[You have entered the territory of the Dryad.]
[Unique Skill 'Reader's Protection' activated!]
Darkness completely swallowed my vision. I couldn't see a thing, not even the tips of my own fingers. The roots coiled around my body continued to move, dragging me deeper into the cave.
Cold, damp, and silent.
Then, a voice rang out.
A woman's laughter. Soft and light, yet enough to make my skin crawl.
"You look delicious, human."
Her voice echoed against the stone walls, as though it were coming from every direction at once. The roots wrapped around my body tightened, lifting me into the air.
"That little brat really did bring me such a delicious meal." She giggled. "Ah... I can hardly wait to eat you."
The pressure around me shifted. The air grew heavy, as though the cave itself intended to crush me. Every instinct in my body screamed danger.
"I truly can't wai—"
"Hey, forest spirit." My voice cut through the darkness. "Stop acting so strangely and let's talk. I know you don't have much power left."
Silence. A few seconds felt like an eternity before the cave walls suddenly trembled violently.
"How dare you...!"
The pressure increased dramatically.
[Unique Skill 'Reader's Protection' activated!]
I smiled faintly, even though I couldn't see a thing.
"Sylvara Eirwyn, the guardian of the forest—well, not anymore, I suppose."
Silence. The air froze.
The pressure surrounding me changed. It didn't disappear, but instead became more concentrated.
More dangerous.
"Who are you?!"
The roots tightened around me. I heard a faint cracking sound coming from my own body. Pain spread through me, though my skill kept it at bay.
"I came to make you an offer," I said calmly. "You must need power to recover, don't you?"
"Tell me who you really are!"
Her voice shook the cave. Small rocks began falling from the ceiling.
I chuckled softly.
"Before that, could you remove these troublesome roots? Aren't you wasting too much of your remaining strength?"
Silence enveloped us once again.
A moment later, the pressure began to ease. The roots slowly released me, and my body fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
A faint light emerged. Green fireflies began appearing, illuminating the chamber.
The roots moved again, wrapping themselves around a massive boulder.
"Hah... What a troublesome human..."
Her voice had changed. Instead of an adult woman's voice, it now sounded like that of a young girl.
A tiny creature resembling a fairy emerged from behind the roots. Her appearance was truly peculiar. Long green hair flowed down her back, adorned with a lush crown of succulent plants growing atop her head. Her ears were long, pointed, and wide. Her skin was pale, while green vines naturally crept along her arms and legs.
She casually sat on the boulder, crossing her legs.
"Now, speak."
I stared at her in bewilderment.
"Is that... your true form?"
"Quiet!" She huffed. "This smaller form consumes less energy. Now, get on with it!"
I smiled and sat cross-legged on the cold, hard ground, folding my arms across my chest with an air of confidence.
[Unique Skill 'Character Analysis' activated!]
+
NAME: Sylvara Eirwyn
RACE: Ancient Dryad
AGE: Undefined
LEVEL: ???
EXISTENCE STABILITY: 11%
STATISTICS
Strength: 45
Agility: 58
Vitality: 23
Sense: 39
Intelligence: 48
Magic: 67
LIF: ∞ (Territory-Bound Nature Regeneration)
UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES
• Heart of the Worldroot
• Nature's Arbitration
• Verdant Dominion
PASSIVE SKILLS
• Flourishing Existence
• Symbiosis Pact
• Wrath of the Grove
ACTIVE SKILLS
• Verdant Grasp
• Bloom of Ruin
• Sylvan Requiem
• Eternal Canopy
• Worldroot Awakening (Limited)
NOTE: Existence has been severely weakened due to an extreme causal burden.
+
Incredible.
She possessed this many skills, and her stats were still relatively high despite her weakened state. I couldn't afford to underestimate her. After all, she was an existence that didn't originate from this world.
It would be wonderful if I could obtain even one of her skills.
"Forget how I know about you. I don't have much time, so let's get straight to the point."
I looked at her confidently, a grin spreading across my face.
"Ancient Dryad, Sylvara Eirwyn. Let's form an alliance."
Sylvara furrowed her brows. "An alliance? With a human?"
"I know you're not supposed to appear here yet. You escaped from the Cataclysm Realm, didn't you? Your goal is to kill Malythrion."
Her eyes widened, and her expression stiffened. "H-How do you know?!"
Sylvara Eirwyn was a forest guardian spirit, also known as a Dryad. She was a being who deeply loved nature and the territory under her protection.
However, she had discovered something unforgivable.
Betrayal.
Malythrion—the monster destined to become the Fourth Calamity—was once someone very close to her. They had been like family. But Malythrion betrayed her, luring her into a trap and dragging her into the Cataclysm Realm to serve as the core of the Fourth Calamity.
Sylvara despised the Calamities more than anyone else. They were creatures that descended upon the world to destroy it and disrupt the natural balance.
Eventually, when the First Calamity appeared, she managed to escape through a dimensional rift. Of course, she had sacrificed nearly all her power to escape alongside the pack of wolves that followed her. The reason she was hiding here was to gather strength and restore her complete form.
Her power had weakened so severely that she could no longer properly control the wolf pack.
"I'll help you defeat Malythrion. I'll be the one to kill it."
"How do you intend to defeat it? Its power is beyond comprehension."
"I know. I'll need your strength when I fight it, too. But don't worry. I won't lose."
Sylvara gave me a crooked smile before bursting into laughter. "Unbelievable. A mere human confidently declaring that they intend to destroy a Calamity."
"Well, I'm not asking you to trust me right away." I stood up. "I'll show you firsthand how I'm going to defeat the Calamities."
"Interesting." She smiled again. "But how am I supposed to leave this place? I went through great lengths to conceal my existence."
"I have an idea." I grinned. "You can become my spirit."
A Dryad was essentially a spirit without a physical body. The form she had shown me was merely an imaginary manifestation of her power. She suddenly burst into loud laughter, leaving me utterly confused.
"You're truly extraordinary! I can hardly believe you're human."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Sylvara suddenly stood up and floated in front of me. Her smile and gaze were fixed on my face.
"Very well. Let's do it."
A dazzling light slowly emerged from within her as she closed her eyes. Her body gradually began to disappear, as though being swallowed by the light.
Green roots emerged once again, wrapping around my body.
Not just one or two, but countless roots coiled around me until not a single part of my body remained exposed. They completely enveloped me, much like a cocoon.
"I hope you won't disappoint me."
I couldn't see anything. I couldn't even open my eyes or mouth.
Damn it! Her roots were incredibly tight!
[Unique Skill 'Reader's Protection' reduces the pain you experience.]
An enormous surge of energy entered my body, rapidly spreading throughout every inch of me. It felt as though I was being crushed. My body struggled desperately to break free as an immense power erupted violently within me.
Was this Sylvara's power?
I only wanted her to become my spirit, so what exactly was she doing?!
The roots around my body suddenly vanished, causing me to collapse onto the ground.
I patted my chest, which felt unbearably tight, and coughed several times.
[Congratulations! You have obtained a new achievement!]
[You have successfully performed Partial Fusion with the Ancient Dryad.]
[Reward Received: 10,000 Gold]
[Congratulations! You have obtained a new Stigma.]
Huh...?
I was still struggling to process the system notifications that had suddenly appeared before my eyes. My breathing was still ragged.
[Incredible. Is this truly a human body?]
"Ummph...!"
My head suddenly throbbed when I heard Sylvara's voice echoing inside my mind.
[Hahaha! You'll get used to it eventually. You're one with me now.]
My body froze, and my eyes widened.
"What...?!"
[Well, to be more precise, I've taken residence inside your body. In exchange, I've granted you my Stigma.]
This was completely unexpected.
Initially, I'd only wanted her to become my spirit so I could summon her whenever the situation became desperate.
Sylvara's power was essential for fighting the Calamities, which was precisely why I hadn't wanted to pressure her into becoming my companion.
Who would've thought she'd willingly hand over her spirit just like that?
"Is that really okay? What if I end up abusing your existence?"
[I doubt you'd do something like that. Besides, my power is far too great for you to bear. That's why I can only pass down my Stigma to you. Make good use of it.]
A Stigma, huh?
I could certainly call this a stroke of luck.
[Opening the description of the newly acquired Stigma.]
My eyes widened as I read the description of the Stigma I'd just received.
"What is this?!"