The night draped Elyria's forest with a velvet hush, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves and distant calls of creatures that move in the night, the nocturnal creatures. Alex's grove pulsed with quiet vitality, its perimeter now fortified by the Verdant Enclave's glowing wards, their emerald runes casting a soft light that mingled with the starlit canopy. Fang's pack patrolled the edges, their eyes gleaming in the dark like ghosts searching for prey to scare, while Thorn stood sentinel near Alex's trunk, with his vined armored bulk being a reassuring presence. Claw was flying and circling high above, her aerial sight unbroken by the night, relaying glimpses of the surrounding forest through their telepathic link.
Alex's "eyes" remained fixed on the spot where Elandor had lingered , the elf's suspicious sigil plus the words he had whispered alone in an amulet had ate at his thoughts. The system offered no insight on betrayal, but his Root Network Expansion, now covering more area around him, detected a faint disturbance in the soil where Elandor had stood, a trace of unnatural energy that didn't align with the wards put up by Liora and some of her kin. "Liora, " Alex projected, his mental voice a low rustle, "tell me about Elandor, he speaks smoothly, but his actions don't sit right with me, they give me the heebie-jeebies."
Liora, seated cross legged near a ward, looked up, her silver hair catching the starlight. "Elandor is skilled , sir Alex, one of our best. His knowledge of ancient lore is one of the best in the entire enclave. It rivals even my own knowledge maybe even more than mine, and he's led countless expeditions against tainted beasts. But...." She hesitated, her green eyes narrowing. "He is somewhat ambitious. Some in the enclave says he seeks more power than what he has now. I trust him to fight, but I'll watch him closely to make sure he doesn't cause any danger to you."
"Keep him closer than you think," Alex replied, sharing a fleeting image from Claw's vision : Elandor's hand on the amulet, the dark sigil's flicker. Liora's expression hardened, but she nodded. "I'll confront him privately," she said aloud, her voice low. "If he's strayed, we'll root it out before it festers and if necessary I'll be the one to put him down." "I do hope you keep your promise when the time comes or my comrades will be the one to maul him.", Alex replied. Fang growled softly, pacing nearby. "If he betrays, my jaws will find him first." Thorn rumbled in agreement, his vines shifting, "No traitor will leaves alive where I'm guarding." Alex shifted focus to his status screen, checking his status to prepare for the looming delve into the tainted patch:
System : World Tree Ascension Path
Name : Alex (treant form)
EXP : 78/200
Mana : 150/150
Sap of Life : 10/10
Skills : Basic Nurture, Verdant Pulse, Root Expansion Network (passive)
Legion : Fang (Level 2, hunting), Claw(Level 2, Scout), Thorn (Level , defense)
"Damn, this is gonna be a long journey with all these battles. I wonder how long will it take till I become the World Tree?" Alex thought internally. The full Sap of Life reserve gave him full flexibility. He considered using it to awaken Fang's pack, granting them sentience to bolster the legion, but decided to hold off. The tainted patch was a priority, and he needed to conserve resources till he understood the threat's scale. To gather more EXP, Alex channeled mana into the grove ecosystem. He nurtured a cluster of growing mushrooms near the pond, their bioluminescence brightening the night.
Nurtured : Small Plants (Mushrooms) x15 - +1.5 EXP
Mana : 120/150
EXP :79.5/200
He then targeted a pair of large oaks at the grove's edge, their sturdy forms promising better returns.
Nurtured : Large Plants (Oaks) x2 - + 1 EXP
Mana : 110/150
EXP : 80.5/200
As dawn approached, Claw's sharp cry cut through ."Movement in the tainted patch! Large shapes stirring with corruption deeper within." Liora rose, gripping her bow of living wood. "We move at first light. My enclave will scout ahead with Claw, while Fang and Thorn hold the grove." Alex agreed, but unease lingered. "Claw, keep an eye on Elandor during the delve into the tainted patch. If he tries something , report immediately."
The storm hawk dipped her wings in acknowledgement, soaring towards the enclave's camp. The elves prepared, their movement precise from sharpening their arrows to weaving additional wards and chanting soft incantation to bolster their resolve. Elandor moved among them, his golden hair a beacon, his demeanor calm but distant. He avoided Liora's gaze, focusing on a young elf who seemed to hang on his every word.
As the sun crested the horizon, the delve began. Liora led six elves, including Elandor, towards the tainted patch, a mile west of the grove. Claw was high above shadowing them, while Fang's pack fanned out to guard the flanks. Alex extended his Root Network Expansion sensing the forest's pulse, vibrant near the grove he was at, but growing sickly as it neared the corruption.
Through Claw's vision, Alex saw the tainted patch, a swath of blackened tree, their bark oozing with vicious, inky sap. The air shimmered with a foul haze, and the ground writhed with unnatural roots. At the center stood a twisted, pulsating tree, its branches twisted into claw like shapes, radiating a malevolent aura of darkness. Liora's voice reached Alex via Claw's link. "That's a blight root, a nexus of taint. We must destroy it immediately because it has powers to summon defenders to protect it."
Before Alex could respond, the ground erupted. Tainted creatures surged forth, spider-like beasts with thorned legs and glowing red eyes, accompanied by a massive corrupted bear, its fur full of shadowy tendrils. The elves started shooting arrows at it, their tips glowing with verdant magic, while Fang's pack darted in, snapping at thee spider's legs. Elandor , positioned at the rear, raised his staff, chanting a spell that sent vines lashing at a spider. But Alex caught a flicker, Elandor's free hand slipped to his amulet, a dark pulse emanating briefly before he rejoined the fight.
"Claw, confirm that, " Alex ordered. Claw went closer to Elandor and saw it. "That was dark magic," Claw reported. "It was subtle, hidden from the others but it cannot escape my eyes. He used the magic to strengthen the blight root, not weakening it." "Liora!" Alex projected urgently. "Elandor has now gone astray. Go check his amulet right at this moment since he has started his betrayal." Liora spun, her bow trained on Elandor as he froze, eyes wide. "Elandor, what are you doing?" she demanded aloud.
The golden haired elf smirked, dropping the facade. "The high ones see further than your dumb enclave's dusty tomes, Liora. The World Tree is merely a relic, power lies with the abyss!" He crushed the amulet, and a wave of dark energy surged, empowering the blight root. The corrupted bear roared, doubling in size, and more spiders poured from the soil. Thorn roared from the grove, sensing the battle's escalation. Alex returned his consciousness to the grove and ordered Thorn , "Go and help the others, the battle has now turned worse." Thorn rushed to battle. Alex pulsed Verdant Pulse to bolster his legion and the elves, mana draining but keeping them in the fight.
Verdant Pulse Activated - Healed legion and Allies : +20 Hp each
Mana : 90/150
The battle turned chaotic. Liora's elves fought valiantly, their wards holding against the sider's onslaught. Fang's pack tore into the smaller creatures, while Thorn barreled into the corrupted bear, his Iron Hide absorbing its savage blows. Claw's Wind Gusts scattered the spiders, giving the elves breathing room. Elandor, seizing the chaos, slipped towards the blight root, chanting to amplify its power. But Liora was faster, she shoot an arrow, pinning his robe to a tree. "You'll answer for this," she hissed.
The legion and elves coordinated, felling the corrupted bear and spider in a brutal clash. As the blight root weakened. Alex channeled Basic Nurture into the surrounding soil, counteeering the taint with pure life energy.
Mana : 70/150
The blight root shattered, its dark energy dissipating in a wail. The system pinged :
Enemies Defeated (via Proxy: Legion and Allies) - +80 EXP
EXP to Alex : 48 EXP
EXP : 128.5/200
EXP to legion : Fang (+10), Claw(+10), Thorn(+10), Pack(+12 Split)
Elandor, pinned and disarmed, glared at Liora. "You're fools to resist the high ones. Their masters will destroy you all." Liora bound him with enchanted vines, her voice cold. "We'll seewhat truths you spill, traitor." She turned to Alex's grove, bowing. "Sir Alex, your subordinates saved us. The taint has retreated for now, but Elandor's betrayal could mean the "high ones" he spoke about know you exist and they tend to remove you."
Alex's leaves rustled with resolve. "Then we just grow stronger than them. Interrogate him , find out what he knows of them and if he knows where their base is . We'll root out this corruption together." As the elves dragged Elandor away, the grove pulsed with renewed purpose. The taint's shadow loomed , but with the legion leveling up and allies by his side. Alex felt the stirrings of his cosmic destiny taking root. "Wait, Liora . I want you to question him here right now . I want to hear everything." , Alex commanded. Liora and the elves returned and they surrounded Elandor.
To be continued