The blood trees bowed like sentries as Rayan and Albert entered the forest. The air buzzed with an unseen hum—like an ancient prayer. Suddenly, the horse stopped before a massive tree with a trunk etched in symbols like burn scars.
The system blared a red warning:
*\[Entity of the "Sprei" lineage detected: Host body required.]*
Rayan placed his hand on the symbol, and the trunk opened like a massive mouth, releasing a cloud of golden spores. In the center floated a transparent embryo, like a living piece of amber, with a shadow inside it that swam like a fish in a jar.
Before he could reach for it, a whistling arrow shot past. Mark stood with his men, eyes gleaming with greed:
"At last... the embryo that will restore our bloodline's glory!"
Albert stomped the ground, releasing a shockwave that toppled trees. Rayan snatched the embryo, which melted in his palm like snow, as the system screamed:
*\[Fusion with Sprei lineage: 1%... Caution!]*
The forest trembled, and the trees whistled in warning. Rayan leapt onto Albert's back, who galloped faster than the wind, leaving Mark behind screaming:
"My master will find you! You're just a vessel...!"
The next morning, Rayan discovered a new message before him, written plainly:
"You must leave quickly.
Your fate lies beyond this village's walls."
– **Zain**