The One Branch of The Tree
- Raka, an ordinary high school student, dies of exhaustion and is reincarnated with his entire class into a fantasy world. There, everyone receives a class and a blessing from the gods to start a new life. While his friends acquire powerful classes like knight, mage, healer, and assassin, Raka is given the class considered the weakest and most shameful: the One Tree Branch.
- Considered a burden and a threat to the group, Raka was betrayed and hunted by his own friends on their first day of arrival. Cornered in the Forbidden Forest, a place known as a region full of monsters and death, Raka discovered his class' true ability: Devour Root, the power to absorb the attributes, energy, and even skills of anyone he kills.
- Since then, his life changed completely.
- To survive, Raka is forced to kill monsters, bounty hunters, and the people who hunt him. Each victory makes him grow stronger, while his class weapon slowly evolves from a lowly twig into an increasingly terrifying weapon.
- In the midst of his struggle for survival, Raka meets Nara, a mysterious girl wielding two daggers who has her own agenda in the Forbidden Forest. Together with Nara, Raka enters the Core Zone, the mysterious center of the forest filled with ancient ruins, artifacts, and a dangerous organization called the White Council.
- There, Raka discovers that his class resonates with a mysterious entity called the False World Tree, a giant tree that is the source of the anomalies in the Forbidden Forest.
- The deeper he unravels the secrets of the False World Tree, the more it becomes clear that the One Tree Trunk class is not a failed class, but rather a forbidden fragment of the true World Tree-a power that has long been sealed away because it was thought to be capable of destroying the balance of the world.
- Now Raka is at a crossroads: take revenge on his friends who betrayed him, or pursue the truth behind the World Tree fragment that is now directly connected to him.
- But one thing is certain, the more power he absorbs, the closer he gets to something far more dangerous than death: losing himself and becoming the new vessel for the World Tree.
Chapters
Share
Chapter 18
Two minutes of rest turned into about thirty seconds, because of course my life was unfamiliar with the concept of healthy recovery.
The ground shook again. The Colossus on the other side of the chasm still hadn't given up. The monster slammed against the cliff repeatedly, trying to find another way out. A true hater, I stood there with a deep sigh.
"Okay."
“It seems the universe is rejecting the balance of life.”
Nara had already started, which was no surprise. We continued along the narrow, rocky path, the area was higher, cooler, a thick fog was beginning to descend, and the trees were becoming sparser.
The good thing is there are fewer places for monsters to hide. The bad thing? There are also fewer places for us to hide.
The quest countdown continues.
Time remaining:
08:13:44
Finally a single digit of motivation increased slightly, I stared at that number like an investor looks at a green or hopeful graph.
We kept moving until night fell and the sky was completely dark, the faint stars were visible through the mist for the first time in days, the atmosphere felt... calm, truly calm, no monsters, no cult followers, no dungeons collapsing, it was refreshing.
I sat on a large rock, my completely exhausted body was slowly recovering thanks to Nature Assimilation, Nara was sitting not far from me, strangely quiet but not bad, I glanced at him.
“Are you always like this?”
Nara turned around slightly.
"Like what?"
"Quiet type."
He thought for a moment.
“Yes.”
That makes sense, I nodded then asked,
"Why enter the Forbidden Forest?"
Nara was silent longer this time, I thought she wouldn't answer but finally she spoke.
“Looking for something.”
Cryptic? Of course. I smiled slightly.
“Everyone in this world is allergic to complete answers.”
Nara stared at the small fire in front.
"If you know too much, you usually die faster."
Hmm, fair, very fair, I looked up at the sky. Maybe he was right—since coming into this world, the more I learned, the bigger my problems became. The development and consequences were balanced.
The countdown continues.
03:22:18
As we got closer I started to feel a little emotional, seven whole days felt like seven years. I closed my eyes for a moment then
notification appears.
Quest nearly complete.
Prepare for reward synchronization.
Oh? Interesting, I sat up straight.
Reward synchronization, I open the quest details.
Quest:
Survive 7 days in the Forbidden Forest
Reward:
Blessing upgrade
Random skill
Hidden title
I read the gift twice. Okay, it was worth it, the trauma was partially repaid, I smiled.
“Maybe all this suffering is worth it.”
Nara looked at me like I had just said something incredibly naive, a natural reaction. Time passed very slowly, each minute felt like an eternity, but eventually
final notification appears.
Quest completed.
Survive 7 days in Forbidden Forest.
Reward distribution starting.
YES. FINALLY.
I almost stood up and applauded. A green light appeared in my body. It was warm, not painful, a rare experience. Thank you very much.
Notifications appear in succession.
Blessing upgraded.
New blessing:
Blessing of the Withered World Tree
New skill acquired:
Predator Sense
Title obtained:
The Forsaken Survivor
Effect:
Fear resistance +
Survival instinct +
Level bonus:
+1
Current level: 19
I read it all with a big smile.
"Good."
"Very good."
Finally reward without evolution nearing the death of character development, I read the new blessing.
Blessing of the Withered World Tree:
Increases compatibility with fragments, nature energy, corruption resistance, and adaptive growth.
Sounds broken, I agree.
New skills:
Predator Sense:
Detects killing intent and hidden dangers around.
Oh, that's very useful, especially for someone with an above-average level of betrayal. I'm very satisfied. Nara noticed the notification on my face.
“Got something good?”
I nodded.
“Premium trauma package.”
Nara tilted her head, I sighed.
“That means yes.”
He nodded slightly, the conversation successful, but after the gift was finished, the ground beneath us began to glow, and I froze. Oh no, please no, not again. A large magic circle appeared around my feet.
New notification.
Exit protocol activated.
Returning participant to spawn region.
I blinked, waiting. Teleporting out? Automatically? I looked at Nara, she was also looking at the circle, her expression slightly changed for the first time, looking... unprepared.
“So this is an automatic goodbye?” I asked.
Nara was silent for a few seconds then nodded, I guess yes. The light grew brighter, meaning the teleport would activate. I stared at her.
“I don't even know your real goal yet.”
Nara looked back at me, her gaze calm as usual but this time a little softer.
"Live longer," he said.
“That would help.”
I chuckled.
“Advice that really suits your brand.”
The corners of Nara's lips lifted slightly, almost into a smile. The light grew stronger, and my body began to feel lighter. I raised one hand.
“See you, Nara.”
He nodded.
"See you later, Raka."
The next second light engulfed my vision the world changed, teleport activated and when my consciousness returned I was no longer in the Forbidden Forest but in a large, crowded and noisy stone hall filled with people.
Humans, Armor, Mages, Knights, and all those very familiar faces. Yes, those were my classmates, and I froze them too.
Silence suddenly filled the hall, their gazes fixed on me at my tattered clothes, the black sword in my hand the aura now far different and the level above my head.
19
I saw their expressions of shock, disbelief, a little fear, good, a small smile appeared on my face, finally we meet again.
[END CHAPTER 18]
You may also like
8.3
Betrayed at the altar. Replaced by her own sister.
On what should have been the happiest day of her life, Amara loses everything-her fiancé, her dignity, and her future.
But that same night, a dangerous man steps out of the shadows with an offer she can't refuse.
Marriage. Power. Revenge.
Now bound to a ruthless CEO, Amara is ready to destroy everyone who betrayed her.
There's just one problem...
Her new husband knows more about her past than he should.
And the closer she gets to revenge-
the more she realizes she may have married the man who ruined her in the first place.
8.4
I worked three double shifts at the garage just to buy a velvet-boxed cake for my wealthy girlfriend, Arleen.
But when I pushed open the VIP room door, I saw her lover kissing her bare leg.
She didn't push him away. Instead, she laughed and swirled her martini.
"I only forgot Finn because I knew he would stay. He is a poor boy from Queens who follows me around like a loyal dog."
Later that night, her lover intentionally crashed a Porsche to scare me, sending a piece of jagged metal into my skull.
Lying in a growing pool of my own blood, I watched Arleen crawl out of the wreckage.
She didn't even look at me. She threw herself at her uninjured lover, screaming for a medic.
"He just got scraped by a piece of plastic. He is faking it. Deal with Jaquez first!"
When I woke up, I wasn't free. Arleen had locked me in a private hospital wing with 24-hour security, planning to isolate me and keep me as her broken, captive toy forever.
My blind, pathetic devotion finally froze into absolute disgust.
I looked at the heart monitor next to my bed and grabbed an IV needle.
I severed the sensor wire to trigger a flatline, slipped out the fire stairs while the nurses panicked, and burned my identity to ashes.
This time, I was going to disappear to London, build my own empire, and watch hers burn.
7.2
Clifton, the god of esports, was secretly battling a career-ending wrist injury to protect his team.
A year ago, he kissed his duo partner, Justice, only to be met with violent disgust. Justice shoved him away and dry-heaved in the rain, looking at him like a monster.
Humiliated by the straight man's raw revulsion, Clifton cut him out of his life.
But now, Justice suddenly appeared at Clifton's club as a rookie tryout.
Instead of an ambitious climber, Justice played the perfect, pathetic victim. He cowered, trembled, and acted terrified whenever Clifton was near.
He even signed a bloodsucking contract with a toxic teammate, sparking rumors he was brought in to replace Clifton as captain.
During a scrimmage, Clifton hesitated to shoot because he remembered Justice had just severely burned his hand.
Justice showed no mercy. He ruthlessly gunned Clifton down, humiliating the captain in front of the entire coaching staff.
Clifton was consumed by blinding rage and betrayal.
If Justice was so disgusted by him, why did he fake his devotion for six months just to use him?
Why was he acting like helpless prey now, after trampling all over Clifton's pride?
Determined to rip off the liar's disguise, Clifton dragged Justice into a live stream in front of sixty thousand viewers.
"He's asking if you are in love with me."
Clifton smiled cruelly, waiting for the public execution. But just as the trap snapped shut, a choked, terrified gasp came through the headset.
8.6
Lilac Stone once wanted nothing more than being unnoticed. But everything changed the moment she met Adrian Cole, the new lecturer.
He's distant and completely off-limits. She's quiet, guarded, and unprepared for the way he sees right through her.
What begins as harmless conversations after class quickly turns into something far more dangerous-something neither of them can stop no matter how hard they try.
But then they're living in a world where rules are meant to be followed, and their connection is one line they were never supposed to cross.
Whispers turn to accusations. Secrets are exposed. Their futures are at risk.
They are merely two opposites-a lecturer and a student, a male and a female-but they are bound to destroy each other as long as they are huddled in one space at the same time.
What then can they choose: forfeit their futures and embrace their happiness, or let the latter slip while keeping their careers intact?
8.8
"Fuck...please..."
He risks a nibble, sending shockwaves to my core. My back arches off the wall with a sharp moan.
His hand slides between my legs, cupping my soaking panties.
"Look how wet you are," he whispers, "...shaking, and I haven't even fucked you yet."
He strokes my clit gently first, then harder. My toes curl, hair spilling into my sweaty face.
He's breaking me, ruining me with just his tongue and fingers. I can't speak. I can't think. I just tremble in his arms.
*********
The night I caught my fiancé cheating, something in me broke.
I cried.
I screamed.
I drove - into the rain, into nowhere, into him.
Cassian Cross.
A stranger with gray eyes, a sinful mouth, and hands that made me forget my name.
One night was all it took. One reckless mistake to burn away my heartbreak.
Until he showed up at my mom's wedding...
As my new stepbrother.
Now, Cassian won't stop.
He corners me in hallways, whispers filth at the altar, and looks at me like he still owns my body.
But there's one thing he didn't tell me-
He already belongs to someone else.
A fiancée bound to him by a contract... and a secret that could destroy us both.
He's dangerous.
He's forbidden.
He's promised to another.
And God help me, I still can't stop wanting him.
9.7
Gemma expected the tearing agony of the bullet wound that had just ended her life.
Instead, her trembling fingers met the cool, smooth friction of heavy silk.
She stared into the mirror. Her face was flawless, completely devoid of the jagged scar that had marred her cheek for the last five years.
It was exactly ten years ago. The day of her engagement party to the ruthless billionaire, Brion Hubbard.
In her past life, her "best friend" Katelyn convinced her to run away with a scheming scumbag.
Katelyn claimed Brion was a heartless tyrant who would ruin her. Gemma had foolishly believed those fake tears.
That choice led to her family's bankruptcy, her brutal disfigurement, and ultimately, a fatal bomb explosion.
The only person who tried to save her was Brion, his blood-soaked body shielding hers from the blast.
She even realized too late that the strawberry cream cakes she always made for him were full of dairy.
He wasn't leaving to cheat on her. He was locking himself in a medical bay, fighting fatal allergic shock, just to accept a tiny scrap of her affection.
Gemma had been so incredibly blind. Why did she trust the venomous snakes who destroyed her, while hating the man who died for her?
Hearing Katelyn frantically knocking on the dressing room door, urging her to run away again, a towering hatred surged through Gemma's veins.
This time, she wasn't going to run.
She was going to expose the traitors, take back her family's wealth, and claim the tyrant for herself.