Darkness... utter silence—no sound, no movement, no sense of a body.
Suddenly, a warm light began to seep through the void, like sunlight tearing through the veil of death. A muddled consciousness started to awaken, accompanied by strange emotions and a profound sense of disorientation.
"What's happening? Where am I?"
But the shock was too great to grasp easily.
There were no hands, no feet, not even a voice to scream with...
What he felt wasn't skin or flesh, but something still, embedded in the earth. Roots stretched out, small branches trembled in the breeze, and leaves shimmered with dew.
He had... become a tree.
And in an instant, a mechanical voice rang in his mind—clear, as if etched into his soul:
> [Evolution System Activated.]
[Identity: Small Tree (Rare Type).]
[Stage: Seedling in Growth Phase.]
[Initial Skills: Light Absorption – Water Absorption – Photosynthesis.]
[Calculating Current Vital Energy...]
"A system? I'm... a tree? Did I die and reincarnate like this?"
Shock thundered through him, but he didn't have the luxury of time, as the system began displaying options:
Develop Roots (Double absorption speed)
Strengthen Trunk (Shock resistance)
Activate Awareness (Unlock the ability to think and perceive)
He chose "Develop Roots."
Instantly, a surge of power flowed through his depths, as if his roots had pierced deeper into the earth, greedily absorbing moisture and nutrients. Energy began to flow, and his mind grew clearer, closer to awareness.
Hours passed as he observed life around him: squirrels leaping through branches, birds building nests, and the light shifting from sunrise to sunset.
But one day, the ground shook beneath heavy footsteps.
A wild tiger appeared—massive, its eyes ablaze with hunger. It roared, shaking the forest. Its breath was hot, saliva dripping, and it began approaching the tree.
The tree... him.
"I can't run... I can't even move! Am I going to be eaten? Is this how I'll die?"
And for the first time since arriving in this world, something primal erupted from deep within: a will to survive.
Just before the tiger reached him, the system interface flared once more:
> [Vital Energy has exceeded required threshold!]
[Emergency Option Unlocked: Temporary Defensive Skill.]
[Do you wish to activate it?]
That was the moment of decision... the moment true evolution began.
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