"When roots whisper, even kings should listen."
Days passed. Then weeks.
In that time, the young tree's grove transformed.
What was once a quiet patch of wilderness had become a place of strange serenity.
The soil was dark and rich, teeming with life. Moss spread like a living carpet, and the air shimmered faintly with motes of light — the soft glow of forest spirits that now called this place home.
Small creatures nested in his branches.
Predators avoided his scent.
Every living thing here moved in rhythm with him.
The Codex pulsed gently, its voice now a calm companion within his consciousness.
[Environmental Equilibrium Achieved]
[Faith Energy Accumulation Rate: 0.7 per hour]
[Growth Potential +1]
He had grown taller. His trunk was firm and silver-gray, his leaves tinted faintly gold under sunlight. His awareness now reached far beyond what he once believed possible — a full hundred meters in every direction.
The forest breathed with him.
But one morning, something broke the pattern.
A disturbance — faint, rhythmic, unlike any animal.
Footsteps.
He sensed them before he heard them: two, maybe three figures, cautious yet determined. The air carried their scent — fur, metal, and faint traces of mana.
[Foreign Entities Detected – Proximity: 94m]
They stopped near the edge of his domain.
Through his expanded perception, he saw them without eyes — outlines of form, heat, and intent.
Three beastmen, tall and lean, their bodies covered in fur patterned like tigers. They wore crude armor of bark and bone, their tails flicking warily as they gazed into the grove.
"Do you feel that?" one murmured, voice low.
"The air… it's humming."
Another stepped closer, his hand on the hilt of a jagged blade. "This place isn't natural. The spirits here don't fear us—they watch us."
The leader, older and scarred, crouched and touched the soil. His amber eyes widened.
"This mana… it's pure. Untainted. No corruption. But it's alive. Something is breathing beneath."
He glanced up at the young tree — tall, silent, radiant under a shaft of sunlight.
"The center of it all…" he whispered. "This tree. It's the source."
The youngest beastman frowned. "Should we cut it down? It could be dangerous."
The older one shook his head slowly. "No. The forest favors it. Can't you feel it? The birds don't flee. Even the air bends around it."
The young tree listened silently, his thoughts calm but sharp.
For the first time, he was seen.
He extended a fraction of his will — a whisper through the soil, gentle yet commanding.
The wind stirred, and leaves rustled softly, creating a low melody that rippled through the grove.
The beastmen froze.
"…It spoke," one breathed.
The older one bowed his head, more instinctively than consciously. "Not a spirit beast… not a curse. Something higher."
[Faith Energy: +27]
[System Update: New Faction Interaction – Beastkin Tribe (Scout Unit)]
[Affiliation Standing: Neutral → Respectful]
The energy surged through his trunk like warm sunlight.
The Codex shimmered brighter than ever.
[System Message]
Faith Energy has reached critical threshold.
Initializing Core Evolution Pathway.
Light rippled through his roots, spreading outward in concentric waves invisible to mortal eyes.
The forest itself responded — flowers blooming in seconds, streams clearing, the air thick with vitality.
The beastmen stepped back, shielding their eyes.
"By the ancestors…" one whispered. "It's… alive. Truly alive."
The elder's tail flicked once, reverent. "We leave this place untouched. No fire, no blade. The spirits have chosen their heart."
They retreated slowly, heads bowed.
When their presence faded, the forest quieted again.
But the young tree's awareness remained fixed in their direction, thoughtful.
He had not intended to control them — only to communicate.
Yet even a whisper had become worship.
[Faith Energy: 203]
[Evolution Prerequisite Met – Growth Potential: 12]
[Unlocking: Core Evolution – Stage I]
The Codex's voice deepened, resonant with the sound of the world itself.
[Choose Evolution Aspect:]
– Verdant Sovereign (Domain-based Control)
– Soulroot Arbiter (Faith and Spiritual Power Focus)
– Elder of Decay (Life-Death Balance and Energy Recycling)
The options shimmered before him like three paths in the dark.
Each felt vast — full of possibility and consequence.
He pondered long, his thoughts slow and deliberate.
The forest's pulse echoed through him, as if waiting for his choice.
"Growth without awareness is blind. I will grow with purpose."
He selected Verdant Sovereign.
The world answered.
Light erupted from his bark — green and gold, spreading outward through his roots. Every living thing within his domain trembled in harmony.
[Core Evolution Complete – Verdant Sovereign: Stage I]
[Domain Influence Expanded: 300m]
[New Skill: Verdant Command – Manipulate flora within domain through will alone.]
[Passive: Environmental Blessing – Accelerates life within domain by 15%.]
The forest exhaled in unison.
The soil sang.
And deep in the ancient roots below, the golden pulse stirred once more — faint, approving.
The young tree stood taller than ever, his consciousness clear as glass.
The world had begun to take shape around him — not just as a habitat, but as a throne.
For the first time, he understood what it meant to rule.