by Seth Ring
The flames that had covered her whole body during the fight had retreated to a wisp that floated at the center of the diamond pattern on her forehead, lending her a regal look. One of her tails was curled under Thorn, providing him with a comfortable seat, and the other two twitched behind her, showing how pleased she was.
Chirping her thanks, Akira continued to eat the food that Thorn had taken out of his inventory. Her appetite had grown along with her size, allowing her to put down almost as much food as her master. While everyone was eating, Thorn began to look through his notifications. Now that he was not in the middle of a fight, he had time to look through the muted alerts.
True Ailuridae
Your battle pet has advanced! Due to the potent life force that courses through her veins, your battle pet, Akira, has advanced from a Royal Ailuridae to a True Ailuridae.
The purest of bloodlines, the True Ailuridae are the first of their kind, an ancient race that governed the forests of Zemtal’Feg, the Titan of Life. While most of their abilities are oriented toward tending to the forest, they possess powerful combat abilities, allowing them to act as guardians when necessary.
Checking the time stamp on the notification, Thorn realized that it matched about the time that he fed Akira the sap of the World Tree. That must have been the thing that caused his pet to advance. He had only intended to use the sap to fight the petrification effect, but unexpectedly, it had actually purified her bloodline, allowing her to advance into a True Ailuridae.
“Velin, have you heard the name Zemtal’Feg?” Thorn asked the Elven War Priestess who shook her head. “Well, have a look at this.”
“Zemtal’Feg?” Alph looked up from where he was stuffing his face. “That is the name of the Immortal Gardener. We’re about to head into one of his rooms.”
“It says here that Zemtal’Feg’s title is the Titan of Life,” Velin said, reading over the notification carefully.
“You mean that the owner of the Garden of the Immortal is a Titan?” Mina’s eyes were wide as she stared between Thorn, Velin, and Alph.
“Hah!” Jumping up, Alph thrust a fist in the air in victory. “I knew it! That is why I wanted to bring you here, Thorn. I always suspected that the owner of the World Tree was a Titan, but I had no way to confirm the Immortal Gardener’s race!”
“Interesting.” Velin’s eyes glowed as she tapped her notebook.
“Well, we’ll find out soon. Finish up and we’ll go see this World Tree.”
Standing up, Thorn brushed the crumbs from his lap and took a look around the cavern. Alph was already running to collect material from the juggernaut, and the ladies were all double checking their gear. Even though they did not expect any danger, their level of caution was a testament to the Society of Roses’ professionalism.
Finishing the last bite of the pie she had been holding, Akira jumped into the air, shrinking down as she landed on Thorn’s shoulder. Scratching her under the chin, he opened up her status window to take a look at what had changed.
Name: [Akira]
Race: [True Ailuridae]
Health: [100%]
Mana: [100%]
Titles: [Crown Princess], [Thorn’s Companion]
Conditions: [None]
Abilities: [Royal Grace], [Majesty], [Battle Form/Pet Form]
Title: Crown Princess
Once one of many, Akira has surpassed all of her siblings and is now next in line to be the ruler of her race.
Battle Form/Pet Form
As a True Ailuridae, your battle pet can take two different forms. Her natural form is smaller, and makes her, arguably, the cutest creature in the game. In her battle form she grows to match her abilities, gaining increased speed, strength, and endurance, as well as increased magical ability.
[Hey, you’re the crown princess now. Congrats!]
[Ahahahaha!] Akira laughed proudly, her tails whipping back and forth at the praise from her master. [Of course I am. I was almost the crown princess before, but this just makes it official. Now my stupid cousin will have to salute any time he sees me! Ahahaha. Master, do you think that when I become the queen, I’ll get even bigger? Maybe I’ll get as big as your castle!]
Leaving his pet to her delusions, Thorn waited for the rest of the team to gather together before leading the way out of the third cavern. The tunnel leading to the World Tree ended at a hole that had been cut in a broken stone wall. Looking out of the hole, Thorn felt his breath catch in his chest.
The room they faced was nothing like what he had imagined. Only slightly larger than the tomb he had first fallen into, it looked more like a bedroom than anything else. A large stone platform dominated half of the room. The platform was roughly five feet off of the ground and twenty feet wide. At the end of the platform in the center of the room was a thick, twisted root system that rose into the ceiling.
Pushing past Thorn, Alph walked into the room, gesturing for the others to follow him.
“This is the core of the tomb, the room of the Immortal Gardener, Zemtal’Feg. From what you were just saying, he was also the Titan of Life, whatever that means.”
“Huh, it looks...different than I imagined.” Thorn scratched the back of his head as he looked around. “Is that the World Tree? I thought it would be…”
“More impressive? Heh, I understand the feeling. It took me a long time to recover when I first saw it. Then again, the corruption was not nearly as severe then. It’s deteriorated over time. Anyway, this is the core of the root system. The heart of the World Tree, if you will. The actual root system is massive. It goes way underground, and attaches to all the trees on the surface of the island.”
Walking over to the thick root, Alph nodded to a reddish gem that floated in a hollow of the tree, casting a sickly glow on the party. Thick, pus-like liquid dripped from it, leaving sticky streaks down the roots and dripping into a pool that stretched to the wall on the opposite side of the bed.
“You’re not going to eat this one too, are you?” Mina asked when she saw Thorn looking at the World Tree’s heart.
“Ugh, no. I’ve had enough of that.” Thorn gagged at the thought. Shaking his head to get rid of the thought, he turned to Velin. “Do you have a way to do something about this?”
“I do.” Velin’s face was even more serious than normal as she pulled an amulet from her inventory. As soon as it appeared, it began to pulse with a clear green light, illuminating the whole room.
Carefully putting it on, Velin stepped into the pool of disgusting green liquid and knelt down, paying no mind to the slimy sap splashing across her robe. The rest of the group held their breaths as she put her hands together in front of her. The amulet’s light grew brighter in response to the words that she whispered until it was no longer pulsing.
*TING*
With a clear ringing sound the amulet shuddered and sent out a wave of green energy. As the wave washed over them, everyone could feel the accumulated fatigue from the fight vanishing. The root system seemed to feel it as well, vibrating in response to the amulet. Again it shook, producing a resonance in the root of the World Tree.
In the hollow of the root, the sickly red color on the floating gem faded slightly. With each shake it grew clearer and clearer until, with a final flash, it turned blue. The drop of sap that condensed from it grew purer as well until it was shining brightly, glistening like a sapphire. As it dripped down into the pool of disgusting liquid, it set off a chain reaction, purifying and transforming the filth into a clear, clean pool of sap.
The transformation continued, spreading up into the ceiling and down into the floor as the root vibrated along with the amulet around Velin’s neck. The glow of the World Tree sap seemed to cover her, causing her skin to sparkle. Slowly rising to her feet, she scooped up the sap in cupped hands and offered them to Thorn.
There was a solemnity to her figure that made Thorn pause, but seeing the encouraging look in her eyes, he leaned down and drank the sap from her hands. A wide smile broke across Velin
’s face, putting her beauty on full display. The very picture of grace, she stooped and gathered another draft of the sap of the World Tree, lifting it for Thorn to drink.
After the third drink, Thorn could feel the stiffness that bound him loosening completely. Standing to his full height, a roar broke from his mouth, shaking the room and traveling through the earth.
*ding*
Title: Living Statue - Cleared
The corrupted mist of the stone heart drains the energy of the world and has numbed your body and spirit.
Though you have suffered from prolonged exposure to the mist and have been petrified, gaining the stone curse permanently, the miraculous sap of the World Tree has removed the Living Statue curse from your body.
+Endurance
+Constitution
*ding*
Title: Bearer of the Stone Heart (Cleansed)
You have somehow ingested the source of the Dwarves’ connection with the earth, the Heart of Stone. The stone heart holds unimaginable power, granting the one who wields it a unique connection to the earth. Though the Heart of Stone was once corrupted by the evil influence of the greater devil, Balashimir, sealing some of its power, it has been cleansed by the power of the World Tree.
+Strength
+Constitution
+Endurance
-Dexterity
Abilities:
Earth Sense
Armor of the Earth
Heart of the Earth
Call the Stone Legion
Thrilled at finally having cleared his curse, Thorn could not suppress his happiness. Grabbing Velin in a big hug, he lifted her in the air and twirled her around.
“Thank you!” Grinning like a fool, he set her down.
“Thank you. Thanks to you I was able to complete my quest as well.” Turning her head so that Thorn wouldn’t see the slight blush that touched her cheeks, Velin tucked her hair behind her ear and gently stepped out of his arms.
“Oh, that’s right!”
Quest: Returning to the Source - Completed
Quest Holder: The history of the Elves is shrouded in the deepest mists of time, obscured by the steady march of centuries. As an Elven War Priestess, you have been chosen as a potential bearer of the highest honor an Elf can hold. Find the source of life on Angoril to learn the truth of the Elven race.
Assistant: Help the Elven War Priestess who holds this quest find the source of life on Angoril.
Reward: Variable
*ding*
Another window popped up as soon as Thorn opened the quest window.
You have completed the quest [Returning to the Source] as an assistant. Due to particular circumstances around the completion of the quest, you are granted the right to keep the quest reward for yourself or to grant it to the original quest holder.
Keep
Give
His brow furrowing, Thorn had to read it twice before he realized what it was saying. Without hesitating for a single moment longer he clicked the [Give] option. He had earned an incredible amount from this whole quest sequence and was more than happy to share the quest reward with Velin.
“Thorn,” Velin looked at a window that popped up in front of her with surprise. “Are you sure about this? The rewards for this quest are substantial.”
“Of course. Plus, how can I be the luckiest player ever if none of my luck rubs off on my team?”
“Thank you.”
Though she was smiling, the look in Velin’s eyes was more serious than he had ever seen. Before he could stop her, Velin bowed deeply to him.
“Velin, there is no need for that. You are one of my friends, of course I want the best for you.”
The atmosphere was too solemn for Thorn’s liking, so after giving Velin another smile he began to examine his status and his newly unlocked abilities. Next to him, Mina trembled as she looked at Velin, lifting her hand as if to reach out for Velin before letting it fall back to her side.
“Velin, you…” Mina’s voice was quiet and trailed off at Velin’s nod. Seeing the firm expression on her face, Mina clenched her fist and turned her head away.
*Status*
Name: [Thorn]
Race: [Titan]
Health: [100%]
Mana: [100%]
Titles: [Battle Mad], [Wolfsbane], [Lord Greymane, the Moon Wolf], [Friend of the Earth], [Inheritor], [Commissioned Knight (Order of the Flame)], [Kingbreaker], [Hero], [Bearer of the Stone Heart], [Gladiator]
Class: [Disciple]
Mastery: [None]
Allegiance: [Temple of the Moon]
Abilities: [Wolf Lord’s Howl], [Avatar of the Wolf], [Call the Pack], [Blessing of the Moon], [Presence of the Wolf Lord], [Martial Form: Dawn], [Basic Weapons Mastery], [Apprentice Orator], [Rallying Cry], [Pack Travel], [Earth Sense], [The Devil is in the Details], [Shadow Dash], [Language Proficiency: Abyssal], [Intercepting Strike (lvl 1)], [Armor of the Earth], [Heart of the Earth ], [Call the Stone Legion]
Earth Sense
The ground itself speaks to you through tremors, granting you the ability to sense anything that moves on the earth. You are no longer reliant on your five senses to see the space around you.
An increased understanding of the earth also grants you a deep insight into the composition of the earth around you and any materials in it.
To unlock full control of Earth Sense, you must adapt to the Stone Heart completely.
Curious, Thorn closed his eyes and focused his attention on his Earth Sense ability. As if a whole new sense was blossoming, information began to rush into his head. Even with his eyes closed he could sense the locations of everyone around him as the minute vibrations they caused ran through the air and ground to his body.
Concentrating on Mina, who was walking next to him, Thorn realized that he could actually see her, though her form looked like a roughly Mina shaped void with blurry edges. As he swept his focus around him, he quickly understood how [Earth Sense] worked. Anything that was tied to the earth, like dirt, stone, or metals, were clearer in his sense, while things that were not related to the earth were dark voids.
At the same time, [Earth Sense] was picking up the vibrations of everything that moved around him, giving him a rough picture of where it was in relation to his position. Opening his eyes, he read over the ability again. According to the last line, there was a chance that as he increased his proficiency with the abilities they would grow. Wondering if all of his new abilities would be like that, he opened up his next ability.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Armor of the Earth
Firm like a rock, stable as a mountain, the Heart of Stone grants its bearer the traits of the earth. While wearing heavy armor, your defensive ability is increased.
Three times a day you can gain two seconds of invulnerability to physical attacks by dispersing the force of the blow into the earth under your feet.
To unlock full control of the Armor of the Earth, you must adapt to the Stone Heart completely.
Just like the [Earth Sense] ability, [Armor of the Earth] was a growth ability. Adding the six total seconds of invulnerability to his armor’s [Moon’s Reflection] ability doubled his survivability while the passive increases to the effectiveness of his armor would make him even tankier than he already was. In the fights earlier, the physical attacks of anything less than the juggernaut had barely harmed him, and now they would be even less effective.
He had not set out to be a tank, but increasingly the abilities he was gaining were pushing him in that direction. It was a trend that Thorn did not mind, truthfully. He quite enjoyed being in the thick of things and protecting others.
Heart of the Earth - [0%]
The heart beating in your chest has merged with the Stone Heart and has become the living spirit of the earth. As you familiarize yourself with that spirit, your control over the powers of the Stone Heart will naturally increase.
To adapt to the Stone Heart you must learn about and adopt the role of the Titan of Earth.
This was the ability that Thorn had the most questions about. Unlike the other abilities, this one seemed to be a tangible measurement of his proficiency with the Stone Heart. Unfortunately, it was not as simple as grinding out a series of actions or tests. Instead, the game gave him vague concepts and left him to figure out the rest. As Thorn was lamenting the lack of a clear step-by-step process, he got another notification.