567 A New Little Companion
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All multi-cellular life have souls. It is something I have learned after becoming a Ghost. Plants are included. However, bacteria and other little things seem to not possess one, or it is so small I simply cannot see it. But there’s a logic behind souls. Living beings can live without one, as long as their very existences are not complex. Bacteria live by very simplistic chemical compounds, perhaps their complexity hasn’t allowed them to develop proper souls.
Meanwhile, mostly all multicellular life, down to the smallest little bug or worm have a soul. Plants are included, of course. They all have souls, when I cut down a tree, I am killing a living being, and I can even see their souls come out of their bodies and fly away somewhere.
Plant souls and most other souls of living creatures that are not intelligent at all yet are still complex, are very dull. They usually don’t get closer to me and often simply fly away somewhere else. They lack egos, personalities, emotions, or minds. So they’re like the wind and simply disappear. They don’t grow grudges or anything of the sort, even if they’re killed gruesomely by being chopped down.
It is a bit sad but, I always wondered if there would ever be something different, a different plant. I have yet to find plant-type monsters to turn Undead now and had never crossed in my mind to get myself a dead tree into a zombie tree or something, mostly because a walking pile of wood would be too weak to ice, fire, and a lot of other things. Too frail.
But this is… It’s different.
This little tree has a mind, and feelings, and it was asking for my help.
Like the Undead Queen I am, I somehow feel pity for innocent souls that are in pain. Of course, those that aren’t innocent are none of my concern. But this little one…
I found this small apple tree sapling growing from the corner of the fields, the dirt beneath had a bit of Miasma in there. The sapling seems to have been intoxicated and died on the spot.
Yet its soul had yet to leave the dead body, and was somehow climbing to it while asking for someone to come to help the little thing.
“Don’t worry… [Purification]”
I conjured [Purification] from my [Purifier of Chaos] Title and quickly cleansed all the miasma in the soil and on top of the dead sapling, and then I sighed.
“Well, you’re certainly unique if you’ve got a mind of your own… [Transfiguration of Death]”
FLUOSH!
Phantasmal Powers surged from my hands, as I decided to raise this little sapling as an Undead. There were no recipes for it though, mostly because I had never risen a Plant-type Undead before, this was the first ever.
Undead Creation Recipes only show up once the type of Undead that can be risen is unlocked within the Soul Grimoire, this little sapling had no recipes other than being made into an Undead in the most classic of ways.
Crack… CRACK!
Suddenly, the sapling grew thrice as big, as long as 30 centimeters. The soft body suddenly grew a slightly thick wooden coverture, as the branches grew several tiny dark blue leaves. Its roots slowly began to come out of the floor, shaping into two funny-looking legs, and then, it suddenly grew one branch in the middle with a tiny leaf at the tip of it, like a nose, while two empty holes surged at each left and right side, a small curling mouth appeared, with sharp wooden teeth.
It looked so cute!
“Gyugyuh… Thank you… for giving second chance! Master!”
The little tree began speaking right away! Usually Undead of this Rank can’t even speak at all. Only the smartest souls can speak. Even zombies that used to be people can’t talk, and only in very rare cases they can develop complex thoughts and personalities.
The thirty-centimeters-tall, little walking tree reached my legs and suddenly hugged my legs with his branches, which stretched into many leaves. It seemed rather affectionate. And it was so cute!
Ding!
[You have raised the [Lesser Treant (Special): Lv1] [Rank: E+] Undead Monster!]
[You have unlocked Plant-type Undead Recipes]
[You have risen a Seed of Calamity-type Undead Monster!]
[You acquired the Title [Calamity Kindergarten: Lv1]!]
Wait, what?! Calamity?! This little thing was a Calamity?!
H-Hold up, let me check those stats right away!
“Right, a name…” I sighed, looking at the little Treant. “Alright, how about… Groot? No that’s copyrighted… Alright, Root it is! Easy enough.”
“Gyugyuh!”
[You have named [Lesser Treant (Special): Lv1] [Rank: E+] as [Root]!]
[The [Lesser Treant (Special): Lv1] [Rank: E+] has been granted a [True Name]!]
[The [Lesser Treant (Special): Lv1] [Rank: E+] acquired the [Treant Progenitor: Lv1] Title Skill!]
[The [Lesser Treant (Special): Lv1] [Rank: E+] acquired the [Forest Master: Lv1] Title Skill!]
“Would you look at you! You even got two Title Skills- Wait a second… Three Skills?!”
Ding!
[The [Lesser Treant (Special): Lv1] [Rank: E+] acquired the [Spirit Nest: Lv1] Characteristic Skill!]
What the hell…? What’s that mysteriously interesting Skill name?
A-Anyways, I should check his status…
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[Name]: [Root]
[Status]: [Cursed]
[Race]: [Lesser Treant (Special)]
[Level]: [0/20]
[Rank]: [E+]
[HP]: [25/25]
[MP]: [40/40]
[Attack]: [25]
[Defense]: [30]
[Magic]: [30]
[Agility]: [15]
[Aether]: [2]
[Characteristic Skills]: [Dark Element: Lv–] [Nature Element: Lv–] [Seed of Calamity: Lv1] [Spirit Nest: Lv1]
[Resistance Skills]: [Physical Resistance: Lv1] [Magical Resistance: Lv1] [Status Effect Resistance: Lv1]
[Physical Skills]: [Uproot: Lv1] [Rest: Lv1] [Wooden Needle: Lv1]
[Magical Skills]: [Sharp Leaf Projectile: Lv1] [Relaxing Aroma: Lv1]
[Support Skills]: [Healing Leaf: Lv1]
[Title Skills]: [Servant of the Apostle of Death: Lv1] [Treant Progenitor: Lv1] [Forest Master: Lv1]
[Description]
A Dead Tree that has been risen as an Undead. Instead of becoming an Undead, however, it has mutated into a new type of living monster, a Lesser Treant. They often stand still and absorb the vitality of nearby trees in the forests. They’re known as pests in the Alfheim Continent, where Elves constantly have to hunt their many variants.
However, amongst all Treants, it is said there’s a special one, a Treant Progenitor, said within myths to be the Seed of Calamity.
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Ah, he’s really weak. But he seems promising!
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