Chapter 123: Veins of the enemy

The night was unusually still. Moonlight filtered through the lattice of twisted metal and overgrown foliage that blanketed the outskirts of the Forgotten Atlanta Expanse, casting long shadows across the moss-covered ruins. A gentle breeze whispered through the fractured glass towers, rustling the leaves of the ever-growing Rootsite. But beneath this fragile stillness, beneath the illusion of peace, a storm was gathering. Clayton stood atop a spiraled tower of bark and bone at the Rootsite’s uppermost canopy, his humanoid form locked in a meditative trance. Genesis Embers pulsed rhythmically through the network of his dominion, washing over his consciousness like ocean tides. Beneath his feet, the Rootsite breathed; alive, responsive, pulsing with latent potential. He opened his eyes slowly. At that moment, he made a choice. It was time to stop holding back. Time to fully activate the ability he had long left dormant; an ability born of his Aspect, awakened since Trial II... but never used. [Sporelink: Designate Kin. Bestow Empowerment] Clayton reached inward, fingers curling as his core thrummed. A system prompt appeared, elegant in its simplicity, but weighty with consequence. ~----~ [Sporelink – Kin Designation Available] [You are now Luminous Seed Rank.] [You have 2 slots for a Sporelink.] Sporelink Capacity: 1/2 Choose another individual to receive the Verdant Kin title. Once chosen, bond permanence is irreversible. Empowerment is twofold: -Kin gains access to a unique, Aspect-driven subpath. -Kin becomes an extension of the Verdant Lord’s domain. [Previously designated Kin: Torren] Current Sync Candidates: -Veyra Thornstriker. -Lorn Sapflow. -Kaelin Ashveil. -Soren Emberblade. ~----~ Clayton opened his eyes slowly. Yes, he already designated a Sporelink earlier with Torren, but even then, Clayton was still holding back. Sporelink was always part of his Aspect, and since he never used the slot while he was an Initiate Ember Awakened due to trust issues, he had 2 slots now as a Luminous Seed Awakened. Having used a slot on Torren already, he had one more spot. For days, he’d been silently calculating who the right candidate was. And now... His body thrummed with understanding. This was not just power for the sake of power. This was lineage, a branching of his will into others. Torren already bonded to him. But now... Now he needed someone else. Someone worthy of the second bond; one who could carry a greater flame, not just for battle, but for what came next. He didn’t hesitate. "Sporelink," Clayton whispered. "Designate Kin... Veyra Thornstriker". A rush of Genesis Embers burst from his chest like a verdant pulsewave. The bark walls of the throne-bud trembled. Vines and spores burst into bloom, scattering through the canopy like starlight. Far below, in the training grounds, Veyra stumbled mid-draw. Her newly acquired Luminous Seed bow flickered in her grip, then surged with living radiance. A sharp gasp tore from her throat as power crashed into her like a gale. DING! ~----~ [You have been chosen as Verdant Kin by Clayton, Verdant Lord of Rootsite.] Aspect Mutation Unlocked: Thornstriker Path – Verdant Bloom Edition! Passive Gained: Floral Precision >Arrows now adapt to nearby flora, mimicking properties of explosive seedpods, venom-tipped stalks, and shattering sporecaps. Active Skill Gained: Verdant Crescendo. >Fire a spectral arrow that blooms mid-flight into a massive sporeburst. Area of effect damage increases per enemy hit. [Kin Bond: 87%] [Note: This bond deepens through trust, battle, and shared goals. ~----~ Standing a distance away, Clayton stared in shock. ’87% bond?!’ he was surprised. His bond with Torren was nowhere as close, at just 78% and to him, that was already extremely high. To think he would have a 87% bond with Veyra. ’Hmmm’. Veyra gasped, nearly dropping her bow. She gritted her teeth, riding the wave of incoming energy like a storm surfer. Her knees buckled for a moment, then held firm. Within seconds, the power settled. And she knew. She was no longer just the team’s Thornstriker. She was Verdant Kin. Before leaving, Clayton used the opportunity to also look at Torren’s system status that was now tied to his due to their bond. ~----~ [Verdant Kin: Torren] Aspect Mutation Unlocked: Flamevine Wrath – Verdant Path Extension. Passive Gained: Resilient Mycelium >Rooted with the Lord’s domain, Torren now regenerates faster within the territory and can call upon spore-powered embers to restore Genesis Embers over time. Active Skill Gained: Verdant Combustion >Ignite the ambient spores within an area, causing area-wide pyro-verdant detonation. Effects scale with proximity to the Verdant Lord. Sync Bond: 78% [Note: Sync increases as trust, experience, and shared battles deepen.] ~----~ ... Clayton met her beneath the training spire, walking down the living ramp as if he’d felt her pulse respond from miles away. "You choose me?" she asked quietly. "I didn’t even know there were 2 slots". Clayton nodded once. "You never asked for it. That’s how I knew you deserved it". He chuckled and patted her on the back. Veyra’s fingers traced the new vine markings that now ran faintly across her forearm; glowing emerald lines that pulsed in sync with Clayton’s presence. Her bow shimmered, its notches shifting slightly, adapting to her mutation. "I didn’t think I needed anyone," she murmured. "Not after everything. Not after the Fracture, or losing my sister. But then I found this team. No, it’s you". She forced a smile. "I was in the team long before you. Your arrival... it changed everything". "And now..." She hesitated. "...I don’t know what I am". Clayton smiled faintly. "You’re Kin. And you’re not alone". She looked at him, fire and pride dancing in her eyes. "I won’t let you down". "You won’t," he said simply. Later that night, as Veyra trained with her new skillset, arrows blooming into sporebursts across the open field, Clayton gathered the others for what came next. The time for reactive defense was over. The time to strike had begun. DING! ~----~ [War Council Campaign Objective Unlocked: The Verdant Reclamation Begins] >Stage One: Disable Nexus Spires. >Objective: Sabotage Korrath’s Eastern Communication Grid. [Status: Pending] ~----~ Clayton stood before his companions. The moon hung low and orange in the sky behind him. Veyra, Torren, Kaelin, Lorn, and Soren stood in a crescent around the living map bud, watching it pulse and shift as four red markers flared into view. "Here’s the plan," Clayton said. "We bleed him first". Clayton stood at the head of the table, his hand placed against the root-veined map etched into the surface. On it, a living topography of the Atlanta wastelands shimmered into view. They all knew what this was. Stage One. The first true retaliation against Korrath. "The war starts now," Clayton continued, voice even. "And our first move won’t be a direct battle. Yes, we’ll bleed him, but not direct. Not yet". He tapped the map. Four glowing spires blinked into view; positioned like crooked fingers surrounding the former industrial zones of the northwest sector. "These are the Nexus Spires Korrath’s forces use to amplify signal control across their territory," he continued. "His Constructs, his scouting drones, even his long-range Behemorph directives, everything goes through these". Torren leaned in. "They’re like arteries". "Exactly," Clayton nodded. "And if we sever the arteries... the body weakens". Kaelin crossed his arms. "Infiltration, then?" Clayton turned to him. "Yes. Your team will handle the first strike". Kaelin’s eyes gleamed. "I’ll send you with Ember camo spores," Clayton added. "They’ll suppress your signature for the duration. You’ll be invisible to all but direct visual contact, and even that will be distorted". "Targets?" Kaelin asked. "Spire Delta," Clayton responded. "The farthest from his Mechanosite, least defended... but still dangerous. And if you succeed, it’ll cripple Korrath’s eastern net. That’ll be the start". Veyra narrowed her eyes. "Korrath won’t ignore us after this". Clayton’s expression darkened. "That’s the point". They didn’t speak for a moment, the weight of what they were about to undertake anchoring their thoughts. "Pick your team," Clayton told Kaelin. Kealin nodded. "I want Mira, the girl with the spectral instincts. And Jeren, he used to build broadcast towers. He’ll know how to dismantle one quietly". "Done," Clayton said. Torren rose to his feet. "And while Kaelin handles sabotage, I’ll begin preparing the Rootsite’s defenses. If Korrath counterattacks before we’re ready, we need to make sure this place holds". "Agreed," Clayton replied. Lorn spoke next. "What about the civilians?" "They stout out of this phase," Clayton said. "We’re not conscripting anyone. This war isn’t theirs to fight yet. We protect them... or we’re no better than the enemy". No one argued. Kaelin stepped forward. "When do we move?" Clayton looked up, meeting his gaze. "Now". ... Hours later, periphery of Korrath’s territory... The air reeked of ozone and rot. Kaelin crouched behind the fractured hull of a rusted transit bridge, eyes scanning the illuminated pillars in the distance. The Spire loomed; three hundred feet tall, pulsing with crimson Genesis energy. Construct drones drifted lazily around it, their glowing eyes combing the darkness. Behind him, Mira tightened her grip on her light crossbow. She wasn’t combat specialized, but her precognition gave them an edge. Jeren adjusted the bag of insulated tools on his back. "Give me ten minutes at the core junction," he murmured. "I can reverse the amplifier and blow it silently". Kaelin nodded. "We don’t get ten minutes if we’re seen". The operation started.