《A New Leaf》 Chapter 1: Not Getting my Deposit back I am woken up by a constant beeping noise coming from just in front of my face. I try to wriggle away from the noise and bury my face deeper into the pillow, only to realise I am digging into something much harder than what is supposed to be on my bed. Upon closer inspection, which I managed to do with my forehead, I decipher that the texture is that of hardwood flooring. What the actual fuck is going on? How did I get on the floor? Wait, why is my body aching all over the place, to begin with? And what is that beeping? I open my eyes, only to realise that I am indeed on the floor of my flat, all twenty square metres of it. A sudden gust of wind, which really isn¡¯t supposed to be inside a space enclosed by four walls, forces me to jerk completely awake, since going back to sleep is going to be a hassle anyway. I search for the source of the wind, only to be met with the peaceful panoramic view of the city I¡¯m currently living in, which would be fine IF THE FUCKING WALL WASN¡¯T RIPPED OFF. Shit, I¡¯m not getting my deposit back. Alright, calm down, surely there is a perfectly reasonable explanation as to how I managed to sleep through a wall getting broken down into the apartment. Wait, shouldn¡¯t that actually cause some bodily harm? A little bit of aching just doesn''t seem right for when a wall falls down on you. The beeping noise persists through any rational thought my mind is gracing me with, which would make it one of the more pressing matters at hand. I don¡¯t know how to rebuild a wall anyway, and I¡¯m pretty sure people can¡¯t see me on the sixth floor, so my privacy is not really affected. Let¡¯s stand up first. I try to put some force into my legs, which don¡¯t respond nearly as well as I remember. I look down, breaking contact with the gaping hole through which the evening Sun comes through. What I see isn¡¯t legs. Well, they could be called such. Maybe. If they had feet on the end. What I¡¯m seeing is two tree stumps, branching roots and all. Ok, calm down. Someone just made your legs into trees, no big deal, right? Wrong. I want my flesh legs back. My feet weren¡¯t the prettiest of feet, but I liked them. I was pretty attached to them I must say. Well then, let¡¯s check for everything else that seems to have changed to my body while I was knocked out. I¡¯ll assume I got knocked out. People don¡¯t sleep through this shit. At least they shouldn¡¯t be able to. How is that beeping not stopping? ¡°Can whatever the fuck is beeping shut up already?!¡± My voice came out a lot deeper than I remember it being. Must be the dehydration. The beeping relents my outcry. Of course, like I expected something to listen. Moving on anyway, if I get lucky I¡¯ll go deaf and the beeping won¡¯t bother me anyway. So, tree legs. Less trees, and more branching roots that somehow amalgamated into what seems to resemble a construct I may be able to stand on and walk. I¡¯d have to try anyway since the floor doesn¡¯t seem a good place to spend the rest of eternity on. I suddenly realise that the floor isn¡¯t actually cold as it¡¯s supposed to, so I bring up a hand to inspect. Yep, branching arms. I can feel the musculature, or at least the little muscles I had, I was never really the outgoing or the workout type. But it¡¯s suppressed basically. It feels weird, it¡¯s like feeling through a thick layer of clothing around every part of your body. I wriggle my fingers, which in perspective are now at least tripled in size. The movements are a bit slower than I used to, it seems like any kind of movement is exerting a lot out of me in general. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Alright, I get it. I use my hand to get a general feeling around my body, which doesn¡¯t actually help much. Having a reduced sense of touch sucks. Plan B: go to the bathroom and look myself into the small mirror I have. I try to stand up, which I manage to somehow do after falling over only twice. I rooted for root legs, they won. I really need to get back to society, as my inner monologue jokes are becoming dumb to me. To whoever is listening: you better be laughing right now.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Walking is more of a pain than standing up. I seem to have grown quite a bit in height since the last time I checked, which would be the day I got knocked out. I don¡¯t seem to have magically gained weight since my stomach is flat. Well, if getting tree legs made me get a flat stomach, I¡¯d wager it was a nice trade-off. I trudge over to the bathroom, the only difference in the apartment being the improved view. I¡¯m not going to go over to the gaping hole in the wall since a fear of heights is a perfectly rational one. Wait, is it a fear of heights or a fear of falling down from heights? Once inside the bathroom that suddenly became way too small to move in since I had acquired about 20 cm in height and my hands are the size of an average tree branch (I might have made the average size of a tree branch up), I stumble across the first problem. One which probably should actually start pointing out to an explanation to all of this. There¡¯s no power or water, so something must be wrong. I know the building is old, like just post-WW2 old, but the power and water grid just doesn¡¯t up and disappear for no reason. And I can¡¯t Google that, since my computer doesn¡¯t have power, and is being crushed by small chunks of wall. Cellphone it is. Oh right, I was supposed to get a new one, since this one got its battery fried. Damn it. Since there¡¯s no power in the bathroom, I dig out a flashlight from the living room cabinet, which consisted of me pulling the entire drawer out and picking the flashlight out of the ensuing mess, considering my hands wouldn¡¯t be able to fit inside. Walking back over to the bathroom, I turn the flashlight on. I¡¯m greener than I remembered. And my hair is gone. No, wait, it¡¯s still there. It just got replaced by a copious amount of leafy vines. Two eyes, check. Eye colour stayed the same dark brown. They are a bit more spread apart than I recall, but my eyesight doesn¡¯t seem affected. A nose I¡¯m able to breathe through, check. Breathing, check. Teeth, check. The skin on my face looks more like bark than skin, but at least it seems to be able to feel more than my hands do. I brush my hand across my cheek, the sensations flaring across my mind. Dulled senses suck. Alright, now for the rest. I rip off the shirt and shorts I found myself in, since undressing them by regular means seems to be not worth the trouble. My added height also made sure that the clothes started ripping by themselves, so there¡¯s not much point in keeping them on. Well, my body seems to follow the root principle. It actually seems more like my skin has melded into the roots themselves rather than being replaced by it. Which also means that I lack body hair and nipples. And a penis. Now, that¡¯s going to be a problem. Not that I actually got any real use of it for the past twenty years, but I¡¯d still like the option, damn it. It¡¯s starting to become less funny by the second. And the beeping doesn¡¯t seem to be stopping soon. At least it¡¯s not as loud or frequent anymore. So, I¡¯m essentially a tree¡­man. Treant? Ent? I wish I paid more attention during the Lord of the Rings movies. Oh, I remember games when they had those. Treant. I¡¯ll call myself a treant. Wait. Am I in a game? Doesn¡¯t feel like a game. I mean I know they were developing VR, but this is way too advanced. Fuck the beeping already. Ok, I read a lot of web fiction. There¡¯s one really improbable explanation, which would possibly work. Am I seriously going to go with all of this? ¡­ Fine. Status. The beeping stops, replaced by a single short click. Followed by a surge of blue boxes appearing from seemingly nowhere. Damn it.
System successfully implemented
Welcome, Player 2151120210995
Activating initialisation sequence, please stand by
Emergency announcement
Greetings, humans. Planet 2345-3 is currently experiencing system implementation. Your numbers are expected to fall from the currently estimated 7.4 billion to a more manageable level. Expect things to get messy soon. -The Overlords
Special roll update: Condition change, race update. Implementing system. Standby while the system updates your physical traits. This shouldn¡¯t hurt. We advise rest and an increased intake of fluids. Loss of consciousness may occur in severe cases.
System status update ¨C Day 3: The number of humans, and semi-humans, has reached a more manageable number of 100 000, spread approximately uniformly across Planet 2345-3. Implementation of various wildlife begins now. Standby. -The Overlords
System status update ¨C Day 5: Rifts have been implemented successfully and wildlife has been introduced. Current number of native players: 99 102. -The Overlords
System status update ¨C Day 7: We don¡¯t actually care what happens to you from now on. Have fun. -The Overlords
Status updated Welcome, Player 13241
Status profile available. Your status isn¡¯t visible to anyone but yourself. Party members have access to a restricted profile view of other party members. For more information, click the appropriate part of your status profile.
So here I am, standing in an enclosed bathroom, with only a flashlight in hand/branch, staring at a blue screen. Just another day. And I¡¯m definitely not getting the deposit on this place back. Chapter 2: Tree-People are a Thing now Apparently, the announcement boxes fade after a bit. Good to know I don¡¯t have to manually click them away. So I¡¯m left just standing in the bathroom, flashlight in hand-branch (or branch-hand, I think I need to figure the naming yet), looking at myself in the mirror. Well, I can already guess some parts of what the status screen is going to show. Let¡¯s get it over with: Status. My mind whizzes for the briefest of moments, and a small mental picture of a blue screen realises itself in front of my view. It follows what appears to be the centre of my vision, so I have no way to miss it at least.
Status Screen - Basic information
Player name 13241 ¨C name change available Gender Unspecified, see notes
Race Hybrid Subtype Human-Plant hybrid
Titles N/A
Class None Power Level 4
Traits and Skills (click for more info)
Plant body Increased water resistance Heavily reduced fire resistance Decreased ice resistance
Photosynthesis Increased regeneration in Sunlight
Dulled senses Resistant to minor injuries Increased regeneration at high health
Regrowth May regenerate limbs and organs
Abilities (click for more info)
Root Root yourself to the ground. Allows the body to absorb nutrients from the soil below you. Bonuses: Vastly increased health regeneration (affected by soil quality) Increased upper body strength (Partially) Immune to dislocation Activates trait Underground Detection Underground Detection ¨C allows user to sense objects and creatures within a small radius May be cancelled at will, or when a sufficient uprooting force is applied
Oooo¡­k. That¡¯s a lot of information. And somehow, not that much. Can I get a witty introduction first? Overlords?
You¡¯re half-plant, you¡¯re a joke already
Ah right up my alley, that¡¯s the spirit. Thanks, Overlords.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
You¡¯re welcome
First things first, the numbers there don¡¯t seem to be ANY relevant numbers here. I don¡¯t even know what the rating is supposed to be based on. Considering I was able to withstand a wall being blown off towards me, I¡¯d say I¡¯m leaning more towards the tankier side so that just might be it. It¡¯s confusing if anything. Maybe I can ask? What is the power level?
Power level: Algorithm determined rating that ranges between 1 and 10. Decimals may be included. Current algorithm version: PWLVL0.9.0.0.1
Hmmm. And I¡¯m a 4 based on what? Is that the baseline for whatever it is I am now? Can I call you anything, oh great status profile? Well, that shut it up. Back to the matters at hand. The messages mentioned day seven, meaning I¡¯ve been knocked out for at least a week, which would imply that everyone had a head start. I assume that whatever these guys did, I assume that there would be something weird going on outside. Especially since barely a sound came through the vast open space that was once my window. Which would be understandable if I didn¡¯t live next to the interstate and the train station. It¡¯s simply too quiet. My mouth runs dry as I dejectedly try to intake any amount of water from my apartment. My fridge contains only a small bottle, which I would prefer to take with me on my inevitable exit from the building, seeing there is no reason to believe this is just going to pass.It never does in the things I¡¯ve read, and this seems similar. I remember I put away a six-liter bottle of water under the sink to use when the plumbing is under maintenance. It will have to do for now. I fumble the bottle out of the corner, my hands too large and stocky to get a proper grip on the plastic. The next few tries yield better results, and a bottle now rests on the working surface of the kitchenette. I unscrew the lid of the bottle and raise it to above my head, not bothering to try with glasses for now. I¡¯m thirsty and could also use something to hydrate my skin, it feels incredibly dry. The water pours out, splashing my face, as my open mouth takes in gulps of water at a time, and my skin refreshes from a simple room temperature liquid running over it. A puddle forms beneath my feet as I intake all the water I can as fast as possible, the wave of relaxation washing over me. My feet start to tingle, as I look below me, the dulled senses my new skin provides leaving me only partially aware of the changes in or around me. The roots on my legs shiver briefly before opening to reveal smaller strands hidden below the brownish bark. The white strands branch outwards into the puddle, as another wave of relief overwhelms my mind. The puddle of water is soon sucked dry by the thin roots, and I lift my legs one at a time, the bark again covering the sensitive roots within. Well, that provides an answer to how much of a plant I actually am. My thirst sated, I try to think of some step-by-step approach to whatever this situation is. I step back into the ruined room, the clear view from my window giving me a panoramic image of my city. Or what it remained of it. Vats of smoke are coming out from various places as the once tall buildings seem partially destroyed in the distance. Some fires could be seen in the background but I can¡¯t discern anything else from that. The three bridge connecting the parts of the city are all severely damaged or missing in one case. I try not to step too close to the edge, my (I believe rational) fear of heights coming over me. I need to get out of this place. That requires some preparation beforehand. I move around my flat surrounded by ghastly silence, opening every drawer that wasn¡¯t ruined by the debris. I¡¯m surprised so much remained, to be honest. I¡¯m even more surprised I slept through it all. The scavenger hunt of the remains of my apartment brings me to a paltry total of zero edible food. At least I have salt. Wait, there are 2 cans of tuna and a beer. That goes into the bag. I put a small blanket into the bag as well, which I may decide to throw away, considering that I haven¡¯t actually felt that cold while being basically naked all this time. Not that I need to hide anything for decency, the roots are doing a grand job of that, as I still can¡¯t find anything that would point out to my missing¡­ parts. That¡¯s what Unspecified gender implies, I guess. Oh right, clicking for notes.
Introduction message Human-Plant hybrid User 13241
Your body is currently somewhere between plant and human. That includes metabolism functions such as breathing, nutrition, excretion, and reproduction. Breathing: User 13241 currently uses breathable air to fill its lungs. Photosynthesis during the day requires carbon dioxide and sufficient amounts of water. The manufactured oxygen is released back into the air and cannot be stored for emergencies. Nutrition: User 13241 currently uses both types of nutrition intakes. Rooting allows for essential minerals and water to enter through the limb system. Digestion of food yields more energy and increases core body temperature. Excretion: User 13241 can use the Rooting subsystem to purge the body of unnecessary byproducts of metabolism. The ending of the digestive system has been terminated. Reproduction: Currently unavailable. This section may improve upon self-inspection, exploration, or the Overlords¡¯ whim.
That answered somethingbut didn¡¯t help with the thing I was asking about. No use in crying over spilt milk. Speaking of milk, I just realised the carton next to my fridge is unopened and consumable. Into the bag, it goes. Let¡¯s change the name I guess. I already decided on Treant, and the opinion hasn¡¯t changed. I try to remember what I was actually called, but only a fog remains over any semblance of my name as I wrangle through my brain for answers. It could be temporary amnesia, possibly shock, but most likely a consequence of whatever happened to me during the past week. So, Treant it is.
Name change successful Status profile updated Name change no longer available
A ding resonates through the air, but I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m the only one able to hear it. I guess that¡¯s it. I¡¯m a Human-Plant Hybrid named Treant now, and this is my life. Where''s MTV? I look at my arms. The prospect of using any kind of a tool is beyond my current hand coordination, so I guess I¡¯ll have to use my bark hands.I chuckle at the self-made pun, then go back to doing something, anything, useful. Jokes only go so far. A linen bag over my shoulder with the little possessions I decide I can use at this point (some clothes put for good measure, just in case my anatomy decides to come back) and basic provisions of food and water that I could find around me, I take my branchy hand and unlock my home for what seems to be the last time in a while. Chapter 3: Stairway to Hell The door creaks open to reveal an empty corridor of my apartment building, flower pots haphazardly knocked over, the plants mostly gone or shriveled away. The corridor to my left is blocked by rubble, disallowing me from going further upstairs. The only way is down. And it¡¯s not Essex. The two apartments accessible on my floor turn out to be devoid of life, the furniture shredded, torn, or broken apart as I eventually give up on salvaging anything useful from the premises. I have five more floors to go through, and something is bound to come up eventually, so that keeps my mind going. I trudge down the steps, my footing uncomfortable due to the sheer size of my new root system. My entire body is off balance due to my newfound height and elongated limbs, turning my descent into a somersault down the last few steps.
Try walking better
Funny. Very funny. Exhaling audibly, I dig my face out of the concrete and shift my body around in order to try and ascertain whether something has been dislocated. Status screen could be helpful, but getting a feel for my body should be a priority now. The screens also show almost nothing, or at least I don¡¯t know how to access the parts I¡¯m interested in. After realizing that the majority of damage has been done to my pride and self-esteem, I use my hands as leverage in standing up, my bark creaking in response to the movements of my body. Fifth floor, nine apartments. I stop myself from any verbal announcements and exclamations, hoping that everyone that live here doesn¡¯t need or doesn¡¯t want any assistance from me, or that they have passed the point of needing help at all. Any attention I bring to me in this place could turn out to be negative, especially considering I don¡¯t exactly look like a bona fide human anymore. I walk over to the nearest door, trying to open it using my oversized palm. The door gives way after I manage to yank the handle down forcefully, only further increasing the sound pollution of the building.
You¡¯re as unnoticeable as the Sun during a hot day You¡¯d also make a lousy burglar
Thanks, oh so helpful status screens. As if having branches for arms didn¡¯t hinder my villainous ways already. The apartment reveals to contain nothing of importance, the early signs of abandonment showing in the form of dust on the surfaces I search through. People left in a hurry it would seem. Returning to the floor hallways, I go through the open doors of the adjacent apartment. The living room reveals to be splotched in dark red as my flashlight tries to light up as much of the space in front of me as possible. The red splotches seem to be blood, but nothing else can be found on the scene of the crime. Furniture turned over points to some kind of a struggle, the use of the word loose in the context, but no bodies can be found. Maybe it¡¯s for the best when I think about it clearly. I¡¯m fine with dried blood, not sure how would I react to more grim things yet. The cabinets in the kitchen reveal some canned fruit, which I take, along with a can opener I can only hope of mastering to use in the next decade. I never thought myself as a guy that would steal from others, but I¡¯m guessing the blood in the room belongs to whoever lived here, and they don¡¯t seem to have any use of food anymore, at least here. Hunger crushes morals eventually, might as well get used to it quicker. The things we do. The floor reveals to hold nothing more than several blood-stained rooms, no semblance of life, past or present, to be found within the confines of the walls. The evening Sun poses more problems for my vision, as I can¡¯t be certain my flashlight would be a sufficient light source for exploration of the building. Apparently, my luck statistic would be soaring in the triple digits if I could check it, as I haven¡¯t found any trouble with ¡°wildlife¡± as they put it and the corridors seem to be largely unaffected by whatever caused the cave-in on my floor. Floor four shows a novelty in the form of a locked door. My knocks don¡¯t seem to elicit any kind of response from within the apartment, so it¡¯s most likely vacant from before all of this happened. Figuring out this could actually be worth my while as opposed to travelling idly through the streets at night, I try to get a firm footing on one of my roots, as I kick down as hard as I can with my other leg. This action results in me pushed back down, with the doors apparently not recognising my authority in wood matters. I never lifted in my life.
Dulled senses ¨C health loss minimal I just wanted to point out how much you suck at burgling
I get back to my feet, using my hand to hurry the process of dissolving the status screen. The second try leaves me standing in the least, which I count as progress of sorts. It won¡¯t help me open the door faster, but my morale is a bit higher. The third try leaves my foot beyond the threshold, the opened door swung before me.
There is wisdom in not using shoulders or face to break open doors However there is no wisdom stat so take from that what you will
The entire thing about missing stats is weird to me. You usually imagine having those. That would be something worth looking into at a later date, as pondering about why something doesn¡¯t exist seems paradoxical to the notion that status screens exist at all. I move on, trying to not get caught in the moment.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. My flashlight points in the general direction of the rooms ahead, stale air escaping through the newfound passage. The closed slits on the windows let a minuscule amount of natural lighting in, as I scour the premises for anything of use. I find absolutely nothing, my spirits only kept high by the prospect of me actually being able to open the door by brute force, signaling that I can actually scrounge up as much. My break-in didn¡¯t seem to garner any attention, wanton or otherwise, as the floors are as deathly silent as before. My descent continues with the tally being more blood splotches on the walls, a few additional cans of food, along with a new bottle of water. An apartment on the second floor of the building has a bag of fertile soil for pots. Couldn¡¯t hurt, right? I am partially a plant after all. The small bag is barely tied using a rope I just wrapped around hoping the contents wouldn¡¯t spill too soon. A plastic bag I scavenged nearby (they are going to last for centuries, it¡¯s probable they will come in handy sooner rather than later) I use to somewhat secure the contents and to provide a buffer between food, clothes, blankets, and soil. I think I know the odd one out.
You do realise plastic bags are not ecologically friendly, and you¡¯re a plant
There doesn¡¯t seem to be a convenient inventory in which to store the items I carry. So much for that particular game mechanic, which means I am severely limited to the total amount of things I can salvage from this place. Getting a car to run and carry my groceries is out of the question, since all the fuel is probably gone, burned or used up already, and my driving skills depended on having fingers the size approximately a third of the current ones. I¡¯m a week behind on everything, and the lucky break of being alive would have to be enough. Floor one, and my last chance to find more stuff in this building. My attention is drawn by the crunching sound coming from around the corner. My sneaking skills are up to par with my burgling ones, and I move with the grace of an elephant on a unicycle as I approach the corner. Unfortunately, what I fail to realise is that the lack of windows and electricity on the floor caused it to enter permanent darkness, one I disturbed by bringing in a working flashlight. Pain surges through my left leg, as I frantically search for my attacker, pointing the flashlight at the corridor.
Dulled senses ¨C damage minimal You are bleeding (click for more info) In combat status active
The light catches the pitch black eyes of a creature slightly taller than my knees clawing at my leg. ¡°Argh¡± I flinch out of its reach as a thick liquid seeps from a newly made wound. The creature¡¯s babbles become more frantic as it leaps onto my chest while attempting to claw at my face, its eyes contrasting with the light poured onto the scene. I drop my bag and swat aggressively at the creature in a wide arc, as if I¡¯m killing a fly and not whatever this thing actually is.
Helendari Demon ¨C Imp ¨C Common more information in the Beastiary Beastiary opened
Well that answers one question. The creature digs into the bark on my chest just as I bash the foul thing with the flashlight. ¡°You little fucker! Do I look like a squirrel nest to you?¡±
Dulled senses ¨C low damage You are bleeding (again) (click for more info) You know squirrels don¡¯t actually dig into the trees themselves?
Yes I do. I still would like to not have a hole in my chest, thank you very much. I turn towards where the Imp dropped, only to find it clutching its leg and hissing at me.
In combat status effect: Knee injury
Apparently the flashlight blow hurt the thing, but not as much as I¡¯d hoped. Before I could blink the Imp (a Common one, whatever that counts for) charges forward and bites into my root.
Fire damage taken Note to Treant: you¡¯re a plant. Fire burns.
¡°Shit!¡± A small burn causes me to back off. So this vile thing can use fire! I¡¯ll need to get rid of him and get the hell out of here in case his buddies show up. With a wide arch I kick the Imp across its face and sending him tumbling a few meters into the dark corridor. I trudge over to the Imp, not bothering to focus my view on him. Lacking any desire to check on his remaining health, I grab it by the throat as the Imp squirms for air, flailing his claws around. Somehow the Imp manages to grapple onto a wall, biting into my finger. ¡°Hot! Hot! Hot!¡±
Fire bad. Status effect ¨C minor burn. Dulled senses ¨C minimal damage
The same fire forces me to drop him but I manage to launch my foot forward and kick the Imp across its torso, sending it barreling down on the floor. I gape at my finger. The bite caused a small burn, but the pain faded already. I don¡¯t bother looking at the Imp anymore, the creature barely moving as I bring one of my feet over its neck, hoping that the creature needs to breathe. A small crack can be heard from the creature¡¯s neck before it lifelessly slumps on the floor, with its back turned towards me so I don¡¯t have to watch its face writhe in death.
Congratulations, you killed your first enemy
Title gained: Stomper
Due to your merciless crushing of a being much smaller and weaker than you, you get¡­ absolutely nothing. You monster.
This title is not publicly visible
I stand above the small creature, its limbs sprawled around the body, and suppress a gag coming through my throat. I can¡¯t dwell on it, it attacked me and I defended myself. That¡¯s the gist of it, nothing else matters. I go over to pick up the flashlight I dropped during my first¡­ fight? Battle? The light flickers for a moment before the corridor is lit yet again, the lifelessness of the scenery now causing it to be eerier than before. Thefloor beneath my feet contains several bones, strips of flesh dangling off them, a small pool of dried blood formed beneath the remains of a carcass. I perform a quick sweep of the apartments before moving down to the ground floor, where the exit of the building is located. Corpses overrun the floor below me, the stench of death now permeating my dulled senses. I just walk over trying to not crush anything below me and step out of the door. The darkness of the street welcomes me, as the air carries smoke and stench. I look to my right, a line of overturned and burned down cars sprawls along the streets. My eyes barely make out bodies inside and around the vehicles, ashes and cinder painting the world black as moonlight looms from the distance. Hell on Earth has begun. Chapter 4: Blood, Sap, and I need a Map In hindsight, I should¡¯ve considered what to do about the bleeding before going out in the open. A thick brownish liquid is oozing from my leg, with the same syrupy substance congregating on the small gash across my chest. I proceed to do what any normal person would do in my situation: I taste it.
I¡¯m tempted to make up some points in statistics just so I could deduct some of them on this occasion
But it would be too tedious of a task, and I can¡¯t be bothered with that Ignoring the window that pops up in view, I coat the insides of my mouth with the liquid. My blood is somewhere between tree sap and human blood, the sweetness of the plant sap mixing with the metallic taste of iron. The blood thickens as it exits the wounds, forming a small seal on my chest which has apparently lessened the effect of bleeding significantly. My leg seems to be a bit worse off, but the wound doesn¡¯t seem that severe compared to the shock of receiving one, the inner musculature of my leg responding to pain rather alarmingly compared to my skin. I pull a piece of bandage that I got from my cabinet and do my best to press the wound together so my sap can act as makeshift glue. My first aid skills suck. Considering I have more time available than before, I decide to inspect more about some of the events that transpired. I bring up a mental image of what I¡¯ve seen, focusing on the In-combat screen I noticed and the bleeding effects mentioned.
In-combat screen
In-combat status screen includes additional information on your current opponent, such as status effects, title, currently equipped inventory, and overall danger level In-combat status screen information will improve upon obtaining certain traits and skills
Status effectsBleeding
Bleeding effects increase the chance of infection and consistently and continuously reduce your overall health until stopped Consider using first aid to lessen the effects of bleeding In severe cases, blood loss could lead to irreversible damage to the body
I really need to obtain more information, fast. The empty streets around me only serve to increase my sense of urgency, as I shuffle the remainder of the bandage in my bag and consider what my options are. It¡¯s improbable that the entire city is devoid of any humans, or at least someone similar to me, but I¡¯m more concerned about the presence of the creatures like the Imp I encountered. What¡¯s baffling is that it was alone in my building. Where did the rest of them go? I assume a creature as small as an Imp would hunt and scavenge in larger groups. At least that was the most common depiction of small vermin like those. One may not pose a threat, but an overwhelming number of them at once could have spelt my doom back there. I then remember an additional part that was mentioned before. Bestiary. A small ding permeates through my mind.
Beastiary
The Beastiary serves as a system-obtained remote encyclopedia on living races. Your personal Beastiary will improve as you obtain more knowledge and come across more living beings
Current number of entries: 3
To open your Beastiary, perform the chant pictured below Dxst¡¯kntir krnebyyys
That could be an interesting idea to play with. But there are more pressing matters. Like finding a way¡­ anywhere. And I¡¯m going to need to figure out that ridiculous chant anyway. I have a couple of options to consider. Option one, go towards the nearby river, assess the damage, and keep by the riverside until I meet someone that doesn¡¯t want to kill me. Two rivers merge in the city, picking any of the three cardinal directions to move towards would get me somewhere that¡¯s not here. Option two, stay in the city and try to look for anyone else. Considering the probable encounters with the creatures, this might not be the safest of the options. Then again, nothing seems to be safe now, and I have no clue what happened to allow me to stay locked in my room for a week without any form of protection, especially since something crashed a wall in beforehand. Option three, go back up and stay on the defensive until daylight. This may be safe, but it may turn out to be a false choice. I¡¯ve got no clue as to where to proceed, and any light source in the building will be reduced to artificial lighting from my flashlight. The Imp didn¡¯t seem to have trouble moving in the darkness, so I must assume the time of day seems largely irrelevant to my safety.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Are there any more options? I can¡¯t seem to make more of those up for now. If this were a game, there¡¯d be a nifty health bar showing something useful, but nothing of the sort appears on my status. There¡¯s not even a mention of health, or any attribute for that matter. It¡¯s annoying at best, crippling and weird at worst. The bandage allows for my wounds to glue together as my coagulated blood starts to exude a fruity aroma into the air around me, the smoke-carrying wind picking it up as it passes.
Bleeding effects terminated
I tried popping up the in-combat status. It showed a blank blue screen. I tried to focus on anything around me, but the screen¡¯s blueness didn¡¯t falter. I tried thinking about different things, like something that helps me in this moment. Considering my scent is bound to attract something, I should go upwind, since that way I¡¯m less likely to be spotted by anything that decides I might make a suitable meal. I¡¯ve had plenty of sleep this past week, and the battle didn¡¯t cause any overexertion that I can tell, so I¡¯ll probably be able to keep up the movement through the night. I do a bit of stretching, the bark on my limbs creaking lazily, and the oozing sap settles into the openings. Now, to check for the wind. I take a small vine from the top of my head and try to make it stand upright. Since mental control over my body will have to undergo some amounts of training, I use my arm to help me out. Which means I forego any mental attempts and go full physical. The vine ends a single leaf which sways in the direction of the wind. The wind goes towards the rivers. Town centre it is I guess. Maybe I can see if anything works in it when it comes to communications and sheltering. The river banks near me are mostly inaccessible due to construction sites anyway, so going further into the city is the way to go, for now at least. My walking speed has decreased by the mere fact that my weight has somewhat shifted more towards my left leg, where the sap has congregated onto a seal on the wound. I trudge onwards, looking into the desolate buildings around me, trying not to pay attention to the scorched corpses on the streets. The reduced sense of smell does wonders in masking the stench, so I should be grateful for the littlest of things. Birds flock onto the few carcases spared from the flames, paying no mind to the tree man walking mere feet from them. Only ominous gawking spreads through the air, as my view shifts from one broken store window to the next, the contents mostly emptied, shattered glass reflecting the moonlight. My seemingly aimless walk leads me to one of the main streets, where I actually get to see some of the ruination that came down to the city itself. The darkness of the night cowers before the looming fires that spread around the city and the remnants of buildings lie on the streets haphazardly thrown about blocking a majority of the streets, creating a small winding path littered with various small debris. The surrounding buildings are shown missing large portions of walls and flooring, mere remains of what they once were. A collection of what seem to be Imps mindlessly walks about the premise, scavenging on any and every piece of what used to be a living creature, occasionally trying to capture one of the birds which flock towards the carcases. I move unnoticed by the critters and ignored by the animals I know existed on Earth before it all went awry. Why did I feel poetic all of a sudden? Next thing I¡¯ll know I¡¯ll be singing songs about Bambi. The winding path causes me numerous scratches as I make my way through the only visible path, apparently successfully avoiding the group of horned red creatures.
There may be hope for your villainous ways after all
A strained chuckle escapes my lips as my right hand brushes against the fallen armature of a building that is some thirty meters away. The winding path ends at an intersection, as the wind dies down, my scent no longer being carried in a single direction, my sap seemingly melded with the bark that I call skin now. My face is the only part of my body that actually responds to heat that doesn¡¯t come from flames, as the last days of summer end on a noticeably colder note than the periods of scorching heat that preceded them. I find an almost flattened car nearby, and decide to take a short break to have a meal. I probably shouldn¡¯t be doing this in the open, but the desolation of the place around me allows me this act of recklessness I will most likely regret in the near future. Planting my wooden bottom on the hood of the car that seems squashed by oversized feet, I dig out a can of tuna and a bottle of water out of my bag. The can contains a small opening cap, which allows me to not meddle with the can opener, for now at least. Putting the bottle of water in between my legs, I take the can and use one palm as a surface, while my other hand struggles with fitting a finger through the small hole of the cap. A surprisingly dexterous movement of my fingers opens the can, the oil spilling on my palm. I quickly take in as much of the meat as possible by simply shovelling it in my mouth, not even trying to bother with manners or hygiene all the while. Before long, the can is empty, my tongue running across my palm taking in the oily residue. I throw the can away, unconcerned by my littering or leaving any trail behind me, and open the bottle of water, simply choosing to pour its contents over my head, as my vine-infested head takes in some of the water that falls down my face, my mouth opening almost intuitively to take in as much of the liquid as it can. One half of the small bottle emptied, I stand up and stretch, the bark creaking in response to the movement of my joints. Continuing my journey through the empty streets, I reach a building that seems largely unaffected by the chaos around. A broken window provides a view of what was once a bookstore, now mostly a pile of shattered glass, broken wood and bent metal. My eyes spot a booklet lying near the broken window, with only a couple of shards of glass lying about. My branch reaches for the booklet and picks it up, the feeling of my arm moving completely unnatural still, bringing it closer to my face so I can actually see what is written on it. A map of the Country That could prove to be useful.
Initializing mapping sequence
A sudden click in my head draws my attention away from the open map, allowing my eyes to catch its entirety within peripheral view.
Mapping sequence incomplete - Error detected - Race incompatible with mapping sequence
Figures. I was thinking it would¡¯ve been too easy. I take the map and fold it back, putting it into my bag. I know where I am currently, but an overview of possible destinations would be nice when I decide to leave the city. I continue my seemingly aimless journey across the ruined city. But now I have a map. Chapter 5: Rubble, Rubble on the Floor ¡°You little¡­ ARGH!¡±
Dulled senses: minor Fire damage taken: medium
I really shouldn¡¯t have entered this building. I flail my arm around, knocking both it and the Imp into the wall. The buggers bit everywhere, and it still fucking hurts. My sap is pouring from my right branch, system messages shooting off in my view. I press harder with my right root, pushing the second Imp further into the floor.
Bleeding effect: average
My root finally makes the thing¡¯s neck break, killing the Imp below me. One down, two more to go. A ding shoots off in my head.
You have slain an enemy with a PW1
Turning around, pain spreads around my chest rapidly. My entire head darts down, the Imp clawing repeatedly at the bark.
Dulled senses: minor Bleeding effect restarted Bleeding effects: average
I grab the bugger with both of my hands, the thing still flailing at my chest. His claws nick some of my head vines, and I toss him away as hard as possible. It hits a wall and slumps to the floor.
Helendari Demon ¨C Imp ¨C Common Bestiary: Weak enemies when alone. Beware of groups. Prefers live meat.
My left leg starts burning.
Fire damage: minor Status effect: Left leg incineration Health levels approaching critical
¡°FUCK! SHIT!¡± I flail the cinders of my leg around, ashes mixing with the sap falling from the wounds. My head turns wildly as I try to spot the one who did this, my vision getting red.
Helendari Demon - Flame Imp - Common First encounter. Bestiary entry added.
The Imp is standing on a shelf a few meters away, throwing small balls of fire at me. I take a step with my right foot and fall down, spotting that I now lack the roots of my left foot to keep balance.
You¡¯re a pirate now, matey Dulled senses: minor Health levels near critical
This screen flashes red briefly, before returning to blue, and makes a more ominous disruptive sound than the regulars. I try to not get distracted and reach for the Imp again. ¡°COME HERE, YOU CRETIN!¡± The fire cretin jumps off the shelf, claws pointed at my face. I swing my right arm like a bat, swatting the Imp away. The bark on my arm shoots off with the Imp.
You could start playing baseball Dulled senses: minor Health levels near critical
The Imp is knocked down as it babbles things I assume are curses at me. I use my hands as a replacement for my left foot, crawling towards the Imp. The thing gets up before I manage to reach it, already moving towards me. With a dash of brilliance, I push off the ground with my arms, my right foot sending me in the air. The Imp stops, his head rising, his black eyes meeting mine. My body falls down on the creature, as the floor below me shakes from the impact. Or it could be my nose hitting the floor.
Damage: average Health levels critical WARNING!
¡°Damn it.¡±
You have slain an enemy with a PW1
I barely manage to lift myself off, blood dripping from my nose, and black ooze spreading down from my chest. Grunting, I reach the last Imp, which hasn¡¯t moved since hitting the wall. I hold my hand above my head and drop it onto the Imp like a sledgehammer. ¡°Timber.¡± I need to work on my battle cries.
You have slain an enemy with a PW1
If a log falls on an Imp, does it make a sound?
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
Power level recalculation in progress Status effects calculation in progress
My second battle complete, I slump against the wall, the meshed remains of the Imp next to me. My left leg is reduced to a stump, only one of the roots reaching its complete length. My right arm has sap oozing from it, which drips on the floor. My chest contains cuts, bruises and a small indentation from the Imp¡¯s head.
Regrowth: Left leg ? approximate 10 days Root increases Regrowth rate by 25%, Photosynthesis increases Regrowth rate by 25% Multiple instances of Regrowth stack their total counters
I heave for breaths as the fires around me slowly die down, the flashlight long since reduced to a piece of melted plastic. So much for nighttime exploration.
Bleeding effects stopped
Plant body updated
Added: Minor to average bleeding effects stop faster
The wisps of smoke exit through the broken windows of the building, as I ponder what came over me to think that going into a building at night would¡¯ve been safe. I should¡¯ve just stayed in my apartment, smashed wall or not. I wish the Imp corpses around me would dissolve like in games now. Status.
Status Screen - Basic information
Player name Treant[U:13241] Gender Unspecified, see notes
Race Hybrid Subtype Human-Plant hybrid
Titles Stomper(P)
Class None Power Level 4
Traits and Skills (click for more info)
Plant body Increased water resistance Heavily reduced fire resistance Decreased ice resistance Minor to average bleeding effects stop faster
Photosynthesis Increased regeneration in Sunlight
Dulled senses Resistant to minor injuries Increased regeneration at high health
Regrowth May regenerate limbs and organs
Abilities (click for more info)
Root Root yourself to the ground. Allows the body to absorb nutrients from the soil below you. Bonuses: Vastly increased health regeneration (affected by soil quality) Increased upper body strength (Partially) Immune to dislocation Activates trait Underground Detection Underground Detection ¨C allows user to sense objects and creatures within a small radius May be cancelled at will, or when a sufficient uprooting force is applied
Status effect
Left Leg Incineration Regrowth: approximation 10 days Reduced mobility
Regrowth Reduced health regeneration
I try to visualise any kind of a health statistic, trying to click on various windows that pop up.
Health levels: Critical
Sigh. I reach for the bag that somehow managed to not get ripped or burned. I should start wearing it, maybe its plot armour defends me as well then? I take out some water to quench my thirst, I¡¯ve head enough heat for today. The bottle still in hand, my mind goes dark. ----------------------- My dreamless sleep is interrupted by a familiar clicking inside my head.
Rise and shine, firewood
Ugh, my whole body feels like it¡¯s made of wood. I open my eyes, remembering that it actually is. My chest is dyed black, cuts shining through with glistening brown liquid. My stiff neck creaks as I move my head around, examining the room I decided to go into last night, which turned out to be one of the worst decisions in my life. The most obvious change is the sunlight coming through what were once windows. The room itself is a mess, rubble and ashes dominate the scenery, the Imp corpses only adding to the eeriness. A crow pecks at the corpse next to me, removing bits of flesh with its beak, a mix of grey and black feathers on its body. So, I¡¯m not even a threat to a crow now? I raise an arm to shoo it away, but the crow simply backs out of my reach and returns once I drop the arm down. Cheeky cunt. ¡°At least you¡¯re not trying to claw my eyes out.¡± The crow caws before returning to its feast.
Photosynthesis activated
My head vines slowly shift around as the leaves move to take in the sunlight. My back suddenly bulges, pushing me off the wall. I twist my neck to its limits trying to glimpse at what is going on behind me. Two enormous leaves unwrap from the bark on my back, settling just below my shoulders and sprouting behind me. I use one of my arms to tap a leaf lightly, getting a small bounce in return. It¡¯s¡­ peaceful somehow. Serene. I enjoy the moments of silence, my leaves bouncing to the taps of my hands. I use my hands to push me off the ground, standing on my root and a stump, trying my best to not fall over while limping over to the remains of the window. I press my hands into the parapets, sticking my head out to look over the city in light. Ruined buildings and wrecked cars paint the landscape around me, only a few solitary birds flying around from time to time. I try to spot any evidence of other people, but nothing of the sort comes up, the buildings severely blocking my view. I turn back to look at the other living being in the room, the crow continuing to pick away at the carcas of my foe. I try touching it with my bark, but it hops away quickly.
At least you tried
I don¡¯t know what I expected. ¡°See you around sometimes,¡± I exclaim to the crow as if expecting an answer to come back, and exit the room. It¡¯s a brand new day, and I managed to survive my first night.
Haha Brand
Chapter 6: Taking Roots I gaze at the hard pole in front of me, slowly running my branch across its surface, feeling almost nothing in return. Dulled senses do suck. Hmmm¡­ Well I suppose it¡¯ll have to do, I can¡¯t be limping forever. I take the crutch from the overturned ambulance car and continue walking along the streets. If I remember correctly, this street should lead me to the botanical gardens, which contains enough soil for me to root properly. It should also allow me access to water and sunlight easily, I really need to get my leg fixed soon, I assume that¡¯s what photosynthesis will work for. My walking speed has slowed to a crawl, or a slow limp to be precise, which doesn¡¯t help my current ordeal, even with the crutch. Can it be further improved? Maybe some skills would allow for that. Root seems to be a skill I can use. How do you even obtain skills?
Skill Acquiring - No Data Available
Not available, or much more likely, not revealed. The leg itself is composed of a single root reaching the ground, various burns and charcoal spread around it, my sap slowly coagulated at various points. I actually think I¡¯m leaving a small trail behind me, but I can¡¯t exactly control that yet. I don¡¯t see any notifications pinging off in my sight, so the bleeding is either stopped by itself, or sealed off by the drying sap. Health.
Health levels critical
At this rate, it¡¯s going to take forever, I assume. I wonder if there are consumable potions. Those come nifty in games, although this looks like a badly made one. I also wonder how you learn magic. Is there magic in the first place? Well, the Imp threw Fireballs or something, so there might be magic. Are there magic affinities or anything like that? I¡¯ll take the silence as an incentive to keep digging around. So many questions, and nobody to answer. My trip ends up as uneventful as I hoped it would be, I almost expect a tumbleweed to appear from somewhere.
If that is a reference, we do not know of it
Just watch a western movie.
Recommendation?
Ummm, I heard Clint Eastwood stars in popular ones. I didn¡¯t actually watch westerns.
Noted
Do I get something for that?
Title gained: Recommender
Effects: none
This title is private
Thanks. Soon enough, I reach what used to be the botanical gardens. Now, it¡¯s overgrown weeds, several pyres and a bunch of death all around. As I said, Hell on Earth.
Corpses are a good source of soil nutrients
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. I¡¯m going to pretend I didn¡¯t see that one, Overlords. Am I talking to all of you or a single one?
I am Overlord 13, also known as Pharankorobox
Well, now I have a way to call you at least. I hope you don¡¯t mind being called Pharan.
Please do
I walk around the broken fences, shattered windows, burned corpses and the occasional dead Imp. This would be my first visit to the gardens, shame it¡¯s under these circumstances. I tread slowly, not helped by the fact that I¡¯m using a crutch and holding my bag over the other shoulder. Or that there are two half meter leaves behind my back. I reach a more secluded area of the garden, complete with a small pond. The muddy water doesn¡¯t let me see what¡¯s inside, which might be for the better. Well, no better time than the present. Root. Nothing happens? ¡°Root?¡±
Are you asking or telling?
¡°Telling?¡±
I facepalmed with all my 6 hands. Congratulations
How do I activate it then? Silence echoes through the air. Oh, look a tumbleweed. Alright, let¡¯s try visualisation then, maybe it works a bit better. I close my eyes, picturing my legs burrowing into the ground, the white root strands spreading through the soil far and below. My foot tingles and my stump tickles as my body heaves and I get a sinking feeling in my guts. I retch little water and food I ate this morning. I perform a bow to inspect what happened to my legs. All the roots are now completely underground, the warm soil surrounding what seem to be my ankles, which I can¡¯t rotate anymore, but I¡¯ll call them ankles nevertheless. A sudden refreshment surges through my legs up my torso, clearing my mind. My hair vines swivel in the wind and my leaves turn towards the Sun. I feel like I could spend eternity like this and not get bothered. Suddenly, my vision blurs, and my headaches. My mind is being bombarded by new information seemingly from nowhere. I close my eyes and try to get a sense of what is going on. Before my closed eyes, a half sphere appears, white colours going over a complete void, picturing what seem to be roots in the ground. I spot a small worm burrowingthrough the ground near one of the roots, as the worm passes by touching it briefly. A tingle fires off somewhere in my feet, too distant and weak to be precisely determined. So this is Underground Detection. I open my eyes, the visual image of the ground merging with my sight. I suppress the Underground Detection, my pains slowly ceasing. I am both hungry and full at the same time, I try to wrangle a can out of my bag, but it makes me drop my crutch. I try reaching it with my branch to no avail, and decide I¡¯ll just pick it up when I stop rooting myself. I don¡¯t exactly need it right now anyway. I reveal the contents of the can, pouring some water over my hands in hopes it decreases the amount of dirt on them before I dig into my meal. My brief meal done, I observe my surroundings. Several trees are left standing, along with some vines reaching around them. Bugs move across the dirt beneath me, not even one trying to climb my roots. I guess having only one Charisma works in that. A crow circles above me, cawing all the while. I lift one of my arms to resemble a real branch of a real tree, my attempts to blend in with the surrounding seeming comical.
If there was a Camouflage skill, you wouldn¡¯t get it
The crow swoops down, landing on my branch. It¡¯s the same crow from this morning. I take my other hand and reach for the crow slowly. Its lack of reaction only strengthens my resolve to pet it. My fingers, if they can be called such, reach its feathers, the crow shifting around as I move my hand over its body, the crow seeming to enjoy our interaction.
Gained trait
Wildlife companions Wild animals are more likely to perceive you in a positive or neutral manner Some animals might consider a mutually beneficial relationship with you This trait has less impact when in company of humans without this trait
I spend more time than I would like to admit petting my new companion. If I¡¯m a pirate tree, can this be my parrot?
Sure thing, firewood
The crow caws as I look into the ruined city in front of me, the Sun high in the sky.