Chapter 252: Chapter 252: Okay, you’re right
"What is that?"
Swanly stood before the strange green light, her blue-gray eyes narrowing.
At first, she thought it was some kind of glowing stone.
There were plenty of strange things in this world.
Talking beasts.
Ancient creatures.
A giant who could crush houses beneath his feet.
And, of course, a tiny fairy who charged her points for everything.
But this?
This was different.
The light came from a narrow opening between two enormous ancient stones.
Soft green light spilled across the floor, illuminating the pale roots growing between the rocks.
Swanly slowly crouched.
Her fluffy white tail curled around her feet.
"System."
YES, HOST?
"Come look at this."
The fairy floated closer.
Then stopped.
Its wings became completely still.
Swanly noticed.
"What?"
The light pulsed.
Thoom.
Swanly blinked.
A few seconds passed.
Thoom.
Her ears lifted.
"Wait."
She leaned closer without touching anything.
Thoom.
Her expression changed.
"It’s beating."
The fairy said nothing.
Swanly slowly stood.
Another pulse moved through the strange green object beyond the opening.
This time, she saw it clearly.
It was not merely glowing.
It was contracting.
Expanding.
Contracting again.
Like something alive.
Swanly’s breathing slowed.
"A heartbeat..."
Her eyes widened.
"The Heart?"
The System immediately opened a golden panel.
INITIATING SCAN.
A thin golden light swept across the opening.
Swanly waited.
Usually, whenever she asked the System to scan anything related to the Heart, it gave her the same irritating answer.
Insufficient proximity.
Unknown interference.
Data incomplete.
She was fully prepared to hear those words again.
But this time?
The golden light passed through the green glow.
Then returned.
The System froze.
SCAN SUCCESSFUL.
Swanly nearly jumped.
"WHAT?"
The fairy stared at its panel.
ANCIENT BIOLOGICAL CORE DETECTED.
IDENTIFICATION: FIRST ROT HEART.
Swanly’s mouth fell open.
"Oh, my God."
She looked back at the opening.
"So this is it?"
YES, HOST.
"The thing that has been making everybody sick?"
CONFIRMED CONNECTION TO THE HEART FEVER PHENOMENON.
"The thing all those ancient creatures are coming for?"
HIGH PROBABILITY.
Swanly slowly swallowed.
Then looked at the glowing Heart again.
It was beautiful.
That was the disturbing part.
After everything she had heard about it, she had imagined something disgusting.
Black flesh.
Rotting blood.
An enormous mass of twisted veins.
But the Heart was almost breathtaking.
Its translucent surface carried different shades of green. Tiny golden threads moved beneath it, spreading and gathering with every beat.
Pale roots curled protectively around its lower half.
Some were white.
Others were silver.
A few looked almost transparent.
Tiny particles of light floated around it, rising slowly before disappearing into the surrounding stone.
It reminded Swanly of fireflies on a summer night.
Beautiful.
Peaceful.
Completely wrong for something associated with so much suffering.
Thoom.
The green glow brightened.
Swanly’s ears twitched.
She leaned closer.
"System, how can something so pretty cause so much trouble?"
The fairy continued scanning.
THE HEART IS NOT A STANDARD ROT ORGANISM.
"What does that mean?"
ITS BIOLOGICAL STRUCTURE CONTAINS MULTIPLE ANCIENT SIGNATURES. THE SCAN HAS RECOVERED PARTIAL INFORMATION ABOUT ITS COMPOSITION.
A second panel appeared.
Then a third.
Strange symbols rolled across them.
Swanly could not understand most of it.
"Can you identify the creature?"
NOT YET.
"Of course."
BUT I HAVE OBTAINED ENOUGH DATA TO BEGIN A DEEP ANALYSIS.
Swanly looked over.
"Of what?"
ITS ORIGINAL BIOLOGICAL DESIGN, ACTIVE FUNCTIONS, DEFENSIVE ABILITIES, POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES, AND THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ITS AWAKENING.
She straightened.
Now that was useful.
"Can you tell whether it is actually evil?"
The fairy hesitated.
THAT QUESTION REQUIRES MORE THAN A BIOLOGICAL SCAN, HOST.
Swanly frowned.
"Fine. What about whether it can be stopped?"
ANALYSIS PENDING.
"How long?"
UNKNOWN.
Swanly sighed.
"You really know how to ruin a good moment."
The System ignored her.
Golden data continued flowing into its panels.
Swanly turned back toward the Heart.
Thoom.
She tilted her head.
Something about that sound...
It was strangely comforting.
Almost familiar.
She took one small step closer.
The green light touched her face.
Warm.
Not physically warm.
It felt warm somewhere deeper.
Like standing beneath sunlight after spending a terrible night in the cold.
Swanly’s shoulders relaxed.
The terrible ache in her legs seemed less important.
Even the blood drying against her clothes stopped bothering her.
Thoom.
Her fox ears slowly rose.
She smiled.
"It’s really pretty."
The System did not answer.
Swanly leaned closer.
Just a little.
She wanted to see the golden threads moving beneath its surface.
Wanted to understand how something like this could exist.
Thoom.
Her hand lifted.
Without thinking.
Her fingers extended toward the opening.
One touch.
Just one.
She could almost imagine how smooth it would feel.
Maybe warm.
Maybe soft.
Perhaps if she touched it, she would understand something the System could not explain.
Her fingertips moved closer.
Closer.
Then...
PAK!
"OW!"
Swanly jerked backward.
Both hands flew to her head.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
The System hovered directly in front of her.
Its tiny hand was still raised.
WAKE UP!
Swanly stared.
"DID YOU JUST SLAP ME?!"
YES!
"YOU LITTLE..."
GET OUT OF THERE!
Swanly opened her mouth.
The fairy pointed furiously toward the tunnel.
YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS TOUCHING THAT THING!
Swanly froze.
Her gaze slowly returned to the Heart.
Then to her hand.
It was still extended.
She stared.
For a moment, she could not remember deciding to touch anything.
Her smile disappeared.
"Oh."
The System crossed its little arms.
YES. OH.
Swanly swallowed.
A cold feeling crept down her spine.
She had spent years surviving an infected world.
She knew better than to touch mysterious living things.
Especially mysterious living things that had apparently caused an entire settlement to suffer.
Yet she had almost done exactly that.
Without even thinking.
Swanly slowly stepped backward.
Then another step.
"Okay."
The fairy watched her carefully.
"Okay, you’re right."
OBVIOUSLY.
Swanly rolled her eyes.
"Don’t get arrogant."
YOU WERE ABOUT TO TOUCH THE FIRST ROT HEART!
"I KNOW!"
WITH YOUR BARE HAND!
"I SAID I KNOW!"
The fairy glared.
Swanly rubbed the top of her head.
Then sighed.
"Thank you."
The System blinked.
WHAT?