Year 1, Month 1
The forest was calm again after the contract. Taisho stayed in Hibernate Mode, occasionally checking his surroundings while Auto-Pilot handled the basics. His roots grew deeper, branches thicker, bark tougher.
Every morning, the same notification appeared:[Photosynthesis Complete. +0.1 EP Gained.]
"Free energy just for standing still," he muttered. "Could be worse."
Through the faint Familiar Bond, he could still sense the monkey — somewhere deeper in the forest, surrounded by its troop. The faint emotions coming through — excitement, hunger, comfort — told him it was doing fine.
"Good," Taisho thought. "Let it live its monkey life. I've got my own growth problems."
Year 1, Month 3
Rain season came and went. Taisho's roots had reached a small underground stream, giving him steady access to water. Birds nested in his branches, bugs burrowed in his bark, and a few small animals rested in his shade.
He didn't mind. It made him feel like part of the ecosystem rather than just a tree.
The Familiar Bond flickered now and then — quick flashes of the monkey leaping through trees, fear when chased, satisfaction after eating fruit. It wasn't deep communication, but enough to know the creature was alive and thriving.
"Lucky bastard gets to move around," Taisho muttered. "Meanwhile, I'm here grinding EP by photosynthesis."
He sighed inwardly. "Guess that's my version of cardio."
Still, progress was progress. His control over Soul Vision had expanded — now mapping nearly an entire clearing, even showing the faint movements of worms and roots beneath the soil.
Year 1, Month 6
By midyear, Taisho had collected around a thousand Evolution Points. It was time to check his progress.
"System, display Status."
[Status Panel]
Name: Taisho Shinkon
Species: Unknown Tree Lifeform (Sapling Stage)
Age: 0.6 Years
Condition: Excellent
Skills:▸ Soul Vision (220/500): Basic
Unique Skills:▸ Familiar Contract (20/100): Level 1
Passives:▸ Photosynthesis (Permanent)▸ Root Absorption (Permanent)▸ Hibernate (Permanent)▸ Auto-Pilot (Permanent)
Evolution Points (EP): 150
Evolution Progress: 1%
Familiar Capacity: 1/3
"Alright," Taisho muttered, "I've improved my skills quite a bit in half a year."
He thought for a moment. "Let's speed this up. System, invest 100 EP in Evolution."
[Ding! Do you want to invest 100 EP in Evolution Progress?]
"Yes."
[Host, Evolution Progress increased: 1% → 11%]
"Nice. Feels good to see actual progress for once."
Year 1, Month 9
The forest stayed peaceful. The Familiar Bond pulsed occasionally — faint emotions of alertness, excitement, pride. The monkey was clearly growing stronger.
Its instincts were sharper, movements quicker, decisions smarter.
"Huh," Taisho mused. "So even the weaker version of my skills makes a difference."
He couldn't speak to it, but he found himself faintly rooting for the creature. "Just don't do anything stupid, alright? You're my first familiar. Try to last longer than a year."
Year 1, Month 12
Winter brought quiet to the forest. The air was colder, sunlight weaker.Then one day, Taisho noticed something strange — the familiar's emotions were erratic: confusion, excitement, then distress.
"System," he said, "what's going on with the familiar?"
[Analyzing Familiar Vital Signs...][Unstable Energy Detected in Target's System.][Possible Cause: Absorption of Ambient Natural Energy.]
"Natural Energy?" Taisho frowned. "Explain."
[Explanation: Natural Energy is the ambient life force present in all environments. It exists in air, earth, and living beings. Extremely potent, but volatile. Only stable organisms can safely absorb it.]
"So it's like the forest's raw power," Taisho said. "And my familiar tried to absorb it?"
[Affirmative. Adaptation attempt unsuccessful. Biological breakdown in progress.]
He was quiet for a few seconds. "You mean it's dying."
[Confirmed.]
The bond suddenly spiked — pain, fear, confusion — then went silent.
[Notification: Familiar 'Forest Monkey' has perished.][Connection Terminated.]
Taisho stared blankly for a while. He wasn't sentimental, but the silence that followed felt… empty. For nearly a year, that small presence had flickered at the edge of his awareness. Now it was gone.
"Damn it," he muttered. "You just had to mess with something dangerous, huh?"
The system chimed again.
[Residual Energy Transferring Through Familiar Bond.][Analyzing Energy Type...][Adaptation Successful.][New Passive Ability Acquired — 'Natural Energy Absorption.']
Taisho's eyes widened. "Wait, I can use that energy now?"
[Affirmative. Host can absorb trace amounts of Natural Energy through roots and bark. Caution: Excessive intake may cause structural instability.]
"So… free energy, but with risk. Sounds fair."
[Confirmed.]
He brought up his updated status window:
[Updated Skills]▸ Soul Vision (270/500): Basic
▸ Natural Energy Absorption (0/1000): Basic
Taisho smirked. "Well, at least your curiosity wasn't completely useless."
He let out a mental breath. "Rest easy, little guy. I'll make it count."
[Acknowledged. Hibernate Mode Available. Activate?]
"Yeah. Wake me if something interesting happens."
[Acknowledged. Hibernate Mode: Active.]
As his mind faded into dormancy, one thought lingered—"If even a monkey could touch that kind of power… imagine what I could do once I master it."