After locating an empty room within the branch headquarters of the Healers' Association, typically reserved for hosting guests, they settled into plush individual chairs arranged around a wide rectangular table.
The Village Chief said, "Patriarch Rylan, please explain to us what kind of phenomenon emerges from burning a large quantity of Vylkr vines."
Orion and Stronghold Leader Zogar listened intently as he began to speak.
Patriarch Rylan nodded and explained, "When a large portion of Vylkr vines is burned at such a frightening degree, and the Vylkr-infested fumes reach the sky, it creates something known as the Vylkr veil. This Vylkr veil is a thick, swirling fog resembling dense smoke drifting around."
"As it spreads and envelops the surroundings, strange and unsettling phenomena emerge. This phenomenon is known as 'Heaving ground,' where the destroyed Vylkr vines surge back to life with unnatural growth, resulting in strange variants of vicious Vylkr vines whose lives are supported only by the Vylkr veil."
Orion, the Village Chief, and Stronghold Leader Zogar felt their hearts sink as they absorbed Patriarch Rylan's words.
"What do you mean by Vylkr vine variants, Patriarch Rylan?" The Village Chief's voice was serious, his heart pounding.
"The Vylkr vine variants are variations like the Vylkr Blade Vine, with razor-sharp tendrils that move with unnatural speed and ferocity, and the Vylkr Wraith Vine, a ghostly apparition emerging from the eerie fog of the Vylkr Veil, capable of gliding through the air and effortlessly ensnaring their prey."
"The latter may seem easier to handle due to their spectral nature, but they are relentless, while the former are swift, dangerous threats. Only those with strength equal to or above a three-star Vylkr vine are sent to handle them to minimize casualties," Patriarch Rylan explained.
"Are you suggesting that all of this arises solely from burning a large quantity of Vylkr vines?" Stronghold Leader Zogar asked, his astonishment evident despite his efforts to conceal it.
Orion and the Village Chief were equally stunned, taking a moment to digest the weight of the information they had just received.
Patriarch Rylan nodded solemnly. "Yes, however, it isn't so simple. Burning a large quantity of one-star Vylkr vines wouldn't be able to create such a phenomenon due to their low abundance of Vylkr energy. This phenomenon only arises from burning a substantial amount of two-star Vylkr vines, which can last for two or three days, or three-star Vylkr vines, which can last up to four days. But they do not superimpose upon each other if burned simultaneously."
"Of course, there is also the fact that this can cause extreme weather conditions at the edge of the Vylkr veil due to the sudden emergence of such dense energy in the air, which can cause a commotion. If evaporating the Vylkr vines from the surface of this world was enough to get rid of it, then I can assure you there would be a scarcity of Vylkr vines. Because of this, taking such action is not worth it unless you deal with small controlled quantities," he added.
"Considering that this is not a runaway city where we might have a chance to evade the danger and escape but a large structure at the centre of such a phenomenon, we must hastily prepare for what is coming."
As Orion and the others contemplated Patriarch Rylan's words, Isadora discreetly glanced in Orion's direction throughout the meeting, hoping to catch his attention. Unfortunately, all of her attempts were futile.
"You mentioned that all of this arises due to burning a large quantity of two-star or three-star Vylkr vines. But what if we were to burn a Vylkr vine higher than that in large quantities?" Orion asked curiously.
Although learning about the phenomenon that would emerge from burning a large quantity of Vylkr vines was enough to stun him into silence, as he could never have imagined such a thing, he wasn't worried because of Aegis of the Arctic Deity's protection.
However, Patriarch Rylan and Isadora, seated beside him, were immediately confused by Orion's question.
"I don't understand what you mean by that, Mr Orion," Patriarch Rylan asked, his tone bewildered.
"Ahem! I think he is trying to say that we decided to burn the dead forest and the Vyllkr vines together because we discovered the emergence of a four-star Vylkr vine. So, to halt their growth, we burned them along with the one, two, and three-star Vylkr vines," the Village Chief cleared his throat and said.
A pin-drop silence descended upon the room.
Patriarch Rylan stammered, wide-eyed, "Four… Four-star Vylkr vine?" his voice trembling.
Even Isadora couldn't help but shiver when she heard the Village Chief's words. After all, this was the first time she had heard such a sentence.
Four-star Vylkr vine! Even the gods' chosen wouldn't dare joke about such a thing. However, looking at the Village Chief's expression and Orion's and Stronghold Leader Zogar's beside him, Isadora was immediately aware that they might not be joking.
The Village Chief nodded, "Yes, we have confirmed the existence of a four-star Vylkr vine. As such, we are doing everything in our power to eradicate them. Regarding the Vylkr veil and the commotion this will cause, we have chosen this method even without knowing what the phenomenon would be. So, you don't have to worry; we are perfectly capable of properly protecting this entire territory until the phenomenon dies down," he responded.
Orion and Stronghold Leader Zogar nodded confidently, agreeing with the Village Chief's words.
Patriarch Rylan and Isadora were stunned by their response.
Hadn't they just heard everything they had said?
A Vylkr veil formed from a two-star and three-star Vylkr vine was already terrifying enough, and now a Four-star Vylkr vine. Who knows what kind of phenomena would emerge from it?
Though he appreciated their confidence and could guess that it came from the strange protection that held back the Vylkr vines from infiltrating the Orion's cities, as someone who has witnessed these phenomena firsthand, how could he not be aware of their terrors and even downplay them?
"Village Chief Brane, though I trust your words, I don't think this is something you should disregard," Patriarch Rylan said.
