Chapter 90: Treacherous journey [14]

Words : 1052 Updated : Sep 20th, 2025

GRRRR! A guttural roar shook the ravine, making all the hair on Clayton’s green skin rise and stand on their end. A Luminous Seed Behemorph (12-meter, thorned exoskeleton, with a void-like aura) burst from the ravine, its presence snuffing flames and spores, including Clayton’s roots, Nexus pulsing chaotically. The moment his roots froze and he lost control over them, Clayton’s eyes widened as he stared at the gigantic Behemorph even as one thought rang in his head. ’Null Scion Generators?!’ But then, realization finally settled in... ’A Null Crown!’ Right at that moment, the system lit up with a notification, one of the most ominous-looking ones that Clayton had ever received since Echoterra. The text was written in red font color. DING! ~----~ [WARNING!] [You have encountered an extremely rare Behemorph!] [You have encountered a Luminous Seed Null Crown Behemorph!] ~----~ From the moment that Clayton learned about Null Crown Behemorphs, he became extremely fascinated by them, wanting to know them. But after he experienced battles against the Ironblood Remnants and their Null Scion Generators, he hated Null Crowns already even without encountering one yet. This was because he knew exactly how an encounter with 1 would go like. And now, the reality that he dreaded was here in front of him. ’Is this karma?’ He cursed. The others took a little longer for them to react and understand what just happened, but when they did, their reaction was just the same as Clayton if not even more extreme. Veylith’s warriors froze, her Ashveil Shroud faltering. Then, the Null Crown pounced... BOOM! The Null Crown lashed, void tendrils shredding two Scorched Clan warriors, forcing Veylith to retreat. The team scrambled, dodging tendrils, Kaelin and Soren limping, even as Lorn did her best to shield them. Clayton fired Regalia’s bone arrows, piercing the Null Crown’s hide, dealing minimal damage. The Null Crown’s presence suppressed his Aspect completely, but not his Verdant Artifact. Regalia’s ability to create root and bone arrows was not a result of his Aspect, rather, it was a passive effect of the Artifact itself. Apart from the ranks of Artifacts, there are 5 classes of Verdant Artifacts: the Relic Shard Artifacts, Artifact Fragments, True Artifacts, Mythprint or Legendary Artifacts, and World Artifacts. Relic Shard Artifacts are common Artifacts that enhances minor stats. Most Awakened get these with more regularity from Behemorph or Awakened kills. Ironically, Clayton had never gotten a Relic Shard class Artifact. None of his 3 Artifacts were of the Relic Shard class. And then the Artifact Fragments. These are uncommon, and grants at least 1 single passive or minor ability. The Thornshade Dagger is an Artifact Fragment class Relic. And then True Artifacts. These are rare, fully developed weapon, armor, and tools with special powers. Shedskin, Clayton’s armor Artifact is a True Artifact. As for Mythprint class, these are legendary living weapons or sentient tools, often forged from impossible acts. Regalia of the Verdant Warden is a Mythprint class Artifact of the Initiate Ember rank, but it was upgradeable. Clayton only got it from his impossible feat in Echoterra of wiping out a whole spore colony of monster plants. Mythprint Artifacts are bound to the user’s Ember signature. They evolve alongside the user by feeding on achievements, slain monsters, or even through symbiotic bonding. As for World Artifacts, these are items that influence ecosystems or even rewrite rules in an area. There are only 2 known World Artifacts on Earth, and each is held by 2 of the biggest factions in the world post-Echoterra, the headquarters of the Rootbound Clans and the Ironblood Remnants. World Artifacts are awarded by the system for legendary deeds. In essence, Clayton’s Aspect was sealed completely by the Null powers of this Null Crown Behemorph, but not his Mythprint class Artifact. Even as he fired Regalia’s bone arrows, he rushed in, slashing with Thornshade Dagger, venom sizzling but ineffective against the Sporevoid. Clayton’s Verdant Tyranny struggled against the Null influence. A mere Initiate Ember Awakened was not supposed to be able to resist the influence of a Luminous Seed Null Crown Behemorph, not even struggle, but Clayton was Clayton. ’Come on!’ He growled in his mind. Then... Core Maw erupted, roots slowing the beast, keeping Aphid Network hidden, though it hunted stragglers, Thornweave Sentinels reaping Embers. Torren’s Flamevine Wrath flickered, struggling against the Null will of the Behemorph, its flickering flames burning the Null Crown’s flank. Only the Luminous Seed were powerful enough to keep their Aspects barely working in the nullifying presence of this Behemorph. Veyra’s arrows struck its joints, and Lorn’s Sapflow Healer kept Soren and Kaelin standing. They all felt uncomfortable, alien, like a fish out of water. They all wanted to turn and bolt, escape from the presence of this alien Behemorph, but with Soren and Kaelin injured, none of them even thought of leaving their 2 comrades behind. They fought like mad. They fought like hell. They fought battered, weak, injured, suppressed. They fought like Asuras from hell who knew no notion of fear or death. And then, the Null Crown finally faltered. Maybe it was frightened, but wounded, the Behemorph turned and fled into the dark, leaving the team battered but alive. Clayton didn’t have to summon his Aphid Network after all. He was this close to summoning them. Unknown to the group, 2 of his Luminous Seed Behemorphs were already at the fringes of their battlefield, ready to intervene at a moment’s notice. As soon as the Null Crown fled though, Clayton commanded them to retreat. And then... DING! ~----~ [Behemorph Engaged: 1 Null Crown (Luminous Seed, escaped)] [Enemies Defeated: 2 Scorched Clan Warriors (Initiate Ember)] [Aphid Network Losses: 1 Initiate Ember Minion] [Genesis Embers Acquired: 12 (Random Network Hunts)] [Genesis Embers: 4,223/6,000] [Aspect Strain: Critical] ~----~ Under the influence of a Null Crown’s aura, struggling against it, Clayton’s Aspect strain rose to critical for the first time this journey. The team collapsed, bloodied and ash-streaked, Territorial Sentience pinging Ashen Covenants’ Ember Witches and a Scorched Clans shrine nearby. Torren, clutching his Pyreaxe, gasped. "Clayton, those roots... goddamn lifesaver". His trust was unshakable. Clayton, panting, stowed Regalia. "Just weeding the chaos". He grinned, humor masking his exhaustion. "You’re a monster". Kaelin silently stared at him in awe.

Chapter 90: Treacherous journey [14]

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