My Territory Seed is supposed to grow into my base, my protection. But this thing looks half-dead already.
He staggered back, staring at the useless seed in his palm.
If this doesn't work, what happens when the timer runs out?
The countdown read:
6 days, 23 hours, 50 minutes.
Seven days. Then what? Barrier will be disappeared?
He paced the clearing, boots sinking into the soft earth. Okay, Karl, think. You've been in tight spots before. He remembered a stunt gone wrong—miscalculated rigging, a fall that nearly broke his leg.
He'd survived by staying calm. Work the problem. But this… this isn't a soundstage. No crew. No safety nets. Just me.
The thought hit harder than the earthquake. I'm alone. Completely alone.
The thought hit harder than the earthquake, a wave of Helplessness pressed down on him like a weight.
But then—his fingers brushed the shard he'd pulled from the pouch. The Summoning Gate Shard.
This summons things… companions, beasts. Maybe they can help me survive.
He pressed the shard into the soil beside the seed, then placed five crystals around it, hoping it would do something.
A faint hum vibrated through the ground. A circle of light formed, no bigger than a manhole cover.
Karl's breath caught. Is this it? The gate?
But then—
Nothing happened
No summons appeared. No wolves. No spirits. Nothing.
Instead, Karl noticed the glow of the Essence Crystals fading—energy bleeding into the soil, seeping toward the seed.
His eyes widened. Wait. It's feeding the seed? Healing it?
Desperation surged. He scrambled, pulling out the rest of the crystals and placing them all around the seed. The glow flared, flowing into the cracks of the withered seed like water soaking into dry earth.
Karl held his breath, praying for roots, for sprouts, for anything.
But nothing changed. The seed remained inert, lifeless.
"Dammit!" Karl shouted, slamming his fist into the dirt. I need more crystals… but how do I get them?
And then, like before, knowledge surged into his mind, not spoken, but carved into his thoughts:
Essence Crystals can be obtained from mines. Or… by slaying beasts of the Wilderness.
Karl swallowed hard. Mines? Beasts? So I need to fight for them? His stomach knotted. I don't even have a weapon…
Then, the voice returned—calm, unyielding.
[You have awakened your Lord Talent!]
Breath of Spring
Karl sat cross-on the rough, mossy ground, his body still trembling from the strange surge of power that had just awakened within him. The words Breath of Spring lingered in his mind like an echo, warm and alive, as if they were more than just a phrase—something intrinsic, tied to his very being.
Breath of Spring… what does it do?
As if answering, a new sensation bloomed—a tingling awareness, like sensing the pulse of blood in his veins. It wasn't just his own body he felt. The air around him hummed faintly, alive with something he couldn't name.
He glanced at a small cut on his arm, a shallow scrape from brushing against a jagged root while digging. A bronze light faintly pulsed around his hand as he placed it over the wound. To his amazement, the skin stitched itself back together—not instantly, but faster than any natural healing he'd ever seen. The wound closed within minutes, leaving only a faint pink mark.
He stared at his palm, wide-eyed. So this is my ability? Healing wounds and sensing vitality?
He felt it now—the shoot at his feet, the moss on the nearby rock, even the distant trees—they all carried a subtle rhythm, a pulse of vitality. The word clicked, unbidden, like the earlier knowledge of Essence Crystals. I can sense it. Life.
He crouched beside the seed, brushing his fingers over the fragile shoot that had emerged after his desperate attempt with the crystals. It felt delicate, but there was a spark within it, faint and struggling. It's like it's wounded. Can I… heal it?
The thought felt absurd. He was a stuntman, not a doctor, not a mage. But the warmth in his chest flared, urging him to try. Knowledge surfaced, clear as the timer in his vision:
Breath of Spring:Slightly accelerates wound healing for self and others. Senses vitality in plants, beasts, and people.
Others… does that include the seed? It wasn't human, wasn't even a plant yet, not really. But it was alive, tied to him as a Lord. Worth a shot.
Karl placed both hands over the seed, palms hovering above the soil. He focused on the warmth, willing it to flow outward, toward the shoot. His chest tightened, the warmth shifting to a slow burn, like flexing a muscle he'd never used. A faint green glow seeped from his hands, vitality pouring out like a warm current.
He felt it immediately—the drain. His stomach twisted, his chest constricted, and a creeping fatigue spread through his body. It was as if his very life force was being siphoned.
The shoot quivered. Its tip stretched upward, a fraction of an inch, and the seed's cracks glowed brighter, the fissures narrowing slightly. It's working! Karl's heart raced, a grin tugging at his lips. I'm healing it.
But then, a wave of exhaustion hit him like a punch. His vision blurred, and a prompt shimmered into view:
[Status Panel]
Name: Karl Varn
Lord Level: Bronze I
Strength: 7 → 5
Agility: 8 → 6
Vitality: 10 → 3
Intelligence: 6 → 5
Abilities: Breath of Spring
Slightly accelerates wound healing (self + others).
Sense vitality in plants, beasts, and people.
He sat back, panting, sweat running down his brow. His body screamed for rest, for food. His hands shook, his muscles heavy, as if he'd just run a marathon. Hunger gnawed at his gut, worse than any skipped meal on a long shoot day.
He glanced at the seed, its shoot slightly taller, its cracks less pronounced, his mind burned with new hope.
Another prompt appeared:
[Evolution Countdown: 7 Days, 06:00:00]