Chapter: Razor Leaves and Iron Resolve
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The wind shifted—sharp and unnatural. Fern paused mid-step, eyes narrowing as the forest's rhythm abruptly faltered.
"Something's wrong," she murmured.
Then, from the shadows between two wide-barked elder trees, they emerged.
Two Blue-Ranked Wooden Demons, their bodies twisted with thorned bark, hollow eyes burning with blue light, and their arms shaped into jagged, root-clawed weapons. They moved silently but with unmistakable hostility, the forest groaning beneath their corrupted weight.
Oliver instinctively stepped forward, sliding his iron sword free with a smooth, clean motion. His grip tightened.
"Systematic Guide," he whispered, and a flicker of light shot across his vision as the interface activated.
> [ALERT] Threat Level: Blue Rank Detected.
[INVESTIGATION] Species: Corrupted Verdant Husk — Weak to metal, fire, and pure Vita.
Behavior: Aggressive. Protective of corrupted territory.
"Vita-based corruption," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "That explains the withering."
The first demon lunged, bark arms slicing downward with crushing force—
But Fern was faster.
She raised both hands, drawing deep from the living essence of the forest. The air pulsed green around her as she chanted in the ancient tongue of Druids. Vines coiled around her wrists, leaves lifted by an unseen wind.
"Leaf Swarm!"
From every tree, bush, and branch within range, leaves shot into motion—hundreds of them, spinning like blades, glinting with concentrated green Vita energy. The wind howled as the leaves sharpened in flight, slicing through the air like razors.
The first wooden demon was hit head-on—shredded apart mid-charge, its barked body exploding into splinters, howling as it dissolved into dust and twisted vine.
The second demon reeled backward too late.
Fern's gaze hardened. She thrust her hand forward again, and the remainder of the leaf swarm swirled, forming a cyclone of death.
WHIP-CRACK—SLASH!
The second demon stumbled, then fell apart into fragments under the swarm's fury.
Silence returned as the leaves fell gently to the forest floor—no longer weapons, but soft remnants of nature.
Oliver stood quiet, lowering his sword slowly.
"Remind me never to pick a fight with a garden," he said, half-grinning.
Fern exhaled and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Only when it listens."
The Systematic Guide flickered again in Oliver's vision.
> [Enemies Eliminated. Pathway Cleared.]
[Note: Druid-Class Combatants highly effective in forested terrain.]
Oliver glanced around at the shredded battlefield. "No kidding."
With the threat gone, they pressed forward again—deeper into the woods, where the Vita pulsed thicker, and greater mysteries waited beneath the canopy.
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Chapter: The Still Lake and the Wraith Below
The forest gave way to a wide mirror-like lake, still and silent beneath the shroud of mist. The surface was unnaturally calm—no ripples, no breeze, as though the entire clearing were holding its breath.
Fern stepped closer, eyes narrowing. "Something's wrong with the water."
Oliver scanned the clearing, his sword still drawn but lowered. "System feels off too… no movement detected."
Then—WHISTLE—THUNK!
A trident ripped through the air like a bolt of lightning, embedding itself deep into a tree trunk beside Oliver. The impact cracked the bark and shook nearby branches, sending birds scattering.
Both of them turned instantly.
A shape emerged from the water—glowing turquoise, fluid and ghostly. Half-submerged, the Drowned Wraith rose with a wet hiss, its featureless face glowing beneath the lake's surface, seaweed trailing from its shoulders like a crown of decay. Another trident shimmered in its ghostly hands.
"Drowned Wraith," Oliver muttered, pulling up the Systematic Guide just as his grip tightened on the hilt.
> [ALERT] Aquatic-Class Demon Detected
[Type: Drowned Wraith] – Rank: Blue+]
Abilities: Trident Projection, Regeneration in water, Cannot leave aquatic zones.
Weakness: Vita disruption, elemental rupture.
Loot Drop: None – Uses phantom weaponry; originals only bound to caster.
The wraith raised its arm—another trident formed from the mist around it.
Fern was already moving.
She stepped to the edge of the lake, her staff glowing green at the tip, the air vibrating with the surge of pure green Vita energy.
"You haunt the waters?" she whispered. "Let the lake reject you."
She plunged the staff straight into the lake.
A second's silence.
Then—
BOOOOOOOM!
A shockwave of explosive Vita energy surged through the entire lake, detonating a violent blast of water, mist, and raw elemental force. The lake frothed and erupted, shooting geysers into the sky. Birds and leaves scattered like ash in a storm. The water glowed for an instant—then went completely still.
When the mist cleared, the Drowned Wraith was gone—obliterated by the rupturing force. All that remained were a few drifting strands of seaweed and the eerie silence left behind.
Oliver approached the tree where the first trident had struck, now embedded deeply in the bark. He reached to pull it free—but just as his fingers touched it—
FSSSH—
The trident vanished into vapor, disappearing like mist under sunlight.
He frowned.
> [System Notification: Phantom Weapons cannot be claimed.]
Only true, original items can be acquired.
"Tch. Figures."
Fern turned from the lakeside, her staff dripping with magic-infused water, but her composure perfectly calm.
"No trophy?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Oliver sheathed his sword and shrugged. "Only got wet."
She smiled faintly. "Then let's keep moving. The forest's still hiding more than ghosts."
And so, they did. With the lake behind them, and the forest still deep ahead, the path wound on—toward whatever the green veil of the woods held next.