The ground beneath their feet heaved violently, the entire island shuddering as if caught in a tempest at sea. Standing upright became an impossible challenge.
In the forests, a cacophony erupted as countless birds shot into the air, wings flailing in a frantic, panicked exodus.
"Help me! Somebody, please save me! Waaaah..."
Over the world channel, Miss Pip’s wailing cry for help pierced the chaos.
"Pixie! Where in the hell have you been these past few days?! And that earthquake—was that your doing?"
Elvynna’s confusion spilled into her voice as she demanded answers.
"I… I remember now—I’m part of an exploration team…"
Pixie’s reply came hurriedly, her words tumbling over each other.
Just a few days earlier, she had realized something strange: her team, though seemingly foolish, wasn’t as reckless as she thought. They weren’t racing toward their deaths without reason. Instead, they’d discovered something in the forest’s heart—a so-called “research base.”
Turns out, the strange behavior of the vine monsters was tied to that base. It wasn’t just an accident—the bizarre transformations had been engineered.
And the true puppet master? They’d been hiding in plain sight, right beside Pixie all along.
“Research base…” Elvynna repeated, sharing the intel with Eirik.
Eirik rubbed his chin, his brows knitting in thought. “First it’s you and the potion master with all this insider knowledge. Now this? Is there some secret chat group I’m not a part of?!”
His indignation flared. Damn this system! Why couldn’t he join the group? Let me in, already!
Still, Eirik shook off his annoyance. This wasn’t the time. Based on Elvynna’s report, he pieced together what he could:
The research base had been conducting experiments on a newly discovered type of monster, taking advantage of the resurgence of elemental energy. But their meddling had gone catastrophically wrong. One of the monsters had escaped, gone berserk, and unleashed chaos across the entire forest. Its elemental disruptions had even caused passing aircraft to encounter mutated vine monsters.
As for why the vines were particularly affected, perhaps their adaptability to elemental energy made them a prime target. The details remained murky, but one thing was clear: the rampaging creature in the research base had caused the entire island to quake.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Is this… the final monster?”
Eirik’s gaze locked on a colossal figure emerging from the trees. The creature was humanoid, yet its body was an amalgamation of ancient tree trunks fused together by some overwhelming force. Its crimson eyes burned with fury, its roar reverberating through the forest—a clear challenge to anyone daring enough to face it.
“Taking this thing down will give us a massive mission boost…” Eirik murmured, determination flashing in his eyes.
Meanwhile, outside a crowded cave, Fennec spotted the towering figure. Without hesitation, she sprinted forward.
Oddly, her bare feet glided over the grimy forest floor without so much as a speck of dirt sticking to her. The aura surrounding her seemed almost ethereal, a testament to her recent advancement to Stalwart Lv4.
“If anyone’s coming, let’s go! If not, stay put—I don’t care!” she called over her shoulder before vanishing into the trees.
The others exchanged glances. Some decided to follow, bolstered by a fleeting hope: maybe this time, Fennec could truly pull it off.
But as they charged toward the creature, a ripple of energy shimmered in the sky above. Fennec stopped abruptly, her wide eyes snapping upward.
Two women, draped in sleek, modern attire, soared gracefully through the air, their movements effortless, as though flight magic was second nature to them.
“Elvynna… and Violanda?!”
Fennec’s stomach churned. Flight magic? That required Practitioner-level strength at the very least. How had they advanced so quickly? Just days ago, they’d been on the same level as her! Now, their power dwarfed hers, making her Stalwart Lv4 look utterly insignificant.
The others slowed to a halt, their gazes fixed on the two radiant figures streaking toward the massive tree monster.
An intense battle erupted, magical light blazing through the forest as the duo unleashed a devastating onslaught. Their combined power shattered the creature, reducing it to a pile of splinters in mere moments.
When the dust settled, a vibrant green magic core lay amid the debris.
[Congratulations! Hidden Quest Completed: Tree Monster Magic Core!]
Those who participated received system notifications detailing substantial score boosts and special rewards tied to the quest.
“I knew it!” Violanda said with a satisfied grin. “This was the real prize.”
Elvynna, meanwhile, studied the magic core intently. “This thing… it doesn’t seem like something that could be created naturally, not without a strong source of elemental energy…”
Her voice trailed off, unease prickling at her. This “island quest” felt like just a piece of a far larger puzzle, and the secrets lurking in this supposedly modern world were far from unraveled.
Before she could voice her concerns, a melodic cry interrupted her.
“Eirik! Darling! Thank you for saving me! I don’t know what I’d have done without you!”
Pixie emerged from the ruins of an underground structure, clinging to Eirik like a terrified fawn. Her wide, tearful eyes sparkled with gratitude.
Wait, what?! Elvynna blinked. We’re the ones who fought that thing! All Eirik did was pull you out of the rubble!
Suppressing a surge of irritation.
“So, you must be Eirik…”
A soft voice drew his attention. Emerging from the jungle, barefoot and cloaked in white, was Fennec.
Her curious gaze lingered on him, her expression unreadable as she surveyed the man she had only vaguely noticed during their first encounter.