Kaiden’s body, struck the earth [-25 LP], was forcefully taken from his health when he made contact with the surface. The impact burst spores into the air around him, cushioning his fall with a wet, rotting softness. The light from above vanished immediately, replaced by a dull red shimmer glowing from the roots themselves. The silence that followed echoed in the depth.
He rose slowly. The walls pulsed in long, deliberate intervals. Every sound echoed behind his ribs. He checked his HUD: No map data. He pressed forward down into a winding corridor of knotted roots. Every surface came alive, and quietly shifted around. Some opened and closed like slow-gasping mouths.
“Kaiden?”
A voice. A child’s voice called out to him.
He stopped.
Nothing. No presence behind him. Another sound, whispers now. It was too soft to make out.
The corridor opened into a massive subterranean sanctuary: the Root Temple. Thick red mycelium threads webbed across cracked stone murals. They depicted scenes both divine and decaying environment.
Kaiden paused to study one of them.
The first mural showed a sun splitting down its center, shedding its rays and plants ringed itself from up the grounds. Its vines like serrated weapons.
Another mural was of a figure holding a sphere of light, shedding a storm of black bloom rising from the ground. Behind him, we’re tall pillars, and other figures surrounded them as they fought humanoid plants and monsters.
At the mural’s base, glyphs seem to light up when Kaiden approached. The system translated just enough to tease meaning:
“When the Axis broke, the rays decimated, and the cultivated harvest took form.”
“The gift that once aided, now used to consume and destroy.”
“The way to stand a chance is to survive the day and slay.
Kaiden didn’t know how rich the history of Revolt the Sun could be. There was no wonder the game received whooping high marks on gaming sites.
Then, there was movement behind him.
“I knew you’d fall into something,” Ironstride said.
Kaiden turned to see her drop from above. Naō followed after her.
“Almost thought we lost you there,” he said. “The reception down here is trash.”
Kaiden exhaled with a chuckle. “Glad you’re here.”
Ironstride glanced at the murals. “Creepy. No matter how many times I read it, RTS’s lore always gives me shivers.”
Naō tilted his head. “Did you find an exit?
Kaiden pointed ahead. “There’s one door.”
They approached the final passage. A giant bloom of twisted roots wrapped around a beating core. It unfolded at their approach and the walls peeling back like layers of bark to reveal the Hollow Heart.
A vast red sphere of thorns and mycelium, suspended in a cathedral of roots that pulsed.
[BOSS ENCOUNTER: The Hollow Heart – Root of the World] [Cells 20]
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The room began to ignite in a brilliance of light. The Massive limbs from the hollow heart came undone from the walls and headed straight for them in an attack.
Ironstride blocked the first with her shield and taking the incoming damage. Kaiden dashed to the right, slashing one mid-air and dealing [-66 RD]. Naō triggered a shimmering circle of heat forming around him [Buff Applied: Return Damage – 10 Fire per hit].
The Hollow Heart launched a radial burst of spores causing a massive debuff [Applied to All: Sporeburn -5 LP/sec for 10 seconds]
Naō shouted, “I’m about to Counter, incoming.” He tossed a flask overhead. It exploded in frost.
Kaiden narrowed his eyes as the Hollow Heart’s core began to fade in and out, as if alerting them of something. “Looks like its doing its first phase.”
Roots reformed into arms, then into a duplicate of Kaiden’s shadow. It walked forward, fluid and fast.
[Enemy Spawned]
Kaiden activated Petal Echoes. Two glowing doubles emerged, drawing attention.
The Echo moved first, lashing forward, doing damage [-43 RD]. Kaiden grunted and parried the attack. “Damn. I’ll need to outpace it.”
One of his Echoes took a hit, causing another cell to be destroyed and causing damage
[-38 RD]
[-15 RD]
Naō flanked left, launching Corrosive Draught at the Hollow Heart. [Debuff Applied: DEF Down: Stack 1]
Ironstride charged forward, triggering Linked Chain Defense, tethers of golden light tied her to the team. [Buff Applied: Linked DEF +5]
Every hit she absorbed caused shields to pulse around Kaiden and Naō. Kaiden struck again, chaining Vine Step behind the Echo and stabbing deep.
[-72 LP Dealt] One Petal Echo followed his motion, copying the strike. [-70 LP]. They cut through the brunt of the cell’s surface [Cells Destroyed! Stem Exposed!]]. Together, they overwhelmed the shadow.
[Echo Defeated – Core Stabilized]
The Hollow Heart started to rupture. Kaiden dashed forward and struck the surface of the enemies core, [-38 LP], [-25 LP], [-30 LP]. He continued to chop away with a strike, making sure to dodge the attack with vine step and releasing the echoes of his forms. The three forms of Kaiden descended in unison attacking in tandem until they overwhelmed the monster.
[-48 LP]
[- 38 LP]
[-45 LP]
[Critical Hit – Boss Defeated]
The Hollow Heart cracked, then the roots dissipated as they slowly disappeared into the ground.
[Level Up: Nyte – Level 9]
LP: 215/215
AP: 140
ATK: 45
DEF: 31
DEX: 29
AGI: 52
INT: 23
WIS: 17
They stood in silence. Then the earth shook once with a low and deep groan.
Naō braced himself as he looked around for what could have made that sound. “Was that an event trigger?”
Ironstride wasn’t as convinced. Her lips formed a frown. “Not even a system message to alert us, that’s not weird at all.”
Kaiden looked up. The red bloom above them slowly began to recede and open to reveal a set of spiral stairs going upward, making a path ahead.
There was nothing else to do but climb.
They made their way through a root-lined tunnel. Back through the broken base of the Root Temple, and then up toward the thinned edges of Mycoth Hollow. There were no enemies in sight; just the trailing spores evicting from out of the cavern.
Eventually, the familiar entry marker pulsed in the distance. The gate. They stepped through.
The Conservatory Guard stood just outside, surprised.
“You survived?” he blinked. “The spore rot... it’s completely gone. The air is lighter than before. Amazing.”
[QUEST COMPLETE: A Bloom in the Dark]
Earned +1300 Verdant Coins REWARD: Hollow Bloom Sigil – Cosmetic Achievement
Naō pocketed the coin share. “Well, at least that was worth it.”
Ironstride checked her stats and inventory, nodding in approval. “Not bad.”
Kaiden stared at the Rootgate’s sealed entrance behind them.
[Hidden Trait Progress: Sporeshield Core – 2/3]
They returned to Cindralis together. The streets buzzed where other players milled about the game’s world.
