As Marc continued to experiment with his abilities, his attention returned to the spring—the small pond beside him, a murky pool of water that had always borne the stain of corruption. From the moment he arrived, it had shimmered with an unnatural, sickly violet hue—a reflection of the land's poisoned state and the sky's oppressive color.
Now, however, something was beginning to change.
A ripple passed across the surface—not caused by wind, but by him.
Channeling more energy into Enroot, Marc allowed his roots to spread further. They moved with intent, parting the soil as they slowly crept toward the spring. The thickest roots slithered into the edge of the pond, their fibrous tendrils dipping just beneath the surface. A sharp, cold sensation met them—a chilling pulse that radiated the depth of the corruption lying beneath.
Yet Marc did not withdraw. He pressed forward.
More roots followed, and before long, half of his root system had submerged into the pond. The moment they did, a faint reaction stirred. The Enroot skill, which had primarily purified the land, now extended its passive influence into the water itself. The polluted liquid around his roots began to shift—not entirely purified, but visibly altered.
The violet hue dulled slightly, transforming into a lighter, murkier shade—less oppressive, less dense. A faint glow emerged from the area where Marc's roots remained submerged, contrasting against the still-darkened half of the spring untouched by his influence.
It wasn't full purification.
But it was a start.
The corrupted water had never been clean. Not since it formed. But now, for the first time, it was becoming something else. The violet had begun to fade, and a subtle clarity shimmered underneath—like a hint of light peeking through fog. The water was starting to get clearer.
And that, Marc realized, was enough reason to keep going.
As time passed, the changes became more noticeable.
Five days drifted by in quiet solitude. The sky remained that same eerie violet, and the corrupted landscape still sprawled endlessly beyond Marc's zone of influence. Yet within that sacred circle—his sanctuary—the air felt lighter, the soil more alive, and the spring water… different.
Marc hadn't battled in days. Not a single enemy had approached since his last clash. And yet—
Level Up!
The notification blinked into his vision, clean and undeniable.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Photosynthesis.
It wasn't flashy. It wasn't aggressive. But it worked silently, ceaselessly. The passive effect of the skill steadily generated experience as long as he remained rooted and exposed to even the faintest traces of light. No monster needed to die. No damage had to be inflicted. Just existence—harmonized with the environment—was enough to make him stronger.
"A cheat skill, huh?" Marc muttered, a quiet chuckle rumbling from his chest.
The thought wasn't wrong. This skill alone let him grow without conflict, let him regenerate not just his energy but his potential. With each passing day, he felt his connection to the land deepen. His root system expanded wider, more complex than ever, branching into pockets of soil that were once too saturated with filth to touch. His body adapted, refined. Even Mirage pulsed with a steadier rhythm beside him—as if benefiting from his calm cultivation.
His body no longer resisted the feeling of being planted. In fact, he felt most natural that way now. The fusion between him and soil was no longer just a skill effect—it was becoming a state of being.
With each hour of stillness, Photosynthesis continued its quiet work—absorbing what little filtered sunlight broke through the violet sky, converting it into strength. His stamina stayed full. His energy replenished faster. His base attributes subtly increased.
Leveling up without combat almost felt unfair.
But Marc wasn't complaining.
Not when he could feel the difference. Not when he could see it—in the spring's shifting color, in the growth of the Slayer Seed, in the slight tremors that responded to his will.
The water hadn't become clear. No, not yet. The corruption still lingered in its depths, stubborn and thick. But where his roots submerged, where Enroot's influence touched, the unnatural violet hue had begun to lose its intensity. That was enough.
It wasn't purity.
But it was progress.
And that, Marc realized, was worth everything.
[STAT WINDOW – MARC]
Name: Marc
Race: NightShade Ent
Title: Soul Keeper
Level: 43 → 44
HP: 32,840 / 32,840 → 34,220 / 34,220
MP: 72,000 / 72,000 → 74,000 / 74,000
SP: 21,500 / 21,500 → 22,100 / 22,100
Strength: 168 → 172
Intelligence: 303 → 308
Endurance: 225 → 230
Agility: 105 → 110
Speed: 0
Vision Range: 10 km
Armor: 20
Attack Range: 15 m
Active SkillsRoot Shot (Lv. 5) — Fires a long‑range root projectile, piercing enemies with precision; now applies poison damage over timeRoot Slash (Lv. 5) — Slash with hardened roots, causing immense damage over a large area; now applies poison damage over timeEnroot (Lv. 5) — Roots Marc to the ground, strengthening defenses and purifying nearby terrain.Spore Release (Lv. 3) — Emits spores that cause confusion or nausea in corrupted beings.Luminating Spore (Lv. 3) — Emits glowing spores to illuminate darkness or discomfort corruption‑based enemies.Spore Explosion (Lv. 3) — Spores detonate in a targeted area, dealing burst damage.Dark Flame (New) — Concentrated blast of dark fire; inflicts burn damage over time and reduces visibility.Nightmare (New) — Traps a single target in a waking nightmare, leaving them asleep and immobilized.Cursed Root (New) — Ensnares any enemy who steps on it, piercing them with thorned tendrils.Dark Shock (New) — Sends a 10 m pulse of dark energy, stunning and inflicting fear.Summon: Illusion Seed (5) / Slayer Seed (5)Soul Chamber (Stores up to 5 souls)Soul Engrave (Engrave a stored soul onto an organic, living being)
Passive Skills:
Passive SkillsPain Tolerance (Lv. 5)Magic Resistance (Lv. 4)Physical Resistance (Lv. 4)Magic Immunity (Lv. 1)Inspect (Lv. 3)Photosynthesis (Lv. 5)Night Creature (New) — Near‑invisible in darkness, blending with shadows.Flame Resistance (Lv. 1) — Reduces fire damage by 2%.
As Marc stood there, absorbing the sensations of his newly enhanced abilities, a sudden, familiar surge of energy coursed through him. The system chimed, its voice cutting through the quiet stillness of the land.
System Notification:
"NightShade Trait Activated. All units under the user's control will adapt to NightShade, reflecting the traits and appearance of the NightShade Ent."
The moment the notification appeared, Marc felt an immediate shift. His roots, which had always been a rich, earthy brown, turned to a deep black, as if they had absorbed the very essence of the night itself. The transformation was both subtle and profound—his connection to the land had grown deeper, and his power, sharper.
Marc watched as the change rippled outward, affecting everything under his command. Mirage, once a simple bulbous form, now pulsed with a new intensity. Its once-muted colors shifted, becoming more vivid. The body of the plant seemed to glow faintly, now imbued with a new aura—dark, but full of life. The transformation was not just a superficial change but an enhancement to its inherent nature. The once pale and passive plant now radiated a sharper, more aggressive energy, more attuned to Marc's own.
His eyes then turned to the Slayer Seed, the most notable of his summoned entities. Its form had subtly altered as well, gaining a darker hue. The once vibrant green of the seed now had a darkened, shadowed tint to it, a perfect reflection of Marc's growing power and connection to the NightShade race.
Even the land around him responded to this shift. The grass that had grown under the influence of Marc's Photosynthesis now glimmered with an eerie, beautiful luminescence. Its once vibrant green color had shifted to a deep, dark shade, resembling midnight itself, with faint threads of light flowing through as if the grass were alive with an ethereal energy that lit up the night.
The transformation didn't stop there. Marc's controlled units, too, had undergone a remarkable change. They now glowed softly in the darkness, each with a different, beautiful color, reflecting their connection to the NightShade. Their forms were more refined, elegant, and menacing, shifting with every subtle movement, bathed in a soft, radiant light that contrasted with the oppressive night around them.Marc's power had not only increased, but it had completely altered the nature of everything around him.
Marc still hadn't fully grasped the rhythm of his new skill when the tremor came—subtle at first, then heavier, like something massive drawing nearer with purpose. The ground beneath him vibrated through his roots, alerting him long before any sound reached the surface.
He looked up.
The eerie violet sky had begun to darken. The sun, what little remained of it through the corrupted atmosphere, was dipping behind the jagged hills.
Sunset.
A grin tugged at his lips.
His eyes shifted toward the narrow, twisted path that served as the valley's only entrance. Shadows stretched long across it now, swallowing stone and soil in creeping darkness.
"Hm... now I guess this time is in my favor," Marc muttered, his tone calm—almost amused.
The grin widened into something sharper. "Looks like my practice dummies are coming. Let me show you what this new me can give as a present."
The night was his now. And whatever approached… was walking straight into it.