Chapter 79 – Assault of the Nameless
The forest had grown silent again, but it was a silence that pressed on Ironroot's chest like stone. Every leaf, every trembling root, seemed poised to strike without warning. He knew it was only a matter of time before the entity returned, stronger, smarter, more malicious.
Titanbound's molten fists glowed faintly, the light reflecting off jagged rocks and splintered roots. His chest rose and fell in heavy breaths, eyes scanning the treeline. "It's waiting. Planning. That thing doesn't strike without reason."
Shadowblade crouched low, blades glinting faintly, her gaze darting between Ironroot and the dense forest. "It's not just waiting," she said quietly, voice tight with tension. "It's learning. Every move we make… it remembers, adapts. And the Blackwood isn't fully responding. Not yet."
Ironroot forced himself to stand taller, green energy flickering along his veins. The Blackwood beneath him pulsed faintly, irregularly. He felt the lingering traces of the previous assault, the subtle fractures forming in the roots. If I don't repair them… if I falter… this forest will turn against us.
A sudden shift in the air made all three freeze. The wind returned briefly, carrying with it a faint smell of sulfur and earth scorched black. From the mountain fissure, shadows coiled outward like serpents. They moved with speed and precision, striking the treeline, forcing trees to bend violently, snapping roots, and cracking stone.
Titanbound bellowed, molten energy bursting from his fists. He slammed a tree into the path of one shadow and then tore through another with fire, but for every shadow destroyed, two more appeared. "It's coming!" he shouted. "All of them! Keep your focus!"
Ironroot's pulse quickened. The entity's presence had returned, but this time, it was closer. It moved like a predator circling, and the forest itself obeyed its will, twisting violently against him. Roots lunged toward him like serpents, branches whipped through the air, and the ground beneath trembled as if it would shatter.
Shadowblade leapt into action, blades cutting through the roots and shadows with surgical precision. "Titanbound! Cover the left flank! Ironroot! You need to focus on the Blackwood!"
Ironroot clenched his fists, energy flaring as he tried to push control outward. Some roots obeyed, coiling around attacking shadows and crushing them. Others twisted violently against his will, lashing at him, striking his arms and legs. He gritted his teeth. It's probing me. Testing my limits…
Suddenly, a massive root struck Titanbound's chest, knocking him backward into a jagged rock. Molten energy erupted from his fists instinctively, burning the root, but more roots surged immediately, striking from every direction.
Titanbound groaned but rose, fire coiling along his arms like a living thing. "Ironroot! What the hell is it doing to the forest?! It's weaponizing it against us!"
Ironroot could feel the entity's mind brushing against his own. You are fractured. You cannot protect them. They will die first…
He staggered, green energy flaring violently as he forced his consciousness outward, weaving the roots back into obedience. Some responded, striking the shadows and freeing Titanbound. Others recoiled, snapping against his control. I cannot let it break me… I cannot…
A jagged branch snapped directly toward Shadowblade. She twisted midair, blades flashing, cutting the limb, but a dozen smaller branches lashed at her from all sides. She hissed, landing on the ground with a roll, then darting to Ironroot's side. "It's attacking us directly now! It wants to fracture the trio!"
Ironroot's chest burned with exertion. The mental weight of the entity was like a vice, pressing on his skull, probing for hesitation, weakness, and doubt. If I falter… if I lose control… the Blackwood will turn…
Titanbound roared, punching a root with molten fists. Sparks flew, burning the attacking wood, but more roots surged to replace it. "Ironroot! We can't survive like this if you lose control!"
Ironroot's hands glowed with green energy. He slammed them into the ground, forcing the roots outward in a violent lattice, trying to corral the attacking shadows. Some obeyed, striking down the enemies. Others snapped violently, striking the trio instead. He staggered but refused to fall.
The entity's voice entered his mind again, sharper, more insistent. Your friends are weak. They will die. Your roots are fracturing… as will you.
Ironroot forced his mind outward, green energy flaring brighter along his veins. "I AM THE BLACKWOOD!" he shouted, pushing the lattice harder, bending the roots to his will, forcing the rebellious strands back into obedience.
The forest quivered. Shadows and roots froze mid-assault. The entity's massive figure paused at the edge of the clearing, ember eyes narrowing, watching, calculating. It had underestimated his resolve… temporarily.
Titanbound struck again, fire bursting from his fists, holding the shadows at bay. "Good! Keep it together! We push it back now!"
Shadowblade slashed through a tangled root that tried to coil around Ironroot's leg. "It won't break us if we stay united!"
But the strain was immense. Ironroot's lattice of control trembled. The Blackwood's pulse was uneven, fragile, flickering like a dying flame. Pain shot through his hands and arms as some roots resisted violently, pulling against him with strength beyond normal wood. If these fractures spread… I lose everything…
The entity lifted an arm, and the shadows surged as if answering a silent command. Roots and branches turned against Titanbound, slamming into him with crushing force. He barely held, molten fire flaring defensively.
Ironroot forced more energy into the lattice, his mind screaming in strain. Green light surged outward, striking roots and shadows alike, forcing them into temporary submission. Titanbound pressed forward, shoving the nearest root aside with molten strength, while Shadowblade darted around, cutting precisely, supporting the lattice.
For a brief, heart-stopping moment, it worked. The Blackwood obeyed again, and the shadows faltered. The entity's eyes flared with recognition, ember light burning brighter, measuring, calculating.
Ironroot sank to one knee, sweat dripping from his brow, chest heaving. "We… we held it… for now."
Titanbound's fists dimmed, but his stance remained tense. "For now isn't enough. That thing will learn. It will adapt. And next time… we may not survive."
Shadowblade's gaze swept the forest, wary and alert. "And it won't be just the forest attacking us next time. It will come for us directly — Titanbound, Ironroot, and me. We're its target now."
Ironroot's fists clenched. Green energy flickered along his veins, roots writhing beneath him like living chains. "Then we prepare. We endure. And when it strikes again… we fight smarter. Harder. Together."
The forest whispered around them — hesitant, uneasy, but connected once more. Yet Ironroot could feel the fractures, faint threads of resistance still pulsing through the roots. They were warning him: The next assault will be closer. It will be personal. And you will feel the weight of every life here.
From the distance, the fissure pulsed once more, black and alive, a reminder that the entity had only begun. Its ember eyes glowed, unblinking, a promise of the coming war.
And Ironroot realized with a sinking certainty that nothing would ever be the same again.
The war for the Blackwood, for Titanbound and Shadowblade, and for his own mind had truly begun.