The moment Alex stepped through the portal, a sharp ringing filled his ears.
"Ugh—" He winced, clutching his head.
His stomach twisted, the sensation like being spun in two directions at once.
Olivia stumbled beside him, hand over her mouth, her expression pale.
Then the pressure faded.
Alex blinked a few times, straightening himself.
"...Whoa."
The nausea was gone, replaced by sheer awe.
What stretched before him wasn't a dungeon in any normal sense.
The "walls" around them were woven from enormous, tangled tree roots that pulsed faintly with light.
Grass blanketed the floor, damp and soft beneath his boots.
Flowers of every colour bloomed around them: roses, lilies, and strange glowing blossoms that floated in the air like fireflies.
Sunlight, no, something like sunlight, spilt down from above, warm and steady.
When he looked up, he saw it: a glowing sphere of magic suspended in the air, mimicking the sun.
"This… doesn't look like a dungeon," Alex muttered.
Olivia nodded quietly, her eyes wide as she took it all in.
"It's beautiful…"
Before either could say more, Soren's voice cut through the wonder.
"Don't relax."
His tone was flat, mechanical.
When Alex looked at him, Soren was already moving, calm and efficient, eyes scanning the surroundings like a machine.
"Be careful," he continued. "Every plant here could be a threat."
Alex's awe faded in an instant.
He drew his sword from his back, the steel whispering as it left its sheath.
Soren reached into the air beside him, and a faint shimmer appeared: a spatial storage.
From it, he pulled a small handaxe and a round buckler, strapping them on without hesitation.
Alex blinked.
He had never seen Soren use a shield before.
He almost asked, but stopped himself.
'He must've trained hard during summer break.'
Soren turned slightly, gesturing toward a cluster of small trees growing from the far wall.
"Those are ents. They move when provoked," he said quietly
Olivia frowned.
"They look normal…"
"They aren't."
Alex followed Soren's gaze.
The "trees" swayed gently, but their movements were too uniform, too deliberate.
A chill ran down his spine.
He adjusted his stance, raising his sword to chest level.
"Got it. I'll lead."
Soren gave a curt nod.
The air inside the Verdant Hollow was humid, heavy with the scent of earth and sap.
Each breath felt like inhaling life itself; sweet, yet suffocating.
As they advanced, the quiet was absolute.
No footsteps but their own, no wind, no sound of life, only the faint creak of wood from the ents ahead.
Alex tightened his grip on his sword.
The silence was too clean, too intentional.
'They're waiting.'
He took another cautious step, and the ground moved.
Vines shot up from the soil, wrapping around his boot.
"—!"
He slashed downward in reflex, cutting through the vine just as it began tightening.
"Ambush!"
Three figures erupted from the ground ahead; thick wooden bodies, moss-covered faces twisting into grotesque grimaces.
Ents.
They moved slowly, but each step shook the ground.
Alex lunged at the nearest one, aiming for its legs.
His blade struck wood, sparks flying, but the creature's bark-like skin barely cracked.
Behind him, Soren was already moving.
"Olivia, barrier!"
"On it!"
A faint glow surrounded Alex, just in time for a vine to whip toward him.
The [Divine Barrier] flared as it made contact, the vine snapping apart.
Soren charged the second ent, axe flashing.
His movements were precise; no wasted steps, no hesitation.
He slammed his buckler into its torso to stagger it, then drove his glowing axe into its chest.
The sound of splintering wood echoed through the chamber.
Alex pivoted to his left, ducking under a swinging branch.
He slashed upward, severing the ent's arm, then kicked its knee joint until it cracked.
The creature toppled with a hollow groan.
Soren finished his target with a final strike to the head, the axe embedding deep before he tore it free.
"Three down," Alex said between breaths.
Soren didn't respond; he was already scanning the field, eyes darting from one patch of foliage to another.
"There," he muttered, pointing toward a cluster of flowers near the wall.
As Alex followed his gaze, the flowers suddenly twisted, revealing rows of sharp petals.
Floral monsters; Florids.
They hissed, launching bursts of green spores into the air.
"Cover your mouth!" Soren shouted, raising his palm. "「Breeze」"
A gust of wind erupted, dispersing the cloud before it reached them.
Alex dashed forward, slashing through the Florids one by one while holding his breath.
Behind him, Soren's palm flickered with faint light, [Ignition], and he raised it out before him, the flame consuming the last of the monsters.
The room went quiet again.
"Clear," Alex said, lowering his sword.
Soren gave no reply; he simply turned toward the next tunnel, roots twisted together to form a hollow path, and began walking.
"Wait, Soren—"
"Don't fall behind."
Then he disappeared into the tunnel.
Olivia and Alex exchanged a glance before following.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Olivia POV
The tunnel was narrow and dim, roots forming the walls like veins of wood.
The faint glow from Soren's hand was the only light as they walked.
Olivia kept her eyes on his back.
He hadn't spoken a word since they entered, even now, his shoulders were tense, his breathing shallow.
'He's shaking again…'
It was faint, but she could see it, the slight tremor in his hands each time he adjusted his grip on the axe.
The further they went, the heavier the air became.
When they finally emerged, the next room opened up before them like a hidden garden.
Sunlight beamed down from the ceiling's artificial sphere, reflecting off a small pond in the centre.
The grass was dotted with tiny mushrooms that swayed like they were dancing.
Olivia paused, captivated for just a second.
"It's like paradise…"
Then the mushrooms moved.
Her staff snapped upward.
"Alex, left!"
Before the warning finished, three of the mushrooms had already inflated, spewing clouds of violet gas.
Alex stepped forward, his sword slicing through two of them, while Soren silently crushed the third under his axe.
More appeared from the grass; small, round-bodied creatures with stubby legs and gaping mouths.
"Shroomies," Olivia muttered.
She began praying immediately, the silver light in her palm shimmering.
"My shield is my weapon. My shield is my strength. My Goddess protects me. 「Divine Barrier」"
The faint white light expanded outward, forming a dome of light around the group.
The spores that hit it sizzled, dissolving harmlessly.
Alex charged again, cutting down another Shroomie.
Their gooey bodies burst apart, leaving behind faintly glowing spores that drifted upward.
Soren moved like a phantom between them, each swing of his axe clean and exact.
He didn't even seem to register the chaos; his movements were too deliberate, too practised.
Olivia felt her stomach tighten.
'He's fighting like he's trying to erase something.'
It was mechanical, almost obsessive.
The fight lasted less than a minute.
When it ended, Soren wiped the blade of his axe with a piece of cloth and turned toward the next tunnel.
"Wait," Olivia said, catching her breath. "Let's rest a second—"
"No time."
That was all he said.
She bit her lip but followed anyway, staff held close.
As they stepped into the next passage, the sound of dripping water echoed faintly ahead.
The air was growing colder.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Soren Arden POV
The tunnel opened into a larger chamber.
Water dripped steadily from the ceiling, forming shallow puddles across the uneven floor.
The air was thick with moisture, the scent of moss and soil mixing into something sharp and earthy.
Each drop echoed faintly, marking a rhythm that Soren's heartbeat unconsciously matched.
He stepped forward, testing the ground with his boot before signalling the others to follow.
"Watch your footing," he said quietly.
Alex nodded, and Olivia murmured an acknowledgement.
Soren's mind was already dissecting the room.
The patches of grass near the centre were denser than elsewhere.
The tall vines coiled around the far wall could easily hide ambushers.
Three vines twitched, one too early.
Soren raised his buckler.
"Front," he whispered.
Before Alex could react, a briarthorn burst from the grass, its vine-like body whipping forward.
The blow struck the buckler with a loud crack, forcing Soren back a step.
He gritted his teeth and countered, swinging his axe in a horizontal arc.
The glowing blade cleaved through the vine, sap splattering his arm.
Two more briarthorns emerged, writhing toward them like snakes.
"Left—!" Olivia's voice carried from behind.
Soren pivoted, cutting through one.
The other lashed out, wrapping around his forearm.
The thorned texture bit into his skin; he ignored the pain, slamming his buckler against it repeatedly until the vine loosened.
"Burn it!" Alex shouted.
Soren responded without thinking.
"「Ignition」"
The palm burst into flames, and he swung it in a short arc.
The creature screeched as its body ignited, burning away into blackened ash.
The others followed his movements seamlessly now; Alex intercepting lunging vines, Olivia's incantations covering them at every opportunity.
Each step they took forward was calculated.
Each motion, mechanical.
When the last briarthorn fell still, Soren lowered his weapon, scanning again for movement.
"Area clear," he said.
"...You sure?" Alex asked, wiping sweat from his brow.
Soren nodded.
"Nothing left."
He didn't wait for more conversation; his focus had already moved to the next tunnel.
Alex watched him in silence.
"He's not even breathing hard"' he muttered under his breath.
But that wasn't quite true; Soren was breathing fast, just shallow.
They followed him once more, moving into the next passage.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Alex POV
The tunnel walls were narrower here.
The roots seemed to close in around them, their texture rough like bark.
Every so often, the light from the artificial sun flickered, giving the illusion of a cloudy sky.
Alex walked ahead this time, keeping his sword drawn.
His boots splashed quietly through puddles that reflected the glowing ceiling.
Far behind him, Olivia was quiet.
Soren moved like a shadow, always just far enough to seem untouchable.
'He hasn't said more than three words since we started.'
He only pointed, gestured, and advanced.
They passed through another small tunnel and stepped into a wide clearing.
The sunlight above was dimmer here, with a green tint.
Massive roots crossed overhead, dripping water in steady streams.
And everywhere they looked were flowers.
Dozens of them.
Blue, pink, violet, all perfectly in bloom.
The air was heavy with their scent.
"...This looks bad," Alex muttered.
Olivia nodded.
"They look like Florids."
"Yeah."
He took a slow step forward, sword raised.
The grass beneath his boot shifted, not from his movement, but something beneath.
He reacted instinctively, slashing downward.
A vine snapped apart with a hiss.
That was all it took.
The flowers around them began to move, twisting their stems and curling their petals outward to reveal rows of needle-like thorns.
"Formation!" Alex called.
Olivia immediately raised a defensive barrier, her divine power shimmering around them like a thin veil.
Soren was already on the offensive, charging forward before the Florids could release their spores.
He swung his hand horizontally, the flames of [Ignition] lighting up the room.
Each burst of flames left behind a trail of smoke and burning petals.
Alex followed up, slashing through the stems of any survivors.
A vine shot toward Olivia; she ducked, palm glowing, releasing a burst of wind that sent spores scattering harmlessly.
"Keep your distance!" she shouted. "Their toxins—"
"I know," Alex replied, cutting down another monster.
The battle raged for less than two minutes.
The monsters were weak individually, but they attacked relentlessly, thrashing like beasts possessed.
When it was finally over, the floor was littered with smouldering plants. The air smelled faintly of smoke and sap.
Alex lowered his sword, chest heaving slightly.
"That was close."
Soren didn't answer.
He stood still, staring at the corpses as if waiting for something.
His fingers twitched against the axe handle.
"...Soren?" Olivia asked quietly.
He blinked once, then finally spoke.
"Move. More ahead."
His voice was flat, like he was reciting a fact rather than giving an order.
Alex frowned but nodded.
"Alright. Let's go."
They moved on.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Olivia POV
The next room was darker.
The magical "sun" above them flickered constantly, creating shifting shadows that crawled across the walls.
Water dripped everywhere now, soaking into the grass and turning the soil to mud.
'A rain room,' Olivia thought. 'That means…'
Her heart sank.
Every time they had crossed a rain room, the monsters had been worse.
Almost immediately, the ground began to move.
Roots erupted upward, twisting together into the shape of a humanoid; A full-grown Ent, its bark glistening with water.
Behind it, two briarthorns uncoiled from the walls.
Soren's palm ignited again, the fire dim against the rain.
"I'll handle the Ent."
"Got it!" Alex shouted, stepping forward to intercept the vines.
Olivia extended her hand, casting two minor blessings in quick succession: Endurance on Soren and Agility on Alex.
The Ent's massive hand swung downward.
Soren ducked under it and struck upward at its elbow, forcing a crack to spread through the wet bark, then he cast the spell in his palm; steam rose as fire met water.
Olivia held her focus steady, maintaining a shield around the group even as vines lashed toward her from the side.
The fight dragged on longer than before.
The rain slowed their movements, the ground slippery and uneven.
Soren never stopped moving.
Each strike was exact, cutting through weak points he seemed to identify throughout the fight.
Even when his hand trembled, his aim never faltered.
When the Ent finally fell with a heavy thud, the others quickly followed.
Olivia released a long breath.
"That was… tougher than usual."
Alex nodded, panting slightly.
"Yeah…"
Soren didn't answer.
He just stared at the corpse, expression unreadable.
Olivia stepped closer, lowering her staff.
"Soren, maybe we should rest—"
"No."
The response was instant.
She bit back her words and nodded, knowing that they were the ones who had chosen to follow him.
"Okay."
There was no reasoning with him like this.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Alex POV
They stopped briefly in the next room, not to rest, but to regroup.
Olivia was sitting on a stone, quietly using a healing incantation to close the shallow cuts along Soren's arm.
He didn't even flinch.
Alex watched silently.
Soren's eyes never left the tunnel ahead, even while being healed.
It was as if he couldn't stop thinking, or maybe, couldn't afford to.
'He's going to burn himself out at this rate.'
Alex sheathed his sword and stood beside him.
"You're not planning to stop until we reach the end, are you?"
Soren's answer was short.
"No point stopping."
"...You realise we're not being chased, right?"
Soren didn't respond.
His jaw tightened slightly, but that was it.
Olivia finished the healing and stood.
"We're ready when you are."
Soren nodded once, then started walking again.
The next tunnel was shorter and narrower, with roots closing in tighter than before.
The air was hot, heavy with mana.
Each step forward made it harder to breathe.
Alex tightened his grip on his sword as they reached the exit.
Beyond it was a massive chamber, far larger than any they had seen.
The "sun" above was greenish-gold, illuminating a field of ancient trees and tangled vines.
At the very centre stood a single enormous tree, its trunk wide enough to swallow a house whole.
Its roots spread across the entire floor, pulsing faintly with mana.
The air trembled with energy.
Alex stared.
"That's—"
Soren finished his thought quietly.
"The Elder Ent."
The boss.
The final guardian of the Verdant Hollow.
Alex exhaled slowly, drawing his sword once more.
"Then let's finish this."
Soren stepped forward, tightening his grip on the axe.
His hand trembled once, then steadied.
Then, together, they stepped into the boss room.
————「❤︎」————