"Who is there?!"

The voice broke the silence, one of the White Council members raised his sword and stared directly at the bush where we were hiding. 

Great, our stealth mode lasted about five minutes—a touching feat. Nara and I exchanged glances for a split second. She already had her two daggers in hand, her gaze focused and calm, as if this was just a normal morning routine. I was a little envious.

“Any plans?” I whispered.

Nara answered briefly.

"There is."

I waited, he glanced at me.

“Don't die.”

I stared at him blankly.

“An inspiring plan.”

Nara didn't respond, moving first, her body darting out of hiding like a shadow too fast. One of the White Council members hadn't even finished reacting when Nara appeared in front of him, two daggers flashing.

SHRAK.

Blood spurted out as the man collapsed cleanly, efficiently and alarmingly, I got out a few seconds later.

“Okay, negotiations failed,” I shouted casually.

Now all eyes were on us, the blue-robed leader narrowed his eyes, his gaze stopping on me and then on the Thorny Branch in my hand, his expression changing slightly. Oh? Interesting.

"That child." he said softly.

“So it's true.”

I don't like that tone too much implied knowledge, one of the other members attacked me with a short sword fast movement more practiced than a normal hunter I blocked.

CLANG!

The impact was quite severe but manageable. I parried his sword and then stabbed, but he dodged.    Not bad, at least he wasn't a disposable NPC. 

The White Council clearly has high recruitment standards, which is annoying to me. Meanwhile, Nara is fighting two people at once and winning quite convincingly. I'm starting to believe this woman isn't just "fairly strong." She's clearly way above my level, a good ally and a potential enemy nightmare. 

I refocused on my opponent slashing quickly towards the neck, I ducked then counterattacked with a flaming Thorny Branch Ember Slash, I slashed and my attack hit the armor on his shoulder a small fire spread the man winced. 

Good, damage comes in, he retreats, I don't give him any space to run forward, Root Snare! Roots come out of the ground, wrapping around his legs successfully.

"WHAT?!"

I immediately stabbed his stomach, the attack was confirmed, his body weakened and then died, the Devour Root activated automatically, energy flowed in, hot, addictive.

A notification appears.

Human target slain.

Strength +1

Dexterity +1

EXP gained.

Level 14 reached.

Good, I raised my head, there were still three people left including the leader and he hadn't moved, just observing, I didn't like that. 

People who are too calm usually have problems with Nara completing her second target, two bodies fell almost simultaneously she was really unreasonable. 

Now only the blue-robed leader was left alone, he looked at his fallen subordinates without much emotion, coldly, professionally then he sighed.

“Incompetent.”

Wow, he raised his metal staff and the mana around him instantly became denser, heavier, I tensed up automatically.

A notification appears.

Target identified:

Aldric

White Council Executor

Level unreadable.

Threat: Very High

It was unreadable, I hated that writing. Aldric was looking at me, not Nara, I was fully focused.

“We have been looking for a resonance holder for a long time,” he said.

I frowned.

“Can you use more human language?”

Aldric ignored me.

“Surrender yourself.”

“No,” I answered quickly.

No need to complicate things, Aldric tilted his head slightly as if he had already expected the answer.

"Of course."

He raised his wand and a magic circle appeared beneath my feet. Oh no, I jumped back but it was too late.

BOOM!

Black ice exploded from the ground, narrowly missing my feet. I stared at the frozen remains of the explosion. The surrounding area instantly froze. 

Okay, Mage, good. Why is it always mages? Aldric attacked again, three ice spears forming in the air, hurtling towards me. I dodged two, and one grazed my shoulder. A sharp chill spread instantly.

    “Ah!”

It hurt, it wasn't pleasant at all. Nara finally stepped in, charging at Aldric from a blind spot. Her dagger was aimed at his neck, but Aldric raised one hand, and a transparent barrier appeared.

THING!

Nara's attack was blocked by Aldric staring at him blankly.

“Disturber.”

It releases a mana shock wave.

HANDS!

Nara was thrown several meters.

Oh, that wasn't an ideal situation, not at all ideal. Aldric was far stronger than the other subordinates. The difference was palpable, I gritted my teeth.

Minor Mana Sense caught a strange mana flow in his staff which was the main source, of course mage and staff dependent, I shouted at Nara.

“The stick!”

He immediately understood the good cooperation, Aldric attacked again using ice chains this time. The ice chains shot out from the ground, I dodged, rolled, got up, and ran closer. Aldric seemed a little displeased with me getting in close. 

Good, he retreated while keeping his distance again but Nara appeared from the left her dagger hitting the stick.

CRACK.

A small crack appeared, and Aldric finally showed a hint of anger. Excellent, I activated Ember Slash, gathering all my mana. The Thorny Branch flared brighter, and I leaped and stabbed straight into the staff.

CRAAACK!

The stick cracked, and the mana exploded wildly. Aldric's eyes widened.

“Nooooo”

BOOM!

The mana explosion threw us all away, my body hitting a large root, my breath escaping, my vision slightly blurry. It hurt so much, I forced myself to stand up and look ahead. 

Aldric knelt down, his staff shattered, his mana distorted, and his face showed a panicked expression for the first time. Fortunately, Nara had already stood up and walked toward Aldric with her dagger in hand. 

Aldric looked at us both and chuckled. I frowned, wondering why villains always do this before something bad happens. Aldric pulled out a small crystal from his robes. Oh no, that was a very suspicious object. He crushed it.

CRUSH.

White light exploded a teleport circle appeared, I moved forward.

 “Wait!”

Too late, Aldric disappeared, teleporting out, a villain privilege. The room fell silent again, or rather, the tree area fell silent again, and I took a deep breath.

“Great.”

“We just made an enemy of the organization.”

Nara cleaned the blood from her dagger.

“It was from the start.”

A reasonable point, I looked around the corpses, the giant tree roots, the excavation area and something new because after the fight earlier the part of the roots near the tree opened up like a door to a passageway going down and you could see a large amount of mana flowing from inside.

A notification appears.

Hidden path unlocked.

Destination:

Core Chamber

I looked at the writing then looked at Nara, she also saw it, it was silent for two seconds then I smiled faintly.

"So."

"Enter?"

Nara put her dagger back in.

"Clear."

"Yeah, stupid question," we looked at each other and without another word, began walking down the underground passageway to the true core of the False World Tree. I had a bad feeling, which usually means good story progress.

[END CHAPTER 11]

The passageway leading underground was much older than the previous ruins, the stone walls were filled with fine cracks, tree roots penetrated almost the entire surface as if this place was slowly being swallowed alive by something. 

The faint green light emanating from the roots provided enough light to walk and the perfect setting for bad life decisions.

I walked behind Nara not out of politeness but because she was clearly more experienced in dealing with deadly traps.

“How long has this place been around?” I asked quietly.

Nara nodded.

“Much older than the surrounding kingdoms.”

“How old?”

"No one knows."

"That's a very helpful answer," I sighed. My Minor Mana Sense was working hard, and the deeper we went, the stronger the sensation, like a slow, steady pulse, like a heartbeat. I paused for a moment as Nara turned around.

"What is it?"

I touched the rooted wall.

“This place... is alive.”

Nara didn't look surprised.

“Yes.”

Excuse me? That's information that should have been discussed first, but I decided not to dwell on it. Some facts in this world are better understood before the brain decides to stop. 

The hallway finally ended before us, a large stone door covered in roots, strange carvings covering its surface—circles, branches, eyes—a bit unsettling. As I approached, the Thorny Branch in my hand began to vibrate more violently than before.

A notification appears.

Class resonance increasing.

Compatible source nearby.

Evolution chance detected.

My heart beat faster Nara saw my expression.

“Another reaction?”

I nodded.

“Getting stronger.”

Nara looked at the door.

“Then you open it.”

“Why do I feel like this is a bad idea?”

“Because that's how it is.”

Honesty remains consistent, I approached the door while raising the Thorny Branch, as soon as the tip touched the surface of the root the entire door shook.

KRRAAAK.

The roots began to move, slowly opening a path. Okay, a little creepy. The door opened and the room beyond made me pause for breath for a moment. 

The room was enormous, almost like a giant underground hall. The high ceiling was lined with glowing roots, and in the center of the room was the core. 

A dark green crystal the size of a grown man floated in the air and connected to large roots throughout the room the energy from it was incredibly dense, ancient, unstable.

Notifications appear automatically.

Target identified:

World Tree Fragment

Status: Corrupted

I read the writing slowly. Fragments? So my class is really related to this. Nara took a few steps in, her gaze focused and serious.

“Finally,” he muttered.

I looked at him.

“You know about this?”

Nara was silent for a few seconds then nodded slightly.

"Part."

“Explanation?” I asked.

I guess after a few near-death experiences, I deserve some knowledge. Nara stared at the crystal.

“There used to be a real World Tree.”

“The center of mana and the balance of the world.”

Classic fantasy infrastructure he continued.

“But something destroyed it.”

“The fragments are scattered.”

“Some are missing.”

“Some are sealed.”

His gaze hardened.

“And some... are corrupted.”

I saw the crystal in front. It makes sense, the aesthetic is very damaged.

“And my class?” I asked.

Nara glanced at me.

“I think your class is one of the fragments.”

I was speechless, well that wasn't a small piece of information at all.

“You mean I brought the World Tree shard?”

"Less is more." he said calmly.

That was more or less a very important detail to reveal casually, I stared at the Thorny Branch my weapon was pulsing again faster, stronger, as if calling or being called.

A new notification appears.

Evolution available.

Condition:

Absorb corrupted fragment.

Warning:

High risk.

Unknown mutation possible.

I stared at the writing for a long, long time and then chuckled.

“Of course there are warnings.”

It can never be just a normal upgrade there is always the possibility of horror, Nara approaches.

“What are the options?”

I showed him the notification, he read it and his expression didn't change, it was still calm to the point of being annoying.

“If it works?”

"Evolution."

"What if it fails?"

I pointed to the writing.

“Unknown mutation.”

Nara thought for a moment. Then she said,

“That sounds bad.”

“Sharp analysis.”

We stood silently, staring at the fragment. This was clearly its true purpose, I could feel it. My class was hungry, there was a strong instinctive urge to absorb, to take, to grow very strong. 

It was a little disturbing, like a faint voice in my head saying, "Take it, absorb it, complete it." I gritted my teeth, trying to hold back the urge. Okay, a little creepy.

“Cancer.”

Nara's voice cut through my thoughts, I turned to see her expression was more serious than usual.

“If you do this, there may be no turning back.”

The tone was different, not cold, not sarcastic, but honest. Concern? Character development detected, I looked at the crystal again and chuckled,

“I think the way back was lost since I was thrown into the forest.”

A fair assessment, I took one step forward, two steps closer to the fragment. The mana in the room began to swirl, the roots trembled, the Thorny Branch glowed brighter.

Notifications are flashing.

Absorption started?

Not yet, my hand was only a few centimeters from the crystal. My heart was beating fast, the air felt heavy. Nara stepped back a little, I took a breath.

“If I turn into a strange monster”

“Don’t worry,” said Nara.

"I will kill you."

I turned to him.

“…very supportive.”

"Thank You."

My usual expressionless expression was blank, and I smiled faintly. Well, let's see if this is the biggest upgrade of my life or the worst decision yet. Likely both. I placed my hand on the crystal, and the world instantly changed.

BOOOOM!

A dark green light exploded filling the entire room, excruciating pain shot through my body as if every bone was being broken at once, I screamed,

“AAAAARGH!”

The wild mana entering my body was not just mana but something much older, greater and stranger.

Notifications appear in succession.

Corrupted Fragment detected.

Forced synchronization initiated.

Compatibility test in progress.

Oh, that sounds terrible, very terrible. My body began to lose control. The Thorny Branches cracked and deformed, black roots sprouted from the floor and wrapped around my body. 

Pain level: unacceptable, I almost lost consciousness.

The last notification appears.

Evolution beginning.

Please survive.

…This system is very helpful emotionally my vision is starting to darken Nara's voice sounds faint.

“Cancer!”

Then everything went black.

[END CHAPTER 12]

It was dark, there was no sound, no light, no feeling, just emptiness. I floated in the darkness without form, without direction, without a body, but I could feel a strange and calming feeling. 

Am I dying again? If so, I'm starting to feel like my life's death system is getting too repetitive. I try to move, but I can't. I try to speak, but there's no sound. Then something appears, a small, faint green light floating in the distance. 

One dot like a firefly, I stared at it and the dot started to slowly get closer and closer, getting bigger until finally I realized it wasn't a light but a leaf. 

A dark green leaf floated in front of me and then a voice came not through my ears but directly in my head or maybe within my being.

“Fragment.”

I froze. Okay, voices in the void are never convincing.

“Who?” I asked.

Or think it's hard to distinguish here, the voice is back.

“What's left.”  Samar.

Of course.

“Can you be more specific?”

Silence then the light around me changed, the darkness began to crack I saw something that was a fragment of a giant tree that was very big, so big that its branches felt like they were supporting the sky, its roots penetrated the land, its leaves were like stars. 

Beautiful, ancient, terrifying, I knew without explanation that it was the real World Tree. Then the image changed to a red sky, a fire, and a large black shadow. Something attacked the tree; I couldn't make out its shape clearly, only a silhouette and fear. A very primal fear.

Trees cracked, branches snapped, roots uprooted, the whole world seemed to be screaming. Fragments flew and scattered, one of them heading towards the darkness, towards me. 

The vision stopped, I was back in the void my heart was beating faster or I was just imagining having a heart.

“So my class…” I muttered.

The voice answered.

"Fragment."

“From the World Tree?”

“Yes.”

Well confirmed cool and a bit worrying, I stared at the leaf.

"And now?"

There was silence for a few seconds. Then:

"Grow."

Simple but straight to the point very structured in tree code, I sighed.

“Everyone in this world likes to talk like a riddle, right?”

There was no answer the leaf slowly approached touching my forehead and suddenly PAIN, I screamed.

“AAAAARGH!”

Consciousness hit me like a truck again, all the pain that had disappeared came rushing back to my bones, muscles, nerves, and mana. 

Everything burned as I opened my eyes, my body suddenly arched in pain, and I was back in the Core Room. Stone floors, roots, green light, and the most illicit pain.

“Cancer!” 

Nara's voice was faint, I could barely focus my body was covered in greenish black roots wrapping around my arms, chest, neck as if my body was being rewritten. 

The thorny branch in my hand cracked, broke, lengthened, the wood hardened, thorns grew and then its shape changed completely.

Notifications appear in succession.

Evolution successful.

Class upgraded.

Weapon evolved.

Thorny Branch → World Thorn Sword

Skill evolved.

Devour Root → World Root Devour

New skill acquired:

Root Domain

Corruption Resistance

Level increased. 13 → 16

I almost laughed. 

"Hah, hah..."

The roots slowly pulled away from my body the pain subsided little by little I fell to my knees, Breathing heavily, body covered in cold sweat but I could feel the difference very clearly much stronger. 

The mana in my body feels denser and more stable. Minor Mana Sense has grown drastically. I can even feel the entire room. Every root, every energy flow, every vibration. So many but amazing. 

I stared at the new weapon in my hand and for a few seconds I was completely speechless. It was no longer a branch. It now resembled a thin sword with a dark ebony texture, long and elegant, with small spikes running down the sides of the blade, with green veins glowing faintly on the surface. It looked so cool, and I smiled broadly.

“Now we talk.”

Ultimately, the aesthetic upgrade was important. Nara stood a few meters away from me, her gaze sharp and wary. Fair enough, I might have just turned into something questionable.

“Are you still conscious?” he asked.

I looked at him thinking about the answer.

“About... eighty percent.”

Nara let out a small sigh I guess that was her version of relief from high praise, I opened the status.

Name: Lock

Class:

World Tree Trunk Fragment

Level: 16

Weapon:

World Thorn Sword

Skill:

World Root Devour

Ember Slash

Root Snare

Nature Assimilation

Root Domain

Corruption Resistance

Oh the class name also changed, it's very interesting, so I'm the one who evolved not only the weapon but the Class as well, dopamine progression was activated, I read the new skill.

Root Domain

Creates an area of ​​root influence within a specific radius.

Users can detect, control, and strengthen roots within the domain.

This is very useful. Area control and detection of potential battlefield domination, I love it.

Second skill:

Corruption Resistance

Increases resistance to corruption, poison, decay, and mental influence.

Okay the system basically says:

“You'll need this.”

It wasn't calming, so I stood up slowly, my body feeling light, strong, and much stronger than before. Very addictive and dangerous, I stared at the fragment in the center of the room. 

The crystal was now much dimmer, some of its energy absorbed but not yet destroyed. Very interesting, Nara approached and said

"Succeed?"

I nodded.

“I guess so.”

“Pages?”

I picked up a new weapon.

“If this fails, my standards are very high.”

Nara saw my sword for the first time, her expression actually changing slightly in surprise. Nice, open feat: impressing a girl with a straight face, rare, but before we could talk further, the whole room shook once, twice, dust began to fall from the ceiling, I frowned.

“Oh.”

“This is usually a bad sign.”

A notification appears.

Warning.

Instability detected.

Core collapse imminent.

Time remaining:

05:00

I looked at the timer then looked at Nara, she had already turned her body towards the door, practically as usual.

"Run." he said.

Good advice, we immediately ran out of the room. The timer ticked to 5:00, and for the first time since entering this place, I began to think that maybe grabbing power-ups while triggering dungeon collapses was too consistent a tradition.

[END CHAPTER 13]