Source of the Mutation

At dawn the next morning, before the mist had lifted, Xia Lin and the other four arrived at the Royal Botanical Garden.

There was no longer an "entrance" to speak of.

The once-elegant iron gates had been twisted out of shape, their heavy bars wound together like strands of rope. Countless thick vines had burst through the gaps, intertwining to form an impenetrable green barrier.

Plants covered the garden's entire perimeter wall. An unnatural, ghostly green light shimmered across the vines' surfaces, as though they were breathing.

"Iomedae above." Kade gripped his shield. "It's much worse than what I saw around the perimeter yesterday."

"It's not just how fast they're growing." Sera's familiar, Little Shadow, hissed uneasily at her feet. "Have you noticed? The way these vines are arranged—it's too orderly."

Xia Lin had noticed it too. The vines looked like a tangled mess, but a closer look revealed that they had grown around one another, forming an almost perfect network of coverage.

"As if someone's directing them," Celia said softly.

Sky approached the gate and reached toward the vines, but just before her fingertips touched them, she jerked her hand back.

"What's wrong?" Xia Lin asked.

"These vines..." Sky's expression turned grave. "They show signs of life. They're alert, like animals. They can sense me."

Xia Lin frowned even more deeply.

"Looks like the intelligence was right." He drew a deep breath. "These plants really have mutated, and it's more than a simple magical surge."

"All right, everyone." Xia Lin took his ring and a thick stack of scrolls from his Space Bag. "Time to get to work. The buffet's open."

"Everyone, come closer." Xia Lin raised the ring and channeled magic into it.

The gem on the ring lit up. A pale golden halo spread outward, enveloping everyone