The night slowly dissolved, and with it the chaos of Aruin's rebirth.
Where panic had filled his mind hours ago, there was now stillness—an ancient, patient stillness he'd never known in his human life.
Dew clung to his newly grown leaves, reflecting the pale light of dawn.
His trunk—thin, soft, barely thicker than a child's wrist—stood rooted in the rich soil of the Forgotten Grove.
He wasn't human.
He was a willow sapling, slender, fragile, yet brimming with something warm and radiant inside.
Aruin took a moment to absorb the reality.
No arms.
No legs.
No breath.
But he existed—fully, clearly, sharply—within a body that responded to the soil, wind, and light instead of muscles and lungs.
The realization came not with fear, but with a strange sense of rightness.
And then—
A soft chime rang within his consciousness
[WORLD TREE SIGN-IN SYSTEM ONLINE]
Welcome, Reincarnated Seed.
Status: Sapling (Day 1)
Cultivation: Unawakened
Vitality: 12/20
Stability: Low
Evolution: Locked
Memories flickered
the golden rain, the ancient willow that crumbled into motes of light, the whisper:
"Grow… and surpass us all."
Aruin's leaves rustled despite the still air.
"So it wasn't a dream… I really was chosen."
His voice existed only in his mind, but the world seemed to listen.
The system shimmered again.
[SIGN-IN LOCATION DETECTED]
Ancient Willow Grave (Birthplace)
Reward: Sap of Germination (Minor)
Skill: Photosynthetic Qi Absorption (Level 1)
A drop of luminous sap formed inside his trunk, warm as sunlight. It circulated gently through his new spiritual channels—primitive, thin, but real.
Aruin felt something shift.
Like a starving man tasting food for the first time.
Warmth.
Life.
Qi.
It wasn't much, but it was cultivation—his first step on the path.
Aruin focused inward.
Instead of a heartbeat, he felt root pulses, soft thumps deep in the earth. His roots—thin, barely strands—were slowly spreading, tasting minerals, moisture, and spiritual energy.
Instead of lungs, he felt leaf breathing, absorbing faint threads of light as morning approached.
Instead of muscles, he felt sap channels, carrying vitality from root to leaf to bark and back again.
It wasn't limiting.
It was… liberating.
For the first time in either life, every movement of the world touched him.
He felt:
insects crawling on the soil
the gentle shift of underground water
the slow heartbeat of the earth
the distant roar of a beast prowling miles away
the pulse of moonlight fading as dawn rose
Trees had senses humans could never understand.
This was cultivation from the ground up—literally.
The Forest Notices Him
A faint rustle emerged from the brush.
Aruin sharpened his awareness.
A young horned deer approached, drawn by the faint vitality radiating from his sapling body. Its nose pressed close, sniffing curiously.
Aruin froze instinctively.
He couldn't run.
He couldn't fight.
He could only trust the system… or fate.
The deer hesitated, then bowed its head gently.
Not a submission—more of a recognition.
Aruin exhaled internally.
Even small forest beasts sensed something special within him.
But the deer's presence wasn't alone.
Moments later, he heard heavier footsteps—predatory, cautious.
A wolf.
A lean one, ribs visible beneath its fur, hunger driving its movements.
The deer bolted instantly.
The wolf approached.
Aruin held his breath—if he still had one.
Would it rip him out of the earth? Bite his trunk? Crush him?
But when the wolf stepped closer, it froze.
Aruin felt a subtle tremor—coming not from him, but from the soil around him.
The remnants of the ancient willow tree—the one whose dying light birthed Aruin—still lingered in the earth.
And the wolf recognized that ancient aura.
It whimpered softly… and lowered its head.
Aruin trembled.
He hadn't expected reverence.
He wasn't strong.
He wasn't divine.
He wasn't even stable yet.
But the shadow of the ancient tree gave him protection.
A system window flickered.
Ancestral Willow Aura (Residual)
Beasts of the Mortal Tier show instinctive hesitation or respect.
Duration: 30 days
Thirty days.
"A month to grow strong enough to survive without help…" Aruin whispered inside his mind.
Pressure filled him—not fear, but purpose.
He had one month before the forest treated him like any other weak sapling.
One month to grow.
Cultivate.
Strengthen roots.
Unlock evolution.
Photosynthetic Qi Absorption
The sun peaked over the horizon.
Light washed over Aruin's leaves, warm and golden.
His new skill activated instinctively.
[Photosynthetic Qi Absorption — Lv1]
Converts sunlight into small amounts of pure Qi.
Qi gained per hour of sunlight: +1
Efficiency: Low
Warmth flowed through his leaves.
Qi trickled into his sap channels.
His roots tingled as vitality surged.
He was… growing.
Not metaphorically.
Literally.
His trunk thickened by a fraction.
His roots stretched an inch deeper.
Leaves unfurled wider to catch more sunlight.
A system message chimed:
[Vitality +2]
[Growth Rate Increased]
Aruin laughed internally, a bright, ringing emotion echoing inside his trunk.
"So this is cultivation as a tree… absorbing sunlight, Qi, nutrients…"
It was slow.
It was difficult.
But it was real.
He felt alive.
Hours passed.
Aruin absorbed sunlight diligently, letting the Qi circulate through his channels.
But as the sun reached noon, a sharp distortion rippled through the air.
A presence.
Powerful.
Predatory.
Cold.
Aruin instantly understood:
A true spirit beast.
Not the weak wolf.
Not a harmless deer.
Something at the peak of the Mortal Tier—or perhaps beyond.
The trees around him trembled.
Small animals fled.
A shadow passed overhead, wings wide enough to darken the grove for a moment.
Aruin felt a chill.
A Feathered Razor Hawk.
A vicious predator known to pluck young spirit herbs from the soil.
Its eyes scanned the ground.
Aruin's sap froze.
If it attacked, he was done. Sapling life was fragile—one strike would end him.
The hawk swooped lower.
Lower.
Its talons gleamed.
Aruin's roots tightened in pure instinctive fear.
Then—
DING.
A system message flashed.
Host in danger.
Activating hidden blessing:
"Willow's Veil — Fragment"
For 10 seconds, host becomes indistinguishable from mundane vegetation.
Cooldown: 7 days.
Aruin felt his aura collapse, dimming instantly.
The hawk's predatory gaze passed over him—then moved on.
It circled once…
Twice…
Then screeched in frustration and flew away.
Aruin sagged in relief.
"That was… too close."
Ten seconds.
Seven-day cooldown.
He couldn't rely on miracles.
He needed strength.
He needed height.
He needed roots deep enough to anchor him and branches strong enough to wield Qi.
He needed evolution.
As the sun dipped, painting the sky orange, Aruin watched the forest.
Animals returned.
Insects buzzed.
Wind brushed his leaves.
He was part of the world now.
A living entity.
A cultivator.
A seed with destiny.
No—
a sapling of destiny.
He focused inward, steady and resolute.
"I will grow."
"I will survive."
"I will protect this grove."
"And one day… I will reach the heavens."
His leaves shimmered.
The system pulsed.
New quest unlocked
"Take Root in the Forgotten Grove."
Objectives:
• Extend root network to 3 meters
• Reach Qi Saturation (100/100)
• Survive 1 full day without system aid
Reward:
• Cultivation Realm: Root Foundation Stage 1
• Skill: Minor Bark Harden
• Evolution Menu (Locked → Unlocked)
His path was set.
He was only a sapling—thin, weak, barely alive—
But he was growing.
And growth was power.
The forest wind whispered through his leaves, carrying a distant, faint sensation… almost a heartbeat.
Somewhere far away, something—or someone—reacted to his awakening.
The first thread of destiny…
the first tug of a future meeting…
Lira.
Aruin couldn't understand it yet.
But fate had begun weaving their paths.
The day ended.
And Aruin, the reincarnated willow with a system, began the slow, unstoppable rise toward becoming—
the World Tree Sovereign.