"Ding!!"
The sound echoed inside his head. It wasn't from the forest. It was internal — crisp, electronic, and completely out of place.
[System Activation Detected]
Host: Taisho Shinkon
Species: Unknown Tree Lifeform
Vital Signs: Stable
[Growth Threshold Reached
Initializing... Evolution System.]
Taisho froze. He didn't have ears, but the voice was as clear as someone whispering next to him.
"A system?" he thought. "Like those game things? Don't tell me I actually have one now."
The voice continued, ignoring his disbelief.
[Welcome, Host. You have been registered under the Evolution System.]
[Starter Support Package Available — Open?]
"Yeah, open it," Taisho said instinctively.
A faint vibration ran through his entire structure — through bark, branches, and roots — like static electricity traveling through wood.
[Opening Starter Package...]
Rewards Obtained:▸ Skill: Soul Vision (Basic)
▸ Unique skill : Familiar Contract (Level 1)
▸ 10 Evolution Points (EP)
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's see what this thing can actually do."
[Skill Explanation]
Soul Vision (Basic) — Allows limited perception of nearby life forms through energy resonance. Familiar Contract (Level 1) — Enables the host to form a mutual biological-soul agreement with another living being.
Consent from both parties required.
Death of a contracted familiar grants Evolution Points and possible absorption of compatible traits.
Both parties gain benefits during the contract (enhanced vitality and shared awareness).
"So I can form partnerships?" Taisho thought. "That's… surprisingly fair."
He activated Soul Vision, and immediately, his surroundings changed. It wasn't sight — not in the human sense — but sensory mapping. Dozens of tiny energy signals flickered around him like faint lights in darkness. Insects, small mammals, even the faint pulse of surrounding plants.
"Incredible… it's like a biological sonar," he murmured.
He tried focusing on one of the larger signals nearby — a small rabbit cautiously sniffing around his roots.
"System, initiate Familiar Contract with target."
For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, a new prompt blinked.
[Consent Not Received. Contract Failed.]
Taisho was silent for a moment. "Wait, what? It can reject me?"
The rabbit twitched its nose, completely unaware that the giant tree beside it had just tried to make a deal.
"Seriously? Even a rabbit won't team up with me now?" he muttered. "Great start to my new life."
"System, explain why the contract failed."
[Familiar Contract Requires Both Parties' Consent. Due to Target's Low Intellect, It Cannot Understand or Accept the Contract.]
"…So it's too dumb to agree," he sighed. "Figures. I'll need something smarter next time."
He could still sense the small creature through Soul Vision — a faint, fluttering spark of life. Simple, instinct-driven. "So that's what low intellect looks like," he murmured, analyzing out of habit. "Just pure instinct, no higher processing. Makes sense."
He paused for a moment, thinking. "Alright, System — if I've got skills and features, there's gotta be some kind of status screen, right? Show me my stats or whatever you've got."
[Acknowledged. Displaying Host Information.]
[Status Panel]
Name: Taisho Shinkon
Species: Unknown Tree Lifeform (Sapling Stage)
Age: 0 Years
Condition: Stable
Skills:
Soul Vision (10/500): Basic
Unique Skills:
Familiar Contract (1/100): Level 1
Passives:
Photosynthesis (Permanent)
Root Absorption (Permanent)
Evolution Points (EP): 13
Evolution Progress: 0%
Taisho read the panel in silence. "Alright," he said finally. "Let's see what else this system can do. "