The last thing Alex Thompson heard and saw was a screech of tires and a blinding flash of headlights. The world has sun , and now has gone dark. Now consciousness has crept back but not with the familiar ache of human body, but with an alien stillness. He couldn't move his arms or legs really , or anything really. A strange warmth pulsed through him, like sap flowing through veins he didn't recognize. His "eyes" weren't eyes in the natural sense of humans but were glowing knots in bark- like skin. He was rooted , his base sunk deep into the rich, loamy soil. Above ,branches swayed in a gentle breeze, leaves whispering secrets he couldn't yet understand.
"What the hell!!" , Alex thought, his mind reeling. He wasn't human anymore. He was ... a tree? A massive oak-like thing towering a lush forest buzzing with life. The air hummed with magic, alien yet familiar, and the distant roars of unknown beasts echoed through the canopy. This wasn't the Earth he knew. This was somewhere else , somewhere called Elyria , a name of a place that bloomed unbidden in his mind.
Before panic could fully grip him , a translucent screen flickered into existence, hovering before his knot eyes.
System Activated : World Tree Ascension Path
Name : Alex (Treant form)
Stage : Seedling treant (level 1)
Exp : 0/100
Skills : Basic Nurture (Channel mana to grow plants / animals, gain EXP bases on nurtured entity)
Mana : 100/100
Sap of Life : 5/5(Use to grant sentience and powers to beings)
The words sank in slowly. A system? Like a game? The screen explained in crisp, emotionless text: Alex could grow stronger by nurturing plants and animals. Small plants could grant 0.1 EXP each , larger plants like shrubs and trees could grant 0.5 EXP each ,though costs would rise as the number of being nurtured increase and for each level up. Animals would give 5 EXP but had a bigger mana drain compared to which animal is being nurtured. He could gain EXP by proxy , through creatures he empowered to hunt threats. The ultimate goal? Evolve through stages until he became the World Tree, a cosmic entity holding universes in its leaves and abyssal unknown realms in its roots.
"World Tree, huh?" Alex muttered internally, his branches quivering. "Guess I'm not punching out of this one." He focused on his surroundings. The forest was vibrant, ferns swayed, birds chirped, and a faint glow pulsed from distant flowers. But danger lurked too. Something glowed nearby, ow and guttural.
First things first: EXP. Alex extended his awareness, a tingling sense flowing through his roots. A cluster of ferns nearby seemed like a safe start. He channeled man, a warm trickle of energy into them. The ferns perked up , their fronds unfurling brighter. A ping sounded:
Nurtured: Small plant (Fern) - +0.1 EXP Mana: 98/100
"Seriously? 0.1?" Alex groaned. This was going to take forever. He nurtured four more ferns, each costing 2 mana and granting 0.1 EXP. By the time he stopped , his mana was at 890, and his EXP sat at 0.5/100. Slow, but a start
Curious, he tried a larger plant, a young sapling with broad leaves. The mana cost was higher (5 mana) but the reward was better:
Nurtured : Large Plant (Sapling) - +0.5 EXP Mana : 85/ 100
A rustle interrupted his focus. A rabbit hopped into view, nibbling at a root. Alex hesitated, then tried nurturing it. Mana poured out, a heavier drain (20 mana points). The rabbit's fur gleamed, its eyes sharper, and it bounded off with newfound vigor.
Nurtured: Small Animal(Rabbit) - +5 EXP Mana : 65/100
"Whoa," Alex thought. "Now that more like it." But the mana cost stung. He'd need to be strategic. As dusk fell, a low growl returned , closer now. Yellow eyes glinted through the underbrush, a wolf pack circled , sniffing his bark. Alex's branches tensed. He couldn't fight, not directly, not directly. But the system words echoed: Sap of Life. He had five uses to grant sentience and powers to creatures. Maybe that was his defense.
A wolf pup strayed close, smaller than the others. Alex made a snap decision. He focused, feeling a golden drop of sap well up inside of him. It flowed through a root, touching the pup. Light flared , and the pup grew, its fur darkening , muscles bulging. It stood taller, eyes glowing with intelligence.
Sap of Life Used : 4/5 Remaining Sentient ally created : Fang (Dire Wolf) Skill gained (Fang) : Enhanced Strength, Pack command
The wolf , Fang, turned to Alex, bowing its head. A telepathic linked formed , Fang's voice gruff but loyal , " I serve you , Grove father."
The pack lunged , but Fang roared activating his skill Pack command trying to control them thus scattering the wolves. One wolf refusing to submit lunged at Fang, and a brief, bloody clash ended with Fang's jaws at its throat. The system pinged:
Enemy defeated (via Proxy: Fang) - +10 EXP EXP : 15.5/100
Alex's leaves rustled with relief. "Nice work, Fang.", he thought. The dire wolf sat by his roots, vigilant. Night fell, stars piercing the canopy. Alex felt the weight of his new reality: a treant in a dangerous world, with a long path to godhood. But with Fang by his side and the system's guidance, he'd take it one branch at a time.
To be continued