Family system

"Silence!" the largest of the Arbiters barked, his beady eyes narrowing. "Your whining is ruining the atmosphere. If you are so worried, summon someone competent to address this."

The messenger hesitated, then said, "Hana, my lords. She is the one we entrusted with the Shadowed Plains relay. If anyone understands what's happening—"

"Hana?" one of the Arbiters said, snorting as he leaned back, his layers of fat quivering. "That upstart? She's always been too serious for her good. But fine. Summon her. Let her explain why her little project has failed."

The largest Arbiter waved his hand, sending a glowing ripple through the air. "See? Problem solved. Bring us Hana; she can drone on about whatever trivial nonsense she deems urgent. Now, be gone. You've wasted enough of our time."

The messenger bowed stiffly, anger barely concealed on her face. As she turned to leave, the Arbiters resumed their banter, their booming laughter filling the hall as they poured themselves more wine and gorged on platters of rich food.

"Imagine," one Arbiter said between bites of a roasted leg of some exotic beast, "thinking a few destroyed cores are worth bothering us. The god will handle it, as he always does."

"Exactly," another agreed, licking grease from his stubby fingers. "Now, more of that honeyed mead. This 'crisis' has worked up my appetite."

Their laughter echoed in the opulent chamber, utterly detached from the reality of the situation unfolding outside their gilded walls.

…

The group moved after successfully dealing with the Shadowed Plains. They had extra motivation due to the changes in the landscape that they left behind. The journey to the fourth and final relay core was the worst. They couldn't use the teleportation stone that Hana always used, so they had to walk. The terrain around them was entirely different from the plains' desolation or the Northern Wastes' chill.

This last region was a dense jungle, with a sickly green light emanating from its massive, twisted trees. The air was heavy with the scent of decaying vegetation. The relay core here pulsed like a diseased heart embedded deep within the jungle, warping the once-lush environment into a gross, wild jungle that felt lifeless.

Elena crouched at the edge of a clearing, her blade glowing faintly as she looked at the area ahead. "This place feels worse than the others," she muttered, her voice soft but loud enough for the others to hear her.

Hana nodded, her gaze sharp as she scanned the surroundings. "The core has been here the longest and is more advanced. It's feeding off the life energy of the jungle itself."

Valentina played with her blade; its sunlit flames dimmed in the atmosphere. "Good thing we're here to put it out of its misery."

Hana pointed toward the massive tree at the center of the jungle. "That's where the core is. The Arbiters have fused it with the jungle's life force. Destroying it will trigger a chain reaction, purging the corruption and destabilizing the area."

"Then we move quickly," Elena said, rising to her feet. "No distractions. We get in, destroy the core, and get out before this place collapses."

The group advanced cautiously, their weapons ready for a fight. The jungle seemed to react to their presence, the trees groaning and shifting as if alive. Twisted vines lashed out, forcing them to slice through the dense undergrowth.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them erupted. Creatures formed from the corrupted jungle emerged—gross hybrids of plant and beast. Their limbs were gnarled roots, their bodies covered in pulsating growths, and their glowing eyes locked onto the intruders.

"Here we go!" Valentina shouted, charging forward with her blade ablaze. She cleanly cleaved through the first creature.

Elena faced a beast. She dodged its swinging vines, her blade slicing through its thick, trunk-like limbs. Lava surged from her strikes, reducing the creature to a smoldering heap.

Isabella provided cover from the rear, her arrows striking the creatures. Each arrow found its mark, piercing glowing weak points and causing the beasts to collapse.

Hana darted through the chaos, her daggers flashing as she targeted the roots connecting the creatures to the core. Each severed connection weakened the creatures, making them easier to kill.

As the group pushed deeper into the jungle, more monsters came to stop them. Larger creatures emerged, each more gross than the last.

"Don't slow down!" Elena shouted, her blade carving a path through the dense remnants of the monsters. "We're close!"

Finally, the team broke through to the central clearing, where the relay core pulsed within the massive tree. Its surface was covered in glowing runes, and energy stretched like veins, connecting it to the jungle.

"Let's finish this," Elena said, her blade flaring as she charged toward the core.

The core fought back, vines and tendrils lashing out to defend the core. The team moved as one; their attacks cut through the defenses.

Valentina unleashed a burst of flames, burning through the dense network of vines. Isabella's arrows struck the core's glowing runes, disrupting its energy flow. Hana targeted the tendrils with her daggers, severing their connection to the core.

Elena reached the tree's base, her blade slicing through the last defenses. With a roar, she plunged her blade into the core, channeling her mana directly into its heart.

The core pulsed violently, cracks spreading across its surface. The entire jungle shuddered as the corrupted energy began to unravel.

The group unleashed their mana in a final strike. The core shattered with a deafening explosion of light and energy, sending shockwaves through the jungle. The corrupted creatures disintegrated, and the oppressive atmosphere lifted.

As the light faded, the jungle began to transform. The corrupted trees shrank back, their twisted forms smoothing into their original, lush shapes. The air cleared, the sickly green light replaced by warm sunlight filtering through the canopy.

The group stood together, breathing heavily as they watched the jungle heal.

"That's four," Valentina said, grinning as she sheathed her blade. "We've cut off their communication network."

Elena nodded, her eyes scanning the area around them. "This will disrupt their operations. Without the cores, the Arbiters can't communicate or coordinate beyond their empire."

As the group began to leave the jungle, Hana's crystalline device pulsed with an urgent light. She frowned, holding it up as a voice emanated from the crystal.

"Hana, this is an urgent summons from the Arbiter Council. You are to report to the Council Hall immediately."

Hana's expression darkened. "Looks like they've noticed."

"Do you think it's a trap?" Isabella asked, her bow still ready.

Hana smirked faintly. "No. They're too incompetent to set a proper one. They probably think they can intimidate me into explaining what's happening."

Elena crossed her arms, her molten blade still in hand. "We'll hold the line here. Do what you need to, but stay safe."

Hana nodded. "Don't worry. I already have a plan on how to deal with them

With that, Hana activated the crystal; her form was enveloped in light as she teleported just outside the Arbiter Council Hall.
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Hana's form materialized just outside the entrance of the Arbiter Council Hall. The structure loomed before her, a massive building of gold and black stone etched with glowing mana circles that pulsed with energy. It was designed to inspire awe and submission, but it was a grotesque display of excess to Hana.

The woman who had summoned her stood waiting. As Hana stepped forward, the woman opened her mouth to speak, but Hana brushed past her without a glance.

"Hana—" the woman began, but Hana's curt response cut her off.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Hana said, her tone flat and unbothered. "Let's not waste any more time."

The grand doors of the council hall swung open, revealing the bloated figures of the Arbiters lounging in their cushioned seats. Platters of food and goblets of wine surrounded them as they indulged without restraint. Their greasy laughter echoed through the chamber.

The largest Arbiter, a massive man with folds of flesh spilling over the arms of his gilded throne, sneered as Hana approached. "Finally, she arrives. Took you long enough, Hana."

Hana stopped in the hall's center, her sharp eyes scanning the room. She clasped her hands behind her back, her posture calm and composed. "You summoned me, and I came. What's so urgent that you couldn't manage yourselves?"

The room fell silent for a moment before one of the smaller Arbiters—his face slick with sweat from overindulgence—leaned forward. "What's happening with the relay cores? Reports suggest they're... failing. What are you doing about it?"

Hana tilted her head, feigning confusion. "Failing? My lords, the relay cores are functioning perfectly."

The Arbiters exchanged confused glances, their bloated faces contorting in uncertainty. "But we've received reports of destroyed cores!" the largest one barked.

Hana shrugged, her expression neutral. "Ah, reports. You know how messengers can be—always exaggerating. I've personally overseen the operations in the Shadowed Plains, the Northern Wastes, and beyond. Everything is under control."