Chapter 10 TOWARDS THE CORE ZONE

I woke up earlier than usual, or maybe I just didn't sleep well. It's hard to sleep when your only travel companion is a mysterious woman whose level is unreadable and who could very well stab you in three fatal places before breakfast.

The surroundings were healthy, the campfire was reduced to a small ember, the morning mist hung low among the trees, the air was cooler than yesterday. I opened my eyes and reflexively looked around. Nara was awake, of course. She sat on a rock, sharpening one of her daggers. Her movements were calm, precise, almost deliberate. I ignored the fact that the tool she was sharpening was meant for stabbing vital organs.

"Good morning," I said.

Nara glanced briefly.

"You slept holding a gun."

I looked at the Thorny Branch that I was still holding.

"...new habits."

"Paranoid," he corrected.

"Survival instinct," I replied.

Nara didn't respond; it was hard to win a comment contest with someone whose default expression was like an unpaid invoice. I stood up and stretched; Nature Assimilation was surprisingly helpful. Despite my limited sleep, my body felt much more refreshed. The minor injuries from last night were almost healed. Good, I opened my status.

Name: Lock

Level 13

Class: One Tree Trunk

Weapon: Thorny Branch

Skill:

Devour Root

Ember Slash

Root Snare

Minor Mana Sense

Nature Assimilation

Good progress, still far from overpowered. But no longer depressing. I was a little satisfied. Nara threw something at me, and I caught it reflexively. It was a small, dark red fruit.

"What is this?" I asked.

"It's edible." Not a very convincing answer.

I stared at the fruit.

"Edible and safe to eat are two different categories."

"If it was poisonous I wouldn't give it to you."

I raised an eyebrow.

"High optimism."

Even though I ate it, it tasted sour and a little bitter. But it gave me a warm sensation, which wasn't bad.

"Light buff," said Nara.

"Thirty minutes of cold resistance."

I nodded. Okay, that was helpful. We started walking after clearing camp. Today's target: the core zone. There was no pressure, the morning forest felt different. As we went deeper, the atmosphere grew heavier, the trees changing shape, their trunks darker, the leaves almost black, large roots snaking like giant snakes, some even moving slightly. I chose to pretend not to notice, mental health was important. My Minor Mana Sense also began to work harder, the energy in this area was too dense. Even the air felt heavy, I looked at Nara.

"Have you been this far?"

"Once," he replied.

"Almost die."

Great, a huge boost in confidence. We continued on in silence, Nara occasionally signaling stops, avoiding certain areas, pointing out monster tracks or natural traps. She was clearly experienced, and I was beginning to understand why she was still alive. A useful partner, still suspicious, but quite balanced.

Several hours passed and we finally reached the boundary. I knew it even before Nara stopped. The atmosphere had changed drastically, and before us lay a large clearing. It was like a giant clearing in the middle of the forest. The ground was black, the fog thicker, and in the center was a giant tree. I froze. Its trunk was so large it felt like a tower, its roots spreading throughout the area, its leaves a dark silver color, and a faint light emanating from the trunk. Its mana was so immense it was almost suffocating.

Notifications appear automatically.

Area discovered:

Core Zone - False World Tree

Danger: Extreme

I read the name of the area twice.

"The World Tree... is fake?"

Interesting. Nara stood beside me, her gaze serious.

"That is the center of this forest."

"The root of all change."

I couldn't stop staring at the tree, the Thorny Branch in my hand began to throb. Once, twice, stronger than before. As if responding to something, I looked at my weapon. Oh?

A new notification appears.

Class resonance detected.

Source nearby.

Evolution material present.

I stared at the writing, my heart beating faster. The closest source? Could it be the tree? I slowly raised my head, staring at the giant tree in front of me. A small smile appeared on my face.

"I think my class is very interested."

Nara glanced at the notification on my face.

"Guess?"

"Maybe a big jackpot," I replied.

He let out a small sigh.

"Good."

"That means our problems are big too."

Fair enough, we began to slowly move into the area. Every step felt wrong, like stepping into territory that shouldn't be disturbed. My instincts screamed, turn around, leave, find a quiet life, maybe open a shop. But curiosity was far louder, a bad trait, very bad. Just a few steps in I heard a voice, not a monster, but a human. Several people, Nara and I immediately took cover behind a large root. Peeking, there were five people near the tree, better armor, fully armed, stronger auras. Not coincidentally a hunter, one of them wearing a long dark blue coat, holding a metal staff. Looking like the leader, they were digging for something near the tree roots. Searching, Nara narrowed her eyes.

"Too late," he whispered.

I noticed the symbol on their armor, a white circle, unfamiliar.

A small notification appears.

Faction detected:

White Council

Threat: High

White Council, new name. Possibly new problems, very good. I whispered,

"Know them?"

Nara's expression changed slightly, very much in displeasure.

"Yes."

His tone was colder.

"And that's bad news."

Okay, that's clear. The group leader suddenly spoke, his voice clear.

"Search faster."

"The artifact must be found before the next resonance."

Resonance, Artifact, Tree, Class resonance. The puzzle pieces began to fall into place, and I stared at the Thorny Branch. My weapon pulsed again, stronger, as if calling out to me. Damn it, please don't go into drama mode right now. Nara saw my expression.

"What is it?"

I answered quietly,

"I think... what they're looking for might react to me."

Nara stared at me, silent for two seconds. Then she took a deep breath.

"Great."

"I've only known you for two days, and my life is already more complicated."

I smiled a little.

"Glad to contribute."

In front of us, one of the White Council members suddenly stopped, he turned towards the bush where we were hiding.

"Who's there?!" he shouted.

All heads immediately turned towards us, and Nara and I looked at each other. There was silence for a split second, then I said,

"I think stealth mode is over."

Nara took out her two daggers.

"Yes."

And in an instant, things took a turn for the worse. Again.

[END CHAPTER 10]