Location: The Chasm → Avidya Forest, Sumeru
Current Form: Human
Status: Fighting a firewall, critiquing the local flora
The transition from the rocky, depressing mines of The Chasm to the vibrant, humid rainforest of Sumeru was jarring. One moment, it was dust and silence; the next, it was bird calls, running water, and greenery so bright it hurt the eyes.
"It's so... green," Raiden commented, shielding his eyes. "And humid. My hair is going to frizz."
"Look at the size of those leaves!" Paimon pointed. "And those mushrooms! Do you think they're edible?"
Raiden knelt down to inspect a glowing blue mushroom.
"Great Sage. Analysis."
"Object: Starshroom. Edible. Effect: Restores HP. Taste: Like unseasoned chicken."
Raiden stood up. "Boring. Let's find something spicy."
As soon as they crossed the bridge into Gandharva Ville, a strange sensation washed over them. It felt like a static hum in the back of the brain.
Aether rubbed his temple. "What is that noise?"
"It feels like... data," Raiden narrowed his eyes.
Suddenly, a holographic interface attempted to overlay Raiden's vision. A green leaf symbol appeared in his mind's eye.
"Connecting to the Akasha System... Verifying User... User not found. Initiating Guest Protocol."
Raiden froze.
[Unique Skill: Great Sage] reacted instantly. To the Wisdom King, this foreign connection was an unauthorized malware intrusion.
"Alert. External operating system attempting to access neural network. Source: The Akasha Terminal. Threat Level: Low (Technologically Inferior)."
"Action: Counter-Attack?"
"Denied," Raiden mentally commanded. "Don't counter-attack, just firewall it. I don't want to crash their internet yet."
"Affirmative. Deploying [Raphael: Absolute Privacy]. Blocking Akasha signal. Sending error message to Administrator."
Somewhere in Sumeru City, at the Akademiya, a monitor screen flickered red for a split second before returning to normal. A sage frowned, tapped the screen, and went back to his coffee, dismissing it as a glitch.
"I blocked it," Raiden told Aether. "Don't accept the Terms and Conditions, Traveler. They sell your data."
"Hey! You there! Stop!"
A stern voice called out. A young man with large fox ears and a tail, dressed in forest ranger gear, marched toward them. He looked annoyed.
Tighnari.
"Did you just touch that Philanemo Mushroom?" Tighnari scolded, pointing at Raiden's hand.
"I was checking its density," Raiden said, dropping the mushroom. "You must be the Forest Watcher. Nice ears."
Tighnari's ears twitched. "I am Tighnari. And you are... outlanders. You smell of the ocean and... ozone?"
He sniffed Raiden. He recoiled.
"By the Archons," Tighnari covered his nose. "You smell like a walking elemental reaction! What have you been eating? Crystal Marrow? Slime condensate?"
"A balanced diet," Raiden shrugged. "We're looking for the way to Sumeru City. We have an appointment with a radish."
"A radish?" Tighnari looked confused. "If you mean Lesser Lord Kusanali... well, never mind. You can't go to the city yet. The forest is dangerous right now. There are Withering Zones appearing everywhere."
"Withering?" Aether asked.
"Areas where the vegetation dies and the air becomes toxic," Tighnari explained. "If you value your lives, stay on the path."
A girl with green hair and bandages peeked out from behind a tree. She looked nervous.
Collei.
"Master Tighnari!" she called out. "We have a situation at the northern patrol route! The Withering is spreading!"
Collei stumbled slightly. She gripped her arm.
Raiden's [Magic Sense] zoomed in on her. Beneath the bandages, he saw black, hardened scales on her skin.
"Analysis. Subject: Collei. Affliction: Eleazar. Cause: High concentration of Forbidden Knowledge residue (God Remains). Similar signature to Orobashi, but older."
Raiden walked past Tighnari and approached Collei.
"Hey," Raiden said softly.
Collei flinched. "U-Um... hello?"
Raiden pointed to her arm. "That hurts, doesn't it? The scales."
Collei's eyes widened in panic. Tighnari stepped between them, protective. "How do you know about that?"
"I've eaten things like that before," Raiden said casually. "It's residue from dead gods. Or in this case... a dead world."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a chunk of Crystal Marrow (purified).
"Here," Raiden tossed it to Tighnari. "Grind that down and mix it into a poultice. It won't cure her—the root cause is the environment—but it'll numb the pain better than whatever herbs you're using."
Tighnari caught the crystal. He looked at it, sensing the purified energy. His skepticism warred with his curiosity.
"I... will analyze this first," Tighnari said cautiously. "Thank you. Now, about that Withering Zone..."
"Show me," Raiden cracked his knuckles. "I'm feeling peckish."
The forest clearing was gray and dead. The sky was a sickly red. Flowers had wilted into dust.
"Stay back," Tighnari warned, equipping his bow. "We need Dendrograna to cleanse the branches. Do not touch the red tumors. They drain your life force."
"Life force drain," Raiden mused. "My favorite flavor."
He ignored the warning. He walked straight into the Zone.
"Hey! Stop!" Collei shouted.
The red aura of the Withering lashed out at Raiden. Decay tried to rot his skin.
"System Alert. Withering Corrosion detected. Source: Marana (The Abyss). Deploying [Abyssal Nullification]. Damage: 0."
Raiden walked up to the main Tumor of the Withering - a pulsating, ugly red bulb.
"It looks like a spicy meatball," Raiden critiqued.
He grabbed the tumor with his bare hand. The corruption hissed, trying to consume him, but Raiden's hand turned black with Haki.
[Gluttony: Decay Eater].
He squeezed.
The red energy didn't explode; it imploded. It flowed up Raiden's arm and into his chest. The gray sky cleared instantly. The grass turned green again.
Raiden ripped the dried husk of the tumor out of the ground and tossed it aside.
"A bit dry," Raiden dusted his hands. "Needs sauce."
Tighnari and Collei stood with their mouths open.
"He... he just... grabbed it?" Collei whispered.
"Impossible," Tighnari's ears were flat against his head. "The Withering... it rejects all life. How can a human simply... absorb it?"
Raiden turned around, looking healthy and energized.
"I'm not exactly human," Raiden winked. "So, Tighnari. About that route to the city. Are there more of these snacks along the way?"
After a hearty meal of pita pockets (cooked by Collei, who was staring at Raiden like he was a cryptid), the group headed toward Sumeru City.
On the way, they passed a cave with incense smoke drifting out.
"Wait," Aether stopped. "I smell something."
"I smell... insanity," Raiden noted.
They entered the cave to find a scholar, Haypasia, meditating in a trance. Green smoke swirled around her.
"She's connecting to Irminsul," Tighnari whispered. "Do not disturb her."
Raiden looked at the smoke. He saw images flickering in it.
A massive tree. A burning sky. And... a small, white-haired god trapped in a birdcage.
Nahida.
And something else. A flash of indigo. A massive robot. A boy with a big hat.
Scaramouche.
"Well, well," Raiden smirked. "Look who landed on his feet."
Suddenly, Haypasia gasped. The connection snapped. She opened her eyes, wild and terrified.
"The world... the world is a lie!" she screamed. "Forget me! Forget everything!"
"She's having a bad trip," Raiden noted. "Paimon, splash some water on her."
As Tighnari tended to the scholar, Raiden walked to the back of the cave. He sensed a faint Electro residue.
"Great Sage. Analyze energy signature."
"Signature Match: Scaramouche (The Balladeer). Location: Sumeru City. Status: Undergoing Metamorphosis."
"He's trying to become a God again," Raiden laughed softly. "He really doesn't learn, does he?"
They finally reached the majestic city built into the giant divine tree.
"Welcome to Sumeru City," Tighnari said. "I must return to the forest to report the Withering situation. Please... try not to eat the architecture."
"No promises," Raiden waved goodbye.
They walked up the ramp toward the Grand Bazaar.
"So," Aether said. "We need to find the Dendro Archon. But the Akademiya runs everything."
"We need an insider," Raiden said.
Just then, a woman with brown hair and a dancer's outfit ran past them, chased by a sage.
"Stop! The Subzeruz Festival is canceled! Art is a waste of resources!" the sage shouted.
"You can't cancel it! We promised the children!" the woman argued.
Nilou.
Raiden watched the scene.
"Art is a waste?" Raiden raised an eyebrow. "That guy sounds fun at parties."
He stepped in front of the sage.
"Excuse me, sir," Raiden smiled, looming over the scholar. "Did you say you're canceling the festival?"
"I-I am Grand Sage Azar's subordinate!" the man stammered. "The Akasha predicts the festival yields zero intellectual output!"
"The Akasha," Raiden tapped his chin. "That's the thing I blocked earlier. Tell me, does the Akasha predict what happens when a Dragon throws a Sage into the fountain?"
"W-What?"
SPLASH.
Raiden grabbed the Sage by the collar and tossed him gently into the decorative fountain nearby.
"Prediction complete: You get wet," Raiden declared.
Nilou stared at him, wide-eyed.
"You... you threw a Sage!"
"He was overheating," Raiden shrugged. "Hi. I'm Raiden. We're looking for the little grass god. Know where she hangs out?"
Nilou blinked. "Lesser Lord Kusanali? Uh... maybe? But first... do you want to join the dance troupe? You have great lifting form!"
Raiden looked at Aether.
"Traveler," Raiden said seriously. "I think I found my calling. I'm going to be a dancer."
"Please don't," Paimon begged.