Chapter 132: Red Veil

Given the horrors they had witnessed just recently, Leonard had thought that regardless of what was awaiting them within the fort itself, it couldn’t be that bad.

He was proven wrong instantly.

The stone floors, walls, and ceiling were all obscured by countless roots that spread across the hallways.

Out of the crimson vines at the top, giant red cocoons had begun to form. They pulsed like living hearts, with no sense of harmony or rhythm. Inside each resided a creature with a humanoid appearance, their limbs moving ever so slightly.

“Disgusting!” Harley bellowed, more than repulsed by the sight.

Leonard remained silent, focusing his attention on the vines that directly connected to the cocoons.

Chaotic mana flowed inside them, almost as though they were feeding the monster forming within.

“So that’s how it is…” He let out a sigh.

“Did you figure it out?” Elizabeth asked, already on the verge of freezing the whole fort.

“I think so.” Leonard nodded.

“The monster probably starts as just a seed until it’s fed with human blood. Then, it spreads its roots and vines to hunt for prey. Think of it like a carnivorous plant, but thousands of times larger…”

He paused briefly.

“Once its limbs spread far enough, it starts to convert the nourishment into creating monsters. If my hunch is correct, we are unbelievably lucky. Had we delayed coming here, these creatures would have been born, and we would have been forced to fight them in their own territory.”

Leonard peered deeper within the cocoons.

“I think… The vine monster is using the prey it has caught as reference to create its own subjects. Essentially, the creatures inside should share striking similarities to humans.”

Miranda walked in front of him.

“Don’t just assume we are in the clear, Young Master. Looking closer, the cocoons here are about to burst. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are already hatched ones deeper inside.”

“However, we can’t go back and call for reinforcements.” Harley frowned. “Delaying our response to the danger will allow them to be born.”

“We can’t have that.” Elizabeth declared, rotating her scythe around her palm.

She stepped forward and swung without hesitation.

The freezing blade effortlessly passed through the cocoon and froze it in a heartbeat.

Elizabeth lightly tapped its surface, causing it to shatter.

“Any notification from the system?” Leonard asked.

“No.” She shook her head. “Whatever these things are, they are not considered truly alive until they are born, so they don’t reward any experience either.”

The party knew that wasting time wasn’t an option, so they didn’t linger.

Looking out for each other’s backs, the four quickly made their way deeper in the fort. Elizabeth made sure to freeze any cocoons that got in their way.

“It shouldn’t be that far away.” Leonard remarked, studying the walls.

Since the roots were growing from a single direction, finding the source of the problem was only a matter of time.

Past the doors that led to the throne hall of the fort, they found it. Upon the throne rested a gigantic heart more than two meters in size.

“How did General Godfrey manage to lure this thing inside the fort?” Leonard mumbled. “As I thought, that man is much more vicious than I expected.”

Unfortunately, they couldn’t just walk up to the heart of the monster and slay it for good. Thick vines had spread around it in the form of a cage, while a creature stood not too far away from it.

Its appearance resembled that of a human. However, its head was distorted, bearing no discernible features, while its body seemed to be made of material similar to the bark of a tree.

“So one monster has managed to hatch after all!” Harley raised her rapier.

“Don’t let it scratch you! We don’t know if it can infect us with the roots that eat us from the inside.” Elizabeth warned.

“Young Master, please stay behind me.” Miranda positioned herself between Leonard and the creature. “You are missing an arm. You are too injured to fight.”

“Miranda, I am not letting you use mana.” He replied in a stern tone.

Roar!

The monster suddenly let out a roar and dropped to all fours. Then it lunged forward with speed unbecoming of its size.

“Valor!”

Sparing no mana, Leonard summoned his knight and ordered him to stall the creature.

Valor obeyed without hesitation and dropped into a battle stance.

However, because the knight entirely lacked blood, the monster ignored him, leaping over Valor’s head.

In the end, the knight barely managed to react in time, loosely grasping one of the creature’s ankles.

“Freeze!”

Elizabeth relied on her icy powers to freeze the creature, yet her attempts were near futile.

“Wait a second. If the monster’s skin is made of bark and its mother is mostly roots, can’t it be considered the same as a tree?” Leonard hypothesized.

Eager to prove his theory correct, he charged forward, Titanic Oath in hand.

“Young Master, wait! Don’t get close to it!” Miranda yelled.

[Lightning Strike activated!]

Lightning cracked across his axe. Thanks to the Lumberjack title, which made it 100% easier to cut trees, he was able to decapitate the creature with a single blow!

[You have defeated a Level 26 Baby Crimson Sapling!]

[You have gained 1,400 Experience!]

[You have risen to Level 19!]

Level: 19 [Experience: 0/7,000]

[You have gained 10 Attribute Points and 100 Evolution Points!]

“Lucky…” He exhaled deeply.

Considering how fast the creature moved, they would have been done if Leonard had hesitated even for a second. Fortunately, the kill allowed him to level up.

“Please be more careful!” Miranda pouted, her worry palpable. “There are instances where even I won’t be able to protect you!”

Leonard flashed her an apologetic smile and walked up toward the heart.

“Finally, we can get rid of these roots once and for all.” He mused out loud, delivering the killing blow.

[You have defeated a Level 40 Crimson Heart!]

[You have gained 7,000 Experience!]

[You have risen to Level 20!]

Level: 20 [Experience: 0/8,200]

[You have gained 20 Attribute Points and 200 Evolution Points!]

“Wow…” He gasped, not expecting to level up again by a single kill.

While he was still marveling, the crimson roots began to wither, with the heart emitting a white mist.

Eventually, the only trace of the Crimson Heart that remained was a red veil resting on the throne.

“The hell?” Leonard arched an eyebrow and picked it up to examine it.

“…”

He froze on the spot.

“Young Master?”

“…”

“Young Master? Is everything fine?”

“…”

Worried, Miranda went over to check on him.

“Young Master, what is this?” She asked, examining the veil.

Slowly, Leonard shifted his gaze to meet hers.

“This thing… is the cure to your condition.”