The silence that followed the Guardian's departure was so deep that you could almost hear the heart of the mountain beating. Do-hyun remained kneeling on the stone island, his hands trembling on either side of the Balance Tree. The little luminous shoot, narrowly saved, was now pulsating with soothing regularity, as if breathing to the rhythm of the cave.
[SYNCHRONIZATION WITH THE EQUILIBER TREE: 60%]
[BEFICT: ACCELERATED REGENATION IN HIS RAID OF INFLUENCE.]
[BLOOD ENERGY: 45/100 AND BOTTING.]
"Do-hyun?" Soo-ah's voice, unusually fragile, broke the silence. She stood by the lake, her spear still in hand but pointed to the ground. Scratches marked his face, and his armor bore the stigmata of fighting Kwan's guards.
"I... I'm fine," he manages to say, although his voice is hoarse from exhaustion. He looked up at her, then at Min-ho, who was methodically inspecting the tunnel entrance, his gun still pointed.
"Superficial wounds," Min-ho replied without looking back. "The guards were competent but demoralized after Kwan's disappearance. They fled as soon as they could."
Do-hyun rose slowly, his muscles protesting with each movement. He glanced at the tree with one last glance. The shoot had grown slightly during the conflict, as if the challenge had stimulated its growth. It was now about thirty centimeters long, its leaves of golden light slowly blossoming.
"Growth: 12%," he whispered, reading the information projected by the System.
They stayed in the cave for another hour, while they healed their wounds and gave Do-hyun enough time to recover enough energy for the return. The pure energy-laden air of the cave seemed to have healing properties. Soo-ah's cuts were closing faster than normal, and Do-hyun's mental fatigue was diminishing as he stayed near the Tree.
As they prepared to leave, something strange happened. The Tree emitted a soft pulsation stronger than the others. From the end of one of its branches, a small glow came off and floated gently towards Do-hyun. It was a miniature fruit, no bigger than a marble, made of condensed light.
He landed in Do-hyun's palm. Upon contact with its skin, the fruit solidified, becoming a small golden teardrop-shaped crystal.
[OBJECT: FROM BALANCE (PIRST).]
[EFFECT: ENERGY PURIFICATION.]
[Use: MAY be CONSUMED TO PURIFIE A CORRUPATED ENERGY SOURCE, OR USED as a component for artifacts.]
"A fruit..." whispered Soo-ah, approaching to see better. "He... he gives you a gift."
Do-hyun gently squeezed the crystal. It was lukewarm and vibrating slightly." It's a sign of gratitude. Or maybe part of the process."
Min-ho finally joined the group, his inspection completed. "The tunnel is cleared. No other presence detected. We should leave before further threats arise."
The return through the tunnels of Mount Bukhan was marked by a strange solemnity. They were no longer intruders, but protectors of a secret now rooted in these depths. Do-hyun felt the presence of the Tree diminishing as they moved away, but a tenuous bond remained, an invisible golden thread that connected him to the heart of the mountain.
When they finally emerged in the open, dawn was on the horizon, tinging the sky with orange and purple shades. The forest was coming back to life around them, the birds beginning their morning song as if nothing had happened.
The journey to the base was made in contemplative silence. Everyone digested the events of the night. The disappearance of Kwan, the intervention of the Guardian, the real nature of the Dream Eaters... and the fragile victory they had won.
Back at the HQ, Ji-eun was waiting for them, his face pale and marked by insomnia. She threw herself into her brother's arms as soon as she saw him.
"I tracked everything through the energy sensors that Min-ho had left behind," she whispered, her voice trembling. "The spikes...it was...terrifying."
Do-hyun hugged her." It's over. For now."
They spent the morning giving a detailed account. Ji-eun recorded each piece of information, creating a new section in the system archives dedicated to "Cosmic Entities": Guardian, Balancer, Dream Eaters, and now Ligeia, the "curious."
"With Kwan missing, the Purple Dawn Clan is going to be in turmoil," Min-ho analyzed as they ate a late meal. "His absence creates a power vacuum. Gorath and the traditionalists will probably try to regain control."
"What might be to our advantage," Soo-ah added. "A divided and warring clan is less dangerous."
Do-hyun was listening, but his attention was elsewhere. He turned the Fruit of Balance between his fingers, feeling its pure and stable energy. An idea germinated in his mind.
"The fruit...," he said suddenly. "The Balancer said that the Tree must learn to grow. And that it would produce fruit. Fruits that could... balance things out."
He looked at Soo-ah. "Your family, your contacts... They know other Bloodline users. Maybe some of them are... corrupt? Weakened by unstable energies?"
Soo-ah squinted, understanding where he was going. It's a common risk when you push your abilities too far, or when you're exposed to certain vampiric energies. Do you think this fruit could help them?"
"I think it's a possibility," Do-hyun replied. "And if it is... we might have a way of building something there. Not just a team of hunters. A... community. Indebtable allies."
The potential was immense. The Tree was not just a shield or a weapon. It was a source. A source of healing, of stabilization. A bargaining chip in the dark world in which they lived.
The following days confirmed this intuition. Do-hyun went to Mount Bukhan every day, not to fight, but to meditate near the Tree. The synchronization steadily increased, and with it, her understanding of what the true Phoenix was.
It was not a tool of destruction. It was a catalyst for life.
A week after the events of the cave, as Do-hyun finally reached level 5, the Tree produced its second fruit. This one was different - silver rather than gold.
[OBJECT: PROJECT OF BALANCE (SECOND).]
[EFFECT: Strengthening links.]
[Use: MAY be used to create or strengthen a symbolic link between two beings.]
On the same day, Ji-eun, who was actively monitoring the movements of the Purple Dawn Clan, made a disturbing discovery.
"They don't fight each other," she announced at the evening briefing. "Or at least, not as expected."
On the screen, maps showed the vampires' movements. "After Kwan's disappearance, the different factions retreated to their respective territories. But for the last two days... they've been starting to regroup. And not under the banner of Gorath."
She displayed an enlarged image. A new symbol had appeared on intercepted communications: a stylized eye, surrounded by purple flames.
"They have a new leader," Min-ho concludes, his features hardened. "Or something has taken control."
Soo-ah leaned over, examining the symbol. "It's not a known clan emblem. It's... different."
Do-hyun felt a shiver running down his spine. The eye... it reminded him of something. The energy gate that the Guardian had created in the station. The eye that was watching.
"He's not a vampire," he whispered. "It's something else. Something that takes advantage of the emptiness left by Kwan."
The balance they had saved was already in jeopardy. The disappearance of a piece on the chessboard had made a new, perhaps more dangerous, one appear.
Do-hyun looked at the two fruits in his hand, one golden, the other silver. Tools for creation, healing, bonding.
But faced with what was coming, would he have time to build before he had to fight again?
The Balance Tree had taken root. But the coming storms would test the strength of its young branches.