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

The expedition toward Bavacium settled into a routine. They would spend the entire day navigating the Lien River downstream before stopping on the shore for the night.

On the second day, Segorix was assigned to Nantosia's boat. The poor boy's motion sickness was so bad that everyone was worried. Unfortunately, there was only so much the party's healer could do. Seg wasn't injured or ill, he simply couldn't handle the boat rocking.

In the meantime, the rest of the class was being put through intensive training. The training style varied depending on which adult was in charge, but none of them had it easy.

Even Lug and Ambi, who had been so happy to watch Div and En suffer, got their turn on the prow.

[I have to admit, being the one throwing the sticks is fun.]

Still, their training could only occupy so much of the day. Stuck on a boat, they had a lot of downtime.

They used the opportunity to discuss their skill evolution together. In the past few months, they had come to the conclusion that their best bet was to morph their visualization of Sundered Mind.

It hadn't been intentional, but it was represented by the central tree in their inner world, split down the middle by the Rot Heart that was connected to both sides by countless tendrils.

Both Div and En knew which side belonged to them. It was instinctual, as if it were one of their limbs.

Their idea was simple, in theory. They needed to turn both halves of the tree into new, independent plants. Theaphilia had approved of their plan. She wasn't sure it would lead to the result they desired, but she assured them that it would do something for their skill.

And evolution was a distinct possibility.

The split tree was directly linked to their bloodline, any change to it would have immense repercussions. Furthermore, there was the ivy of Trap Detection still growing on its trunk.

(And we need to disconnect my side from the Rot Heart.)

[That too… What a mess.]

Thinking back, they had been naive to follow a thirteen-year-old girl's guide to mind magic.

Granted, without it, they wouldn't exist in their current form. But it was causing them so many issues, so many fights, so much stress.

So much frustration.

Even after coming clean to their friends and earning their acceptance, they could still see the distance their condition forced between them.

To the others, Div and En were one. Not truly individuals. To be close to one, they had to be friends with both.

They had to compromise on their core beliefs to keep the peace inside their head.

It couldn't go on like this forever.

Yet, they couldn't just snap their fingers to solve the situation. Theaphilia warned them, it would take time.

They needed to be patient, but they could start today.

[I can't make the Rot Heart budge. There's just too much mana. Maybe when I finally get that Rot Magic skill.]

(That's fine, we should start by separating the roots.)

Rot Heart aside, the split ran from the top of the tree down to its base, there was only a small section above ground where the two sides were still connected, and the roots, which were entangled.

[Shouldn't it be the trunk?]

(The trunk needs to be cut, the split finalized. I think redirecting some roots is a better start.)

It was their minds they were working with, they needed to be careful. Considering how things had gone last time, it was wiser to start slow.

"Sun's setting," Vercinetos said, cutting short their introspection. "Time to land and set up camp for the night."

On the Lien River, navigating at night wasn't usually done. In the darkness, it was too easy to hit a rock and sink. There wasn't a particularly skilled sailor in the group, the risk outweighed the reward.

With everyone helping, the five vessels stopped near a beach and were brought ashore.

They were a few days into the journey, so everyone knew what to do. It wasn't all that different from how Div and En had survived the wilds on their own. Except that with more people, they were able to divide tasks more efficiently.

It took less than an hour before all the participants found themselves sitting around a large fire, watching their dinner being grilled by Brimeta and Martos.

Gennorina's mother remained reserved and mostly silent. Not that she could, Vercinetos and Martos were taking everyone's attention. The tailor and the spearman were trying to outdo each other with their stories.

Vercinetos spoke of great beasts hiding deep in the forest, of the desolation of the northern shores, and the mythical beasts lurking in the mountains looming in the east.

Martos was less grand, he talked of the various cities and kingdoms around the Great Sea. He told of the sweet smell filling the streets of Carnet as the weavers dyed their fabrics purple. He detailed the earthy taste of silkworms served on the markets of Betina.

The village's tailor had journeyed far in his quest to evolve as a craftsman.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Naturally, the students had heard Vercinetos' stories a few too many times to really be interested. With his talking habits, even the ones he knew the least were tired of hearing the same thing over and over.

"I was on a merchant's boat, heading to a small island named Delys, off the Ameian coast," Martos said in a deep, steady voice. "There was a rumor that an Ascended Rank botanist lived there, and I was hoping to get some advice from someone who had taken their craft to such a high level."

He paused, scanning the crowd with his gaze.

"I didn't find what I was looking for. But one night, on the deck, I noticed lights coming from the sea. I looked down into the water, and I swear this is true, I saw people walking on the seabed."

"How did they breathe?" A kid asked.

"I don't know, when I shared what I'd seen with my companions, they didn't believe me."

"Some water magic could do the trick," Vedovessa said. "Although it would be difficult to achieve. What do you think, Thea?"

"I have never heard about something like that," the Ascended Rank said. "But I have not looked for it either."

"Then…" Martos was about to continue when Theaphilia raised her hand.

Vercinetos and Brimeta, and Vedovessa immediately sprang into action, quickly followed by Martos and Nantosia.

"Alright, kids," Vercinetos yelled. "Beasts are heading our way. I don't know what they are, but there are a lot of them. Pick up your weapons and form ranks with your back to the river."

Theaphilia stood up and looked toward the forest, her brows furrowed.

"Wyrmrats," she said.

"Oh, no," Vercinetos lamented. "Not those little pests…"

Div and En moved with the rest of their class. Spear and shield in hand, they tried to remember what kind of creature wyrmrats were.

[I'm sure Vedovessa mentioned them a few times.]

(I think they're rats with small reptilian tails.)

[Right, something like that.]

They would see them soon. Between the pale light of the crescent moon and that coming from their campfire, they couldn't see much. But they should still be able to see well enough to fight.

They didn't have a choice.

"I'll take care of the broodmother. Make sure the children are safe."

Leaving that order behind, Theaphilia flew deeper into the woods.

At first, they didn't see anything.

They heard it.

A dry rustling, like wind through brittle husks, rising into a chittering frenzy. Twigs snapped. Bark scraped. Then came the hissing, sharp and wet, followed by the faint click of teeth and claws, building into a wall of noise. It wasn't random. It had direction. Hunger.

The forest itself seemed to come alive with the intention to devour them.

The first wyrmrats appeared at the edge. Then more, and more, and more. A near-endless stream of hairless, snake-like rats poured out of the woods onto the beach where the expedition had set up their camp.

They came for the tents, for the food that was grilling. Some of the little monsters were even burned alive as they scrambled to steal their meal.

But the tide was unstoppable, the fire was snuffed out under their collective weight. They ate everything.

Then they turned to the twenty or so students and their five protectors. Their red eyes glowed into the night.

Div and En gulped.

They inspected one.

Species: Common Wyrmrat

Skills:

Consume - Basic - Lv1

It was weak, but there were thousands of them.

(Um, Div?)

[Yes?]

(Can you use rot magic?)

Div was startled. En was asking him to use rot?

[Are you alright?]

(No… I'm scared. I know I tried to push you away from rot, but don't you think it would work here?)

Considering how ravenous the rats were, they would likely eat their fallen. All Div had to do was infect a single corpse with enough rot-attuned mana, and the entire swarm would be contaminated.

That was, assuming they didn't have innate resistances. With their appetite, they had to have a good stomach.

[Well, I can't really use rot magic, unfortunately. But we can use Rotten Spear.]

(I'm sorry.)

[It doesn't matter. The time will come, En.]

As the wyrmrat swarm got closer to the class, Vercinetos flashed forward, decimating countless rodents with his spear. Vedovessa willed the water or the river to flood their ranks, drowning them. Brimeta stood firm, holding a massive magical shield that blocked the rats from reaching the children.

Martos and Nantosia, not being fighters, stood between the frontline and the students. It didn't mean they were weak, but they couldn't afford to act alone like the others.

Yet, despite the immense damage inflicted on the horde, it was nothing compared to their numbers.

The more they killed, the more came.

"I hope Theaphilia kills their broodmother quickly," Lugsellos said, frowning. "It's pumping out new wyrmrats faster than we can kill them."

(Div, we need to try.)

[I can't believe you're pushing me to use rot.]

But Div agreed, despite his doubts about the rats' tolerance to rot, he felt that En's plan had a good chance of working.

At least, it was worth a try.

Signaling to their friends not to move, they stepped forward.

"Where are you going?" Martos asked, stopping them with his arm.

"Diven?" Nantosia said. "Go back with the others. This is serious."

Div and En opened their mouths to explain. But before they said anything, they saw in their posture that the tailor and the healer wouldn't let them through.

Without warning, they stepped through the fifth direction, easily dodging the two adults.

Next was Brimeta, but unlike the others, she didn't try to stop them. Instead, she smiled at them, a frenzied glint shining in her eyes.

"You can pass through my shield," she said. "It won't stop you. Do your thing, kid!"

Seeing that Genno's mother was on their side, they accelerated, traversed the magical defenses, and threw themselves into the melee.

"Everyone else, do not follow!" Martos shouted, pushing back Ambi, Seg, and a few others who had impulsively gone after Div and En.

Div and En thrust their spear at the mass of rodents. There were so many of them, stepping on each other, eating the not-quite-dead wyrmrats suffocating under their mass.

They couldn't miss.

Their spear pierced through several rats before stopping.

Div focused, and with all the will he could muster, he willed his mana to flood out the tip of their spear.

A torrent of rot-attuned mana was siphoned from the Rot Heart and into their weapon.

But it could have been so much more. It was just a trickle compared to what the heart could produce.

That was fine, he had to contaminate a single rat. If he could do more, he would take it. But it was superfluous.

Div and En pulled back their spear, a slew of furless wyrmrats were attached to it.

The few closer to the tip were already showing signs of rot. Fungus was growing from the wounds, and a few flying insects had already landed on them.

Disgusted by the sight, Div flicked the spear toward the core of the wyrmrat swarm. The rotting corpses flew and landed right in the middle of the beast wave.

Div and En disengaged and ran behind Brimeta's shield.