Aspite Tree

BOOM!

SCREEEEEEEEEE

The tree roared in fury, it was born just minutes ago and it was just resting there not disturbing anyone even though it had sensed people close by, but they had to just come and disturb it.

So it decided to use it's full strength and having already unleashed its wrath from the beginning. Its roots had been nearly impossible to fend off, and even as the students began to hold their ground, the tree continued to see their actions as a desperate last stand, slowly wearing them down.

But when it seemed poised to deliver the final blow, the students fought back with renewed vigor and managed to strike at its core.

CRACK…CRACK

Jon's spear, initially ineffective against the tree, found an unexpected advantage. The tree's core was hidden in an unpredictable location—its branches. Jon had anticipated a core but hadn't considered attacking the bark, given the spear's ineffectiveness against the roots. However, with Moon Gaze, he spotted it.

The tree had cleverly concealed its core but had underestimated the power of ocular skills. Though Jon had to sacrifice his spear, it was a necessary loss.

The screeching halted abruptly. The roots fell, and silence returned. The battlefield was strewn with gaping wounds and deep lacerations, but the focus of the group was elsewhere.

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED REMAINS OF FIRST REALM LEVEL 26 'ASPITE TREE']

The surge of power they felt from the remains was far greater than anything from the zombies they had previously encountered. They exchanged glances, realizing they had all received the same message. The system seemed to allocate rewards based on individual contributions, but it didn't end there.

[YOUR LEVEL HAS INCREASED]

[YOUR LEVEL HAS INCREASED]

[YOUR LEVEL HAS INCREASED]

[YOUR LEVEL HAS INCREASED]

[YOUR **** HAS GROWN]

The notifications abruptly stopped, and they missed the final one that flashed briefly. As the messages faded, they assessed the devastation and remembered the magnitude of their recent foe. They surveyed the damage, nodded to each other, and moved cautiously toward the tree.

They had expended most of their mana developing new strategies and battling the tree. With the tree's remains boosting their mana reserves, it would take some time to recover fully.

At the foot of the tree, its once vibrant green and gold leaves and fruits now stood out. Five golden apples hung temptingly from the branches. Jon reached for one, but the effort was too much. He collapsed, falling forward.

"JON…JON!"

"Hey…"

Jenny and Cynthia rushed to his side, panic etched on their faces. Seeing the pool of blood beneath Jon, they quickly realized the severity of the situation. Jenny managed to use her silver flames to stop her own bleeding, but Jon's injury was more critical.

"E-Err… what do we do now?" Jenny asked, trying her skill on Jon, but it had no effect. They checked his breathing—it was steady, and they took slow, steady breaths.

"I'll take the fruits. You carry him. Let's get back to the dormitory," Cynthia said calmly.

...

In the distance, two figures observed the scene. Once part of a group of four, they had been forced to kill their zombified companions. Though initially distressed, they quickly moved on after acquiring their own skills.

The two had once belonged to a gang named Krad, notorious for their scams and violence.

They had even been in the midst of showing their notoriousity on a student when the world fell.

Now, as they hid from zombies, they heard the tree's roar and decided to investigate.

Upon discovering the three students fighting and defeating the monstrous tree, they were initially reluctant to intervene. But with one student unconscious and the others injured, they saw an opportunity to claim the fruits for themselves.

"Hey Jed, they're getting close. Let's take them," one said.

"Yeah, Toad, Dog, let's jump them." Jed turned, expecting to address his teammates, but realized they were dead. He smacked his forehead in frustration. "Looks like it's just us," he said, his voice tinged with unease. Even injured, the students might still be dangerous.

"Yeah," Max agreed.

The two stood up, ready to intercept, but...

THUD…THUD

The dull thuds of heads hitting the ground marked the end for Jed and Max. Behind them stood the pair of followers from earlier, their anger palpable.

"How dare they," the woman seethed, her rage evident. Having restrained herself from aiding Cynthia in the battle, the theft of the fruits was unacceptable.

Her companion, though more composed, focused on the group making their way to the dormitory. "They're as skilled as young miss. She needs allies like these," he thought.

With a sigh, he addressed the still-fuming woman, "We should leave now. She's safe."

"Yes, she is. Farewell, young miss," the woman said, casting one last look at Cynthia before disappearing, followed by the man.

Jon's group, now back at the dormitory, found the surroundings eerily silent.

...

Jon slowly opened his eyes to a system notification:

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED REMAINS SKILL OF FIRST REALM 'ASPITE TREE']

[YOU HAVE OBTAINED UNRANKED SKILL 'SPEED-HEALING']

Confused but too weak to move, Jon checked his status window:

[STATUS]

[NAME: JON WHYTE]

[AGE: 19]

[LEVEL: 23]

[CLASS: NONE]

[TITLE: NONE]

[STRENGTH: 60] [AGILITY: 90] [STAMINA: 85] [MANA: 500] [HEALTH: 150]

[SKILLS: INSTANT CALCULATION (FIRST REALM) LEVEL 5, MOON (FIRST REALM) LEVEL 5, MOON GAZING (SECOND REALM), SPEED-HEALING (UNRANKED REALM)]

[TRAITS: COMPOSURE (THIRD REALM) LEVEL 5, SOLDIERS PHYSIQUE (EVOLVABLE)]

[STATUS POINTS: 12]

"Still looks empty," he muttered, disappointed at the lack of new skills. Reaching level 23 from battling the tree was a notable achievement, but the sight of his near-doubled health was unsettling. "Did I inherit the tree's healing ability?" he wondered. He would need to ask Jenny about it once he was fully awake.

He examined his new skills:

[MOON GAZING (SECOND REALM) LEVEL 1: THE EYES OF THE MOON TOUCH ON THE BORDER OF MYSTERY. IT ALLOWS YOU TO SEE MORE THAN WHAT IS PRESENTED TO YOU.]

[REACH SECOND REALM TO SEE FULL DETAILS]

"Too weak to see the full details," he mused, feeling a mix of frustration and anticipation. He had obtained a skill himself but too weak to use it, 'Why give me in the first place.'

[SPEED-HEALING (UNRANKED REALM) LEVEL 5: SPEEDS UP HEALING PROCESS TO TWICE THAT OF A NORMAL HUMAN. PERMANENTLY INCREASES HEALTH BY 50.]

"Twice the normal healing rate? I wonder how potent it'll become at higher levels," Jon thought, considering the implications.

"Maybe that's why I can't see the full details of Moon Gazing," he speculated. He then noticed Cynthia , who remained the most intriguing and enigmatic figure to him looking at him.