[Cass]
The cavern felt heavier that morning. Not from stone or shadow but from the quiet. The Warbles knew he was leaving. Even the children stopped their play to watch him pack.
Cass laid out his supplies on a rough-hewn slab of stone: rope, two lanterns, a satchel of dried moss bread, a waterskin, and the crude spear Karrek had reforged from eel-chitin. Not enough, never enough, but better than nothing.
Torv approached, hammer still strapped to his back. His face carried the same stubborn fire as when he had broken two shields the day before.
"I'll go with you," Torv said.
Cass looked up, studying the man's broad shoulders, the eagerness in his jaw. Torv was strong, yes, but green. "No. You're needed here."
Torv's fists clenched. "I can fight."
Cass's voice softened. "You can build. That will save more lives than swinging a spear beside me."
Torv's anger flickered, then dimmed. He nodded, heavy steps retreating into the tunnels. Cass's chest ached. Leadership was often saying no to people who wanted to give more than they should.
Eshna arrived last. She carried a bundle wrapped in cloth, her hands steady despite the shadows beneath her eyes.
"I told you not to come," Cass said.
"I'm not," she answered, pressing the bundle into his hands.
Inside lay vials of tincture, rolled bandages, and a satchel of dried roots. "Basic remedies," she said. "You won't recognize half the plants you'll find. If the leaves burn your tongue, don't eat them. If the roots glow faintly, soak them before use. And…" She hesitated. "If you see veins of blue fungus, stay away. That's death in bloom."
Cass met her gaze. "You should rest."
Her lips curved bitterly. "So should you."
For a moment, their eyes held. Then Cass closed the bundle and packed it carefully. "I'll bring back what we need."
She didn't answer. She only turned back to her patients.
The expedition was small by necessity: four Warbles - Rilka the cartographer, two young guards with spears, and an elder guide who claimed to have walked Rootwater's edges in his youth. Cass carried the lanterns himself.
At the edge of the hamlet, the elder raised his staff. "Beyond here," he said, "the air tastes wrong. Remember that. If the air tastes of metal, you are close to danger. If it tastes of ash, you are too late."
The guards shifted uneasily. Rilka clutched her slate tight.
Cass lit the first lantern. "We move."
Rootwater's entrance was a wound in the earth, a jagged crack where stone wept moisture. The deeper they descended, the more the air pressed against their skin - damp, close, almost alive.
Glowshrooms clung to the walls in thin clusters, but their light dimmed quickly, swallowed by the black. The lantern flame was fragile, a heartbeat in endless dark.
The elder muttered prayers under his breath. Rilka whispered notes, scratching lines into her slate.
Cass focused on the sounds - the drip of water, the shuffle of boots, the distant rush of unseen currents. Every sound was sharper here, every echo stretched.
[System]:Entering Rootwater Caverns.
[Environmental Hazard: Toxic Spores. Lanterns reduce risk.]
The message flickered across his vision. He tightened his grip on the spear.
Hours passed. The tunnel opened into a wide chamber where water pooled in black circles. Strange vines dangled from the ceiling, their tips pulsing faintly with blue light.
The guards raised their spears instinctively.
"Not fungus," Rilka whispered. "Veins."
The elder's face paled. "Blue bloom."
Cass remembered Eshna's words: That's death in bloom.
He gestured sharply. "Stay back. Masks up."
They wrapped cloth around their mouths, wetting the fabric with water. Cass pulled his own tight, the air thick with a metallic tang. His tongue tingled, the taste of rust.
[System]:Status Effect – Spore Risk: Reduced.
They skirted the chamber's edge, keeping their lanterns high. The vines twitched faintly as though aware of their presence.
Deeper still, they found the herbs. Clusters of silverroot grew from cracks in the rock, their threads glowing faintly. Cass crouched, carefully cutting a handful and storing it in his satchel.
Rilka's eyes widened. "So much…"
The elder shook his head. "Not enough. Rootwater gives plenty but takes more."
Cass didn't answer. He didn't trust the cavern to stay quiet while they praised it.
On the return, the danger struck.
A ripple moved across the water. Then another. Then a shape surged up - a beast half eel, half centipede, its body armored in chitin plates. Its mouth split into too many jaws, teeth gnashing with a screech that rattled the stone.
The guards froze. Rilka gasped.
Cass stepped forward, lantern high. The creature recoiled at the light, thrashing in fury. Water sprayed, stinging with acid where it landed.
"Hold steady!" Cass barked.
The elder thrust his staff into the ground, muttering a chant that cracked the stone beneath the beast. It staggered, but only for a breath.
Cass lunged, spear striking deep into the joint of its armor. The creature shrieked, twisting violently, nearly tearing the weapon from his hands. The guards stabbed, their blows glancing off chitin.
Lantern light wavered, flame sputtering. Cass's chest clenched. If the light died...
He roared, shoving the spear deeper. The creature convulsed, then collapsed into the water with a hiss.
Silence. Just dripping, breathing, hearts pounding.
[System]:Monster Defeated – Rootwater Horror (Rare). Drops: Chitin Carapace, Venom Sac.
Cass pulled the spear free, breathing hard. The satchel pressed against his side, heavy with herbs. Heavy with survival.
"Move," he said hoarsely. "Before more come."
[Forum – Global Noise]
[BeastWatcher]: "New monster type? Centi-eel? Anyone got drops?"
[GuildBroker]: "Venom sacs already in demand. Auction price climbing."
[Skeptik]: "Fake screenshots again. Lighting doesn't match biome."
[Nocti]: "Cartographer thread updated. Rare map fragments pulled from Rootwater."
[GhostLordThread]: "So now the Ghost Lord's killing centipedes? What's next, marrying a mole?"
[StreamerLink]: "BloodPrince laughs off Ghost Lord rumors: 'If he exists, I'll duel him myself.' Clip here →"
Cass ignored it. He wasn't here for laughs or bets. He was here for survival.
[Cass]
By the time they returned to the hamlet, the lanterns were nearly out. The Warbles crowded the entrance, eyes wide at the sight of the herbs.
Eshna hurried forward, relief breaking across her face. "You found them."
Cass handed her the satchel. "Enough for now. But Rootwater won't stay quiet. We'll need more."
She took it, fingers brushing his. Her eyes held gratitude, but also fear. "Don't push too far, Cass. Every step deeper takes something from you."
Cass looked past her to the shrine, to the faces of the tribe, to the faint draft of the Dawn Hole. His jaw tightened. "Then I'll take back more than it gives."
[System]
[Quest Completed: The Healer's Plea]
Reward: Stability (Hygiene) increased. Potential rare class unlocked.
New Quest: [Rootwater's Depths] – Explore further to uncover the source of the blue bloom.