Chapter 50
Night fell over the desolate plains, and the reborn grasslands glowed faintly.
Sprout 12 gently swept across a patch of scorched earth that had not yet recovered, the "intelligence seed pod" inside its body feeling heavy as if it were being burned.
The wind blew past, and he still hesitated:
Should we tell 237?
—Can he really afford it?
Finally, he ventured into the depths of the light domain and saw Seed 237 sitting quietly in the center of the interwoven light roots.
The seed shone with the radiance of new life, like a star yet to take shape.
Sprout 12 lowered his voice:
"237, I... brought back news from Windbreak Valley."
Seed 237 opened its eyes, and its radiance spread like a tide in an instant, causing Sprout 12 to almost take a half step back.
"Speak."
Sprout12 hesitated for a moment, then spoke:
"The Tide Lotus Alliance, Broken Shell Ridge, Shadow Vine... the three parties have secretly formed an alliance."
They decided to wait for you to make a mistake, then join forces to eliminate you completely.
The air suddenly froze.
The light roots stopped pulsating, and the entire light domain seemed to hold its breath.
Seed237 lowered his head, his voice carrying a restrained calm:
"So, they are afraid of me."
Sprout12 felt a pang of anxiety and immediately added:
"But this also shows that you are changing the landscape!"
But 237… what they said wasn't a lie. You haven't truly consolidated your position yet; rashly engaging them would be tantamount to suicide.”
Seed 237 raised its gaze, and within that radiance lay both unwavering resolve and a barely perceptible shadow:
"Sprout, are you trying to persuade me to back down?"
The leaves of Sprout 12 trembled slightly.
"I'm reminding you that the real battlefield isn't their blades, but the cracks in your own heart."
If the 'Shadow Parasite' manages to take control, you won't even need them to do anything; you'll destroy yourself first.
237 remained silent for a long time.
He could sense that the shadowy alternate personality within him was listening quietly, with a hint of amusement in its eyes.
Meanwhile, Mitsuge tugged at him from the other side, reminding him to maintain a pure will.
He felt as if he were in a civil war that could erupt at any moment.
At this moment, his trust in Sprout 12 became his last support.
"I will not back down."
But if they want to come, then let them come.
I want to prove with my own hands that I am not an embryo—but the heir of the mother tree.
Bean Sprout 12 looked at him, her heart stirred.
He was both awestruck by 237's unwavering resolve and terrified by the "shadowy hue" that was gradually creeping over him.
A night breeze blew, causing the radiance of the light field to sway.
The two stood side by side, but remained silent.
They all understood that the real storm was already brewing in the shadows.
And the bond between them—
It is both the only refuge and the most vulnerable flaw.
Early in the morning, the air on the plains was unusually heavy.
The dew on the ground evaporated before it could even sparkle, under an invisible pressure.
As Sprout 12 patrolled the edge of the light field, it keenly sensed something amiss.
The earth trembled, and an unfamiliar aura wafted from the southeastern rift valley.
He whispered:
"They're here."
Sure enough, the Armored Vine Beast of Shattered Shell Ridge was the first to appear, its entire body covered in hard vine armor, like a walking fortress;
Following closely behind was the "Water Vein Invasion" released by the Tide Lotus Alliance—the earth's underground channels were forcibly opened, and water carrying silt and decay surged into the edge of the light domain.
Further away, the Shadow Vine Alliance released a batch of "Shadow Buds," which clung to the branches and leaves of the light domain like ghosts, attempting to steal light energy.
The three parties did not launch a full-scale attack, but rather engaged in a probing hunt.
Even so, the atmosphere was already oppressive, like dark clouds looming overhead.
Seed 237 stood quietly in the center, its light domain slowly blooming.
The light roots rose from the depths of the earth, transforming into barriers of light veins that blocked the impact of the water flow and the armored beast.
The air suddenly brightened, as if the sun had risen early.
Sprout 12 swiftly attacked from the side, freely weaving between the enemy ranks and the edge of the light domain, its branches and leaves transforming into sharp pods to sever those lurking shadow buds.
They worked together seamlessly.
The intertwining of light and the power of freedom made the three forces realize for the first time that the Light Domain was not a weak illusion, but a cornerstone of true defense and counterattack.
However, within the realm of light, the mind of Seed 237 began to tremble.
The shadow parasite within him whispered coldly:
"They were just testing us... the real danger was yet to come."
If you want to win, you should let me win.
Let me completely devour these invaders, turning them into fuel for the Dark Roots.
Light and darkness were tearing at his heart.
On one side is the figure of Sprout 12 desperately resisting, and on the other side is the temptation and power of the alternate personality.
Seed237's eyes flickered for a moment.
But the next moment, he gripped the light root tightly and growled:
"No! Now...it's not your time yet!"
Bean Sprout 12 saw his struggle but didn't expose him; instead, she flung her branches and leaves even more violently.
He whispered:
"Hold on, 237!"
If you can't even withstand this small test, you'll never become a mother tree!
Upon hearing this, 237's light domain suddenly erupted.
A beam of light, like a falling star, pierced through the battlefield, instantly shattering the armored beast's defenses and evaporating some of the swamp water.
Realizing their probe had failed, the three forces immediately retreated.
The plains returned to silence, leaving only scars of scorched earth and gleaming light.
The wind howled, and Sprout 12 walked to Seed 237's side, his voice low:
"This is just the beginning. The real encirclement and suppression is yet to come."
Seed 237 closed its eyes, its chest heaving, and a faint light spot flickered on its forehead.
He answered softly:
"I know... but as long as you're here, I can hold on."
Sprout 12 paused for a moment, a conflicted light flashing in her eyes.
He didn't respond, but simply stood quietly with 237 at the edge of the ruins of the Light Domain.
The wind from afar carries an even stronger stench of blood.
The wind grew increasingly rapid, as if the entire plain was issuing a silent warning.
The leaves of Sprout 12 trembled slightly. He could feel that the air was filled not only with hostility, but also with a strange, ever-present chill.
"...They're serious now."
Sprout 12 muttered to herself.
Seed 237 slowly opened its eyes, its radiance revealing a hint of weariness, yet also a dangerous coldness.
He felt the shadows within him stirring restlessly, as if excitedly awaiting a bloody battle.
Just then, the earth suddenly cracked open.
The vine-armored beasts of Shattered Shell Ridge no longer attacked in scattered formations, but instead pressed down on the light domain in a massive, overwhelming manner, forming a "charge wedge formation".
At the same time, the "Black Swamp Vortex" of the Tide Swamp Alliance opened in the distance, and the muddy water turned into an abyss-like vortex, trying to drag the entire grassland into the silt.
Even more terrifying, the main force of the Shadow Vine finally appeared—a towering "Shadow Vine Mother Plant," casting a dark shadow across the sky, like a curtain covering the desolate plains.
The area of light suddenly dimmed.
Even with its vigorous growth, the roots of light can only tremble slightly in the shadows.
Sprout 12 gritted his teeth and immediately leaped into the battlefield. His branches and leaves transformed into countless flying blades of pods, attempting to sever the spread of the shadow screen.
But with each shattering, new shadow buds emerge from the darkness.
"They are blocking off the Light Domain... completely isolating us!"
Sprout 12 growled in a low voice.
Seed 237 stood up, its radiance bursting through its shell like a burning flame.
However, a low chuckle from his shadow alter ego had already surfaced deep within his eyes:
"Do you see that? This is the real battlefield."
Your so-called 'pure light root' is no match for the three-way attack.
"Make way, let me do it—only darkness can engulf darkness."
"Shut up!"
237's voice was low, but trembling.
The pull between the light and shadow made his whole body feel like it was being torn apart. His branches and leaves swayed wildly in mid-air, and the light flickered like a spark that might be extinguished at any moment.
Bean Sprout 12 noticed his unusual behavior and called out anxiously:
"237! Hold on!"
You are not alone—you have me, and you have the Light Realm!
Seed 237's silhouette swayed between light and darkness.
He saw Sprout 12 struggling desperately amidst blood and fire, and that tenacity made his heart clench.
But at the same time, the whispers of the alternate personality spread like poison:
"Look at him... He knows he can't stop it, but he's still pretending to be strong."
What will you do when he collapses?
You need me—only I can guarantee that nothing will be destroyed.
"shut up--!"
237 roared, and the light field suddenly bloomed, shooting out billions of light threads, which pushed back the approaching Armored Vine Beast by dozens of steps.
But at the same time, the shadow within him also took the opportunity to break through.
Half of the branches withered in the darkness, but quickly transformed into black flame-like thorny vines, coexisting with the light.
When Sprout 12 saw this, he froze.
His eyes were filled with pain and contradiction:
Is this the power of 237?
—Or is it the arrival of "Shadow Parasite"?
The atmosphere of the battlefield changed abruptly with this explosion.
Seed 237, where light and darkness coexist, stands for the first time in the center of the plain as a "penumbra".
The enemy's advance faltered; they seemed to sense some greater threat.
The plain fell into a deathly silence.
Only the sound of the wind, like an invisible sob.
Seed237 spoke in a low voice, trembling between light and darkness:
"...Since you want to destroy me, then first bear my true wrath."
As the last word fell, the light and shadow erupted simultaneously, as if two stars were born from the same seed.
The large-scale encirclement and suppression campaign has officially begun.
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