Passerby Villain In A Wizard World

"Hah... damn, I feel exhausted just from using the Rule this much. Fortunately, we managed to enter on time."

As soon as Ignysyl and Ian arrived inside the dome, Ignysyl hurriedly canceled his Rule power, collapsing the ball of fire immediately.

Although it might seem like Ignysyl was invincible with his overwhelming talent and command of the Rule, that wasn't the reality.

Otherwise, would they be navigating this ruin like this? They could do whatever they wanted without worrying about anyone.

"Rest for a while, then. And don't drop your guard."

Ian advised the little dragon while scanning his dantian, only to see the half-translucent Life Core reverting to its usual form, settling peacefully inside.

So, he finally exhaled, letting the tension bleed from his shoulders, and looked ahead. After taking such a dangerous shortcut to reach the central chamber of this ruin, he also wanted to see what it looked like.

And honestly, from the view, he wasn't disappointed.

What lay before Ian was mostly the vast, echoing hall—an empty coliseum of black stone etched with intricate rune arrays.

But at the center, Ian saw a massive cauldron made of unknown material floating just inches above a churning river of lava. The cauldron was enormous and still sizzling loudly, as if some kind of concoction was being brewed.

Only now did Ian realize they hadn't actually passed through the volcano's bottom like they just thought—it was, in fact, being used here as a source of fuel.

"Wow!"

However, this wasn't what surprised Ian; rather, what made him shout out involuntarily was the sight above the cauldron.

Suspended just overhead was, surprisingly, an alchemical garden—lush, untamed, and teeming with herbs.

The size of the garden was easily four times that of the cauldron itself. Yet, it floated effortlessly by invisible forces with no visible support.

And at the center of the floating garden stood an impressive black tower, similar to the one he'd seen outside, but much shorter, overlooking both the garden and the chamber.

"Hanging Garden?"

Seeing such a sight, Ian mumbled in surprise.

Honestly, he hadn't expected anything so grand before coming here. He'd thought it would be just an old room with some herbs, pills, and maybe a few recipes he needed, as mentioned on the map.

"Yeah, and it seems to be preserved quite well. Damn, I think we struck gold."

Ignysyl also looked ahead, visibly excited. Just as he said, Ian could see that even after such a long time, the herbs in the garden remained intact.

It was just that, due to lack of maintenance, they looked dense, overgrown, and wild.

"Yeah, let's go. Didn't you say someone was heading this way? We need to be quick."

Ian was also a little excited. So, he quickly turned toward the only passage that seemed to lead into the garden—a winding stairway of cloud-like steps spiraling up toward the lush expanse above.

"Yeah, but I don't think they'll reach here soon. This place is way below, and I sensed multiple traps while diving just now."

Ignysyl replied, landing habitually on Ian's shoulder.

"Then that's good. Best if we don't have to fight here."

Ian nodded and stepped onto the cloud-like stair, only to see it faintly glowing with arcane script.

He felt that although it looked soft from the outside, it was quite firm and could bear weight effortlessly.

After stepping on one of the stairs, he waited briefly to see if any issues would arise.

However, even after waiting a while and sensing no immediate threat, he finally took another step, walking toward the top as if treading on nothing but air.

"Did you sense anything?"

Ian asked Ignysyl while cautiously ascending the stairs.

Although they'd reached the core without facing any trial, he couldn't dismiss the possibility of hidden traps.

It was better to stay alert in such ruins.

"No! I mean... It's hard to sense anything since this entire place seems to be engraved with an array. Everything's connected."

The little dragon tilted its head and shook it, as its perception wasn't omnipotent.

"That is to be expected."

Ian nodded in understanding.

After all, a massive floating cauldron with a hanging garden above, held aloft without visible support, was anything but ordinary.

Moreover, after observing from above, he had already realized that what was brewing in the cauldron wasn't a potion, but a substance meant to nourish the herbs growing in the garden above.

So, it was basically... an alchemical ecosystem—a self-sustaining cycle.

It didn't take long for Ian to reach the top, as they encountered no dangers along the way.

Finally, what came into view was a small open gate inscribed with the arcane letters, 'Gardenshade.'

Honestly, it looked quite welcoming.

However, despite the gate being wide and unobstructed, neither Ian nor Ignysyl entered, as they both suddenly turned their heads simultaneously, spotting a relatively tall, seemingly harmless tree amidst the lush garden.

The tree looked ordinary, blending seamlessly with the surrounding herbs. Its bark was smooth and unassuming, its branches heavy with vibrant, precious leaves that shimmered in the light.

No matter how one looked at it, at most, it seemed to be some kind of rare, ancient tree.

But was that the case?

"Heh, I was wondering why there was no danger along the way. So, the threat was the Garden all along."

Ian mumbled with a faint smile, not taking his eyes off the tree for even a second.

Instead, he suddenly flared his mental power toward the tree, scanning it thoroughly while ordering in his mind,

'Use Analysis!'

Suddenly, with his command, a blue panel appeared in his vision, filled with information,

---

[Name: Sylvan Warden]

[Race: Elemental]

[Level: Peak Tier 1 Elemental]

[Abilities: Camouflage, Root Binding, Thorn Lash, Regeneration, Mental Attack]

---

"Yeah, it's rooted into the entire garden seamlessly. No wonder I didn't feel anything earlier."

Ignysyl responded from Ian's shoulder with a nod.

"An Elemental, huh. This is the first time I've seen something like this."

Despite seeing its peak Tier 1 strength, Ian didn't seem afraid. Instead, he looked at the camouflaged tree with interest.

After all, even after arriving on the Calvora Continent, his encounters with other races or monsters had been rather lacking.

Well, it had only been ten days, but still, witnessing such a unique existence was indeed new to him.

And just when Ignysyl and Ian were observing, the Sylvan Warden also seemed to realize it had been discovered.

So, without waiting for the intruders to fall into the trap, it suddenly began to shift form while the entire hanging garden rustled loudly, as if some behemoth had awakened.

"Crack!"

"Swish!"

The unassuming tree bark split open as long, thorned tendrils shot out, wrapping through the air with a menacing hiss.

Moreover, Ian could sense the multitude of roots beneath the garden surging below his feet, toppling over whatever herb stood in their path, heading straight at him.

"Well, it seems quite anxious."

The attack came at full power from the start, so aggressive that Ian had to comment with a solemn look.

The strength of the thorned tendrils was so intense that even before they arrived, Ian could feel the oppressive pressure in the air—a crackling energy that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

"Do you want my help?"

Sensing the inevitable clash, Ignysyl asked.

In truth, they could easily hide and enter the botanical garden to take whatever they wanted.

But what they sought was far beyond mere theft, as Ian was already considering advancing to First Ring Wizard within this place.

"No! Let me kill it swiftly. We can't allow it to destroy the garden any further."

Ian said as he saw more and more herbs being crushed before the attack had even landed.

If he really fought with this thing here, wouldn't he lose everything?

So, Ian had already decided to eliminate it quickly.

After all, while it was powerful, its greatest weakness was obvious—it couldn't move.

It was an easy target, especially for someone like Ian, who could vanish at will using his Ethereal Form.

'Honestly, my abilities are really broken.'

Ian thought a little bitterly while using the Ethereal Form, instantly disappearing from his place.

"Boom!"

The moment his figure turned ethereal and vanished, the menacing tendrils and roots slammed into the ground where he had just stood, with such force that the stone beneath cracked and dirt along with shattered roots burst into the air.

The impact echoed like thunder through the garden.

But to the Sylvan Warden's dismay, it suddenly couldn't find Ian's figure at all. It was as if he had evaporated into thin air, leaving it confused.

Its Root Binding and Thorn Lash abilities just paused mid-strike, flailing blindly through the air, unsure where to aim.

However, suddenly, it felt its instincts flare as an overwhelming warning surged through its core like a bolt of lightning.

But before it could react, it suddenly sensed someone's presence, followed by a tremendous force smashing into its green central core—

"Boom!"

Ian's fierce punch, brimming with power, landed directly on the Elemental's core, aiming to obliterate it with a single strike.

Although it was his first time encountering such a creature, he still knew where their weakness lay.

So, without wasting any time, he went straight for the vital part that sustained its elemental form.

However, even though the strike was massive and sudden, it couldn't fully destroy the core, only managing to crack it slightly.

"Well, then another punch it is."

Ian wasn't discouraged, though, as he lifted his arm once more, preparing to launch another solid strike—only to stop abruptly.

'Damn! Why now, of all times?'

Ian couldn't help but curse as, just like before, the Life Core in his mind suddenly began to pulse intensely, and Ian's eyes turned green automatically.