It stumbled, looking confused. It growled and took one more angry step forward.
THWUMP!
It was thrown backward like a doll, landing hard on its back.
The monster threw its head back and roared, but the sound was different this time.
The anger was still there, but it was mixed with a high-pitched sound of confusion and... fear.
For a long moment, the only sound was the wind in the branches and the monster's heavy breathing.
All over the tree, people who had been holding their breath let it out in shaky, quiet gasps.
Scott stared down, a small, rare smile touched his lips.
"It's the power of the immortal God's statue and the Heartwood Tree," he said, his voice soft as he already expected this outcome. "The Immortal Gods are still protecting us."
While praising he looked down toward the center of their camp, at the hidden corner built deep into the mountain rock and the tree's thickest roots.
There was a small human shaped rock statue, placed on top of the roots of the Heartwood tree with multiple incense sticks burning in front of the statue.
"The Immortal God's statue... combined with the wind barrier. It's keeping the creatures born from the Decay out." Leo, who had been hiding behind Scott, peeked out.
His face although pale, his eyes were wide with awe.
He put his hands together and bowed his head a little. "Praise to the Immortal Gods," he whispered.
All around them, on other platforms, people who had seen the miracle were doing the same, whispering quiet prayers of thanks.
They were safe.
But the feeling didn't last long. The giant zombie got to its feet.
It didn't leave.
It began to pace, back and forth, like a caged animal, always staying just outside that invisible line.
Its hungry eyes, glowing with a faint orange light, never left their homes in the tree.
Its anger grew. It roared again and again, the sound bouncing off the mountains.
It couldn't cross the line, but it couldn't stand to leave the food it saw.
Suddenly, it let out a shriek of pure, angry frustration.
It bent down, ripped a huge chunk of rock from the mountain side and, with a grunt that sounded like it tore its own throat, threw it at them.
The boulder flew through the air, unfortunately this time the air barrier created by the Heartwood tree didn't act on the boulder, as it came spinning straight for the lower branches with huge force.
Everything happened so fast for anyone to react, however just as it was about to hit, an arrow shot out of the darkness of the camp.
It hit the stone perfectly, and the rock just... broke apart.
It turned into dust and small pebbles that fell harmlessly to the ground.
The zombie stomped its feet in fury, making the ground shake.
It started grabbing anything it could find—more rocks, big clumps of glowing mushrooms, whole logs ripped from the ground—and threw them, one after another, at the Heartwood Tree.
But each time, an arrow or a bolt from a spore-slinger would shoot out and blast the flying object to bits before it could reach them.
Leo let out a long, shaky breath he didn't know he was holding. He wiped sweat from his face with a dirty sleeve.
"So... we're safe? For now?" he asked, his voice rough.
He watched Jorunn, a few platforms over, calmly shoot another rock out of the air.
He looked back at Scott, his fear mixing with wonder. "It can't get in... but it's not leaving, is it?"
"What do we do? Just... wait here until it gets tired?"
Scott didn't answer immediately. He watched the creature below, his eyes narrowing as he tracked the infected spore veins pulsing on the monster's massive shoulders.
"It won't get tired," Scott said, his tone grim. "It's a zombie. It doesn't feel fatigue. And we can't just wait."
"Why not?" Leo asked, his voice pitching up slightly. " The barrier works perfectly! We also have enough food and water. We can just wait for sunrise."
"Listen," Scott shook his head as he spoke, pointing a finger towards the dark, churning forest beyond the clearing.
Leo fell silent. Underneath the angry roars of the tiger-headed giant, there were other sounds.
Rustling, chirping and distant howls.
Scott explained, his face hard. "Every time it roars, it tells every predator within five miles that there is prey here."
"High Ordered Spore beasts are easily attracted to agitation and noise. If we leave it alive, by morning, we won't just be dealing with one giant. We'll be under siege by a whole swarm."
A heavy thud landed on the wooden planks beside them.
It was Jorunn. She looked calm, but there was a sheen of sweat on her forehead. She tapped the quiver on her back.
"I have twelve heavy-impact arrows left," she said, her voice clipped and professional.
"The spore-slingers are running low on ammo, too. We can keep knocking rocks out of the air for maybe another twenty minutes. After that, those boulders are going to start smashing through living rooms."
She looked at Scott. "This beast already figured that the barrier can only act on itself and planned to destroy the Source Tree. We need to put it down fast"
Scott nodded. He was a First Order Sporeborn.
His body was stronger, his blood richer with the hemocyanin that allowed him to process the air of Sporos.
But even with his strength, jumping down there to fight a creature that was comparable to a Second Order monster hand-to-hand was suicide.
He looked at the monster again. It was winding up for another throw, digging its claws into a massive chunk of granite.
"Its hide is too thick for standard arrows," Scott analyzed, thinking fast. "And the regenerative moss growing on its back will heal any small cuts we make."
He took a deep breath. "It's already night, we can't escape into the dark… Go. Wake the three Elders. Now."
Leo's eyes went wide. Waking the Elders was not something you did lightly.
They were the most powerful Sporeborn belonging to their small camp, their connection to the Heartwood Tree so deep that they could enter a long rest, a stasis, to heal wounds and slow their aging.
Unlike Scott who became a First Order sporeborn not long ago, each one of them is at least a middle or peak First Order sporeborn.
"The Elders?" Leo whispered, the name itself spoken with deep respect. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," Scott said, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Tell them what's happening. Inform them that a peak First Order Zombie has us trapped. Go!"
Without another word, Leo turned and scrambled down the ladder, his movements quick.
The shouts and cries from below had quieted down to fearful whispers.
Families huddled in their homes, their faces pressed against the myco-glass windows, watching the monster rage outside.
The air was thick with the smell of fear and the damp earth kicked up by the zombie.
Leo moved through the winding paths and rope bridges, his feet barely making a sound.
He passed Maria, who was standing guard outside a large, sealed door carved into the main trunk.
"Are the children safe?" Leo asked, his voice low.
"They're fine," Maria answered, not taking her eyes off the path leading down. "Jorunn had someone keep them calm. What did Scott say? What is that thing?"
"It's a large Zombie," Leo said grimly. "He sent me to wake the Elders."
Maria's tough look melted for a second, replaced by deep worry.
"The Elders… Then it's that bad." She nodded once, her resolve returning. "Go. Be quick."
Leo continued his descent, going deeper into the heart of their home, past the living quarters and down into the roots of the Heartwood Tree itself, where it grew into the mountain.
The wooden paths gave way to smooth, worn stone.
The air grew warmer here, and smelled of rich soil and sweet pollen.
He came to a round, heavy door made of hardened, thick wood, with no handles or locks.
Dense hair-like roots covered its surface.
This was the entrance to the Resting Chamber.
Leo placed his palm flat against the center of the door. He closed his eyes, focusing his thoughts, sending a silent mental through to the Heartwood Tree.
A low hum vibrated through the wood, and with a soft grinding sound, the massive door slid sideways into the wall.
The room inside was circular and dimly lit by a soft, green light coming from moss that grew in patterns on the walls.
In the center of the chamber, three large, seed-like pods rested on the stone floor.
They were made of living wood and woven roots, and thick, vein-like roots connected them directly to the core of the Heartwood Tree.
A soft, slow pulse of light beat within each pod, like a steady heartbeat.
Leo walked to the center of the room, his heart pounding in his chest.