A surprise—one that had crawled and burrowed through the depths of the Dark Continent for an entire year—was now erupting from the rocks and soil along the border between the Black Forest and the Strip Plains with the shocking force of a natural disaster, revealing itself before the Aberrant army swarming out of the wasteland.
A tremendous rumble echoed from deep underground, and continuous tremors shook the entire southern border of the Dark Mountains. Within the dark soil, in geological structures beyond human perception, enormous plant formations spreading all the way from the Thorin Plains had long since bored countless astonishing tunnels and openings. These things, neither quite roots nor vines, gnawed through soil and stone while drawing additional energy from Biomass conversion plants and storage tanks positioned along their path. They had continued growing over the past few months, gathering strength for this day's emergence—and now, at last, the moment had come to break through the earth and embrace the sunlight. These "distant branches" of the Thorin Giant Tree... began spreading their structures wildly across the land.
Thorny vines and woody spikes tore open the earth. From the Cecilians' southern Propulsion Base to the dark mountain pass on the Typhon-Cecil border, countless plant structures surged forth from fissures and caves at a frenzied pace. The enormous "roots" pouring out were enough to chill the blood; from afar, it seemed as though the earth had suddenly grown countless ecstatic, writhing tentacles. They stretched madly through the dim light like seaweed, swaying as they grew, and in the blink of an eye, they had sealed every route leading into the Dark Mountains.
The Aberrant forces at the front sent back the final images they saw before dying, and that horrifying sight was burned deeply into the eyes of the Dark Druid