【Interstellar Contract Magician】Ruyuanke

The roar gradually grew closer, shaking the ground beneath my feet like a heavy heartbeat, beating between my eardrums and chest. Dust filled the air, carrying a damp and decaying scent, and before I knew it, it dimmed my vision.

We walked slower and slower.

It wasn't just because of the movement ahead, but also because of the oppressive feeling that gradually spread—it wasn't fear in the ordinary sense, but a resistance rooted in instinct, as if some indescribable threat was remembered deep in the blood.

"Do you feel..." I opened my mouth, but my voice was dry.

"It feels like approaching a grave." Qianmo interjected, his tone so calm that it was almost cold.

We exchanged glances, neither pausing. Hesitation was a crucial factor in these moments. Otherwise, the next step might lead us to stumble and slip into an abyss from which there would be no return.

The surrounding environment gradually changes.

From the initial wasteland to the bizarre landscape it now possessed—the ground was irregularly torn, black vines spreading from the cracks like blood vessels dying and reawakening, clinging to the rubble and broken rocks, emitting a faint green glow. The energy fluctuations in the air had grown noticeably stronger, no longer as chaotic as they had been at the beginning, but rather possessing a rhythm, a pattern.

We followed these vines until they led us like a road to a low ground.

In the lowlands, a half-collapsed circular stone monument lay quietly, surrounded by dense plant debris, some long withered, others still stubbornly emitting subtle energy fluctuations. In the center, a vague plant—or rather, a cluster—stood, about three meters tall, shrouded in layers of black vines. Its form was indistinct, except for a faint reddish glow flickering in its very center.

It was the same energy that had attacked us before.

"That is..." I asked in a low voice.

Qianmo didn't answer. He stood one step in front of me, his eyes fixed on the mass. After a long while, he slowly said:

"It's not an energy body...it's a heart."

I was stunned. "What heart?"

"The Heart of the Plant," Qianmo murmured, his voice filled with unprecedented complexity and hesitation. "Do you remember the combat plants we brought? The green seedlings and vines. Their original source might very well be... the offshoots of this thing."

As I looked at the mass, I suddenly realized that the abnormality of the green seedlings these days and the continued weakness of the transparent young vines might be related to our gradual approach. They were like broken branches being summoned back, awakened by the invisible main tree.

"You said before that the ruins contained some kind of 'uncontrollable force,'" I whispered. "Could this be it?"

Qianmo nodded, "And we may have already entered its last tranquility before awakening."

I suddenly realized that we had no way out. The real test might not have begun yet.

We stared at the Heart of the Plant in silence, the air growing heavier. Suddenly, the ground beneath our feet trembled slightly, as if in response to our gaze. The vine-wrapped mass of plants gave a slight twitch. At that moment, I heard something.

A tiny, breath-like whisper penetrated my mind, like thousands of seeds sprouting simultaneously, blossoming deep within my spirit.

I subconsciously took a step back, my chest heaving violently. And Qianmo, cold sweat already seeping from his forehead. He didn't move, but I knew he heard it more clearly than I did.

"It's calling." Qianmo murmured, "Not just us, but even the two trees in your backpack."

I subconsciously reached behind me. My backpack vibrated slightly, and the green seedling slowly began to extend a branch. The transparent young vine twisted violently, making tiny crackling sounds, as if struggling to resist something.

"No," I gritted my teeth, "We can't let them get close."

Qianmo reached out and held my shoulder, saying in a steady voice, "You guard them, I'll go get closer to that thing."

"Are you crazy?"

He smiled softly, "Maybe. But you know, I'm calmer than you about this kind of thing."

I stared at him for a long time without saying a word, and finally nodded.

He turned and walked towards the "heart". As if sensing something, the vines slowly parted, making a path as if prepared for him.

I stood there, clutching my backpack tightly. I could feel the agitation and fear of the two little creatures inside. The wind around me began to reverse, the air became distorted, and the broken stone tablet in the distance trembled softly, as if weeping softly.

This is the edge of the unknown. We are already here.

The next moment, perhaps a truth hidden deep within this world will be revealed.

Or, it will usher in complete destruction.

Do you want to continue?

Do you want to continue?

Ah……