Rot Heart: A LitRPG of Rot Magic in an Ancient World (Book 1 completed)

Div and En struggled through the pain as the rootcoil serpent gobbled their spear-wielding arm. Its fangs stabbed their upper arm, injecting venom into their blood.

[En, I need you to channel Echoes of the Rot Heart for me.]

(Div! That is your…)

[Trust me!]

They didn't have time to bicker; the venom was rapidly taking effect, and their infected arm was already growing numb.

They didn't let go of their spear, even as it sank deeper into the snake's throat. But as much as they tried to wiggle it around, hoping to hurt the monster, it didn't seem to do much.

The serpent's Regeneration skill rendered the small wounds meaningless as they healed almost instantly.

(Fine, I'll do it. But make sure it's worth it.)

En hated it. Out of all their rot-attuned skills, Echoes of the Rot Heart was easily the worst. Even when it was Div channeling it, En felt the mana churn inside their Rot Heart. It made him sick, nauseous.

However, desperate times call for desperate measures. Faced with the prospect of succumbing to the snake's venom, he knew he had to brave the rot.

[You can do it, En. I will handle the rest.]

Div did his best to reassure his brother. There was a good reason why he was asking him to handle Echoes of the Rot Heart even though he was usually the one on duty.

With them and the serpent locked like they were, and Segorix not in a position to help, it was venom against rot.

And Div would make sure rot would win.

As the cursed healing power of Echoes of the Rot Heart flowed through their veins, it started repairing the damage caused by the venom.

But Div knew that it wasn't enough. The serpent's fangs were still stabbed into their arm, continuously releasing its deadly toxin. If they wanted to break free, they needed to destroy the venom.

They needed to turn the tide and infect the snake with their rot-attuned mana.

Div's control over mana was still lacking, but it was miles ahead of En's. He was the only one who could do it.

After all these months struggling with rot, Div was starting to understand the nature of his mana. The road ahead was still long, but he was able to recognize the similarities between what the venom was doing to them and rot.

But it wasn't exactly the same thing.

The venom was purely destructive. It was killing their skin, their muscles, their blood; anything it reached was dying.

But that was it.

Rot was so much more than that.

At least, it was something Div believed in his core.

As he was pondering how to best push back the venom, he noticed that under the influence of the mana from Echoes of the Rot Heart, the dead tissues created by the venom were starting to rot.

It was subtle, especially since he couldn't see what was happening with his eyes. His arm was inside the mouth of the snake, and only his mana sense could get through.

The dead skin was decomposing, leaving space for new skin to grow. But the new skin was immediately beset by the toxin.

Div observed this cycle repeat over and over.

Where did the dead skin go when it decomposed?

What was decomposition?

He focused. Deeply. Without even noticing, he closed his eyes.

All those dead tissues were disappearing. There was a noticeable amount of rot-attuned mana being created in the process, but that wasn't all.

Div could feel it.

There was something else. There had to be something else.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. Food was dead matter, not too dissimilar from his own dead tissues that he was studying now. What happened to the food when he ate? It was absorbed into his body, at least part of it.

Venomous snakes ate their prey, so even necrotic flesh had to be nutritious.

Was that the piece he was missing?

Rot was breaking down dead matter into some sort of essence.

Div felt his head spinning. Maybe it was the venom reaching his brain, but maybe… His vision of rot had been wrong all this time. It wasn't just a force of decay and destruction.

It was an essential part of the cycle of life.

Somehow, this new understanding made controlling rot-attuned mana easier. No longer did it feel like he was trying to hold back a torrent of untamable energy. It didn't make things effortless, but if he focused hard, he was able to direct rot-attuned mana where he wanted it to go.

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And he wanted it inside the venom.

One thing was clear: venom and rot were two different things. The venom seeping into his body wasn't rotting. But the first drops that had infected him were starting to show signs of decomposition.

It was minute. If not for Div's sensitivity to rot, he wouldn't have noticed. But it was definitely happening.

Venom could rot.

And if venom could rot, Div could make it rot faster.

Div tapped into the Rot Heart, making sure there was enough rot-attuned mana to keep fueling En's channeling. Then, he directed it toward the venom that had made its way deeper into their body.

The older venom broke down quickly, but the closer it was to the fangs, the harder it was for rot to take hold.

It was like trying to climb a perfectly smooth wall. With nothing to grab onto, one would just slide down.

Div needed to create an opening.

But how? He didn't know why venom was behaving like this. He didn't know what rot needed to infiltrate it.

It was frustrating. He should know. Rot was his power. His bloodline.

But Div put those thoughts aside. Now was not the time to lament himself. He could always learn more later. At the moment, what he needed was a solution.

With his Rot Heart and the ridiculous amount of rot-attuned mana it held, the obvious solution was brute force.

As long as En could maintain Echoes of the Rot Heart, the effects of the venom would be mitigated.

If Div couldn't make the venom rot fast enough, all he could do was to stop more from coming. And to achieve that, he needed to eliminate the source.

He needed to kill that snake.

Div opened his eyes and looked down at the snake biting his arm. Beast and man stared into each other's eyes in silence, neither blinking.

"Diven!" Segorix called, as he finally got rid of the dirt hindering his feet.

"Seg, pin the worm down," Div said, his voice hoarse and gaze sharp, fierce with resolve. "I don't want it to flee."

"But…"

Segorix was not convinced. Div and En cut a sorry figure; he was worried about them.

"Do it!"

Seg's expression hardened. He dropped his shield on the ground and grabbed onto the snake's body.

Div turned his attention back to his spear. It was deep inside the serpent's throat or body. If he added the length of his weapon to that of his extended arm, the tip of his spear had to be close to the monster's tail.

Since he couldn't find a way to break the venom as it poured into his body, Div would do the same and flood the serpent with rot-attuned mana.

From the tip of his spear and with the help of Rotten Spear, Div directed all his available mana into the beast's body.

At first, nothing was happening. He could sense his mana seeping into the serpent's flesh, but it was immediately cleansed by its Regeneration skill.

But Div was undeterred. He pushed his mind to the limit. It was his mana, it was his power, it was rot. He willed the mana to condense, aiming to direct the flow to a specific point.

He needed it to be more potent. To overwhelm the defenses of the snake.

If flooding its body with mana didn't work, he would decompose it piece by piece. Inch of flesh by inch of flesh. Organ by organ.

He needed more mana.

But his reserves were already being stretched, and even the endless generation the Rot Heart provided wasn't enough to keep up with his expenditures.

Div's eyes turned red. He took over the mana En was using, snapping his other half out of his trance.

(Div? What's happening?)

He didn't answer. He didn't even register En's frantic attempts to reach him.

All his concentration was dedicated to his mana.

He didn't care that without Echoes of the Rot Heart the venom was spreading through his body at an uncontrolled pace. He didn't care that his skin was gradually turning gray from the infection. He didn't care that he couldn't feel the arm that was inside the snake's maw.

All he cared about was rot.

Almost instinctively, he gathered all the mana he had at the tip of his spear. He compressed it into the densest form his frenzied mind could manage. Then, with a push of his legs, he jerked further inside the snake's body.

The fangs still attached to his arm ripped into his shoulder.

(Div! What are you doing?)

En was trembling from pain. He was scared. He didn't understand what his brother was up to.

But Div didn't listen. All he saw was the tip of his spear, imbued with more rot-attuned mana than ever as it pierced through the internal walls of the snake's gullet.

It took hold.

The flesh at the contact point immediately dissolved, but it didn't stop there as the infection spread. Both the spear and the liquefied flesh were completely saturated with rot, accelerating the contagion.

The serpent's Regeneration skill took effect, but it wasn't helping the beast. Instead, to Div's surprise, it was helping the rot spread.

As new flesh was being created, it was immediately corrupted by rot and dissolved into more rotten liquid that went on to infect the snake further.

In an act fueled by desperation, the beast opened its mouth, letting go of Div and En's arms. It tried to retreat, but Segorix was not letting it.

The burst of pain caused by the snake pulling out gave Div a moment of clarity. Realizing what had happened, his breath quickened.

[Tell Seg to let go. I need to use Echoes of the Rot Heart.]

The chain reaction that was going on inside the serpent couldn't be stopped now. He didn't want Segorix to be affected.

Just as importantly, their body was in a pathetic state. If he didn't stop the venom and heal soon…

Div sent a burst of rot-attuned mana to every drop of venom still inside their body before he let his mind fade into the rot-induced trance of their healing skill.

"Seg! Let go!" En called, barely understanding what was going on.

Segorix didn't need to be told twice, and he jumped away from the snake. The beast immediately pulled back, revealing Div and En's arm that was covered in body fluids and goo.

The shaft of their spear was barely holding itself together. It had been seriously damaged by the snake's insides and the rot.

Seeing that it was beyond repair, En let the weapon drop to the ground as he watched the serpent twist in agony.

"Are you alright?" Segorix asked as he ran toward them.

En nodded, unsure. He was lost. But they had triumphed over the monster.

"Decent job," Vedovessa said, appearing out of nowhere, startling En and Segorix. "I presume Div made some progress with his use of rot?"

En looked at their teacher in disbelief. What was the matter with her? Why did she keep throwing them into those situations?

"Div is busy," he said, unwilling to talk more.

Vedovessa slashed her hand toward the near-dead snake, turning rain droplets into a blade of water that split the beast in two.

"Segorix, recover your weapon," she ordered. "You will rest for ten minutes before rejoining the fight.

"Div, En, you two are out. Walk back to the walls, you will be seen by our healers."

With Div still occupied with Echoes of the Rot Heart and the state of their body, En knew she was right. They couldn't fight now.

His gaze cold, he stood up with difficulty and started limping away.