1 Reborn as a World Tree

Does a human being really have a soul?

If a person has a soul, what will the world be like after death? Will one still be conscious?

When he was alive, Eve had many thoughts about this issue many times.

And every time after thinking about it, Eve came to almost the same conclusion that he must have just eaten too much and become bored.

When Eve finally had the opportunity to test and verify this issue, he was confused…

This was a dark world.

Eve was lost in contemplation of the infinite darkness before him.

First, he could be sure that he was indeed dead. And then he appeared in this weird space.

Although Eve did not understand the reason why he was still conscious, it was obvious that he was stuck in this space.

Loneliness. Darkness.

The only things he could see were two dim, flickering balls of light; one was blue and the other was green.

Eve tried to stretch out his hand, only to find that he didn't have a body. It seemed as if he was nothing but consciousness itself.

But luckily, it seemed that he could float like a cloud.

That was to say… he was in the form of his own soul?

Eve suddenly came up with an idea.

After contemplating for a moment, Eve hesitantly floated toward those two dim balls of light.

The green ball was very big. Eve beheld its fantastically mysterious, twinkling light.

The blue ball was very small. Eve found its dimness and softness to be incredibly pleasant.

After thinking for a few seconds, Eve decided to touch the blue ball first.

While Eve was trying to touch it, countless faint prayers suddenly echoed throughout the space…

The voice was disembodied, soft and holy, seeming to have a magic power to spontaneously calm souls.

Eve was surprised. He turned his attention to it and found that the voice seemed to be rising from the green ball of light.

The prayers continued with silent intervals. They were in a language that Eve had never heard before, but he found it wonderfully beautiful.

Although Eve did not understand what the voice was saying, he was able to perceive its unspeakable sadness and despair.

His curiosity conquered everything.

Subconsciously, Eve turned his attention and stretched out toward the green ball of light.

Just as Eve touched the ball of light, the whole world changed.

He was instantly in a daze, while an enormous amount of information blasted into his consciousness.

Eve's vision dimmed, and then countless scenes unfolded in his mind--

A vast expanse of ancient land…

A mysterious seed fell from the sky…

An exotic, huge tree sprouted from the earth…

Several beautiful figures emerged from the tree…

"Elves…?"

Eve came up with this idea while gazing at the figures that had often appeared in fantasy role playing games in his former life.

Before Eve had any more time to think, the green ball of light generated a great magnetic power, instantly sucking him into it…

…

"A proper soul has been captured."

"This condition has acted as a trigger. Conduct the ceremony of waking up the World Tree."

Eve heard a faint, unfamiliar voice.

It spoke in a strange language, but to his surprise, Eve realized he could understand it.

As soon as the voice faded, Eve's vision brightened.

Eve found that he had come into a world, surrounded by countless green photons.

These photons were innumerable flying green balls of light, unspeakably brilliant and fantastic.

What's going on?

Eve froze.

"Start merging the souls. Conduct the ceremony of inheriting the World Tree…"

The voice rose again. Then, a surge of innumerable particles started flying toward Eve's body.

Eve felt many sources of great, mysterious power entering his body, transferring an enormous amount of information.

As the fusion process took place, Eve felt his senses becoming increasingly acute. The mystical prayers rose again in the space and became clear.

With the fusion of the photons, Eve's consciousness also began to shine sacredly. Green, light energy merged incessantly until the whole space was engulfed…

At the last second, Eve heard the strange voice again:

"The fusion is successful."

"Welcome back, the new World Tree in the land of Sagas--"

"Your Majesty, Eve Euktrahill."

…

After regaining consciousness, Eve was lost in contemplation.

He was no longer in that weird space. On the contrary, it seemed that He had come into a lively world.

There was a range of high mountains in the far distance, and he was surrounded by a dense forest.

If He ignored the plants that were distinctly different from those on the earth, Eve would have doubted whether He had even come to a primeval forest.

But the forest and the high mountains were incredibly tiny…

This was a strange feeling. It seemed as if He had either acquired Ultraman's special ability, or He had come into a small world. Eve felt like He was looking down at everything in this world.

The high mountains were tiny. The forest was tiny. Even a group of birds that were flying in the sky were like insects.

Besides, His vision was so weird; He could see things 360 degrees all around. He could never have imagined this in His former life…

Shifting His attention slightly, Eve saw a lake that was as tiny as a palm.

With bluish green waves, the lake was so clean that it clearly reflected His image--

He had powerful and gnarled roots, a colossal and high trunk, and huge branches that covered the sky.

According to the information that came into His mind just now, Eve soon had the answer:

"A World Tree?"

World Tree--Euktrahill

He was praised as the source of nature, the Mother God of Elves, and the miracle of life…

In the land of Sigers, His existence was as ancient and mysterious as the history of dragons. He was a real mythical creature, as powerful as the gods.

"I'm really a World Tree…"

Eve sighed as he watched the image of the withered leaves in the lake's reflection.

Eve analyzed the information He received and roughly understood His current situation.

He had come into a magical world called Sagas.

As one of the newcomers, He… seemed to be chosen by the dying World Tree. His soul merged with the essence, memory, and inheritance of the old tree. At the same time, His own consciousness remained. He became the new World Tree--Eve Euktrahil.

A dying one.

The inheritance of the World Tree seemed to include a peculiar power to calm souls. Eve was neither terrified nor in a daze. On the contrary, to His surprise, He found Himself to be entirely composed and even quite happy now…

"Happy…"

He was happy indeed, for He remained alive.

After being reborn as a World Tree, Eve knew He was incredibly lucky.

As a wandering soul in space, He would perish if nothing happened. However, the transfer and fusion gave Him a new life.

The life of a tree.

"No matter what, I am… living again?"

Eve gazed at His reflection in the lake's surface and touched His new peculiar body with great curiosity.

But at the same time, He also felt that this body showed signs of deterioration.

Without a doubt, He was not in a good condition. He could see it simply from His reflection. His branches and leaves were so withered that He looked like a dying tree.

Nevertheless, Eve could still feel the tremendous, ancient force lying deep inside. Full of vitality and explosiveness, the force seemed to have just woken up from a deep sleep…

Meanwhile, a strange feeling came over Him.

It was a feeling of power over heaven and earth. Eve felt that He was the king of this land. If He wanted to, He could dominate everything within several miles.

Once this idea popped up in His mind, He could not stop thinking about it. Eve looked toward a dying oak tree, not far away from Him, and turned His thought to it.

Through His thought, strange things happened.

The withered oak tree instantly came back to life. It started sprouting and shooting. Just a few seconds later, it became exuberant again. In addition, Eve found that He seemed to connect with the oak tree somehow; he seemed to be able to control it.

At the same time, however, He found this action starting to rapidly deplete the mysterious power within His body. In an instant, one third of His power was gone. He was so terrified that He quickly stopped reviving the dying tree.

After merging with the essence of the World Tree, Eve realized that power was the energy of life. Meanwhile, it was the source of the World Tree's strength, or… divine force.

Once this power was used up, the World Tree would fall completely into a deep sleep.

That would mean Eve's death.

Feeling only two thirds of divine force remaining, Eve was slightly distressed.

He was careless.

He didn't realize the attempt at resuscitation would reduce his power so drastically.

Turning His attention to the withered tree, into which He had just infused the divine force, Eve found it a bit strange.

Now, the withered tree had changed completely. It was not only exuberant but also nearly three times taller than before.

After comparing it with other trees around it, Eve estimated this rejuvenated oak tree to be at least 30 meters tall…

And what happened next surprised Him.

This lucky oak tree quivered slightly, and unexpectedly, it struggled as it pulled its roots out from the soil.

The strong, gnarled roots unexpectedly twisted into two weird legs. The branches shot out and grew into two sturdy arms. The tree crown turned into hideous hair, and a pair of bright eyes appeared at the top of the tree trunk…

In an instant, unexpectedly, it changed into an awe-inspiring tree man!

While Eve was looking at it in surprise, this oak tree man, who was more than 30 meters tall, shook the soil off his legs.

Then, with a shudder, he turned to the World Tree. Half kneeling, he said powerfully, passionately and honestly, "Your Majesty, Mother God of nature… oak guard is grateful for your grace. Please give me a name, Mother God!"

Mother God? Oak guard? To give it a name?

Looking at the tiny oak guard before Him, Eve pouted.

Meanwhile, He felt a connection between their coming into being. It seemed that He could directly give orders to the oak guard.

Planning some mischief, Eve thought about it fleetingly, then instantly, a holy, disembodied, and cold voice arose in the oak guard's mind:

"In that case, your name is Berserker!"