My world-tree system

The days passed and became weeks. Their training never stopped, however, and they had to go through extreme physical strengthening. Every morning, they walked fifteen kilometres across rough terrain, carrying thirty-kilo weighted bags. The fatigue was overwhelming, and many recruits collapsed before the end and had to make do with their tears as a meal.

The afternoons were devoted to weight-bearing exercises. Foster lifted massive logs, climbed weathered ropes and practised swordplay under the critical eye of Captain Köflik.

- More control, Foster,' Köflik scolded and corrected him. Your brute force is useless if it isn't channelled.

Foster excelled in swordplay, but with your intermediate talent and Köflik's advice, he progressed rapidly and even Lïanna was now inferior to him in terms of pure technique.

Lïanna, although inferior to him in this respect, remained very arrogant, and she took Foster's advance as an affront and a stain on her honour. She never missed an opportunity to belittle him

- You sweat like pigs and move like wild animals and you can't even smell Ki,' she jeered after each session. If you want to survive in the field, you'll have to do better.

Foster ignored his provocations, but it was true that his talent for using Ki seemed lesser. After 3 weeks of training, he still couldn't do it. At least he had a companion to help him through the pain of this failure - Giovanni didn't seem to be any more talented than he was. In fact, they had become very close and good friends.

Despite this setback, he remained quite happy. He was on the verge of crossing 10 points in each of his stats and completing quest number two once again.

- I'll have to take up magic, I'll concentrate on that after I've become a knight. All in good time.

[Current host status]

[Race]: Lower Sylvain Elf

[Apprentice knight of rank 0] 

[Apprentice Magician Rank 1]

[Level 2] : 5/20

[Strength] : 8

[Stamina] : 14

[Constitution] : 9

[Magic]: 15

And one evening after his daily blade training, Foster went to see Captain Köflik.

- What do you want Foster? he asked

- I feel I won't be able to feel Ki without a real fight, Captain! I'm asking permission to go out into the deeper forest to find an opportunity.

The captain sat deeper in his chair and stroked his chin, thinking.

- You're right Foster, for you as for many of you, that little push that will help you is missing. I've got an idea, you can go. he said, smiling ferociously.

- Yes, sir.

Foster left the barracks and headed home. 

- At last, a chance to gain EXP and level up.

- Foster! Long time no see!

Foster turned around and saw his friend Yänn running towards him.

- Where have you been Yänn, I haven't seen you since you dropped me in the tiger's mouth.

- I was on patrol a little further south, a group of Ratus was starting to become too numerous and my unit and I were tasked with reducing their population.

- Tell me about it!

Foster and Yänn finished the walk together while recounting their tough week, sharing a similar ordeal.

The next day:

The air in the barracks was heavy that morning, charged with an unusual tension. Köflik had gathered the recruits on the main esplanade, his arms crossed and his sharp gaze sweeping the row. Foster stood up straight, his body still scarred from days of intensive training. To his left, Lïanna, impassive as ever, had that air of cold superiority that made her as fascinating as she was exasperating.

- Listen carefully,' began Köflik, his sharp voice piercing the silence. You may be recruits, but some of you will be able to prove in a real combat test in the deep forest whether you are worthy of our investing our efforts in you.

He pauses, observing each face.

- That's why five of you will be joining a special unit as soon as the test is over. Their task? They will be able to work under the direct supervision of experienced knights. Mapping unknown areas, gathering information, confronting the beasts threatening our borders. A rare opportunity, but also a merciless test.

Foster remained silent, but his mind raced. This was a chance to get away from sterile exercises and confront the reality of the field, to test not only his body but also his mind.

A clamour came from the recruits, this was indeed a rare opportunity.

- Rendezvous at 6pm in the late afternoon, DISPERSION!

The recruits dispersed, chatting enthusiastically. 

Seeing their behaviour, Köflik sighed and shook his head.

- They don't realise that tonight they'll be in mortal danger and that some of them won't be coming back. sighed an instructor right next to him.

Sighing again, Köflik replied with a look of sadness:

- Let's hope they all come back to us alive....

Later:

The recruits were lined up in front of Captain Köflik, under the grey skies of a threatening afternoon. There was a palpable tension in the air. In front of them, the trees of the deep forest stretched as far as the eye could see, their dark shadows seeming to swallow up all light.

Köflik stepped forward, his piercing gaze probing them one by one.

- This is your trial,' he declared icily. A whole night in the deep forest. You will be on your own. No fancy equipment, no help. Your mission is simple: survive. Those who prove their worth by eliminating the most threats, or by demonstrating exceptional survival instincts, will have a chance to join my special unit.

Beside him, instructor Aldrek explained the rules: no campfires to avoid attracting more dangerous creatures, no collaboration between recruits, and no return before dawn. Each recruit was given a short blade, a canteen of water and a handful of rations. The rest would depend on your own ingenuity.

- Good luck and be careful,' added Köflik. You'll need it.

When the sun disappears behind the horizon, the deep forest becomes alien territory. The rustling of leaves and the distant cries of nocturnal creatures filled the air. Foster advanced silently, his blade held firmly in his right hand. He had decided from the outset not to seek shelter and hide, but to hunt. It was the perfect opportunity to increase his EXP and level up.

Barely half an hour after entering the forest, Foster came across his first target. It was a strange creature, half-reptile, half-insect, which blended into the massive roots of the trees. Its dark scales were dotted with lichen-like patterns, and its body slithered silently like a snake. He watched it from a distance, noting its movements. The root guard had two pairs of glowing eyes that scanned the darkness and a jaw with dagger-like fangs.

Foster picked up a thick branch and pulled it into a nearby bush. The noise attracted the creature's attention and it approached with calculated slowness. At that precise moment, Foster leapt from cover, blade brandished, aiming for the junction between the creature's head and torso.

The root guard reacted faster than he had anticipated. His body contorted, and a bristling line of spikes whipped through the air, hitting Foster in the side and throwing him to the ground. Pain exploded in his ribs, but he recovered quickly, his breathing short and controlled.

- I shouldn't have been fucking hurt on that, an obscurus would have killed me for less,' he muttered to himself.

He dodged another attack, rolling to the side to avoid the beast's fangs. Taking advantage of an opening, he planted his blade deep into the creature's side. It writhed with a guttural scream before collapsing.

[*Ding* +10 EXP]

[15/20]

Leaving the corpse behind, Foster quickly resumed his run. At the same time, in the distance, a howl pierced the darkness, followed by a human scream. It was a cry of agony, brutal and heart-rending, which suddenly died away.

Foster closed his eyes, clenching his fists, the reality of na nature was cruel, he should have known this could happen but the loss of one of his own still hurt, reopening a pain he had thought he had closed.

As he moved deeper into the forest, Foster felt a different, more oppressive presence. He stopped, his instincts alert. There was a faint sound behind him - a movement of air. He dived to the ground just in time to avoid a shadow hurling itself at him. The creature landed heavily, kicking up dead leaves in its wake.

Foster straightened up, observing his opponent. The hunter-spectre was almost humanoid in appearance, but its ebony-black skin absorbed the light, making it difficult to make out. Its limbs were long and slender, ending in sharp claws. Its red eyes gleamed with icy intelligence, and its mouth revealed a row of sharp teeth.

The creature attacked again, its movements so fast that it seemed to teleport. Foster instinctively parried with his blade, but the impact made his torso tremble. He stepped back.

- Interesting,' he muttered, tightening his grip on his weapon.

The hunter-spectre leapt, but this time Foster dodged with more precision, his mind entirely focused. He slipped under the attack and sliced in an upward arc, his blade meeting the flesh. A piercing scream escaped from the creature, but it did not fall. Foster followed up, taking advantage of his momentum, and planted his blade in the beast's torso, just between its ribs. It collapsed in a spasm.

[*Ding* +15 EXP]

[You've gone up a level]

[4 skill points available]

- YESSS

But Foster didn't even have time to savour it, because suddenly a scream he knew well rang out, close to him.

I can't let her die! he said, rushing forward.

Foster rushed forward, his bloody blade clutched in his hand. He had to save Lïanna from the creature that had managed to get her, but little did he know that he was in for a real nightmare.

Earlier :

Lïanna had been hunted. Despite her speed and agility, she had been unable to escape from a creature she only knew from the stories her father had told her as a child about the dangerous creatures of the forest, known as the Alpha. 

In the depths of the forest, a being reigned supreme. This massive creature was a cross between a wolf and a giant bear, with disproportionately large muscles and ebony-black fur streaked with silver scars. Its fangs, as long as daggers, gleamed in the darkness, and its claws seemed capable of splitting stone. But it wasn't his size or strength that terrified most: it was his intelligence. The Alpha didn't kill by instinct alone, he stalked, isolated and brought his prey back alive to a clearing he had transformed into a mass grave.

And in this clearing, broken bones littered the ground, splattered with dried blood. The remains of recruits lay here and there, their mutilated bodies a testament to the horror they had endured.

Unluckily, that evening, by chance, Lïanna had found the clearing and the Alpha had noticed her. Now she found herself in this cursed clearing, her gaze fixed on the predator who had made her his new prey, trying to ignore the putrid smell and the abundant blood flowing everywhere. Her breath was ragged, but her posture remained solid. She gripped her sword tightly, her eyes shining with determination.

- I won't be easy prey,' she growled as she braced herself.

She activated her Ki and a faint blue glow emerged from her.

The Alpha was staring at her with his yellow eyes, a mixture of cunning and cruelty in his gaze, and as he leapt, a coating of lightning mixed with his fur and he disappeared from Liana's sight with monstrous speed. 

With pure reflexes, amplified by her Ki, Lïanna pivoted, narrowly dodging the sharp claws. Her sword split the air, sinking into the creature's side. But it was only a scratch for the Alpha, who retaliated with devastating ferocity.

The fight was a deadly ballet. Lïanna dodged with precision, her movements as fluid as a dance, but one mistake and she was dead. With each exchange, the young elf became more exhausted, while the Alpha seemed to become more aggressive, more sadistic. 

Lïanna raised her sword for a decisive attack, concentrating all her Ki in her sword which suddenly became much sharper, she struck the Alpha just as he delivered a powerful clawing blow that split her shoulder open right down to the bone. She screamed in pain as blood poured from her wound and her sword slipped from her trembling hands and fell to her feet.

The Alpha didn't escape unscathed either: his leg was completely severed in two and he was now limping. His eyes filled with hatred, he moved towards Lïanna with the intention of devouring her with unparalleled cruelty.

Lïanna tried as best she could to stay conscious and keep her distance from the beast, but the slightest movement and she felt her vision turn a quarter of a turn to black, one more movement and she would faint.

The beast, now only a metre away from her, licked its lips and just when she had given up hope...

- LÏANNA !!!!!!!!!!!!! 

A sudden cry echoed through the clearing.