Onwards

[World Tree Ascension System has been activated!]

[Name: Charles Thiterith]

[Class: Basic Beast Tamer]

[Level: 1]

[Ascension Progress: None]

[Henrietta, the Beast of Duality, has joined your party!]

"We are now partners, bound until one of us loses their life. Would you like to start the ascension now?" Henrietta asked, floating while she slowly lowered both of them to the ground. Time has resumed, yet he were lowered with care, as if he had become the most precious thing for the beast.

"I will need you to explain everything to me first, though."

Charles glanced at the screaming crowds beneath. Lightning flashed as he did, projecting a silhouette of a massive tree reaching far higher than the highest skyscrapers. It was as if the tree wished to gore the heavens itself, an act of defiance from the ground it was rooted to.

Henrietta followed his gaze, and then, she answered.

"Well, you have seen the tree, so that makes it easier."

They both landed on the ground without making a sound.

Henrietta looked at the horizon, and Charles followed suit, pointing at the massive tree. It looked less like a tree and more like dried branches tied together, as there were no signs of it having been alive.

"First, we have to get closer to the World Tree," Henrietta said, "and that will not be easy."

CRACK!

Before Charles could ask what she meant by that, the ground started to rumble again, hairline cracks that littered the street opening wider like a twisted maw leading to the dark abyss beneath. A blackened claw rose from the hole and slammed down, sending a shockwave that knocked down those who were unfortunate enough to be close to it.

More and more creatures rose up, each possessing different appearances. One looked like a clump of tar with golden patterns, another looked like a massive flightless bird with long, curved beak and talons, and another even looked similar to a dragon crossed with a leech.

As Charles stared at the crowd of beasts, a notification appeared in front of his eyes.

[Abyssal Fiend (Black)]

[Intelligence: Low]

[Details: Monsters that spawned from the world's core. Asleep since time immemorial, they have been revived with one mission – to cleanse the Earth. They attack any other creatures indiscriminately, without thoughts of anything even their own well-being. They are individually weak; however, they always appear in packs, causing trouble to those without means of defense.]

[Taming chance: 0% - Unable to be reasoned with, nor be directed to, as it attacks everything besides itself]

Everyone was running like they were mere headless chickens, all scattering into random directions to avoid a disaster they were unable to pinpoint the sources of.

Charles decided to immediately spring into action.

"Come on, Henrietta!"

"That's what I'd like to hear!" She answered, thick glee dripping from her honeyed voice. Her fangs became more pronounced, her delicate fingernails turning into sharp claws. Before Charles could blink, she grasped one of the creatures and swung her arm, slamming the creature a few meters away, past the debris until it slammed into a wall.

Almost immediately, a thick black sludge spurted from the creature's corpse, before its eyes rolled back and its now lifeless body slid down the wall, leaving a trail of black. A pungent scent radiated from it.

Henrietta grabbed another monster that was about to maul Charles and used it as a makeshift club, slamming and throwing it onto the quickly increasing flood of monsters.

"Come with me, Charles!"

As she spoke, she assumed her beast form, a few dozen meters tall creature with a countless eyes and three pairs of wings, split down the middle with one side being obsidian black, and the other being stark white. Her wings looked like moth wings, yet each were littered with blinking eyes that followed even every slight movement.

Behind her, a massive spiked tail swung back and forth, ending in a thick, axe-like protrusion covered with eyes, just like every part of her.

With her snout, she nudged Charles up onto her body, and he landed right on her back.

"Hold on!" Henrietta shouted, her voices echoing throughout the area.

In response, a few of the creatures jumped up, those possessing makeshift wings even attempted to glide and fly to chase after them.

Charles was forced to dodge every single one of them, while Henrietta tore onto the creatures' wings every time they came close, sending them plunging down onto the panicking crowds below.

Powerful winds whipped Charles' body every which way, and he was forced to grip onto Henrietta's back for support.

Another beast with the appearance of a twisted wyvern made of tar and smoke appeared behind them. Charles looked back right as it swung down, its claws only millimeters away from him.

SLAM!

SCREECH!

The creature let out a terrifying shriek as Henrietta's tail slammed down onto its head, causing it to fall in lightning speeds. Then, she flapped her wings, adding another burst of speed.

They were flying closer to the dried tree Charles saw before at record speeds. While he was busy dodging, the scenery had changed, from the city to a rocky mountain in the middle of nowhere. Before, the tree had already looked massive, but now, as they get closer, it looked even more impressive, towering over everything.

As if feeling Charles' stare, Henrietta spoke.

"Yep, some of the other contestants have gathered there. We're kinda late in that regard," Henrietta said, while batting a creature that looked like a pterodactyl made of shadows. With a loud, deafening screech, the creature were slammed onto the side of a hill, creating a massive indentation and throwing rocks all over.

"Get ready, we're landing!"

Charles barely had time to hold on as Henrietta dove down. As she flapped her wings in an attempt to slow down her own landing, he could feel his heart sink in time with the gravity. As Henrietta's claws touched the ground, she started to shrink, and at the moment Charles jumped down, she had already assumed the form of the woman Charles was more familiar with, but this time, her horns and pointed ears were nowhere in sight.

Not only that, they landed a bit far from the tree.

"Henrietta? This is a bit too-"

"I think it'd be best if I hide my other form form for now," Henrietta cut in, gesturing at the crowds that had formed at the base of the tree. "They might get suspicious."

"Okay, you're not wrong in that regard…"

With that, they decided to directly come at the base of the tree, where they were greeted by what seemed like a wooden effigy. It was made of wood, and it had no eye, mouth, or any visible organs. Reddish-blue glowing lines ran down its body, giving it the appearance of a futuristic android mixed in with natural materials.

[Welcome, Contestant 993, we have been waiting for you. Let us get you registered first.]

As the notification appeared, Charles spotted a glowing ball out of the corner of his eyes. Right as he turned to look, he realized.

Henrietta had disappeared.