Chapter 17:
The night had weight.
Leo sat cross-legged on the inn's wooden floor, his back to the flickering fungal lamp mounted on the wall. Tarra stood nearby, silent, her cloak drawn tightly around her as if to hide the subtle glow of her core. The sounds from the tavern below had long faded. Even the distant hum of the barrier's aether field had quieted, as though the world itself was holding its breath.
In his mind's eye, Leo opened the status interface.
[Leo Makjin]
[Race: Human]
[Level: 10]
[Class: Golem-Mancer]
[Title: Golem Maker]
[HP: 210/210]
[MP: 150/150]
[Strength: 12]
[Agility: 11]
[Intelligence: 27] (+2)
[Vitality: 20] (+2)
[Luck: ?]
[Skills:]
• Survival Instinct
• Golem Crafting (MAX)
• Golem's Dimensional Pocket (Lv.1)
• Summon Golem (Lv.2)
• Golem Enhancement (Lv.1)
• Golem Repair (Lv.1)
• Artifact Making (Lv.1)
• Enchantment (Lv.1)
• Repairing Artifacts (Lv.1)
[Subsystems:]
• Golem Architect Subsystem (Partially Unlocked)
[System Notification]
Status points allocated. All parameters updated.
+HP and +MP Increased.
Leo exhaled as the surge rolled through him. It wasn't just numbers. He felt it—the clarity of mind, the faster flow of mana, the subtle buzz of power humming beneath his skin. He stood up and crossed the small room to the window. Outside, the edges of the world had begun to redden.
The sky beyond the great trees bled slowly into crimson, like ink in water. The tavern's wooden walls creaked gently with the wind, and somewhere distant, a bell began to toll. Three times. Long, slow, heavy.
Tarra turned her head. "Red spectrum increasing. Source: lunar."
Leo nodded grimly. "Red Moon."
Then came the chime.
[Urgent Quest Available!]
Quest: Fog Emergence — Rootwake Perimeter Breach
Creatures from the fog have breached an outer ward north of Rootwake. Defenders are thinning. Reinforcements required immediately.
Reward: 100 Silver-leafs + Hazard Bonus.
Leo grabbed his gear. Tarra followed without a word, her cloak billowing softly behind her. As they stepped out onto the balcony, the world was soaked in red. Streaks of fog curled between the root-streets, rising like smoke. The moon was high now, burning crimson against a starless sky.
[World Event: Red Moon - Phase I]
Hostile activity has increased across Aethelgard. Fog Creatures empowered. Golems slightly resist corruption.
From below came shouting. People rushing. Bells ringing out again. A runner dashed past the inn entrance, yelling for backup at the northern barrier.
Leo turned to Tarra. "Deploy Granek."
She nodded. "Acknowledged. Initiating subroutine."
Leo extended his palm. Runes flared beneath his feet.
[Summoning: Earthbound Warrior - Level 10]
Channeling Mana...
A glyph of stone and magma flared on the ground in front of the inn, spiraling outward in fractured patterns. The summoning ring glowed a fierce amber as runes ignited along its edge.
With a seismic rumble, Granek, the Earthbound Warrior, emerged from the stone itself—shale and granite cracking free as its massive ten-foot form rose into view. Veins of quartz pulsed across its skin. It stood still, head bowed slightly, awaiting orders.
[Granek - Earthbound Warrior - HP: 500/500 | Strength: 35 | Defense: 40 | Agility: 5]
Footsteps approached. Nyra appeared, halting mid-step when she saw the construct.
"You're not a regular Sprout," she said, eyes wide.
Leo gave a tired grin. "Guess not."
Rootwake's North Gate
The perimeter wall was a jagged ring of fused bark, rootwork, and ancient stone glyphs. Guards scrambled in partial armor, some missing boots or gauntlets, others wielding mismatched spears and enchanted netting.
Foglings were already pressing against the barriers—small, gangling humanoids of pale flesh and flickering black eyes. Behind them came two Fogbound Lurkers: wolf-like things with twisted bone spines and gasping maws.
"Hold the line!" a guard roared.
Leo didn't hesitate. "Granek, Stomp!"
The golem surged forward. Its massive foot crashed into the ground, sending a tremor that rippled through the battlefield. Foglings stumbled and fell. One Lurker shrieked and collapsed.
Tarra moved like a streak of steel, intercepting a diving creature and slicing it in half with her reinforced blade-arm. Nyra danced through the melee, twin daggers flashing.
Leo took a defensive position and fired his Aetherpulse Rifle, each Chapter 17: Crimson Tides and Hollow Eyes
The night had weight.
Leo sat cross-legged on the inn's wooden floor, his back to the flickering fungal lamp mounted on the wall. Tarra stood nearby, silent, her cloak drawn tightly around her as if to hide the subtle glow of her core. The sounds from the tavern below had long faded. Even the distant hum of the barrier's aether field had quieted, as though the world itself was holding its breath.
In his mind's eye, Leo opened the status interface.
---
[Leo Makjin]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Golem-Mancer]
[Level: 9]
[Title: Golem Maker]
[HP: 225/225]
[MP: 165/165]
Stats:
Strength: 10
Agility: 11
Intelligence: 29
Vitality: 23
Luck: ?
Skill Points Available: 0
Status Points Available: 0
> Last Allocation: +1 INT, +2 VIT
HP increased by 10 (5 per VIT)
MP increased by 5 (5 per INT)
Total HP: 225 | Total MP: 165
Skills:
• Survival Instinct
• Golem Crafting (MAX)
• Golem's Dimensional Pocket (Lv.1) [Slot: 2]
• Summon Golem (Lv.2)
• Golem Enhancement (Lv.1)
• Golem Repair (Lv.1)
• Artifact Making (Lv.1)
• Enchantment (Lv.1)
• Repairing Artifacts (Lv.1)
Subsystems:
• Golem Architect Subsystem (Partially Unlocked)
---
Leo exhaled as the surge rolled through him. It wasn't just numbers. He felt it—the clarity of mind, the faster flow of mana, the subtle buzz of power humming beneath his skin. He stood up and crossed the small room to the window. Outside, the edges of the world had begun to redden.
The sky beyond the great trees bled slowly into crimson, like ink in water. The tavern's wooden walls creaked gently with the wind, and somewhere distant, a bell began to toll. Three times. Long, slow, heavy.
Tarra turned her head. "Red spectrum increasing. Source: lunar."
Leo nodded grimly. "Red Moon."
Then came the chime.
> [Urgent Quest Available!]
Quest: Fog Emergence — Rootwake Perimeter Breach
Creatures from the fog have breached an outer ward north of Rootwake. Defenders are thinning. Reinforcements required immediately.
Reward: 100 Silver-leafs + Hazard Bonus.
Leo grabbed his gear. Tarra followed without a word, her cloak billowing softly behind her. As they stepped out onto the balcony, the world was soaked in red. Streaks of fog curled between the root-streets, rising like smoke. The moon was high now, burning crimson against a starless sky.
> [World Event: Red Moon - Phase I]
Hostile activity has increased across Aethelgard. Fog Creatures empowered. Golems slightly resist corruption.
From below came shouting. People rushing. Bells ringing out again. A runner dashed past the inn entrance, yelling for backup at the northern barrier.
Leo turned to Tarra. "Deploy Granek."
She nodded. "Acknowledged. Initiating subroutine."
Leo extended his palm. Runes flared beneath his feet.
> [Summoning: Granek - Level 10]
Channeling Mana...
A glyph of stone and magma flared on the ground in front of the inn, spiraling outward in fractured patterns. The summoning ring glowed a fierce amber as runes ignited along its edge.
With a seismic rumble, Granek emerged from the stone itself—shale and granite cracking free as its massive ten-foot form rose into view. Veins of quartz pulsed across its skin. It stood still, head bowed slightly, awaiting orders.
> [Granek - HP: 500/500 | Strength: 35 | Defense: 40 | Agility: 5]
Footsteps approached. Nyra appeared, halting mid-step when she saw the construct.
"You're not a regular Sprout," she said, eyes wide.
Leo gave a tired grin. "Guess not."
---
Rootwake's North Gate
The perimeter wall was a jagged ring of fused bark, rootwork, and ancient stone glyphs. Guards scrambled in partial armor, some missing boots or gauntlets, others wielding mismatched spears and enchanted netting.
Foglings were already pressing against the barriers—small, gangling humanoids of pale flesh and flickering black eyes. Behind them came two Fogbound Lurkers: wolf-like things with twisted bone spines and gasping maws.
"Hold the line!" a guard roared.
Leo didn't hesitate. "Granek, Stomp!"
The golem surged forward. Its massive foot crashed into the ground, sending a tremor that rippled through the battlefield. Foglings stumbled and fell. One Lurker shrieked and collapsed.
Tarra moved like a streak of steel, intercepting a diving creature and slicing it in half with her reinforced blade-arm. Nyra danced through the melee, twin daggers flashing.
Leo took a defensive position and fired his Aetherpulse Rifle, each shot lighting the gloom with pale blue fire. One blast sheared off a fogling's head. Another tore through a Lurker's leg.
Granek swung its Stone Fist in a wide arc, smashing through another Lurker. Tarra shielded a wounded beastkin archer, while Nyra drove a dagger into the final fogling's chest.
The battlefield fell still.
Fog hissed around their feet, retreating.
> [Quest Complete: Fog Emergence]
XP Gained: 1,250
Leo bent over, panting, watching the crimson moon shimmer through the dispersing clouds. Granek stood silently behind him, fists clenched.
A shadow watched from the treeline.
Wrapped in a long cloak, its face hidden, the figure observed the battlefield for several more seconds.
Then it turned and vanished into the darkness.
This was only the beginning.