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

As the flower decayed under the power of his magic, Div couldn't help but smile.

He cast a spell. An actual spell. And he was rewarded for it.

Skill leveled up: Mana Manipulation Lv1 -> Lv2

It wasn't fancy. Just a simple, rudimentary swirl that wouldn't hurt anything more resistant than the most delicate plants.

But it was his first spell.

Finally.

Div let out a breath he felt he had been holding for the past few months. Since he had unlocked rot magic, and especially since En had left, he had been feeling restless because of his lack of success.

After countless repetitions, mistakes, failures, he had started to think that he would never succeed. That he needed guidance from an actual rot mage. One he would never find.

It felt good to be proven wrong. To prove everyone who had doubted him wrong. Forbidden magic, dangerous, foul, he knew rot was more than that.

It was his magic. It was beautiful.

Div had taken his first real step in mastering it, and he was looking forward to discovering everything he could do with it.

As he observed his target being devoured by the rotlife he had turned against it, Div's mind was filled with ideas on how to improve his spell.

It would take time, but he was confident the same principle could be applied against beasts. After all, there was symbiotic rotlife in every lifeform. It was just a matter of turning it against their host.

However, more powerful beings wouldn't let Div do as he pleased. Not only would they fight him as soon as they noticed his magic, preventing him from focusing on it. Controlling mana inside a foreign body was an order of magnitude harder than basic mana manipulation.

If he and En hadn't split…

No, Div refrained from this train of thought. He had sworn to himself he wouldn't go down this road. Regret was pointless; he had to look toward the future.

He had cast his first spell. An important milestone in his journey as a mage.

Even if he mostly had to figure out rot magic on his own, he was determined to go as far as he could with it. Over the years, his interest in his repulsive brand of magic had only grown. It was imprinted deep in his bones, in his blood.

Once the flower was fully disintegrated, he took one last look at the remains of the stonehide bear. It was still bubbling with rot, although a lot of its bulk was already gone.

What a waste…

At least, this beast wouldn't get the chance to evolve and attack the village in the next dark days.

Shaking his head, Div picked up his weapons and headed back to Camboaci. He needed to return to work. Now that he had graduated, he was expected to contribute to the village. He hadn't entirely decided on what he wanted to make of himself. But, for now, he was satisfied to work with livestock and cheesemaking.

Cows, goats, sheep, pigs, horses: Camboaci raised a wide selection of animals. Thanks to the wall of trees protecting the village, they had enough space for safe pastures.

It was a lot of work, but Div enjoyed knowing he was being useful. Not to mention how much rot activity there was around the farm.

Even though he was heading to the farm, he was redirected to Brigaseta's house. Through the wall of trees, the old druid sent him a message, a summon.

It was unusual, but then again, Div used to always be at school. It might be how Brigaseta called the village's adults to her.

He was quite curious about why she wanted to see him.

Though it was spring, the village was unusually active today, even more than usual. People were walking fast, their faces clouded with somber expressions.

Quickening his pace, he crossed the distance separating the wall from Brigaseta's home in a few minutes.

Once he got there, Lug, Ambi, Seg, and Genno were waiting for him inside. Theaphilia was also present.

Div frowned, it wasn't normal.

What was happening?

"Ah," the old druid said. "Here you are. Sit down, Div."

Div nodded silently and sat next to Lugsellos.

"I called you here," Brigaseta said, not letting time for silence to settle. "To give you a mission."

She sized them up. One by one.

"Except for you, Gennorina," she added. "You're here to be informed of the situation, but you will not leave the village under the present circumstances."

"What?" Genno asked. "Why?"

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"That's exactly what we want to find out," Theaphilia said, cutting in. "Something isn't right, and we need to figure out the source of the issue."

"So a scouting mission?" Segorix asked. "I don't think we're qualified for this. There are plenty of better scouts in Camboaci."

Brigaseta nodded, conceding to his point.

"There are. But you're not the only party being sent out. It would be easier if Vercinetos was there, but he is still in Bavacium. So we have to use more people."

"What's going on?" Div asked. They were skirting around the subject. He didn't like that.

"Irregularities," Brigaseta said. "There are fewer fish in the river, monsters are migrating west in droves, something is happening in the eastern range. I want you to follow the Lien River upstream and see if you can figure out the source of the issue."

"I," Theaphilia added, "am seeing scenes of chaos, fear, and destruction with my dream walking skill. It's not a clear picture, but the fragments of information I'm getting are concerning. For the safety of Camboaci, we need to know more."

The five young adults nodded grimly. It didn't sound good at all. It wasn't even summer yet, but they all had the dark days in mind. The situation needed to be resolved before fall.

"Then," Gennorina spoke up. "I want to go with them."

"No," Brigaseta refused. "Druids do not leave their territory. Your duty is here, bonding with the wall of trees."

"It still isn't speaking to me."

"Give it time, Gennorina," Brigaseta said. "I do not have many years left in me. Camboaci needs a druid. Do not give up."

Gennorina didn't answer, but her expression told the others everything they needed to know.

She would stay behind.

"You four," Brigaseta continued. "Take the rest of the day to prepare. You leave tomorrow. I will inform your workplaces myself so you can focus on the mission right away."

"Understood," Lugsellos said. "How far should we scout?"

"Until the mountains. But do not climb them or venture into a valley. The beasts up there are unlike anything you've faced before, not to mention the locals."

The four mandated scouts and Gennorina left with a frown on their faces. It was still early in the day; noon hadn't passed yet. Still, they had a lot of work to do if they wanted to be ready the next morning.

"What do you think is happening?" Ambi asked.

"I don't know, but it can't be good," Seg said. "Aside from Div, none of us have evolved yet. If they're sending us out, the situation must be worse than it looks."

"Or better," Ambi said. "Maybe it's just for us to get experience."

"I doubt it. Brigaseta and Theaphilia were genuinely worried." Lugsellos said. After years of keeping his secret, he had finally opened up about his Sense Emotion skill. It was tame compared to Div and En's situation. The friend group was desensitized and wasn't bothered at all.

"Then we better prepare," Segorix said. "Let's go to the supply depot. Are you coming, Genno?"

Her face showing her frustration, Gennorina declined the invitation. As a druid, her days were spent in meditation and training. She wasn't required to contribute anything to the village. The only thing expected from her was a connection to the spirits, someday.

Every adult in Camboaci had access to the supply depot. It wasn't much. A small storage building near the village center where people could replace their tools and equipment.

Diven remembered the same thing existing in the Leios estate. In that case, it was reserved for the clan's use, and not the entire city. But the idea was similar.

People only needed to note what they took so that the local craftsman could replace it.

"So," Ambisena said. Her hands rested on her hips as she took in the piles of stored equipment. "What do we need?"

"Arrows," Lugsellos said. "I need enough supply to last the entire trip."

"How long is it going to take?" Div asked.

"Going to the foothills of the eastern range is going to take a week. Add another for the return trip," Segorix said.

"That's if everything goes well," Lug shook his head. "We need to plan for the worst."

It was their first real mission. While they had been taught what to do in the wilds, there was always a good measure of apprehension.

Only Div could rely on his past experience. But it was years ago, and in different circumstances.

"Fire starters," Div said. "I'd rather not have to light a fire without it again."

"Can't be that hard," Ambi shrugged.

"Trust me," Div said. "It is."

As they gathered their equipment, they couldn't keep their curiosity in check.

"What do you think is causing the disturbance?" Lug asked.

"The mountain dwellers," Seg said. "Those people are weird. Remember last time a trader from there came?"

"I do," Ambi said. She was crouching in front of her pack, sorting supplies. "My mother told me they wanted to buy horse blood."

"Horse blood?" Div asked. "What for?"

"I don't know," Ambi said. "Maybe they wanted to make blood sausages?"

"Maybe…" Div said, trailing off.

Item per item, they filled up their packs.

"We should each carry something for emergencies," Lug said. "Herbs, bandages, spare boots. Div, you can fish, right?"

"We should take enough food with us, just in case," Div replied, "but yeah. I'll catch some fish."

"I'll take rope and tarps," Ambi said. "Maybe a flarestone, if there's one left."

"Doubt it," Seg muttered. "People are grabbing them like bread before a storm. Having a magical light source in the wild is just too useful."

The sun was low when they exited the depot with their equipment.

For the entire afternoon, they had watched as countless Camboacians came and went into the supply depot. Something was brewing. As promised, they were not the only ones ordered to scout, far from it.

The village was eerily empty for this time of the year. It wasn't quite night yet and people usually spent the evening outside, taking in the last rays of sun before retreating inside for dinner.

Yet, the streets were empty. Many houses showed no signs of occupation. No light, no smoke coming out the chimney.

Just silence.

Div returned home to find the house empty.

Strange, Dubno should already be back from school.

Coming into the living room, he found a note on the table.

Belilamos and Carmeta had also been sent on a reconnaissance mission. Dubno would live with his grandparents while they were away. They wished Div good luck on his own mission.

Div put down the note and took some bread out of the pantry. Eating alone, his concerns were swirling inside his head.

What was going on?

The day had started so well. Now, he didn't even get the chance to brag about his spell to Theaphilia.

But he understood. The world was dangerous, especially this deep into the Wildlands. His encounter with Elenvind was still fresh in his mind. The sheer awe and terror he had felt when the behemoth had stomped his camp into the ground.

Camboaci's leaders couldn't afford to be careless. They had to investigate.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to this place," Div said, his voice low. "Not after everything they've done for me."