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

Lienien villages were never built directly along the main branch of the Lien River. The banks were too shallow, and the immediate surroundings of the river flooded every other year.

The river lay a fair distance from Camboaci, not too close, but easily reachable, and Bavacium followed the same pattern. After a week of travel, the expedition from Camboaci sailed up a tributary to reach their destination.

They were not the first to arrive. The beach they landed on was already filled with vessels whose owners had long reached the village where the gathering was taking place.

Camboaci, being the northernmost Lienien settlement, the river took longer to open for navigation when spring arrived.

Still, they were on time. Soon after they parked their boats, a group of three warriors approached them.

"Welcome, friends from Camboaci," the woman in the lead said. "I hope your journey was without danger."

"Nemacara!" Vercinetos laughed. "Long time no see."

"We met last year, Vercinetos. Happy to see you are leading your delegation once more."

Vercinetos scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but this time I'm not in charge."

"I am," Theaphilia said, drawing the gaze of their Bavacian hosts.

"Ascended…" Nemacara whispered in surprise before gathering herself. "I apologize, my name is Nemacara, and I will be in charge of your group for the duration of your stay. Pleased to meet you."

"Theaphilia. Likewise," Theaphilia kept her expression straight, not letting a hint of what she was thinking transpire.

"We were not expecting an Ascended Rank to come," Nemacara continued. "I have to report to my elders before letting you inside."

"Understandable, we'll be waiting."

"No, please follow me to Bavacium," she turned to her teammate. "Taran, go inform elder Camacos."

Taran, the average-looking warrior standing to the right of Nemacara, nodded and ran toward the village.

"He's not bad," Vercinetos said. "Not as fast as I am, but he's improving."

"We know you're fast, dear," Brimeta patted his shoulder. "You don't need to remind us all the time."

Nemacara and her other subordinate led the Camboacian delegation toward Bavacium. Located just inland from the beach that served as a harbor, it looked very different from Camboaci.

Unlike the verdant wall of trees in Camboaci, Bavacium was surrounded by an imposing stone wall. As a result, the inner city was a lot smaller, and agriculture had to be done outside.

"Bavacium has more Ascended Ranks than we do," Vedovessa explained to her students. "But the spirit protecting our wall of trees makes our home nearly impregnable."

The paths leading to the entrance of Bavacium were bustling with activity. From farmers working on the fields to people curious about the new arrivals, the newcomers attracted a lot of attention.

"Hey, Div, En," Gennorina said, poking their arm. "See these three guys? About our age with weird hats?"

Div and En nodded, their gaze hovering on their leather hats in which a single colored feather was planted.

"They're from Trebine, another village south of here," Genno explained.

"Oh," Div and En said. "I remember."

Vedovessa had made a point to teach her students about the various villages of the Lien River basin. Trebine was quite far to the south, closer to the sea than it was to Bavacium. It was one of the more prominent Lienien settlements, wealthy thanks to the uepis, wingless birds native to the region whose feathers carried the power of their elements.

A fire uepi feather would constantly generate some fire-attuned mana. Other elements would do the same.

"I'm surprised to see them here," Lugsellos pointed out. "It would have taken them at least a month to get here. These yearly gatherings do not usually reach this far."

Before they had time to reflect on Lug's comment, they arrived in front of the village's open gate.

Taran was already there, waiting for them next to an old man that Div and En wagered was an elder of Bavacium.

"Welcome, friends from afar," the old man said. "I am Camacos, humble elder of this village."

"Greetings, Camacos," Theaphilia said. "I am Theaphilia of Camboaci. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Come inside, we have a lot to talk about."

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The adults and students followed the elder through the gates. Unlike Camboaci, the buildings were densely packed. It looked closer to the idea Div and En had of a city.

Several stories high, the houses lining the streets were built of a mix of wood and stone. The roofs of clay tiles showed a stark contrast with the thatched roofs of where the delegation came from.

"I don't like it," Lugsellos commented. "It's too packed."

"Right," Segorix said, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Camboaci is so peaceful compared to this."

[They're right, this place looks closer to what I imagined the Lienien villages would be like.]

(Loud? Dusty?)

[Mundane. Between the giant tree and the wall of trees, Camboaci has this otherworldly feeling that Bavacium cannot match.]

The streets were paved with cobblestone, likely to prevent the paths from turning muddy in the unforgiving weather of the Wildlands.

(It reminds me of lower Kheiron. The bustle, the clangs and clatters of the forges. The rumble of wooden carts on the pavement, the smell of mules pulling them.)

Camacos led them to a building that had been set aside for them. Three stories high, the upper floors were split into a few rooms with enough beds to fit everyone. They would lodge there.

The ground floor was a common area with a kitchen and a few tables. It would effectively serve as a dining room.

"Theaphilia," Camacos said once they were inside. "We met before. A few years ago, when you hadn't ascended yet. I assume this is a recent development."

"It is, I was fortunate to ascend this fall."

Camacos sighed, his face tightening with concern.

[Something is bothering him.]

Div and En shared a glance with Lugsellos, trying to see if their friends had picked up something from the elder. Lug shrugged, letting them know he didn't.

(I guess reading the emotions of an Ascended Rank is not a good idea anyway.)

[Right, I don't think Camacos would appreciate it.]

"This is a problem," Camacos said, with difficulty. "I know you're dedicated to Camboaci, but with the recent movements from Kheiron, there's bound to be voices opposing you."

"The recent movements from Kheiron?" Theaphilia asked. "Is this why there are so many people attending this gathering? It would have been appreciated had you included this information in our communication."

Camacos looked at the students listening to their conversation.

"We should talk in private," he said. "But yes, the tribes south of where the river freezes in winter have been reporting a massive increase in activity from Kheiron. I don't doubt your loyalty, but others will."

"I see," Theaphilia said, pensive. "And now that I'm here, I can't let someone else take the lead. It wouldn't do if the Ascended Rank wasn't in charge."

Theaphilia instructed everyone to settle in while she left with Camacos. She took Martos along.

Once the elders were out of the building, Nemacara spoke again, "You've had a long journey, and it's already late. Let us bring you some food for tonight. Rest well."

"Very well," Vedovessa said, taking the lead. "You heard our host, everyone. Pick your beds and unpack, I'll see you downstairs in half an hour for dinner."

Everyone was weary from the journey. The excitement they felt over finally reaching their destination was dampened by Camacos' words.

Div and En followed their friends to one of the rooms and picked a random bed close to them. A dormitory wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but they'd known worse.

At least, they were sleeping inside.

After a good but unremarkable dinner, the entire student body returned to their beds, ready to sleep for the night. Even if they wanted to visit Bavacium, they would have to wait until tomorrow as the sun had already set.

Over the past few days, Div and En had put in place a routine. While lying in their bed, before sleep, they would enter their inner world and work on their evolution.

Despite the change in environment, today was no different.

In the vast grassy plain centered around the split tree, Div and En dug into the earth to rearrange its roots. It was long, grueling work. Even if it was all incorporeal, everything represented their powers.

They were real. Just not in the traditional sense.

Still, the split tree not having a physical existence was what made their endeavor at all possible. Moving the roots of a real tree was out of their reach. But here, in their inner world, it was a matter of will more than biology.

It didn't mean they couldn't feel the dirt slip between their skin and nails as they dug their fingers into the earth, looking for new roots to move.

As Div and En were working, they were making a conscious effort not to look at the representation of their newest title.

It was grim. Almost comically so.

Exterminator had appeared in their inner world as an endless field of tiny gravestones extending as far as the eye could see in one direction.

They thought that one grave stood for each wyrmrat whose life they had ended. Not that they felt bad—wyrmrats were pests that needed culling. However, as large as the swarm had been, it hadn't been infinite like the graveyard was.

An endless field of death. A bleak reminder of what they could become.

At first, seeing this had been a shock. For both Div and En, even if the latter was more dramatic about it.

Then, when they calmed down, it made them pensive. They still didn't fully understand how inner world representations worked. Skills, titles, facets, they all appeared differently and left them with various levels of control over them.

Concerning skills, Div and En could mold their visualization to match how they viewed their powers. It wasn't easy, and they were still feeling their way forward, but it was possible. Their split mind condition made theirs messy and inconsistent. But things were improving.

Titles forced their way onto the inner world. Whether it was the Rotten Sun hanging in the sky or the newly constructed graveyard, Div and En couldn't make them budge. No matter how much willpower they exerted. They influenced them, but Div and En couldn't control their titles.

Regarding Rift Pioneer, they had followed Vercinetos' advice and asked him about it. The title was relatively common, awarded to the first person who entered a new rift and came out alive. Much like rifts, it was unpredictable. Someday, it would show up in their inner world. A tear in the world, an error in reality.

As for facets, it was generally understood that a good visualization helped the facet progress faster. The theory was largely unproven, but it had spread all over the known world. That was why the Leios clan instructed their children to see their facets as branches of a tree. It was easy to imagine it growing.

Div and En were worried about that point considering Facet of the Army Breaker didn't have a representation. But right now, completing the facet wasn't a priority.

The solution to all their problems was evolution. Once it was done, Div and En would be free to explore their inner world on their own.

Without another mind clashing with their thoughts.