The pain jolted him awake.
Foster opened his eyes and gasped, his body wracked by violent spasms. An invisible fire burned in his gut, radiating to the very marrow of his bones. He sat up suddenly, his breath ragged as the golden filaments in his veins pulsed with abnormal intensity.
Something was wrong.
His Ki was chaotic, fluctuating, difficult to control. His magic, usually fluid and precise, was becoming capricious. He could feel a presence inside him, a parasite clinging to his essence, draining his vital energy at an alarming rate.
Then a message popped into his mind.
[System Alert]
[Instability detected in the World Tree Seed].
[Synchronisation level: 68% (unstable)]
Foster gritted his teeth, feeling a searing wave of pain shoot up his spine. The Seed was dying.
He didn't know why, but it was crying out for something he couldn't give it.
His stomach churned. If it died inside him, he didn't know what the consequences would be, but he was certain it wouldn't just kill him. It would be worse. He could be reduced to a burnt-out carcass, or worse still... be devoured by the World Tree itself.
He had to find what she needed.
Three days passed.
Three days passed.
Foster explored the forest relentlessly, but there was no answer. He hunted animals, devoured their flesh to see if it filled the void... in vain.
Then came the bloody night.
He had ventured deeper into an ancient valley lined with massive roots and stagnant mists. A smell of putrefaction hung in the air, like that of the laboratory.
This is where he found them.
A pack of these foul creatures stood around the mutilated remains of a deer. Their bodies were a misshapen amalgam of flesh, claws and hate-filled eyes. Their dark skin throbbed with the corrupt energy that animated them.
The largest of them, a massive monster with twisted muscles and a mouth slit to the ears, turned slowly towards Foster, sniffing him out.
He knew.
They could smell Foster's vitality and warm blood.
A roar broke the silence and the pack charged.
Foster leapt back, narrowly avoiding the first attack. A monstrous claw ripped through the ground where he'd been a moment earlier, sending shards of stone flying through the air.
ONE.
He moved at lightning speed, his Ki exploding with every muscle impulse. His devouring katana split the air, cutting the throat of the first Obscurus. Its black blood spread across the ground like thick oil.
SECOND;
He swung round and thrust his blade into the torso of another, before summoning his roots at the speed of sound. The vines sprang up, piercing the deformed bodies with merciless precision.
THREE. FOUR. FIVE.
But the pack was innumerable.
Fangs sank into his side, causing him to grunt in pain. He kicked the creature away, but another leapt onto his back, sinking its claws into his flesh.
He felt his blood run cold, the heat invading him. A twisted smile stretched his lips.
Perfect.
His Ki exploded in a surge of raw energy, propelling the creatures in all directions. He went back on guard.
Facing him, the leader of the pack.
A three-metre-tall colossus, its muscles swollen with dark energy, its jaw filled with dagger-sharp fangs. Its red eyes stared at Foster with a mixture of hunger and rage.
The monster attacked first, bringing its massive arm down on Foster. He dodged, ducking under the attack with supernatural grace, and counter-attacked.
His katana bit into the colossus' flesh, but the blade was stopped by a chitinous carapace. Foster stepped back just in time to avoid a deadly counter-attack.
It wasn't enough.
He tightened his grip on his weapon, his smile widening.
In one leap, he channelled all his Ki into his legs and propelled himself above the monster. In mid-air, he summoned the roots of the World Tree.
They sprang up from the ground with infernal speed, encircling the beast like a living trap.
The creature screamed and struggled, but the roots tightened, crushing its bones with a sickening crack.
In one fluid motion, Foster brought his katana down on its skull, splitting it in two.
Silence fell again.
His body was on fire. The Seed of the World Tree pulsed in his chest like a hungry beast, and every beat sounded in his bones like a war drum.
Then his gaze fell on her.
In the centre of the corpse of the colossus he had just slaughtered, something abnormal glinted in the darkness.
A black stone, embedded in what appeared to be the creature's heart. It gave off an oppressive aura, oozing an unhealthy energy, like a corrupted core still beating faintly.
Foster approached it slowly, and when his hand was only a few centimetres away...
[System Alert]
[Compatible energy detected]
[Absorb]
[Yes / No]
- What a question! OF COURSE!' Foster almost shouted in relief.
Foster didn't even have time to react.
The stone evaporated before his eyes, black wisps escaping from its core and hurtling straight towards him. The energy seeped through his skin, flowing like venom through his veins, merging directly with the Seed inside him.
The pain was immediate. Unbearable.
A scream escaped him as his body buckled under the impact. An emerald-green and ocean-blue inferno exploded inside him, running through every fibre of his being, tearing at his flesh from the inside.
He collapsed to his knees, his hands buried in the soft earth, his breath ragged. His muscles convulsed violently, his bones seeming to distort under the pressure of a force he could not control. His vision blurred, the contours of the world distorting like a badly stretched canvas.
Every beat of his heart was a storm. Every breath an agony.
Tendrils of energy erupted from his skin, crackling around him in flashes of green and blue. His veins glowed like luminescent rivers, snaking under his skin in esoteric patterns that pulsed in unison with the Seed.
She was feeding.
She devoured the dark energy, purifying it, transforming it into a brute force that strengthened every cell of her body.
But the price she had to pay was colossal.
His memories cracked under the impact, his consciousness flickering between reality and an abyss of nightmarish visions. He saw gigantic forests, vanished elven cities, immense creatures wandering beneath misty skies. He heard ancient voices, whispers in a language he did not yet understand.
He was changing.
The transformation initiated by the Seed was not complete. Absorbing this dark energy accelerated the process, reshaping every part of his being. His muscles became firmer, more powerful and supple. His senses sharpened beyond recognition. He could hear the wind on the leaves, feel the slightest change in temperature on his skin.
Above all, he felt a deeper connection with the natural world around him.
The World Tree was responding to him.
Then, suddenly, everything stopped.
The pain faded like a flame being blown out. His body froze, trembling under the effect of the accumulated energy. He remained kneeling, panting, his eyes wide, his mind trying to understand what had just happened.
The silence was total.
Then a new notification sounded before his eyes.
[The seed of the world tree has grown].
The Seed needed this energy. The World Tree wasn't just a source of pure life... it was also a predator. And he, as its host, now had to hunt to feed it.
A twisted smile stretched his lips.
He rose slowly to his feet, his new senses straining in the darkness of the forest. Every sound, every distant heartbeat, every breath of wind reached him with distinct clarity.
He glanced at the Obscurus carcasses scattered around him.
- Pray I don't find you
[Current Host Status]
[Race] : Elf of the World Tree
[Knight of rank 4]
[Adept Rank 3]
[Talents : Intermediate in fencing, Legendary in magic]
[Innate Talent] : Child of the World Tree, Giver of Life.
[Level 2: 5/20]
[Strength] : 72
[Stamina] : 70
[Constitution] : 70
[Perception]: 76
[Magic]: 68
[Skill : Fulgurance Tempestive, Multiple shot, Fireball].
[Equipment : Grimoire, Devourer's Katana
- OMG, a whole level of power, ahaha the obscurus have become my blessing !
A light lit up in Foster's eyes.
- Now there's a chance.