Bronze light bled through the dense canopy as Kaiden, Naō, and Liri followed a narrow trail toward the edges of Bramble Crossings. The sun had just begun its ascent, but the air still carried a residual chill from the night. Dew clung to their boots; pollen shimmered like golden dust in the rising light.
Kaiden walked with trepidation as his eyes constantly scanned for any enemies. Liri stayed quiet, her cloak trailing behind her like petals caught in a breeze. Naō, ever observant, glanced between them and muttered, “She hasn’t even said one word. Think that’s intentional?”
Kaiden shrugged but said nothing as they continued walking.
[Main Questline: Collapse of Day – Updated]
Objective: Reach Bramble Crossings and proceed toward Dimming Wilds. Escort NPC active. Solar activity rising.
The terrain thickened with bramble and vine as they approached the known patrol zones. Kaiden opened the map just as a new notification blinked across his HUD.
[Party Request Received: Ironstride → Accept? Y/N]
He hit “Yes.”
A moment later, the thunderous stomp of a mount echoed from above. Ironstride dropped from a higher ridge, mounted on her beetle-like Thornwing. She dismounted in a smooth roll and brushed off her gauntlets. Her armor gleamed beneath the sunlight, scratches across her shield from whatever dungeon she’d just tanked through.
She gave a short nod to Naō, then Kaiden, and then eyed Liri. “Let’s hope this branch quest doesn’t bite us in the rear and gives us plenty of experience in the end.”
Kaiden asked, “How rough will it be with our alliance leaning Unseelie?”
Ironstride shrugged. “From dev patch notes, Unseelie players get less upfront rewards, and their questlines are buried deep. Takes real digging to unlock them. But… people are saying the next expansion’s gonna give the Unseelie major buffs. High-tier loot, harder zones, maybe even new classes. So if you’re aligned with them now? You’re either a 100%-completion freak, or…”
“A noob that got lucky,” Naō muttered.
Ironstride grinned. “Yeah. A noob with an unregistered job class. I’m surprised the devs haven’t wiped you yet. You’re all over the forums. Once complaints spike, they might start cracking down. Just pray it works out in your favor.”
Kaiden didn’t reply. He hoped that too.
[Party Formed: Nyte / Mixmaster / Ironstride]
Follower: Liri (Passive Bond Active)
They crossed the threshold into Bramble Crossings. The vines curled higher, some glowing faintly underfoot.
[Region: Bramble Crossings – Border Zone]
Factional Control: Seelie Court – Active Patrols
Warning: Escorting Unseelie NPC – Stealth Checks and Deception Required
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
[Optional Objective: Locate Unseelie-aligned Tunnelway to Avoid Seelie Patrol]
Kaiden studied the terrain. Options. Disguise? Maybe. But Liri was a beacon of Unseelie energy, so they would have a bit of trouble keeping things under wrap.
Ironstride shook her head. “We try to bluff our way through, we’ll be surrounded. No one’s dumb enough to walk an Unseelie straight through Seelie command.”
Naō frowned. “What then? Tunnel? Secret passage?”
Kaiden hesitated. Then drew his scythe.
“We fight through.”
[Route Confirmed: Direct Conflict – Bramble Crossings]
[Unseelie Reputation +2 | Seelie Reputation -3]
The first patrol emerged from behind twisted bark towers, brandishing radiant spears. A captain pointed. “You carry corruption! Submit!”
The skirmish was brutal. Seelie knights moved in a flowing formation, casting radiant sigils beneath their feet. Kaiden darted between them, triggering Root Damage chains to bypass armor. Naō flanked, tossing corrosive flasks that melted defenses. Ironstride anchored the front, intercepting strikes with her shield.
[Enemy Defeated: Seelie Captain – +320 EXP]
[Enemy Defeated: Seelie Knight x2 – +120 EXP each]
Level Up | Nyte
Level 12
LP: 245/245
AP: 160
ATK: 55
DEF: 37
DEX: 38
AGI: 61
INT: 27
WIS: 20
Naō’s XP bar hovered just beneath full.
As the last knight fell, Liri stirred and pointed silently toward a glowing arch half-hidden beneath overgrowth.
[Optional Pathway Detected: Bloomveil Tunnel Entrance]
Fae Alignment Shift Detected. Light Cycle Locked: Twilight.
The tunnel opened into shifting blue light. As soon as they entered, the system clock froze.
[Entering Sub-Region: Bloomveil Path]
Visibility: Moderate. Shadow Density: High. Aggro Zones: Randomized.
Mob fights erupted along the way: Thorn Dancers, plant-like entities that vanished into walls, and Root Mimics that struck from below.
[Enemy Defeated: Thorn Dancer x4 | Root Mimic x2] [Cells: 6 Each]
Level Up!
Mixmaster: Level 10
LP: 160
SP: 130
ATK: 27
DEF: 25
DEX: 25
AGI: 33
INT: 41
WIS: 37
New Skill Unlocked: Corrosive Draught II
Then came the boss.
A rattling cry echoed ahead. From the ceiling descended a massive centipede-like plant beast, its face a spiraling bloom of twitching petals and thorns.
[Boss Encounter: Lurker of the Bloomveil Path]
Weakness: Fire | Root Damage: Effective | Shadow Resistance: High
Kaiden burst into Overflow Mode, chaining Twilight Rend, Bleeding Horizon, and Abyssal Bloom, restoring HP through momentum. Ironstride kept aggro with Linked Chain Defense, while Naō targeted the Lurker’s core with upgraded corrosives.
After a brutal back-and-forth, the creature shrieked and collapsed into blackened petals.
[Boss Defeated: Lurker of the Bloomveil Path]
[Item Acquired: Lore Fragment Ash-Eater’s Memory]
Kaiden opened the log:
“When the world saw changes in certain humans (those who fell to illness), they effectively changed. They were too attuned to the roots. Panicked, humanity offered them to either Seelie or Unseelie in hopes of restoring normalcy. Doing so changed things forever.”
The party went quiet.
Naō frowned. “People got sick and were just traded off?”
Ironstride said, “Sounds like a quest hook. But that gives me the chills for some reason.”
Kaiden didn’t say anything. The words stuck in his mind like a splinter. Something about it felt familiar.
They emerged from the tunnel hours later. The sky above was tinged violet and ash, the sun no longer visible.
[Region Unlocked: Dimming Wilds – Unseelie Territory]
Aggro Radius: Reduced. Corruption Level: Elevated.
They paused on a ridge.
Liri stood still. Then, for the first time, she spoke: “Someone is watching.”
Her voice was quiet. She turned toward the horizon. Blue firelights flickered in the trees beyond.
“Unseelie,” she said. “Another branch quest awaits.”
[Side Quest Updated: Return to the Unseelie – Stage 3 Active]
Objective: Locate the Unseelie Envoy in the Dimming Wilds.
