One Saved, Another Lost

The stone chamber was hexagonal, and every wall had several round holes.

"What kind of place is this, anyway? Is it some ancient tomb?" Grace asked, puzzled.

"Maybe," Grandpa Gene the High Saint replied, though he'd never actually been to a tomb before.

"But this stone room is so weird!" Grace leaned closer to the holes and felt around. "There's air coming in—like vents. If this is a tomb, who needs ventilation?"

Dead people definitely don’t need 'vents.'

"Are they really vents?" Grandpa Gene the High Saint leaned over for a look too.

"There's air moving," Grace said.

Just as she finished speaking, Grandpa Gene the High Saint let out a startled scream.

A purple vine shot out from one of the holes, moving so fast it wrapped around Grandpa Gene the High Saint’s waist before anyone could react.

Grandpa Gene the High Saint whipped out a dagger and slashed at it fiercely.

"Bang!" There was a crisp snap—the vine was completely unharmed, but the dagger now had a notch in its blade.

That dagger was a genuine immortal artifact.

He tried his best fire magic next, but the scorched vine didn’t react at all.

Grandpa Gene the High Saint’s face turned absolutely terrified.

"High Saint, what’s wrong?" Grace asked.

"It’s sucking out my immortal power! This thing is draining me!" Grandpa Gene the High Saint’s voice was trembling. "It must be the legendary Soulbane Vine, only found in Elderworld! If it catches you, whether immortal or god, it will drain you dry!"

"Ray, bite through it! Hurry!" Grace called for Ray’s help.

Grace had never seen Ray fail to bite through anything before.

"Wait!" Grandpa Gene the High Saint shouted.

But it was too late.

Ray sank his teeth into the vine.

But instead of biting through, the vine wrapped itself around Ray!

Ray struggled but couldn’t break free, then he started screaming, "Mom! This thing is sucking out my divine power too!"

Grace was horrified—she hadn’t saved one, and now another was caught! What was she supposed to do?

Ray’s divine power seemed to attract the purple vine—even more vines slithered out from the other holes and wrapped Ray up into a ball.

"Mom, save me!" Ray’s muffled voice came from inside the vines.

Grace drew her Scarlet Sky Sword and slashed at the vines with all her strength, but they didn’t even get a scratch. She swung so hard her hand nearly broke!

Grace gave up on the sword and switched to spells.

She tried every elemental spell—wood, fire, water, earth, metal—but the vine didn’t budge. It just kept doing its thing.

It didn’t even bother to acknowledge her.

"What kind of monster is this?" Grace yelled. "Grandpa Gene! Grandpa Gene! What do we do?"

Grandpa Gene the High Saint gave a bitter smile. "I’ve only ever seen these things in ancient murals. They’re Soulbane Vines, planted by the Divine Race to guard their homes and secret chambers. Unless their master calls them off, they’ll keep... they’ll keep draining our immortal power!"

"Is there any way to stop them?" Grace asked.

"I can’t do anything!" Grandpa Gene the High Saint shook his head. "But don’t worry, once they drain all our immortal and divine power, they’ll let us go. They won’t kill us!"

Grace felt a little relieved.

"Listen to me, kiddo. They won’t attack you, because you’re too weak—you don’t have any immortal power yet! Once I’m drained, I’ll revert to my original form, and you’ll have to bring us back! You must... you must get us out of here!"