Seeds of Something Greater
The sun had shifted by the time Yuji Kazehaya emerged from the jagged mouth of the cave.
His body limped forward, bruised and disoriented, his footsteps uneven and shallow. The air smelled cleaner outside, laced with jungle humidity and something oddly metallic. Yet Yuji barely noticed. His mind had not yet returned from where it had gone. The realm of Ara—that overwhelming storm of green fire and ancient wisdom—still echoed inside him like a dream that refused to fade.
His Dark Element, once always whispering in his mind like a snake behind glass, had gone silent.
Dead silent.
Yuji staggered to a stop, placing one hand against a tree trunk. "Why aren't you talking?" he whispered aloud. No response. Not even a pulse of emotion. It was like that dark presence had been smothered. Or scared.
He shook the thought away. This wasn't the time.
> "There are only six days left," he reminded himself. *"Six days before the Grand Treasure Hunt ends. I need to find something. Anything."
And so he ran.
Despite his body still recovering, Yuji forced himself into motion. Hours passed as he sprinted, climbed, slid down rocky slopes, and carved his way through densely packed trees. Every movement screamed. But deep inside, something new burned with resilience.
Then the terrain shifted.
The forest gave way to a lush biome teeming with alien life. It was jungle-like, but nothing like the forests of Zeyrus. The trees towered like titans, their leaves large as rooftops. Bioluminescent vines dangled between the canopy like starlight threads, and the air buzzed with unseen energy.
Yuji slowed.
> "This place… is alive."
A soft voice responded in his mind.
> *"Indeed. You've entered a natural node of spirit energy. Perfect for the Green Flower Technique."
It was Ara.
Yuji nearly stumbled. "You're still here?"
> "Only as a whisper. My true form is healing. But I will guide you."
Her voice was fainter than before but warm. Like sunlight through thick leaves.
> "Listen, Yuji. You are not ready for battle. But you are ready to grow. Learn this: The Green Flower Technique."
Yuji furrowed his brow. "Green Flowers?"
> "They are supportive manifestations of my flame. Not offensive. But incredibly valuable for cultivation, scouting, and knowledge gathering. You can plant them using your energy, and they will take root in the ground, bonding with the area. Each one grants you cultivation boost and environmental awareness."
Yuji sat cross-legged beneath a tree, heart racing. "How many can I make?"
> "Only five for now. You are in the First Realm, Level One, Stage One. That limits your output. Each flower will cover a 30-meter radius and can telepathically link with you. They're... alive, Yuji. Adorable. Loyal. And incredibly smart."
Yuji blinked. "You're serious."
> "Try. Focus your energy. Form a seal."
Yuji drew a breath and pressed his fingers into a triangle formation. He summoned the green flame, letting it swirl into his palm. This energy was unlike anything he'd ever felt. It pulsed like nature itself—gentle yet firm, calm yet wild.
Slowly, he visualized a flower.
The flame shifted.
And then, in a burst of shimmering emerald light, a tiny glowing seed bloomed in his hand—a flower bud the size of a marble, pulsing with life.
Yuji grinned. "No way."
He tossed it gently into the soil beside him.
FWUMP.
It embedded itself instantly. A tiny stem sprouted, then bloomed into a vibrant green flower with four petals and a soft pink center. It wiggled in place.
> "Hiiiii, master!"
Yuji's jaw dropped.
> "I'm Bloomie Number One! Ready to scout, protect, and cheer!"
It had a high-pitched, adorable voice—almost cartoonish. Its petals curled like tiny fingers waving.
Yuji looked around, expecting a prank.
> "Yes," Ara whispered. *"They each develop a personality. Some are shy. Some are bold. But they are part of you."
Bloomie danced in the soil. "Scanning range activated! Jungle smells like monkeys and moss! All safe here!"
Yuji laughed. Truly laughed.
> "This... is the weirdest ability I've ever had."
> "And one of the most powerful, if cultivated well. Each Green Flower can level up just like any other skill. Five Realms. Ten Levels. Ten Stages per level. The stronger you get, the more advanced their functions become. Eventually, they can heal, camouflage, even trap enemies."
Yuji nodded slowly.
> "Having a Mythical Flame… is actually amazing."
He reached into his palm again and focused.
One by one, four more flower seeds formed and were planted around him. Each sprouted with its own cute voice and personality.
> "Bloomie Two online! Watchin' your back, boss!"
> "Bloomie Three here! I sense ants! ANTS!"
> "Four is shy... but loves you! hides"
> "Number Five is the general. Formation scan initiated."
Yuji sat in the center of a living perimeter. The five flowers formed a protective circle, each glowing with green pulses. He could feel energy surging into his body—his thoughts clearing, the minor wounds from earlier healing faster.
This wasn't just cute. This was strategic.
Yuji closed his eyes and slipped into meditation.
The flowers gently hummed in synchronization. Energy danced in and out of him. And for the first time in days, Yuji felt safe. Not alone. Not hunted. But growing.
And as he meditated, the jungle around him began to shift.
Eyes peered from the trees.
But none dared approach yet.
Because something sacred had rooted itself into the earth again.
The Green Flame had bloomed.
The Mythical Green Flame—
It was never born to destroy.
It does not scorch, nor seek to consume.
Its essence is life. Its will… is growth.
A fire not of chaos,
But of creation.
And Ara…
Even now, she remains a mystery wrapped in silence,
A thousand truths hidden beneath her calm eyes.
Who is she truly?
Not even the wind dares to whisper her full name.
But for now—
Let questions sleep, let destinies wait—
Because the Nature Path has opened.
And the journey of roots, breath, and balance… begins.
---
The Teeth Behind the Fur
The wind howled through the jagged crevice of the obsidian canyon as Aika Miyawaki and Ryen Sylvan stood before the mouth of a narrow cave, marked only by a crooked tree with its roots dipped into glowing blue moss.
"According to this treasure map," Aika said, adjusting the projection from her ADM Ring, "we're close to something... high-tier. Possibly FE or a rare cultivation orb."
Ryen's eyes narrowed. "And the energy signature is erratic. Could mean something's guarding it."
Aika shrugged and smirked. "I'm not scared of some overgrown rat. Let's move."
They entered the cave cautiously, boots brushing over damp, mossy stone. The tunnel twisted like a serpent, lit dimly by veins of luminous green crystal. Then, suddenly, the space opened into a dome-shaped cavern—easily thirty meters wide.
And there, nestled in the center, were ten adorable white rabbits.
They sat in a neat circle, their fur glowing slightly under the moss-light. Each one had big floppy ears, twitching noses, and large red eyes. One of them even tilted its head and hopped slightly closer, sniffing the air.
Aika's eyes sparkled. "Ryen... look at them! THEY'RE SO CUTE!"
He gave her a sharp glance. "Don't get too close."
"Oh come on!" she giggled, pulling out a small carrot from her supply bag. "I used to have a rabbit when I was little. Maybe they're intelligent—like Flame World spirits."
Ryen stepped forward, but his boots halted just as Aika knelt down.
She held the carrot out, smiling warmly. "Here, little guy…"
In an instant, the lead rabbit vanished.
FWOOSH.
It reappeared directly in front of Aika—moving at a speed her eyes could barely register.
Its mouth opened.
Rows upon rows of razor-sharp black teeth revealed themselves like a blooming nightmare.
Then—
SNAP!
The rabbit bit into Aika's blade as she instinctively swung in defense—shattering it like glass.
"WHAT THE—!?" she cried, stumbling back.
"MOVE!" Ryen roared, activating his ring. His sword crackled with blue energy as he slashed forward.
But the rabbit darted to the left, moving in a zig-zag blur. Its claws scraped along the stone wall, leaving long grooves like daggers had danced across it.
Then… more movement.
Eight… nine… ten… twenty.
More rabbits emerged from the dark edges of the cavern, melting out of the stone, the shadows, the walls. Some crawled upside down across the ceiling. Others landed silently behind them.
> "Formation Omega-6... they're attacking in formation!" Ryen muttered, eyes scanning their movement. "They're trained… no, they're born for this."
The rabbits moved like ghosts. Fast. Organized. Coordinated. One leapt toward Aika's chest—another toward her ankle. Ryen stepped in front of her and blocked both, but claws grazed his ribs and blood splattered on the cavern wall.
They were not cute anymore.
They were a pack of apex predators.
"HOW ARE THEY THIS FAST?!" Aika screamed, drawing her secondary blade—only for another rabbit to strike it mid-air and disarm her.
"I've read about them," Ryen growled, breathing hard, now slashed across the shoulder and chest. His coat was soaked in blood.
He slashed one rabbit mid-leap—it exploded in a burst of red mist.
But five more replaced it.
"They're called... Death Rabbits. Creatures from the old Flame World folklore. Said to be born from cursed veins, mutated by failed experiments… They stay buried under the earth, waiting for prey. Then... they swarm."
His sword clashed with another beast, sparks flying in the darkness. "They pretend to be harmless. Cute. Until they're close enough to kill."
Another rabbit leapt, digging its claws into his thigh.
He howled.
Aika staggered back, her left arm bleeding from a deep gash, watching as they circled again. Her breath came fast. "We're trapped…"
"Thousands of cuts…" Ryen whispered. "That's how they kill. Not with one strike. But a thousand."
They backed against a rocky wall. Blood dripped onto the mossy stone.
Aika's knees buckled, her voice breaking. "We… we're not going to make it, are we?"
Ryen glanced at her. For once, the confident soldier looked… unsure.
"I don't know," he said. "Where the hell is Yuji…?"
A rabbit's red eyes glinted in the darkness.
The swarm tensed.
Ready to pounce again.
---
Original World — Zeyrus
The skies above Zeyrus were pale and mute, as if the heavens themselves had held their breath. Sunlight filtered through veils of gray clouds, casting long shadows on the royal castle where silence walked with cloaked feet. Within the high tower of polished obsidian and white-gold arches, King Kael sat upon his throne—not in grandeur, but in thought. His emerald eyes, once aflame with command, were now carved with uncertainty.
The meeting room was dim, scented with wax and old parchment. Around the obsidian table sat the kingdom's highest commanders, dressed in cloaks of silver and black. Their eyes, too, were dim—watchful, wary.
"Where are they?" King Kael's voice was low, yet each syllable echoed like thunder cracking against stone. "Ryen Sylvan. Aika Miyawaki. Yuji Kazehaya. It's been many days. Not a single report. No trace. Not even a signal."
General Heian spoke first, his voice coarse. "They were last seen entering the Hunting Forest, Majesty. Based on our knowledge they were attacked by giant spider beast
Commander Li added, "We assumed a short mission. Recovery, maybe research. But now… it's as if they vanished into mist."
Kael's fingers curled upon the table's edge, veins tightening like drawn cords. "Ryen is not someone who vanishes. He is our might. Yuji is our key. Aika… she's more important than we've let anyone know."
The room fell quiet again. A slow, gathering storm of thoughts behind loyal faces. Then came the order—sharp and unquestioned.
"Dispatch scouting squadrons to the Hunting Forest immediately. Focus on where they were last spotted. I want wind-trackers, pulse sensors, Vein stabilizers—use everything."
A chorus of affirmatives rippled, and the room shifted into action. But within Kael's chest, something heavier than silence grew.
---
Far from the warmth of royal chambers, across stone valleys and over iron bridges, lay the heart of the shadow. The Shadow Vein—black as ink, pulsing like a dying heartbeat—groaned beneath the cliffs of Zeyrus.
Its edges were frayed, unstable. Fumes like ghost-fire swirled around it, defying time and gravity.
Standing before it were three figures: Commander Xian, Hakiru, and Sagaia. The wind carried no birdsong here—only whispers.
Hakiru crossed his arms, his voice clipped. "Still no signs. If Yuji, Aika, and Ryen left the forest… they didn't return here."
Sagaia frowned, his gaze locked on the trembling surface of the Shadow Vein. "They're not in Zeyrus anymore. Maybe not even in the neighboring kingdoms."
Commander Xian exhaled sharply. "We… we always assumed this world was all there is. That there's nothing beyond the Five Nations, beyond the Core and the Veins."
Sagaia turned to her slowly. "What are you suggesting?"
"I don't know what I'm suggesting." Xian's eyes gleamed with fear and awe. "But this Vein… it's no longer obeying our science. It reacts to something else. Something ancient. If it collapses—"
"We can't hold it," Hakiru finished grimly. "Not without Ryen. He's the only one who could subdue it. He was trained beyond the mortal limit."
They stood in silence, the breath of the Shadow Vein brushing their skin like the memory of death. No one spoke of it, but they all knew: if the Vein broke, Zeyrus itself might fall into its own darkness.
---
Storm boots echoed down the marble halls.
Commander Xian ran, cloak flaring behind her like a banner of war. She burst into the royal meeting chamber, heart hammering like war drums.
"Your Majesty!" she gasped. "I… I found it."
King Kael stood swiftly. "Found what?"
"In the old restricted vaults… beneath the observatory towers. A book." Her voice quivered, not from breathlessness, but from the weight of what she held in her arms.
The book was black leather, the color of starless void. Ancient symbols slithered across its cover, half-faded by time. It hummed faintly, like a distant sob.
King Kael stepped forward. "What is that…?"
Xian opened the cover with reverence and dread.
"A record of something long forgotten," she whispered. "Dark EB. Its origin… its hunger… its creators."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "Explain."
But she only looked at him, the flickering candlelight catching the tremble in her jaw.
"My King… this book doesn't speak of energy. It speaks of consciousness."
Her voice fell to a whisper. "Dark EB isn't just power… it's alive."
And as those final words fell upon the room, a low tremor rolled beneath the castle. Faint. Far away. Like a knock upon the world's final door.
—END OF CHAPTER 21