Through the commotion that had occurred during the brief period in which they rounded people up, everyone gathered toward the center of Solace.

Those from the garden dropped their tools and left in a frenzy, or at least tried to. Sam quickly intervened, stopping them from even stepping foot outside the garden itself and made them turn around and put their tools away, in a proper manner this time. After they did so, everyone, including Sam, went toward the center of Solace.

The carpenters who had relocated deep into the forest, anticipating the settlement’s continued development, had a similar experience. Han, the only remaining member of Tony’s group, was much harsher about letting them go, a great contrast to his normal attitude.

Han, according to any that knew him, was kind and tended to get distracted when helping others, but when it came to work, he was a completely different person. Like today, when he saw the carpenters drop their tools and leave with zero regard toward the state they left their work in.

He shouted at them, cursing their families, their descendants and even their pets. For any that knew him, the contrast between work Han and outside Han, was beyond jarring.

When the carpenters put everything away in the proper manner, they all left, Han rushing in front of everyone as he was the most curious of them all.

Finally, near the graves, were no dedicated workers. They were just friends and family of those that had died. There were even some who just liked to care for the graves. Even in the dead of night, there was always at least one person tending to the graves. Keeping a constant watch for any monsters that might come around.

On this occasion, it just happened to be a middle-aged man, who had a particular interest in the nameless grave. A grave that had been designated for those that people had seen die, but didn’t have the opportunity to retrieve their bodies.

As the middle-aged man, cleaned the grave, a friend of his came running. After a brief discussion, the middle-aged man was finally convinced that he should accompany his friend and go see what was happening.

So, the makeshift graveyard stood there, empty and without a soul in sight.

----------

In the silence of the night, the trees surrounding the makeshift graveyard trembled.

From atop the tallest trees, long grey hair fluttered in the breeze. Step by step, the trees parted, though the figure walking through them should have damaged the forest with their sheer size. Yet, that was not the case, it was as if the forest bowed to their will. The ground shifted beneath them, moving roots and trunks aside, creating a path for the stranger.

It didn’t take long for the figure to emerge from the woods, leaves gently falling from their shoulders as they did so. When they took a step with their bare feet, the grass that they had been stepping on was completely intact, as if no one had ever stood there. Not only that—the grass was more vibrant, stronger, as were the trees that the figure had just passed through.

The giant was a human-looking man, his long, luscious grey hair cascading down his back. A beard reached down to his lower abdomen. Both his hair and beard were wild yet show how, they still looked neat and proper.

He wore no shirt, only large, spacious pants made from a thin brown fabric. On his broad, muscular back, in the blackest ink, was an intricate image of a tree. Its branches extended, wrapping around his arms and chest, while the roots extended to his lower back, vanishing into his pants. The image moved subtly, as if the tree itself were alive, its branches swaying in rhythm with his breathing.

The giant man set his bright green eyes toward a specific grave, a wide smile appearing on his face. With every step he took, the smile still on his face, flowers began to bloom at his feet. Not just one type, but many—some of which had never been seen on Earth, and others that didn’t even belong to the same universe.

When he was only a few steps away, the giant man gave a hearty laugh. “Look at all that I had to do to get to you,” he said, giving a big sigh of relief, his smile still present. “But it was all worth it, yes it was.”

He got on his knees and gently put both of his hands on the grave. The inked branches, extended down his arms, meeting his palms. As soon as the ink touched the edges of his hands, real tree branches appeared. The branches grew and intertwined rapidly with each other, until the entire grave was covered in vibrant greenery.

Satisfied, the man stood back up, rubbed his hands together, removing some of the remaining dirt. “That should do it,” he said, nodding approvingly at his handiwork.

From beside him, the shadows cast by the moons cast on some of the makeshift tombstones, began to rise. Slowly, they formed a short, unidentifiable figure. The most that could be made it out was that it was humanoid, but that was all, as the figure was completely wrapped in flowing black fabrics, none of which seemed to form an actual piece of clothing.

With a ghastly voice, the figure spoke. “You joined them for this?” the figure said, with no discernable emotion as it extended what appeared to be an arm and pointed at the grave now covered in greenery.

“You know how it is,” the giant man replied, his gaze still fixed on the grave, “Even though the multiverse is vast, people that are truly compatible with plant life are rare.” His voice grew somber. “I only regret that I got here after they died.” He clenched his fists in frustration. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“But it did, and now you all have to live with the consequences,” the cloth-covered figure said, as three limbs extending from its side, each pointing at a different grave. Each of the graves belonged to the three people that had been killed by the madman.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

The giant man winced, the weight of his disappointment settling in. He never wanted this to happen. For him, and for many of those that had been involved in their scheme, life was precious. None of them expected that one of their collaborators would corrupt the artifact that they had worked so hard to create together.

With a deep sigh, he added, “If they’re lucky, then she’ll revive them,” his eyes drifting toward the center of Solace. Then, turning to the figure beside him. “But why are you here? Did you just see want to see what this world was about?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Or do you have business here?” He extended his and, grabbing the figure’s shoulder, and smiled expectantly, waiting for an answer.

There was a moment of silence after the giant man asked his question. It lasted long enough for anyone else to have taken the silence itself as an answer. But not these two, they had known each other for eons. One knew that the other wouldn’t relent, and the other knew that the first would eventually break, like they always did.

“A shadow was detected inside,” the cloth-covered figure finally spoke.

“How?!” the giant man asked, surprise clear in his voice. “Were they already in here before the System?”

“No.” A brief pause loomed between the two as the giant man waited for the figure to continue. “They converted a cradle monster,” the figure said, their voice devoid of emotion. Another pause. “They were strong enough to come themselves, instead of sending an avatar, like us,” the figure added, finally finishing.

The giant man raised his brow in surprise. “They came personally?” he repeated, turning around and glancing at the surroundings. “Everything appears to be fine, are you sure?”

“It was the anomaly.” the figure replied, with a pause. “It drove it way and…” another pause followed. “I suspect it was the reason that the shadow came in the first place.”

“Weird one, that one, huh? Look at all we had to do just to send a bit of our power here.” The giant man chuckled, spreading his arms wide.

“Not just that one,” the figure responded after another brief pause. “The fountain has returned.”

“Aye, I hear they’ve got an affinity for technomagic and all that,” the giant man said, a devilish grin appearing on his face. “Think he’ll be the second coming of the titans?”

The clothed figure froze mid-movement, slowly turning to face the giant man, whose grin remained. “Don’t make jokes about that,” the figure said, its tone appearing more serious, but it was hard to distinguish as it sounded mostly the same. “Many of us died against them.”

The giant man responded with a deep, booming laugh, giving the figure a hearty slap on the back. “We aren’t who we were then,” he said, still chuckling. “I’d be more worried about the sword girl. From what I’ve gathered, she might have been taught by the Old Blade himself.”

The figure remained silent for a long moment, absorbing the information. Finally, with a slight nod, it acknowledged the giant man's words. After a prolonged silence, it finally spoke. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The giant man took a deep breath. “Well, best get going. About time for me to return before it closes our entry, and I can’t return. What about you?”

“I will do the same,” the figure replied, and in an instant, it vanished, leaving no trace behind.

The giant man shook his head. “Never change,” he said, and with that, he dissipated into the air around him.

As he vanished, the greenery nearby began to flourish. It was not in an uncontrolled chaos but in the most harmonious manner imaginable. The grass was becoming thicker, its shine more defined. The trunks of the trees were becoming both firmer and easier to cut. Fruits were appearing on branches, even though these trees originally bore no fruit of any kind.

Nature itself rejoiced at the giant man's presence, and now, it rejoiced at his departure.

----------

The interior of the great husk no longer resembled its former desolation. No longer was their sand in its interior, neither was its floor cracked. Some of its former glory had begun to be restored. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

The floor had been meticulously worked on by the few craftsmen that remained. Even fewer of them were still able to work on the material and teach those that followed.

The walls, once mere remnants of the husk’s trunk, were gradually awakening, absorbing the ambient mana that surrounded them, some life slowly returning to them. Soon, the husk would shed its name and become something entirely new—or perhaps return to something older.

At the husk's entrance stood two guards, their faces obscured by headscarves to shield against the relentless sand that continued to sweep through the area. Despite the land beginning to flourish, it would still take time for the greenery to fully reclaim its former glory.

The guards wore light armor crafted from bone and dry wood, with pieces taken from the monsters that had begun to roam the surrounding lands.

Suddenly, a figure appeared out of nowhere behind the guards. There was a stark contrast in their clothing. While the guards wore whatever they could, the figure wore a finely tailored blue coat adorned with golden outlines. The figure’s face was completely covered and the only thing that suggested that the figure and those that were outside were related, was their pointy green ears.

The figure floated gracefully toward the center of the husk, its feet hovering only a few centimeters off the ground.

When the figure reached the center of the husk, it observed the remains of the once great Krisk, the colossal creature that had once roamed and protected these lands. The figure’s eyes betrayed no emotion, as it carefully examined the bones.

Then the figure reached into their coat and withdrew a small vial filled with a shimmering green liquid. The vial began to float on its own. The figure then floated higher and approached the skull of the great Krisk, searching for something within it.

Silence was the only thing that should exist within the great husk, the people had decided to wait until it was a husk no more, to once again, enter, but sounds were coming from within.

The guards, caught off guard, spun around, their eyes widening as they spotted the figure. Shouts escaped their lips raising alarms among their comrades. In moments, the tranquil night was shattered as everyone sprang into action, arming themselves and rushing toward the husk.

The figure heard the commotion but was unbothered. They had never been the best at discretion and that wouldn’t suddenly change.

After a brief search, the figure located an opening in the Krisk’s great skull. The vial of green liquid floated closer, and the figure snatched it, swiftly inserting it into the skull’s opening.

The guards reached the center of the husk and swung their spears at the floating figure, but by time their swings finished their motion, the figure had vanished. Frantically, they searched their surroundings, desperate for any sign of where the intruder might have gone.

Gradually, a low tremor coursed through the Krisk’s bones, as if they were awakening from a long slumber, realigning themselves in the perfect manner.

Far away, the figure opened their eyes as they sat on a white throne, far too big for them. They clicked their tongue in annoyance. “I offer my assistance, and yet you choose to attack me?” the figure scoffed. “You should’ve stayed lost.”

----------

Across the newly merged world, similar incidents were occurring everywhere. The inhabitants were being empowered, new connections were being forged and bets were being made.

However, all of it was being done with haste, as those that shouldn’t be here knew that this was a fleeting moment, and it wouldn’t last long.

Unauthorized incursion forcefully closed.