Chapter 1: Chewed Bald
Chapter 1: Chewed Bald
Today marked the fifth day since becoming a tree. Zhai Guangyi felt the gentle spring breeze and gazed at the warm sun—for a tree like him, it couldn’t be more comfortable. A little rain would make it even better.
But right now, Zhai Guangyi couldn’t feel any joy at all, because an alpaca with a look of disdain and contempt on its face was currently eating his leaves. Bite by bite, it tore branches and foliage from his crown, as if someone were slowly plucking out his hair.
This damned alpaca had been coming to eat his leaves every single day since he transmigrated and became a tree. Even though there were identical trees all around, with just as many leaves, it insisted on eating his. It was infuriating!
But there was nothing Zhai Guangyi could do. He was just a tree—an ordinary tree at that. He couldn’t move, couldn’t shout, and could only silently watch as the alpaca chewed on his face—no, his leaves.
Even after transmigrating to another world, his luck was so terrible that he ended up as just a tree. Over the past few days, he had been trying to see if there was any Golden Finger or something similar.
No matter how hard he tried, nothing changed. He couldn’t move his body, couldn’t pull out his roots, couldn’t walk, couldn’t use magic, and neither a System nor an old mentor had appeared.
Why am I so unlucky!
Zhai Guangyi sighed endlessly in his heart. At first, when he saw the alpaca eating his leaves, he was furious. He wished he could skewer the alpaca with a branch, roast it, and eat it himself—that would teach it to come eat his leaves every day.
But now, only this alpaca brother came to visit him daily. If he could speak, he would probably pour out his misfortunes and sorrows to it.
Just as Zhai Guangyi was lamenting his misfortune, a sudden roar erupted from the forest. The deafening sound echoed through the woods.
Of course, Zhai Guangyi didn’t have ears—it was just that his branches and leaves shook violently from the vibration. The few leaves he had left after being eaten were now shaken loose, making his already sparse foliage look even balder.
Unlike Zhai Guangyi’s tree, the alpaca chewing leaves nearby was so frightened by the roar that its legs went weak. The moment it regained its senses, it bolted deep into the forest.
But the Giant Bear hiding in the woods lunged forward in an instant, opening its massive claws and jaws to seize the alpaca.
The tiny alpaca stood no chance against the Giant Bear. The alpaca brother that had accompanied Zhai Guangyi for five days had now become the Giant Bear’s meal.
Even though the alpaca ate his leaves every day, it was still the creature that had spent the most time with Zhai Guangyi since he arrived in this world. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. At least I’m a tree, he thought, otherwise I’d probably be trembling with fear like the alpaca.
The Giant Bear picked up the dead alpaca with its mouth, ready to head back to its den for a meal, but then it noticed Zhai Guangyi’s bald tree and suddenly stopped, lingering for a long time without leaving.
Zhai Guangyi felt a chill under the Giant Bear’s intense gaze.
What’s going on? Bear brother, why are you so interested in a tree? Don’t tell me you want to chop me down to build your den! Shouldn’t bears protect nature, like in those cartoons?
Suddenly, the Giant Bear extended its sharp claws and left three deep gashes on Zhai Guangyi’s trunk.
Ahhhh!
Zhai Guangyi felt as if his Soul were trembling. He wouldn’t die immediately, but the pain was excruciating. Oh my god!
After finishing all this, the Giant Bear tossed the Alpaca under the tree and left.
A while later, the Giant Bear returned with two cubs in its mouth and began feasting heartily under the tree.
Zhai Guangyi couldn’t understand it. Why didn’t it go back to its cozy home and instead chose to have a meal under his tree? What was wrong with this bear? It even left three scars on him—he wondered if they would heal soon.
Watching the three bears devouring their meal under the tree, Zhai Guangyi felt miserable. All he could do was absorb a bit of Photosynthesis. When would he ever get to feast like that?
His life was truly bitter. He had just escaped the hair-pulling bullying from the Alpaca, and now he was being bullied by a bear. How tragic.
After finishing its meal, the Giant Bear buried the leftover Alpaca fur, bones, and entrails under the tree, covering them with soil. Then it lay down under the tree and began snoring loudly, with the two cubs sleeping beside it.
“Ding! Detectable energy source detected. Would you like to absorb it?”
A strange voice suddenly echoed in Zhai Guangyi’s mind. He thought he was hallucinating.
What was that?
“This System is the Infinite Evolution System, designed to assist the host’s growth. Would you like to absorb the energy quickly?”
A System? So the Golden Finger had finally arrived.
Absorb immediately, Zhai Guangyi answered in his mind without hesitation. He didn’t even know what he was absorbing, but he figured it was better to just go for it.
“Detected the Spiritual Body and bones of a First-level Aberrant Beast, Long-necked Sheep. Rapidly absorbing for the host. Gained 10 points of Spiritual Power.”
Spiritual Power! That was great. Why didn’t you come earlier, System? My hair—no, my leaves—were all gnawed off by that Alpaca.
“The host’s energy level is too low to support the energy required to awaken this System.”
What’s the use of Spiritual Power? Is there any beginner’s gift pack or something?
As soon as he thought this, the legendary System Interface appeared in Zhai Guangyi’s mind.
Race: Tree (Nameless)
Level: 1 – Spiritual Power required for Level Up: 90
Spiritual Power: 11
Skills: Basic System – Level 1, Photosynthesis – Level 1
Skill Points: 0
Huh? That’s it? Nothing else?
“Nothing else.”
Why is the System a Skill? And the race being a tree is way too casual! This interface has nothing on it. At least show me a health bar! Haven’t you heard that as long as a boss has a health bar, no matter how many come, they’re not to be feared?
“The System Level is too low, and its functions are limited.”
Zhai Guangyi was speechless. This System was just a basic version. Sigh, he still had to spend his days as a tree, not even a treant.
Looking at the Giant Bear sleeping under the tree, Zhai Guangyi suddenly had some wicked thoughts. If he could absorb this bear, wouldn’t he Level Up like crazy?
System, can I absorb the bear below?
“No, the host’s abilities are too low to absorb living creatures.”
Sigh—
Zhai Guangyi let out a long sigh in his heart. It seemed he could only stand quietly and bask in the sun.
Although Zhai Guangyi couldn’t do anything, the Giant Bear sleeping under him certainly could. The bear seemed to have settled here, hunting nearby every day and bringing its prey to feast under Zhai Guangyi. Watching it made Zhai Guangyi drool, even though he had no saliva.
After spending these past few days together, Zhai Guangyi grew fonder of the Giant Bear. Not only did it share a bite of its feast with him every day—even if it was just bones—but he mainly absorbed the Spiritual Bodies.
Most importantly, ever since the Giant Bear settled nearby, no Alpacas came to gnaw on his leaves anymore, and he got to feast alongside Bear Bro every day.
What long-necked sheep, unicorn deer—aside from magical beasts, there were plenty of ordinary animals too. Over the past few days, he had been eating and drinking well.
As a tree, who still relied on photosynthesis for food?
In less than five days, he had accumulated enough spiritual power to level up. Moreover, photosynthesis could also provide him with a bit of spiritual power each day. Previously, he couldn’t awaken the system because his spiritual power was insufficient.
System, I want to level up. Use one hundred spiritual power to advance to Level 2.
“Ding, congratulations, host, on leveling up. Skill Points obtained: 10.”
The once bare branches were now covered with leaves again, and the entire tree had grown even larger. The claw marks left by the Giant Bear on his body had also healed. Previously, he was only a few meters tall, but now he had grown into a tree nearly 20 meters high, towering over the surrounding trees.
Zhai Guangyi checked his panel.
Race: Tree (Nameless)
Level: 2 – Spiritual Power required for next level: 195
Current Spiritual Power: 5
Skills: Basic System – Level 1, Photosynthesis – Level 1
Skill Points: 10
Upgradable Skills: Basic System – Level 2 (10 points), Photosynthesis – Level 2 (5 points)
Learnable Skills: Fruit-bearing – Level 1 (5 points)
1 Comment
Login Required
You must be logged in to comment on this chapter and rate the novel.
Login to rate this novel