Chapter 21 – The Skyward Sprout
Chapter 21 – The Skyward Sprout
Tyler, Milo, and Vitamin Ape trudged back into Yandi, the forest’s vibrant life seeming quieter after the chaos they’d just endured. The crackle of magical fire, the scent of scorched leaves, and the sting of near defeat still hung over them like a lingering storm cloud.
Despite the exhaustion — both physical and mental — Tyler couldn’t suppress the slight grin tugging at the corners of his lips. He had finally acquired his first offensive skill.
[Skill: Fireball]
[Shoot a fireball toward a target, dealing 50 burning damage. PE Cost: 10]
“Finally,” Tyler muttered to himself, fingers flexing as he imagined casting it. But even he knew that they were in no shape to tackle more danger. Rest was essential now.
Fireball was a costly skill at 10 PE per cast, and Tyler’s pool was only 25. He had the Storm Wizard’s Hat, which boosted his PE to 44, but wearing it meant giving up the defence his titanium helmet provided. Not a great trade-off in battle.
“Guess my next few points are going into Power Regen,” he said under his breath.
Their first stop was, naturally, Yandeon’s cave. Tyler had a reward to collect.
Yandeon, standing in front of a glowing crystal orb, turned as they approached. He raised an eyebrow.
“Back already? That was fast,” the old wizard remarked, eyes narrowing. “Even considering you had Vitamin Ape with you.”
Tyler shrugged. “We didn’t take tea breaks.”
Yandeon studied him for a long moment, then gave a slight nod. “Impressive. As promised, I’ll share what I know about the remaining Primordial Beasts and their sanctuaries.”
He raised his staff, and ethereal images shimmered in the air before them: a burning desert, a roiling ocean, a twisted dark forest.
“Each of the five Primordial beasts represents one of the fundamental forces of our world,” Yandeon explained, his tone shifting into the gravitas of a seasoned storyteller. “Cold winds that echo through forgotten mountains. Fire that burns in the deepest layers of the world. Tempests that churn in the ocean’s heart. Sands that shift endlessly, erasing all traces. And venom that festers in the darkest shadows.”
Tyler watched, his excitement dimming slightly. The scope of what he was facing was overwhelming.
Yandeon continued. “Zephryn, whom you defeated, was the Warden of Whispering Winds. Her sanctuary, the Skyreach Monastery, was atop the Windy Mountains. She was the weakest among the five. The others… will not fall so easily.”
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“So, where do I find them?” Tyler asked.
“To face them, you must traverse the Great Dunes of Ardun, cross the Abyssal Tides, and journey through the Ebon Hollows. Each sanctuary lies hidden within these regions, protected by the elements themselves.”
“And Shindeon?” Tyler pressed.
Yandeon paused. “Shindeon, the Infernal Warden… his sanctuary is not of this world. It is called The Crucible Gate, an ancient door buried deep beneath the land, sealing away the passage to the Netherrealms. Only through his resurrection will the gate rise.”
“So, it appears when he comes back?”
Yandeon nodded grimly. “Should he return in full, The Crucible Gate will erupt to the surface, bringing ruin in its wake.”
Milo exhaled. “Okay, so desert, sea, forest… and Shindeon shows up with his gate when he’s revived. Got it.”
Yandeon added, “And one last piece of advice. The divine key you now carry will react to the presence of other keys. If you are near a sanctuary, it will guide you like a compass.”
Tyler and Milo finally stepped out of the cave. The evening light spilled across the Yandi Forest, and Tyler felt the tension in his shoulders begin to ebb.
“What now?” he asked.
Milo grinned. “We build a house.”
Tyler blinked. “You serious?”
Milo nodded. “Look, I know we don’t need to sleep or eat. But mental exhaustion is real. The night in Ivory Glen… that was the best rest I’ve had here. We need a place of our own.”
Tyler was about to argue. “A mansion’s expensive.”
“Already handled,” Milo said. “I gathered 80% of the materials myself. You just need to hand over the gold.”
Grumbling but too tired to fight, Tyler handed it over. He gave all the things in his inventory except the ancient bone, divine key, and titanium gear. Milo zipped away to Shooba and Filbert to buy the rest.
Soon after, they stood at the edge of a clearing in Yandi Forest — a wide open space near the shore, not far from the teleporter.
The mansion rose like magic. Its light-grey walls glistened under the fading sunlight. Inside, it was nothing short of art.
Two large rooms, each furnished with beds, chests, rugs, table and chair sets, glowing lamps, and even a painting easel. But the most striking thing was the artwork.
Tyler wandered in, eyes drawn to the walls. There were scenes from their journey: the Dreadnest Spider’s cavern, the Windy Mountains, and one of Miho standing beside them.
But one painting made him pause.
It wasn’t well-rendered. The brushstrokes were clumsy. But Tyler instantly recognized the figures. Himself. Milo. As humans. With their parents.
He stared in silence.
“I thought… maybe it would help,” Milo said, walking up behind him.
“Yeah,” Tyler murmured. “It does.”
A fire lit in his chest. He would go home. He had to.
He stepped outside for air, only to hear Milo shout.
“Tyler! You gotta see this!”
Tyler jogged around the mansion. “What now? What are you yelling about?”
“This!”
Next to the berry bushes and pumpkin patch Milo had built… a massive vine was growing.
A beanstalk.
No, the beanstalk.
“What… did you do?!”
“I just planted that Magic Bean Cupcake Crab gave us!”
Tyler gawked. “Is this Jack and the Giant Beanstalk now?”
The beanstalk grew taller and taller. Its top disappeared into the clouds.
Tyler looked at Milo. Milo raised a hand. “Don’t you dare.”
Too late. Tyler leapt onto the beanstalk.
“What are you doing?!” Milo yelled.
“Finding out what’s up there.”
“What if it’s dangerous?!”
“I won’t know until I see it for myself.”
The wind howled as Tyler climbed higher and higher, rising above the clouds, higher than the peaks of Windy Mountains.
The beanstalk had stopped growing.
And floating in the sky above him… was something he never expected to see.