THE WORLD TREE OF ASHA
The first rays of sunrise touched The Root's leaves, and a wave of warm green light washed over Asha Village. The numbers in every believer's mind flashed bright:
GUARDIAN: The Root
LEVEL: 1 → 2
TOTAL FAITH USED: 10,000 (Remaining: 218.7)
FAITH PER SECOND: 0.845
REQUIRED FOR LEVEL 3: 100,000
CURRENT CAP: 100,000,000 (100x Level 1 cap)
TERRITORY SIZE: 4x Village Size (Automatic expansion complete; daily growth rate 1%)
NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: Woodweave Armor (C-Rank) – Cost: 500 faith to bestow
ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE: Advanced farming techniques, stone fortifications, trade post construction
The territory expanded in a visible wave, pushing outward until it covered four times the original village size. Forests thickened, streams widened into small rivers, and new patches of fertile land appeared. The Solar Oak's golden boundary retreated before The Root's growth, its light dimming where the two territories met.
"Look at the cost for the new ability," Tano said, his eyes wide as he studied the details. "500 faith—more than we gain in ten minutes. Higher levels really do mean higher costs."
Kira nodded, watching as the village's chosen blacksmith, Garin, approached The Root to receive Woodweave Armor. The ability would let him craft lightweight, nearly indestructible armor from ironbark, but it required the Guardian to spend 500 faith—reducing their remaining total to 218.7 and temporarily slowing their growth rate.
Every ability above F-rank requires a faith investment, The Root explained as the green light flowed from its branches to Garin's hands. C-rank abilities cost hundreds, B-rank thousands, A-rank tens of thousands, and S-rank and above require millions. This investment ensures that abilities are given only to those who will use them to strengthen our community.
As Garin began working on the first set of armor, Kira received new guidance for the village's development. The Root showed her plans for terraced farms that would maximize crop yields, stone watchtowers along the territory edges, and a trade post near the bridge to connect with other villages. Each project would require careful resource management—and in some cases, additional faith to unlock the necessary knowledge.
"We can build the watchtowers with stone from the western ridge," she told the village council. "But to unlock the technique for earthquake-resistant foundations, The Root will need to spend 300 faith. We'll need to build our total back up first."
Over the next month, Asha Village flourished. The trade post drew three small villages that had lost their Guardians, and their believers added 12.3 total faith—pushing the faith per second rate to 1.982. The Woodweave Armor proved invaluable when the Mountain Clan attacked again, their Level 4 fighters unable to pierce the new protection. Borin, now Level 6, led the defense, and his successful strategy caused his faith to climb to 0.9—nearly absolute.
GUARDIAN: The Root
LEVEL: 2
TOTAL FAITH: 47,329.1
FAITH PER SECOND: 1.982
REQUIRED FOR LEVEL 3: 100,000
ABILITIES BESTOWED: 12 sets of Woodweave Armor (C-Rank) – Total faith spent: 6,000
TERRITORY SIZE: 6.3x Village Size
SPECIES LEVELS: Highest 8 (Average 3)
SPECIES LEVEL COST: Level 1 (500), Level 2 (2,500), Level 3 (12,500), ..., Level 8 (78,125,000) – Multiplied by 5 per level
Word reached them that Greenwater's Solar Oak had reached Level 3, its territory expanding tenfold and its faith per second rate jumping to 12.7. They had begun demanding that all nearby villages swear absolute faith, and those who refused were being driven from their lands. Their chosen fighters now reached Level 10, and they had unlocked their first B-rank ability—Solar Flare, which cost 5,000 faith per use.
"The Solar Oak is spending faith like water," Borin said grimly, showing Kira reports from traders. "They've bestowed Solar Flare on twenty fighters—costing 100,000 faith total. Their growth has slowed, but their strength is unmatched."
That night, The Root shared a new vision—one of the future, when it reached Level 50:
At Level 50, I will be able to guide our species to ascension. Those at Level 11 or higher will gain new forms—wings for flight, the ability to manipulate our faith directly, and enhanced senses. However, ascension will change your growth costs: instead of multiplying by 5 per level, costs will multiply by 10. Additionally, any faith you use for abilities or level-ups will be deducted from my total—returning to the original cost of the action.
The vision showed ascended believers soaring over the territory, their wings made of living wood and leaves, using The Root's faith to heal the land and defend against threats. But it also showed the cost: a Level 11 ascended fighter would require 500 × 5¹⁰ × 10 = 500 × 9,765,625 × 10 = 48,828,125,000 faith to reach Level 12—far more than The Root could currently provide.
"To even reach Level 11 before ascension, a fighter would need 500 × 5¹⁰ = 4,882,812,500 faith," Tano calculated. "We're not even close to that—we need to push The Root to higher levels first."
Kira agreed, but she also saw the opportunity. "If we can reach Level 3 soon, we'll unlock B-rank abilities and our territory will expand to 40x the original size. The Root says Level 3 will let us guide the building of a central keep, and we'll be able to connect with other Guardians who are resisting Greenwater's expansion."
Over the next two weeks, the village focused all efforts on building faith. They established new farms in the expanded territory, built a hospital at The Root's base to heal travelers and refugees, and created a school to teach children about their Guardian and how to strengthen their faith. Each new project increased the average faith per person—from 0.4 to 0.5—and pushed the faith per second rate to 2.871.
As they neared the 100,000 faith mark, Greenwater launched a full-scale attack. Fifty fighters—all Level 8 or higher, with Solar Flare abilities—marched toward Asha's territory, their golden light darkening the sky.
"They're going to try to destroy The Root before we reach Level 3," Garin said, his hands moving quickly to finish more armor. "We have less than 10,000 faith left to go—we need to hold them off for just over four hours."
Kira gathered all 326 chosen fighters, their levels ranging from 1 to 9. The Root had already spent 15,000 faith to bestow a new C-rank ability—Root Bind—on 30 of the highest-level fighters, letting them call vines from the ground to trap enemies. But every faith point spent brought them further from Level 3.
TOTAL FAITH: 92,714.3 (Faith spent on Root Bind: 15,000)
FAITH PER SECOND: 2.871
TIME TO LEVEL 3: 4 hours 12 minutes
The Greenwater forces reached the territory edge at midday, their leader Lyra now Level 10, her sword glowing with intense golden light.
"Your Guardian will never reach Level 3," she shouted across the boundary. "Lord Solas has decreed that only one Guardian may rule this region—and we will ensure it is him!"
Kira stepped forward, her Level 9 strength boosted by the territory's power. "We don't want to rule—we want to grow. But we will defend our home with every second we have."
The first wave of fighters charged, and Root Bind vines erupted from the ground, trapping half of them in place. The Woodweave Armor held firm against their blows, and the village's healers used Root Touch to mend wounds as fast as they were inflicted. But Greenwater's Solar Flare abilities burned through the vines, and their numbers pushed the defenders back toward the village.
As the fight raged, believers from the nearby villages arrived to help—their faith adding 0.8 total and pushing the faith per second rate to 3.692. The time to Level 3 dropped to just over two hours.
"We're getting closer," Tano called out, his Level 8 strength letting him hold his own against two Greenwater fighters. "Every second counts—keep fighting!"
The Root's branches glowed bright green, and it shared a message with all believers:
Every moment you stand for our community, your faith grows stronger. When we reach Level 3, we will unlock Branch Shield (B-rank) – a protective barrier that will cover our entire territory. But it will cost 10,000 faith to activate. We must choose: save faith for the level up, or spend it now to turn the tide.
Kira looked at the falling defenders, at the Greenwater fighters pushing closer to The Root, and made her decision.
"Spend the faith," she commanded. "Protect our people first—we can build back up after."