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

Returning to the flowing sheep farm a day after their punishment hadn't been part of the plan for Div and En. But Gennorina was curious about the sheep that made Bavacium famous for its wool production. En couldn't refuse her, and Div couldn't refuse En.

Thus, the small group of Martos, Gennorina, Div, and En made their way out of the village toward the island that housed the flock of sleep-attuned sheep.

"No," Martos said, answering one of Gennorina's numerous questions. "Unfortunately, nobody has found a way for the wool to keep the sleep-attuned properties of the flowing sheep. It would be nice for bedding. I could likely sell those all the way to Hyepshut, maybe even further east."

"What's east of Hyepshut?" Gennorina asked. "We haven't covered that in class yet."

Martos shook his head.

"You never will," he said. "It's too far, too hard to reach. But this is where silk comes from. If I could secure a consistent supply… But I digress, as things stand, it's not going to happen."

They took a boat to cross the river that isolated the sheep-farm island from Bavacium and soon, they reached their destination. Just like yesterday, Adeurix was there.

"Martos!" Adeurix said, laughing. "My favorite customer, I'm glad to see you again. And you even brought my worker with you. What did you do to get punished again, boy?"

"Nothing," Div and En quickly clarified. "We're here to help Martos."

"I see," Adeurix said, visibly disappointed. "I guess I'll have to wash the sheep by myself today."

"Adeurix," Martos greeted. "Let me introduce you to Gennorina, the newest druid of Camboaci."

Like most Lienien, Adeurix was extremely pleased to meet a druid, even if Gennorina was just a novice. Due to the nature of their powers, druids rarely left their village where they had built relationships with the local spirits.

The conversation quickly switched to wool, prices, and quantity. Div and En immediately checked out of it.

"Let's go see the sheep," Gennorina said, pulling them toward the fence.

"Wait. Be careful, they have sleep-attuned skills."

"I know, that's why we're here," Gennorina rolled her eyes. "Worst case scenario, we fall asleep. It's worth it if we can see something so unusual."

Still, Div, En, and Gennorina kept their distance from the flock. Watching from afar was enough for the druid to inspect the animals and feel their sleep-attuned mana filling the area.

"As expected," she said. "There's a sleep spirit in the middle of the sheep flock."

"Do you want to communicate with it?" Div and En asked.

"I don't think it's a good idea. It's asleep. I doubt a sleep spirit, of all things, would appreciate being woken up."

"Too bad…"

But Gennorina didn't mind. While talking with new spirits would be good practice for her, some of them were not good targets and she had to accept that. Anyway, she was far from Camboaci, building a relationship with a spirit here would not yield much benefit.

They stayed and looked at the sheep for a while until Martos and Adeurix were done.

"Diven!" Adeurix called from afar. "Come here."

Div and En walked back to the two men who had just finished their negotiations. Gennorina followed them.

"I was telling Adeurix about your rot-attunement," Martos said.

Div and En felt their chest tighten. They had a bad feeling about this.

"You should have told me sooner," Adeurix said.

"Sorry."

"No harm," Adeurix continued. "It's just that I could have helped you."

(I thought he was going to scold us.)

[Right, let's see what he has to say.]

"Do you know rot magic?" they asked.

"No, unfortunately, the only magic I know is sleep. I can give you the best night you ever had."

"Then…"

"But," Adeurix didn't stop. "I do know a thing or two about rot. Come with me."

Martos put a hand on their back and pushed them toward the sheep farmer.

"Don't worry about the wool," he said, smiling. "Gennorina is here to help me carry it. Right, Genno?"

"Yes…" Gennorina sulked.

Div and En followed Adeurix toward the barn at the center of the fields.

(Do you think he's going to make us clean the sheep again?)

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

[I don't see how that relates to rot, so probably not?]

Div wasn't convinced. The trauma of the last day was still fresh on both their minds.

Adeurix entered the barn, lifted a trapdoor, and climbed down a ladder leading underground. As he told Div and En to follow him inside, he ordered, "Hold back your rot-attuned mana as much as possible, we don't want an accident to happen. Can you do that?"

"I can try," Div said. "But holding back is maybe the biggest issue I have with my magic. My kills tend to rot very quickly, even before I attuned my skills."

"Well, be extra careful here," Adeurix said. "It would be a waste…"

Once they reached the bottom of the ladder, Adeurix lit a candle to reveal the underground corridor they were in. It was cramped, the man's head almost reaching the ceiling. On the walls, a few closed doors led to other rooms.

Adeurix opened the first door on his right and waved Div and En over.

Cheese. Shelves upon shelves of round cheese wheels.

"Sheep milk cheese," Adeurix announced.

"Yes?" Div and En asked.

"Do you know how cheese is made, Diven?"

"From milk," they answered.

They didn't know more than that. But as Div reached for one of the oldest wheels, the rot-attuned mana fluttered, not in defense, but in recognition. It was faint like dust shifting in stale air, but enough to make his breath catch.

"Rot?" He asked.

"It's a long process," Adeurix said. "And rot is at the core of it all. Carefully controlled rot."

[Just what I need.]

"Here, you're seeing the last part of the process," Adeurix continued. "Aging. The cheese had been carved, pressed and we let it rest for months, letting the rot and mold shape its texture, its taste, its smell."

"How?" Div asked, feeling the faint rot-attuned mana seeping from every cheese wheel. "When I infect something with rot, it only destroys it."

Even if the essence created from rot could heal or have beneficial effects on soil, the rotting material was very much destroyed in the process.

"Control, precision," Adeurix said. "We're underground to keep the temperature and humidity stable. Earlier in the process, we help the fermentation to start with a good, healthy base. Not all rot can achieve this result."

"Show me, please," Div asked.

First, Adeurix had him inspect cheeses at different stages of aging. Some were fresh, barely out of the mold, their soft exterior betraying a fragile structure within — trembling curds held together by will more than form. They smelled of warm milk and damp cloth.

Others were older, their rinds thickening into crust, blooming with early mold. White, gray, or pale green. It was as if they were sick, but Div and En knew better. Beneath, the paste began to ooze, breaking down from the outside in.

The oldest were nearly alive in their own right. Thick-skinned, cracked, reeking of ammonia. They exhaled rot in waves, sweet, fungal.

Strangely, the oldest cheeses exhibited less rot-attuned mana. There was still some, but it was as if their decay had slowed down.

"I'm afraid I'm going to disturb the process," Div said. "My rot mana is very potent."

"Don't worry," Adeurix said. "You're doing a good job holding it in."

(You've gotten better, Div. Be confident.)

"I gathered this milk this morning," Adeurix said, gesturing to a large metal vat half-filled with warm milk. Embers glowed underneath, giving off gentle heat. "Don't worry, it's not sleep-attuned."

Div peered at the surface. Wisps of faint mana curled up like steam.

"Rot has already started," he murmured.

"It has," Adeurix agreed. "As soon as the milk left the sheep, the process began. But this," he tapped the side of the vat, "this is guided. I've already added whey from the last batch. We're seeding it with the right kind of rot."

"All rot isn't the same," Div said slowly, half to themselves.

"No," Adeurix said. "And we don't want maggots or flies in our cheese, right?"

Div nodded, absorbing each word.

"So," Adeurix continued, "we start with intention. We plant the rot we want so it ferments rather than decays. Like coaxing a fire instead of letting it burn wild."

Div leaned closer to the vat, eyes narrowed. The mana felt like a whisper, humming at the edge of recognition. Not aggressive. Not chaotic. Just… active. Working.

Adeurix plunged a ladle in the warm milk and added some ground thistles into the mix.

"It helps the milk coagulate," he said. "Nothing to do with rot, but if you want a cheese-making career, now you know."

Div watched the green flecks swirl, then disappear.

"Why not use your sleep-attuned mana?" they asked. "To slow it down, maybe, or keep it from spoiling?"

Adeurix shook his head. "Magic has its place. But if you start replacing every part of the process, you forget how it works in the first place. You want to be a rot mage, right? Then learn how things rot without you first."

The milk began to thicken, barely perceptible at first, a surface tension forming.

An hour later, the milk had set into a soft, pale mass.

Adeurix handed Div a long curd knife.

"Cut it. Clean lines. Don't stir yet."

Div plunged the knife through the curd mass, slicing crosswise, then lengthwise. Each pass let more whey seep out — yellow and bitter.

"This is when most batches go bad," Adeurix said. "If your cuts are rough, if you rush… it welcomes unwanted rot. Mold will follow whatever stress lines you leave."

Div frowned. "So it's not just controlling the rot, it's guiding it."

Adeurix nodded. "Exactly. Magic isn't force. It's direction. Think of it like moving water between two ponds. Would you rather let it flow naturally, or haul it with a bucket?"

"It's easier if it flows," Div admitted quietly. "I'm starting to understand."

Adeurix wrapped the curd cheese cuts and placed them into a cloth. Then, with a weight, he pressed them.

"Now, we remove the excess moisture. You know the link between humidity and rot."

"I do," Div said.

"Good," Adeurix continued. "This step controls the fermentation. Too much moisture, and the rot runs wild. We want it slow, steady, controlled."

Div helped Adeurix wrap and press the remaining curds.

"And now for the final touch," the cheesemaker said, gathering some ashes from the hearth. "We coat the cheese in ash."

"Keeping the unwanted rot out," Div said, the reason dawning on him. "And the good, fermentation rot inside."

"Exactly," Adeurix gave him a thumbs up. "Now, you're welcome to come and help me every morning."

"I'd like that," Div said.

(Ugh, do I not get a say?)

[You forced me to come here in the first place. My turn now.]

"However," Adeurix said. "Do get your elder, Theaphilia to teach me a thing or two about mind magic. In the spirit of the gathering, training is to be exchanged, not given. Plus, I have a feeling there is a link between mind magic and sleep magic."

"I will," Div said, knowing Adeurix was right. And Theaphilia was exactly the right person to ask. After all, her mind-attuned skill had to do with dreams.

Feeling like he had learned a lot, Div returned alone with En to Bavacium. Martos and Gennorina had long taken the boat back with the wool the tailor had bought.

[I'm glad I went along with you.]

(At least, the cheese tasted good.)