Chapter 1: Death of a Hero
Ash choked on smoke as the sky burned crimson.
Screams echoed through the shattered trees, and divine lightning rained from above, tearing the sacred forest to pieces. Ash stumbled forward, sword dragging, every inch of his body broken—but he refused to fall. Not yet.
Before him stood the Heartroot—the last living piece of the World Tree.
Behind him, the gods descended.
"You mortals were warned," came a voice like thunder. A golden figure hovered above, his eyes burning with contempt. "Defy the heavens, and face extinction."
Ash spit blood and smiled.
"Then let extinction see us rise again."
He raised his blade, body glowing faintly with the last spark of life. His soul ignited in defiance as divine lightning surged.
Everything went white.
Then—darkness.
Endless.
Cold.
Still.
But... he was not gone.
[System initializing...] [Rebirth confirmed.] [New form: Seed of the World Tree – Last Remaining Core.] [Host soul: Compatible.] [Awakening... in 3... 2... 1…]
Ash's thoughts returned, sluggish like a dream.
"I... died. Didn't I?"
But there was no mouth. No voice. Only... consciousness.
He was underground.
Buried in earth, surrounded by silence, yet he could feel—faint tremors above, whispers of water trickling nearby, the weight of centuries pressing down like a memory.
And something else.
[Welcome, Last Seed.]
Chapter 2: Awakening in the Soil
Time passed. How long, Ash could not tell. Was it days? Weeks? Millennia? His new existence was a blur of senses and thoughts drifting through the void. It was as if his soul was being held in suspension, far from anything familiar, tethered to the soil.
Then, a sudden pull.
A strange hum surged through him—a vibration he could feel in the core of his being. It was not a sound, nor a sight, but a pressure against his consciousness, urging him to wake up.
[Awakening process complete.]
A flood of new sensations washed over him. The system in his mind spoke again.
[You have awakened as the Last Seed of the World Tree. Your form is that of a seed embedded in the soil. Initial energy detected: 0.5%.]
He had no body. No hands. No legs. Only thoughts and awareness. But he felt the earth around him—felt the warmth of sunlight filtering through the soil above, felt the gentle pull of water running just out of reach.
He focused.
Suddenly, he could sense more. The ground beneath his seed flickered with life—root systems, fungal networks, and tiny creatures burrowing near him. He wasn't alone.
A strange power began to stir within him, though it felt distant and fragmented. The system continued to speak.
[New Skill Unlocked: Root Pulse – Detect vibrations in the earth.]
He could sense movements now—tiny tremors, a creature scurrying past. Ash reached out with this new Root Pulse, sending a wave of energy through the soil.
A small, blind mole-like demon emerged from the darkness, its eyes glowing with hunger. It sniffed the air, and then its focus landed directly on him.
Ash didn't have the ability to move. But he could defend.
He concentrated harder, drawing from his newfound energy. The soil around him stirred, roots shifting in response. Slowly, the earth began to twist, growing thicker and more resilient around him. The mole demon sensed it too, its claws scraping at the hardened ground.
The demon lunged.
Roots shot out like whips, wrapping around the creature's legs, pulling it into the soil. It thrashed, trying to escape, but Ash's control was absolute. The roots held firm.
Then, something strange happened.
A strange, almost organic sap began to ooze from the soil, tinged with poison. It was not just any sap—it was the sap of the World Tree, ancient and powerful.
The demon screeched as it inhaled the fumes. Its body convulsed before it slumped, defeated.
Ash could feel the victory. He could feel the evolution beginning.
[New Evolution: Toxic Bark unlocked.]
Chapter 3: The System of Growth
The mole demon lay dead, its body dissolving into the earth, feeding his newfound power. The Root Pulse skill surged again, deeper now, its reach expanding like tendrils spreading across the forest floor.
Ash focused, trying to understand what had just happened.
[Evolution detected. New skill unlocked: Toxic Bark – Use deadly sap to protect yourself. Effects: Paralysis, poison.]
A strange satisfaction surged within him. He had won his first battle as a seed. But he couldn't remain here forever, buried in the soil, alone. He needed to grow—to evolve.
[Growth Path Options Available: Dryad, Beast Root, Battle Tree, Ent Sapling.]
Each option swam before him, glowing with its own potential. Dryad seemed the most humanoid—a path that might allow him to communicate, to become more like what he once was. Battle Tree was promising—he could grow massive, with roots sharp as spears. But Ent Sapling… that one intrigued him. A protector. A guardian. Perhaps more like a warrior.
But the system was clear: Each path required growth. He was merely a seed, fragile and small, buried in the dirt. He couldn't afford to stay this way.
[Please select your first growth path.]
A decision.
Ash closed his eyes, or what felt like closing his eyes, and focused. The faintest whisper of a breeze tickled his leaves. His thoughts stretched outwards—towards the life around him. Towards the world.
[Choosing: Dryad Path.]
The decision was made. The world around him seemed to pulse with new life as the Toxic Bark began to recede, replaced with something gentler, more human. His seed body began to elongate, shifting in shape. He felt new energy surging into him, flowing like sap through his veins.
And then he grew.
Roots sprouted from his core, twisting upward, thick and solid. They formed into limbs, then a torso, a head. His body was still rooted to the ground—but it was now humanoid. A being of wood and leaves, delicate and yet strong.
A Dryad.
[New Skill Unlocked: Verdant Voice – Communicate with plants and creatures.]
He felt his new form, new power thrumming beneath his skin. His limbs moved of their own accord, stretching and flexing as he explored this new body.
But he was not alone for long.
A figure stepped into the clearing. A woman, her hair green like the forest, her skin dark as the bark of ancient trees. Her eyes flicked to him, narrowed in surprise, and then softened with something like recognition.
"You're not... human," she said softly, stepping closer. "But you're alive."
To be continued…