"Yeah... 'Life's Fresh,' or what you folks call 'the flesh of life.'" Cyrus nodded, his expression growing visibly serious. "That's the source of every goddamn Vine-born on this planet."
"So... what the hell created it in the first place?" Leon asked, confusion and curiosity sharp in his eyes.
Cyrus let out a quiet sigh. "Long story... Let's just say it was a catastrophe from the distant past that changed this world forever." He didn't elaborate much, knowing their time was limited and figuring Leon had probably heard the basics already.
"What you need to understand," Genus added, her voice steady but weighted, "is that the Vine-born spawned from Life's Fresh aren't all the same. They're categorized by different levels of danger and ability."
She began explaining. "There are Low-Tier ones—like those mutant rats you've encountered, or even certain plant species that got infected. These mostly operate on raw instinct."
"Then you've got Mid-Tier," Cyrus continued. "Most of these come from humans who got completely consumed by the Life's Fresh until they lost all sanity, leaving behind only madness and bloodlust. Their bodies might still hold some human shape, but twisted into something horrifying."
"And the most dangerous... are the High-Tier ones." Raven spoke up for the first time, his deep voice adding a chill to the atmosphere. "They also started as humans... but unlike the mid-tier, they retain their full intelligence. Or maybe they become even more cunning and devious than before... like 'The Exiled' we just faced."
Genus nodded in agreement. "Right. And beyond these three tiers... there are stories of Special-Tier Vine-born. But those are just legends. None of us Witherborn have ever encountered one face-to-face. Information about them is practically nonexistent."
Raven looked directly at Leon, something unreadable flickering in his eyes before continuing in his flat tone. "But on the flip side... contact with 'Life's Fresh' doesn't always bring devastation or horrifying mutations."
Leon raised an eyebrow slightly, waiting for Raven to continue.
"In extremely rare cases... 'Life's Fresh' chooses to merge with whoever touches it, awakening incredible powers that lie dormant within that person." Raven paused briefly, giving Leon time to absorb the information. "We call those people... 'The Awakened.'"
"The Awakened...?" Leon repeated the term, feeling like he'd heard it before, or maybe it was just an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Cyrus grinned widely with a knowing look. "That's right, kid... the lucky ones. Or unlucky, depending on how you look at it. People who get superhuman abilities. Some become stronger, others can control elements, or have insanely sharp senses... like... certain someone in our group here." He spoke while glancing meaningfully at Genus and Raven.
Genus just shook her head lightly at Cyrus's behavior, but didn't deny anything.
Leon tried to process all the new information flooding in. It was overwhelming and more terrifying than he could have imagined. "So... this Life's Fresh... where is it now? Why haven't I ever encountered it or heard of anyone finding it?"
This time Raven answered. "Currently... Life's Fresh that's still intact and powerful enough to cause major mutations has almost vanished from this world, or become rarer than gold. Most of what's found is usually decayed or has lost most of its energy." He met Leon's eyes steadily. "But that doesn't mean it can't be found... Since I joined the Witherborn, I've encountered it at least ten times. It just wasn't in perfect condition."
BOOMMMM!!!
Before anyone could say another word, a thunderous explosion echoed from the direction of River Bend's city center. The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly, followed by the anguished screams of panicked people!
Leon and all three Witherborn members' eyes widened in shock, their danger instincts screaming.
"Holy shit! No fucking way! How did it get into the city?!" Cyrus swore first, his playful expression completely gone. He quickly looked between Genus and Raven.
Genus frowned deeply. "That covenant... shouldn't it still be working, Raven?"
Raven just shook his head slowly, his eyes thoughtful. "Something... went very wrong."
Leon, still confused about the situation, heard the screams growing closer. He gritted his teeth and ran after the Witherborn group that had already sprinted ahead, his heart pounding with fear and the worst possible premonition...
When they reached the scene, what Leon saw made him nearly stop breathing...
River Bend's once-bustling town square was now filled with chaos. People fled in complete panic, and through the smoke and flames... the towering figure of "The Exiled" stood triumphant! The sharp thorns covering its body were stained with fresh blood from unlucky townspeople.
"Hahaha! You stupid townspeople! Finally... finally I get to trample this wretched city again!" Its raspy, terrifying laughter echoed throughout the area. "Or perhaps... I should call it 'cleansing'? Cleansing the humiliation you gave me!"
Barton, who came running frantically from another direction with the few surviving patrol unit members, was stunned when he saw the scene. "Impossible! How... how did you get into the city?! Silvia's covenant..."
"The Exiled" whipped around to stare at Barton with eyes full of hatred. "Silvia?!" it roared. "You people banned me from the city... just because I was 'different' from you?! That bitch Silvia! She couldn't fight me! So she had to use dirty tricks to protect you bastards!"
Genus shouted back, "What Silvia did was protect the innocent from your madness!"
"The Exiled" let out a shrill laugh. "Protect?! Yes! I used to protect you too! Protected you from other Vine-born so they wouldn't slaughter you... before I could be the first to taste you! Hahaha!"
Painful memories flashed clearly in its crimson eyes. "In the past... when I first became a Vine-born... they... the people in this city... tried to kill me immediately. Never thought to listen to my excuses or my pain! They feared what they didn't understand!"
Cyrus clenched his jaw. "How is what you're doing to these people any different?!"
"It IS different!" "The Exiled" roared back. "I was betrayed! Chained with curses! And that Silvia... when she saw things going bad, or maybe she knew she couldn't fight me... she..."
"The Exiled" stopped speaking for a moment, its voice filled with bitterness. "...she screamed out: 'Chains of binding! Take my life to anchor his heart! And never let him set foot in this city again! He... is no longer one of this city's people!'"
The final image of Silvia... the leader who sacrificed her own life to protect the townspeople... and the invisible but powerful energy chains that pierced the "heart" of that Vine-born, along with her final curse...
"From that day on... I've been thinking... how to destroy this cursed city! If I stepped directly into this city, I'd die instantly from the power of those chains... but her final words... 'no longer one of this city's people'... that's it! That's the key! So I had to 'devour' you... to become a complete 'part' of this city! Hahaha!"
Barton, Raven, Cyrus, Genus, and Leon who had just caught up, all stood stunned by the horrifying truth they'd just learned... Leon clenched his fists until they shook, rage toward "The Exiled" and confusion about his city's fate crashing over him like a wave....