Marc stood still, awestruck by the transformation his body had undergone. The twisted bark that formed his limbs had deepened in hue, now bearing streaks of violet and obsidian, pulsing faintly with arcane energy. Leaves on his shoulders shimmered faintly, absorbing light even in the darkness. He lifted one arm and watched the faint mist trail off his fingertips—he was no longer just an Ent. He had become something more.
"Level forty-three," he muttered with a grin, his voice deep and resonant like wind through ancient trees. "So this is what evolution truly means."
His Status Window shimmered into view, confirming what he already felt: immense growth in both power and presence.
Name: Marc
Race: NightShade Ent
Title: Soul Keeper
Level: 43
HP: 32,840 / 32,840
MP: 72,000 / 72,000
SP: 21,500 / 21,500
Strength: 168
Intelligence: 303
Endurance: 225
Agility: 105
Speed: 0
Vision Range: 10km
Armor: 20
Attack Range: 15m
Skills:
Root Shot
Root Slash
Enroot
Spore Release
Luminating Spore
Spore Explosion
Summon: Illusion Seed (5) / Slayer Seed (5)
Soul Chamber (Stores up to 5 souls)
Soul Engrave (Engrave a stored soul onto an organic, living being)
Passive Skills:
Pain Tolerance
Magic Resistance
Physical Resistance
Magic Immunity
Inspect
Photosynthesis
Marc exhaled slowly, letting the ambient mana swirl around him. The power was intoxicating—but his focus remained sharp.
Time to test one of his new gifts.
He turned toward one of the Illusion Seeds nearby—an inert, mindless mushroom-like creature swaying gently at his roots. It held no consciousness. No will. Not yet.
Marc placed his hand over the Soul Chamber and felt the dormant, turbulent essence of the Orc hybrid within. He pulled from it the bound soul—the same one that had resided within the Orc-Giant creature he had slain. The essence surged with chaotic energy, as though trying to break free from its prison.
With a steady hand, Marc activated Soul Engrave, channeling the powerful energy into the seed. Arcane glyphs swirled beneath it, glowing brightly as the transformation began.
The seed convulsed violently, shifting form as the Orc's soul merged with it. The once-soft cap of the Illusion Seed thickened into a hardened dome. Faint tusks emerged from beneath the cap, and a red-violet light sparked to life behind its eyes. For a long moment, nothing happened.
Then, a tremor passed through the small creature. It jerked upright, its body suddenly still. For a fleeting instant, it appeared as though it had returned to its mindless state. But then, the glowing eyes blinked—slowly, with a sense of awareness.
Marc's pulse quickened. This was it. The engraving was complete.
The once inert Illusion Seed had now gained consciousness, its essence fully awakened through the soul of the Orc-Giant.
Name: Mirage
Race: Mini Shroom
Level: 1
Skills:
Illusion Spore (Releases spores that distort enemy perception in a 5m radius)
Basic Fireball (Simple fire spell empowered by orc mana)
Traits:
High Life Force (From Orc Soul)
Illusion Affinity (From original spore base)
Rudimentary Intelligence
State: Awakened, Loyal
Mirage blinked again, the red-violet light flickering in its eyes as it slowly began to take in its surroundings. The confusion was clear in its gaze—no longer an empty vessel, the creature now struggled to comprehend its new existence. Its body trembled slightly, still unsure of its form. But there was no mistaking it—this creature was no longer just a mindless spore.
It had a mind now. It was alive. It was aware.
Marc's gaze softened as he watched the creature's first steps into this new world. In that moment, he understood that this bond—this awakening—was something more than just the power to summon. It was the beginning of something deeper, a creature that would grow alongside him, perhaps even learning to see the world through its own eyes.
He reached down and placed his hand gently on Mirage's head. It trembled under his touch, but the creature didn't pull away. Instead, it leaned into his hand, a silent recognition of the bond that had just been forged.
"We'll get through this together," Marc whispered, the words more of a promise than a statement. He wasn't sure what challenges lay ahead, but he knew that Mirage would be by his side.
For the first time, Mirage seemed to focus more clearly, its gaze meeting Marc's with a new depth of understanding. It was as if it could finally see him for who he was, and in return, Marc saw it for what it had become.
A partner.
A friend.
The creature's body settled, still unsteady, but more confident now. As it met Marc's eyes once more, it seemed ready for whatever would come next.
Marc nodded. "We've only just begun."
As Marc continued to stand there, the power of his new form settling within him, he began to feel the subtle pull of an unfamiliar force—a force tied to the very earth beneath his roots. It was faint at first, like a whisper carried by the wind. But as time passed, it grew stronger, more pronounced, until he could almost sense the pulse of the land itself, responding to him.
He focused, narrowing his awareness to the connection between himself and the soil.
Photosynthesis, his passive skill, began to awaken further, its effects manifesting in ways Marc hadn't expected. At first, it was just a small flicker—a soft glow emanating from the earth around his roots. But then, the ground beneath him seemed to shift ever so slightly, as if it were responding to a command only nature could understand.
Marc marveled as patches of grass began to sprout around him, delicate blades pushing through the soil. The air itself seemed to grow fresher, tinged with the faintest sense of purity. As the minutes passed, the growth spread slowly but steadily, the land around him transforming into a small, vibrant patch of life in the midst of the surrounding darkness.
Photosynthesis Activated
Area Purification: Small patches of land within a 10-meter radius slowly begin to purify, promoting plant life to grow.
The soil around him, which had once been dead and barren, now pulsed with energy, the dark influence of the surrounding area fading ever so slightly. Marc felt a deep satisfaction in the process, a quiet joy as the land began to heal itself. It was as if the very earth recognized him—not just as a creature of nature, but as something more: a guardian, a force of balance and life in a world corrupted by darkness.
Mirage, still at his side, tilted its head curiously, watching the ground around them transform. The small creature ventured closer, its tiny form brushing against the freshly sprouted grass. It seemed to sense the change too, perhaps in its own way, though still too young to understand fully.
Marc's expression softened. "We're not just surviving here, Mirage," he said quietly, giving a resolve to himself. "We're changing the world, one piece at a time."
As the days passed, Marc's connection to the earth deepened. Small patches of the land continued to shift, with grass emerging where there had been only barren soil before. It was as if the land itself was drawing strength from him, thriving under his presence, a quiet testament to the power he had inherited.
But as Marc continued to witness the transformation, he realized the cost of this power. Enroot, the skill that kept him connected to the earth, was both his strength and his limitation. If he were to undo it, if he were to retract his roots from the soil and break the bond, the delicate balance of life he had created would falter. Photosynthesis would cease, and the land would lose its newfound vitality, the healing energy drained away, and it would slowly return to its corrupted state.
He could walk again, his roots retracting like legs that would allow him to move, but that would undo everything. The land, the small patch of life he had cultivated, would wither. The soil would once again be barren, corrupted by the dark forces that had once held it in their grip.
Marc closed his eyes, his body aching with the weight of the decision. The earth, the land, and the life it held—it all depended on him remaining still. To move would be to destroy everything. It was a heavy responsibility, but it was one he had chosen.
He sighed, the knowledge settling in him like the deep roots that held him in place. "For now, this is the only way," Marc whispered, his voice thick with resolve. "I can't move... not yet."
Mirage, sensing his stillness, remained by his side, its small form brushing against the growing grass, a silent companion in this moment of quiet endurance. It didn't understand fully, but it stayed, waiting for the day when Marc would be ready to take the next step.
For now, Marc knew that to undo Enroot would mean the loss of the fragile life he had begun to nurture. But in time, he would find a way to protect this land and move freely again. For now, he remained still, the earth breathing around him, thriving in his care..
AN:
[TITLE: Soul Keeper]
The one who grants souls and breathes life into the forgotten.
Generate Skill: Soul Chamber / Soul Engrave
Soul Chamber
Result: A powerful ability tied to the Soul Keeper title. Allows Marc to store souls within an ethereal chamber, providing a reservoir of power. These stored souls can be used for enhancing abilities or as a sacrifice to empower Marc's other skills.Damage Type: None (Utility)
Dispellable: No
Additional Effects: Souls stored in the chamber can empower abilities or temporarily boost power.
Soul Engrave
Result: Binds a stored soul from the Soul Chamber to a living being or organic entity. The soul becomes a permanent part of the target, enhancing their abilities and granting them new powers based on the nature of the soul. The engraved soul may alter the target's form or provide additional passive benefits.
Damage Type: None (Soul Binding/Enhancement)
Pierces Spell Immunity: Yes
Dispellable: No
Additional Effects:Grants the target additional abilities, enhanced traits, or passive buffs.
The soul binding is permanent unless dispelled or the target is destroyed.