Core's Gift and the Fen's Last Guardians
The red light from the First Guardian's skeleton exploded outward—but instead of destruction, a warm, emerald glow washed over the Shadowfen. The ground stopped shaking. The stench of decay faded, replaced by the clean scent of wet earth and blooming moss. Zephyr's purple, swollen arm began to fade back to normal, the black veins receding like tidewater from sand.
THUMP.
The Fen Wolf—once a towering beast of shadow and skull—collapsed to the mud, its red eyes dimming to a soft gold. The dark smoke that had wrapped around its fur dissipated, revealing silver-gray fur that glistened in the newfound light. It looked up at Caspian, let out a low, grateful whimper, then turned and loped off into the thinning mist.
And then—PING!—the system blared in front of all their faces, so bright it made them squint.
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION — [LEGENDARY QUEST COMPLETED] ⟢
Quest: Reforge the Forgotten Bind
Objective: Cleanse the First Guardian's core
REWARDS GRANTED TO ALL PARTY MEMBERS:
- +750,000 EXP each → 15% toward next level (Current: Caspian 35, Zephyr 55, Thane 56, Kai 54)
- Unique Title: [Bindkeeper] → All shadow-based damage reduced by 75%
- Cleansed Shadow Poison from all allies
- Caspian Exclusive: Unlocked [Expanded Copy: Purification Weave] → Basic purification only — no combat use yet
- BONUS: First Guardian's Silver Amulet (Caspian) + Party Boost Charm x3 → Increases all stats by 20% for 30 minutes
Caspian stared at the amulet in his hand—small, cool, etched with the same runes as his old cuffs. A bright purple glow flickered from his fingertips, steady and strong enough to make him smile. He slipped it around his neck, feeling its faint hum against his skin.
"750k EXP only gives me 15% toward 56," Zephyr grumbled, cracking his knuckles. Lightning crackled sharply around his fingers—stronger now that the poison was gone. "Level ups past 50 are absolute hell."
Thane cracked his neck, his stone armor forming over his arms in an instant. "Same here. Good thing we stuck together—would've failed for sure alone. And hey, Caspian—that glow from your Expanded Copy? You're making real progress."
Kai twirled a small water orb between his fingers, his brow furrowed. "Hydro magic still feels strained here. But that Purification Weave? It's coming along. Just not ready for the big one yet—we know when that's happening."
PING!
⟢ SYSTEM UPDATE ⟢
[Expanded Copy] has absorbed significant amounts of core energy!
Evolution Progress: 60% → Next stage: [High Copy]
"60%?" Caspian said, his eyes widening. He held up his hands—the purple glow was now bright enough to cast a soft light on the mud below. "Whoa… I'm actually close. But 60% is still a long way from 100%. And we already know where to get that High element energy. So yeah—close, but not near High Copy yet. Not until we get there."
Zephyr nodded, glancing toward the misty path ahead. "Good to see you moving forward. That poison had me feeling like death warmed over. Let's take it slow—these Fen elites are worse than the usual ones."
Thane's gaze was sharp as he scanned the trees. "Inner depths are straight ahead. The mist's thinning—we'll see what's waiting for us soon enough."
Kai stretched his arms, water swirling powerfully around his wrists. "Hydro magic's better here than the outer Fen. Let's move—before whatever's in there notices us."
They pressed on, the ground still soft in spots despite the cleanse. The air grew heavier with leftover corruption, and a faint smell of rot lingered. Even Zephyr and Thane looked tense.
Then they heard it: skitter, skitter, SKITTER.
A sound like thousands of tiny legs scraping against stone. From the branches above, thick, black webs began to descend—sticky as glue, strong enough to snap steel. And then the giant spider dropped down in front of them, blocking their path.
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT
GIANT FEN SPIDER — ELITE THREAT
Element: Corrupted Nature & Poison
Level: 48
Danger Level: HIGH
Advice: Avoid its web spray and venom fangs—its exoskeleton is nearly impenetrable from the front
It was easily twenty feet wide, with eight red eyes that glowed like embers. Its body was covered in black, spiky fur, and its fangs—long as swords—dripped with green venom that sizzled when it hit the ground. It let out a high-pitched shriek that made their ears ring, then shot a stream of web straight at Zephyr.
"Thunderclap!" Zephyr roared, slamming his hands together. A wave of lightning exploded outward, but it only singed the web—leaving most of it intact. He dove out of the way just in time, the web slamming into a tree and snapping it in half. The spider scurried up a neighboring tree, its red eyes locked on Caspian.
"Caspian—look out!" Kai yelled.
The spider leaped down, its fangs bared. Caspian didn't flinch. "Mirrored Image: Sixfold Split!"
Six solid illusions of Caspian burst into existence—no flickering, all moving in sync. The spider's red eyes narrowed, struggling to pick out the real one, and lunged at the wrong copy.
"That's it—keep it guessing!" Kai shouted, summoning all his mana into a wave of water. "Hydro Blast!"
The blast hit the spider's side, making it stumble. It recovered fast, spinning around and shooting another web stream—this time at Thane. He slammed his fist into the ground. "Earthshaker!"
A shockwave rippled out, shaking the tree hard. The web missed his leg by inches, but the spider didn't slow down—it scurried along the ground, its fangs aimed at Thane's throat.
Zephyr leaped into the air with lightning crackling around his fingers. "Thunder Spear: Piercing Strike!"
He hit the spider's underbelly—the only weak spot. The creature shrieked in agony, its body convulsing. It reared up, lashing out with its back legs and catching Zephyr in the side, sending him sprawling in the mud.
Caspian's illusions faded, but he'd planned his next move. "Echo Weave: Web of Lies!"
Dozens of illusionary webs appeared around the spider—so realistic they glistened. The creature panicked, shooting its real web at every shadow it saw, wasting nearly half its supply.
"Now, Kai—hit its legs!" Caspian yelled, running forward to draw its attention.
Kai nodded. "Maelstrom: Tidal Vortex!"
A powerful vortex of water formed around the spider's front legs, slowing it down significantly. Thane charged forward, his stone-covered fist pulled back. "Tectonic Strike!"
He drove his fist into the spider's underbelly, right where Zephyr's lightning had hit. The creature shrieked again, twisting violently. It reared up and spat venom at Kai—but Caspian dove to push him out of the way, the venom leaving a black crater in the mud.
Zephyr pushed himself up. "Thunderclap: Focused Burst!"
A thin bolt hit the spider's eye. It roared blindly, swinging its legs. Thane drove his fist deeper—there was a sickening crack, and the spider's eyes went dark. It collapsed.
PING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⟢
ELITE BEAST DEFEATED: Giant Fen Spider
All party members contributed to the kill — full rewards granted
- +250,000 EXP each → 5% additional toward next level (Total: 20% for all)
- Loot: Spider Venom Vial x2, Sticky Web Thread x10 → Distributed evenly
- [Expanded Copy] Evolution Progress: 60% → 68% Steady progress
They collapsed in the mud, breathing heavily. Zephyr's side was bruised, but they'd pulled through.
"One down… whatever's next," Caspian said, his Expanded Copy glowing brighter than ever. "68% now. Close… but still not near High Copy. And I'm only 20% toward level 36. All of this is just building up."
They rested for a few minutes—then heard a low growl from the mist. A figure emerged: ten feet tall, covered in muck and moss, with arms as thick as tree trunks and a face that looked like it had been melted and re-formed. Its eyes were yellow, and its mouth was filled with jagged teeth that dripped with black saliva.
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT
MIRE TROLL — ELITE THREAT
Element: Corrupted Earth & Water
Level: 50
Danger Level: VERY HIGH
Advice: Trolls regenerate fast—stun it repeatedly to stop healing
"Intruders! You killed my spider! Die!" it roared, slamming its massive fists into the ground.
"Like hell we will," Thane growled, standing up.
The troll charged at Kai. "Hydro Bind: Tidal Chains!" Kai yelled—but the chains snapped immediately. Thane slammed his fist down. "Tectonic Shift!"
A wall of stone shot up in front of Kai, but the troll smashed through it like it was made of paper. The troll's fist grazed Kai's shoulder, sending him spinning into the mud. The troll turned, raising its hand to finish him off.
"Zephyr—now!" Caspian yelled, running forward.
"Chain Lightning!" Zephyr shouted—bolts hit the troll, but only singed its skin. It turned on Zephyr, charging.
Caspian focused hard. "Mirrored Image: Sevenfold Split!"
Seven solid illusions ran at the troll from all directions. It hesitated, confused for a split second.
"Now, Thane!"
Thane charged forward, leaping into the air and slamming his stone-covered elbow into the troll's head. It stumbled, and Zephyr leaped onto its back, driving his lightning-charged fists into its neck again and again. But green energy began healing the wounds fast.
"Stun it again!" Kai yelled, scrambling up.
Thane slammed his fist into the ground. "Earthshaker: Wave of Stone!"
Sharp stone spikes shot up from the ground, piercing the troll's legs—the green energy faded. "Now, Zephyr—hit it hard!"
Zephyr's lightning flared bright for a single, intense second. "Thunderclap: AoE Burst!"
A wave of lightning made the troll convulse. It finally shook Zephyr off, sending him crashing into a tree. Kai sent a stream of water straight into the troll's eyes, blinding it for a moment.
Caspian's remaining illusions faded, but he cast one more trick—drawing on every bit of focus he had. "Echo Weave: False Fist!"
An illusion of the troll's own massive fist appeared in the air above its head, swinging down like it was going to hit it. The creature flinched, raising its real hand to block—exposing its chest, where a small patch of skin was free of moss and muck.
"Thane! Now—that's its weak spot!"
Thane leaped into the air, his fist glowing with powerful earth magic. He pulled back, putting every ounce of his strength into the blow. "Tectonic Fist!"
He punched the troll's chest with all his might. A deafening crack echoed through the Fen. The troll's eyes went dark. It let out a final roar, then collapsed to the ground, its body going still.
PING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⟢
ELITE BEAST DEFEATED: Mire Troll
All party members contributed to the kill — full rewards granted
- +300,000 EXP each → 6% additional toward next level (Total: 26% for all)
- Loot: Mire Mud (Rare Material) → Split for crafting
- [Expanded Copy] Evolution Progress: 68% → 75% Getting closer — more details to unlock as you progress
They lay in the mud, completely spent. Caspian held up his hands—the purple glow was now so bright it lit up the surrounding mist.
Zephyr rolled over, wincing as he touched his side. "One step at a time. That's all we can do."
Kai nodded, closing his eyes. "But next time… what if it's stronger than this troll? We barely survived this one."
As if in response, a low hum echoed from the path ahead. It was a sound of pure, uncorrupted magic—but it carried a weight that made their skin prickle. Caspian looked up, his eyes widening. In the distance, a faint purple light was glowing—soft at first, then growing brighter.
PING!
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT