The journey begins
The water was cold. Too cold.
It wasn’t just a matter of temperature; it was a constant pressure that crushed William’s lungs, as if the lake were trying to claim him for its own. He opened his mouth out of pure instinct, and the liquid flooded his throat. He tried to scream, but only heavy bubbles escaped. His body shook in useless spasms, a desperate biological response.
The more he struggled, the deeper he sank. His arms stopped responding. His legs felt heavy, as if the bottom of the lake were a gigantic magnet pulling at his flesh. The light from the surface distorted, receding until it became a small, cruel white dot.
Then he understood. This is what dying feels like.
His chest burned. Air wouldn’t enter. A constant ringing filled his head. Suddenly—something grabbed his arm. At first, he thought it was a hallucination, a final fantasy of a brain running out of oxygen. But the pull was real. Violent. His body was dragged upward with such force that he felt his shoulder was about to dislocate.
The water broke.
—Gah!
He inhaled air desperately. He coughed, expelling the liquid while his throat burned as if he had swallowed hot coals. Every breath ached... but it was the sweetest pain he had ever felt. He was breathing.
Something metallic wrapped firmly around his body, preventing him from sinking again. His arms shook uncontrollably. His entire body vibrated from the thermal shock.
—Quiet. You are safe now —a voice resonated directly in his mind—. Don't forget to make an offering to your savior.
The voice sounded distant, as if coming from the depths, yet it was laden with an authority that made his skin crawl. It was her. The Goddess... he assumed the blessing was still in effect. William let himself be carried. The shore appeared before him. He felt the viscous mud beneath his hands and crawled a few meters before falling on his side, panting.
The sky was covered with gray clouds moving indifferently. He was still alive. He closed his eyes tightly. At the same time, an intense burning spread through his right arm, growing more and more intense until it ceased, leaving only tattooed chains behind.
—Goddess... I suppose one last gift from her wouldn't be bad —he whispered.
Darkness claimed him once more.
When he woke up, sunlight filtered weakly through the dry branches. The white forest was still white, for even if you eliminate the original cause, the other plants will continue to exist. Footsteps. Many of them. Agitated voices breaking the silence of the forest.
A sharp pain pierced his body from his stomach to the back of his neck. He sat up with difficulty, leaning on a rock to keep from falling. He looked for his sword. It wasn't there. He pulled off the remains of his gloves and felt his torso and legs. Minor wounds. Nothing serious. Or so he wanted to believe.
He sat on the damp ground and closed his eyes. It was time to check the internal damage. He emptied his mind. He ignored the cold, the wind, and the stench. He searched for the flow of his mana. He found it. But it wasn't the disciplined flow of before. It was a tsunami.
A torrential mass of energy was battering his channels. Dammit. Years dedicated to the efficiency of control, and now this. If he tried to use that volume carelessly, the channels wouldn't hold. The footsteps were approaching. Concentrate. He tried to direct the flow toward his center of power.
The clash was immediate. William spat blood.
The fire essence of the giant and his original water energy had collided violently. A crack ran through his energy core—thin... but dangerous. Normally, managing two opposing energies required secret arts or a special constitution. William had neither. They barely coexisted, clashing and tearing him apart from within. At least he could use mana again, even if it was a minimal amount.
The footsteps stopped nearby. He opened his eyes. The mushrooms in the area were withered, losing their toxic glow. He found himself wondering if they were edible. He was starving.
—There's someone alive here!
William stood up with effort and pulled a secondary sword from his magical inventory. Something metallic crunched under his boot. He leaned down and touched the chain that had saved him; the next instant, it vanished. It wasn't in his inventory; he could feel it on his right arm, which was burning. He approached the edge of the lake to avoid being surrounded. Seconds later, he was encircled.
The armors bore an emblem he didn't immediately recognize: a steel wall blocking the sky.
—Name and occupation —ordered a knight who seemed to be leading them.
—Filian. Adventurer.
—What happened here? Summarize.
William stared at him. He was tired, hungry, and his energy core was cracked.
—Nothing important —he replied—. Just a giant mutant fungus consuming a Transcendent to create an army of fungal amorphs. The usual.
The silence was absolute.
—Tell me you're lying —the knight said, with a poorly disguised plea.
William sighed.
—You're right. I'm lying.
He pointed to the lake.
—Obviously, these fungal remains are a seasonal propagation. And the absurd amount of mana in the lake is because a mage dropped a diamond potion by mistake. He stepped forward. Several soldiers retreated.
—And that giant isn't a Transcendent. It's an oak and alchemy puppet—you know, expensive theater.
—Noble? —the knight asked.
—The speech or the arrogance?
The man took off his helmet.
—Rolando OldFort. Second son of Viscount OldFort.
—I currently have no last name —William replied, lowering the sword—. Call me Fin.
They took him to the main house of the border city. It wasn't as deteriorated as the outer dwellings. In the room were Rolando, an older man with the look of an exhausted scholar, and William.
—I am Alphonse, administrator of this city —the old man said—. I want you to explain the situation to me. With real details.
William leaned back in the chair, ignoring the pain in his back.
—In short: I came looking for the remains of a Transcendent. I entered through the port of Tinicia. I found ancient records speaking of fire giants in this region during the war. I thought I'd find treasures. I only found mold. He took a sip of water.
—The lake became a nest. If I hadn't started the fire, we'd be talking about one less city right now.
Alphonse and Rolando exchanged glances.
—What happens with the infected? —Rolando asked.
William shook his head slowly.
—There are two types. Some are used as food. The fungus invades the brain and makes them believe everything is fine. Others... are guards. Parasites that replace organs, making the body more resistant. More dangerous. Their spores spread through the air.
—Do you think any more are left? —Rolando asked.
—Probably. I eliminated many by dragging them to the lake, but it would be best to finish off the rest. I recommend incendiary arrows and a water mage for support.
Alphonse nodded.
—You can rest. A servant will take you to a room.
William got up without protest. He was at his limit.
The next morning, the rest was brief. The door burst open. By reflex, William took his dagger and aimed it at the intruder.
Clang!
Rolando stopped the blade with the back of his metal gauntlet.
—Wow. I didn't know it was dangerous to wake up someone —he said, trying to seem casual—. Normally, in someone else's house, a maid keeps her distance.
William didn't lower the weapon immediately.
—My family is militarized. And you know what's been happening here—when I left home, I always took my servants with me.
Rolando sighed.
—We need a guide. My men don't know the terrain. You do.
—But you already reached the lake.
—Yes, but we didn't come out unscathed.
—Payment?
—A silver recovery potion and ten imperial gold coins.
—Twenty if the potion is low quality.
—Fifteen and the potion.
—Deal.
They left at dawn. The group split into hunting and containment. William led them through marked trails. The hunt was brutal, methodical. When a mercenary got too close to a fungal guard, William dragged him back before it exploded.
—We don't know how they react without a core controlling them —he warned.
Finally, they reached the lake.
—Shame we can't keep the giant —Rolando commented—. The capital's factions will claim it.
—The real value isn't the giant —William replied, approaching from behind.
Rolando frowned.
—What do you mean—?
William shoved him into the lake.
—What the hell—?!
—Shut up and meditate —William said—. This area is a convergence point of pure mana. For your water affinity, the benefit is enormous.
Rolando hesitated... and closed his eyes. Minutes later, his expression changed.
—This is incredible.
William, pulling out a canteen and filling it, said:
—They can claim the giant, but the lake belongs to the territory, and territory near a city cannot be claimed.
Days later, with his wounds healed and training concluded, William departed. The borders were not a safe place to stay. His next destination: the Kingdom of Luion.
