Location: Valley of Roots – Day 44 in Atheria
The air was different here.
Not heavy like the magma lands. Not sharp like the mountain wind. It was deep—layered, slow, humming beneath the ground like a sleeping beast. Birds chirped softly overhead. The smell of moss and ancient bark hung thick in the breeze.
They had entered the Valley of Roots, a massive canyon turned forest, where trees grew so tall they vanished into mist. Their trunks were wider than buildings, their bark carved with old songs no one remembered.
Jiwoo led the way, system window open beside his vision.
> [Fifth System Key Detected – Earth Sector]
[Vault Location: Heartroot Chamber – Below 120 meters]
[Guardian Signature: Passive | Memory Locked]
"It's under the roots," he said softly. "Way down."
---
Whispers in the Forest
As they walked, strange things began to happen.
Yoori saw a flower bloom only to wither a moment later—then bloom again.
Solace stepped on stone, and it sang a note only she could hear.
Baek reached into his bag for a snack… and found one that hadn't been there before.
"This forest remembers things," Mirae murmured.
"No," Eunsol whispered, touching the bark of an old tree. "It echoes them."
---
The Descent Begins
Eventually, they reached a hollow between three enormous trees. A spiral staircase, carved of stone and root, led downward into the earth. Faint green light pulsed along the walls, like veins of moss glowing with heartbeats.
The deeper they went, the quieter it became.
At 50 meters, there was no sound.
At 100 meters, not even breath.
At 120 meters, they arrived.
---
Heartroot Chamber
The Heartroot Chamber was a vast cavern with living roots hanging from the ceiling and glowing stones sprouting from the floor like crystals. At the center stood a pedestal covered in vines. A golden charm pulsed softly, buried inside the wood.
But no guardian appeared.
Instead, a wall of roots parted, revealing a seat made of soil and bone.
And in it…
Sat an old man made of bark and moss.
His eyes were closed. His chest rose and fell slowly, as if asleep.
Then… they opened.
"...You've come," he said, voice like wind through dry leaves.
"I am Thorne, last Rootwarden of Atheria."
---
Trial of Patience
"You seek the Earth Key?" Thorne asked. "Then sit. And grow."
He gestured to the ground.
No monsters. No traps. No riddles.
Just... sit.
Baek blinked. "That's it?"
Solace narrowed her eyes. "It won't be that simple."
But Jiwoo sat.
And waited.
The others followed.
Minutes passed.
Then an hour.
Then two.
They didn't speak. Didn't move.
And slowly, the forest responded.
Roots shifted. Soil hummed. A slow pulse filled the air—like the world's heartbeat syncing with their own.
> [System Update – Earth Domain Recognizing Soul Pattern]
[Attunement in Progress…]
---
Visions of Memory
As Jiwoo closed his eyes, the forest entered his mind.
And he saw.
His childhood apartment in Korea.
His little sister feeding him burnt rice with a shy smile.
The empty fridge. The broken umbrella.
The rainy night he got rejected.
The ATM screen flashing $999,000,000,000,000,000,000,000...
The forest didn't judge.
It simply remembered with him.
And slowly, it accepted him.
---
The Key Awakens
The moss around the pedestal retracted.
The charm rose into the air.
A golden leaf-shaped emblem, etched with spiral roots.
Jiwoo stood, walked forward, and took it.
> [Fifth System Key Acquired – Earth Sector Unlocked]
4 Remaining.
Thorne watched with tired eyes.
"You walk with fire, wind, sky, water, and now earth."
Jiwoo nodded.
"I walk to understand them."
Thorne smiled. "Then walk carefully. You are not the first to seek all nine."
Jiwoo's brow twitched. "Who else?"
But Thorne only closed his eyes.
And turned back to stone.
---
Back to the Surface
The climb back up was quiet.
As they emerged from the canyon floor, the sun broke through the forest canopy in golden rays.
The wind was soft.
Birds sang again.
Baek sighed, stretching. "Okay. Earth key's mine next time."
Jihae chuckled. "You were asleep halfway through."
"Exactly. I passed with style."
Solace, watching Jiwoo, said quietly, "What did you see?"
"Everything I needed to remember," he replied.
Mirae asked, "What's next?"
Jiwoo's system answered for him.
> [Next Key Signal Located: LIGHT SECTOR]
[Location: City of Mirrors – Atherian West]
[Guardian Signature: Blinding Presence Detected]
---
Final Scene – That Night
Jiwoo sat by himself on a fallen tree trunk, gazing at the golden leaf charm.
Five charms now glowed on his wrist.
The bracelet was warm.
Alive.
He remembered Thorne's final words:
> "You are not the first."
He opened his system.
> [Would you like to access Legacy Traces of Previous Sovereigns?]
[Y/N]
He hovered over Yes.
But didn't press it.
Not yet.
> First, he wanted to meet the one guarding Light.
---