It was 8 out of 10 in the end. Not the perfect execution Ren had calculated, but still more than enough.
The 3 new stakes that did connect revitalized the 5 already embedded deeply.
The roots from 8 contact points interwove into a network expanding exponentially, accelerated growth feeding on shared energy from multiple sources. And that network coiled around the Bashe almost completely, constriction as effective as any constrictor serpent but manifested as living wood instead of muscle.
The math had changed from 10-point perfection to 8-point adequacy, but adequacy was still sufficient for victory.
The root network didn't need to be perfect. Just good enough to bring the Bashe to the ground.
The Bashe tried fighting the restriction, body convulsing in an effort to break the roots or at least create space to breathe appropriately.
