Dawn returned like a slow tide, golden light seeping into the Forgotten Grove. The night had been long, filled with whispers, rustling foliage, and the faint calls of nocturnal beasts, but Aruin remained rooted—awake, alert, and absorbing every sensation.
It was strange to him how naturally sleeplessness came.
Trees did not tire.
Trees did not dream.
Trees simply existed.
Yet Aruin's mind was restless with the purpose of a cultivator.
His leaves quivered as light touched them, and immediately—
[Photosynthetic Qi Absorption — Lv1]
+1 Qi gained.
A warm ripple flowed down his trunk and into his thin roots.
Qi: 17/100.
Still far from saturation, but growing steadily.
Aruin took it in with quiet satisfaction.
Slow. Too slow… but progress is progress.
He wanted more.
He needed more.
If yesterday had taught him anything, it was that predators lurked everywhere. Even now, he sensed faint presences moving through the morning mist—scurrying, stalking, wandering, all searching for food.
A weak sapling was food.
But a willow chosen by destiny?
A future World Tree?
He had to become something untouchable.
And quickly.
The First Root Expansion
Aruin turned his awareness downward.
His roots spread through the soil like thin tendrils, barely two meters total length. They were sensitive—able to feel the texture of dirt, the direction of underground water flow, and the faint traces of Qi-rich minerals.
But the system quest required three meters before he could advance.
"Let's see how this works…"
He focused inward.
Cultivation wasn't a matter of meditation—he had no lungs or meridians like a human. Instead, he channeled Qi through his sap and into his roots, urging them to grow.
The soil parted softly as new root fibers extended.
It felt… euphoric.
Like stretching after a lifetime of stiffness.
The earth welcomed him.
Moisture seeped into his roots.
The mineral-rich soil embraced him.
The buried remnants of the ancient willow surrounding him hummed with faint warmth.
An hour passed.
Then another.
And finally—
[Root Expansion +1 meter]
[Objective Progress: 3/3 meters achieved]
Aruin would've smiled if he had a face. Instead, his leaves rustled happily.
A step closer to evolution.
But before celebration could fully bloom, the forest trembled.
A Disturbance in the Grove
Aruin's senses sharpened.
Something approached from the west.
Heavy.
Massive.
Not predatory… but destructive.
Whatever it was, it was knocking down shrubs and stomping over roots. The sound grew louder: branches snapped, bushes rustled violently, soil shook under thick footsteps.
Aruin braced himself.
A beast? A spirit creature? Another predator?
Then it appeared through the mist.
A hulking creature covered in moss and dirt—its body like stone, its limbs thick as tree trunks.
A Mossback Earth Ape.
Tier: Low Spirit Beast
Temperament: Territorial
Strength: Enough to rip a young tree from the ground
Aruin's sap chilled.
This was no minor threat.
This was a calamity for a sapling.
The ape roared, pounding its chest in irritation. It wasn't hunting—it was patrolling. Earth Apes claimed wide territories, and Aruin was unlucky enough to be within one.
Its heavy steps shook the ground as it moved straight toward him.
Run? Impossible.
Hide? Still in cooldown.
Fight? Laughable.
All he could do was pray the residual ancestral willow aura held.
The beast loomed closer.
It stopped directly before him.
Aruin sensed its breath—hot, humid, reeking of crushed vegetation.
The ape leaned down, sniffing him.
The world held its breath.
Then—
It grunted.
Snorted.
And stepped aside.
Aruin nearly fainted from relief, if fainting were possible.
The ape wandered past him, uprooting a nearby bush with a casual tug.
Aruin trembled.
Once the ancestral aura fades… that thing will treat me like any other tree.
He needed strength.
He needed more Qi.
He needed his first breakthrough.
The ape lumbered away, leaving smashed plants and a trembling willow behind.
Aruin swore inwardly:
"I refuse to be so helpless again."
With the ape gone, Aruin turned every ounce of attention to cultivation.
He absorbed sunlight relentlessly.
Qi trickled in:
18…19…20…22…25…
Slow.
But steady.
He directed every drop into strengthening his roots, thickening his bark, widening his leaf span.
By midday, his leaf canopy was noticeably fuller.
A few insects climbed onto him, drawn by his faint vitality.
A squirrel-like spirit beast perched on his branch, curious, then scampered off.
Even the faint breeze felt stronger.
Qi: 63/100
Aruin pushed harder.
Absorb. Grow. Strengthen.
He repeated the mantra as sun crossed the sky.
By late afternoon—
Qi: 92/100
He felt incredibly close.
One more hour.
Two at most.
His sap channels tingled with anticipation. His roots hummed. His leaves shimmered, greedily devouring sunlight.
Then—
The sky darkened.
A shadow swept over him.
No… not now!
A Predator Returns
The oppressive pressure hit him first.
Sharp.
Cold.
Bloodthirsty.
A familiar cry split the air.
The Feathered Razor Hawk.
The same one from yesterday.
Aruin's leaves froze.
The hawk swooped down, circling the grove with cruel precision. Its eyes gleamed, locking onto rare herbs and young spiritual plants.
It was hunting for supplements today—not for meat.
And Aruin radiated Qi now, more than before.
He was a beacon.
The hawk dove.
Aruin's mind raced.
Willow's Veil was still on cooldown—five days left.
His quest required surviving a full day without system aid.
But that wouldn't help him NOW.
The hawk descended like a blade.
Aruin's roots curled, bracing for impact.
Five meters.
Three meters.
One meter—
And then—
A roar erupted behind him.
The earth shook.
The Mossback Earth Ape—still nearby—charged back into the clearing, pounding its chest.
It wasn't defending Aruin.
It was defending its territory.
But that was enough.
The hawk screeched, flapping hard, retreating upward as the ape hurled stones and debris its way.
Aruin nearly wept in gratitude.
Not at the ape.
Not at luck.
But at being given time.
The Razor Hawk fled after a short skirmish.
The ape roared triumphantly, slapped a tree for no reason, and stomped back into the forest.
Silence returned.
Aruin whispered:
"That was too close… but—I'm still alive."
And then—
[Qi Saturation Achieved: 100/100]
Aruin felt a shudder run through his entire body.
Roots deepened.
Leaves extended.
Bark thickened.
Sap glowed faintly with Qi.
The world shifted.
The system roared to life.
BREAKTHROUGH
[Quest Completed: Take Root in the Forgotten Grove]
Rewards unlocked:
• Breakthrough: Root Foundation Stage 1
• Skill: Bark Harden (Minor)
• Evolution Menu: Unlocked
The ground pulsed beneath him, sending warmth up through his roots.
His trunk thickened by several centimeters, bark becoming firmer. Leaves became vibrant and Qi-rich. His spiritual presence expanded outward, touching the forest itself.
Aruin felt… alive.
Awakened.
Transformed.
A sapling no longer struggling merely to exist—
A cultivator standing on his own roots.
The system displayed his new stats:
[Aruin — Willow Sapling (Root Foundation Stage 1)]
• Vitality: 40/40
• Qi Reserves: 120/120
• Root Network: 3.1 meters
• Bark Hardness: +30%
• Skills:
– Photosynthetic Qi Absorption Lv1
– Bark Harden (Minor)
– Ancestral Willow Aura (29 days remaining)
Evolution Menu: Available
Aruin's leaves trembled with joy.
He could choose an evolution path.
He could strengthen his cultivation.
He could finally take his first steps toward becoming a World Tree.
The Evolution Menu opened.
Three glowing paths appeared:
1. Verdant Willow (Growth Path)
• Specializes in rapid size increase
• Superior Qi absorption
• Moderate defense
2. Ironbark Willow (Defense Path)
• Thick bark
• High durability
• Passive damage resistance
3. Spirit-Sensing Willow (Mystic Path)
• Spiritual awareness increases dramatically
• Can sense beings, treasures, threats far away
• Begins development of telepathic sense
Aruin stared at the options.
Each was powerful.
Each would shape his future.
Each was a step toward destiny.
He whispered:
"I will choose… soon."
But not yet.
He wanted to understand his world better first.
He wanted to grow with intention, not desperation.
Wind brushed against his leaves, and he sensed something far, far away—a faint pulse of delicate, dreamlike Qi.
Gentle.
Ethereal.
Mysterious.
Aruin didn't know it yet, but…
Lira, the Void Moth Princess, had begun her metamorphosis.
Their destinies had already intertwined.
And the forest felt the shift.
Night fell again.
And Aruin, stronger than the day before, welcomed it—not with fear, but with confidence.
The rise of the World Tree had truly begun.