Chapter 48
The darkness was boundless.
There was no wind, no water, and even the pulse of the roots had vanished.
Seed 237 floated in the void, as if it had lost its body and was left only with its consciousness being constantly pulled.
Around him, black mist surged and condensed into countless whispers.
Whisper:
"You crave power... you crave the Mother Tree... you crave dominion..."
"Give up struggling, your roots are already soaked in my black soil."
"I am you."
As he whispered, the black mist gathered and transformed into a figure that looked exactly like him.
But those eyes were unfathomable, gleaming with an eerie, dark light.
The shadow parasitic personality, pseudo-237, slowly approaches.
Shadow Parasite:
"Do you think you can change anything with the light domain?"
No, you are just a weak seed.
"And I am your true evolution."
Having said that, the phantom reached out, and a root formed from black mist suddenly stabbed out, striking directly at his spiritual core.
Seed 237 groaned, his consciousness nearly torn apart.
He felt his memories being constantly stripped away: his birth on the desolate plains, the companionship of the Sprout Spirit, the smile of Sprout 12...
Scenes blurred and collapsed in the black fog.
Fear welled up inside me.
For the first time, he felt that he would completely disappear and be swallowed up by another version of himself.
But at that moment, a warm feeling suddenly flashed through my chest.
That was... Bean Sprout 12's last gaze.
Before the abyss swallowed her up, the unwavering light in her eyes pierced the darkness and ignited an inextinguishable flame.
Seed 237 suddenly grasped the void, and root-like flames burst forth from its hand.
The light root spread out from the void, piercing into the chest of the phantom against the black mist.
Seed 237 (gritting his teeth):
You are not me...
I exist because of bonds, not because of devouring!
boom--!
The two forces collided head-on in the abyss of the mind, causing the entire void to tremble violently.
The pseudo-237, formed by the black mist, laughed maniacally, but its body began to crack, seemingly trying to drag Seed 237 into a cycle of complete assimilation.
Shadow Parasite:
You can't suppress me forever!
Sooner or later... I will become the real you!
Light and darkness were locked in a stalemate, and the tearing cracks spread throughout the abyss.
Seed 237 gritted its teeth and used all its will to spread the light roots, turning the abyss into an interwoven battlefield.
This battle is not just a matter of life and death.
More importantly, it concerns whether he will become the mother tree or a parasitic vessel.
The realm of light was as silent as death.
All the leaves drooped, as if in mourning. Seed 237 stood at the heart of the root, but its breath was so weak it was almost extinguished.
Ya Ling lay beside him, so anxious she was almost crying, but she couldn't reach into 237's mental abyss.
At this moment, the only one who remained calm was Sprout 12.
He bent down and placed a blue intelligence seed pod next to the root of 237.
That was the "exotic essence" he had collected over many years, containing the scents and micro-energy of countless forces.
Sprout 12 (inner voice):
"You're fighting desperately inside... I can't just stand by and watch from outside."
He closed his eyes, and the bean pod trembled slightly, releasing a gentle ripple.
This is the oldest technique of the Yadou tribe—Root-Breath Transfer.
External information and scents can be used to awaken the self-awareness of those who have fallen into depravity.
However, this procedure carries a significant risk:
—Once his spirit is consumed by the backlash, he himself will be dragged into that abyss.
Sprout cried out in alarm, "Sprout! What are you doing?!"
Sprout 12 didn't answer, but just chuckled softly, as if whispering to herself:
"If even I don't believe him..."
Then, there is no one on this plain who can save him.
The next instant, his divine sense followed the roots and the guiding airflow, forcibly entering the abyss of Seed 237.
Seed 237 and Shadow Parasite are tearing each other apart, Light Root and Black Mist are locked in a stalemate, and the entire Abyss is teetering on the brink of collapse.
Just then, a bluish-green shadow burst into the battlefield.
Sprout 12 has appeared.
His figure was not like a plant, but more like a pod that moved about, exuding the scent of countless forces.
The shadow parasite immediately sensed this and let out a sinister laugh:
Shadow Parasite:
"Haha... Free plant? How dare you step in here!"
This is the perfect opportunity—I'm going to devour you whole!
The black mist instantly transformed into countless tentacles, rushing towards Sprout 12.
But Sprout 12 neither dodged nor avoided it. Instead, it opened its arms, and the pods cracked with a crisp sound, releasing dozens of intelligence seeds.
Those seeds carry the essence of different ecosystems:
There are the moist water veins of the Tide Marsh, the iron sand scent of Shattered Shell Ridge, and the dark spores of Shadow Vine...
These energies intertwined, like countless "fragments of reality" crashing into the abyss.
Sprout 12 (shouting angrily):
"237! You are not alone!"
You have our memories, and I bear witness to them!
You are not an empty shell, you are—the master of the roots!
At this moment, the light root burned intensely, as if it had been ignited with new power.
Seed237's eyes cleared instantly, and Sprout12's call echoed in his mind, like a thread pulling him back to reality.
The shadow parasite roared and howled, its voice shattering the void:
Shadow Parasite:
No! You can't expel me!
I am his future other half!
The abyss trembled, and the three forces intertwined at this moment, forming—
A true battle of souls in a three-way showdown.
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