Chapter 9: Baby Steps

Chapter 9: Baby Steps

Congratulations! You have reached the level cap for your [Juvenile Blight Tree] class! Would you like to evolve? Y/N

‘Would you like to evolve?’ The words were so strange, like the past eleven years had been just for this moment. He had grown used to the voice of the before, whispering instinctual knowledge into his mind. Like a series of well grown roots, supportive and reliable.

But now, that voice was silent. As if unsure for the first time.

Warning! You are vulnerable while undergoing monster evolution!

Whatever I was before, this is entirely new for me. He thought, carefully examining the system windows. He selected: Yes.

Monster evolution may commence when mana threshold has been reached.

Current progress: 1/100%

He waited, then waited some more. A full week passed.

Current progress: 4/100%

Yeah this would take a while. Leif was sick of waiting around. He, as with all trees, was remarkably competent at the task of doing very little. But as his mental attributes had grown his ability to simply wait had lessened.

He was still excellent at it. Eleven years of doing mostly that had given him more than enough practice.

Oh! I have a new skill. He realised, the system prompt about evolution had caught him off guard and he had forgotten.

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Uproot:

Aspects: Empowerment (Body), Technique (Movement)

You empower your body, allowing you to temporarily retract your root systems and become mobile. Moving in this way puts strain on your body and reduces your overall combat ability.

Once this skill has expired you automatically replant yourself and rapidly spread your root systems.

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Well, may as well test it out. He thought.

And so he did. And it was awful, truly the worst experience of Leif’s tree life. The feeling of years worth of agonisingly slow progress being slurped up into his trunk, parts of his body that should never move snapped into position beneath his now elevated form.

Leif swayed. Unsteady on so many new appendages. He took several very tentative steps around the clearing he called home. It was unruly and incredibly awkward, but that wasn’t the only problem.

The biggest issue Leif was having was his weight. His roots sunk into soft soil and took effort to pull out. He would over correct his balance trying to maintain a steady footing only to sink further. It was exhausting and miserable. And to top it all off it just felt wrong.

Two feet would be so much easier. He thought. And it took several minutes before he caught what he had thought. Why had he thought two feet would be easier? Was it...

Smiling faces.

A parade through the street.

Racing friends along winding paths.

Ugh. Leif staggered as the sharp memories flooded his mind, his entire form sagged. What am I? He asked himself, but he received no answers.

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Current progress: 99/100%

...

Current progress: 100/100%

Congratulations! You may now evolve your [Juvenile Blight Tree] class!

Warning! You are vulnerable while undergoing monster evolution!

Commence Evolution? Y/N

In a forested clearing several dozen kilometres from where he had begun his life as a tree. Leif accepted the class evolution prompt. Leif’s aura winked out, the benevolent feeling disappearing. Most of his tagalongs drifted away...

Commencing monster class evolution!

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Name: Leif Vin

Race: Blight Tree

Age: 11

Attributes:

Free: 0

Might: 25

Alacrity: 20

Intelligence: 14

Willpower: 13

Spirit: 23

Charisma: 20

Total Level: 19

Monster Classes: 1/1

Juvenile Blight Tree: 10/10

Skills: Savage Roots / Predators Sense / Harvests Due / Blight Heart I / Uproot

Classes: 0/2

Auxiliary Classes: 1

Noble: 9/10

Skills: Aura of Nobility I / Court Empath / Grand Action / Under My Protection