Chapter 41: Yggdrasil
As Deo and Pyro cautiously made their way toward the heart, each step was accompanied by a weighty anticipation. Every sense was heightened, and the closer they got, the more they felt the potent aura radiating from it.
The Abyssal Heart of Corruption, nestled within the embrace of Yggdrasil's venerable roots, loomed before them, like a malign tumour festering within a sacred vessel. The ancient, vast roots seemed to cradle it protectively, even though the heart was an abomination, a parasite. Each pulse from the heart emitted an energy that felt like a guttural whisper, trying to invade the mind, blurring the boundaries between reality and nightmare.
Up close, the heart's details became even more pronounced. It was larger than Deo had first estimated, easily taller than two men. Its surface was a maelstrom of swirling patterns, where dark, shadowy currents chased shimmering, luminescent streaks. It looked as if the void of the universe was battling the brilliance of the stars within the confines of this malevolent crystal.
The ground immediately surrounding it was desolate and barren, as though the very soil had recoiled from its presence. Even the mighty roots of Yggdrasil, though they held the heart close, showed signs of decay and blight wherever the tendrils of corruption made contact. It was clear that the heart had been using the widespread roots of the World Tree to spread its corruption around the Wilds.
Despite its undeniable malevolence, there was also a seductive quality to the heart. It seemed to beckon them closer, promising power and knowledge in its dark depths. But Deo, with an unwavering resolve, knew that it was a siren's call, leading only to doom. He steeled himself for the task ahead, determined to cleanse this sacred place of its corruption.
Taking a moment to steady himself, Deo gripped Yggdrasil's Branch with renewed purpose. He was intent on unleashing the formidable power within him onto the Abyssal Heart of Corruption. Pyro, feeling the mounting energy around them, instinctively backed away a few steps, his gaze fixed intently on Deo and the unfolding scene.
The staff, resonating with the deep connection between its bearer and the World Tree, began to thrum with energy. As Deo channelled immense amounts of mana into his Inferno Pulse skill, the air around him started to shimmer and ripple, charged with palpable tension. Just as he had when he fought with the Forgemaster, Deo envisioned a concentrated, laser-focused beam.
With practiced precision, he unleashed it. From the tip of the staff shot forth a piercing beam of fiery intensity, akin to the radiant pulse of a distant star. Every pulse was a fusion of scarlet energy so fierce that its centre gleamed nearly white. The beam was unwavering, a demonstration of Deo's refined control, as it raced toward the heart, its path illuminated by the sheer force of its heat.
For a moment, the cavern was awash in the brilliant glow of the Inferno Pulse, and as the beam met its target, the entire chamber echoed with its might. Pyro, watching from a distance, wore an expression of anticipation, his amber eyes relishing the fiery spectacle before him. The cavern seemed to vibrate with the sheer force of the attack, and for a moment, everything was consumed in a fiery brilliance.
But as the smoke cleared and the echoing roar of the inferno subsided, a chilling realization dawned upon Deo. The Abyssal Heart of Corruption remained, seemingly untouched by his most potent attack. The dark crystal absorbed the energy, its surface shimmering momentarily with fiery reflections, before returning to its usual malevolent pulsing.
The heart appeared almost to mock him, its rhythm unchanged, its aura undiminished. Deo, visibly drained from the exertion, felt a sinking feeling of despair. If his strongest attack could not breach the heart's defences, what hope did they have? He exchanged a worried glance with Pyro, trying to gather his thoughts and assess their next course of action.
Pondering his earlier failed attempt, Deo mused, "Well, if magic didn't work... perhaps brute force might?" With that thought, he focused intently on his staff, willing it to change. Without uttering a word, the intrinsic magic within stirred, responding to his silent command. The elongated staff began to retract and solidify. The tip curved menacingly, forming a sharp edge, undergoing a rapid transformation into the simple form of a lumberjack's axe. Though modest in appearance, the blade retained a soft glimmer, a sign of the staff's original magical essence.
Holding the axe, Deo took a moment to adjust to its new weight and feel. The familiar heft was counterbalanced by a different aura, one dense with untapped potential. The Abyssal Heart's beats, sensing the looming threat, seemed to reverberate more intensely. With a deep breath, Deo readied himself, lifting the axe overhead. Every muscle tensed, he summoned all his strength, then swung with a fierce determination toward the heart's centre.
However, as the blade reached its mark, instead of cleaving into the Abyssal Heart, a jarring clang echoed through the cavern. The forceful blow was wholly repelled. The resulting shockwave travelled up the axe's handle, nearly wrenching it from Deo's grasp. He staggered back, gripping the axe, realizing the heart's resilience wasn't just against magic—it was nearly impervious to all they threw at it.
Pyro, sensing the urgency of the situation, padded forward next, resolve clear in his fiery gaze. Drawing upon his innate elemental powers, the hellhound's forelimbs became sheathed in an intense blaze. The flames twisted and danced around his claws, imbuing them with a searing potency, as he prepared his Cinder Claw skill.
With a roar that resonated throughout the cavern, Pyro lunged at the Abyssal Heart. The fiery claws came down in a swift arc, each strike a blend of brute strength and elemental fury. But, much like Deo's earlier attempt, the expected impact eluded him. The flames around his claws dissipated upon contact, creating a sizzling steam that hissed in protest.
Undeterred, Pyro readied himself once more, this time harnessing the power of his Blazing Bite. Flames coalesced around his maw, intensifying to a white-hot intensity. With a swift, powerful motion, he lunged at the heart, jaws open wide, aiming to shatter it with a fiery chomp.
Yet, just as before, the heart defied their efforts. Pyro's burning bite met the same impenetrable resistance. The heat from his jaws was repelled, causing the flames to flicker and wane. The Abyssal Heart continued its malevolent pulsing, seemingly mocking their combined endeavours to vanquish it.
The Abyssal Heart throbbed more vigorously now, its dark rhythm growing ever more pronounced. With each beat, the heart didn't just affect the physical realm; it reached into the very psyche of those around it. Waves of malevolence rolled off of it, each more potent and compelling than the last. The air grew dense, every breath becoming a labour, filled with the taste of bitterness and despair.
As Deo fought to maintain his mental defences against the heart's relentless assault, a new wave of horror washed over him. From the corner of his eye, he caught a faint red shimmer in Pyro's otherwise amber eyes. It was subtle, a mere shadow lurking in the depths of his loyal companion's gaze. The malign influence of the heart was trying to sink its claws into Pyro's very soul.
Time seemed to thicken around Deo, every heartbeat echoing like a loud drum, drawing his entire focus to the battle raging within Pyro. The normally fierce and resolute hellhound appeared momentarily vulnerable, his body rigid, every muscle taut. From deep within, a guttural growl rose, the sound seemingly torn between anguish and defiance. It was the sound of an internal conflict, a clash between the loyal spirit of Pyro and the invasive darkness of the heart.
Reacting instinctively, Deo reached out through their bond, sending waves of encouragement, love, and unwavering support. Memories of their shared adventures, their victories, and the companions they’d met on their way flooded through, reinforcing the bond that had been forged in fire and tempered in battle. It was a silent plea, a beckoning for Pyro to remember who he was and the strength they shared.
Empowered by Deo's emotional surge, Pyro responded with a vigorous shake of his head, dispelling the corruptive force attempting to ensnare him. The red taint faded, replaced by the familiar fiery determination that Deo had come to rely on. But the momentary lapse served as a chilling reminder of the immense power they were up against. The heart's insidious influence was not to be underestimated, and even the strongest of bonds could be tested in its presence.
Standing amidst the oppressive gloom of the cavern, Deo felt the weight of their situation pressing heavily upon his shoulders. The Abyssal Heart pulsed menacingly before them, its power evident in every malevolent throb. He and Pyro, despite their unwavering resolve and unity, were pitted against a force that felt insurmountably powerful. A sinking feeling of despair crept into his chest, overshadowed by the realization that they might not be able to overcome this adversary on their own. They needed aid, a force greater than themselves. And in this dire moment, only one entity came to mind: Yggdrasil, the World Tree.
Deo settled beside one of the immense roots, his fingers lightly grazing its textured surface. Taking a deep breath, he invoked his Flora Communication skill, trying to tap into the heartbeat of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. He sought communion, a chance to bridge the vast chasm that separated mortal comprehension from the vast wisdom of the ancient entity before him.
The instant his mind reached out, he was engulfed in a maelstrom of sensations and perceptions, unlike anything he'd ever experienced. He felt the weight of millennia, the pulse of countless lifecycles, and the silent, patient observation of epochs gone by. A cascade of colours he had never seen, sounds he had never heard, and emotions he had never felt washed over him, threatening to shatter the very fabric of his understanding.
There was no language here, no words that could convey the magnitude of what Yggdrasil was. It was as if he was attempting to converse with the cosmos itself, to fathom the depths of infinity. Every concept Deo had held, every fragment of knowledge he possessed, felt minuscule in this vast expanse. He felt like a child trying to grasp the intricacies of the universe with the simplest of questions.
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
And yet, amidst this boundless ocean of consciousness, Deo tried to send forth his plea. He projected vivid imagery of the Abyssal Heart, the encroaching darkness, and their dire situation. But it felt like tossing a pebble into a vast canyon, the echo lost in the grandeur of Yggdrasil's very being.
As he pulled back from the overwhelming communion, Deo gasped for air, the sheer weight of the experience pressing down on him. The realization was clear and chilling: he was inconsequential in Yggdrasil's cosmic tapestry, a fleeting thought attempting to gain the attention of an entity to whom even the heart's corruption was just a transient whisper. He felt like a grain of sand trying to make its voice heard amidst the roaring of an ocean, or a flea hoping to command the attention of a colossal beast. But he wasn't ready to concede. Not when so much was at stake.
Deo steadied himself, steeling his resolve. Drawing upon both his Flora Communication and Nature's Essence skills, he dove headfirst into the vast consciousness of the World Tree again. Through Flora Communication, he felt the deep thrum of Yggdrasil's life force, an undercurrent of unending power and wisdom. With Nature's Essence, he began weaving a delicate bond, strands of his own essence intertwining with the cosmic nature of the tree. For a fleeting moment, it felt like he was making headway, the beginnings of a connection forming. In that ephemeral union, the divide between Deo and the vast entity of Yggdrasil seemed to blur. He felt the ageless strength of the tree, the resilience of its countless branches, and the wisdom of its deep roots.
But, just as the bond started to solidify, a system prompt blinked before his eyes, its cold, impersonal message cutting through his concentration:
[Nature's Essence failed: Cosmic class entity detected. Unable to bond above Legendary tier.]
The connection he was building, the bridge he was crafting, was abruptly severed by the system's intervention. This interruption, this system-enforced lockout, however, didn't go unnoticed. In the vast tapestry of Yggdrasil's consciousness, a titanic awareness shifted its attention to Deo. He felt it, like a minnow sensing the gaze of a leviathan from the abyssal depths. The power behind that attention was staggering, its weight pressing down on Deo's mind and threatening to engulf him. And though earlier he felt as inconsequential as a flea, he was reminded that even the smallest bite can command the attention of a much grander being.
As this vast consciousness swivelled its gaze upon him, Deo sensed a subtle ripple of amusement, as if Yggdrasil found the entire situation - his audacity and earnestness - both absurd and oddly endearing. Before he could even process this, the World Tree did something wholly unexpected. Instead of Deo reaching out to it with his Nature’s Essence skill, Yggdrasil itself extended a tendril of its immense consciousness, gently enveloping Deo's essence in a protective embrace. He didn't gain a new skill from this; it was something more profound. It felt as if the World Tree had opened a door for him, inviting him to glimpse its perspective. As the connection stabilized, Deo's surroundings began to shift, pulling him into a vision of cosmic proportions.
Deo felt himself pulled into a swirling maelstrom of colour and sound, his senses bombarded with stimuli from every conceivable direction. For a moment, he felt as though he was free-falling through the vast expanse of the cosmos, the boundaries of his self dissipating as he melded with the consciousness of Yggdrasil.
Suddenly, visions flooded his mind. He saw a multitude of realms, each with its own distinct features and lifeforms, yet all sharing a common blight: the Abyssal Corruption. From crystalline planes where beings of pure light fought off creeping darkness, to desolate wastelands where skeletal warriors clashed with ever-spreading tendrils of decay, the impact of the corruption was evident. These weren't just battles; they were last stands, desperate attempts to hold back an overwhelming tide.
In a volcanic realm, magma elementals unleashed fiery torrents upon shadowy invaders, only to see their life essence siphoned away, drawn into swirling vortexes that channelled it back to a sinister, otherworldly entity. Another realm revealed skybound islands, where winged guardians valiantly fought against airborne spores of corruption, only to fall, their radiant energies consumed and redirected to the same malevolent source.
The gravity of the situation was incomprehensible. Each of these realms, in its own unique way, was desperately struggling against this malevolent force, the very essence of their worlds being harvested and sent back to an otherworldly being.
And then, as abruptly as it had started, the vision shifted. Deo's perspective narrowed, focusing on the world he knew. He saw a massive dragon, its scales shimmering in hues of gold and emerald, locked in fierce combat against an army of men. Their leader, donned in red and black armour, stood defiantly, wielding a spear that pulsed with intense power. A blade rested at his waist, signalling his readiness for any form of combat. The scene shifted again, revealing the ocean depths. Razor-toothed fish, forming a massive horde, swarmed around a mighty leviathan, their combined might threatening to overpower the ancient creature. Elsewhere, verdant forests burned, their once-lush greenery replaced by the menacing crimson and black of the Abyssal Corruption, as nature itself seemed to writhe and contort under its influence.
Deo felt a heaviness in his chest. The sheer scale of the corruption, the vast number of realms it had touched, and the relentless battles being waged against it were overwhelming. The vision from Yggdrasil was a clarion call, a plea for aid in a cosmic struggle that transcended any one world or being.
Amidst the pervasive darkness, another force began to stir in Deo's vision: the immense might of Yggdrasil, channelling the very essence of life and nature. Everywhere the Abyssal Corruption sought to spread its malevolent influence, the World Tree responded with a surge of vital energy. Sprouts of verdant greenery emerged in the most unlikely of places, vines wrapping around and constraining the dark tendrils, and waters purified by Yggdrasil's touch cleansed areas tainted by the corruption.
The vision highlighted instances where the life force imbued by Yggdrasil managed to pierce through the heart of the corruption. In one realm, a once-withered tree now towered majestically, its roots drawing upon the World Tree's power, turning a tide of darkness back with a radiant explosion of blossoms. Another showed a phoenix, reborn from the touch of Yggdrasil, its flames purging corruption from an entire mountain range. The inherent message was clear: while the corruption was formidable, the indomitable spirit of life, when channelled with purpose, could not only resist but also overwhelm and repel the encroaching abyss.
Emerging from the profound depths of the vision, Deo found himself back in the cavern, the weight and gravity of his newfound understanding pressing upon him. The glimpses of battles fought across realms, the devastating touch of the Abyssal Corruption, and the indomitable spirit of life imbued by Yggdrasil — they all coalesced in his mind, forging a single, unyielding purpose.
He stood up, determination blazing in his eyes. The understanding he had gleaned from Yggdrasil's consciousness was clear: to combat this otherworldly corruption, he had to channel the raw, overwhelming force of life itself. With a deep breath, he activated his Verdant Growth skill, targeting the sprawling root of the World Tree closest to the Abyssal Heart.
The atmosphere in the cavern tensed, brimming with potential energy. As he began channelling, the air grew thick with the rich scent of loamy earth and spring blossoms. The root, ancient and gnarled, started to quiver, its surface shimmering as if caressed by the dawn's first light. Luminescent patterns danced across the root, illuminating the darkness, and revealing every intricate detail of its bark, every droplet of its sap, and every tiny offshoot of its structure.
But what occurred next was nothing short of miraculous. The root began to grow, not in a slow, steady way as trees are wont to do, but with an urgency and vitality that defied understanding. Every ounce of Deo's focus and virtually all his mana were poured into this singular purpose. The root thickened, pulsing with life, its expansion marked as it reached out, navigating the space between itself and the malevolent heart. The chosen root vibrated with a newfound purpose, its bark gleaming and suffused with a golden radiance.
The moment of reckoning was close. As if sensing its impending doom, the Abyssal Heart beat frenziedly, sending desperate shockwaves of corruption in every direction. But the root, now emanating an aura of pure, radiant life, lunged forth, piercing the heart's defences with an unstoppable force.
The cavern reverberated with the sound of life meeting corruption head-on. The two forces met in a cataclysmic clash: a symphony of life's resilience against the cacophony of corruption's demise. As the root impaled the Abyssal Heart, it began pumping torrents of vibrant life energy directly into its dark core. For a few breathless moments, the heart resisted, its surface roiling and twisting in agony.
But it couldn't withstand the overwhelming surge of life. A network of radiant cracks began to appear on the heart's surface. They spread, interconnected, until the entire heart glowed with a web of luminous fractures. The heart's corrupted pulsations grew frantic, struggling against its inevitable end. Yet, with every heartbeat, the luminous fractures grew more pronounced, spreading like the first rays of dawn breaking the night. With a deafening, final crescendo, the Abyssal Heart of Corruption shattered, its fragments dissolving into nothingness, vanquished by the very essence of life it sought to corrupt.
Silence settled over the cavern, broken only by the harmonious melodies of Yggdrasil's life force and the gentle sighs of the world itself, acknowledging the balance restored and the heroism displayed in that fateful confrontation. That is, until a series of notifications popped up in front of Deo:
[Abyssal Heart of Corruption Defeated!]
[Experience Gained: +5000 XP]
[Congratulations! You've levelled up! You are now level 24!]
[Congratulations! You've earned a new title: "Marked by Yggdrasil" for being embraced by the cosmic World Tree. With this title, new paths will open for you in the future.]
[Quest Update: Champion of the Wilds]
Quest: Champion of the Wilds
In the desolate wilds, life clings to existence, struggling to flourish amidst oppressive forces that hinder its expansion. As a guardian of growth, confront and neutralise these challenges to revitalise this troubled dominion.
Progress:
1. Defeat the Obsidian Prowler: Completed
2. Carnivorous plants have proliferated across the wilds. Discover the root cause for this proliferation and restore equilibrium to the ecosystem: Completed
3. Discover, unite and grow the disparate people of the wilds. Foster alliances and cooperation amongst the various inhabitants to create a thriving community, encouraging growth in numbers and harmony amongst diverse groups: Completed
4. Investigate the fate of Embercore Hold: Completed
5. Destroy or disrupt the Heart of Abyssal Corruption to cease the spread of corruption: Completed
[Quest Complete!]
[Complete quest and receive rewards from your status page]
Deo swiftly navigated to and completed his quest:
[Assessing quest contribution and determining suitable rewards…]
[Experience Gained: +10000 XP]
[SP Gained: 5000]
[Item gained: Verdant Ember Chains]
[Item gained: Aurion Seed Pouch]
[Congratulations! You've levelled up! You are now level 25!]
[Congratulations! You have qualified for a Class Ascension! Available choices include 1 Legendary, 2 Mythic, 7 Epic and 27 Rare options. Would you like to view the options now?] [Y/N]
Deo's heart raced as the ethereal message appeared before him. An Ascension? Without hesitation, he eagerly selected to view his options, ready to explore the new possibilities this opportunity presented.