~
The old ladder creaked with every step as Aoyama climbed, the wood swaying under his weight."Seriously… if this thing snaps, I'm suing the architect," he muttered, gripping tighter.
Behind him, Jade raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who insisted on checking the treehouse. Don't cry if you fall."
Aoyama shot her a grin. "If I fall, you'll catch me, right? You're the heroine of this tale, after all."
She huffed, looking away, though her ears flushed red.
At the top, he pushed open the hatch. Dusty beams greeted him, but beyond them, light. A subtle shimmer danced in the far corner, like starlight condensed into a seedling. Aoyama froze, his programmer's instincts screaming. That glow wasn't ordinary.
He stepped forward. The closer he got, the more his heart thudded. Nestled in the shadows was a tiny sapling, its leaves crystalline, pulsing with faint runes.
The air shifted.
[ System Alert ][ Ancient Origin Tree Sapling Discovered ][ First Symbol of the World Unlocked ][ System Interfaces Expanded: World Map | Shop | Skill Generator ]
Aoyama's jaw dropped. "Hah!? I just touched a houseplant and unlocked DLC content?!"
Another set of panels unfolded before his eyes, far grander than anything he'd seen before.
[ World Map ]• Continent: Aeltheria• Current Location: Forgotten Outskirts• Unlock Progress: 0.8%
[ Shop ]• Tiered Sections: Mortal, Martial, Immortal, Divine• Currency: Spirit Crystals, World Essence, Knowledge Points, ???• Randomized Items each dawn
[ Skill Generator ]• Concept Fusion Engine Online• Condition: Comprehension or Creative Act → Skill Manifestation• Warning: Higher-grade concepts may cause soul strain
"Whoa… this isn't just a game system. This is… alive." His programmer's instincts tingled. "It's reacting like adaptive code."
Before he could marvel further, another screen blinked into view, its text written in a strange, archaic script.
[ Unknown Transmission ]"The Seven Symbols form the Roots of Eternity. Saplings bloom, tablets break, rivers run red. Seek them, Creator, or be consumed by your own world."
[ End Transmission ]
Aoyama rubbed his temples. "Cryptic warnings, check. Definitely a world I coded. Why do past-me's ideas always want to kill future-me?"
The moonlight bathed the treehouse as Jade climbed in. Her eyes widened at the sapling. "That… that tree… it doesn't belong here."
"Yeah," Aoyama chuckled, "neither do I."
He wandered toward a sealed door at the back. Strange runes crawled along its surface, half-faded yet pulsating with intent. Jade stood beside him, her voice soft."The one who lived here before vanished. Rumors say he reached for the heavens and broke himself instead."
Aoyama leaned closer, smirking despite the unease. "So what you're saying is… this door is basically a Realm Gate tutorial."
[ System Alert ][ Fatigue Stat Unlocked ][ Current Fatigue: 73% ][ Warning: Mortal body cannot sustain prolonged spiritual exertion ]
"Great, now even my tiredness has a progress bar."
As he cursed, his body swayed with exhaustion. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to move. A spark of thought flickered.I need stamina. I need to resist this.
The system pulsed.
[ Skill Created: Tirelessness ]• Origin: Act of Defiance Against Fatigue• Effect: Temporarily lowers Fatigue buildup
[ Skill Created: Leap ]• Origin: Repeated movements, intent to ascend higher• Effect: Increases vertical mobility; scales with cultivation realm
Aoyama blinked. "Wait… I just… made skills by complaining?!"
The panels shimmered again, this time with faint words: Insight births power.
His grin widened. "So basically… creativity = cultivation. Ohhh, this world is mine to break."
But the room held one more secret. Tucked beneath the floorboards was a cracked stone tablet. Half its surface was shattered, but the remaining runes pulsed with tragic grandeur.
He traced the marks. Images filled his mind, an Ancient God, cloaked in twilight, shattering the sky with a single hand. Beside him, a gentle figure, the Eclipse Virtue, wept as the world crumbled.
Then nothing. The vision ended, leaving only the broken tablet.
"Half the story missing…" Aoyama's jaw tightened. "Figures. The plot device is never complete." He tucked it under his arm. "Fine. I'll find the other half. Whoever this god was, he's not writing my ending."
The sealed door behind him groaned. Runes flared to life, casting the room in dazzling gold.
Jade gasped. "It's opening…"
The glow swallowed them both.
And the world trembled.
To be continued…