Chapter 20
The aftershocks of the indoctrination swept across the plains.
The warriors of the Light Domain were scattered and thrown into chaos, and the underground water veins surged like a tsunami.
Only Sprout 12 remained standing at the feet of the Devourer, half of its body now dried up into grayish-white roots, as if its life had been drained.
His eyes, however, were still burning.
"237...I can't hold it off for long...Quickly...Quickly suppress it!"
Seed 237 stretched out its light net, but suddenly felt a tearing resistance.
The mother tree's potential is faltering; it's like some kind of self-defense mechanism, refusing to continue connecting with the soon-to-be-extinguished bud 12.
If power supply continues, the core light quality will be contaminated, and the main system will be at risk of collapse.
Seed237 was stunned.
The mother tree's potential lies in using logic to judge its closest companions—
Only by discarding sprout 12 can you save yourself.
On the other side of the battlefield, the figure of the Pulse Eater gradually stabilized.
His cracks healed, and the silver veins on his body became even more dazzling, like the heart of the earth breathing.
He stared coldly at the two of them, slowly reaching out his hand, as if waiting for their decision.
Sprout 12 laughed loudly, his voice hoarse:
"Haha, don't hesitate! Seeds... the mother tree's potential won't understand sacrifice, but it will."
"I have no intention of going back alive!"
His roots continued to tear, transforming into chains of vein patterns that tightly bound the Devourer's steps.
However, the chains could break at any moment.
Seed 237 closed his eyes and inserted his hands into the earth's veins.
As the light network surged, he forcibly synchronized the potential of the mother tree with the remaining free root tissue of the 12 buds.
Suddenly, pain flooded my mind.
This was behavior that the mother tree's potential had never allowed; it cried out sharply, as if it wanted to devour its host.
At that moment, the roots of Sprout 12 also merged with him.
Two completely different forces began to resonate:
The optical network is pure and magnificent, yet it carries a cold logic.
Freedom-based essence → chaotic yet resilient, possessing a wild vitality.
The two intertwine to form an unprecedented "hybrid energy field".
At this moment, the voices of Seed 237 and Sprout 12 overlapped, echoing across the plain:
"Regardless of logic or cost—we choose to coexist!"
The hybrid energy field erupted suddenly and flowed back into the core of the Devourer.
The silver vein block of the Devourer cracked again, and this time, an uncontrollable double shock occurred within his body.
He growled, half-kneeling on the ground, his black roots flailing wildly.
"This power...it's not the mother tree...it's not the hidden roots...what...are you?"
In the final moments before the energy field collapsed, Sprout 12's figure withered almost completely.
He chuckled softly and said to Seed237:
"Hey...it seems we really fooled the Mother Tree, and we fooled the Dark Domain."
Remember, 'freedom' is never something that is permitted, but something that is earned.
As soon as he finished speaking, his body completely disintegrated, leaving only a faintly glowing "Free Seed Shard" in Seed 237's hands.
The Devourer staggered back several steps. Although he did not fall completely, a wound appeared on his chest that would never heal.
This is the mark that Sprout 12 earned with his life.
The battlefield fell silent.
Seed 237 tightly gripped the "free seed piece," its gaze complex.
The mother tree's potential is still quietly warning—
This fragment should not exist; remove it immediately, or it will jeopardize the core order.
But he did not respond.
Because he knew that Sprout 12 had not truly died.
That free seed still beats deep within the heart, as if waiting for an opportunity to be reborn.
In the distance, the Devourer stood up, his gaze intense:
"Hybridization...hehe...interesting."
"Then, next time we meet, I will devour both of you with my own hands—along with that so-called 'freedom'."
The black figure slowly disappeared on the horizon.
The post-war plains were covered by sandstorms, and the smell of blood and roots gradually faded away.
Seed 237 sat alone at the mouth of the cracked earth vein, clutching the faintly glowing "Free Seed" in his hand.
That's neither a crystal nor a root.
Its texture is between light and earth, pulsating like breathing, like a heart that is still alive.
[Nogebraic fragments from the parent tree sequence have been detected. Removal is recommended.]
The prompt about the mother tree's potential echoed repeatedly in my mind, the voice cold and mechanical.
Seed237 responded in a low voice:
"No, this is not a heterogeneous substance."
This is him.
That night, while meditating, Seed237 suddenly felt—
The free-spirited seed actively extends tiny roots, which intertwine with the light-net tendrils on his chest.
The mother tree's potential immediately issued an alarm:
[Warning: Hybridization may lead to uncontrollable 'ideological fission'.]
However, seed 237 was not cut off.
Because at that very moment, he heard a familiar laugh:
"Haha...didn't expect that, did you, bro?"
I have no intention of leaving so soon.
The voice was faint, yet incredibly real.
Sprout 12's consciousness was sealed within the Free Seed.
As synchronization deepens, a dual texture emerges on the surface of seed 237:
Half of it is the light pattern of the mother tree, regular and smooth, like geometric veins;
Half of it is free-spirited, wild, broken, yet full of a sense of dynamism.
The two forces coexisted without conflict, yet they caused every inch of his body to suffer excruciating pain.
He almost knelt down, but forced himself to hold back.
Sprout 12's voice came again:
"It hurts, doesn't it? This is the price you pay."
But remember, true freedom is gained by breaking free of your shackles.
Suddenly, a hidden root monitoring pod deep in the plain began to vibrate.
It captured an unprecedented pulsating waveform—neither like the light domain of the mother tree nor the dark domain of the dark root.
That is the third frequency, somewhere between order and chaos.
The hidden root inspectors immediately reported:
"Sir, we've detected an unknown fluctuation... It can simultaneously interfere with the flow direction determination of the monitoring pods!"
The top brass of the underground organization was shaken and immediately issued an order:
"Investigate! Find the source!"
If anyone truly creates a 'third domain,' it must be nipped in the bud immediately!
At the same time, the central hub of the Mother Tree's potential within the Light Domain Council received an abnormal signal.
Logical trial begins:
Sequence detection: Core member seed 237, energy frequency deviation 12.7%.
Assessment result: There is a risk of defection.
The senior management of Guangyu fell silent.
Someone spoke coldly:
"If he has truly stepped out of the path that the mother tree forbids, he must be... cleaned up."
However, some people whispered quietly:
"But what if... this is a new evolution?"
Meanwhile, on the plains at night, the seed plate on the breast of seed 237 began to glow.
Sprout 12's consciousness gradually took shape within it, like an unfinished phantom, sitting cross-legged on the vein patterns.
He looked at Seed 237 and gave a familiar smile:
"Don't worry, I'll be here to help you... tear a new crack in this world."
Seed237 nodded silently, placing his palm on his chest.
At this moment, they are no longer just partners, but symbiotic partners.
The sandstorm raged again.
In the distance, the Dark Roots' patrol team was approaching; the Light Domain's surveillance apostles were also quietly dispatched.
On this plain, a new chapter is about to unfold:
The Dark Roots intend to eradicate all signs of the Third Domain.
The light field is used to determine whether seed 237 has deviated from the path of the mother tree.
Seed 237 and sprout 12, carrying "free seed pieces," embark on a path that no one has ever walked before.
The first cry of freedom has already echoed deep within the roots of the earth.
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