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Chapter 83: A new [Plant]
🕑 Added 2021-11-24 07:26:27 +0000 UTC[Force Evolution]
Allows the user to force evolution in [All] creatures
Very Rare
250+MP
The Core was more than happy, more than just surprised, and more than unable to comprehend the… thing it had created. Before it, a tree, a mere seedling, had lied yet it was so much more now. It was more than it could have ever been, more than the tree could have ever hoped to become. Through the efforts of the Entity, it had created a new path for somebody else, one which promised more power than one could ever wish for.
`Congratulations are in order, little rock,’ the Queen began, as she walked over to the new spelling. The Core, too enamoured in its creation, barely paid attention to how close she got to it. ‘While I can’t say you’ve outdone yourself, I can certainly say that you were quite lucky on your first try. It might be due to you not using a colour of Mana typical for this race, but I think you might have scored yourself an [Rare] evolution.’
The Entity finally brought out of its daze due to the Queen’s words, couldn’t help but consider such an idea. A [Rare] variant already? It was ahead of schedule by an incredible amount yet the Entity couldn’t help but grow hopeful because of it. The idea of being able to create something so different that the base creature was incredible. Instead of the lifeless form from before, only moving due to the wind or age, it could now do it for itself. Even as the Core observed it longer, the roots were showing movement, the leaves stretching, and the branches were feeling the air around it with purpose. It was alive.
‘Do you think it could be rare?’ the Core said, trying to dampen its excitement. The idea of progressing so quickly was… exhilarating. What it planned to spend years perfecting could perhaps be finished in a mere day.
‘Well, I can’t truly be sure without you confirming it for me,’ the Queen said. Since the Core was quick to respond with confusion, an explanation came moments after. ‘The Evolution Screen? Only one of us can look at it, if you remember.’
Oh. Right. Bringing it up swiftly, the Core was quick to draw its sight down to the new addition.
Evolution-Screen
Moss:
Blood-Moss
Uncommon
Ant:
Giant-Ant
Uncommon
Giant-Ant:
Infested Giant-Ant
Very Rare
Undead Giant-Ant
Rare
Oak Tree:
Entangling Oak Tree
Uncommon
‘... Well?’ the Queen asked. ‘What is it?’
‘It is just [Uncommon],’ the Core answered, slightly disappointed. There it had been, more than a little excited about the new development. Yet the truth was that it was barely different from the previous evolutions. The [Infested] variant of the [Giant-Ants] would have been rarer anyway, yet the Entity would have been happy to just get close to it. Attaining a variant with a rarity that was barely uncommon? That wasn’t something it could be proud of.
‘That’s perfectly fine as well, I suppose,’ the Queen stated, not sounding as unhappy about it as the Core was. That was… a little weird, the Core was not sure what to think about the lack of disappointment in her tone. ‘Still rarer than what most usually get. If you keep this up, we might get something that both of us are gonna love. Could you let this one mature up to its full height while not adding anything more to it? I am curious if the maximum has changed with the new addition.’
… The Core was too. Worries and the annoying feeling of not having reached the height it thought it had slowly faded away, replaced with the feeling of wanting to know more. Doing it as it had always done, the Entity prepared itself for the Mana Ball outside of itself, ready to fire it at-
Oh, wait, it couldn’t do that anymore. With the attainment of [Force Evolution], the Entity needed to move over to the assistance of the [System]. And since it only took Energy from the Core’s Mana-Container instead of the entire Energy-Field it had created around itself, the Entity was forced to start up the process of over bloating itself. The minimum was two hundred and fifty yet the Core’s maximum capacity was a mere one hundred and ninety.
Filling so much Energy into such a small space was anything but enjoyable, each second during it feeling like the Core was tearing itself apart. [Pain-Tolerance] was showing its worth yet again, the Entity having forgotten it for such a long time without the true need of it. Yet again, it thanked itself for its considerations.
Character Screen
Name: -
Gender: -
Level: 9
Class: Core
Race: Core
Title: The Ancient One
Health: 160/160
H-Regen: 0.15/sec
Mana: 250/190
M-Regen: 0.12/sec
Stamina: -/-
S-Regen: 0/sec
Basic Stats
Strength: -
Wisdom: 18
Vitality: 15
Intelligence: 12
Dex: -
Willpower: 14
Available points: 0
More importantly, however, was the fact that it had all finished up. Two hundred and fifty Mana was put into the right place, the Core able to feel all the effects from it. Yet, with that placement, it could finally start expelling it all again, this time without needing much effort on its own part. Through the simple mental push that it had grown accustomed to over the months, it had been alive, [Force Evolution] was activated, the effects instant.
The small sapling grew beyond its previous base creature, perhaps not in height but roots. While there was not much difference in the maximum height, the [Entangling Oak Tree] perhaps even being a meter or two lower, the root-system underneath had truly started to grow in full. They were thicker, longer, and moved around underneath like nothing else. They sensed their surroundings through touch, searching out any disturbances made. It was clear it was alive, more than just a mere plant. The Core was proud.
‘Not as high as I would have liked, but I suppose I can accept it for now,’ the Queen commented, likely only thinking of that instead of the new additions to the underground. ‘We will create our own [Tree of Life] with time, I guess.’
‘Tree of life?’ the Core repeated. ‘I wasn’t using [White Mana] so why did you expect it to turn into something that very clearly aligns with that particular colour?’
‘If that tree could be created through skill, I promise that more than four would exist on this plane of existence,’ the Queen answered. ‘It is one of the few mythic evolutions that all plant-variants can attain in their life. It matters little what their base Patterns were since the system just need to call them a tree. If we were to gain such an existence… I would be quite happy. Nothing you need to worry about now, though. Attainment of that rare being is more than pure chance. We would have to be blessed by the gods before they would allow such a thing.’
‘And the existence is characterized by its height?’ the Core stated, wanting a bit more clarity on the subject. It needed to figure out just how it fitted together.
‘Indeed. While all other aspects of its appearance can vary, the defining feature of the tree is that it can [Pierce the Heavens]. It is quite the ability to have. If not for the curvature, anyone with good sight would be able to see all four of them at once. Truly, they are magnificent plants. I have only seen two but even those were a life worth of experience each.’
The Core, quite enamoured with how they were described, was likewise drawn to the idea of creating such a plant. It had a lot of time to spend. If it allocated a couple of decades on doing nothing but creating tree-variants, perhaps it could beat the chances? It was obvious which was precisely why the Core thought it wouldn’t work. The [System] was better than that, so focusing on the subject would simply prove to be meaningless with time.
‘It might be something we can work on when we have the resources to spare,’ the Core began. ‘If it truly is as rare as you say, we won’t be able to make it for a very long time. Wasting time thinking about it now would be pointless.’
‘I guess you are right, little rock,’ the Queen responded, not offering up much resistance. ‘It will be kept in our dreams instead. But we won’t forget it entirely. Those benefits are something both of us need to reap when we have the slightest chance. We can’t reach the last steps without them.
What was she talking about- No. The Core didn’t want to know. Or, well, it most definitely wanted to know. It just knew that it would shift entirely from the current evolutions and over to the idea of increasing power in general. Such a useless topic wasn’t to be discussed, lest it would infest all other subjects as well. To combat the rampant shift in mood, the Core used [Appraisal] on the newly created creature.
Character Screen
Name: -
Gender: -
Level: 5
Class: -
Race: Entangling Oak Tree
Title: Dungeon-Born
Health: 410/410
H-Regen: 0.40/sec
Mana: -/-
M-Regen: 0/sec
Stamina: 110/110
S-Regen: 0.1/sec
Cost: XX MP
Basic Stats
Strength: 25
Wisdom: 5
Vitality: 40
Intelligence: 5
Dex: 10
Willpower: 5
Quite a strong creature. The Core was starting to think that plants were quite the physically gifted beings. Even more of an indicator of such was the fact that it had more [Vitality] than the Core had ever seen on another creature. It understood that it was level five yet how exactly did it have so much Health?
‘I am unsure I understand how plants are balanced,’ The Core told the Queen, not lying in the slightest. It looked upon the flowing roots and could see nothing but pure power. How did such a thing exist? ‘That creature has double my health yet is half my level.’
‘Little rock, did I not tell you that pure numbers meant nothing?’ the Queen reported. ‘Look at the creature again and try to tell me why this tree is balanced in its power, even when it has such an absurd level of health for its level.’
So the Queen agreed that it was absurd yet knew there was acceptable reasoning for it… The Core couldn’t understand it. Even when it look over the [Entangling Oak Tree] over and over again, it found nothing but the same. Its roots moved around with extreme ferocity, seemingly not done with the process of looking around its territory. There was something akin to a sigh after a while.
‘The factor that allows the tree such an extreme amount of health is the fact that it is a tree,’ the Queen stated. ‘This creature can’t move from where it was born. It is fastened down no matter what. Because of that, the race has naturally high vitality. Is that understandable?’
‘... Yes,’ the Core had to admit.
‘Good. Now, I do believe this creature is fully grown. It seems like quite the useful defender but the materials it's made of might not prove to be worth too much for any of the [Enlightened]. We need something the humanoids will want so… perhaps we should try a new approach this time.’
‘What are you thinking?’
‘Something you might not enjoy as much as I will.’
