. At the very least, it seems to have accepted you."

Sylphy flew around the arrow, inspecting it from several angles.

"That’s amazing! I’ve never seen it do that before!"

"You’ve been here before, haven’t you?" Adam asked.

"Of course! But I never managed to get close enough to the treasure!"

Before Adam could tease her any further, a loud commotion suddenly came from the corridor behind them.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the passage, accompanied by the sound of several people rushing toward the chamber.

Adam’s expression immediately changed.

He turned toward the entrance.

’They’re already here?’

A moment later, several beastkin appeared at the other end of the chamber.

The moment Lento saw the scattered remains of the Verdant Griffin, his expression twisted.

His gaze moved from the ruined guardian to the empty pedestal, then finally settled on Adam and the two girls.

For a brief moment, he seemed unable to believe what he was seeing.

Then his anger erupted.

"YOU BASTARDS!"

His roar shook the chamber.

"You dare trespass into my territory and steal the treasure right under my nose?!"

His enormous fists clenched, the golden gauntlets grinding against each other.

"Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!"

Adam looked at him calmly.

’Well, this is troublesome.’