Episode : The Corrupted Treant
Following Ervan's warning, the party moved toward the region where the corrupted root had manifested. The deeper they ventured into the forest, the more oppressive and dark the air around them became. A cloying mist obscured their vision, and the sacred energy of nature felt warped, twisted into something grotesque. A deep unease settled in Serin's heart.
"This place… this is not nature," she whispered. "It is as if life itself has been contorted."
At her words, Kairen's brow furrowed. He, too, could feel the sinister energy that saturated the area. The life force that had once sustained this forest had been utterly tainted by the corruption.
"What we face now is no simple foe," Kairen said, his voice low and grim. "This forest itself may turn against us."
The trees that grew from the corrupted root were not the natural forms of the woods, but gnarled, twisted shapes. Their branches had sharpened into claws, and their bark oozed a black energy. Serin, attempting to commune with them, to understand them through her connection to nature, cautiously approached one of the trees.
In an instant, her premonition proved true. The twisted tree shuddered as if alive, its branches writhing like serpents as they lunged for her. A sharp branch whipped toward her body with blinding speed.
"Serin, look out!"
Lian drew his greatsword in a flash, his movement as swift and precise as lightning. The massive blade swung, and the branch that had been reaching for her was severed in a single blow. A black ichor bled from the wound, and the tree writhed, coiling for another attack.
Lian cast an enhancement spell upon himself, his vitality, speed, and strength surging as he blocked the tree's assault. He instantly transformed his greatsword into twin blades, his attack speed increasing. The two swords flashed, clearing away the tree's smaller branches and momentarily halting its movements.
"These trees are not mere plants," Lian warned. "A corrupting power has complete control over them. We must be more cautious when we approach."
Serin nodded, catching her breath. The tree's corrupted power felt overwhelming. She realized she could not commune with these trees at all.
"My power cannot reach them… these trees have severed their connection to nature. At this rate, any attempt we make to purify them will be futile."
Lian listened to her and scanned their surroundings. The trees were draining the life force from the land, and a black energy was seeping from their roots, tainting the very soil. The corruption had already spread too deep. He gripped his sword, his eyes filled with a grim resolve.
"Then we must find the source of the corruption first. There must be a place where the roots of these trees converge. We must purify all of this corruption there."
Ivella drew her spear, her eyes watchful. The corrupted trees seemed to be awakening, preparing to attack them.
"Lian, we're out of time. Those trees… they're about to surround us."
Just as she said, the twisted trees, as if with a conscious will, began to close in on the party. Their branches scraped against the ground, pressing in on them. Kairen clenched his fists, assuming an ascetic's fighting stance.
"Then let us move quickly. I am ready to fight."
Lian raised his sword high and shouted, his voice firm.
"Alright. Then everyone, with me. We will break through these trees and advance. Let's find the source of this corruption and put an end to it!"
Lian met a corrupted stag with a powerful blow from his greatsword. The stag's black horns glinted menacingly, and its charge was terrifying, but Lian, his strength and speed enhanced by magic, blocked its advance. He used the weight of his greatsword to crack its horns, then transformed his weapon into twin blades, shifting to a battle of speed.
"The stag's movements have slowed! This will finish it!"
Wielding the twin blades, Lian moved swiftly, landing a series of blows on the stag's legs. Black blood flowed from the cuts, and the corrupted creature lost its balance and fell.
Meanwhile, twisted wolves moved quickly, breathing a toxic miasma at the party. Their bones were wreathed in a black energy, their movements eerie and agile. The wolves swarmed Kairen as a pack, but he was already in his fighting stance.
"Be wary of their speed. Blocking their poison is crucial."
The moment a wolf lunged, Kairen, with a swift movement, dodged its toxic breath and drove a blazing lion's fist into its side. As his fist made contact, a burst of flame erupted, shaking the corrupted wolf's body. With precise martial arts, he targeted its weak points, landing a series of blows and quickly subduing his enemies.
Ivella, spear in hand, moved quickly, seeking an opening between the stag and a bear. As the stag tried to turn to evade Lian's greatsword, she, with a nimble movement, swung her spear, cutting at its legs.
"Lian, I've weakened the stag. Finish it soon."
Ivella, having discerned that the bear's movements were slow, identified its weak points and continued her assault with precise strikes. She drove her spear deep into its side and prepared to deliver a final blow in coordination with Lian.
Seeing Kairen briefly exposed to a corrupted wolf's toxic breath during the fight, Serin immediately rushed to his side. She placed her hands on his chest, and drawing on the life force of nature, she unleashed her Life Transfer ability. This was no simple healing; it was a process of directly sharing her own life force.
A soft, green energy flowed from her fingertips, her essence pouring into Kairen's body. Serin transferred not only the forest's vitality but also her own, purifying the poison in his body and healing his wounds. A flicker of fatigue crossed her eyes, but she endured it and smiled.
"This life can be shared. So that you may rise again…"
Kairen caught his breath, feeling Serin's power. His stamina was rapidly recovering from the life transfer, and the agonizing poison was slowly fading. He gave her a grateful smile.
"Serin… thank you. Don't sacrifice too much of yourself."
Thanks to her sacrifice, Kairen was able to resume his fighting stance and immediately face the wolves again. His energy was revitalized, and he unleashed an even more powerful ki, driving the enemies back. He fought with a renewed resolve, to ensure her sacrifice would not be in vain.
Though she was temporarily weakened, Serin continued to support the team with the power of nature. She summoned vines and roots from the forest floor, hindering the corrupted animals' movements and creating an environment where the party could subdue them.
"The power of the forest is aiding us. The enemies are bound. Now is the time!"
The roots she summoned wrapped around the twisted wolves' legs, halting their rapid movements. She also used the forest's vines to bind the corrupted stag's horns, restricting it. This allowed Lian and Ivella to more easily target their enemies' weak points and deliver the final blows.
Meanwhile, as a bear was about to spew a black mist, Serin gathered the power of nature and shone a purifying light upon it. The purifying light weakened the bear's corrupted energy, and the toxic miasma it was about to release was momentarily halted.
"I've stopped the bear's poison! Now is your chance!"
Thanks to Serin's ability to summon nature and her purifying power, the party was able to fend off the enemy's attacks and gain an advantageous position in the battle. She protected the team while simultaneously sealing the enemy's movements and turning the tide of the fight in their favor.
As the bear was halted by Serin's purifying power, Lian did not miss the opportunity. He transformed his greatsword back into twin blades and quickly closed the distance. His speed and strength were maximized thanks to his enhancement magic.
"Now!"
The moment the bear's movements slowed, Lian moved swiftly and struck its side. The sharp blades of his twin swords pierced through its tough hide, digging deep. The bear's claws slashed at him again, but Lian evaded them and delivered a final blow.
As his twin blades plunged deep toward the bear's heart, it collapsed with a great roar. A black energy drained from its body and dissipated, and for an instant, the forest fell silent.
Ivella also quickly swung her spear, stopping the movements of the stag and the wolves, completely neutralizing the enemies alongside Lian. Thanks to Serin's vines and roots, the corrupted animals could no longer flee or counterattack, and the party was able to purify the corrupted creatures and conclude the battle.
Thanks to her healing, which shared her own life force, her companions were able to continue the fight without injury. Though she was momentarily exhausted, she smiled in relief at the team's victory. She was still helping the team, purifying the enemy's corrupted energy with the power of nature.
"Now all that's left is to find the source of the corruption and end this completely."
Serin looked slightly tired, but she nodded with a resolute expression.
"We can do this together… the forest is helping us."
Lian, Ivella, and Kairen felt a deep gratitude for Serin's sacrificial power and support, and by her side, they prepared for the final battle to find the corrupted root.
***
Episode : In Search of the Corrupted and the Pure Root
Rian's party continued their exploration of the forest, searching for clues about the corrupted root. Serin, examining the ground, picked up a piece of a black, twisted root. The intense corrupting energy she felt from it weighed heavily on her heart.
"We might be able to find the source of the contamination from this corrupted root. But this alone is not enough… we have to compare it with a normal root to know the exact cause. But can we really do this? Still, we can't stop. We have to find out."
"Let's return to Ervan at once. There's no time. We have to ask for his help to stop this corruption. We need a healthy root to end all of this."
The party immediately headed for the center of the forest, where Ervan was. Ervan, sensing that their mission was underway, greeted them warmly. He was pleased that they had found a corrupted root and said:
"You have found the corrupted root. This is a part of the pain I have been feeling. If you find a normal root, you will be able to identify the source of the corruption more clearly."
Ervan pointed to the location of his own strong roots, deep in the forest, and cast a brief blessing upon the party. This blessing deepened their connection to the forest, granting them a powerful defense and the ability to sense the location of corrupted creatures. It also enhanced their communion with the spirits, allowing them to detect dangers in the forest more quickly. This blessing, a power deeply connected to nature, would allow them to find their way more easily in the woods and, with the spirits' favor, would enhance their ability to sense the forest's life force and the traces of corruption.
Ervan: "My roots still possess a power untouched by the corruption. Take those roots. Then you will be able to discover the source of the corruption and save the forest."
With Ervan's blessing, the party set out to find the strong roots deep in the forest. However, the further they explored, the more corrupted treants and tainted animals began to obstruct their path. The corrupted animals, emitting a black energy, approached them more aggressively, and the battles continued.
Rian held his greatsword, blocking the charge of a corrupted stag and amplifying his own strength with enhancement magic. Kairen dodged the surprise attack of wolves, spreading a purifying energy to protect his companions, and Ivella swung her spear with great speed, piercing the foot of a corrupted bear.
Serin fought alongside them, drawing on the natural power of the forest to purify the corrupted creatures and to prevent them from growing stronger. Thanks to Ervan's blessing, they were able to resist the corrupting energy and lead the battle to victory.
In the midst of this, Rian and the party sensed a corrupting energy emanating from a hill in the forest. As they climbed it, they felt the energy grow stronger and a sinister aura envelop them.
"I feel a strong energy from that place. It seems to be related to the source of the corruption."
At the top of the hill was a large pool, and in it, a corrupted mass of flesh was crouched. It was a fragment of an ancient god, fallen in the battle between the Titans and the ancient gods long ago. For a long time, the corrupting energy had been slowly spreading from that pool, and it had tainted the earth spirit that had been guarding this place.
The earth spirit looked like a golem, with a body made of massive stone and metal. He had originally been a guardian of the earth, protecting this land, but now, he stood before the party as a monster, dominated by the power of corruption.
Serin looked at the corrupted spirit and said mournfully, "This spirit must have originally been a guardian of the earth… but it has been completely tainted because of that corrupted flesh."
The spirit, sensing their approach, emitted a black energy and raised its massive arms. Its great body of stone and metal was overwhelming, as if it could swallow the very earth.
"We have to free this spirit. We have to destroy the source of the corruption and return it to nature to save the forest."
The battle began, and each time the spirit's massive arm struck the ground, the earth shook violently. Rian and his companions immediately faced the corrupted earth spirit's massive body and powerful defense.
Rian charged forward, gripping his greatsword tightly, but his strength was still not enough to break through the spirit's hard defense. The moment his greatsword struck its body, he felt a recoil as if hitting a stone wall, and a jarring sensation shot up his arm. He poured all his strength into it, but not even a fine crack appeared in its defense of metal and stone. The spirit's defense was truly overwhelming, and Rian, feeling he had hit his limit, had no choice but to fall back, catching his breath. Even though he had amplified his own strength with enhancement magic, its defense of stone and metal would not break easily.
"This thing's defense is too strong… we need a more powerful attack!"
At that moment, the spirit swung its arm wide, and Serin lost her balance from the impact.
"Ugh!"
Just as the spirit's massive arm was about to come down on her, Ivella swiftly swung her spear, blocking the attack. She quickly protected Serin and spun her spear, attacking the spirit's leg.
"Serin, get back! I'll hold it off."
With Ivella's help, Serin barely managed to escape and summoned the power of nature, extending vines to momentarily bind the spirit's movements. But the spirit easily tore through the vines and advanced.
Kairen also dodged the spirit's attack and dealt a powerful blow with his blazing lion's fist, but the spirit's body barely budged. He followed up with a series of lightning kicks, but its body of stone would not break easily.
"This thing's defense is too strong. We have to keep hitting it!"
Just as the spirit was about to swing its arm again to strike Kairen and Serin at the same time, Rian quickly raised his greatsword to block its arm. His greatsword barely managed to parry the spirit's heavy arm, but its power was too great.
"Both of you, get back! I'll hold it!"
Rian supported the greatsword with one hand, and his thoughts turned to his sister, Lia.
Lian (to himself): "If Lia were here… with her ice magic, we could attack this thing more easily from the air."
But returning to reality, Rian knew he had to finish this fight with the help of Ivella and Kairen.
Kairen: "Lian, I'll give you a boost! Ivella, help us!"
Kairen unleashed a wave of lightning ki, pushing Rian into the air. His eyes were filled with a firm trust in him. Ivella immediately used her spear to help Rian get above the spirit's head and shouted, "Lian, you have to do this! We're counting on you!" This cooperation, born of their mutual trust, gave the entire party great strength.
Kairen: "Now! Attack!"
From the air, Rian raised his greatsword and brought it down hard on the spirit's head. With that blow, a massive crack formed in its head.
But the spirit did not fall easily. As if to make a final stand, it writhed its entire body, roared, and rose once more.
Ivella raised her spear and struck the spirit's leg again, stopping its movement. And in that opening, Kairen struck its heart with his blazing lion's fist.
With that powerful, continuous assault, the spirit's whole body shook, and the crack began to widen.
"Let's end this now!"
As Rian raised his greatsword for the final blow, his eyes began to glow with a faint red light. His muscles expanded and strengthened, and his speed and power increased dramatically. The greatsword in his hand felt as heavy as a great boulder, but he had grown strong enough to wield it freely.
Lian suppressed the power, preventing it from dominating him, as he drew on a part of the Titan's strength.
Ivella: "Lian! You're changing… that power, it looks dangerous!"
Kairen: "Lian, be careful! Don't let that power control you!"
Lian, hearing his companions' voices, held onto his reason. He suppressed the Titan's power and prepared a single, powerful blow. The red glow in his eyes slowly faded, and he unleashed the final strike at the spirit's heart. At that moment, a great explosion echoed from the spirit's body, and it finally collapsed.
Serin quickly summoned her natural purifying power, finishing the job by completely cleansing the corrupted earth spirit.
Serin: "Now… the corruption is over…"
As the spirit fell, the earth grew quiet again, and the corrupting energy slowly dissipated. The party caught their breath, the tension finally leaving them. Serin placed a hand on her chest, let out a deep breath, and smiled in relief. "Finally… it's over." Rian stabbed his greatsword into the ground, wearily supporting himself as he looked around. Kairen knelt on the ground, feeling the aftereffects of the painful battle, and Ivella, clutching her spear, looked up at the blue sky. The forest slowly began to regain its vitality, and a tranquil energy filled the place where the spirit's corruption had vanished.