Wind howled through the fractured corridors of the Upper Tether Spire. The air was thinner here, colder, carrying whispers of storms circling high above the ancient structure. The group ascended the staircase carved directly into the inner wall, its surface illuminated by faint root-vein patterns glowing softly under their steps.
No one spoke for a while.
Ren's thoughts were still tethered to Kareth.
The Seeder who came before. The one who failed—not because he was weak, but because the world hadn't been ready. The information Ren had inherited from him was already weaving itself into the system's architecture.
SYSTEM NOTICE: Spire Beacon Access Approaching
Warning: Environment—Unstable Wind Currents
Status: Mid-tier Corruption Threads Present
Seeder Path Suggested: Stay on Rooted Steps
He slowed his pace.
"The system says there's corruption nearby," he said, voice low.
Ilis nodded. "It's thin here. Old. But dangerous if disturbed."
Kael kept one hand on his blade. "The type that hides until you make noise?"
"Exactly," Ilis replied.
They reached a platform halfway up the spire. A fractured wall let them see the sky—dark clouds churned above, and far on the horizon, something massive pulsed beneath the clouds. A black tower? A stormfront?
No one knew for sure.
Meka stepped onto the platform first, scanning. "We should rest here. Check the system. Let it recalibrate."
Ren agreed. He called up his panel.
A warm shimmer rippled through the air as the system interface activated—forming a visible screen in front of him. It hovered like a hologram, slightly tilted, marked with gold filaments and rooted lines.
SEED OF RENEWAL – SYSTEM INTERFACE
Status: Active Sync 78%
Thread Capacity: 12/15
Inventory:
– [Soulbound Blade – Rootsteel Variant]
– [Healer's Root Tonic – x3]
– [Echo Fragments – x5]
– [Map Node Key – Sector V]
Abilities:
– Thread Pull (Active)
– Insight Pulse (Passive)
– Anchor Step (Passive)
– Ember Suppression (Limited Use)
System Messages:
New Seeder Archive Unlocked – "Echo Record: Kareth"
Corruption Tracking Beacon Available
Root Nexus Access Deferred – Requires Purified Thread
Note: Seedline stabilization required before accessing the next tier of Seeder Code.
Ilis leaned over. "What's this 'Corruption Tracking Beacon'?"
Ren tapped it.
A section of the platform floor lit up—an old pillar cracked with time began to hum. The system flowed into it like water, reforming its structure temporarily. From the top, a rotating ring emerged, scanning slowly.
SIGNAL RANGE: 12 KM
RESULTS:
– 4 Minor Corruption Threads Detected
– 1 Dormant Corruption Core: Location Unknown
– 1 Signal Interference Node – Identity: Unknown Origin
Meka stepped back. "Wait. What's a signal interference node?"
"Something that doesn't want us to hear what's really going on," Kael muttered.
Ilis looked to Ren. "Could be natural. Could be someone trying to hide from the system."
Ren nodded, already accessing deeper logs. "The interference isn't masking us. It's… trying to reach us."
The beacon pulsed again.
A thin signal line traced into the distance—barely perceptible. The moment it formed, static flooded the system screen.
Then a voice. Fragmented, but undeniably real.
"…you're…not…alone…"
Everyone turned toward Ren.
"…look for…Zurein…he holds the—"
The signal collapsed.
SYSTEM NOTICE: Unauthorized External Input Detected
Source: Masked Location – Signal Integrity 17%
Repeat Access: Requires Signal Beacon Tier II
Kael broke the silence. "Zurein?"
Ilis frowned. "Old name. Pre-fall. He was a system architect… or maybe one of the hidden Keepers."
Ren closed the interface. "Whoever he is, he knows about the Seeder line. And he's still out there."
Meka clicked her tongue. "Or he was. That signal could've been decades old."
"Or it's from someone trapped behind the corruption wall," Ren said. "Either way, we have to find out."
A distant crack of thunder shook the tower.
Lightning forked across the sky, illuminating the shadow of a structure in the far distance. It wasn't natural—straight lines, layered walls, and a strange vertical pillar carved in the shape of a human hand reaching toward the heavens.
"That's the next destination," Ilis murmured.
Ren's seed pulsed.
NEW QUEST NODE: Path of the Forgotten Architect
Objective: Locate the Signal Source
Region: Westline Ruin Verge
Danger Tier: High
Suggested Team Formation: Minimum Tier 3 Threads Required
Kael grinned. "Guess we're going west."
The group left the platform as the storm winds began to rise.
The spire loomed above, but Ren knew they were already beyond its core. The answers now waited elsewhere—in the forgotten edges, where old names still whispered through corrupted systems.
And in the silence that followed, the Seed of Renewal hummed once more.