The grand council chamber smelled of old incense, dampness, and people who had spent far too many nights sleeping poorly.
The nobles argued throughout the hall. Some remained standing; others leaned over tables covered with maps and reports.
Many had dark circles beneath their eyes.
Others could barely hide their exhaustion beneath their elegant clothes.
The war, the mutations, and the collapse of several regions had finally reached them, even inside the castle.
And the subject dominating every conversation was always the same.
Mana.
No one saw it as a blessing anymore.
Now it was a threat that no one truly understood.
Finally, Queen Adelaine spoke.
Her voice was not loud, but it was enough to make the entire hall fall silent.
—Mana has reached a critical point.
No one answered.
Some nobles lowered their gazes.
Others remained completely still.
They had all seen the signs over the past few months.
Entire forests changing shape within weeks.
Trees twisting into impossible spirals, growing through roads and villages.
Rivers with a purple glow appearing across their surfaces during the night.
New creatures being born far too quickly, as if the world itself had begun mutating alongside them.
No one wanted to say it aloud.
But they all understood the same thing.
This was only the beginning.
Amid the tension, Sophia Douglas remained seated with her back straight and her gaze firm.
She did not appear intimidated by the murmurs or the fear spreading through the room.
Unlike many other territories in the kingdom, the Duchy of Douglas was still functioning.
Its trade routes remained active.
Its fields continued producing food.
And the refugees arriving from other regions did not find a collapsed territory, but one that seemed to have prepared in advance for what was happening.
That difference had already begun to attract far too much attention.
Sophia slowly stood.
Her calm contrasted sharply with the noise that had dominated the chamber for the past few minutes.
—Panic will not save anyone.
The conversations gradually died down.
—But there are still ways to resist.
Many nobles raised their heads.
Sophia continued:
—My son and I have spent months developing crops capable of growing in mana-saturated environments.
She paused briefly.
—They do not survive despite the changes.
—They adapt to them.
Several expressions changed.
—These varieties can produce fruit consistently even in areas where normal crops are already dying. Their growth is also rapid, and they can be cultivated on a large scale if properly managed.
This time, the murmur that swept through the chamber was different.
There was less fear.
And something resembling hope.
Then Count Daniel Carter stepped forward.
Many recognized him immediately.
His territory had been one of the first to suffer severe losses because of the mutations.
—I confirm everything the Duchess has just said.
His voice was firm.
—Duke Lusian sent those plants to my lands months ago. Our crops were dying. Now they are producing again.
He paused briefly.
—The fruit is safe. The mana corruption does not affect them, and production increases rapidly.
The effect was immediate.
Several nobles began speaking at once.
—We need those seeds!
—My territory can pay whatever is necessary!
—The northern villages have no reserves left!
—Duchess, please, help us!
The desperation in their voices was impossible to hide.
Sophia raised one hand.
Little by little, the chamber fell silent again.
—And that brings us to the second innovation developed in the duchy.
She paused.
—Stone Plants.
Several nobles frowned.
Sophia pointed toward the maps.
—During our research, we discovered mutated species capable of merging with mineral structures. Their roots can penetrate stone and crystallize within it, forming a stable network.
The chamber's attention became absolute.
—These plants absorb part of the mana accumulated in their surroundings.
One noble slowly nodded.
—Then they can cleanse contaminated areas.
Sophia shook her head.
—Not exactly.
The man froze.
—They can extract part of the ambient mana and concentrate it within the plant itself.
The murmuring disappeared.
Sophia continued:
—Stone Plants use that mana to grow and, at the same time, generate an extremely dense mana field around themselves.
She pointed to one of the maps.
—That field has two effects.
—What are they? —one of the councilors asked.
—First, it strengthens the structure where they grow. The crystallized roots act as a network that reinforces the stone from within.
—And the second?
Sophia remained silent for a few seconds.
—It keeps monsters away.
Several nobles exchanged glances.
—Creatures avoid areas where the mana concentration reaches certain levels. We still do not fully understand why, but our tests show that the more developed the plant becomes, the larger the area monsters avoid.
This time, expressions of excitement appeared.
—Then they could protect entire cities.
Sophia did not answer immediately.
Instead, she picked up a small crystal object resting on the table.
—They could.
She placed it back in its place.
—But there is a problem.
The excitement slowly faded.
—What kind of problem? —someone asked.
—The same mechanism that keeps the monsters away.
Sophia pointed toward the map.
—The more mana the plant absorbs, the denser the field it produces becomes.
She paused.
—And there comes a point when that field stops being beneficial to humans.
Several nobles began to frown.
—What happens?
—Prolonged exposure causes mana poisoning.
The chamber fell completely silent.
—The symptoms appear slowly. First fatigue. Then headaches, nausea, difficulty concentrating...
Sophia lowered her gaze toward the map.
—And if the exposure continues, the body begins accumulating damage that can eventually result in death.
One of the nobles swallowed.
—Then...
—Yes.
Sophia interrupted him before he could finish.
—A Stone Plant that is not properly maintained can eventually turn a protected area into a place where humans cannot live.
No one seemed quite as enthusiastic anymore.
—And how do you control it?
—By pruning it.
The answer was simple.
—The branches, roots, and crystallized formations that reach a certain size must be removed regularly. If we keep the plant within the proper limits, it absorbs excess mana and maintains a stable defensive field.
—It is not enough to simply plant them.
Sophia looked around the chamber.
—Every city that uses them will need teams dedicated exclusively to their pruning and maintenance.
—How often?
—It depends on the mana concentration. In the duchy, some require attention every few days.
One noble went pale.
—Every few days?
—If you stop, the plant will continue growing.
Sophia paused.
—And by the time you realize it has grown too much, it may already be too late.
Sophia paused briefly.
—If we allow it to grow unchecked, the field becomes too dense.
—And then the monsters keep their distance?
—Yes.
Some nobles looked confused.
Sophia looked directly at them.
—That is precisely the problem.
The chamber fell silent.
—The monsters stay away.
She paused.
—And we should stay away too.
No one laughed.
Sophia continued:
—Stone Plants are not a definitive solution. They are a tool that must be managed.
She pointed toward the maps again.
—They can protect a city.
—They can reinforce its walls.
—They can reduce mana pressure in certain areas.
She paused one final time.
—But if used without control, they can become another threat.
A councilor slowly raised his hand.
—Then... how dangerous are they?
Sophia thought for a few seconds before answering.
—Imagine a medicine.
Everyone remained attentive.
—In the correct dose, it can save a life.
Her eyes swept across the chamber.
—In too high a dose, it can kill.
The comparison seemed to hang in the air.
—Stone Plants work the same way.
No one spoke for several seconds.
Finally, Sophia continued:
—That is why we will not simply hand out seeds and let them grow. Every territory that receives Stone Plants must agree to cultivation, pruning, and removal protocols.
—Removal?
—If a plant exceeds the established limits, it must be removed.
—Even if it protects the city better?
Sophia answered without hesitation.
—Especially then.
The noble fell silent.
Sophia looked at everyone present.
—A city protected from monsters is useless if its inhabitants die from staying inside it.
This time, no one argued.
The atmosphere in the chamber had changed.
Hope was still there.
But now it was accompanied by something far more important.
Caution.
Stone Plants were not a miraculous solution.
They were another dangerous tool in a world that seemed to offer less and less room for mistakes every day.
Sophia finally returned to her seat.
—We will share both technologies.
The nobles raised their eyes.
—The adapted crops can be distributed relatively quickly.
She paused.
—The Stone Plants will be different.
She pointed toward the documents her assistants had placed on the table.
—There will be precise instructions on where they may be planted, how large they can grow, and when they must be pruned.
—And what if someone ignores the instructions?
Sophia raised her gaze.
—Then they will be putting their own population at risk.
Silence.
—And we will not allow a tool created to protect the kingdom to end up killing it.
For the first time in weeks, the chamber was not discussing how to prevent the disaster.
They were discussing how to manage it.
And at that moment, that was the closest thing to hope they could afford.
Several kilometers from the capital, deep within the Grayish Forest, three adventurers rested after a quiet hunt.
Rusk, a level 48 warrior, carried the corpse of a manatic elk over his shoulder as he walked between the trees.
Behind him walked Mara, a level 45 mage, and Finn, a level 42 archer.
The area had been considered safe for months.
The manatic elk rarely attacked, and their meat had become extremely valuable in Acrópolis.
—I told you this place was perfect —Finn commented as he cleaned an arrow. —These things don't even fight unless you bother them.
Mara let out a small laugh.
—Sure. Just like two days ago, when one almost impaled you with a single strike.
—That was because I sneezed!
—That doesn't make your defense any better.
Rusk burst out laughing.
—We should be grateful that the mana only made these beasts bigger. If this keeps up, we can hunt here for months.
Then the forest fell silent.
It was not a normal silence.
The insects stopped making noise.
The wind disappeared.
Even the trees seemed to become completely still.
Mara was the first to stop.
—...Did you hear that?
The ground trembled beneath their feet.
A crack split the earth a few meters from the group.
Something began emerging from below.
First came an enormous hand, covered in dark skin hardened like burned stone.
Then the rest of the body emerged.
The creature was far too large.
Far too strange.
Its eyes were completely empty, as if there were nothing alive behind them.
Finn went pale as he felt the pressure of its mana.
—No...
He took a step backward.
—It can't be...
Rusk dropped the elk's corpse.
He did not take his eyes off the creature.
—That shouldn't exist this close to the capital...
Finn slowly stepped backward.
—Monsters of that level appear in restricted zones...
His voice began to tremble.
—Not here.
The creature opened its mouth.
A roar shook the entire forest.
The three of them realized at the same time that the hunt was over.
And that the area they had believed to be safe no longer existed.
At the same time, in the grand council chamber, the discussions abruptly stopped.
The doors burst open.
A messenger stumbled inside.
He was covered in mud, dried blood, and dust.
He could barely breathe.
—Monsters...!
He struggled to remain standing.
—Monsters between level seventy... and eighty... have appeared south of the capital!
The entire chamber froze.
—The border cities...
The messenger swallowed.
—They fell.
Some nobles stared at him without understanding.
Others began to turn pale.
—It all happened within a matter of hours.
The words fell over the chamber like a sentence.
Then several of the royal sages stood almost simultaneously.
The sound of chairs scraping across the floor was the only noise for several moments.
Queen Adelaine spoke first.
And this time, even her voice seemed to tremble.
—If the increase continues at the same rate...
She paused.
No one breathed.
—Humanity could disappear in less than two years.
The silence that followed was absolute.
No one argued.
No one shouted.
Because they finally understood what those past few months had meant.
The mutations.
The beasts.
The forests.
The mana.
They were not separate crises.
They were symptoms of something far greater.
And that...
was only the beginning.