Chapter 4.5 Terrain Patch
Patch Update v1.3.97 — Terrain Upgrade Protocol
Status: Live Deployment Initiated
Patch Notes:
Terrain Continuity Upgrade:
Integrated stabilization algorithms now prevent sudden elevation jumps, floating rocks, or the infamous “cliff that wasn’t there yesterday.” Terrain seams should now render smoothly across all biomes.
Resolved Glitched Terrain Features:
• Unexpected sinkholes that devoured entire caravans
• 2D mountains pretending to be 3D
• Trees spawning upside-down like eldritch wind chimes
• Waterfalls flowing up for no good reason
• The one grass tile that thought it was lava
Known Patch Upload Visual:
During installation, all terrain will briefly render as solid black for 1–3 seconds as the client recalibrates spatial geometry.
This is normal. Please do not scream, cast spells at the void, or assume an apocalypse event.
Terrain will return to standard visuals once stabilization completes.
Result:
World continuity now behaves like a sane physics engine. Adventurers may proceed without fearing that the ground beneath them will suddenly decide to phase into existential darkness.
SYSTEM ALERT — Patch Update v1.3.97 Installed
Terrain Upgrade Protocol Active
• Terrain continuity restored.
• Glitched terrain features corrected.
• 4,912 floating rocks repatriated to the ground.
• 1 inverted mountain reminded of gravity.
• 87 corrupted tiles told to stop pretending they’re lava.
Warning:
During patch upload, terrain may render as solid black for a moment while spatial geometry rethreads.
This is normal.
Do not panic.
Do not throw fireballs at the void.
Do not assume the world ended.
…again.
Patch complete. Thank you for your patience.
The world was abruptly engulfed in darkness, as if a great hand had snuffed out a flickering lantern, plunging everything into an eerie void.
“Liora?!” Steph cried out, her voice a mixture of panic and confusion, her claws scraping against the rough stone as she grasped wildly for something—anything to anchor her in the chaos. “I can’t see! Am I dead? Did the ruins consume me?! Oh, tell my beloved tail I loved her—”
Amidst the heavy silence and suffocating gloom, a soft metallic ding resonated, slicing through the stillness like a distant bell, as a SYSTEM message floated above them, just out of sight, its presence both mysterious and unsettling.
Then, in a sudden burst, the world flickered back to life, illuminating the surroundings with stark clarity.
Steph blinked rapidly, her fur puffed up to an alarming degree, making her look almost comical in her confusion. “Wh—why was everything BLACK?! Did we tumble into some kind of void pit?!” she exclaimed, her voice a mix of panic and bewilderment.
Liora let out a weary sigh, brushing off the fine layer of dust clinging to her flowing robes as if this surreal situation were nothing out of the ordinary. “Steph, it was merely a patch update,” she explained calmly, her demeanor suggesting an unwavering acceptance of the chaos surrounding them.
“A WHAT update?!” Steph’s grip on Liora’s arm tightened, her pupils dilated wide with fear and uncertainty.
With a steady hand, Liora gestured toward the translucent SYSTEM box glimmering nearby, its presence almost mocking in the stillness of the void. “Version 1.3.97. Terrain continuity upgrade. Glitched terrain fixes. You did see the warning, didn’t you?” The box hovered smugly, its digital glow casting a faint light on the bewildered duo, underscoring the strangeness of their predicament.
“I didn't see a warning!” Steph protested, her voice tinged with panic. Her heart raced as the memories of the moment flooded in—everything had gone black, and for a terrifying second, she was convinced she had either gone blind or perhaps been cursed. Or worse, pulled into some dark shadow realm that lurked beyond the veil of reality.
“Steph… the warning was clearly printed,” Liora replied patiently, her finger tapping against the glowing message on the screen, the letters stark and insistent. “Do not panic.”
Steph narrowed her eyes, her frustration evident. “That ominous box wasn’t there before!”
“It was,” Liora insisted calmly, her brow slightly raised as she took in her friend’s distress.
“It was NOT,” Steph shot back, her disbelief thick in the air.
“Steph,” Liora said again, her tone softening as she took a step closer.
After a moment, Steph relented, her brow furrowing as recognition washed over her. “…Okay, maybe I ignored it,” she admitted, her grip loosening from Liora’s waist as she became aware of their proximity. But just as she eased up, her tail swept back, inadvertently knocking over a half-collapsed column of ancient stone behind her with a resounding CRASH, sending dust and debris spiraling through the air.
Steph winced, her expression tightening. “Uh… the terrain seems… a bit more upgraded than before.”
Liora pinched the bridge of her nose, a gesture that signaled both frustration and resignation. “Yes. Just wonderful. The system managed to stabilize the ruins while you single-handedly destabilized them.”
Steph puffed up, indignation flaring in her eyes. “Excuse me, I was under extreme emotional duress! The entire world went black! That certainly counts as grounds for tail-flailing!”
Liora couldn’t help but smirk, despite the tension in the air. “You sounded like a drowned cat caught in a thunderstorm.”
Steph’s ears drooped, her embarrassment palpable. “I was a terrified drowned cat in a thunderstorm!”
With a gentle touch, Liora reached out to adjust the crooked pink ribbon tied in Steph’s tail, her demeanor softening. “There. Now you look a little less like a panicked void gremlin.”
In an instant, Steph melted at the warmth of Liora’s gesture, her cheeks flushing with a soft pink. “Okay… fine… maybe the blackout wasn't quite the end of the world.”
Suddenly, a massive force slammed against the far wall of the ruins, reverberating through the chamber like a thunderclap. Dust and debris fluttered down from the ancient ceiling, and the air thickened with tension.
Steph and Liora froze, their eyes wide with a mix of fear and disbelief.
Steph leaned in closer, whispering as if the very walls could hear her. “...Liora?”
“Yes?” Liora replied, her voice barely above a murmur, her senses heightened.
“Did the patch… install… something?”