Dawn had barely touched the frostline when Cain dropped into the darkness below the orchard. The well shaft gave way to a collapsed stone corridor, slick with moss and veined in twisting black roots that pulsed faintly like arteries. The air was thick with the scent of damp rot and lingering decay magic.
Callum landed behind him, blade drawn, his eyes alert.
Calanthe descended more gracefully, her boots whispering against the stone as her fingers glowed faintly with a soft flame.
"This was a shrine once," she said quietly. "Nature-bound. Ancient. But it's been... hollowed."
Cain's medallion vibrated harder with each step forward. "Whatever desecrated it is still here."
They moved as one, navigating the narrow hall. At its end, the corridor opened into a vast underground chamber—twisted trees had grown into the stone walls like tumors. A circle of dead druids, their bodies fused to bark and bone, surrounded a massive, half-decayed root heart hanging above a glowing sigil on the ground.
It beat like a heart.
Then it screamed.
The bark split and a creature emerged—a massive, malformed Leshen hybrid, parts of its body rotted, fused with man and root. A black antlered helm crowned its face, and vines slithered across its limbs like snakes.
[Boss Encounter: Corrupted Root-Heart Leshen] Type: Hybrid (Nature / Necromancy) HP: ??? Weaknesses: Fire, Severance, Yrden, Dispel Magic
Cain leapt forward first, casting Yrden to slow its approach. The creature shrieked and lashed out with clawed vines, but Cain ducked under the arc, his Elven Blade singing as it slashed across its thigh.
Callum darted in behind, using Cain's distraction to land a blow across the Leshen's shoulder. The monster spun, flinging him across the room with a snap of roots.
"He's fast!" Callum groaned, rolling to his feet. He tapped his medallion, signaling.
Cain responded in kind.
[Bond Skill: Twin Tempo Activated] Effect: Parry Timing Shared | Reflex +5% | Counter Window Extended
The next exchange was smoother. Cain parried high, and Callum ducked low, the two moving like cogs in a deadly machine. Where one faltered, the other covered. They battered the Leshen back, carving into bark and flesh alike.
But the monster adapted.
It roared, releasing a wave of necrotic roots. Calanthe raised her hand and invoked Flamma Vinea, her personal creation. Vines of pure fire surged upward, meeting the roots midair and incinerating them.
"Keep him moving!" she called. "If he anchors again, we lose the tempo!"
Cain obeyed, dashing left to draw the beast's gaze. Callum mirrored right, casting Aard to stagger it. As they harried it with steel, Calanthe moved into the center of the chamber.
She knelt.
Hands to the ground.
Her voice, low and resonant, began a binding chant.
Glowing runes etched themselves across the floor, forming a lattice beneath the creature.
"Ten seconds!" she shouted.
Cain lunged, blade biting deep into the Leshen's ribs. Black sap splattered the stone.
Callum cast Quen and tackled the monster, keeping it rooted to the binding zone.
"NOW!" Calanthe roared.
The spell completed. Light surged upward in pillars of runic fire, locking the Leshen in place. It screamed, writhing, unable to flee.
Cain dashed forward, sliding beneath its grasp, and drove his silver blade straight through the core of the root-heart.
[Boss Defeated: Corrupted Root-Heart Leshen] Reward: 100 Crowns | Elven Mantle (Rare) | 2 Stat Points | Mutagenic Root Sample | Codex Entry: Necrotic Grove Entities
The beast fell, the body collapsing into ash and splinters.
Silence returned.
Calanthe exhaled hard, falling to one knee. Cain offered a hand, which she took after a moment.
"You planned that spell days ago, didn't you?" he asked.
"I read the sigils in the walls," she admitted. "And modified an ancient flame seal. Improvised from there."
Callum walked up, panting. "That wasn't improvisation. That was domination."
She gave a tired smile. "Controlled power. I don't need to blow up the room to win."
Cain nodded in agreement. "You're the reason we made it out clean."
The chamber began to collapse around them as the corrupted magic faded.
Together, they climbed out of the darkness.
Cain looked back only once, eyes narrowing at the broken root heart.
Something told him this wouldn't be the last time the ground screamed.
Back in his room that evening, Cain activated the system interface. Two items pulsed with faint light—the Elven-Crafted Mantle and the Mutagenic Root Sample.
> [Inspecting: Elven-Crafted Mantle] Type: Rare (Armor - Cloak) Description: Woven by ancient Aen Elle artisans, this mantle resists elemental damage and enhances stealth. Bonus: +8% Elemental Resistance | +10% Stealth Detection Delay | +2 Charisma when worn in dialogue
> [Inspecting: Mutagenic Root Sample] Type: Alchemy Material (Rare) Description: Pulsing with residual Leshen energy, this sample can be processed into a permanent enhancement or catalyst. Toxicity: Moderate. Use: Increases Vitality by +5 OR used to enhance alchemy yield
Cain let out a slow breath. Then he opened his Status Window and reviewed his current build.
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 15
Charisma: 9
Intellect: 13
Wisdom: 12
Unassigned Stat Points: 10
He paused, thoughtful. Then, slowly...
> [Assigning Stat Points] +6 to Charisma: 9 ➔ 15 +4 to Strength: 14 ➔ 18
Remaining Stat Points: 0