TREE OF AEONS 1

TREE OF A/

2023 SPAIzzER

TREE OF A/ - ONE

IÆm Matt, and I died in a bus accident on my way home from work when the bus I was in was T - boned by a runaway speeding truck.

- You died, aged thirty - four years. Death on impact, - an old man said nonchalantly. He reminded me of Santa Claus, a little bit anyway - it was the mustache and beard.

- Oh, I did? - I was in a plain white space. It reminded me of the scene where one of those actors played a god, so I looked at him and asked, - Are you God, and do I stand before the pearly gates? -

He looked thoughtful for a moment before he answered, - You could say that. I am one of the many gods. My name is Mozart, and IÆm an administrator of the soul recycling and transmission system. -

Mozart? What a name. I donÆt recall Mozart having a beard, though.

- Uh, soul recycling? Wait, that sounds like reincarnation. -

- Yes. Very much like all those isekai stories youÆve been reading. -

Oh! ThatÆs a good way to explain it. At that moment, I thought IÆd hit the lottery, and remembering all the other reincarnation stories I read, I couldnÆt help but feel a little excited. Would I get to build a harem? I would like a harem. That would be quite a nice change from my single - ass self. Little did I know I was gonna be really disappointed.

- Oh, nice. So what am I to be reincarnated as? What special powers do I get? -

Mozart shrugged.

- Roll this. - A big disc appeared with weird characters on it. It resembled a giant Wheel of Fortune, complete with different colors for each slice, but I couldnÆt make out what each of the weird characters meant. Mozart noticed my confusion, but he wasnÆt interested in elaborating further.

- What is this? -

- This is the Race wheel. The result of your roll will tell you what you get to be in your next life. You could be a mosquito, a dragon, or even a minor deity. -

- Hmm, why not a human? ThatÆs how it normally is for isekai stories. -

- You didnÆt qualify. - He glanced at something and frowned. - Humanoids are a special category. -

- What do you mean? - There were six billion. no, seven billion of us on Earth!

- Based on the kind of life you led, you donÆt qualify to be reincarnated as a humanoid. -

- But why? I could be a deity, right? IsnÆt that better than being a humanoid? Then why is being human so hard? -

- ThatÆs just how the rules are, and I wonÆt reveal more. Arguing with me wonÆt change things. Roll the wheel. You will be reincarnated based on the results. -

I still couldnÆt comprehend what the words on the wheel were, so I looked at Mozart. More accurately, I stared at him. - Seriously? Is this a trick? -

He looked annoyed. - Just roll the wheel. Or you can choose to be at the very bottom of the pyramid: a mosquito. ThatÆs permissible. Or a small wall lizard or gecko. The kind that everyone kills daily. -

- Fuck that. IÆll roll the wheel. - Isekai wall lizard didnÆt exactly sound appealing.

Just as I was about to roll the wheel, I stared at him again. I did recall dying in a bus accident on my way home, and there were quite a few others on the bus. Was I being singled out here?

- Erm. how are the other guys in the bus? - I recalled there were quite a few teenagers there. ItÆs a route that passed by a mall, and it was late, so they were probably on their way home after an outing.

- Dead. They are going to be reincarnated as well. After you. -

- Oh. So do they need to roll the wheel as well? -

- Nope. They will be reincarnated as humans or elves. -

Hey, I am being singled out! ThatÆs quite unfair! - What? How come? -

- TheyÆve gotten special clearance from the gods that oversee the worlds you will soon go to. They have been selected to fight the invaders as heroes, so they will start with extra perks and privileges. -

- How about me? - I want to be a hero, too!

- The gods didnÆt want you. YouÆre too old, and you just happened to get on the same bus as the kids. - Mozart looked really annoyed. - Roll. The. Wheel. -

Wait. I am collateral damage? ThatÆs ageism!

- Why them? Why do they get to be champions? -

- Because they are young, courageous, good - hearted, and have a desire to do good. Not yet tainted by the evils of society. Quite unlike you. -

- Wait. So they chose kids? -

- ThatÆs the criteria the gods wanted, so thatÆs what they get. - He gave me the kind of glare that made me feel like shit.

- Damn. - I gave up and rolled the wheel. There wasnÆt much of a choice. The man wasnÆt buying my attempts to get some leeway.

The strange wheel spun and stopped at a random word I didnÆt understand.

Wait. The word transformed.

Tree.

I could read it. somehow.

- What? - Hey, this is not going the way I thought it would. I am supposed to get superpowers and get reincarnated. This isnÆt how I envisioned my reincarnation to be.

- A tree? -

- Oh, yeah, trees have souls, too. I forgot about that option. - Mozart seemed rather casual about it. - Trees are not bad, actually. Huge potential. -

Before I could ask anything else, Mozart interrupted me.

- All right, off you go as a tree! Goodbye! -

Woosh!

It was pitch black, and it remained so for quite some time.

I mean, it started, right? Is there a menu? A timer? An interface?

Then I saw it. A clock.

YEAR 1, MONTH 0

You are Level 1 - Normal Tree.

Skills possessed.

Hibernate , Germinate - Produce fruits or seeds , Autopilot .

There was a floating menu commonly found in computer games right before me. Hell yeah. I have skills, and I am level one. Despite these humble beginnings, I thought, Hey, maybe it wonÆt be so bad. A tree can get to do awesome shit, too!

LetÆs get to it! So I waited. I mean, was it supposed to be black and dark like this all this time?

Nothing happened, and I wondered whether maybe this dark space was some kind of loading screen. But then the time kept ticking, and a good two hours later, I was still in darkness. Nothing.

I didnÆt feel a damn thing. No sensation, no vision, and no sound, either.

It was still dark. Was I supposed to do something? I tried to open my eyes but couldnÆt see. No, more like, what were my eyes? Did I even have eyes?

I kept waiting. I didnÆt feel tired physically, but I did feel mentally exhausted.

Time moved.

The clock just kept ticking, and nothing freaking happened.

Darkness.

Black.

Black.

Black.

Frustrated, I tried using my skills. I eventually discovered I could think of what skill I wanted to activate. And so Germinate û Produce Fruit !

A pop - up appeared. Not the right season.Æ

What was the season, then? That very thought triggered a change in the interface, and next to the clock, a seasonal calendar or indicator appeared. It moved slowly, with a small needle - shaped indicator pointing at winter.Æ

Curious of my other skills, I mentally selected Autopilot , and another pop - up appeared.

Autopilot engaged. Time - acceleration activated. Autopilot will automatically activate skills. Autopilot activated Hibernate .

I fell into a sleep - like state.

When I woke up, a good four months had passed on the clock. Yet the darkness remained.

At least the season menu said spring.Æ

Autopilot has activated Produce Fruit .

Nothing happened. It was still darkness to me.

With Autopilot active, time passed quickly. At first, I thought I misunderstood the clock, but it soon became obvious that a second was actually equal to an hour, which was really convenient because there was absolutely nothing to do. I watched the time pass by quite quickly.

A year went by.

Then another year passed.

And another year.

Was it going to be like this forever? Was this the life of a tree? Why couldnÆt I even feel my own roots or branches?

YEAR 4

In the fourth year, a string of notifications appeared. It instantly kicked me out of autopilot.

Amber Lee has died. You received a fragment.

Samanta Chandran has died. You received a fragment.

Peter Varoufakis has died. You received a fragment.

Hyuna Park has died. You received a fragment.

Reed Constance has died. You received a fragment.

Shah Rasul has died. You received a fragment.

Mai has died. You received a fragment.

Lee Kang Ho has died. You received a fragment.

Shane Andrew Fillon has died. You received a fragment.

Pink Fung has died. You received a fragment.

The Demon King Asmodai has been defeated.

Oh, wow. At first, I didnÆt recognize these names, but when the demon kingÆs notification popped up, that was when I realized the kids had won.

Yet, nothing happened.

Still darkness. I thought something would happen. Perhaps IÆd see a prompt that told me our mission was complete, and we would move on to the next reincarnation, but nothing changed. I thought that might be the trigger for me to escape my darkness, that perhaps I was a prisoner cursed by the demon king, but there was absolutely nothing.

Time passed, and a few years later, more notifications appeared. Similar to the others, they just said, Saita Maru, Mark Antoinete , Kim Possibru, and Samanta Charleston died. I received a fragment with each.

What are these fragments?

YEAR 15

Demon King Astaroth has appeared.

Frankly, I thought I should panic, but trapped in darkness, there was absolutely nothing I could do. A string of notifications popped up a few months later. Azares Fox, Sarah Cole, Pamela Seis, Lucy Braveheart, Winston Chow, and Roald Strump all died. Cumulatively, I now had a total of twenty fragments.

It seemed to suggest they had been defeated by this latest demon king. Why else would they die?

YEAR 16

The Gods have summoned twenty new heroes!

Oh, God. More kids? I mean, they had to be kids, right? Also, twenty? WasnÆt that huge overkill?

YEAR 18

Two years after the new batch of kids was summoned, the Demon King Astaroth was defeated, but another eleven kids died. So now, I had these thirty - one fragments - with their names - sitting in my menu. For a bunch of heroes, they sure didnÆt last very long against demons. Or were the demon kings just so powerful? And two years!

The demon king couldÆve destroyed a huge number of things in two years.

I got the feeling this was a circle that never ended. Demon kings appeared, and the gods summoned heroes from Earth to fight them. So, over the next ten years, another five died, and their deaths seemed to be spread out, suggesting either they somehow fought and died, or someone or something else killed them.

YEAR 30

Another demon king appeared, Demon King Dantalion, and a short while later, another four heroes died. I received another four fragments, which then brought my total to forty.

At this point, it felt like a statistic. A year later, right on schedule, the gods summoned another fifteen heroes.

Sometime later, Demon King Dantalion was defeated, and of the fifteen summoned heroes, ten of them died. I received ten fragments, and this brought my total to fifty. Fifty fragments were quite a lot to track, so my menu and interface automatically changed such that the fragments now had their own dedicated screen.

After that, nothing much happened for about ten years. Later, Year 42 on the clock, another demon appeared, the Demon King Ezekiel. Amazingly, the surviving five heroes managed to kill the Demon King Ezekiel with only one of the five dying.

They continued this streak even after ten years when Demon King Furfur appeared. Amazingly, the four heroes slayed the demon king within a few months of its appearance.

YEAR 52

I was jolted out of the darkness, out of my Autopilot , by an oddity. There was someone there. He shone like a lighthouse in a sea of darkness.

- Hello. - It was a young boy. He was a small, petite child, probably no older than ten. He approached me, and I saw the features of his face. I was surprised I could see him.

- Hi. - I was eager to talk, so I responded. Somehow, I was able to talk, and I wasnÆt sure how I managed it. It was like sending a telepathic message, and I was sure I couldnÆt do that before today.

- Oh my God, did you just talk? - he shouted and then ran in circles for a while. - Wait, everyone will think I am crazy if I tell them a tree can talk. Oh, wait! Of course, a tree spirit could talk. But wait, I need to keep this to myself. -

I didnÆt reply to that.

- Erm. oh, yes. Do you have a name, O tree spirit? I am Indra, a young druid in training. -

At that point, I wondered whether he saw me as a tree or as a person, but he referred to me as a tree spirit. - My name is Matt. Hello, Indra. - He seemed quite happy. - May I ask how you are able to see me? -

- I have a unique skill. It is called Soul Communion . -

- Sounds really special. - It was actually more special than he gave it credit for, because it also enabled me to respond to him telepathically.

- Yes, itÆs quite cool! It allows me to see and talk to ghosts and spirits! - He beamed. - I notice them whenever I walk around, and they speak to me. -

- Your skill is amazing. -

- It is! And this is the first time I have spotted a tree spirit! ItÆs late, but IÆll come back. - He nodded. - Let me just memorize this place so I can find you again. -

- Sure, please come back. It is nice to talk to someone. - I waved with one of my branches.

- Okay. - With that, Indra left. It was strange to see a human - shaped, faintly glowing thing. That was the beginning of our relationship as friends. Indra would later come by every week, and we would talk at length, mostly about his training as a druid.

- Hey, this might sound quite weird, but, uh. can I ask for a favor? - he asked after a few months of knowing each other. At that point, I was really quite eager to please my only friend.

- Hmm? -

- Would you mind granting me a magical familiar contract? -

- What does that do? How does that work? -

- I will be able to summon a familiar to aid me in combat, usually in exchange for some of my mana. -

- I would love to, but I donÆt think I can do too much. I am not sure if I have any combat powers, either. - All I had now was the power to make seeds and fruits.

- ItÆs okay, nobody I know has a tree familiar. I think it could be quite cool. -

- Very well, then. -

Indra mumbled something, and that was when I had a pop - up.

Indra has requested to enter into a familiar contract. Do you accept?

A menu to click yes or no appeared, and I mentally chose yes.

Indra smiled. - Yay! I have a tree familiar. This is so awesome. I bet nobody else has a nature - aspect familiar. -

Little did I know then that I may have sent him to his death.

Later that week, he returned and sat next to me. - My teachers took a look at my tree familiar form, and now I might be going away for a long time. It seems the druid council wants to see more of my tree familiar abilities as they are rare. Of course, they also asked me to lead them to you, but I said I couldnÆt find you again. -

- Oh. Good luck, then. Is it that special? - Huh, why did he hide my presence?

- Yes. It is quite different from the kinds of regular magical familiars I usually see. It has mostly defensive and healing skills. Familiars have a few variants. There are those summoned by way of a magical contract or those granted by natureÆs aspects. -

- ThatÆs very interesting. You used my skills? -

- Yeah, I did. I used them a lot! -

Hmm. I didnÆt even realize he used my skills. It seemed like once I agreed to the familiar contract, I didnÆt really need to do anything. Of course, I wondered why my familiar was even useful and wondered what my tree familiarÆs skills would look like.

Pop

A menu appeared.

Tree Familiar

Ironbark Skin , Healing Fruit , Lesser Natural Healing Boost .

My familiar contract skills were quite different from my own, or maybe the familiar form had its own skill tree? Could I get them eventually?

- It is to be my first time away from home. -

- Are you scared? -

- Yes, but I think it is also an adventure! My mom tells me not to worry, though. I will be going with the townÆs lead druid to the capital. -

- Sounds like fun. Spend more time with your parents before you go, okay? You never know when you will see them again. - Since the day I died, the people I missed the most were my parents, followed by my friends.

- YouÆre right. I should spend more time with my family. I should go. - Indra nodded.

- Bye. Good luck with your trip. Stay safe. -

Unfortunately, that was the last time I ever saw Indra.

YEAR 55

Indra Sinahalia has died. Some of the experience acquired through use of the familiar form has been transferred back to you. You gained thirteen levels. A fragment of IndraÆs skills was transferred to you in accordance with the familiar contract. You have obtained unique skill: Spirit Vision .

You received the skill Limited Telepathic Communication .

You are now level 14.

You gained the skills Healing Fruits and Seeds , Inspect .

Oh, dear. My young friend died, and now, as the effects of the skill were applied, for the first time in forever, I could see.

It wasnÆt the kind of sight that humans had. I was able to see the spirits of people if they were nearby, and the pitch - black background was replaced with faint outlines. It was as if I was looking at things through an inverted outline on Photoshop.

But I wasnÆt picky. I could see, and it was how I came to the realization I was in some kind of park, or perhaps someoneÆs garden.

And there were people.

They were a distance away, but every now and then, they would pass. From a distance, they were all blurry blobs, kind of like a wisp, but once they were closer, the details improved. It was kind of like short - sightedness but for spirits.

I attempted to communicate, but most of the time there was nothing. It felt like they thought they were being disturbed by ghosts and fled for their lives. I was disappointed at how the people around me refused to communicate.

Sadly, very few people actually walked near enough for me to communicate with them. It seemed that I was placed quite deep in the park or garden, so everyone seemed so far away. At my present level, they pretty much needed to be next to me to hear anything.

So, nothing happened for quite some time. again.

YEAR 56

Another battle happened. There were lots of people in the distance fighting creatures. (They appeared as rough, moving shadows.) The battle seemed intense, and many of the spirits were extinguished, the battle spilling over into the park as well.

One of the human fighters stood next to me, so I got excited and took the chance to communicate. Maybe he needed help, and I could get him to agree to a familiar contract.

- Ugh, damned demons. - he said.

- Do you need some help? - I asked and noticed his breathing was ragged and he was likely wounded.

- Huh? - He looked around, one hand still clutching his wounds. He then looked at the tree. - Talking tree? -

- You need help? - I repeated.

- Ah, yes. -

Healing Fruit .

This was the skill to create a small fruit that gave some healing effect. A fruit appeared and dangled right next to him. He plucked it off my little vine.

Familiar Contract .

The battle raged around me, and I figured they didnÆt have much time. He needed to rush back, and the familiar contract was probably the quickest way I could offer help.

- Oh. - He accepted and munched down on the fruit. His breathing quickly improved, and he nodded. - Thanks. I should go and help the rest of my team. Damned demons. -

I didnÆt see that guy again after that, and ten days later, I got a notification.

Semara Falk has died. You gained 1 level. You are now level 15.

Was this the fate of life as a tree, to watch everyone else die around me? Little did I know then it would be very much so.

The soulless monsters, or demons as he called them, appeared every now and then after that day, and the people repeatedly tried to fight them off. Some days there were monsters everywhere, even around me. Thankfully, they didnÆt indiscriminately destroy everything, so they didnÆt attack me. I wondered what would happen if they did. Perhaps I would die.

The humans would come back and chase them away. This lasted for months as the battles ebbed and flowed, and then, eventually, the humans won.

A lull.

Then someone approached a few days later.

- Is this the tree? - He sounded unsure, and he looked like he referred to a piece of paper.

Hmm. - Yes? - I responded telepathically.

- Ah. It is! I am Starric, SemaraÆs teammate. Before he died, he asked me to properly thank you for your help. Thanks to the power of your familiar, he was quite the hero. -

- I see. - Hero?

- Well, not a hero - hero but, yeah, a small hero. He didnÆt have much, but he asked me to bury his trusty sword next to you. -

Starric dug a hole and then placed the sword inside.

- Would you like a familiar? - I asked while he dug the small hole.

- It is okay. I canÆt. My religion forbids me. -

Ah, damn it. Religion.

After he left, a few days later, a spirit appeared beside me.

- Hi. - It was that Semara guy, but he was a ghost.

- Huh? Why are you here? - I asked.

- Oh, I am just a part of Semara embedded in the sword. The real me died and passed on. -

I didnÆt understand.

- ItÆs complicated, but the sword has been by my side since my youth - the past thirty years - and so a fragment of me is in it. -

- Oh. -

- So how long will you be here? -

- Maybe a few more months. I will eventually fade away with time. -

- And how do you know all this? Like. how do you even know about your original soul? -

- Oh, I - I just kind of know, I guess. ItÆs like I get a message about it. The leveling system and all that. -

- Ah. -

With this copy of Semara next to me, we talked. A lot. Semara was a lot more knowledgeable about the world than Indra, so he had more to share. That was how I learned about the world I was in.

This world had many gods and religions, and magic was commonplace. Demons and monsters appeared frequently, and some speculated it was due to the proximity to the world of demons. Due to stellar movements and astronomical forces, the barrier that protected the world occasionally weakened, and that resulted in stronger demons entering the world. Which led to the periodic entrance of demon kings.

Different religions, strangely, had different ways of answering why the demon kings came.

I found this strange because they could ask the heroes who met the gods, or even ask the gods directly. Perhaps there was a lot of confusion about why it happened.

Gods of the world responded to the demons by summoning heroes from another world. The heroes rose to defeat the demons and usually they succeeded, though it was at great cost. The world today had a few remaining heroes, and those had since fallen out with each other and now fought to be the most powerful ruler in the world.

Six months passed a little easier with Semara around as I eagerly consumed his knowledge, but the good times didnÆt last very long, and Semara faded away. I was alone, again.

YEAR 57, MONTH 1

On the first day of the year, a young elf kneeled before me.

- Oh, tree, I, Salada Stoppu of the elvish tribe, humbly request for the blessing of the tree spirit. -

How did this random elf know of my existence? And his name is Salad?

- How did you learn of me? -

- Oh. erm. - He seemed a little embarrassed. - You have been listed in the register of benign lesser spirits by the local council, following reports by the army to the town council. -

I am in a register of the town council as a lesser spirit. I felt like a botanical garden exhibit.

- Fine. Familiar contract? -

This time, recalling SemaraÆs spirit accompanied me for six months, I added a condition.

- You must leave an item with a strong personal connection to yourself with me, and upon your death, your weapon should be buried near me. -

He nodded and buried a small wooden chain next to my roots. - This is a small chain I made when I was a child. Is this fine? -

- Yes. - Frankly, I didnÆt know exactly what the criteria were to recreate SemaraÆs case, but I agreed. And then I offered him the familiar contract. Maybe I would gain a skill, too, since this was a game - like world.

He bowed and then left, happy.

I sighed and went back into Autopilot mode. I wonder how long theyÆll live.

YEAR 57, MONTH 8

Another elf came to find me. He was a boy by the name of Croissanta Fillings, and I offered him the same deal I offered Salada - the familiar contract - and he buried a small metal ring. Happy, he then walked away.

I wondered how long I would have to live as a tree.

A pop - up appeared.

Trees are eternal if they donÆt get killed.

No shit.

YEAR 57, MONTH 11

I gained a level! Level 16

But nobody died. Strange.

YEAR 57, MONTH 12

Somebody visited. He didnÆt respond to me, but he seemed to be trimming some of my branches. Since I didnÆt feel any damage or pain, I allowed him to continue. He collected the trimmed branches, picked up leaves, and left once he was done.

YEAR 58, MONTH 1

I had gained a level! Level 17 With the level, I acquired a skill called Self - Visualization . Despite the skillÆs title seeming to mean something else, it just meant I was now able to look at myself.

That was the first time I could see all my branches and roots. I was actually pretty big, about the size of a small house. Being able to see myself, thinking I recognized leaves from the trees in my past life that could be used to brew teas, I wondered if the guy who trimmed my branches and collected my leaves was doing that with them.

Maybe that was why I was gaining levels?

YEAR 58, MONTH 2

Another elf, Corna Corrola, came and asked for a familiar. As it turned out, some elves had a thing for tree spirits. So typical of elves. Tree - huggers.

Anyway, I agreed and gave her the usual terms, but I also made a special request that she come back every six months and tell me what was happening in the world.

YEAR 58, MONTH 6

I gained another level, but nothing in particular happened. Level 18 . I supposed that was a good thing. I kept wondering why I gained random levels. Maybe it was just a tree thing.

YEAR 58, MONTH 7

A human had come and asked for my blessing to heal his child from a disease it suffered.

- I am not sure whether I can, - I replied, - but I can try. Bring them to me. -

They returned with a small baby, probably around eight months old. He looked really sick as his spirit appeared extremely faint, flickering. I created a magical healing fruit with all the nutrients I could gather.

The man fed it to his child. The child still looked sick, and then they left, the man looking sad.

Three days later, he came back with the child. The childÆs spirit looked better. It turned out that the child had actually been suffering from a very bad fever, and my fruit had helped. The father was grateful as IÆd been his last hope.

From what I had been told, due to the war against the demons, there were no healers left. Most of them died some time ago, and those who survived now served in what was left of the army of this country.

You gained a level. You are now level 19.

The man returned a few days later again with poop. Cow poop. He mixed it into the dirt. Fertilizer? Yet I felt nothing. I thanked my lucky stars I lacked the ability to smell. Though, since I was a tree, I presumed the poop would smell like. food?

YEAR 58, MONTH 12

Winter. Due to the seasons, the system restricted me from creating fruits. A different man begged for help, and he pleaded for his wife, but I couldnÆt, no matter how much I wanted to. I told him winter was the time when I couldnÆt create fruit.

So I told him to hang in there and return when spring came.

YEAR 59, MONTH 1

The man returned and cursed me. I guessed from his behavior that his wife didnÆt make it, so I didnÆt respond to his curses. Yet, after the exchange, I gained a level and a skill.

Level 20

Minor Winter Resistance û Grants ability to create fruit during winter.

Yeah, that man would hate me if he ever found out.

YEAR 59, MONTH 2

A young lady dropped by and begged me to protect her husband. He would be going to war soon, to defend the country from a demonic rift that had appeared. Her voice cracked like she wanted to cry, but I was a tree so, in my mind, I could only empathize and explain I wasnÆt a god. I didnÆt have the power to provide blessings. I was just a tree that happened to live here.

- Is there really nothing you can do? - she asked.

- Does he want a familiar? -

She paused and thought for a moment. - IÆll ask him. -

The next day, a young man came, along with the young lady. - Is this the tree youÆve been visiting? - He glanced up and shrugged. - DoesnÆt look very impressive. -

- Please, Andy, a familiar might protect you. -

He shook his head. - Do you have no confidence in me? -

- ItÆs not that, but if something can give you a bit more protection, will you not take it? -

Andy sighed and approached me. - This is so weird, talking to a tree, but hey, if you can hear me, may I get a familiar? Just so that my wife feels safer? -

I wondered whether having a familiar would offer any protection, as they might overestimate their own abilities and end up taking more risks, but I offered a familiar contract anyway. The wife buried a small pendant in exchange.

- Oh, wow. There really is a spirit here. -

- Just take it, Andy. DonÆt be stubborn. Think about whatever would happen if you died. -

- Yes, yes. - He accepted, and the couple left.

YEAR 59, MONTH 3

The man with the sick wife returned with something in his hand.

Oh, no. An ax.

He scolded and shouted for a while and started to swing his ax. However, I didnÆt feel any pain, and I realized that my trunk was really, really hard and tough. After some time, he gave up, cursed, and left. Through his curses, I learned that the town was named Moton.

I wondered how that other guy managed to even trim my branches.

YEAR 59, MONTH 9

A bad month, really. The month started with three deaths as the three elves all died within days of each other.

Corna Corolla has died.

Salada Stoppu has died.

Croissonta Fillings has died.

I gained fifteen levels after the three elves died. I was now level thirty - five, and I also transformed from a Normal Tree to a Spiritual Tree . My skills were mostly healing and defensive, but I also gained a skill called Tree Rebirth . I wondered what it did.

YEAR 59, MONTH 10

Death came to the town of Moton.

Monsters. They attacked the town every day, and as much as I wanted to help, nobody got near enough for me to grant a familiar contract. They fled, and in all that chaos, they were not about to listen to a random voice. Hell, they probably wouldnÆt even notice me.

Battles raged in the distance as the defenders lost to the demons. On the last day of the month, a notification sprang up.

Arsene Emir has died. You gained a fragment.

Oh. One of the heroes fell.

YEAR 59, MONTH 11

Demon King Baal has entered the world!

Moton, at this point, was deserted. There wasnÆt a single soul I could see with my Spirit Vision . I hoped they fled rather than died, but the past monthÆs battle made that seem rather unlikely. Everyone who remained had died.

YEAR 60, MONTH 2

Monsters wandered everywhere, and some, these. demons, tried to cut me down but, thankfully, my bark and skin defied them, and these monsters gave up once they realized it was pointless. I never expected trees would be so strong.

YEAR 60, MONTH 9

The town of Moton was no more.

Oh, shit, I thought as I spied something powerful on the horizon.

Is that. a demon king?

He was huge. A massive presence the height of a fifteen - story building. Even at a distance, his presence burned, and I could see a soul, but unlike human souls that normally appeared a faint white in color, the demon kingÆs presence was a bright red one and surrounded by a constant, burning, reddish fire.

He turned, noticed me, and walked toward me. He roared, and the earth trembled.

Oh, shit. I shivered and didnÆt even know how, when I had no sense other than vision! What!

He raised his arm and slashed.

An intense flame seared me like a massive pot of hot oil was just poured all over my body.

- Ughh! - I yelped, but no one could hear me. For a tree, I was both amazed and frightened I could feel so much pain.

The entire top part of my body broke apart. ItÆd been chopped off! For a moment, I thought I saw a burning soul smiling eerily, and then it walked away. It must have been my imagination.

I was still overwhelmed by the immense pain, pulled in multiple directions, but. I thought, IÆll live!

IÆm still alive! I was just a stump now, but somehow, trees didnÆt die so easily! The demon king disappeared into the distance, and once he was out of sight, I fell into a kind of recovery sleep.

YEAR 65, MONTH 2

IÆve slept for the past four years? I quickly tried to feel myself and realized I was still just a stump, but a few small green shoots had emerged from the edges.

There was a notification menu that thankfully recorded the string of messages I missed. The remaining heroes were killed, but amazingly, they managed to slay the Demon King Baal, or at least, I think thatÆs what happened.

Also, I gained a level, which made me level thirty - six! I also had a title now.

Demon King Survivor.

YEAR 65, MONTH 8

The new shoots didnÆt grow very well. In fact, they survived no longer than a week and then died. But new ones would eventually regrow and take their place. I noticed my ability to stay conscious was correlated to how many shoots were out so, when a lot of the shoots died, I usually lost consciousness.

Despite my consciousness wavering, I noticed a random elven druid visited.

- Oh, old tree, are you still there? - He touched my stump and carefully inspected the damage from the demon king.

IÆm not that old!

- Yes, I am, - I replied, but he didnÆt seem to understand me. In fact, he didnÆt hear me at all.

I waited for him to reply, but he just stood there quietly. Eventually, he spoke.

- Ah. the damage must have really weakened you. - He touched the stump and seemed to be using some kind of druid magic. - I canÆt do much to help, but this will make you feel better. -

I felt invigorated, but only temporarily. That energy quickly drained away.

- The demon kingÆs presence has tainted these grounds. That is why you are unable to recover. To survive when the fire still burns and the ground is corrupted shows you must be strong! -

I didnÆt sense the demon kingÆs presence, but maybe my ability to see was impaired as well. As I still couldnÆt really keep myself awake for very long, I didnÆt dwell on it.

- I will help you, and that will include moving you out of these tainted lands, - he said and then left. I wondered how he planned to move me.

YEAR 65, MONTH 9

A few men arrived, and all of them seemed old. Oh, and the druid from last month.

- This is the tree I mentioned. It is amazing it survived an attack by a demon king. And look at those flames! -

- Indeed. I believe the druid council would like to examine it further, - another man said. He held some kind of wooden staff, and he stood right next to me. - These fires are interesting. -

- Should we move it back to the druid councilÆs garden? -

- Hmm, I would rather not. LetÆs not have the others discover this. Druidhome already has another spirit. I would rather we keep this between ourselves. -

- True. It would be troublesome if the other group finds it. Where do you propose? -

- Am thinking either the Salah kingÆs outer garden compound, the RansalahÆs Adventurer GuildÆs garden, or the Temple of GayaÆs garden. -

- The adventurerÆs guild. I donÆt think theyÆd expect it to be there. -

- I prefer the Temple of Gaya. Easier to explain why we are moving trees, especially with the reconstruction happening there. The caretaker would want to have a look at this as well. - They voted, and eventually, they decided on the Temple of Gaya.

I didnÆt pay attention to the details because I wasnÆt able to maintain my consciousness, and my brain felt like it was splitting apart from trying to follow their conversation.

The five of them spread out in a circle and surrounded me. They mumbled some kind of chant, and then the earth around me shook and cracked. I found myself floating, and one of the guys took out some kind of sack.

Then it was just all black for me. Maybe theyÆd somehow sucked me into the sack or used some kind of druid tree - moving magic, I wasnÆt sure. Once my roots no longer touched any dirt or earth, I just lost consciousness.

YEAR 65, MONTH 10

- How is it reacting? -

- Better than expected. Its color seems to be returning, and the taint of the demon king fades, but the fires remain. -

- Did I say how amazed I am that it can resist the demon kingÆs fire attack, and also its corruption? -

- Yes, you did. But I think most druids would be. -

- ThatÆs what makes it worth studying. -

The guys talked, and I could still hear them faintly, but my consciousness faded away every now and then. They came over every other day to check on me.

YEAR 66, MONTH 2

I felt much better after time had passed, and I could stay awake. The druids still came over regularly, and I noticed they had been casting some kind of spell on me. I sounded like some kind of Appraisal .

On top of that, they poked me with weird contraptions, and they seemed very interested in my stump, mumbling about the fires of Hell and stuff like that.

Still, I was too sleepy to think too much, and every time I tried, IÆd get a headache.

YEAR 66, MONTH 3

- Is this the tree? - An old man came to visit. Seriously, IÆm really popular with old men. Is it a thing in fantasy worlds for old men to constantly poke at things?

- Yes, - a younger man replied as he joined him.

The old man touched my stump and appeared rather deep in thought. - From Moton, you say? -

- Yes. It survived a demon kingÆs claws. The scars on the stump still flare a little with the demonÆs fires. -

Wait, the demon kingÆs fire was still burning my stump? I took a good hard look at myself with Self - Visualization , and thatÆs when I felt a surge of pain. It seemed that my skill Autopilot had cut off a portion of my senses, so I didnÆt notice I was burning.

Status: The Fire of Baal

Whoa. And ow. Ow, ow, ow.

It felt like touching a hot kettle, for a long time. Pain. PAIN.

Autopilot

Autopilot suppressed the sensations from the burning surface.

- These fires, have we tried using them? - the old man asked.

The younger man scratched his chin.

- The demon king will return soon. We can better protect ourselves if we know what we face. -

- What do you have in mind, Caretaker? - the younger man asked.

- Can we defeat demons with their own power? - the caretaker mused, twirling the stick in the fire.

The question stunned the younger man.

- Caretaker, to use the demonÆs powers, that may be seen as witchcraft and even blasphemy. Best not to repeat it. - The younger man shook his head.

- You are right. - The caretaker sighed.

YEAR 66, MONTH 9

That month, more people investigated the endlessly burning fire on my stump. Usually, it was the same old men with different contraptions or spells, but more had come. The investigators did strange things. They doused me with holy water and extracted my stump surface.

They thought I was strong enough not to die from the fires, and not let it burn the rest of me, but not strong enough to extinguish the fire. My body continuously regenerated a fire - resistant layer, and that layer was replaced by another layer once the fires completely consumed the upper layer.

The Fire of Baal interfered with all my attempts to telepathically communicate. I suspected they heard something, but the fires must have distorted the details.

YEAR 67, MONTH 1

It happened at night. A group of masked men snuck into the temple grounds. They were dressed like typical cultists, in dark hoodies and masks, and they carried weird religious items. How did I know? Well, they talked.

- This is it. The tree that carries the Fires of the Demon King. - One pointed.

- So the rumors are true. The Temple of Gaya really experimented with demon fire. -

- The master will be pleased. -

He took out a kind of vase. At least thatÆs what I thought it was because it looked like one from the outline. The cultists mumbled a kind of weird chant while the one holding the vase leaned closer to me. He popped the cork on top of the vase, and with a whoosh, it sucked all the fires into it. Since it had a cork, did that make it a wine bottle instead? I wished I could see properly and not just the outline.

- All right. LetÆs go. -

A few guards came by then, a little too late.

- Stop! What are you doing? -

Why did guards always spot the bad guys when they were done?

- LetÆs split! - the cultists shouted.

They fled in different directions and then disappeared into the distance.

The Fire of Demon King Baal removed. Negative effects on some of your passive recovery, skills, spells, and abilities removed.

Oh, thank you, cultists. I hoped I didnÆt meet a demon king again.

The next day, I heard voices of the priests and other temple guards.

- Who is behind this? -

- The fires are gone! -

- Did you hear me? Who is behind this? -

- Anyone able to collect the fires of Baal must be affiliated with the demons. Perhaps the demon cultists. -

No shit, genius.

- Ugh. No one spotted them? -

- Where are the other guards? -

- Dead. We found a few of them in the alleys. -

With the fires gone, I was no longer an interesting specimen. Nobody came over to visit again, and solitude returned.

YEAR 67, MONTH 5

Without the Fires of Baal interfering with my recovery, I regrew a proper trunk. I also felt more energetic than before.

YEAR 67, MONTH 8

- This is the tree that has a seat! -

I was now like a small tree, with a stump stuck at the side. In a way, I looked like a chair. Or maybe a stump and stick combo.

Some people would come over and sit, but most ignored all my familiar contracts. I wondered why, and then a pop - up explained: Believers of Gaya cannot accept familiars of nature and are naturally resistant to telepathy. Ah, that explains why everyone rejected me.

An old man approached me in one of the last few days of the month. Once again, I seemed to have a thing with old men.

- Hi, tree, - he said.

He looked a little crazy. His soul appeared really messed up from its cracked and lumpy appearance.

- I am dying, and I am looking for a place to be buried. Can I bury myself here? -

I had no idea how to respond to such a question. Seriously. Should I say, yes, please, or should I tell him no? I tried to speak, but he didnÆt seem to hear me.

He touched my growing trunk.

- Yes, I think I will bury myself here. -

Uh. Okay. He made the decision, so I guessed thatÆs that. Maybe heÆd end up a spirit like Semara.

YEAR 67, MONTH 9

That same old man came again and sat on me and then fell asleep. He didnÆt wake up, and his soul faded. He was discovered that evening by the temple guys. By then, he was dead.

- Oh, dear. The crazy old man really did die here, - a young temple initiate complained.

- HeÆs been telling the caretaker he wants to be buried here, - another initiate responded.

- Call the caretaker. -

Soon, the caretaker returned and sat beside the old manÆs corpse. - Old friend, I will bury you here as you asked. -

The two initiates complained, - But, Caretaker, he is not a believer. What gives him the right to be buried in the temple grounds? -

- He was a believer. His three sons fought valiantly against the demons - as a part of the warriors of Gaya - but their death made him curse us, curse the temple for bringing doom to his family, so he stopped believing. In his dying days, I believe he came around. -

- Ah, if you say so, Caretaker. -

The next day, they dug a hole next to my roots and buried the old man. Strangely enough, he wasnÆt in a coffin. I wondered whether they had such a culture here. Come to think of it, I didnÆt recall ever seeing coffins, not that I would have given where IÆd grown. Still, a part of me felt relieved I wouldnÆt get chopped up to be made into coffins.

YEAR 67, MONTH 10

- Hello, tree spirit. -

- Oh. Hello, old man. - The old man had actually transformed into a spirit, even though it took a week. I wondered what took him so long. Was there like some kind of incubation period? - Did you wait long? -

- No, I just appeared today. My, IÆm quite surprised to see a tree spirit here. -

- So, you didnÆt know I was here? -

- I just liked the location. It seemed like a nice place to be buried, protected by the temple and next to a tree that had survived so much. -

- Uh - huh. How morbid. Thinking about where to be buried. That sort of thought never crossed my mind. -

The old manÆs spirit shrugged. - You are a tree. Death must be a strange thing for you. -

- Hmm. Never mind. Why are you here, and why didnÆt you move on? -

- I want to. But I have a lot of regrets. So much. anger and hatred. Frustration for the temple of Gaya. Anger at the gods and demons. Anger at how weak I was to let my children die. -

- Huh. YouÆre self - aware about it. -

- Must be a foreign concept for trees with no family. -

I understood it quite well, but I chose not to interject.

- Life and death. To lose your children to monsters. To flee when your children are fighting. Do you know how much I regret it? -

- No. Tell me, then, why did you flee? - He wanted to vent, so I gave him the chance.

- To protect my younger children. I ran with their wives, their kids, my grandchildren. -

- Then you did your part, no? -

- No. I felt I should have been the one fighting while they fled. An old man like me, choosing to run instead of fighting. That torment, it burns me. -

- Is that considered running? Sounds pretty honorable to me, and if you stayed and fought, would it have made a difference? -

- Maybe. I am much older, but when the demons attacked many years ago, I could hold a sword well. I was much higher level, and I had better skills. It was wrong for them to entrust the protection of their wives to me. I, the dying old man, should have been the one fighting and holding off the demons while they made their way out. -

- They must have believed you could protect their wives and kids better than they could. -

Hey! I didnÆt sign up for spirit - counseling. If this guy is going to vent at me for the next few months, I am going to Hibernate .

- So what? I should have knocked some sense into them. -

Ugh. I needed to cut this guy off.

- You are dead. Let it go and move on. -

- No! I cannot. I must not. I spent the last few years thinking back to that day when we parted in Olbast. I should have stayed, and they should have left. Thirteen years and, every night, I think about it. If I made a different choice. If -

- You are dead now. You canÆt make a choice anymore. -

- I am a spirit. There must be something I can do. Something I can change. That is why I am still here and not in the underworld. I believe Gaya is not so cruel as to force me to remain. -

- What would that be? -

- I donÆt know! -

- Uh. -

The old man, Gewa as I learned his name was, spent a lot of time being upset over the death of his three sons. I occasionally humored him, but I mostly ignored him and went back to sleep.

YEAR 67, MONTH 11

Andy Schulon has died. You gained 9 levels.

You are now level 45.

Oh, I totally forgot about that guy. The guy whose wife came and begged for protection. He lived really long!

- Have you heard? The South Army fell in battle against the demons. - Initiates chatted in the garden, and with the levels, my vision and range of hearing improved. There was clearly a passive boost to the effects of skills just from becoming a higher level.

- The demons must be strong. -

- You seem to be interested in the conversation. - GewaÆs spirit sat next to me. I was eavesdropping.

- Yeah, I am. WhoÆs this Andy Schulon? - I was just interested because. well, he seemed. familiar.

- Oh, one of the more famous local fighters. He was considered mid - tier and was known for his defensive skills. He contributed quite significantly to a few battles with his healing and defensive abilities. His front - line combat support had saved many lives. -

- DonÆt armies have mages and healers? WhatÆs so special about him? - Was that the hero? It seemed rather strange that a familiar could make such a difference.

- Mainly because he was on the frontline. Healers and mages can provide support, but they do so from the back, and there is usually a delay. Mages and healers can be in front, too, of course, but most mages lack close combat abilities, and that makes them vulnerable. Schulon was a fighter with a defensive mage and healerÆs abilities, so that was a good niche for him. -

I found myself quite impressed by GewaÆs analysis.

- Hardly, but every generation has to fight multiple demon kings and help their champions throughout their lives. Combat ability is a necessity. Almost every ten years, itÆs proven necessary. -

True. IÆd forgotten that multiple demon kings had appeared since I came into the world. What a cruel, harsh place.

- Hmm. -

- A mage can cast shields that provide some reduction in damage as a passive enchantment, but someone like Schulon could create a wooden barrier to block or parry specific attacks. Both are useful but in different ways. -

- Makes a lot of sense. -

- So, why are you interested in Schulon, again? -

- Hmm. We used to have a familiar contract. I mean, I gave him a familiar a long time ago. -

- Huh? -

GewaÆs spirit paced around me, seeming to think. My statement had triggered some kind of eureka moment.

- So, you and he have a familiar contract. Does that mean you were the source of his rather unique defensive powers? - He looked at me with hopeful, curious eyes. He had never looked at me like that before, so it freaked me out.

- I. am not sure. But if it was some wood - based ability, I believe that was most likely from my familiar. -

- I see, I see. - Gewa circled my trunk, and it made me a little dizzy. Then he stopped. - Can you give your familiar contracts to more people? -

That was a strange question. - Where are you going with this? -

Gewa stared. It was weird for a spirit to stare. What was he even looking at? My trunk?

- What? -

He stared some more.

- Seriously, what? -

- You have power to reduce casualties in battle. Imagine if the world had hundreds of warriors with incredible defensive powers, we would see less death, and we would have higher - level warriors all around because they would all survive longer. -

- Hmm. -

- What hmm? Am I wrong? -

No, Gewa had a point, so I wondered how many familiar contracts I could give.

You can presently grant twelve familiar contracts. There are no familiar contracts utilized at the moment. Total number of familiar contracts increases with every level gained.

- What are your concerns, tree spirit? Or do you not care about human lives? - Gewa pushed. - Grant more familiar contracts and let those with your powers protect more people! -

Why should I? Giving familiar contracts made sense because I gained experience from it, but.

Frankly, I didnÆt know why I was hesitating. I looked at Gewa and considered my response, but all the thinking gave me a headache, so I decided to take a nap.

YEAR 68, MONTH 1

- Your naps are really long. -

- Time moves differently for trees like me, - I responded, but then I wondered why I did. Maybe reincarnation meant an entirely new set of experiences in this world.

- So. familiars? - Gewa kept pushing, and I ignored him. I still wanted to think, and he mumbled something about me and my absurd timeframes, but then again, maybe I should take a chance.

A druid dropped by as we spoke. - Ah, you are doing well. - The new part of my trunk had reached a reasonable size now, right next to the stump. The surface of the stump was still charred black, but it was healing.

- Hi, - I reached out telepathically.

The druid startled, and he looked around. - Is. is anybody there? -

- No one. Only me, the tree. -

- Huh?! - He stared at me. - You. talk? -

- Yes. Do you want a familiar contract? - I could be blunt like that.

- Uh. no. -

Okay, maybe I was a little too blunt.

- Are you a tree spirit? -

- Yes. -

The druid paced. - So, what kind of tree spirit are you? -

What. what kind of question is that?

- Uh. -

The druid looked puzzled. - Ah, I mean, like, are you looking for help with breeding or spreading your seeds, are you the type that wants special nutrients or fertilizer, or do you want help with pests? Tree spirits are usually not chatty. And they only give familiars to those who have done a great deal of service for them, like after helping them through a difficult winter or battling a horrible disease. -

Oh.

- So, do you need help with something? Is that why you are offering familiars? -

Hmm.

The druid circled a few more times. - I heard you survived a demon kingÆs attack. Maybe you need help with your wound. Is that it? -

Wait. Stop. Talk to me, donÆt put words in my mouth. I tried to talk to him, but it seemed he was caught in some kind of monologue and just presumed I needed help. Why? CouldnÆt he hear me?

He stood over the stump. - Your wounds are fully healed, though. Ah, tree spirits, always being so vague and needing us druids to guess what you need. -

- Wait. WAIT! -

- I know, I will give you some time, and I will come back next month, okay? Trees need time to think, right? - The druid walked off.

- WAIT! - Oh, come on! I was literally shouting, and he just walked away.

- Are druids normally so dense? - Frustrated, I looked at Gewa.

Gewa shrugged. - Druids tend to be stuck in their own world. Mages. Magic is everything, and it consumes them. -

- But druids arenÆt mages? -

- They are to me. -

YEAR 68, MONTH 2

The mood was tense. Soldiers covered in injuries and wounds came in by the cartloads or were pushed into the temple as I watched from the garden. I imagined blood everywhere and the foul stench from the dead and dying.

Or maybe it was just the newer initiates. They constantly complained about how strong the smell was.

- How many more? -

- A lot more, Caretaker, - an initiate responded. The caretaker was like the lead priest of the Gaya temple, and he handled most of the administrative matters.

- Demons? - The caretaker perched over an injured man, using some kind of healing ability.

- Yes, Caretaker. Beast - type demons, about a hundred from the rift, - an initiate explained while he assisted the wounded soldiers. Another initiate nearby helped support those who could walk. The injuries were bad. The soldiers groaned, shouted, or screamed.

Initiates put up tents in the garden and sorted the wounded according to the severity of their injuries. Those who needed less immediate attention were relegated to the garden. So quite a lot of the wounded and their caregivers were nearby, well within the range of my abilities.

- I didnÆt lose a limb, - one injured soldier vented at the guy next to him. - I had a scare when the demons lunged for my arm. Thanks to the other guys. -

- First battle? -

He nodded. - I - I just froze when that beast roared like that. I didnÆt expect that. -

- Their roar has a Fear effect. You are lucky to receive just a few cuts. -

- Yeah. Just a gash. It will probably heal and be a manly scar later on. Maybe you can get girls with it, - another soldier added, trying to lighten the mood and downplay how bad the wound was.

- Girls donÆt like scars, - one of them countered.

- Says who? IÆve met girls who like scars. They say it looks really tough, and they feel safe when they see it. -

- No way. -

- You guys are disgusting, - a female soldier commented, and then she turned away and faced a sleeping female soldier.

- Hey, we didnÆt die facing those beast - demons. Cut me some slack. I am just happy to live another day. -

- Yeah, yeah. - I was sure the female probably rolled her eyes at that.

- Did you kill any of those beasts? - a soldier asked the others. There were about thirty of them in the courtyard, and they rested in the makeshift tents. Most carried a mix of light scratches or gashes. They wouldnÆt die, but they needed medical attention to prevent disease and infection.

- No. Their hides are so thick. If I had one of those magic swords, maybe I would have gotten a kill or two. -

- Your skills, did they not work? -

- They did, but theyÆre not enough. -

- When do you think itÆs our turn? - one of the soldiers who could walk asked as he sat next to another soldier.

- Once the heavily injured ones are dealt with, - an initiate answered as they handed out water and some light food.

- Yeah. We understand. - The soldier nodded. - How bad is it in there? -

- Bad. Quite a few will not live through the night. -

The soldiers glanced at each other. They sighed, but most were probably secretly relieved they made it out mostly fine.

An initiate looked at me. - Oh, I think that tree produces fruit every now and then. It is edible, so feel free to take it. WeÆre short of regular food. -

- Ah. -

I produced two or three small peach - like fruits per week, but if I wanted to, I could trigger a small bloom to produce more fruits overnight. I felt like helping, which would hopefully lead to some familiar contracts.

The next day, I produced ten small fruits, all with a mild healing effect. The soldiers didnÆt hesitate and consumed them.

- Tastes kind of bland. -

- Feels like I am eating some kind of disgusting forest herb. -

- If you donÆt like it, you can starve your ass instead. - One grateful soldier smiled.

I felt a bit slighted at the comments, and I realized I didnÆt have any skills that enhanced the taste of my fruits. Such human aspects should be considered, after all.

- I feel a bit better, though. I think the fruit has a healing effect. - Appraisal . One soldier held up his half - eaten fruit, and he looked at it inquisitively. There were skills like Appraisal , too, and I wondered how it compared with my Inspection skills.

A loud horn blared, so loud my trunk vibrated, and my leaves rustled.

- Oh. That is not good. - Some of the soldiers looked at each other. - Another attack? -

- Looks like it. - The soldiers who were capable stood. - We should go. -

An initiate ran out. - No, you guys must rest. Going there with your injuries will just make it worse. -

- But I am fully healed. - A few of the men with light injuries had recovered as a result of the fruits.

The initiate looked at them and noticed their recovery. - Let me. let me get the caretaker to verify before we let you out. I canÆt sign you out without his approval. -

The soldier nodded. - Yes, yes. Normal tracking procedure. Please, hurry and get the caretaker. The army needs our help if this attack is anything like the previous one. -

The initiate ran and called for the caretaker. The soldiers glanced at their fellow soldiers.

- You guys better eat more of that fruit, then. Need you people back on the field once you are fine. -

- Yeah. - The soldiers shrugged. - Stay safe and donÆt get killed. -

- We wonÆt. -

At that point, one of the soldiers walked close to me. - Hey, thanks for the fruit. -

Since he was beside me, I pounced on the opportunity and immediately offered a familiar contract. The pop - up startled the soldier, and he stared for a while. - Oh. Okay. - He accepted the deal, and then he looked at the other soldiers. - Hey, go and say thanks. You might get something. -

Some of them laughed and walked away, but two others came over and gave me a pat on the trunk. Similarly, I offered both a familiar contract, and they accepted, after their initial shock.

- Hey, did the tree just -

- Yes. - The other nodded.

- What happened? - Those who were still injured were curious because they saw the startled expressions on the three soldiers faces.

- This tree gave each of the three of us a familiar contract. -

- Really? -

- What does it do? -

Ironbark Skin

One of the soldierÆs skin glistened a brownish shade. - Some defensive skills and healing skills. It is a tree familiar. -

- Hey, this is useful. - The soldier right next to me tapped my trunk lightly. - Thanks. -

- Everyone! Those who say they have healed, please, let me check. Come over. - The caretaker arrived and examined the soldiers.

He was surprised, but they were healed, so he let them go.

- Thanks, Caretaker. -

The recovered soldiers left, and those remaining, about twenty, looked at each other. After a while, they started talking again.

- You think this tree can give us a familiar contract? - One of the injured soldiers approached.

- I still can give a few more, if you guys are not believers of Gaya, - I replied to him telepathically.

- Ah! - The injured soldier lost his balance and almost fell. - I - it talked! -

- It did? I didnÆt hear anything. -

- I - it talked into my head! -

- What did it say? -

- Uhm. I think. I think it said it can give a few more contracts if we are not followers of Gaya. -

- Huh. But we are in a Temple of Gaya? Is this tree not a GayaÆs spirit? -

- IÆll go call the caretaker again. -

The caretaker approached and then looked at the injured soldier. - You said this tree can give familiar contracts if we donÆt believe in Gaya? -

- Uh, yes. -

I attempted to reply but was repulsed by some telepathic barrier.

The caretaker looked at me and then touched my trunk.

Detect Evil and Detect Spirit .

His eyes widened. - It really is a spirit. - He looked at me and then summoned an initiate to fetch some materials while chewing on some kind of leaf.

Ethereal vision .

- Hello, tree spirit. - The caretaker looked at me, and then he noticed Gewa next to me. - And you, too, old friend. -

- Hey. - Gewa smiled.

- Hi. -

- Who and what are you? -

- I am a tree. -

- But you have a spirit. That is rare. -

That contradicted the statement I received from Mozart. I thought he said only trees of a certain size had spirits.

- Yes. I do have a spirit, but I donÆt know whether I am rare. -

- You told the soldiers you cannot give them familiars if they are believers of Gaya? -

- Yes. Your believers will reject a nature familiar. -

The caretaker thought for a while, and then he said, - Hmm. must be the scriptures. Our god allows us to use only certain familiars. -

He then looked at the soldiers. - Any of you not believers? -

- IÆm not. - A soldier walked over. - Not yet, at least. -

- Can you give him a familiar contract? - the caretaker asked me. - I will inspect the familiar, and that will greatly help me assess what I should do. -

I offered the soldier a familiar contract as the caretaker chewed a different kind of leaf.

- Accept the contract and open your menu. Oh, and eat this leaf. -

The soldier nodded, accepted the familiar contract, and munched on the leaf the caretaker handed him. Seriously, did they have weird drug - like leaves in this world? Wait, they must have. It was a fantasy world.

Then his menu appeared for all to see. It was far more complicated than the menu I had. I wondered how I could see it, but I just could.

Tree Familiar Level 1.

Element: Earth and Wood.

Rank: Nature Aspect.

Alignment: Neutral.

Active Skills: Ironbark Skin, Healing Fruit, Minor Regeneration, Wood Shield

Passive: Damage resistance, Improved Healing, Earth Magic and Wood Magic Enhancement

Hey, there were more skills than I remembered.

- So, is the tree evil, Caretaker? Should we revoke the contract? -

- No, probably not. It is just not aligned to Gaya. -

- Trees have alignment as well? -

The caretaker shrugged. - No idea. Still, you soldiers can accept the familiar if you want to. I think it will be helpful for the battle ahead. As for me, I need to go talk to some druids. -

YEAR 68, MONTH 3

- Move it somewhere else, - the caretaker said.

- Yes, Caretaker. Is this really necessary? -

- Yes. I brought this matter up with the temple leaders, and the conclusion is that we, as a temple, cannot accept a spirit that doesnÆt accept Gaya in our compound. It would be perceived negatively by the common folk if a tree in our temple tells them not to believe in Gaya. -

- It is just a tree. - The young initiate seemed rather baffled by it.

- I would have chopped it down if it was just a tree, but it is not just a tree but a spirit tree. One that has been helpful, and I donÆt see a need to destroy it. So moving it to a neutral location would be better. -

The temple initiate and the druid next to him both nodded. - Understood. -

It didnÆt take long for them to decide. Other druids came over, surrounded me, and once again, they moved me.

- The caretaker says youÆre a spirit, so weÆve got to move you, - the druid said apologetically. - We will be gentle, and you will not come to any harm. -

Before I could respond, they chanted, and the earth shook. My roots departed from the dirt and earth, and I lost consciousness.

Seriously, moving was really annoying.

YEAR 68, MONTH 4

Freeka.

I was moved to a small village with about fifty or so inhabitants. Elves. All of them.

It seemed to me that the presence of a spirit tree didnÆt go well with a lot of people in the city, so the druids decided to move me out into the villages. A spirit not aligned to the main religion of the world was seen as heretical to some.

But oneÆs loss was anotherÆs gain. The elves were happy to have a tree spirit in their small village, and I could tell their joy from their daily conversations. The leader of the village spoke to the druids and requested I be placed in the center of the village, apparently for my protective powers.

Whatever those were.

The elves were quite chatty, and I met the leader of the village, a middle - aged man, Ricola.

- A tree spirit is good fortune for our small village. -

He gave off a pleasant feeling, so I immediately offered him a familiar contract the moment I could. I wondered then whether it was a skill the village chief had.

- An honor, oh, tree spirit. -

- If anyone else wants a tree familiar, please, let me know, - I said.

- Certainly. -

I ended up giving all my remaining familiar slots to eight more of the villageÆs warriors. It helped them to protect the village.

YEAR 68, MONTH 5

RicolaÆs wife, Laufen, was pregnant. They came over and asked for my blessing. I responded that I couldnÆt give blessings, but if they were to fall sick, they could come to me for some healing fruits.

YEAR 68, MONTH 6

The elven kids decorated me for a festival of the earth. The elves in this world were a little animistic. They believed in spirits of nature, and their god was the nameless great mother of nature. Yet it wasnÆt as if all elves believed in the same gods.

- Trees are spirit of nature, so this festival is also dedicated to you. - An older female elf, Casshern, led the ceremony. She took the role of the master of ceremonies as she was a living record of elvish traditions.

They ate fruits and vegetables, and some hunted meat. They prayed to the earth for a good harvest, a good hunt, and protection against demons, monsters, and humans. They had some kind of fermented sap, which made them high, and they danced through the night.

YEAR 68, MONTH 8

The tax collectors from the Kingdom of Salah paid a visit to the elves of Freeka.

Ricola paid with what little gold or silver coins they had. Some of the elves in the village sold their excess foods in the city for coin, just to raise funds and pay their taxes.

After the tax collectors left, Ricola sat next to me and complained, - These tax collectors are bloodsucking leeches. We get no protection from the army, yet we are forced to pay taxes lest we suffer the wrath of the kingdomÆs tax enforcement force. -

- Ah. Do you have demons here? - I suddenly wondered how elves dealt with demons.

- Oh, tree spirit, we do fight demons. But demons are usually drawn to places with many souls for them to kill. Sparsely populated places like our village are mostly spared from their wrath, or so we believe. It is only when the demon king arrives, when the elves throughout the continent gather to fight it, or used to. -

- I see. -

One of the elf children ran over and knocked on my trunk. - Hey, tree. Do you think you can give me a familiar? -

Ricola patted him on the head. - Brislah , please donÆt disturb the tree spirit. He has given all his familiars to the adults. -

Brislah pouted and walked away.

- HowÆs Laufen doing? - I asked, even though I saw with my Spirit Vision that she was well. The skill was quite good at telling the overall health of a person because a weaker personÆs spirit tended to wobble, fade, or blink.

- She is well. ItÆs been a few years since the last birth in our village. Everyone looks forward to it, especially Brislah and Walen . They cannot wait for someone younger than them to appear. -

YEAR 68, MONTH 10

It was harvest season before winter. This yearÆs harvest was better than the last, and Ricola said it was because of me.

I couldnÆt tell because I didnÆt see a skill that boosted harvest, but apparently, as the village head, he had a skill that informed him of the skills that affected the area. Maybe it was race passive for spiritual trees, so things just naturally grew a little bit better.

YEAR 68, MONTH 11

The elven villagers came over and chatted under the shade. IÆd grown quickly, and now I was close to my size before IÆd gotten chopped down by the demon king.

The ladies had their leisure time and activity under the shade. Things like sorting or cutting through their harvest or occasionally processing hunted animals. The elderly used my shade to teach the young. Some elves believed my presence improved learning, but I suspected that might have been a placebo effect.

I spent time listening to Casshern, too, and she recited some of her ancient history. She claimed a tree spirit was also a living record of elven history should there be no surviving elf.

YEAR 68, MONTH 12

Winters were mild. I produced healing fruits, but their effectiveness remained poor.

The men fought monsters during this time as it seemed winter came with its own set of monsters. Nobody was seriously hurt, so the mood was fine. One of the guys, Yura , was the villageÆs best fighter. He was really good with a sword and a spear, and he was going to be level forty soon.

Laufen and the ladies would collect whatever winter fruits I produced to make tea.

YEAR 69, MONTH 2

Another festival to mark the end of winter. The elves prepared a fruit cocktail. The elves also came over to vent their frustrations, mainly about how things were done by other elves. Like everyone, they had small, petty conflicts with each other.

I generally just listened. I was no counselor. But listening seemed to be what they needed.

YEAR 69, MONTH 3

Laufen safely gave birth to a baby girl and named her Lozanna . The elves had a small party, and tradition dictated elvish babies be given the juice of a spirit tree if there was one.

I grew her a fruit with all the healing abilities I had.

YEAR 69, MONTH 4

One of the elves sat next to me and spoke of dire news. He returned from the nearest city from their bi - weekly market visits. Rumors had been going around that the demon king would descend soon, their once - a - decade disaster.

Human cultists had also emerged. Some professed to be able to control demons and had usurped control of distant villages, and some were puritanical zealots who couldnÆt accept other races. Bad news for the elves.

The focus remained mostly on the demons. A time for unity, it was said, as the demon king would rise once again to threaten the world.

To some extent, I wondered why cultists bothered when the gods consistently summoned heroes to defeat the demon king. It wasnÆt humans of this world who defeated them. The gods essentially obtained external contractors to do the dirty job.

- Will the gods summon heroes to defeat the demon king? - I knew from my records that it was what happened, but I had to ask the locals to be sure.

The elf sighed. - Probably. They always do. -

- Why the sigh? Is it not a good thing? -

- Every time heroes descend to this world, we trade the methodical destruction of the demon king for the reckless destruction of the otherworldly heroes. We know what the demons want, but the heroes are unpredictable, and they are the worst rulers. -

- Elves donÆt look at them as heroes, too? -

The elf paused before giving a measured answer. - The elves, as a society, are of two minds about it. There is a faction - well, no, not really a formal faction, but just a group - that believe in the gods heroes, as they occasionally appear as elves, and these elven heroes are the gods blessings to the elves. Another faction believes the gods donÆt want to summon the heroes, but because the destruction wrought by the demon king is too great, they have to. So heroes are a desperate response from the gods. A bitter pill for a horrifying disease. -

- What do you believe? - I asked while I digested the fact.

- Neither. -

Hmm.

- Has the demon king fallen to a hero or a fighter from this world before? - I wondered.

The elf stared at my trunk. I assumed he was deep in thought. Or maybe he thought I asked a stupid question.

- Legend has it that the demon kings of the past were all defeated by summoned heroes. So, no. - I didnÆt understand.

- Oh. -

Why couldnÆt the locals kill the demon king? They gained levels, too, obviously, so what made the heroes special? The gods must have given summoned heroes something that allowed them to slay the demon kings. Blessings?

YEAR 69, MONTH 6

A small group of soldiers arrived, so the villagers were tense. Soldiers were not a good sign. Ricola had talks with the captain of the soldiers, and it seemed the kingdom was gathering recruits to fight the demon at some strategic pass.

No one went with the captain as the village was already small. He wasnÆt happy, but after a while, they left. They had other places to visit.

YEAR 69, MONTH 9

Baby Lozanna started to mumble. She was really cute. I couldnÆt help but remember my own nephew back on Earth. Ah, home. I wondered how things were back there.

The elves lived tough lives, but generally, they were happy, and many of the ladies enjoyed their time with the new baby.

YEAR 69, MONTH 10

I gained two levels when the men returned from their hunt, and I wasnÆt sure why. As I recalled, familiars only transferred experience when their holders died. So maybe the two levels came from other ways.

Level 47

The men told me they had to fight a giant beast, and thanks to my familiar skills, they succeeded.

I also gained two rather strange skills one morning, Nourish and Secret Hideout .

Secret Hideout created a small room right beneath my roots. It fit two adults.

I wondered whether it was because the children, Brislah and Walen , frequently played hide and seek with my roots and trunk. Maybe they should play a bit more if that led to skills.

This yearÆs harvest was somehow even better than last yearÆs, and it seemed when I was around, the soil replenished its nutrients a little faster, so we went into that yearÆs planting season with the ground more fertile than before.

YEAR 69, MONTH 11

Lozanna was feverish. I made a small fruit of healing, and her parents fed her the juice of the fruit. It helped a little, and her parents calmed.

Ricola also had an argument with the Salah KingdomÆs tax collectors over the higher taxes, but eventually, he relented and paid. They argued over protections and all that, and I thought I briefly heard the tax collectors cursing the elves under their breath. Racism was a thing here. Or was it speciesismÆ?

YEAR 70, MONTH 1

The men reported more human armies on the move. The frequent movement disturbed animals close to them. They said it was generally rare for armies to move about when winter was still so strong, so the demons attack must have been really intense.

SalahÆs armies often conscripted men who were poorly motivated and paid, and they were more prone to fleeing than actually fighting. To move them in winter wasnÆt a good sign.

Somehow, by just existing, I also gained a level Level 48 , and I finally obtained my first attack skill. I wondered whether it was due to my constant interactions with the villagers.

Oh, well, an attack skill! Root Strike

YEAR 70, MONTH 2

There was great unrest in the human cities, and among the elves, too. They looked into the sky every night, and Casshern, the old elf lady, explained it was an ominous sign. Six stars aligned in a hexagonal shape: the Mark of the Warp. According to their lore, the warp signified a weakening, a breach in the rift that separated us and the demon world. In other words, the demon king would soon return.

Some elves dismissed it as mumbo - jumbo as those signs didnÆt appear in previous iterations of the demon king. If I could sigh, I would, but all I could do was sway my branches. Or shake. I probably looked like a shaking tree.

- Worry not, the gods will look after us. - Casshern nodded, and she sipped from a hot cup of tea. It was still cold this time of year. The thought of how hot or cold it was somehow made the system give me a new menu. It was a temperature bar, and it reminded me of weather widgets on my smartphone.

- How do you know for sure? -

- They always have, tree spirit. Legends have it that we have been invaded by demon kings since time immemorial, and every time, our world triumphed. -

As financial advisors often said, past performance wasnÆt indicative of future returns, but I let Casshern continue.

- The stars. Despite the warp, in the distance, there is hope. -

I wondered how the stars looked in this world. I couldnÆt see after all.

YEAR 70, MONTH 3

Baby Lozanna crawled around and over my roots, and I got nervous every time she looked like she was going to fall. The feeling reminded me of my babysitting days. I wondered how my nephew was. Maybe he had grandchildren by now. After all, seventy years had passed.

On a more serious note, the men fought a few lesser demons while hunting, and the presence of demons so near to their home worried them, so they made some changes to their hunting practices.

- When the demon king was about to ascend, the elven nations summoned warriors from all over to take up arms and defend the elvish lands from the demon, - Casshern explained. - Or, at least, they used to when the elven kingdoms had some semblance of duty to the world. -

- Are we not in the elven nation? - I vaguely remembered not being in the elven nation, but since being relocated to Freeka, I had no idea whether that statement was still valid.

- We are not, tree spirit. But some of the men still feel a desire or a dream to answer the calling. -

- Yura , perhaps? -

- Maybe. But while we are happy to let our sons and daughters choose whether they want to answer the call, the village is left with the consequences, and we have to figure out its defenses without our best fighters. -

- Ah. That is indeed a problem. -

- Yes, yes. - She sipped her tea, and her wrinkly arms touched my protruding roots. I vaguely felt her, but my sense of touch was hardly accurate.

- How old are you, Casshern? - I suddenly realized I didnÆt know her age, but then again, age was just a number. In fact, after I asked that question, I realized how disconnected that question was from the previous topic.

- Ah. I am old, tree spirit, perhaps three hundred and thirty years by now. I donÆt remember the exact year anymore. But elves can live up to a thousand years, maybe even more. Humans, if they practice magic, can live similarly long. -

Given her age, shouldnÆt she be very high level?

- So magic can extend oneÆs life. - Our conversations tended to drift far from where we started. I would ask about things I spotted along the way, and Casshern generally let me go off on a tangent. Perhaps she just thought it was how spirits thought and talked. Or maybe my mind was jumbled by being a tree.

- Indeed. It is a blessing and a curse. Live long enough to see so many demon kings come and go. They are as natural to this world as a typhoon or a massive earthquake. Long enough to see tree spirits die. -

- Have you ever met other. tree spirits? -

Casshern looked to the night sky again, staring at stars I couldnÆt see. - Once. But when the demon king Astaroth ascended on my town, the tree spirit died. -

- Ah. -

- Tree spirits play an important role in a proper elven society. An elven village or town without one is nothing more than a temporary gathering of elves. So many elven towns never last beyond a century because they lacked a tree spirit as their guardian. -

- Could you explain more? - I didnÆt really know what IÆd gotten myself into when I transformed into a tree, so this was like crash course 101 on what a tree needed to do.

- For us, the wood elves, a large segment of us believe the tree spirit is the guide after death. A birth under the tree spiritÆs blessing will be stronger than one without, and on our deaths, we believe our souls will be guided by the tree spirit. Through it, we will return to our nameless mother. Our warriors are stronger, our druids wiser, and our walls sturdier. Our ingrained potential is best expressed when a tree spirit is present to channel our strength and guide us. -

If I could gulp, I would. In fact, I felt like I needed a nap. I didnÆt think I could play such an important role.

- Tell me about the other tree spirits, Casshern. What are they like? - I was curious how those other tree spirits did it.

- The one I met so many years ago was rather imposing. Its presence dominated the town, and its protection allowed it to resist years of human and demon attacks. An elven town with a powerful tree spirit is like a strong fortress. The roots of the tree spirit merge and grow into the walls, transforming, reinforcing, and healing it from damage. -

- And yet, it still fell. -

- Yes. But not to any lesser threat. It fell to a powerful demon lord. A monstrous being shaped like a corrupted demonic dragon. It burned the tree and the entire town. - CasshernÆs voice drifted somewhat at the end.

- Oh. - I survived the Demon King Baal. DidnÆt that make me super impressive? Or maybe I got lucky? I thought I got lucky because the demon king didnÆt press its attack and left after one strike. It just figured cutting me away and leaving its fire on me was sufficient to kill me.

So any high - level demon should actually be able to kill me fairly easily. After all, I was immobile, so dodging was out of the question. The only way I saw how I could really survive was if I had a powerful offense that I could slay the demons with before they got close or a powerful defense that I could shrug off even their best shot. Or, ideally, both.

I supposed if I was lucky, I wouldnÆt have to fight demons. But that was unlikely, given how frequent they appeared.

YEAR 70, MONTH 4

Humans came again. This time, it was a smaller group of four soldiers, led by a captain. They rode horses and were relatively lightly armed. Their armor was ceremonial in nature.

- The King of Salah has decreed that each village in his royal highnessÆs domain is to dispatch five able - bodied men to join the kingÆs royal demon-slaying army, - the captain commanded.

- We cannot spare five men. If we send five, it means we will lose our ability to defend ourselves or hunt for food, - Ricola replied, defending their position.

- This is not open for negotiation, villager. The king commands, and its people must answer. - The captainÆs voice was stern, and he sounded like he had heard this excuse a thousand times.

- We cannot give five men. -

- Then I shall mark your village as disobeying the kingÆs orders. -

- How about two? -

- No negotiations, villager, - the captain spat out. - You will be marked if less than five men show up at Hammerhold Fort. -

- Let me discuss with my fellow villagers. -

- You will send five, or your village will be punished, - the captain repeated.

The villagers huddled, and words flew. They spoke and argued, but eventually, Ricola faced the captain again.

- We will send five men, - Ricola answered, - but not today. -

- Not today, villager. Send your five men to report at Hammerhold Fort in two months. - The captain nodded, passed them a letter. - Bring that letter along. Without it, your village is deemed not to have provided your men. - The small group left on horses.

After they were gone, Ricola and the men kneeled before me. The decision bothered them greatly, and now they sought my counsel.

- Oh, wise tree spirit, do you have some words for us? -

Oh, damn. I was no great, wise tree spirit! I didnÆt know what to do during this kind of time! Uh, wait. What should I do?

- I donÆt know, Ricola. When do the men need to leave? -

- Hammerhold Fort is a month away, so a month from today. -

In hopes of finding an answer, I took a nap. Soon, I had a dream.

Actually, it was a nightmare. I rarely got those in this world.

I saw a demon. A large demon. Lots of them. In my dreams, I saw them in color, in detail, and they reminded me of monsters out of video games. They were huge, dead people all around. Their path was one of destruction. Dead bodies, scattered all over the floor, burning forests, and a tree. A tree on fire, with corpses pinned on its branches. A large, monstrous demon walked through the corpses, its steps crushing every corpse in its way to a pulp.

I felt fear and shivered.

Was it coming for me?

The head turned, and its red eyes gazed at me.

At that instant, I was jolted out of the nightmare. A notification popped up.

Demon King Andras has ascended.

Fire. Death. Destruction. A thousand and one screams. It was as if the world screamed as one, and it was deafening. My imaginary ears hurt.

Casshern touched my trunk, and she felt like she was worried.

- You were shaking, tree spirit. What ill news do you bring? -

- The demon king is here. -

- Oh. Oh. - CasshernÆs wrinkly old hands shook, and she cried out. The villagers all reacted in shock, and they rushed out of their houses and gathered around me.

Ricola spoke, standing before the small gathering of elves around me. - Is there something you wish to tell us, tree spirit? -

- The demon king is here. -

Ricola froze for a brief second, then he took a deep breath and told the children to return home, leaving the adults behind. He then faced the rest of the villagers and repeated what I told him. The villagers looked at each other. Yura was the first to speak. - Then we should join the kingÆs army and assist the heroes in crushing the demon king before it gets too strong. -

Another man shook his head. - Only heroes can kill the demon king. The best the army can do is clear a path and take out the rest of the kingÆs champions. But most will die on such a mission. -

- Ah yes. But. but there are no living heroes left. The heroes died in their battle against Demon King Baal. Until the gods summon new heroes to this world, there is no way of defeating the king, - the elf who usually traveled to the cities explained.

- So this army is doomed. - Ricola sighed.

- Indeed. We should not join the army. -

- Would you rather face demons or whatÆs left of a destroyed army? If we stay in our village, maybe a hero will emerge before we are attacked. -

The villagers stood and argued till morning, but eventually, they arrived at a decision. - Thank you for your guidance, tree spirit. We choose to stay. The human kingdoms have never protected us, so we have no reason to listen to this kingÆs demands. -

I didnÆt really say anything to that, but hey, it seemed that was what they wanted anyway.

YEAR 70, MONTH 5

The men were hard at work building fortifications around the village. It would be difficult to hunt once the demons appeared more regularly. The demon kingÆs presence had historically been accompanied by a surge in demons all around the world. It was just the way demon kings were with their ever - corrupting powers.

- Many will die, - Casshern said, lamenting the demon kingÆs presence.

- If there are no heroes, that would be the outcome. -

- Every demon king has led to death. Countless deaths. -

- Why? -

- Because it is so. -

- Why no angel king? - I sometimes wondered why the enemies were always demon kings. CouldnÆt they be more creative? Little did I know that the demons were actually quite varied in terms of powers and appearance.

- That would be. heroes? - Casshern looked at me. I probably asked a stupid question.

YEAR 70, MONTH 6

An injured group of adventurers arrived at the village. The group of four fighters were all bleeding heavily, and two had lost an arm to what appeared to be a huge monster bite.

Ricola immediately brought them to me.

- Ugh. - Their spirit was weak, the sign of a person at the edge of death. What was normally a consistently strong white light now faded like a flickering lightbulb.

Healing Fruit

I created four fruits, and Ricola and another elf assisted with feeding them.

Their wounds stabilized, but the lost arm couldnÆt be repaired, not with my present abilities.

- What did this? - Ricola asked as he sat next to one of the adventurers and helped them eat the fruit.

- Demons. -

The adventurers spoke of a new breed of demons - large, ferocious, and with teeth able to tear apart any creature. It sounded like hyperbole, honestly. Giants that walked on two feet with massive, magically reinforced jaws and thick, skin - like armor. Some had horns along their backs.

Ah, demons.

- Are all demon kings the same? - I asked Casshern, but she didnÆt know.

The adventurers condition stabilized, at least physically. The two adventurers who lost their arms experienced emotional instability, and they lamented their lost future as adventurers. They would be nothing more than beggars now. It was so bad that Ricola separated the two one - armed adventurers from the others to prevent their negativity from spreading.

- Have we met any demons described by these adventurers? -

- I think these descriptions were pretty standard. Fangs, claws, scales, and horns. -

YEAR 70, MONTH 7

The adventurers eventually fully recovered and left. The kingÆs demon-slaying army had started their march for one of the heavily contested passes. The demonic rift was on the other side. News didnÆt speak of the demon king, at least not yet. Strange. Maybe they didnÆt get the message.

YEAR 70, MONTH 8

A raid occurred. A demon raiding party, if such a concept existed to them. One of the elves on watch spotted a group of thirty demons, led by a slightly larger demon. I called it an elder demon, but I suspected it was just a larger variant.

It wouldnÆt end well. The elves quickly assembled for battle. The young men and women without combat skills quickly retreated to the slightly fortified village hall. The demons were different from the earlier ones described by the adventurers. These were winged, and they wielded flaming axes forged from some kind of hardened demonic flesh.

The two groups fought, and the elves used everything they had. Every skill, every familiar power they had unlocked. I hoped it would make a slight difference. It was a long fight and led the battle as the strongest of the village. They fought hard, and eventually, they won.

They defeated the demons! But victory came at a cost. These demons were naturally tougher than elves. Even with the advantages provided by the fortifications, familiar blessings, and other tactical advantages, for every five or six demons killed, an elf died despite trying their best, fighting with everything they had. I wished I could help, but the battle was fought mostly outside of my very limited range.

I saw their spirits fading in the distance, and I tried to reach out to them. Hey, donÆt die on me.

The injured retreated and limped closer, their spirits turning a deathly pale. Their wounds were too severe. My healing fruits couldnÆt do much, not at this point.

- Four. Four of us too many. - Ricola kneeled next to their dying bodies. All of them were placed at my roots. I tried to help, with every single healing ability at my disposal, and it seemed like my branches drooped in failure.

The wounds were too serious, the bleeding too much. There wasnÆt much I could do, and I felt weak. Useless again. Casshern held the hand of one of the dying fighters. - Death comes to us all, but for some earlier than others. Death may come, but your spirits will never die. Oh, tree spirit, take good care of them. -

I gulped.

The four passed on. I saw their spirits fade to darkness, and then there was a brief flicker of light at the end like the last hurrah of a match. They faded away, and their spirits drifted into the ground.

The mood was grim after that.

The men focused on repairs and sharpened their weapons. The women focused on their children. The loss of four men was too much for some, and the only way they could cope was to distract themselves.

At night, when the houses were quiet, some of the men and women came to talk to me.

- How do I move on? I knew him all my life. Things just cannot be the same, can they? -

I had no answer. I was just a tree spirit, and I had no words that could calm the hearts of those who had lost someone. I tried to be sympathetic, but I knew it was no cure for the holes in their hearts.

Level up! Level 50! You gained the following skills: Calming Voice and Haunted Tree .

YEAR 70, MONTH 10

More demons attacked. Thankfully, the groups were small. The villagers fought hard, and they were focused. They wanted to avoid any more death. I saw Yura fight harder than ever before.

YEAR 70, MONTH 11

Death came.

Yet it wasnÆt from demons.

- Village of Freeka! - a roar broke the quiet morning. - You have failed to send what your king required of you. Five soldiers he asked, and you failed. -

Ricola and the villagers, those who were up early, quickly woke everyone else. They had a hunch something bad was going to happen. The fact that soldiers came was clearly a sign.

- Elves. The king should have known that elven villages would have no loyalty to the king. Only humans know what it means to live under his majestyÆs protection. -

A small section of the army was there. There were about four hundred men who were comprised of a mix of soldiers, knights, archers, and other fighters. They had insignias of the Salah Kingdom, and they wore the regular uniform and standard issue armor of Salah.

The army surrounded Freeka. There was no retreat, not with their large numbers. Ricola sighed. I noticed they must have taken out the elven sentry.

Ricola offered to talk, to explain. - The demon king has come. Without heroes, the army is doomed! -

- Hush, villager. No, let me correct that. Traitor! - Laughter came from the human army. They were confident, as they should be. They outnumbered the elves almost twenty times over. - I will not listen to your excuses. Those who dare defy the king will be punished. -

The army didnÆt advance, not yet, so the women and children quickly hid. Lozanna , Brislah , Walen , Laufen, and two other younger ladies squeezed into the secret hideout beneath my roots. The rest, even the older women, grabbed whatever weapons they could.

- Are you ready, elvish scum? We are going to kill all of you now. -

They came with arrows of fire.

The burning arrows rained throughout the village, and they exploded, spreading their flames. They were either enchanted or the archers had a skill that allowed their arrows to behave this way.

- The humans. they donÆt plan to fight us! - Yura shouted.

The burning arrows exploded midair like fireballs. The flames ignited the roofs, houses, furniture. everything.

More arrows came, and some of the elves tried to deflect them, but it was a foolÆs idea. There was no way it would work.

- We must break through while we can! That is our only chance! - Yura yelled and mustered the others. A large group of the elves followed his lead. They formed into a wedge, and they charged at the humans at Yura Æs direction. They all knew it was their only chance of survival. It was that or stay and be trapped in the inferno.

The elven villagers and the human army fought, and while some of them escaped, many died within my spiritual vision. Unlike demons, humans had levels and skills. This was an experienced force, one that had done this type of suppression many times.

I watched in horror as the humans remained firmly outside my Root Strike range. The fires expanded, and it felt like a part of me was on fire. But these fires were mild, and they would not kill me. All they did was slightly singe my branches and leaves.

More fire arrows flew toward the village, and my surroundings turned into a blazing inferno. I checked in on the children and women now squeezed into my secret hideout.

They were shaken but still safe. My roots and bark protected them from the flames. They didnÆt feel the heat, and I suspected the secret hideout was a magical space. I felt relieved I could at least protect them.

The fighting intensified with the few elves who remained. They fought desperately, but then I saw Ricola retreat. He didnÆt charge through with the rest. Instead, he had stayed back to keep the soldiers away. He staggered, his footsteps unstable as he walked toward me. He was bleeding. His spirit was weak, and more than one arrow had pierced his body.

- Oh, tree spirit, I will soon leave this world. -

I tried to heal him, but with multiple arrows and gashes all over his body, it didnÆt work.

- Please, take care of my children and my wife. Protect them from the demons. and these monsters, too. -

- Yes, but donÆt die, - I responded telepathically. I thought he smiled.

From the blaze, an armored soldier emerged. He held up a sword. - Why wonÆt you die! - he shouted and stabbed Ricola.

Then he stabbed and stabbed again. Blood splattered across my trunk and bark. I was too stunned to react. What was this stupid human doing fighting elves when there was a demon king out there?

I felt anger and wanted to retaliate. The anger overwhelmed me, and I used my only offensive skill.

Root Strike .

A root surged from beneath the earth. It impaled the soldier, and he died, eyes wide in surprise.

There was still fighting in the distance as the elves ran for their lives. Freeka burned in a firestorm. It was hot, but not enough to kill me. I was resistant to fire. Mortal, normal fires couldnÆt kill me.

I saw one of the elves as she took more hits than she could dish out. Yet she still took them, and she still walked, but her movement seemed unnatural. Her defiance wasnÆt enough, and she couldnÆt make it through the blockade, so she retreated. Wounded all over, she collapsed beside me.

- Casshern! -

- Tree spirit. - Two arrows were firmly planted in her chest. - I thought of choosing my place of death. Let me die beside you. - She coughed blood.

This was madness.

Two human soldiers with spears closed in. They attempted to stab her.

Root Strike . I struck both first, and my roots impaled them, but I was still too slow. One of them had already used a skill, and a spear went through CasshernÆs chest.

- We will meet again, tree spirit. Elves who die with their tree guardians never truly die. -

She collapsed, no longer breathing.

The fire raged on, and the battle came to its conclusion. The humans won overwhelmingly. One by one, the remaining elven fighters perished.

The battle was over, and the humans dragged the corpses of the elves to me.

- Hang them on this tree, - the commander of human army said. I counted twenty - five bodies. Maybe fifteen or so had survived and managed to flee. - Then burn the tree. -

- What about those who got away, Commander? Should we give chase? -

- Let them run. They will spread the word that disobedience has dire consequences. -

The captain surveyed the corpses and walked well within range of my Root Strike . I felt as if I had a few more Root Strike s left in me.

In my anger, I attacked, two Root Strike s aimed at the captain. The roots burst from the ground, and though he saw them, he wasnÆt fast enough to dodge. He activated some kind of shield, but it wasnÆt much use. My roots struggled but still cracked through the barrier. One root pierced him right through the heart, and the other root struck his pelvis.

- A druid attack! Fan out and search for our attacker! There must be an elven druid still hiding! - the lieutenant shouted, and he turned around. Strange that he didnÆt suspect me, the tree. Tree spirits must be really uncommon.

He ran out of range. I felt as if I could still manage another Root Strike .

I saw a bloody soldier who walked too close to me. - We should totally do this more often. YÆknow, killing elves. Always hated these long - eared dudes. -

- Rather than talk shit, why donÆt you find the druid? - another soldier said.

- Chill the fuck out, dude. The druid probably used the last of his magic to take out the captain. If he is still around, heÆs defenseless now. -

- How do you even know? -

These people seemed really apathetic to the loss of their commander. Or maybe death was a common thing for them?

- True. -

I saw the village was gone, replaced by a faint outline of rubble. The houses must have all collapsed from the flames.

- This tree is pretty sturdy, even though itÆs all charred and black, - the soldier complained as their fires failed to burn me down.

- LetÆs just do what the commander said and impale the elves on the tree. Teach these long ears the power of humans, - a soldier said.

- ThatÆs a little too much, man. -

- You killed elves, too. I am merely enjoying the process. Seriously, think about it, elves on a stick like a barbeque. -

I agreed with the other human, and with my last Root Strike , I attacked him for entertaining such an abhorrent idea. I could comprehend war, but plain cruelty was a little bit too much. The root pierced through his armor and his heart.

- Fuck! The druid is still around. - The soldiers looked around, and they quickly spread out.

An hour later, they returned.

- What should we do with the bodies? -

- Pile them up with the tree and burn them. DonÆt want them turning into zombies or food for the demons. -

The humans stacked and piled the elves around me and then started a fire. It burned, and I felt helpless, but like the torches before, the fire didnÆt really hurt me physically, even though I looked charred. Most importantly, the six in my secret hideout were still safe and alive, spared from the heat of the fire.

Still, it stung.

The humans left after some time, deciding their raid was over.

The fire burned the corpses, leaving ash and charred bits of them behind. As the fire raged, the elves in the hideout trembled. I sensed their fear. Their bodies were weak and hungry, so I used Nourish to restore them.

So much death.

Was it my fault? Why didnÆt I ask them to send the five men to the army? A part of me wondered whether I had condemned them by not speaking out. But I decided I hadnÆt. I may have had a part in giving them the information, but they decided what to do with it.

But I was conflicted. Maybe I had some role. My lack of knowledge of the tensions between humans and elves, and my weakness and inability to protect those who gave me a place in their village and shared their lives with me, could well have played a role.

So many elves, all dead.

The fire burned into the night.

Death.

It stirred a desire, a fury, a need inside me. I felt like I had wasted the last seventy years in this world as a tree, that I had somehow lost my initiative and let things happen as they came. Everywhere I was, I was a bystander, with too little power to intervene meaningfully.

Ricola Searwind and six others died.

You gained a total of 13 levels.

You are now level 63.

You have unlocked the next species change, upgraded from Spiritual Tree to Magical Tree.

Secret Hideout upgraded.

Camouflage and Illusions upgraded.

Spirit Collection upgraded.

Essence Harvesting obtained.

YEAR 70, MONTH 11 (CONTINUED)

It was a few hours after the raid, and the bodies were a mix of ash and charred flesh. Freeka was destroyed. The inferno had engulfed all the wooden houses and halls. The six crawled out of the secret hideout after the fires burned out. Tears flowed. Laufen cried her heart out. So did Lozanna , Brislah , and Walen . The two younger ladies also squeezed into my secret hideout, Emile and Bellerive, or Belle as she was known, also wept for those lost and dead.

Death. The air stunk of it. The charred smell of burned bodies. The girls gagged whenever they accidentally got too close. It took all their willpower to not vomit.

- What are we to do now? - Laufen looked at Emile and Belle, who were in their teens. Their eyes were wet, their faces dirty from all the ash and soot. Everyone was covered in it. Well, more accurately, everything was coated in it.

- Keep Lozanna in the hideout. It is too dirty and dusty. - Laufen sighed, and she held onto what looked to be a burned memento - RicolaÆs personal belongings. She was the eldest here, the only full adult left.

Emile carried her, and once the hideout door opened, she gasped. - Uh, Laufen, the hideout looks different. - The hideout had transformed once it was empty, the effect of my new levels.

Laufen shook her head. - Not now, Emile. -

Belle was curious, and so she walked over, and she, too, gasped. - The hideout has definitely changed. -

Brislah and Walen joined in. - It really has changed! -

A proper room. It was still small, but it was more comfortable than the space earlier and was about the size of a cellar.

- I gained a skill upgrade for Secret Hideout . I think all of you had to come out for it to reset and change into the new one. -

The magical space was a creation of my ability, even if I didnÆt really understand it. It had grown wider and taller, and right in the center of the ceiling was a glowing fruit that provided a faint light. With more space, at least we solved one problem, which was the issue of shelter. The elves had a place to stay for a while. The elves nodded and said a prayer.

Lozanna was now one - and - a - half years old, and she could walk by herself. Brislah and Walen babysat her, while the three older elves went around, surveying what wasnÆt lost.

The three older ladies tried to recover whatever usable items they could find. They hoped that some managed to survive the blaze, somehow protected by the rubble above them.

But what was most important now was food.

- Are we. are we gonna starve? - Emile asked. - All our food is gone. -

Laufen sighed, but then she steeled herself. She stood right in front of my black trunk. - Oh, tree spirit, are you there? Can you make some fruits? -

- Yes, - I responded to her request. At the same time, my body quickly recovered from the fire damage. - I heard EmileÆs concerns, and you may eat my fruits. I will make more. -

A few of my black branches displayed a burst of life, and their branches twisted and turned. New feelers grew that transformed to fruit. They might not be satisfying or tasty, but the fruit would deal with their hunger.

As they continued to search the rubble, the elves recovered hidden chests buried beneath the houses, a place where elves stored their most important items. Multiple chests survived. The fires somehow spared those items buried beneath.

In those hidden chests, they found clothes, weapons, money, and a lot of personal items.

They moved all the recovered goods to the hideout.

- DonÆt go too far, girls. We donÆt know how far the humans went, - Laufen warned, still cautious.

They nodded and mostly walked around the remains of their village. I sensed their sorrow. Every now and then, they cried as they stumbled over something that reminded them of what was. They still needed to come to terms with the destruction. Soon, they returned.

Brislah , the little girl, asked, - Tree spirit, are you okay? You are all black. - She played with Lozanna and Walen with some sticks and stones.

- I am recovering, Brislah . Rain will wash away these black stains. -

- Uhm, why are the humans so evil? They killed us, - Brislah looked at me as she asked. - Why did they do this to us? -

Ah, a question about the nature of man. If I could answer that, maybe I could win a Nobel Peace Prize or something.

- I donÆt know, but you must be stronger. All of us must be stronger. -

Laufen, Emile, and Belle spent their time sorting through the rubble, and by the end of the day, everything usable was now in the hideout. I really admired LaufenÆs ability to just tough it out to get things done. Or maybe the work was her way of distracting herself from her loss. It didnÆt take long for them to fall asleep on the floor, exhausted.

As for me, I looked at each of my skills and abilities once again, testing out each and every one of them.

Essence Harvest .

From the ashes, from the burned wood, faint energies emerged, and they joined together into a ball.

Material Collection: Obtained Essence of Lesser Courage x 1, Essence of the Sword (minor) x 1, Essence of Spear (minor) x 1, Essence of Lesser Fire x 2, Essence of Death x 1.

Oh? What do these do?

Essences are a type of material used to permanently create and teach skills, enchant or imbue creatures and items, or combine them to create stronger essences.

I pondered that as the night crept toward dawn.

The next day, a small pack of demons appeared. Without the walls and the fighters, and with the smell of death lingering in the air, it was no surprise demons gravitated to such places. Four demon hounds sniffed about. It was a tiny pack, but with only Laufen having any knowledge of combat, they fled back to me. Laufen had no confidence in taking them all on her own. Not at all.

- Run! - I told her. There was no need to fight. Laufen was afraid, but she wanted to protect the others. She stood at the hideoutÆs entrance with her only weapon, a dagger, gripped hard in her hand.

- Hide, Laufen. -

There was no need for her to sully her hand. Instead, I used four Root Strike s.

The roots surged from the ground and speared the lesser demons looking for the hidden elves. With my extra levels, I could use Root Strike more often. Three of the hellhounds died instantly. One remained barely alive, if such a concept applied to demons. Maybe I missed a critical body part. The root still impaled the hound, though, and it growled and seemed to be dying.

Laufen emerged from the hideout, and she landed the killing blow. With her dagger, she stabbed the demonÆs head. The events from the day before drove her into a state of rage, and she stabbed the houndÆs head repeatedly until the demon houndÆs head was a mass of holes.

- Arghh! -

- ARGHH! - she shouted. The hound was dead, but she kept at it.

- ARGhh! Die, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE! -

- Laufen, sis, calm down. - Emile emerged from behind. She was frightened.

Laufen panted, her breathing ragged.

- I - I am sorry, Emile. I - I just need to vent my anger, my frustration, and my sorrow at something. -

Emile nodded. She walked up to the dead hound with its deformed head and kicked it. - Damn you, demons. -

Anger. Maybe this was how they coped with grief.

You gained a level. Level 64.

Grief. We all had it. If I wanted to protect these elves and help them protect themselves, they needed to gain a lot of levels. In short, some assisted power - leveling was required.

YEAR 70, MONTH 12

Rain arrived, on the heels of winter, with no stockpile of food to tide the surviving elves over.

- Fruits. - Laufen sighed. She was sick of them. The earliest she could start to plant crops was early spring. - And it is freaking cold outside. - Her winter wear was destroyed in the fire, so they could only step outside for a short period of time before the biting cold got to them.

- At least it is warm in here. - Emile nodded, trying to think positively. The secret hideout was naturally temperature controlled and had a small tap in a corner that supplied water from the roots below.

Freeka was now nothing more than a bare, flat area. The dust and soot were gone. The rains had washed it all away.

All of them, except baby Lozanna , made a familiar contract with me, and they attempted to hunt whatever animals emerged. But these girls and one young boy were inexperienced hunters, and so the animals all managed to run away.

So there hadnÆt been any meat. Only fruit, just like the day before, and the day before that. I wanted to help, so I got them to make a spear. I planned to test out the essences I harvested.

- I think it is ready, tree spirit. - Laufen and Belle presented a spear, cobbled together from scraps, a wood stick with a large metal tip.

I inserted an Essence of Spear (minor) through my branches.

A small ball of light emerged from the lamp - fruit on the ceiling and then entered the spear. The spear vibrated slightly, then absorbed the ball of light.

- Laufen, how is it? -

- Equipment Inspect . - Laufen helped with maintenance of weapons the warriors used, so her skill revealed more equipment - specific details than my general Inspect .

- It grants a small boost to spear combat, so it is decent. -

- Try using it? -

Laufen shook her head. - I think Emile should use it instead. I have a thing with spears. -

- A thing with spears? -

Emile nodded. - She means she accidentally hurt someone a long time ago, and now she has a phobia when using spears. -

- Oh. Emile, would you? -

- Yes, tree spirit. - Emile grabbed the spear and gave it a few swings. She seemed comfortable with it, or at least her movements looked really fluid. But, then again, flashiness wasnÆt always a sign of skill.

- How is it? -

- Wonderful. I need some time to build an affinity with it, but once I do, I should be good. -

- WhatÆs affinity? - That was a new term. I had to ask.

- Oh. erm. it is the familiarity of a person with a weapon. So, with low affinity, your reaction time, energy use, and overall ability is weakened. At full affinity, you could use it like an extra limb. We get extra damage, speed, and parry with high - affinity weapons, but getting new, stronger equipment doesnÆt mean it should be used immediately, - Laufen explained. - We need to practice with it. -

Affinity was one of those skills monsters like me didnÆt have.

- How do you know this? - It still baffled me.

- ItÆs. combat basics. Everyone knows it when learning how to use a weapon. I think the only exceptions are the summoned heroes. The legends say Weapon King Valerian had multiplier affinity with any weapon he touched, instantly. -

- Oh. What does that do? -

- I donÆt really know, but I think the stories say the weapons are able to exceed their own limits, and when he used them, the weapons often did things normally not possible. -

- Huh. - Reincarnators had cheat - like abilities. That was absolutely predictable. I wondered whether I could get one for myself.

Speaking of heroes and reincarnators. - Which of the summoned heroes were elves? -

- Our last elven champion was Roana the Druid. -

- Let me guess, she controlled nature like a druid? -

- Yes. She was like the most powerful druid ever. Her power over the forests and tree spirits in the stories was incredible. The legends told of how every spirit of nature she met instantly liked and obeyed her. In the battle against the demons, she transformed an entire forest into an army of super - treants and called on an army of great beasts! -

- Huh. - I felt a strange pain in my head. I had to learn more about this worldÆs powers and creatures. The gap in my knowledge could be dangerous.

- Anyway, please practice with it. -

Emile nodded, but she sounded a little sullen. - Okay. -

Laufen gave her a hug. - ItÆs just us now. I know you always thought you wouldnÆt have to fight, that the warriors would protect us. - The thought of having to defend herself really made her sad.

- Yeah. We all miss them. -

- Yes. Yes, we do. But we must live on. Else their deaths will be wasted on us. -

Emile nodded, and both girls had a moment together where they cried for a while.

YEAR 71, MONTH 1

Now, it was really cold. The elves mostly hid in the hideout, unwilling to face the frigid winds that frequently ravaged the valley. According to Laufen, Freeka was located in a valley, and so, occasionally, when the winds got strong enough to cross the hills on either side, it tended to grow even cold.

A large bear appeared outside. It looked curious at the disappeared village.

- Oh. There is a bear, - I telepathically notified Laufen. She played with Lozanna and shook her head.

- ItÆs too cold. We cannot catch it now. -

- Oh. -

The bear came close, and it rubbed its fur against my trunk. I could kill it now, at this distance.

Root Strike x 4.

Four Root Strike s were overkill, as a well - placed hit through the chest would have killed it, but I needed the elves to kill it. If they gained some levels, they would be stronger and more useful. The bear screamed and roared in pain, but with the four roots that impaled its limbs, all it could do now was flail its head.

- Emile, can you come out with the spear? -

She nodded, and once she opened the latch out of the hideout, she yelled, - Oh, itÆs a brown bear. -

Yes, Emile. I know itÆs a brown bear. At that point, I wondered whether it was possible to use Essence Harvest on a bear, so I did.

Fragment of bear essence obtained. Collect multi - fragments to form bear essence!

Ah, the whole RPG grinding mechanics. The worst part was, in most games, all those essences were useless. The bear struggled, immobile, and Emile stabbed it right through its head.

- Wow. - EmileÆs hands shook from what I believed to be a mix of adrenaline and fear. - W - we have bear meat! -

Laufen and Belle came out of the hideout to assist her in cleaning up and processing the bear. More importantly, they cut away the pelt and fur, which would help them stay warm.

- Did you gain any levels, Emile? -

- Nope, but I did get a skill, Spear Thrust . -

Hmm. They didnÆt seem to be gaining levels that easily.

YEAR 71, MONTH 2

The elves seemed happier now that they had bear meat as another staple in their diet. Spring would arrive soon, and they couldnÆt wait to plant crops.

I took every opportunity to let the elves land the killing blow on any stray demon or monster that popped up. Despite my efforts, they still leveled slowly. I wondered whether I was leeching off all the experience, so I decided to change the manner of my training.

Instead of injuring the monsters, I used Constrict , a new ability gained after disabling so many beasts.

I supposed there was some sentience in this system that tried to make things easier over time.

The first time I used it, Emile, Laufen, and Belle spent quite some time trying to kill a trapped lesser hellhound. At full strength and health, the hound could take a bit of damage, especially from unexperienced elves.

Yet it worked better, and the three elves progressively gained levels and skills.

- This is hard, - Belle said, recognizing that, between Laufen, Emile, and herself, she was the least adept at using a spear, sword, or staff.

But it worked. The difficulty meant they learned, and so I knew it was the best way to level.

YEAR 71, MONTH 2, WEEK 4

- Is there a village here? -

- Must be a mistake. -

A human merchant group passed by. - The map says there is an elven village. - One of the merchants, an old man, turned his map around a few times, and he wondered whether he was reading the map wrong. - Come have a look at it. -

Another guy walked over and peered at the map and nodded. - Yeah, this is the place. Freeka. Looks like itÆs not here anymore. -

- There are just trees and rocks in this place. -

- It looks creepy. -

The merchant group comprised of eight people. They looked defenseless, but I doubted that was actually so.

At this point, I telepathically asked the elves, - What happens if you attack innocents? -

- Nothing much if you do it once or twice. Do it often, and you might get a criminal title, which makes it hard for anyone to go to town or cities where they have Detect Criminal . -

That certainly didnÆt apply to a monster, right? Or maybe I would get a wanted monster title or something.

- Should I kill these humans? -

Laufen paused. - Uh. uh. no? -

From her tone, I surmised she was conflicted over her still very vivid hatred of the humans who killed her husband, but at the same time, these merchants had nothing to do with it.

- Never. never mind. - She shook her head, but she squeezed her staff a bit. Maybe she really wanted to, but the part of her that was fair had just managed to hold on.

- ItÆs a really creepy tree, - one of the merchants said. - We should not get close. I sense danger. -

- So, what do we do now? We are supposed to rest a day at the village before we go on. -

- LetÆs make camp here. It is quite a nice, open space. -

- Preferably some distance from that tree. -

The merchants at least had the sense to set up camp farther up from the remains of Freeka, but that night, one of them actually walked up to me and stood really close.

- Why does this tree feel different? -

He was one of the older ones, probably in his late fifties. I couldnÆt tell for sure, but Spirit Vision seemed to suggest he was quite old. He carried a few small weapons at his side and seemed prepared for a fight.

- Are you some kind of rare wood? - He touched my trunk but then pulled back instantly.

He touched his palm briefly, then he tried again, placing it on my trunk.

- Is it really a normal tree? -

One of the effects of Camouflage was that I appeared as a regular tree. Otherwise, even animals with any sense of danger would not dare come close.

- Hmm. I feel spirits. -

- Danton! Get your ass back here and stop masturbating by the creepy - ass tree. -

- Hey, fuck you! I ainÆt masturbating. -

The old man turned and sighed, but he peed on my roots before he left. At that moment, I was tempted to kill him. He walked back to the group.

YEAR 71, MONTH 3

You gained a level. Level 65.

You obtained Learning Aura.

Improves experience gain for those low - leveled. Improvement amount is dependent on the gap between your level and the subjectÆs.

All that guided power - leveling led to a new skill. Despite my efforts, Laufen was only level twenty - seven, and Emile and Belle were level eighteen. Walen and Brislah were level six in totality because they were still too young to fight. Despite their levels, their classes and skills were mostly unrelated to combat, and only their recent levels and skills led to more survival and combat abilities. Humanoids had classes, and their levels were a combined total of all the classes.

Winter was also over.

The elves planted crops around me and were happy. The very act of planting was a routine they previously hated but now enjoyed because it represented normalcy. A return to what they once knew.

YEAR 71, MONTH 4

A familiar elf walked through the woods. Alone. It didnÆt take long for me to recognize the spiritual presence.

Yura !

He looked like he had taken a trip through Hell. His left arm was gone, and his body was covered in scars. He walked up to me. - Tree spirit, youÆre still here. -

I told Laufen to wait, even though she wanted to run out and hug him. I just wanted to be sure this wasnÆt a trap. - Yes. How are the rest of the elves? How many others got away? -

Yura kneeled beside my roots, his voice defeated and sad. - I managed to safely send ten of them to one of the elf - friendly kingdoms. Demons, monsters, and humans. there were too many obstacles. -

- You have done what you could. -

Yura clutched at his left arm, the one that was lost. - I wish I could do more. Is everyone dead? -

- No, - Laufen said. She couldnÆt hold back, so she ran out and gave him a hug. - Glad to see you, old friend! -

- Laufen! You all are alive? - Yura wept, overjoyed to see survivors.

- Yes. Yes. We live. ItÆs been really tough, but the tree spirit watched over us. -

Yura entered the secret hideout, and he gave everyone a hug. Everyone was shocked but happy.

- I cannot believe it. To think some of you still live. - Yura Æs voice broke.

- The rest died. horribly. -

Yura nodded. - Things have not been well for us, either. Or anyone. Even the humans. -

Laufen, Yura , and everyone sat in a circle inside the secret hideout. One of the girls was surprised at Yura Æs last statement. - Huh? What happened? -

- A demon king emerged during the depths of winter, and his swarm of demons crushed the kingÆs army. A few human cities near the west rift have been destroyed, their people slaughtered. That made our escape difficult. -

Laufen shook her fist. - Served those assholes right. -

- The demons and the death that came after the demon kingÆs ascent made our travel to the friendly kingdoms really challenging. With little belongings and no money, and plenty of other refugees, we were attacked. robbed. A few of us died at the hands of robbers and bandits who wanted what little we had left. -

Emile and Belle both looked horrified.

Yura munched on a healing fruit and continued to share his tale of their life since that day. - So we had to fight other people and demons. -

A few riders emerged from the woods then, so I informed Yura , cutting their conversation short.

- I was followed! - Yura looked horrified at the idea he had led some bad people here.

There were six of them, and they looked like bandits, at least from their haphazard attire and lack of armor. - The tracks of the elf led here. -

- I like his sword. I want it. Find him, - one of the older bandits ordered.

- Where could he have gone? -

- And here I thought there was a hidden village of elves we could raid. We should have struck when we had the chance. -

They were at the edge of my range, but then I asked Yura to come out.

He did, holding his sword.

- Taunt them, - I whispered into his mind. - Stand next to me. -

- Hey, scum. You want a piece of me? -

The bandits laughed. - So! There you are! I want your sword. Give it to me, and I might let you live. -

- Dream on. Come and get it, you foul - smelling bastards. -

The bandits charged.

Great. They were comfortably within range now.

Six Root Strike s shot out of the ground, stabbing each and every one of them. It killed five; only the leader escaped. He had some kind of magic armor, and the attack from the root merely knocked him off his horse, causing a dent.

- Ahcks! - He coughed as he landed on the ground. The armor bent a little. - Oh, you are some kind of druid, eh? -

Yura was visibly surprised as well, but he smiled. - Yes. Come and get me. -

- Can you win? - I ask telepathically.

- Maybe. With one hand, I am not as good as before. -

The two were in close combat now. The bandit leader slashed, and Yura dodged and counterattacked, but the bandit dodged again. They traded a few more strikes, seemingly evenly matched.

Yura coughed. - Ugh, youÆre pretty good, but if I still had my arm, I would have won this easily. -

- But you donÆt. - The bandit smiled and activated a skill. His body radiated an aura. - Now, you die. -

Yura struggled to fight back and was cut.

- Aghh. -

I wasnÆt going to lose Yura now, so I decided to step in with all my remaining Root Strike s.

My roots impaled the bandit leader, his armor not protecting every part of him. Two roots shot through his thighs, one snuck through the gap between his leatherarmor and his legs, and another punched through the dent made earlier.

- Ugh. to think you still had a trump card. -

- That wasnÆt me. - Yura stood and tapped my trunk as the bandit leader died.

You have leveled up! Level 66.

Root Strike range extended.

- Yura . - Laufen asked him to sit. - Y - you should have beaten that guy easily. -

Yura shook his head. - Not anymore. I have a curse. Tormented Fighter . It weakens all my abilities and skills. -

- Huh? - A curse?

Yura sighed. - At first, the effect is mild, but as time goes on, I have nightmares every day, and now I cannot even wield my weapon properly. -

Emile asked, - Can it be healed? -

- Maybe. Curses can go away in time, or if something breaks it. -

Indeed, Yura later demonstrated how that curse affected how his skills were cut short, and he could no longer perform combos and chain - attacks as he once easily did.

- Tell me what youÆve seen out there, - I requested. - Maybe fighting isnÆt something we should be doing now. -

YEAR 71, MONTH 4, WEEK 3

Yura Æs daily routine became mostly talking with me, playing, and helping with the crops. I suspected the curse was something like mental pain and wondered whether my Calming Voice could help resolve it.

It seemed the curse was so bad that it actually interfered with his ability to use familiars.

Still, it was an extra hand around to help do things, and he seemed to enjoy having the kids around. He behaved like Lozanna Æs uncle and spent a lot of time playing with them.

Soon, the first batch of crops was ready for harvesting, even though they were just planted two weeks earlier. The speed of their growth was amazing. Having a lot of levels, I suspected Ricola was right that I had an effect on the crops.

- I am trying to train these girls in combat. What is the best way to do so? - I asked.

- Well, actual combat experience is the best. Next best would be practice battles. -

- Why are they gaining levels so slowly? - I asked Yura , even though I asked the others before.

- I donÆt think they are slow. Based on what they have been doing, it seems they are gaining levels quite fast already! -

- Huh. Is there no way to speed it up? -

- If there is a tutor or a master, you could, or if they somehow got hold of any of the artifacts of the heroes. -

- Artifact of the heroes? -

- Uh, yeah. I once heard Casshern talk about how the heroes artifacts could cause explosive leveling and skills. -

- Why? -

- No idea, - Yura admitted.

YEAR 71, MONTH 5

Demons. A sudden surge in demons.

I saw them enter my field of view, and the creatures numbered in the thousands. At this point, Yura and the elves all hid inside the hideout. That was their only chance. Thousands of demonic hellhounds would sweep through, killing everything in their path.

- So many of them. -

They approached me, but their claws and teeth failed to damage my bark.

Even as more demons swept through the valley, all I could do was watch. A large demon, one wielding a fiery ax, approached. It looked like an elder demon, and it noticed me despite my Camouflage . It swung its ax at me, yet the blade bounced off.

No damage.

Annoyed, the elder demon attempted to hack at me with the ax multiple times, but every time, the ax was turned away. Eventually, it decided that it had to move on, and they continued the march.

The army, the swarm of thousands of hounds and other kinds of lesser demons, filed past for a week.

I only had a limited number of Root Strike s, and so, since I had no way of killing a massive army, I thought that pretending like I was harmless was the best way to protect the elves. The elves had never felt so afraid in their entire lives, yet they were simultaneously amazed at how these lesser demons were unable to damage me. Every moment they wondered whether a demon would burst through the door.

- ThatÆs easily an army of twenty thousand! - Yura calculated once they passed. I didnÆt bother. I looked around and saw I was the only surviving tree as far as my eyes could see.

- The humans wonÆt make it. - Laufen sighed.

- If Freeka was still here, it wouldnÆt have, either. - Yura nodded. - But, luckily for the humans, I only saw a few mid - tier demons. A massive army of low - tier hounds is probably something an army half the size can handle. -

Later that month, a bigger demon appeared, taking the same path as the hounds had earlier. It was a large, lizard - like creature, resembling a gigantic Komodo dragon but with red horns and eyes.

- ThatÆs an elder demon. - Again, all the elves hid, and I secretly thanked my lucky stars that we had Secret Hideout .

It saw me, and it stared. It was monstrous, about the size of a three - story building. It was bigger than me and tried to bite me, but its fangs couldnÆt get through the bark of my trunk. Then it opened its mouth and breathed fire. It felt kind of warm, but with my high fire resistance, it couldnÆt kill me.

Frustrated, it used its claws again, to no effect. Infuriated, it slashed and swiped with its claws, mixing in bites. Still, my somehow magically tough bark held. I was amazed by it. There had to be some kind of anti - demon buff at work.

Annoyed, I fired four Root Strike s. They pierced its thick hide, and it roared, biting and swiping at my trunk repeatedly. But, once again, its attacks did nothing.

- Tree spirit, how do you withstand such fearsome strikes? - Yura asked.

- I. donÆt know? - I suspected my Demon King Survivor tag had something to do with it. Maybe it granted me resistance to demon attacks?

The elder demon was injured from my Root Strike s and seemed angry. It breathed fire again.

Nothing.

It attempted to bite me again, as if that worked before.

I launched two more Root Strike s, spearing it through the mouth. My roots somehow pierced through and sank into its head. The elder demon ignited into strange flames, and after the fire was done, all that was left were fangs and horns.

- Hey, why does it do that? - I asked Yura and Laufen, both ecstatic to survive an elder demon.

- I think that is the demon kingÆs summon, not a demonspawn. A creature mostly made of the demon kingÆs mana. When slain, it reverts into its mana form. -

- I see. -

You gained 5 levels. Level 71.

You unlocked the following skills.

Rooting field

Local Rootnet Access

Poison Field

Whoahh! More offensive abilities, except that local Rootnet Access . I wondered what it did.

YEAR 71, MONTH 6

Attempting Local Rootnet Access. GrassNet found. Connecting.

Sun step sunnig.

What the fuck is this?

sun. ad infinitum.

It instantly reminded me of a router that couldnÆt stop pinging. A constant message where the grassnet transmitted what it currently felt.

Damn.

Disconnect from GrassNet.

You unlocked a new skill. Create Rootnet Node.

Great, a pointless skill.

The elves spent a lot of time hiding as more demons passed through, this time from the other direction. Once the demon king appeared, it seemed the number one priority worldwide was fighting demons. At least on the continent where the demon king was. There was no peace until the demon king was slain because his very presence amplified the demonic rifts and caused more demons to appear.

For our little group, we would take the chance to attack if the size of the demon party was small, getting the elves to help take a few down or land the killing blows. If the size of the demonic party was too large, they hid since the lesser demons couldnÆt hurt me.

YEAR 71, MONTH 7

The huge army of demons that passed through over the last two months was now in retreat, which brought them through the valley again.

I took the opportunity to test out my new skills Poison Field and Rooting Field , which effectively created a field with tiny roots that attempted to tangle and dislodge any passing monster. The same roots possessed tiny thorns with poison.

The hounds generally passed through unharmed due to their small size, flexible and nimble paws, and some apparent poison immunity.

Some of the mid - tier demons, though, were unable to avoid the tiny thorns, so quite a few took hits, and the poison caused a few of these demons to collapse to the ground. The field of roots then slowly cut the collapsed demons, and after some time, the roots finished them off.

All of this happened over a period of a few hours.

About a week after the demonic swarm retreated, an army of humans appeared, which I suspected to be a force pursuing the swarm.

- A tree. - an old warrior spoke as he rode on an armored horse. He rode up next to me and looked at my trunk. - Even when thousands of demons passed through here, nature survives. -

Two other warriors rode their horses next him. - Yes, Lord Rajjiv. It is amazing a tree can live when so few trees survive the hound swarm. - They surveyed the barren field around them. All the other trees had been either burned or destroyed by the demons, though signs of recovery could be seen.

- We make camp here, then. It is a good omen from the gods. Perhaps this tree is blessed. -

They were a superstitious bunch, but it reminded me of the founding mythos of many ancient cities.

- Yes, milord. -

The lord and his trusted lieutenants all camped within striking range, and the remainder of the army settled around them.

- What should we do? - The elves panicked slightly because a large group of humans triggered their fear and phobia. It was unpleasant to be reminded of human armies.

- Hide. We have enough food, - Laufen insisted, not wanting to face the humans.

Lord Rajjiv sat next to me with a drink. - Oh, tree, I suspect you must not be an ordinary tree to survive. Perhaps you are a tree spirit like the guardian trees of the elven capitals? -

Perceptive!

- Ah, wait. If you truly are a tree spirit, proper introductions are necessary. I am Rajjiv Nung II, of the Kingdom of Nung. I am but a minor lord, and I am here to push back the demon army that has brought tremendous destruction to the world. Perhaps through some deeds, the king will elevate my status. -

Hmm. I figured I should reply. - Hello. -

He jolted in shock, almost spilling his drink. - Ah, you are indeed a tree spirit! Well met! The demons, have they passed through? -

He was smart, directly asking a question on military intel.

- Yes, a week ago. -

- Hmm, a week. We were still too slow, after all. -

- Why so? -

- We are trying to catch up to them, but if they are still a week away, we have not gained on them at all. How many of them? Would you know? -

- No idea. Maybe ten thousand? -

- Ten thousand. Hmm, we can still take that. -

He took out a map, and though I couldnÆt see the writing on it, he pointed here and there. Things were all outlines to me still.

Maybe I can learn a skill to see normally.

The demon king was very far away, but he had multiple champions that led his forces against the world. It seemed that after the champions were slain, their demonic hordes scattered and weakened in terms of tactics and coordination, so removing the demon champions was a good way to reduce the threat of demons.

The champions were then given multiple lieutenants, such as giant elder demons or just massive demon beasts.

- What if you meet the demon king? -

Lord Rajjiv laughed. - Then we run. We run as fast as we can. -

- Is fighting him that scary? -

- Unless you happen to have the weapons of the gods themselves or you hide a summoned hero, there is no chance to even win. Why fight a doomed battle? -

- Good point. -

Rajjiv said his farewells, and the army departed a day later. He led his army and marched toward the demons.

YEAR 71, MONTH 8

Lord Rajjiv returned. He was injured, and so was his army. There was also a demon swarm on his tail.

- Set up camp. Defensive structures! -

The army set up a makeshift trench and wall, digging fortifications from the ground. They would have added spikes, but there were no trees left to make them, well, except me.

- Scouts. Where are the demons? -

- Should be here in three days. -

The army spent most of their time setting up the trenches. They planned to trap the hounds so they could stab them easily with spears. Those with higher levels and skills would be deployed against the mid - tier demons.

In a way, a defensive battle against demons would be advantageous, but the trenches would overflow with bodies, and that defensive advantage would dwindle.

- I donÆt know whether we can survive this. - Rajjiv sighed as he sharpened his sword. - The men must be ready to fight to their last. We beat them here, or the towns behind us will die. -

- Fear not, Lord Rajjiv, reinforcements are on their way, - one of the lieutenants assured him.

As the battle with the demons loomed, I offered Rajjiv a contract. - Rajjiv, do you need a familiar? -

He turned and looked at me. - Uh, yes, that would help. -

I also grew as many healing fruits as I could, which the humans happily consumed. I felt a little conflicted that I was helping them, but at the same time, these were not the same humans who had slaughtered the elves. Meanwhile, the surviving elves continued to hide.

- What should we do? - Laufen asked while she carried Lozanna with one hand.

Yura sipped a cup of water. - With such a large human army, we should just stay here. It is safer if the size of the demon army is like what we saw before. -

- Yeah. Just feels like all we have been doing is hiding. - Laufen sighed. - Should we fight for a change? -

- No, - I intervened. - Hide. I will protect you. -

Seriously, just hide.

Three days later, a black line emerged on the horizon. Hounds. A lot of them. They charged like a tsunami approaching the shore.

- Ironbark Skin ! - Lord Rajjiv shouted as his skill enchanted his nearby lieutenants. His lieutenants joined the line and barked their commands.

- Spears, ready! - The defenders raised their weapons, and they formed a spear wall.

The swarm of hounds closed in and soon entered the firing range of the archers. They unleashed a volley of arrows at the swarm, both physical and magical, but it wasnÆt enough.

- Spears! Defensive Line ! - Lord Rajjiv shouted, and the soldiers felt a surge in strength, a hardening in their skin.

Some lieutenants and sergeants activated their skills, too, and the swarm smashed right into the line of humans. All around was death. Skewered hounds.

The battle continued. As the hounds, in their thousands, clashed with the army in close combat, the other demons swiped and growled at the humans. The defenders switched to short swords and engaged in close combat.

Still, the momentum and force behind the demonÆs charge was intense, and they pushed and broke the first line of defense. It was now a brawl for those up front.

- Tactical Reorganization ! Morale Boost ! - Rajjiv shouted as the line around him broke. The second line of soldiers stepped in and reinforced the line. More fighting, more blood, and more death.

The hounds outnumbered the army, so for a while, the demons appeared to be winning, but it could have gone either way. The second line fell back to the third, creating another wall of spears.

Rajjiv waited for the moment to activate his skill. Timing was crucial.

But help came, and the odds shifted rapidly.

A horn. Then a stream of charging knights on horseback, five thousand strong. They descended from behind the hounds, crushing them with their heavy lances.

- Hold it together, men! -

Lord Rajjiv lifted his sword overhead, and his sword flashed brightly. The flash stunned the army of demons briefly as the skill briefly bought time and allowed the defenders to regain some ground.

The charging knights lost their momentum, however, but a vanguard force held back the hounds.

Lord Rajjiv lifted his sword again. - Advance! -

There was another flash of light, and he stunned the hounds that glanced at it. The demons, somehow sensing defeat, started to flee. The knights gave chase after the laggards, while a small group of knights regrouped with the main force.

- Glad to see you, Lord Rajjiv, - a heavily decorated rider said as he approached.

- Me too, Captain. You came just right on time. -

- My pleasure. You seemed to have them in your hands anyway. -

- Perhaps, but I would rather not gamble with my soldiers lives. Your charge helped a lot. -

- LetÆs burn the dead before they transform into zombies. -

The humans gathered the dead and formed a mountain, then set fire to it. Cremation was one of the ways to prevent the undead from rising. As the fires burned, a huge creature appeared on the horizon. A large demon, perhaps drawn by the sight of the smoke.

The sight of it sent the army into a panic.

- A demon champion. - Lord Rajjiv paled.

The hounds appeared beside it, but unlike before, they didnÆt charge at the human army. They waited, perhaps for a signal.

The demon champion was massive, the size of a large tower. It looked like a giant earth golem, but it was reddish in color and had spikes and horns across its body. It was like a grotesque mix of a golem, a hedgehog, and a demon.

It stepped closer, and with every step, the earth trembled.

- Oh, shit. - I felt a shiver down my spine, as if it were a demon king. Okay, that understated the presence of a demon king. Maybe a lot less than a demon king, maybe one percent. The champion grew closer. Each step left a deep scar in the ground like a kaijuÆs massive steps.

It roared, and everything vibrated. Shockwaves reverberated in the air as it shook my leaves and branches.

- Order the general force to retreat. All our top fighters and mages gather on me. This will be a battle of champions, - Rajjiv commanded. - Send a courier to inform HQ now. Tell them to gather heroes and champions if they donÆt hear from us in two days. -

The regular soldiers were more than happy to retreat far away. There was no shame in running from a giant monster that could easily crush you underfoot.

- Together, with me, - I telepathically informed Rajjiv. Together, I thought we had a chance. Somehow.

Rajjiv nodded. - Protect us, tree spirit. -

The captain dismounted, and his force of riders mostly retreated as well. He gathered his highest - level warriors, healers, and mages. I offered him a familiar contract, too. In fact, I offered everyone a familiar contract, as many as I could, and I maxed out my limit.

The captain leaned in. - Tree spirit, do you have Empower Allies ? -

- No. -

The captain took out a scroll. - Loan Skill , Empower Allies . -

You have been loaned Empower Allies for twenty - four hours.

The golem approached.

The human fighters and lieutenants stacked themselves with all the buffs and healing they had.

The earth shook, and stones jumped at every step. Yura climbed out of the hideout, deciding this battle was one he should take part in.

- Huh? - The humans were surprised to see an elf appear from nowhere, but there was no time for that argument. The golem roared. It was within range, and it whipped its massive fists at the human forces.

Whoosh!

They dodged, but the punch had such force that it caused a small shockwave that caught some of the unprepared lieutenants. The captain activated Quick Step , and that skill allowed those who were too near to dodge.

Yura joined the captain and his lieutenants in their attacks, but they barely scratched the creature. Normal sword attacks or arrows did no damage against its large and horn - covered body.

Slash. The humans attacked its feet, and those with Leap attempted slashes at its body.

The golem punched the ground, rattling the earth, and rocks flew everywhere. The flying rocks were like a scattershot. Some smaller rocks and stones still landed a hit, and it hurt.

One brave lieutenant tried to climb up its back, but the golem swept him off. About fifteen hits in, the humans realized the folly of attacking with regular weapons.

- DonÆt swing at it blindly. Reserve your strength for magical attacks! - Lord Rajjiv yelled, and I presumed his lieutenants had never faced a high defense and regenerating golem. Maybe he should have said that earlier, but he panicked when it attacked.

It went after the fighters again, but its bulky size warned of its intent, so they managed to avoid its attacks. Still, they had to account for the shockwaves and flying debris as well, which were harder to dodge.

Holy Strike .

Lord Rajjiv landed a cut, and with the holy damage, it left a small tear.

Energy Lance . The captain lurched at the demon with a magically enhanced charge, and it ripped a small hole in the golemÆs stone side. But it didnÆt dodge, confident in its thick rock hide and regeneration ability.

The golem swung its large arms, and two lieutenants were caught in the path of the swing.

- Arghh! - they screamed, coughing in pain.

Empower , Defense , Ironbark , Wood Shield .

I activated all the defensive abilities I had, and the golemÆs arm crashed against a protective barrier. The golem was right beside me, so it attacked, its fist crashing into me.

Ouch. I really felt that. It left a dent in my trunk.

Another punch.

My body twisted ever so slightly as the impact of the punch radiated through my entire body.

It punched again. This time, I activated Wood Shield , and the shield shattered on impact. But there was no direct hit to my body.

Yura and the humans kept using their skills, and their attacks barely scratched the golem, nothing went deep enough to actually hurt it.

It grabbed one of the lieutenants and crushed him in its huge hands.

The captain charged with yet another magical attack. Again, though, like all the previous attacks, it barely left a dent. - ItÆs too tough. None of our attacks are breaking through! -

- ThereÆs still my special Holy Charge skill, but I donÆt think itÆs powerful enough to kill it. - Rajjiv panted as he dodged a swipe of the golemÆs large arm.

The creature stomped, and the earth shook once more. Fighters staggered and lost their balance.

The demon followed up by throwing loose boulders.

- It can do that? - one of the fighters yelled in frustration, clearly annoyed that after dodging rubble, they now had to dodge boulders.

I activated Wood Shield , and I managed to protect a few from the boulders, but not all. For three unlucky lieutenants, a boulder landed on them and crushed them instantly.

- Ugh. We are losing! - the captain screamed. If it kept picking them off, they would lose eventually. As it was, the humans could only harm it with skills, but the demonÆs regular punch could take any of them out.

A battle of attrition or endurance would be one they lost. The humans needed special skills that dealt significant, overwhelming damage.

The golem stomped again, shaking everything, including me. It roared, and a burst of flame emerged around it. A few lieutenants caught fire, but one of the mages cast a water spell that put out the flames right away. The mages attacked again with fireballs, but the demon was apparently resistant to fire.

Rajjiv stood next to me. - Tree spirit, do you have any strong attacks? -

Well, I only have one attack, so I used Root Strike .

It hit the golem - demon right in the chest, and it broke a rock or two from its massive body. Despite doing more damage than anything else had, it didnÆt seem to hurt it.

The golem retaliated, punching me in the trunk again. My entire body shook, and another dent was left in my bark.

- Ughh. - That really hurt. I felt like somebody just punched me in my gut and then some. I was a little drowsy and dizzy. Strange how a tree could feel that.

Pain. I suddenly recalled that feeling when I was chopped by the Demon King Baal.

The golem had smaller appendages on its back that swiped at any attackers, and though Rajjiv and the rest tried to take a chance to attack, their attacks mostly did nothing.

The human fighters threw more magic attacks at it, but they hardly did any damage.

- I have an idea. - Rajjiv looked at me. - Everyone, cast all your support and boosts on the tree! -

- Huh? -

- Trust me! - Rajjiv shouted. He dodged a punch and then ran beside me. He placed his hand on my trunk.

Holy Power , Blessed Strike , Demon Slayer , Energy Burst , Fatal Strike , HeavenÆs Punishment , Holy Blessing . Rajjiv used a string of powerups on me, and I felt a strange surge of power and magic in my roots. He chanted and mumbled it out while he dodged the giant golemÆs attempt to interfere with it.

- The tree spiritÆs Root Strike on its own can damage the demon. With enough magical enchantments, it might be able to deal a strong enough hit to kill it! - he shouted and continued to channel some kind of holy magic.

Imbue Holy Power .

I felt really lightheaded.

The captain nodded. - Ah! Makes sense! - He dodged another strike, and then he, too, ran to me.

Energy Boost , Piercing Strike , Magic Damage III , Attack Boost III .

Other warriors ran up to me as well, using their support boosts, Power Strike , Dodgeless Strike .

All the magical and skill enchantments made me feel really quite engorged like IÆd drunk too much water or ate too much. It even felt like my roots were about to blow up. The earth shook, drawing my attention from the weird feelings.

The golem punched me again. Urgh. If I was human, I would have likely coughed up blood right then. The golem hit me again, and I felt my bark bend and buckle. Pain.

I felt like exploding, and I wasnÆt sure whether it was from all the magic or the blows.

- ThatÆs it, tree spirit. Give it everything you got! - Rajjiv shouted. I took a good look at the demon golem champion. In truth, it was nothing when compared to the demon king.

I summoned all the strength I could manage and released the accumulated magical energy within me along with my Root Strike s. They shot into the sky and pierced the demon golem.

Nine magically overcharged Root Strike s.

They tore nine massive holes in the chest and body of the demon golem, and it stopped.

Then it stumbled.

All the rocky limbs and extra appendages of the golem slumped like a puppet whose strings were cut. Then the massive golem shattered, crumbling to rubble, quickly turning to dust.

- The golem falls! - Rajjiv shouted. - Wooaahh! -

The human army roared. The hounds disappeared toward the horizon as they took their cue from the defeated champion. Rajjiv, the captain, and the remaining lieutenants gathered around me, but by then, a sense of relief and nausea flooded through my senses, and I just couldnÆt respond.

I felt really dizzy and drowsy. Everything went hazy and blurry. then I fell into a kind of sleep.

Level up! You gained 15 levels! Level 86!

You unlocked the following skills û Dream Tutor, Wood Magic and Creation, Rhizofiltration.

The following skills have been upgraded û Secret Hideout , Root Strike range and quantity, Local Rootnets Access.

A dream came over me. A dream that contained visions of what looked like my home world.

It began in a vast sea of stars like the Milky Way. A galaxy, a nebula in the distance. From the vastness of space, it zoomed in on a solar system, then a planet. Earth. Or was it? The dream didnÆt linger, so I couldnÆt take a good look, and then it moved again. The shifting scenes were too fast. The scene zoomed in on a hospital or a clinic. A doctor, a nurse, a child, and probably the childÆs family appeared. The child smiled and nodded. A few around him were crying. They hugged the child while it slept.

Then the dream zoomed out again, back to the view from space. Stars. Thirteen streaks of light, all from the planet. They shot up, then the view sped up, and the scene resembled a warp or a slipstream.

The path the lights took was twisty and wavy. The streaks of light bent, seemingly taking sharp turns without warning.

A white layer emerged around the streak of light, and just as it exited the slipstream, another black barrier appeared. It shattered, just like glass when the lights crashed against it.

A green planet appeared. Thirteen streaks of light flew toward it, but one of the streaks flickered, and it moved a little slower. It lost speed and drifted apart from the rest of the group.

It crashed into the planet. A little while later, the twelve remaining streaks of light crashed elsewhere on the planet.

Twelve reincarnators have arrived!

YEAR 71, MONTH 10

Two months. IÆve been asleep for two months?

The elves! What happened to the elves?

Oh, theyÆre still here. The elves were alive, thankfully. I was worried about whether my fruit, Secret Hideout , or Nourish would be disabled when I was asleep. Now that I had woken up, everything seemed to be. all right?

- Yura , Laufen, what happened? -

- Oh? - The elves jumped, surprised by my mental voice. - Tree spirit, youÆre awake! -

- Ah, yes, IÆve been sleeping for two months? -

- Yes. All of us were really surprised you didnÆt respond after that battle, and one of the captains mentioned it could be a kind of mana - sickness or just spiritual exhaustion, - Yura said.

- Then? -

He gathered himself and then started to explain. - Oh, erm. the humans left after the battle. They wanted to talk to you, but they all left after waiting for a few days. Since the demon champion was defeated, it has been quiet around here. The hordes in this region were in disarray, and their behavior turned erratic. Other than that, there was nothing much. We mostly continued to hide, and we survived on your fruits. Your passive abilities like Nourish continued to function, even when you didnÆt respond to us, so we knew you were merely sleeping. -

- I see. ThatÆs great. -

- Yeah. WeÆve been keeping ourselves busy since then. We gained a few levels, too! -

Yura participated in the battle against the demon champion, so it made sense for him to gain levels. - Ah. How many levels did you gain, Yura ? -

- Oh, levels. Erm. I think I gained four levels and a skill? -

Well, that was a big difference. Only four levels? Was it because I landed the finishing blow?

That battle with such a huge golem helped with my worries and really boosted my confidence. Even my Tormented Warrior had improved to Tormented Warrior (mild) . I thought if we could keep it up, I would lose the penalty completely soon enough!

Laufen and the rest shook their head - no levels for them. All they did was hide after all. If you didnÆt participate, you didnÆt get levels. Sounded fair.

In fact, the whole fuzzy logic behind leveling incentivized hard work and participation. It was probably designed by a schoolteacher somewhere to reward kids. Laze off, donÆt take risks, and you get nothing!

A few days after I woke up, I remembered I had new skills.

I had somehow forgotten about them in the days since IÆd woken. It felt like a bad hangover, really.

Wood Magic

A wheel popped up in my mind. At the center of the wheel was a leaf shape. There were a lot of grayed - out skills and menus that grew out of that wheel.

Ah, I unlocked the magic type, and I had two skills under it. Bind and Bloom .

Rhizofiltration

This is a passive skill. Will extract minerals and other items via roots and automatically filter out negative effects in the ground.

Dream Tutor

May use dreams to learn and teach. Requires a collection of spirits, memories, and objects to unlock more Dreams. Essences can be used to bestow certain skills via dreams. Target must be sleeping for the ability to kick in. If sleep is interrupted, learning may not be effective.

I immediately tested it out on the elves once they went to sleep at night.

YEAR 71, MONTH 11

The effects of Dream Tutor seemed quite varied. It worked very well for Yura , as he gained a new attack skill. For Laufen and Emile, however, they seemed to feel a little lost. To them, the dream felt more disorienting and confusing than enlightening. Still, they said they were learning something. For the youngest, Lozanna , the skill merely gave her nightmares, so I chose to stop using it on her until she was much older.

Perhaps dreams were just scary when you were two or three years old.

Nothing much happened that month. It started to get really cold again, and the elves spent their time resting in the expanded hideout, which now had an additional room.

Occasionally, they would pop out to kill whatever creatures came too close.

Power - Leveling .

I needed a skill like that.

YEAR 71, MONTH 12

Melur Marin has died. You received a fragment. You have 56 fragments.

What? That was way too fast for one of the reincarnators to die. It had only been just over a month since they arrived!

Were they in danger? Or maybe a conflict had broken out? I asked Yura to gather more information, but he wanted to be here with the rest of the elves.

- I donÆt think itÆs good for me to leave, tree spirit. ItÆs better if we stay in this hideout. It really is the safest place with you around. -

Oh, well. The nearest town was a human one, and maybe the elves wouldnÆt be so well received, anyway.

Your root has harvested some materials. Raw Iron x 5. Do you want to disable all similar notifications?

Oh. Okay.

Materials, like essences, were used to make stuff. This creation process was part of my Wood Magic and Creation . The iron and essences got absorbed into the wood, and the wood then formed itself into the item I wanted to make. It was a slow process.

YEAR 72, MONTH 1, WEEK 1

I created a wooden ring, with iron and essence of lesser fire. The process was more like the ring grew within a tree branch, and once it finished, the outer layers of the branch peeled away to reveal the inner product.Æ

A pop - up appeared.

Material compatibility is low. Effects are reduced by 50%.

Ah. Laufen, being the resident inspector, then advised on its effects. Honestly, it felt like I was at a MasterChef competition waiting on LaufenÆs judgment.

- Boosts fire magic by a little bit, and there is some attack strength increase. - Ah. Not bad. Maybe I wouldnÆt get disqualified this round. I kid.

Other than that, it was a whole lot of resting and the occasional monster.

Woodcrafting upgraded.

Oh, thatÆs easy.

YEAR 72, MONTH 1, WEEK 4

Demons, a group of hounds appeared. I killed some, and then the elves killed the rest.

You obtained a new skill û Power - Leveling.

Ah, finally. The elves, other than Yura , gained a level.

YEAR 72, MONTH 2

Another quiet month. More demons, and more killing. More levels for the elves. Other than that, the elves really wanted spring to come. Winter was finally ending.

Essence of Winter (minor) x 1 obtained. Essence of Cold (minor) x 1 obtained.

Ah, auto - mode Essence Harvesting .

My new discovery of the month was that harvesting/material type skills had an auto - mode. That meant that my cells extracted minerals without the need of conscious interference. It was like breathing. I shouldnÆt need to consciously do it, even if I could.

YEAR 72, MONTH 3

A few small bushes and trees started to grow in the general area around me, the remains of the previously destroyed trees now regenerating. The recovery of bushes and trees returned some texture and features to the previously destroyed valley.

Demons - or more accurately the hounds - appeared like locusts. Swarms of them, here and there. I killed those I could and ignored those clever enough not to come too close. I mean, it wasnÆt like I could chase them.

I am like a Venus flytrap, and IÆve got to wait for my stupid prey to come near. Maybe I can get a lure skill some day in the future.

You gained a level. Level 87!

Skills upgraded û Healing Fruit upgraded, Healing Vines upgraded

Obtained a new skill: Solar Healing.

Oh. I felt like a bulb - shaped monster.

YEAR 72, MONTH 4

A horseman passed through, resting for a while under my tree. He slept in the shade and laid his head on my trunk. I dropped a fruit on his head.

- Ouch. -

He grabbed it, examined it for a while, and then ate it.

- Thanks, tree. - He rode off after his nap.

You obtained a skill: Fruit Attack.

Oh.

YEAR 72, MONTH 5

There were more demons.

Seriously, these things never ended. How did the locals deal with so many demons?

- The demons appeared on average twice a week, which was okay. When demons were actually terrorizing us a few years ago, they appeared daily. -

Ah, wait, I kept forgetting my sense of time was different from the elves. Killing all the demons, though, gave me a new skill.

Obtained skill: Root Surge.

Obtained skill: Lesser Demon Suppression Aura.

YEAR 72, MONTH 6

It was time for a big harvest! The elves harvested their crops, and I noticed some of the trees around me had grown larger. It was quite unnatural to see them grow so quickly, but apparently, it was a common occurrence if there were tree spirits around.

I had grown taller as well, and I was now about the height of a four - story building.

They said that excess mana harvested by tree spirits (who usually didnÆt spend their mana) would be dumped into the land around it, and that turbocharged all other plant growth.

Thanks to Wood Creation , all the elves were now equipped with weapons and armor I made. That skill had an upgrade, too.

YEAR 72, MONTH 7

One thing about life as a tree, I was immobile. Well, mostly, except when I got moved unwillingly.

So I really spent a lot of my time doing nothing. It was a waiting game where I hoped for things to happen. I wondered how all the other tree or rock spirits felt. How did they even stand it, just waiting? Out of sheer boredom, I usually tried to use my plentiful idle time to help the elves, by using my skills such as Dream Tutor , Power - Leveling , and Wood Creation .

Currently, Yura was level fifty - four, Laufen was thirty - one, Emile was twenty - six, Belle was twenty - five, Brislah and Walen both were eleven, and Lozanna was still unknown.

Lozanna , the now three - year - old child, could talk reasonably well, but she didnÆt know how to access her menu. Maybe in a few more months she would be able to tell me what level she was.

- Tree - Tree. - Lozanna walked around. Her steps were stable, even if it looked like she was wobbling half the time. She crawled up and down my roots.

Laufen rubbed her daughterÆs head. - Now, now, thatÆs not how to refer to a tree spirit. -

- Tree - Tree, - Lozanna mumbled. - Tree - Tree? -

She pointed awkwardly at me.

- Tree - Tree. - Laufen likely rolled her eyes at her daughter.

Yet it felt endearing.

I liked that name, and thus, I decided I should call myself that.

Tree - Tree.

YEAR 72, MONTH 8

A small group of young adventurers appeared - six of them, on horses. Heavily armed, their horses exhausted, they made camp next to me. It seemed like being the only tree in this vast field did seem to draw attention. There were smaller trees around us, of course, but they seemed to have missed them.

- I think that tree in the middle of the field looks nice. -

- I think so, too. LetÆs go have a look. -

These six adventurers stood next to me and examined my trunk and leaves. They also examined the smaller trees that now flourished nearby. They were a group of four girls and two boys.

One of the girls looked around, and she sat on one of my protruding roots, admiring the view of the fields. - ItÆs a nice view, even though itÆs probably one made by the demons. -

- Yeah, itÆs a good place to take a nap. There are still a few days left in our journey to the rifts. LetÆs enjoy the peace and quiet while we can, - one of the boys said and stretched his arms out. He took out a piece of cloth, spread it out on the ground, and laid down.

- True, - the rest of them agreed. They set up their camp next to me and rested for the night.

The next morning, a group of fifteen demons appeared in the distance, and I learned from Yura that these large, winged creatures were known as manticores. They made their presence known with a loud roar, and that instantly woke the adventurers.

Silly, these manticores. They should have kept their mouth shut and launched a sneak attack on the adventurers while they slept. The adventurers, though, seemed unshaken as if this was a normal occurrence to them. In fact, the adventurers had already set up some kind of magical defense, and a huge thunderbolt zapped the first manticore that intruded on their defensive zone.

A long - haired girl shouted some kind of chant, and an orb of red lightning floated between her two palms. The electricity leaped out of her two palms in a flash, and it zapped three of the flying manticores, frying them instantly.

They fell to the ground, charred.

The leader of the adventurers raised his war staff, and it instantly created a forcefield that blocked the manticores acidic spit as they attempted to spray them. Immediately afterward, he chanted again, and all the manticores moved sluggishly as if they were trapped in some kind of thick goop.

The other guy then took out a contraption that resembled a very long rifle, and he fired a high - speed orb. It exploded in midair and blasted a few of the slow - moving manticores to pieces.

A short - haired girl who wore thin armor flicked something that resembled a handheld fan. In its wake, a huge gust of wind appeared, and the force of the wind shoved the manticores. They fell to the ground with loud thuds. The two remaining girls, both holding a pair of shortswords, rushed forward and slashed the grounded manticores to death.

One of the twin - sword girls sounded cheerful. - I gained a level, and I got a skill! - She jumped around, happy.

- Oh, what did you get? - the other twin - sword girl asked, tapping her on the shoulder.

- Flawless Dodge . -

- Oh, cool. I didnÆt get anything. - The guy who cast the forcefield sighed, and he sat on one of my roots. He took out some kind of cloth and cleaned his war staff.

- Stop whining. YouÆre already level seventy - five! I am just level sixty - three! - the twin - sword girl shouted.

Meanwhile, the mage girl harvested the remains of the manticore corpses alone, with a small dagger and a bag. After she went through a few of the manticore corpses, she noticed she was the only one doing it and glanced at her teammates. - You peeps not helping to collect the loot? -

The rest of them unanimously shook their heads. - You do it. WeÆll just ruin it. -

The mage girl rolled her eyes. - Ugh. You know my ability works so long as I am around! -

- AinÆt taking that risk! -

They bantered for a while and took a rest after they were done. They moved quickly, and with a wave of a wand, their camp was clean. Then they headed toward the demonic rift.

YEAR 72, MONTH 8, TWO DAYS LATER.

Five demon riders arrived riding hellhounds. They were clearly following the scent of the adventurers, and I wondered whether the hellhounds actually had a sense of smell. These demon riders looked like they were previously human, but their bodies had been corrupted by demonic forces and transformed. As they were once human, they still spoke normally to each other, the only difference being their voices.

- They were here. - One of the riders patted the hellhound. - They are headed for the southern rift. - The very fact they spoke the same language was very strange. Who were these demons?

Another rider examined the dirt and the remnants from the battle. - Six of them. They rested here for a day. They canÆt be far ahead. -

- No sign of any injury. The mid - tier demons were insufficient to hurt them. We will need the elders. - The rest of the demon riders nodded in agreement, and two of them chanted some kind of spell. It seemed like some kind of communication spell, but they spoke gibberish I couldnÆt comprehend.

At that point, I wondered whether I could beat these demon riders. - You think we can take them on, Yura ? -

Yura shook his head. - They look like they have some of the abilities and skills of normal humans, so I am not sure of our chances. They could be very strong or just like a normal human. I honestly canÆt say, but if you ask me, our chances are not great. -

I decided to let them go.

YEAR 72, MONTH 9

We felt a huge explosion in the distance. Then another.

And another.

The earth shook constantly, even though the explosions were so far away. The sky above us was filled with strange streaks of color. It wasnÆt a pleasant sign. Is there some kind of high - tier combat taking place in the distance?

- Tree - Tree, these explosions. they are growing closer. -

We felt even more explosions, the vibrations only getting stronger.

In the distance, the earth ruptured, and rocks shot up.

Yura told me of two large flying creatures, each with some kind of elemental breath weapon. They attacked someone, but we couldnÆt make out who.

Then they came nearer, and we identified them. It was the six adventurers!

The earth shook badly, so my roots increased their grip on the earth, mildly reducing the shaking. There were more explosions and spells that crisscrossed the skies. The destruction sent huge plumes of dust into the air, creating a minor dust storm that blocked out some of the sunlight.

This was followed by even more explosions, and we saw the adventurers fall back.

The adventurer group retreated and simultaneously retaliated with ranged attacks. The two large flying creatures appeared to be some kind of demonic wyverns, and they were accompanied by a swarm of hellhounds and lesser demons. The lesser demons kept their distance.

The wyvernÆs elemental breaths dealt a huge amount of collateral damage.

Boom!

An explosion erupted right on one of the demonic wyvernÆs chest.

It fell to the ground, and the earth shook briefly from the impact.

- Ugh, yes! - The adventurers took the opportunity to run, and three of them seemed heavily injured. The remaining wyvern tried to follow them, but a nicely placed fireball from the mage - girl tore through one of its wings. The wyvern crashed and was unable to fly. Still, it seemed to shrug off the damage and chased after the adventurers on its two large feet.

Luckily, it was slower this way.

They ran toward my position, noticing a large group of demons appearing from the other direction. Hellhounds had the adventurers surrounded.

- LetÆs go to the tree. LetÆs fight there. - The fan girl pointed at me, and they ran as fast as they could. For them, any cover was obviously better than no cover.

As the adventurers repositioned themselves around me, I sensed the gunner man and the twin - sword girls were all injured. Their spirits wavered and flickered. The twin - sword girls spirits seemed as if they were engulfed in some kind of demonic fire or rot. I wasnÆt sure what I was looking at.

The hordes of hounds and lesser demons surrounded us. Only the lumbering demonic wyvern dared to approach, but that was after what felt like a moment of hesitation. I wondered whether these demons were intelligent. They certainly exhibited signs.

- They. The rest donÆt seem to be approaching? - The adventurers were too busy to notice.

- Huh? Great! - One of the mage girls was surprised, and she scrambled over to help her injured compatriots. - You guys deal with it. I need to look after them. -

The wyvern roared, and then it charged. It was already injured from all the ranged attacks of the adventurers so, at that moment, I felt like I could get a good shot in.

Root Strike .

A root surged out of the ground and stabbed it right in the abdomen. Some of its inner matter spurted out.

It wasnÆt dead - not yet - but the stab slowed it down.

Another two Root Strike s followed.

My roots hit the abdomen of the wyvern again, but this time, one of the roots pierced through and skewered the wyvernÆs chest. It fell.

The death of the wyvern scared the rest of the hounds and demons, the lesser demons still keeping their distance.

- Oh, wow. - The forcefield man touched my trunk. - A tree spirit! WeÆre saved! -

The mage girl shook her head, and she tried to look at her friends. - They are dying! -

- Bring them to me, - I mentally said to her. She turned and seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then she nodded and used magic. She levitated all three of the injured adventurers and moved them beside me. One of my small branches reached out, and from that branch, a vine extended to touch them.

I activated my skills.

Solar Healing .

Healing Fruit .

Nourish .

The wounds closed a little, and I sensed their spirits beginning to stabilize. Of the three injured, two of them recovered easily. Their wounds and cuts healed quickly, far quicker than normal. Yet, for the last twin - sword girl, she had a stab wound that went deep into her chest. I couldnÆt quite believe it, but up close, I saw some kind of demonic presence in her body, and it gnawed away at her soul. She was in pain.

- DonÆt die. - The mage girl held her hand.

The twin - sword girl smiled weakly. I kept using my abilities to heal her, but the demonic energy interfered. For every bit of healing, the demonic energy undid the effects.

- No. - The mage girl held her hand tightly. - No, no, no. -

The demons tried to approach, but without the giant one, the rest were just small fries. The adventurers, led by the forcefield dude and the wind - wielder, easily defeated the remaining lesser demons.

I extended my feeler - like vines and touched the wounded girl on the head, activating my healing abilities. Her wounds recovered a little, but once again, it lasted for only for a short moment before the demonic energy reversed the healing, and the wound opened again.

- The demons. Damn them! They used some kind of special demonic rot attack, and the effects are still in her body. ItÆs interfering with our attempts to heal her. We need to remove that demonic rot, but all we can do now is keep her alive. - The mage girl cursed and then glanced up at me.

- We need to coordinate our healing. LetÆs cast healing alternately so her body doesnÆt deteriorate too much. -

With the other twin - sword girl and gunner healed, the remaining four adventurers unleashed their fury and slaughtered the remaining demon swarm. The large number of hellhounds meant very little for the group of powerful adventurers. They were fueled by both anger and desperation. The demons numbers dwindled before the might of the four healed adventurers, and I marveled at wave after wave of attacks. The hellhounds fled.

The battle was over, the demons either fled or destroyed.

Their focus shifted to the injured twin - sword girl as we supported her battle against the demonic rot inside her.

- ItÆs not getting any better. - Mage girl sighed as she explained to the remaining four. - We been trying to heal her. -

- We have to take her somewhere, to the town. -

- No. - Mage girl shook her head. - I donÆt have enough mana to sustain my healing over long periods, not yet. As it is, we wonÆt make it back in time. If I stop now, the demonic rot will kill her within three to four hours. We can keep her alive because the tree spiritÆs healing abilities are giving me some breathing room to recover my mana. -

- Huh. - The fan girl held the injured girlÆs hand as she slept.

I used a mix of healing and regeneration abilities to keep the injured girl alive, but I was still unable to remove the demonic presence that gnawed away at her body.

It was a stalemate in the constant battle between the healing forces and the demonic rot.

- Hmm. So, hereÆs the plan. Three of us will stay. Then the rest of us need to find the others and find a cure for rot, or anyone who has any inkling of what sort of cursed power that demon champion used. WeÆll continue her healing. Together with the tree spirit, we can keep her alive. I will stay back to provide protection. -

The three adventurers chosen to leave were the other twin - sword girl, the fan girl, and the gunner guy. They all nodded. - That seems to be best choice we have now. LetÆs go. ThereÆs no time to waste. -

That was when it occurred to me that they never even asked whether I agreed to the plan, but it was fine. I supposed saving lives made sense. But since these adventurers would be there for some time, I asked Yura and Laufen to come out of the hideout.

- Huh. Elves. - The adventurers were surprised, but they didnÆt seem hostile.

- We live here. The tree spirit said we should meet you. - Yura and Laufen introduced themselves. - We heard your plan to stay with the tree spirit. -

- Ah. We mean no harm. We needed the tree spiritÆs help to keep my friend alive, - the mage girl explained. - I canÆt do this on my own. IÆm not a healing - focused mage. -

Yura and Laufen looked around and nodded. - Then, please, come in. -

- Come in? -

The elves brought them into the secret hideout, and the injured girl was placed on the floor in one of the rooms.

At that point, a pop - up appeared.

Do you want to initiate Life Support protocol?

Oh. Okay.

At that moment, the room shook a little. Multiple branches and vines appeared around the injured girl, and some of those vines attached to her body.

- WhatÆs happening? - the forcefield dude asked. He seemed worried and reached for his war staff. - Explain! -

The mage girl stopped him. - The tree spirit is doing something. I think itÆs some kind of magical support mechanism. -

The vines and branches transformed and took the general shape of a hospital bed, and a few little wooden feelers attached to various parts of her body. They supplied a mix of condensed healing fruit juice and whatever regeneration ability I had to the injured girl. It also activated a minor version of my passive healing ability.

- ItÆs like a, - the forcefield dude and the mage girl looked at each other, - hospital bed. -

- Thank you for helping us. -

Yura and Laufen shrugged. - It seems the tree spirit agreed to help you. We just hope youÆre not like the other humans. -

- Other humans? -

- Those who hunt us elves. -

- Oh, weÆre nothing like that. We promise we wonÆt bring you any harm. We just want to save our friendÆs life, and I pray we wonÆt take too much of your time or space. - The forcefield guy nodded and sat. Mage girl looked at her injured friend, and after a while, she too rested. Her turn would come soon.

- SheÆs stable. The tree spirit used some kind of constant healing ability thatÆs channeled through the vines and feelers connected to her, - the mage girl observed and explained to the other adventurer.

Laufen passed them fruits to clear the tension. - WhatÆs your name? I am Laufen. -

- Hendry. - Forcefield dude munched on the healing fruit.

- Alexis. - Mage girl took a bite, and she pointed at the injured girl. - SheÆs Meela. -

- Ah. -

- This place, it is some kind of magical pocket dimension inside the tree spirit, right? - Alexis asked. She was interested in the whole theoretical basis behind magic and found it to be really fascinating, especially how magic worked and interacted.

- Uh. - Laufen scratched her head. She had never thought about such things.

- This space is much bigger inside than the tree is outside, and yet it wasnÆt underground. Thus, the only logical conclusion is this is some kind of pocket - space, - Alexis explained, and to be honest, that was the first time I noticed.

Meela was still asleep. I used a mix of liquid healing fruit extract, fed to her via the vines. I would then occasionally use Solar Healing via a leaf located right above her head. Alive and asleep, she received the healing powers of me and Alexis at alternating times. Whatever it was, the demonic rot was pretty nasty.

Exhausted, both Alexis and Hendry eventually fell asleep, but they took precautions and activated a wide range of spells. They were careful and prepared.

You gained two levels. Level 89!

Nourish upgraded. Life Support unlocked. Suspended Animation unlocked.

Over the next few days, they waited for their three friends, but it was likely they would need some time to come back with any kind of cure.

Alexis looked in on Meela, making sure to check on her every few hours.

Hendry seemed restless, and he paced about, taking long walks around and occasionally talking to himself about demons and monsters. He would go on long walks where he slaughtered any lesser demons he came across.

- Worried? -

- Yes. - Alexis munched on bread she pulled out from nowhere. - I donÆt want to lose her. We donÆt want to lose her. It would be unbearable. -

Laufen nodded and tried to reassure her, - Your friends will be back with a cure. -

- I hope so. -

- What did you fight that caused such a bad wound? -

- A demon champion. It was some kind of earth snake that seems to be corrupted by huge amounts of demonic energy. It had a special weapon, a condensed kind of venom. -

- A demon champion? - Laufen gasped, and her palms covered her mouth.

- Yes. We killed it, but not before another hidden assassin demon retrieved that special venom and stabbed Meela with it. -

- Wow. Must have been a big expedition into the rift. -

Alexis paused. - Yes. -

- Demons. On the horizon. - Hendry came back into the hideout. - A lot of them. Hounds and a lot of mid - tier creatures. Maybe theyÆre hiding some powerful demons inside as well, so we should be careful. -

- Huh? Demons can do that? - Yura was surprised demons were capable of such sophisticated tactics.

- Uh. yes. - Hendry nodded.

Yura shrugged and then looked at the adventurers. - I think we should hide. Normally, they ignore us. Our tree spirit has all sorts of defensive buffs, and the demons canÆt scratch him. -

- Tree - Tree, - Lozanna interjected, and Laufen caught her. - ItÆs Tree - Tree. -

- Yes. Tree - Tree has all sorts of defensive buffs. -

- Hmm, very well. - Hendry retreated inside as the demon swarm approached. The demons fanned out, and they covered most of the area. Once again, they destroyed the regrowing shrubbery.

Some came close to me, but they mostly walked past. A few attempted to attack my large, thick trunk, but they couldnÆt even leave a scratch. Hendry seemed surprised when the swarm eventually left.

- ItÆs really neat, right? ThatÆs how we survived so long out here. - Emile smiled. Her words contained a little bit of bragging. - The demons just pass by us like. we are not there. And even when they notice the tree, they canÆt hurt us. -

- That is so strange. - Hendry sat as he admired the view outside. The demons couldnÆt see into the secret hideout.

Later, Laufen tried to initiate conversation. - So, how long you think itÆll take? -

- For? -

- Your friends. To find a cure. -

Hendry and Alexis both shook their heads. Alexis rubbed her chin and explained, - IÆm not sure. None of us have any specific anti - demonic curse abilities. We donÆt even know the specific magical nature or the mechanics of the disease or demonic rot Meela is suffering from. WeÆll just have to try whatever they bring back. -

- Ah. - Laufen felt like she just asked a question that led to a technical question way out of her depth.

Then Meela screamed in pain, and all of them rushed to her side.

- Meela, are you okay? - Hendry and Alexis grabbed her arms, and Alexis used a diagnostic spell.

The constant cycle of alternating between healing and the destructive effects of the demonic curse had resulted in a surge of pain. As her body regained the senses of the healed area, they were immediately damaged again. The sensation accumulated and abruptly jolted her with intense pain.

- I donÆt have any kind of pain - reduction spells. - Alexis sighed. - If only we had a pill or something. -

Hendry shook his head. - Meela, youÆve got to hang in there. -

Meela slumped back and lost consciousness. The demonic rot weakened her spirit, and I suspected it also contributed to her inability to remain conscious.

- Tree spirit, do you have any pain - reduction spells? -

- Hmm. No. -

However, I wondered whether I could produce saps or materials that might be able to suppress the pain. I recalled from my world that there were a few medical products that were derived from plants.

TreeÆs natural abilities discovered: Tree Extracts and Saps

Oh, wow.

A menu popped up and displayed a huge list. Rubber, oils, poisons, fragrances, saps.

Wait. Found it.

- Pick some leaves and make tea, - I mentally spoke to Laufen.

A small branch with odd - colored leaves appeared from the wooden walls of the secret hideout.

- Huh? Oh, okay, Tree - Tree. - Laufen ran and got some hot water, quickly picked a few leaves off the branch, and mashed them into some kind of paste.

The process of making the herbal tea took about an hour. Once ready, they fed the herbal - leaf tea to Meela.

She yelped from the heat, but as the tea flowed into her body, it released a pain - suppression effect. Alexis grabbed the remaining leaf and examined it, just to make sure it was nothing dangerous.

- Ah. -

Meela fell back into her slumber.

They made the tea for Meela every six to seven hours to keep her comfortable. Her pain popped up every now and then, and the days passed.

YEAR 72, MONTH 10

Meela was still in a state of assisted living as her body continued to be affected by the demonic rot.

Tree Saps and Extracts upgraded.

Thanks to the constant use of the leaves for the pain - numbing tea, the skill leveled up, and now it was more potent and longer - lasting. Thanks to it, Meela could stay awake for about thirty minutes to an hour per day to talk, which helped improve Hendry and AlexisÆs moods greatly.