The One Branch of The Tree
Chapter 8
The stone guardian attacked without warning, his greatsword swung horizontally with brutal force.
WHOOOSH!
I reflexively ducked, the wind from the slash was enough to mess up my hair, then the sword hit the stone wall behind me.
DUAAR!
The rock cracked, dust fell, I stared at the slash marks.
"Good."
“Can’t be hit.” Simple enough,
The Guardian pulled his sword out of the wall with ease. With such incredible strength, I immediately moved to the side, giving the monster no room to lock onto its target.
Bosses like this usually:
Slow
Hard
Irritating
Hopefully at least two out of three, I attack first stabbing the guardian's thigh.
CLANG.
Thorny Branch bounces.
…
I stared at my weapon, the Guardian stared at me. We both understood one thing: that had been embarrassing.
High defense as expected. Guardian raised his leg and kicked, and I barely had time to dodge.
BUK!
My body was thrown several meters away, my back hitting the floor.
“UGH!”
The forced breath was so painful, I rolled quickly before the large sword hit my fallen position.
BOOM!
The floor broke.
Okay, no more mistakes, I got up, clutching my chest. The increased vitality was a big help, but I was still human.
I activated Minor Mana Sense, focusing on sensing the energy flow. This guardian wasn't truly alive, but rather powered by mana core. This meant there had to be a weak point. I circled the guardian, searching for it. The monster attacked again with a vertical slash, which I dodged and then counterattacked at the arm.
CLANG.
Still useless.
“Yes, I know your armor is thick.”
"No need to show off."
I kept my eyes focused and then I saw it. On the back of the guardian's neck was a small red crystal embedded. Oh, my classic core, I like the predictable look.
The problem: the position is high and the guardian won't stay still waiting for me to need a pass, I took a breath.
"Good."
“Simple strategy.” Trap first,
I raised my hand.
Root Snare!
Roots coming out of the floor wrapped around the guardian's legs successfully a little, his movements slowed down but not completely stopped as expected the level difference was enough.
The guardian roared mechanically and tried to break the roots, I ran forward jumping onto the broken rock beside me and then onto the guardian's shoulder.
I love fantasy parkour. Guardian tried to grab me but I was faster, I climbed onto his back and reached his neck, and the red crystal was clearly visible.
"Meet."
I activated the Thorny Branch Ember Slash, it lit up with a small flame and then stabbed the crystal.
CRACK.
Guardian froze for a split second, cracks spread from his neck to his entire body so good, I jumped down. The next second
BOOM!
The guardian's body collapsed into a pile of stones, the room was silent, dust filled the air, I stood still, breathing heavily, my body ached but I was still alive and victorious.
A notification appears.
Ancient Stone Guardian defeated.
EXP gained.
High reward bonus.
Level 12 reached.
Level 13 reached.
Strength +2
Vitality +2
Mana +2
I smiled broadly.
“Useful.”
A further trial notification appears.
Trial complete.
Reward unlocked.
The black box on the altar opened automatically with a simple click, unfortunately there was no dramatic music. I approached inside the box was a plain black ring made of dark metal with small root carvings on its surface. The mana from it was very dense, then I touched it, as soon as my finger touched the ring, information entered my head.
Artifact obtained:
Rootkeeper Ring
Effect:
20 slot item storage
Small mana regeneration
Compatibility bonus with plant-type classes
I froze. A storage ring? Seriously? Jackpot. I immediately put the ring on, it fit perfectly. Great, I tried to focus, but a blank space appeared in my mind. 20 storage slots. I almost laughed with joy.
"Technology."
Finally no more awkwardly carrying random loot.
I entered:
Map
Food
Water bottle
Knife
Everything went into storage beautifully, this was the pinnacle of technological fantasy, I was very satisfied but when I was about to leave Minor Mana Sense suddenly reacted again there was something else still in this room.
I stopped focusing on this sensation coming from beneath the altar. A hidden compartment? Interesting. I looked around, found a small gap, pressed against a particular stone, and then clicked.
The altar slides open, revealing a small compartment, and inside is an old book with a dark green, dusty cover and gold root carvings. This book is even stranger than the previous artifact. I pick it up, and as soon as I touch it, a notification appears.
Skill Book detected.
Compatible with user.
Skill:
Nature Assimilation
Requirement:
Plant-compatible class.
I looked at the book then my class then the book again, I smiled.
“Oh.”
“So finally someone appreciates this class.”
I opened the book, green light enveloped my body, the skill information was immediately absorbed.
A notification appears.
Skill learned:
Nature Assimilation
Effect:
Speeds up regeneration when in natural areas.
Enhances sense of plants and resources.
Minor healing while resting.
I nodded in satisfaction. The sustain skill was excellent. I was now even more suited to being a forest dweller. Survival completed, dungeon cleared, artifact obtained, skill doubled. Today had been a truly productive day, I checked my quest progress.
Day 2/7
Survival continues.
Only the second day.
And I have:
kill a classmate
kill hunter
clear mini dungeon
can storage ring
Honestly, making solid progress, I left the altar room and climbed back to the surface. The sky outside was already dark, the second night had begun, but this time it was different. I was stronger, more prepared, and most importantly, I was beginning to understand one thing: this forest wasn't just a dangerous place, it was a resource-rich opportunity zone.
If I could survive seven days I might come out as a monster just like planned but when I came out of the ruins I stopped because in front of the entrance there was someone standing.
A woman with short black hair, light armor, holding two daggers, her gaze was sharp and clearly not a monster, not an ordinary hunter either, she stared at me for a few seconds then said,
“So you're the one who's causing a commotion in this forest.”
I sighed.
“Popularity is tiring.”
The woman slightly raised her eyebrows assessing, analyzing the danger, pulling out she spun one of her daggers.
"Calm."
“I haven't decided whether to kill you or not.”
I smiled faintly.
"Good."
“Because I haven't decided whether I want to believe you or not.”
The second night suddenly became more interesting.
[END CHAPTER 8]
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