CHAPTER 114 — SEVERING THE THREADS
The fractured land stretched before them like a wound across the world.
Kael stood at the edge of the highest ridge overlooking the valley, hollow symbol pulsing faintly against his chest. Below, the network of nodes pulsed in chaotic rhythm, veins of shadow and fractured energy stretching across the terrain like living webs. The fracture had spread further than they had anticipated, threads crawling into distant forests, rivers, and mountains. Each pulse carried intelligence, strategy, and patience.
Shadowblades moved beside him, blades drawn, eyes scanning every shifting shadow. "The fracture is spreading faster than before. It's not just adapting—it's anticipating our moves now."
Titanbound flexed his fists, molten veins glowing along his arms. "Then we hit harder. Faster. Crush them all before it can adapt again."
Kael shook his head, hollow symbol flaring. "No. That's exactly what it wants. Every reckless strike strengthens it. We sever. Carefully. Strategically. Thread by thread, node by node."
They moved down the ridge into the valley, each step measured, silent, calculated. Roots of Ironroot snaked beneath the soil, probing, mapping, analyzing. The fracture had evolved into a network of intertwined nodes, each feeding into the next, creating a vast lattice of chaotic energy. One wrong move, and the nodes could cascade, spreading the fracture further.
Kael extended his awareness through Ironroot, feeling the pulse of the nearest node. It was stronger than any they had encountered. Veins of chaotic energy radiated outward, feeding smaller nodes like tributaries to a river.
"This one…" Kael whispered, teeth clenched. "It's a central hub. Everything else feeds into it."
Shadowblades' eyes narrowed. "Then if we fail here, the rest will collapse?"
Kael's jaw tightened. "Yes. But if we succeed, we can isolate the network and weaken the fracture's reach."
Titanbound's fists flared. "Then we succeed. Or die trying."
Kael didn't answer. Instead, he extended roots toward the central hub, probing carefully, threading through veins of energy, analyzing patterns without anchoring fully. The node reacted violently, pulses lashing outward, shadows snapping like coiled serpents.
Shadowblades moved in tandem, slicing away tendrils that threatened to strike Kael or Titanbound. Titanbound redirected unstable pulses with molten strikes, each blow precise, calculated, designed to contain rather than destroy.
Hours passed as they worked systematically, severing connections, mapping threads, and stabilizing nodes. The fracture reacted constantly, sending tremors through the valley, bending shadows and twisting roots to counter their efforts.
Kael's hollow symbol flared bright, warning of strain, but he forced Ironroot to remain precise. One wrong anchor, one uncontrolled pulse, could unravel everything.
Finally, the central hub began to yield. Its chaotic pulses slowed, connections severed one by one, threads retreating into smaller, more manageable nodes. The hollow symbol pulsed steadily now, roots coiling in response, mapping every retreating thread, preparing for the next strike.
Shadowblades exhaled, sheathing her blades. "One down… but the network extends far beyond this valley."
Kael nodded, eyes scanning the horizon. Threads of chaos stretched into distant forests, mountains, and rivers. New nodes pulsed faintly, reacting to the disruption in the central hub.
Titanbound cracked his neck, molten light glowing faintly. "Then we move to the next. Every node we sever makes it weaker."
Kael's jaw tightened. "Exactly. But we must remain methodical. Precision, not force. Any mistake, and the fracture adapts faster than we can react."
They moved forward, following the threads of the fracture, severing nodes, stabilizing connections, and weakening the network with careful precision. Each step revealed new distortions: forests bent unnaturally, rivers twisted, and shadows moved independently of light.
Hours turned to days. The fractured land was a battlefield of restraint and calculation. Every node they severed weakened the fracture, but new ones appeared, spreading threads further, adapting to their methods.
Kael's hollow symbol pulsed steadily, roots coiling beneath the earth, threading into nodes without anchoring fully. Shadowblades and Titanbound worked in perfect coordination, covering him, stabilizing unstable pulses, and severing threads with surgical precision.
Finally, after days of relentless effort, they reached the largest network they had encountered yet—a vast expanse of jagged stone, twisted roots, and pulsing veins of chaotic energy. The central hub here was massive, feeding dozens of smaller nodes across miles of fractured land.
Kael's hollow symbol flared violently. "This is it. The central hub of this entire region. Everything else feeds into it. If we disrupt it carefully, we can sever the fracture's influence across all connected regions."
Shadowblades' eyes glinted. "And if we fail?"
Kael's jaw tightened. "Then the fracture spreads beyond control. Into settlements, towns, cities… the land itself becomes a conduit for chaos."
Titanbound's fists ignited, molten heat spilling into the air. "Then we succeed. Or die trying."
Kael extended roots into the central hub, probing deep, threading through veins of chaotic energy. The hub reacted violently, pulses lashing outward, shadows snapping like coiled serpents.
Shadowblades and Titanbound moved in perfect synchronization with him, stabilizing unstable energy, severing connections, and preventing the network from adapting fully.
Hours passed as they worked systematically, severing threads, stabilizing nodes, and weakening the central hub. The hollow symbol pulsed violently, roots coiling and retracting, mapping every retreating thread, preparing for the final strike.
Finally, the central hub began to yield. Its chaotic pulses slowed, threads retreating into smaller, manageable nodes. The hollow symbol pulsed steadily, Ironroot coiling beneath the earth, threading into nodes without anchoring fully.
Shadowblades exhaled, sheathing her blades. "We did it… for now."
Kael nodded, eyes scanning the horizon. The fractured land stretched endlessly, threads of chaos retreating, but new nodes pulsed faintly in distant regions.
Titanbound's molten glow dimmed slightly, fists still smoldering. "Then we move. The next cluster awaits."
Kael's hollow symbol pulsed. The fracture had been weakened, but it was far from destroyed. Its threads still stretched across the land, adapting, learning, waiting.
"The fracture may have learned to spread," Kael murmured, "but it has not yet learned restraint. That is where the battle will be won."
Shadowblades' eyes glinted in the dim light. "Then we continue. Node by node, thread by thread."
Titanbound's molten fists flared once more, in agreement. "Let it try to rise. We'll be ready."
Kael's gaze swept across the fractured horizon. Threads of chaos stretched endlessly, pulsing with life and intelligence, but the methodical severing of the network had given them an advantage.
The fracture was still alive.
But Ironroot was alive too.
And Kael, Shadowblades, and Titanbound would not falter.