Chapter 28 – Whispers of the Hollow Root
The sun sat low on the horizon, casting the ruined city in long shadows. Auther crouched on the edge of a cliff overlooking a crater-like depression carved unnaturally into the earth — a scar of twisted mana and collapsed structures.
A miniature dungeon gate had formed here two days ago.
It was faint, not one of the towering, swirling vortexes that marked the large gates. This one was like a shimmer — a ripple of distortion hanging over broken ground and withered trees.
No one else had found it yet. That was the benefit of being deep in wild territory.
He activated Starwave Breathing and Reflex Sync out of habit, scanning for threats.
His body was different now.
E4 and climbing.
He could feel the next threshold just beyond reach.
If he reached E9, he could finally attempt the evolution into D1 — the second major lifeform advancement, a true leap in power and vitality.
But he needed one more core.
Just one.
And this dungeon might have what he needed.
He tightened the straps on his satchel, drew his blade, and stepped into the shimmer.
---
[You have entered: Hollow Root – Unstable F-Rank Gate]
[Warning: Environmental degradation detected. Collapse probability: 18%]
---
The world shifted.
Sound distorted.
Gravity bent for a moment — then corrected.
Auther opened his eyes to darkness. The air was heavy, rich with ancient mana. The sky above was gone, replaced by glowing root systems that pulsed faintly, as if alive.
He stood at the base of a subterranean cavern, the walls made of knotted vines and fungal bark.
The floor was moist. Spongy.
He crouched and touched it.
It wasn't dirt — it was flesh. Organic matter laced with dense mana.
The dungeon pulsed like a heart.
He stood slowly, senses wide open.
This place wasn't like the Bone Garden.
It wasn't wild.
It was alive.
He began moving forward, blade out, tracing his steps.
After twenty meters, the tunnel widened into a larger chamber — and he saw them.
Fungus creatures.
Humanoid in shape but with no skin. Just bark-like muscles and glowing blue veins. Their heads were oversized mushroom caps, and their movements sluggish… until they saw him.
They shrieked.
Then charged.
Three of them.
All E4 by the feel of it.
Auther didn't wait.
He lunged forward, activating Voidstep Slash, twisting mid-air and cutting the first one's leg clean off before flipping back.
The second attacked.
He parried, rolled under its arm, and injected Mana Threads into its back, disrupting its motion.
The third screeched and began to glow.
"Mana detonation," he muttered.
He dashed back, activated Kinetic Redirection, and flung himself behind a rock outcropping.
BOOM!
The fungal creature exploded in a burst of blue spores and heat, shaking the chamber.
Auther emerged coughing, wiping his eyes.
"That was new."
The other two were already reforming — limbs writhing back into place.
He needed a new plan.
A fire skill would be ideal here… but he didn't have one.
And fire was a mana-intensive element.
He opened Skill Creation, fingers moving quickly.
Idea: A utility-level fire generation skill, focused, cheap, short duration.
He typed:
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> Name: Flame Spike
Description: "Condenses mana at the tip of a weapon to generate a concentrated spike of flame for piercing and searing flesh. Lasts 3 seconds. Minimal mana drain. Effective against organic and plant-type enemies."
Rank: F7
Cost: 14 SP
---
It stung to spend that much, but he needed it.
Confirmed.
---
[Skill Created: Flame Spike (F7)]
[SP Remaining: 10]
---
As the knowledge settled into his body, he felt the warmth curl in his chest. It wasn't a fireball or a burst — just focused, lethal flame.
He activated it.
Fwoosh.
The blade ignited.
He grinned.
The creatures charged again.
This time, he moved faster. Cut deeper. Every strike left flames burning through their regenerative flesh.
He sliced through the first, seared the second mid-regrowth, and shattered the last before it could begin another detonation.
---
[Enemies Defeated – Hollow Fungus x3 (E4)]
[Skill Points Gained: +5]
[Total SP: 15]
---
Not bad.
But no core yet.
He pressed deeper into the dungeon.
The path twisted and sloped downward, leading into a chasm where the roots grew denser, forming archways and glowing symbols.
There, lying across a throne of bark and bone, was a massive creature.
Twelve feet tall.
A mycelium-covered beast, half humanoid and half insect. Its arms were lined with thorns, and its eyes glowed like twin lanterns.
It opened them slowly, as if sensing him.
Its presence filled the chamber.
E6.
Exactly what he needed.
Auther stepped forward without hesitation.
The beast rose.
A scream echoed.
And they charged.
He dodged a sweeping limb, flipped over its other arm, and slammed his blade into its back. It turned unnaturally fast and grabbed his arm mid-swing.
CRACK.
He winced as pain flared — not a break, but close.
He retaliated with Flame Spike, burning its hand.
It shrieked and flung him back.
He hit the ground, rolled, and dashed in again — feinting left, twisting right, then launching Voidstep Slash mid-spin, cutting deep into its chest.
Still not enough.
It slammed a fist down.
He dodged — barely.
Then a thorn launched from its elbow, embedding into his shoulder.
Blood gushed.
He gritted his teeth.
Activated Fighting Mastery, and Neural Reinforcement, chaining both with Mana Edge.
He blinked in and out of its range, slashing one limb at a time.
Then he saw it.
A glow beneath its ribcage.
He lunged, slammed his blade into the core — Flame Spike igniting — and drove it deeper.
The creature shrieked… then shattered into fungal mist.
---
[Enemy Defeated – Hollow King E6]
[Skill Points Gained: +10]
[Total SP: 25]
---
In the ash lay a mana core, pulsing brightly with rich green light.
And beside it — a tiny wooden box covered in runes.
Auther opened it.
Inside was a small crystal vial, filled with golden liquid.
The system flashed.
---
[Item Acquired: Hollowroot Elixir (F-Tier Dungeon Treasure)]
Effect: "Permanently increases vitality and enhances resistance to toxins, spores, and mental interference."
Use? Y/N
---
He drank it.
Warmth spread through his limbs instantly.
Then he sat cross-legged and held the core.
Starwave Breathing began again.
The mana flooded him.
His veins expanded. His core groaned. And with a rush of transformation—
---
[Advancement Achieved: E4 → E5]
---
Auther stood slowly.
The dungeon shimmered around him — fading. The ambient mana had been consumed.
The gate would collapse soon.
He stepped through it just before it vanished.
Back in the wilds, the sun had dipped low, painting the sky in orange and violet.
He looked at his hands.
E5.
Soon would come the real leap.
D1.
A new lifeform.
A rebirth.
He'd need to prepare carefully. Physically. Mentally. Energetically.
And he'd do it alone.
But soon, the world would feel his presence.
And when he emerged as an D-rank being—
He wouldn't be a survivor anymore.
He'd be a force.