Nathan's senses flickered back together. His touch, his smell, his hearing—though the only thing he currently heard was a long, extended ring. A liquid dripped down his forehead. He reached out and touched it, then pulled his fingers toward his eyes. Red. He was bleeding, and bleeding badly, too, if the amount of liquid he could feel was any indication.

  Around him, he was halfway embedded into the road. He pushed himself out of the hole and looked around. There, twitching like roadkill, was the Queen of the Forest.

  Nathan shoved his harpoon out of his inventory and pointed it at the creature.

  "You know, there's a compromise to be had here," Nathan said.

  The Queen's legs trembled as she swayed from side to side. "What are you talking about?" she said.

  "You could join us," Nathan said. "If all you really want to do is escape, then I'm with you. Let's get out of here."

  For a moment, real surprise flickered through those inhuman eyes. Nathan wondered if this could be settled here and now.

  Then the Queen flapped her wings once, and a tornado generated in front of her. Nathan narrowed his eyes, blocking the dust from entering his eyes.

  "Guess that's a no, then," Nathan muttered.

  Nathan dove out of the way of the tornado, but it simply shifted to the left and went straight for him. He was swept up by the strong wind and tossed through the building, crashing through several walls before he came to a stop.

  That's going to sting in the morning.

  He could feel his limbs growing weary, and he struggled to stay awake. He slammed his hand into the ground, and the sharp sting snapped his body back to alertness. He pushed himself up to his feet and cracked his neck to the left. A loud pop echoed through the building.

  Nathan spotted the Forest Queen flapping her wings, gaining height. To the side, he saw his fishing pole. Blood dripped down his forehead, splashing against the concrete ground.

  If he just threw himself up there, wouldn't things end the same way? He needed more resources, he needed help—

  And then he heard the sound of someone screaming overhead. He looked up to see a distant, thin figure falling rapidly toward the ground. Nathan squinted, and his jaw dropped.

  Chad had his katana pointed straight down toward the Forest Queen. The Queen noticed the screaming and looked up just in time to see a glimmer of light coming from the katana before it stabbed into her abdomen. They both crashed into the ground like a meteorite.

  Nathan ran forward. "Chad!"

  "Did I get her on stream!?" Chad shouted.

  Chad stumbled to his feet, cuts all across his body and his face swollen.

  Nathan breathed out slowly, but his shoulder suddenly tensed. He looked over at the twitching body of the Forest Queen. One of her insect-like legs shot out and smashed into Chad's back, sending him flying forward. He hit the road with a loud thud.

  "Ow," Chad said succinctly.

  The Forest Queen stumbled to her feet.

  "You're not going to walk out of this alive," Nathan said. "You're down to your last bit of energy."

  Nathan suddenly tensed again.

  "Am I?" the Forest Queen said.

  Roots burst out from Nathan's left and right, erupting from underneath the road.

  Nathan dove forward and grabbed his harpoon. The cool metal flooded his skin and sent a shiver down his spine. He swung around and used it to slash through the vines attacking him. They fell to the ground, writhing like worms.

  Before he could do anything, a sudden gust of wind hit him from where the Forest Queen had been, throwing him onto the ground.

  He was about to stand up when another blast of wind hit him again, this time stronger, and he was sent flying before he hit the ground with a loud, painful crash.

  The collisions weren't heavy, but they were slowly building up, damaging him more and more over time. At this rate, he'd be defeated by death from a thousand cuts.

  Another gust of wind came in—but this time Nathan was ready.

  His own wind cultivation activated. The smell of salt and sea flooded Nathan's nose. It crashed against the wind generated by the Forest Queen and scattered it to the left and right.

  "The ocean storm flows strong through your veins, boy," the Forest Queen let out a long, maniacal laugh. "This simply makes us want you more. Your power will be invaluable."

  More vines burst out of the road and went for Nathan, and at the same time, a gust of wind hit him from the front. He flew through the air and tapped into his core to activate his wind cultivation—only for one of the vines to reach out and slice him across the arm, breaking his concentration.

  Nathan flew toward the ground where a bunch of spiked vines were waiting for him.

  He gritted his teeth. This was going to suck.

  The protective tendrils around Nathan trembled, withering as the deletion wave washed over them. B32 walked forward, untouched within the eye of the destructive storm he had created.

  "I warned you," he said, his voice carrying easily over the howling wind of system energy. "The System cannot be defeated by an anomaly like you."

  The sand beneath them rippled. Tiny grains rose and fell in concentric circles around Nathan's body, like minute tidal movements. A faint scent of rain-soaked earth filled the air where before there had been only the sterile nothingness of the system.

  B32 paused above Nathan's unprotected form. "Begging now? How disappointing." He knelt down, reaching for Nathan.

  The last few roots around Nathan crumbled to dust. B32's hand closed around Nathan's throat, system energy crackling between his fingers.

  "Any last words, flower?" B32 asked, looking around at the devastated soulscape. "Before I delete your... what did you call him? Yours?"

  The ground beneath them trembled faintly. Temperature dropped. The air molecules themselves seemed to slow, coalescing into a heavy stillness that pressed against B32's exoskeleton.

  B32 tilted his head, studying the stillness. "Nothing to say now?" His fingers tightened on Nathan's throat.

  The trembling stopped. The wind died. The entire soulscape froze in perfect, crystalline silence—the quiet before catastrophe.

  A single thought pushed into B32's consciousness, each word distinct and crystal clear: You won't touch him.

  B32 laughed, tightening his grip on Nathan. "And who's going to stop me?"

  The beach answered. A hairline crack appeared in the glass beneath his feet—a single, perfect fracture that spread outward in a spiral pattern, making a sound like distant wind chimes.

  His eyes widened slightly. "What is—"

  The beach erupted.

  Not just in one place, or a dozen, but everywhere at once. The entire soulscape heaved as roots of all sizes burst through the surface—a writhing forest of tendrils that blotted out the twilight sky. They twisted together, weaving and braiding into thicker masses that rose higher and higher.

  B32 stood frozen, watching as the chaotic mass took shape before him. It towered over the beach, a mountainous tangle of roots that slowly arranged themselves into a rough approximation of a flower—but one of nightmarish proportions. At its center, where the bloom would be, the half-black, half-white coloring of the flower's original form was replicated in pulsing waves of energy.

  "What... what is this?" B32 whispered.

  The massive form bent toward him, roots creaking like ancient wood. The enormous structure cast a shadow over Nathan's form, roots gently curling around his body. The center of the massive flower dimmed then brightened—once, twice, three times—like a gigantic heartbeat. Each pulse sent visible waves of energy rippling through the roots, causing them to contract slightly around Nathan each time.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  A root as thick as a tree trunk lashed out with impossible speed, striking B32 squarely in the chest. His exoskeleton cracked under the impact, system energy leaking from the fractures like blue-white blood. He flew backward, landing hard on the fractured beach.

  "This... this is impossible," he gasped, struggling to his feet. "You're just a flower."

  The massive form swayed, the pulsing center turning to track his movements. Smaller tendrils reached toward him then pulled back, like a child pointing. The air grew thick with the scent of ozone and freshly turned soil.

  Another brief thought pushed into B32's mind: Mine.

  B32's eyes darted across the soulscape, calculating escape vectors. "I'm not going to die here. Even if in the end you win and kill me, others will come," he warned. "Stronger than me. They'll erase Nathan."

  The roots around Nathan tightened, drawing him deeper into their embrace. The massive flower bent lower, positioning its bulk between Nathan and the horizon—where the system's edge would be. A low vibration filled the soulscape, humming through the shattered glass beneath their feet.

  B32 gathered what power remained to him, drawing deep from his core protocols. His cracked exoskeleton began to glow with dangerous energy. "Then I'll simply have to remove you first. Protocol Override: Terminal Sequence!"

  The remaining system energy in his form coalesced into a spear of pure deletion code—a last-resort weapon that would tear through the flower's consciousness like fire through paper. He lunged forward, aiming for the heart of the massive root structure where her consciousness seemed centered.

  Roots shifted with surprising grace, parting before his attack only to close around him from all sides. B32 found himself suddenly suspended, held fast by dozens of intertwining roots that tightened like a fist around his form.

  "What are you doing?" he demanded, system energy flickering as his exoskeleton cracked further under the pressure. "Release me immediately!"

  The massive flower head bent closer, its center pulsing with dual-toned light. The roots holding him shifted, turning him this way and that. Some roots prodded at the cracks in his exoskeleton with the delicate precision of a child examining an insect.

  For the first time, genuine fear flashed across B32's perfect features. "You can't—"

  The roots tightened further, digging into the cracks in B32's exoskeleton. Tendrils of black and white energy—so similar to the flower's chimera coloring—began to seep into the fractures, spreading like veins through his form.

  "What is this?" B32 gasped, his voice distorting as the foreign energy invaded his systems. "What are you doing to me?"

  The massive flower head tilted slightly to one side, the center pulsing faster now. Small roots near the flower's center wriggled and danced, their movements reminiscent of a child clapping hands in delight.

  B32 struggled frantically, but the roots only tightened their grip. "This isn't possible! The calculations didn't show this outcome—!"

  The massive structure shifted, roots creaking. The flower's center brightened momentarily, pulses syncing into a pattern that almost suggested laughter.

  "I am not people!" B32 snarled, his perfect face contorting with rage and fear. "I am a System! I am Order! I am—"

  The roots suddenly constricted with devastating force. B32's exoskeleton shattered, releasing a blinding flash of system energy that illuminated the entire soulscape.

  When the light faded, B32 hung limply in the flower's grasp, his form flickering dangerously, code leaking from countless fractures. He raised his head with obvious effort, meeting the pulsing center of the massive flower that loomed over him.

  "This... isn't over," he managed, his voice fragmented and glitching. "You beat me here, but I'll be back. And you can't keep it up forever."

  The massive root structure shifted, bringing B32 closer to the pulsing heart of the flower. The pulse slowed, becoming steady and deliberate. A final thought whispered into B32's consciousness: Goodbye.

  B32's eyes widened as the roots began to glow with increasing intensity. "What are you doing now?"

  The roots surrounding B32 pulsed with dual-toned energy and he felt something being sucked out of him. It was… consuming him.

  "Wait!" B32 shouted. "This won't even kill me!"

  The flower didn’t respond and

  B32 felt his consciousness flicker. He used the last of his strength to eject his mind away from his body—

  Just in time for said body to be completely devoured wholesale.

  Nathan’s body flew toward the thorned vines. His mind raced for a solution, but nothing was coming—and he was getting closer to the vines.

  Metal gleamed as the plant matter was ripped apart. A set of strong arms caught him before he could hit the ground.

  "You okay?" Fuge said.

  Nathan looked around to see that Kason, Finny, Fuge, and even Derek had shown up. Nathan had fallen into the arms of Fuge… which felt a bit weird, but Nathan decided to ignore that.

  "Thanks, but can you put me down?" Nathan said.

  Fuge nodded and set Nathan on the ground. Nathan glanced around at the various individuals who had come to assist.

  "Can you guys buy me a little bit of time?" Nathan said. "I need to heal. Once Chad's up, we can finish her off."

  The group gave Nathan a nod and all rushed forward into the fray. Fuge was the last to go.

  "We're all beat up, Nathan," Fuge said. "Those ghostly apparitions swarmed us while we were trying to get back to the bottom. It took a lot of energy using our various skills to break our fall and get down here as quickly as we could."

  Nathan took a closer look at her and realized she was breathing heavily. Not only that, but her hands were trembling.

  Nathan nodded. "I understand. I promise, I’ll finish things, just buy me time.”

  Fuge didn't say anything else and simply gave him another nod. She ran back toward the rest of the group and engaged with the Forest Queen.

  Nathan stumbled over to Chad, who had been knocked unconscious earlier in the fight. Nathan placed his hands over Chad and shut his eyes.

  "Ocean's Kiss," Nathan muttered.

  His fingers lit up with energy, and he felt power drain from him and into Chad.

  After a few seconds, Chad gasped a deep breath, and his eyes shot open.

  "Nathan!?" Chad said. "Oh my gosh, please tell me I didn't accidentally shut off the stream when I went unconscious—"

  Nathan stared at Chad. "Chad. I need you to stop thinking about the stream."

  "But what about my followers—"

  "Screw your followers!"

  Chad flinched backward. "Nathan, what is this all about?"

  "Chad, you took a major risk doing that jump. And not only that, but your attention was split because you were too busy talking to chat. I need you here."

  Chad's lips quivered. "But Nathan—"

  "Please."

  Chad's eyes darted between Nathan and the space where his system menu would normally pop up. After a few long seconds, he let out a sigh, stood to his feet, and picked up his katana off the ground.

  "I'm gonna lose my ranking as the number one apocalypse streamer," Chad muttered.

  Nathan slapped Chad on the back. "You'll get the followers back, buddy."

  The sound of a loud boom drew their attention. Nathan turned around to see what was happening.

  The streets were on fire, insect blood coated the ground like paint. Hovering shakily was the Forest Queen, while everyone else was stumbling around, barely able to stand.

  Nathan wasn't feeling much better—

  And then energy flooded his system.

  Nathan blinked.

  All of a sudden, the pain in his chest had just… stopped?

  Chad looked at Nathan with a confused expression. “Nathan?”

  Nathan shook his head. He’d figure it out later.

  "Remember the first circle?" Nathan said. "How you got behind that guy and slashed him open?"

  "I think you mean beheaded him."

  "I want us to do it again,” Nathan said. "I'll stay in front of her, and you keep trying to come up behind her. Think you can do it?"

  Chad rested his katana on his shoulder.

  "Easy. Let's get this done."

  Nathan ran forward, his harpoon glinting in the sunlight. The Forest Queen, who had been approaching one of Nathan's downed allies to finish the job, perked up and glared at him. She raced toward him, screaming.

  Nathan blocked an incoming blow from one of her insect-like legs. He prevented a tornado from forming with a preemptive strike from his wind cultivation.

  A split second later, the Queen let out a scream, and green blood splattered over the pavement.

  The Forest Queen turned on a dime to attack Chad, but he had already disappeared.

  Taking advantage of the Queen's distraction, Nathan leaned back and threw his harpoon forward as hard as he could.

  The harpoon slammed into the Forest Queen's body, tossing her to the ground.

  Before the Queen could do anything, Chad came back in and stabbed through one of her wings with his katana, embedding it to the concrete.

  Nathan breathed deep.

  It was over.

  Nathan put his foot down on her body, crunching it loudly. She writhed in pain.

  "The Sigil of Passage," Nathan said. "Now."

  "I will never—!"

  Nathan stomped his foot into the Forest Queen's abdomen again. The strike went directly through her body, and green blood flowed freely over Nathan's shoe.

  The Queen let out another scream. From the sides, Nathan saw some of the tree roots creeping toward him. He turned and gave them a glare.

  "If any of you get any closer, I'll aim for her head next time."

  The roots froze.

  Nathan turned his attention back to the Queen.

  "Listen up," Nathan said. "I get you. You just want to do what's best for your people. I don't blame you. But I need to do what's best for my people. I've got to get everybody here to the next circle. And my powers—as useful as they might be to you… I can't give them to you. Other people need them. Other people need me."

  "Will you shut up?” the Forest Queen hissed. Her wings tried to beat upward, but they were pinned in place, and each twitch seemed to cost her immense pain.

  "Give us the Sigil of Passage. If you do that, you'll at least live. And then, maybe… just maybe, you'll find a way out of this place. Isn't that better than dying here? Isn't that better than screwing both of us over for no reason?”

  It was hard to detect what was going on behind those insect-like eyes. But Nathan thought he could see a glimmer of defeat.

  Finally, she went limp.

  "Bring them before me," she said.

  Nathan wandered over to Bree and tugged on her sleeve. She blearily blinked her eyes open and glared up at the sun.

  "Hey, we need the dungeon items."

  She didn't even bother to stand up. She merely opened her inventory, grabbed the items, and pulled out the three she had: the Thorn, the Umbel Seed, and the Blight Bloom.

  Nathan reached out and cradled all three in his arms, bringing them before the Forest Queen.

  He looked back over at the tree. "We didn't get the Verdant Heart."

  The Forest Queen let out a wheeze. "I carry it with me."

  Her body glowed with an odd green light, and before them appeared a green apple—the same green apple they had seen at the top of the shrine.

  All four items floated upward into the air, possessed by an arcane force. They began to swirl around each other, glowing, shifting, stretching, until their forms were unidentifiable. Then, with a bright flash, they transformed into a seal.

  The seal dropped to the ground, and Nathan picked it up.

  He used [Inspect].

  [Sigil of Passage]

  A rare artifact only given to those who have successfully defeated all the challenges of the Third Circle and either subdued or persuaded the Forest Queen into creating it for them. Congrats! You win! And now these poor people are going to remain trapped here for another thousand years because you won, and they didn't. Feel proud of yourself yet?

  Nathan's stomach twisted uncomfortably.

  He looked over at the Queen.

  "My offer wasn't insincere earlier," he said. "You could join us."

  Chad looked over at Nathan, his jaw dropping. "Wait, did you say join us?"

  The Queen was silent before her voice came out, flickering and quiet.

  "That would be an unwise decision," the Queen said, her head tilting toward Nathan's chest. "And though you promise salvation, don't think I didn’t sense the battle waging inside of your body. You are at the focal point of something far bigger than any of us. Anyone attached to you… I don't envy their fate."

  Chad gave Nathan a questioning look. Nathan simply shrugged.

  Chad raised an eyebrow, then nodded.

  Nathan and Chad removed their weapons from the Queen's wings. She let out a shudder and stood back up. She moved forward, heading toward the forest.

  Nathan looked off toward the tree. The roots had stopped.

  "It's over," Nathan said, letting out a long sigh. "It's finally over."