The morning after the Hollow Tide was eerily calm. Not the peace of safety—but the silence of aftermath.
Leo sat near the fractured outer wardline, his Whisperveil Cloak fluttering faintly in the wind. Ash and ichor still stained the tower stones, and the scent of scorched corruption lingered like a bad memory.
Aerin knelt nearby, sharpening her bone blade with slow, deliberate strokes. Her gaze, though quiet, held weight.
"They were probing," she said without looking up. "Testing us."
Leo frowned. "You mean the Hollowborn?"
She nodded. "Corruption doesn't just spread—it learns. We held the tower last night. That means it'll come harder next time."
"Then we get stronger before that happens."
The system chimed.
> "⟪Quest Unlocked: Pulse of the Wild⟫"
Objective: Investigate the corrupted leyline north of Watcher's Hollow.
Reward: Unknown
Note: High-risk zone. Proceed with caution.
Aerin stood, already pulling her hood up. "That leyline surge? It wasn't random. Something's pushing corruption through the land itself."
Leo rose and checked his equipment. Verdant Fang hummed with stored vitality, and the Whisperveil Cloak seemed to adapt to his every motion.
> "⟪System Notification: Soul Resonance – 23%⟫"
They left the tower behind, walking through mists that never fully retreated in daylight. The deeper they moved into the wilds, the stranger the terrain became—twisted trees, humming stone formations, and patches of ground pulsing with faint red light.
Halfway to the leyline, they found a corpse.
Not human. Not Hollowborn.
Something in between.
> "⟪Enemy Remains Detected: Corrupted Echostalker⟫"
Classification: Elite Minion
Status: Deceased
Notes: Killed by massive force trauma. No signs of natural decay.
Leo crouched low. "Something else got to it first."
"Or it never stood a chance," Aerin murmured.
That's when the air shifted—cold, then colder.
The fog ahead didn't drift. It crawled.
> "⟪Environmental Alert: Domain Threshold Detected⟫"
Warning: Tier II Corruption Field
Effect: Visibility reduced | Resistance checks initiated | Affinity Interference active⟫"
A circle of blackened earth opened ahead, with pulsing veins of green essence arcing out in jagged patterns. The leyline had been ruptured—and tainted.
At the heart of it stood a figure.
No—something wearing the memory of a figure.
Its form towered over them, cloaked in fragmented armor fused with bone and bramble. A cracked helm revealed not a face, but a void laced with emerald fire. From its back rose four tendrils of mist and bone, constantly shifting.
> "⟪BOSS ENCOUNTER INITIATED⟫"
Name: Hollow Reclaimer – Vorenth the Verdant Blight
Rank: Boss (Tier II – Corruption Aspect)
HP: 18,500
Affinities: Decay | Nature (Corrupted) | Soul Drain
Abilities:
– Verdant Rupture: Summons corrupted roots to immobilize targets.
– Reclamation Pulse: Absorbs vitality from terrain and wounded enemies.
– Blight Echo: Causes previous damage to repeat after delay.
– Phase Shift: Shifts between solid and incorporeal form.
Reward Tier: High (Rare+ Equipment Drop | Unique Skill Fragment | +5 Soul Resonance)
Status: Combat Locked – No Escape Zone⟫"
Leo's grip tightened on his spear. "You seeing this?"
Aerin already had her second charm primed. "I'm seeing it. Question is… can we survive it?"
The Reclaimer stepped forward.
And the ground began to scream.