The seed was in my hand.
It felt cold, like a stone buried deep within the earth for centuries.
I stared at the blue notification that appeared before me.
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World Tree Seed – Corrupted
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Description:
A seed from the legendary World Tree, once the lifeline connecting the world to the universe. Now corrupted by dark energy, it disrupts the world's harmony.
Those who use it are bound to eternal darkness but gain control over fate itself.
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Bonded To:
Kailendra Ador Saputra (Permanent until purified).
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Effects:
Manipulates dark energy for attack or defense, creating blasts or shields. However, the user risks the dark energy growing within, plagued by nightmares and the looming threat of domination.
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Purification Info: Access Denied
Requirement: Class must reach Tier 5
Code Sensor AEN-4F56 – Restricted
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I stared blankly at the glowing notification, my mind racing.
The World Tree.
That name tugged at my memory—fragments of childhood stories and forgotten legends.
It was said to connect all life, a miracle bridging worlds.
And now, here it was, or what was left of it, cradled in my hand.
This seed... it felt alive, but not in a way that radiated warmth or hope.
Instead, there was a dark, foreboding aura that wrapped around every inch of its existence.
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As I read further, I felt like I was being pulled into a bottomless abyss.
"Bond... Permanent?" I muttered, my voice trembling.
Panic began to creep in.
I looked down at my palm, where the seed seemed to merge with my very being.
"DIEGO!" I nearly shouted, turning toward him as he struggled to catch his breath.
"I... I'm bound to this thing!"
Diego, catching his breath, looked startled.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know! The notification said something about a soul bond—dark energy that can grow inside me!" My voice trembled.
Without thinking, I hurled the seed to the ground.
But instead of staying there, it vanished—and reappeared in my palm.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" I shouted, throwing it again. It returned, cold and unyielding.
It returned, as though I were its rightful owner, or rather, its prisoner.
Diego stepped closer.
"Let me try."
He reached out, but the moment his fingers brushed it, he recoiled with a sharp cry, clutching his arm.
"Diego!" I rushed to him.
"Are you okay?"
He winced, pale and sweating.
"It felt like... something was draining me, what is this thing?"
I stared at the seed, horrified.
Diego steadied himself and looked at me intently.
"Kai, you need to tell me everything. What happened back there? What did you see before picking that thing up? WHAT IS THAT!"
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I turned to him, realizing he was staring at the seed with a look full of curiosity.
I hesitated but sighed.
"Well..."
Quickly, I began recounting everything, my vision of the guardian insects, the queen's transformation into a source of destruction, and how I managed to find this seed within her body.
This time, I explained it all.
I left out no details.
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Diego listened intently to my story.
Every word I spoke felt like a heavy weight I was unloading onto him, and although he tried to remain calm, I could see the worry deepening in his eyes.
"So this seed... it's still corrupted?" he asked quietly, his tone careful, as if not wanting to make my anxiety worse.
I nodded, reluctant to respond with words.
My tongue felt heavy.
It was like admitting to something unavoidable, something that had felt wrong from the very beginning.
"I didn't think that far ahead," I murmured finally, lowering my head.
"I just... I just felt like I had to take it. Who knows? Maybe it's something important." My gaze fell to the seed in my palm, small yet impossibly heavy, as if it carried the darkness of the world within it.
"It is important, but..." I trailed off, regret creeping into my thoughts.
Diego was silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh.
He looked at me with a strange expression—a mix of sympathy and resolve.
"Well, I can't blame you for it," he said finally, scratching the back of his neck with a faint smile.
"If I were in your position, I might've done the same thing. What's done is done. Let's focus on what we can do next."
I lifted my head, meeting his gaze.
There was a calmness in his voice that, though simple, managed to ease the storm in my mind just a little.
Still, guilt lingered within me.
"If that thing really is bound to you," he continued, "then it's our job to figure this out. We'll purify it, Kai. Don't worry. It's just a matter of time before we know what to do."
I shook my head.
"Diego, this isn't your responsibility. I'm the one who—"
He cut me off with a gentle pat on the shoulder.
"We're friends, Kai. Your problem is mine too. Let's just get stronger. Level up. Get to Tier Five. Then we'll know what to do."
He was right.
There was no turning back now.
I tried to shift the mood with a bit of humor, though my heart still felt heavy.
"At least we understand what's going on. But... am I like the Queen of the Voraxes now? Good thing there aren't any elves around, or—"
I stopped, a sudden thought cutting me off.
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"Wait." My eyes widened.
"If these insects made it to Earth... do you think elves could too?"
Diego froze, his face slowly shifting to tension.
We stared at each other, the unsettling thought creeping over us both.
After a long moment, we instinctively turned, scanning the cave as if expecting something to jump out.
"Shouldn't we leave?" I said, my voice trembling.
Diego, usually calmer than I was, looked more panicked than I had ever seen him.
Before I even realized it, he was already grabbing his bag and packing his things.
He looked up at me, offering a small grin.
"Let's get out of here."
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I tucked the seed into my pocket, though I knew it would just return if it fell out.
We packed quickly and left the underground station, the tremors shaking the ground beneath us.
Tiny stones fell from the ceiling, adding to the growing anxiety in my chest.
We had to leave before this place became our grave.
But before we fully exited, I took a moment to check the remaining supplies that were still usable.
Canned food, bottles of mineral water, and anything else we could carry—I stuffed it all into the nearest backpack I could find.
Our survival now depended on what we had.
Buildings that once soared were now rubble.
The streets were filled with dust, broken glass, and lifeless bodies.
People were running, injured, trying to escape the collapsing chaos.
Diego, pale and silent, stood beside me.
Before I could speak, a notification flashed before me.
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Cosmic Notification
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There are 13 safe zone points in the Jakarta area, marked with green light around them.
Please head to the nearest one before time runs out.
You will be directed to the closest point.
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Nearest zone: 454 meters to the north.
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Diego glanced at his wrist, reading the same message. He narrowed his eyes.
"The safe zone is close," I said, trying to stay calm.
"Maybe we head straight for the northern coast?"
Diego nodded, firm.
"Let's go."
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We moved quickly, almost half-running.
The air felt heavy, suffocating with every step.
The pressure of the situation made every move feel slower.
Suddenly, a faint groan cut through the noise of the ruined city.
"Help... help me..."
I stopped, sensing something.
"Did you hear that?" I whispered.
Diego scanned the area.
"Yeah, but from where?"
I focused, sensing the emotion behind the voice.
"There, behind that rubble," I pointed.
Without wasting time, we ran toward it.
Diego moved first, effortlessly lifting a large beam with his strength.
"Help... please..." The voice sounded clearer now, a woman's voice filled with panic.
"Hold on, we're here to help. Are you alone?" I asked, my voice trembling but trying to sound reassuring.
"Yes... alone..." she sobbed.
Diego kept clearing the rubble, and soon, the woman appeared—dust-covered, face swollen from crying, and her legs pinned under a large beam.
"Her leg!" I shouted.
Diego moved quickly, lifting the beam.
I checked her leg—there was a large wound from her knee down to her ankle, though fortunately, there wasn't much blood flowing.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Just... my leg," she whispered, trembling, maybe from the pain or the shock she had experienced.
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Without thinking, I grabbed a piece of wood and made a quick brace.
I tore a cloth from my bag to make a makeshift bandage.
"Hold on... this might hurt," I said softly.
She bit her lower lip, clearly trying to endure the pain.
I did all of this instinctively, thanks to the basic training I had received in the school organization back then.
As someone used to living alone, I always prepared myself for situations like this.
That's why I praised Diego's skills when he tended to my own wound earlier.
I finished securing the bandage.
"This is the best I can do to prevent any further bone displacement, but I'm not sure about hospitals right now."
"Thank you," she said, her voice breaking.
"I thought... I thought I was..."
"Calm down, you're safe now," I reassured her.
"Kai..." Diego's voice was soft, his eyes pleading. It was like he was making sure I wouldn't leave her.
I smiled at him, then looked back at the woman.
There was something different about her—pure emotions, no deceit or malice.
It was rare.
The second person I met like this, after Diego.
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What kind of coincidence is this?
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I smiled faintly.
"How about you join us? We're heading to the safe zone anyway."
"Wouldn't it... be a bother? My leg..." she hesitated, worried about being a burden.
"It's okay, the safe zone is pretty close. I can carry you," Diego replied with a broad smile, glad that I had taken the initiative to help the woman.
She seemed surprised, but quickly lowered her head, guilt weighing her down.
"Thank you... I'm sorry if I'm a burden."
Diego immediately took off his bag, ready to help.
"Let me carry this," I offered, even though I already had a bag on my back.
It felt better to make him feel a little lighter.
"Thank you," Diego said gently, then carefully lifted her onto his back.
I turned to look at her.
"Oh, I forgot to ask, what's your name?"
"Ah... my name is Ayla, Ayla Moreau," she replied, lifting her head slightly, offering a small, sincere smile.
Moreau... not a familiar name around here....
"Nice to meet you, Ayla. I'm Kai, and this is Diego," I said, trying to sound friendly.
Ayla smiled, though the worry still lingered in her eyes.
Ayla smiled, though worry still lingered in her eyes.
"Nice to meet you both."
"We need to hurry. Time's running out..." I glanced at the clock—three minutes left.
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00:04:00
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00:03:59
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We kept running, breaths heavy, each step feeling slower. But we couldn't stop.
Ahead, the beach stretched out before us.
Only 209 meters left, we were almost there.
But suddenly, the ground beneath our feet shook with incredible force, stronger than before.
Then the ground shook, harder than before.
The earthquake roared beneath us, nearly throwing me off balance.
My body was unsteady, my ears ringing from the tremors.
But what was even more terrifying came after the shaking stopped.
The sea....
The calm water we had just seen moments ago began to recede—fast.
Too fast.
My body went cold, panic rising.
"DIEGO! THE WATER!!!" I screamed, voice ragged.
Diego turned around, Ayla still in his arms, both of them shocked.
"T-TSUNAMI! A TSUNAMI IS COMING!!! HURRY!!!" I shouted, grabbing Diego's arm quickly, trying to snap him out of his confusion.
We didn't have time to hesitate, there was no choice but to run.
Diego finally came to his senses, and despite still being shocked, he quickly sprang into action.
With Ayla pressed tighter against his back, Diego ran with all the strength he had.
Ayla's face was pale, her eyes wide.
"The waves... big waves are coming," she trembled, staring at the darkening horizon.
I glanced to the side, and sure enough, the wave was coming, racing toward us at a speed that made my skin crawl.
I pointed ahead, my heart racing.
"THAT'S THE SAFE ZONE!" A building surrounded by green light.
The building was designed with a structure raised high from the ground, supported by a solid concrete foundation.
From a distance, I saw a small metal ladder outside the safe zone.
The ladder was attached to the side of the building, leaning at a steep angle.
A crowd of people stood at the top, watching the waves.
We had to make it there, no matter what.
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We ran, but the waves were too fast.
The parameters showed 103 meters left, 100 meters... just a little more time, just a little hope.
"Come on..." I whispered to myself, running toward the stairs, praying that we could make it.
I looked toward the safe zone, and I could see that some people had started to notice us.
Their stares, filled with pity and concern, seemed to say that we wouldn't make it in time.
I hated admitting it, but the reality was exactly that.
The waves were coming too fast.
The distance between us and the safe zone seemed like nothing now.
I knew we might not make it.
But despite the weight in my legs and the struggle to breathe, I kept running.
Even if it was all in vain.
The roar of the waves grew louder, closer. It felt like the end.
"I'm sorry, because of me..." Ayla's voice was faint, drowned by the noise, but I could feel the guilt in her words.
The emotion of guilt and regret was clear in her voice and the feeling I sensed, as if she felt responsible for everything that had happened, sorrowful that others had to sacrifice for her.
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WHOOSSSH...