Thudding footsteps. Loud crying voices of despair. All the evidence I need that I just did something horrible encircle around the spot where I am, just below my victim. I wish I could hyperventilate, maybe that would help.
"Language Comprehension Skill is now Lvl. 1." Says iAlice quietly. Maybe she even realizes how I'm feeling right now.
"....wait....she's...."
I can make out some words now, but a lot of it still sounds like gibberish. That's Lvl. 1 for you.
".... my daughter... noo..." A voice sobs and wails, and my wooden heart snaps. Someone's child, my Total Drain had taken a child.
"... still... alive..."
Wait... can I...
I did it with Language Comprehension and Wordless Incantation.
Push. Push. Push like never before you fucking seed! You have to do something to save that kid!
I don't really know what I'm doing, but I do it.
"Skill acquired Minor Bless Lvl. 1!" Bless? That sounds promising and starting at Lvl. 1 means I can probably use it.
Bless your little heart out seed!
I can feel some of my magic depleting, and it quickly becomes a torrent leaving my little seed body. Was I a fool just now? Could a little seed like me bring a human back to life.
If I can take it, I can dish it out! There's no time for second guessing, I have no idea the affects my Total Drain has on a flesh and blood person.
"Minor Bless is now Lvl. 5!" What a jump.. I think as I fade out again. Stupid darkness...
When I awake again, there are no more living presences or voices in my close proximity. I'm not quite sure how far that proximity is but if I had to guess it'd be 5 or 10 feet.
I really hope I helped...
Minor Bless leveling up seems to also have directly affected my own experience. Maybe healing also gave experience in this world? Either way I had jumped to Lvl. 8.
I really hope I didn't get any EXP for hurting the kid. That thought makes me grimace. I don't want to hurt sentient beings with families just to level up, that doesn't seem like the kind of person I was.
Well I don't really know anything about who I was...
Either way I put it all in Automatic Regeneration to make it all. 12. Which seems to be the only skill I can't level up naturally besides Stat Screen, which was useless for now. My one level in language comprehension hadn't done anything to increase my ability to read
Something like a post being driven into the ground is near me.
Is it.. No... a memorial sign... No...No no no... I didn't save the kid...
If I could cry, the tears would not be able to stop coming. If I could cry the world would drown.
".... shrine... can't believe... pulled through... miracle..."
Wait... Wait wait wait... she pulled through? I mean how many other kids suddenly collapse and need to pull through, right?! I did it! And they're building a shrine! I did it! I did it!
My body finally, or whatever body it I have, finally relaxes. I feel the tension leaving my body.
I had leveled up a bunch in Minor Bless, there's no way it couldn't have worked. I reassure myself.
God if only I could get out of this stupid seed form! I can definitely feel i'm getting larger, my roots have spread over the territory my brethren used to have. Maybe once I hit Lvl. 10 I'll be able to change a little. Or at least get hands and a mouth.
Time passes on as I grow slowly day by day. Getting from Lvl. 8 to Lvl. 9 seems to
take a lot more time without the benefit of using Total Drain on the saplings than it did with the first level.
That's to be expected, of course there's power creep.
At least the nearby people seemed to visit often. However much I eavesdropped I didn't seem to raise my Language Comprehension skill at all.
Maybe the next level requires me actually being able to talk back. That seems far off in this state, though...
"Level has increased! Evolution will be possible at the next level!"
Evolution? Finally! I can finally get out this seed body!
All I have to do is sit tight. It's all I can do, after all.
After another indistinguishable amount of time, I wake from what I can approximate to sleep but isn't quite the same. Something very chaotic is happening nearby. Heavy thuds as objects hit the floor.
People... The villagers...? N-No they built me a shrine... what's happening?!
"... take.... for slaves... kil... rest..." A gruff and wicked voice yells. Of course I can only make out the worst of it.
No this can't be happening! These people are just farmers... bandits... slavers... no no no no no not happening... not happening...
The anger bubbles up inside my guts and before I can think about it my Total Drain snakes out through my vast roots and grabs at where I think the voice is.
"... ameson.... what are you... hey maggot don't collapse now!" The gruff and wicked voice reprimands his fallen comrade.
Crap I got the guy next to him. I still can't really tell where people are properly, and if I mess up I may hurt a villager.
"Title Acquired; Bandit Slayer." Well I can live with that title.
"You have Leveled Up, would you like
to Evolve?" I don't really have time for that right now, iAlice...
The sounds of turmoil are happening all around me, half-understood screams and begging for mercy.
"You have two options! One; the Tree Sapling Sprout! The first step in the maturation process towards becoming a Great Tree!" Great, a sprout, just what I need right now.
More bodies thud, but it seems like the villagers are finally putting up an offensive, I'm hearing fewer bodies and more clashes of steel.
"Two! Treechild! A mysterious doll-like tree spirit who protects the forest!" Hey now maybe that I can work with...
The sounds of battle die down, maybe the villager are winning.
That's way too hopeful. I know I'm only fooling myself. And what am I gonna do as a fledgling tree spirit anyways?
"TREECHILD!" I scream into the void with whatever voice I have. I can't give up yet.
"Evolution selected."