Sometimes the strongest limitations also created the biggest blind spots. Once someone looked beyond those assumptions, entirely new possibilities appeared.
Catherine smiled before reaching over and gently patting Isaac on the head.
"Good boy. That was a clever idea," she said.
Isaac rolled his eyes at her actions. He was beginning to realize that Catherine genuinely enjoyed praising him whenever he did something good, and head pats had apparently become part of the routine.
The two eventually reached the location of the first Mini Boss. A giant mantis emerged from the forest almost silently, its dark green body blending perfectly with the surrounding vegetation.
The creature disappeared from sight before instantly reappearing behind Isaac. Its speed was astonishing, fast enough that even Isaac struggled to follow it while remaining in his human form.
Even so, speed alone wasn’t enough. The mantis repeatedly struck with its razor-sharp forelegs, but none of the attacks managed to pierce Isaac’s skin because his physical defense had already reached an absurd level.
Isaac calmly observed the pattern of its movements instead of rushing the battle. Once he understood its rhythm, he stepped forward and eliminated the Mini Boss with a decisive force.
The familiar notifications appeared immediately afterward.
Camouflage Gene harvested.
Razor Leaf Gene harvested.
Quality Improvement Gene (★★) harvested.
Isaac stared at the final notification longer than the others.
Another Quality Improvement Gene had appeared. This one had two stars unlike others that all had one star. Logically, he still believed these Genes would produce stronger monster offspring over several generations if fused into fertilized eggs, yet he couldn’t completely dismiss the possibility that they served another purpose as well.
He stored the loot before turning toward Catherine with a grin. They got Legendary materials just from the first Mini Boss.
"Are you getting excited now? This is going to be both a First Clear and a Solo Clear," he said.
"I am happy. Although, most of that happiness comes from watching how excited you become whenever rewards appear," she teased.
Isaac laughed softly before nodding in agreement. This time, he didn’t even try denying it because she was completely right. The Fourth Area had already become one of the greatest treasures he had ever discovered.
The second Mini Boss was the Stone Bloom Guardian. Its body resembled a giant living statue covered with flowers, vines, and moss, while thorn-covered walls continuously rose from the earth to block Isaac’s path.
The Guardian also launched hardened seed projectiles that exploded on impact. Whenever Isaac damaged its body, it rooted itself into the ground and rapidly regenerated the missing sections.
The battle took several minutes, but Isaac eventually adapted to its fighting style. He forced the Guardian away from the earth, by having Crimson Sky Wyrm grab it and take it to sky, preventing its regeneration from functioning properly before destroying it completely.
Not long afterward, they reached the third Mini Boss. The Ancient Treant towered over the surrounding forest, sweeping enormous branches through the air while thick vines erupted from underground to trap Isaac.
Compared to the previous battles, this fight demanded considerably more effort. By the time the Treant finally collapsed, Isaac’s breathing had become noticeably heavier, and several shallow wounds covered his body.
Catherine watched him quietly while he gathered the rewards.
"Do you want to take a short break? You’ve been fighting continuously ever since we entered this Area," she asked.
Isaac activated his healing abilities before shaking his head. Warm energy flowed through his body, repairing his injuries and easing much of the accumulated exhaustion.
"I’m fine," he replied.
He knew letting Catherine participate would make everything easier. Even so, Isaac deliberately continued fighting alone because pushing himself toward his limits for the first time like this was fun.
Anyone watching him would have been stunned by what they were seeing. The Lord teams yesterday would struggle to defeat the Boss Monster of the Second Area. Moreover, every new Area increased the difficulty dramatically.
Emily remained an exception because her ability to tame Mini Bosses completely broke the normal balance. Excluding her, however, very few people could confidently claim they were capable of solo clearing the Fourth Area.
Isaac was a monster for being able to do so.
Isaac eventually reached the center of the forest where the Boss Monster waited. [The Heart of the Grove] towered over the battlefield, its countless roots spreading beneath the earth while enormous flowers bloomed throughout the arena.
The battle immediately became the hardest one Isaac had fought inside the Great Dungeon. Poisonous flowers, explosive blossoms, healing plants, living roots, and endless vines attacked him from every direction without pause.
During the final phase, the entire battlefield transformed into a living forest under the Boss’s control. Even Isaac became exhausted by the relentless assault, but he never once called Catherine to join the battle.
Instead, he found himself smiling. For the first time in a long while, he was fighting purely because he enjoyed the challenge rather than because countless lives depended on him winning.
There were no civilians behind him and no overwhelming responsibility weighing on his shoulders. Even if he lost, he could simply challenge the Boss again another day. That freedom allowed him to fight while having fun. Alice would’ve enjoyed the battle if she was with him right now.
After a long and exhausting battle, Isaac finally destroyed the Heart of the Grove. The gigantic body collapsed to the ground, and every root throughout the battlefield became still.
Rewards immediately covered the ground around him. Three complete legendary equipment sets appeared alongside mountains of Gold Coins, rare materials, and the Boss Core.
Titan Growth Gene harvested.
Nature’s Dominion Gene harvested.
Quality Improvement Gene (★★) harvested.
Gene Reaping skill has leveled up. Level 6 → Level 7
Isaac smiled after seeing the notifications. The skill level up came quickly. It seemed harvesting powerful genes was a good method of increasing the skill level.
His smile was replaced by surprise as he read the names and information of the genes.
Titan Growth could dramatically increase the size of crops without lowering their quality. Nature’s Dominion was even more valuable because it strengthened the interaction between multiple Genes inside the same crop, allowing beneficial traits to merge together more effectively. This would make fusing genes into a seed easier.
A satisfied smile spread across Isaac’s face as he finished collecting everything.
He turned toward Catherine with obvious anticipation before asking, "So, what rewards did you get this time?"