Chapter 51
The plains were shaking.
The armored vine beasts of Shattered Shell Ridge pressed down like mountains, the black swamp vortex of the Tide Lotus Alliance swallowed the edge of the light domain, and the mother plant of Shadow Vine spread out a curtain that covered the sky, completely stripping away the starlight.
The light field suddenly dimmed, and the branches and leaves trembled helplessly, as if they were being dragged into a suffocating abyss.
Sprout 12 moved swiftly, its pod breath transforming into sharp blades to sever the shadow buds, yet the more it cut, the more there were, as if the entire earth was being tainted.
"They're not here to test you...they're here to wipe you out in one blow!"
Sprout 12's voice trembled.
Seed 237 stood in the center, the light spot on its forehead pulsating, but more rapidly. It felt its heart being pulled by countless lines, the light roots groaning, and the shadows stirring.
At that very moment, the whispers of the alternate personality flooded his mind:
"See that? Even the light roots can't stop it."
Accept me, release me... only then can we engulf them.
The light flickered, and the darkness writhed.
The figure of 237 gradually lost its balance amidst the roar of the battlefield.
The Armored Vine Beast broke through the light barrier, its massive vine claws tearing through the defenses, and the water veins of the Tide Swamp surged into the light domain, submerging the Grass Sea.
Bean sprout 12 was forced back, its branches and leaves stained with blood.
He looked up, and saw—
Half of 237's branches and leaves shimmered with light, while the other half withered and turned into twisted shadows.
Light and darkness coexist.
He first revealed his "penumbra form".
The heart of the sprout 12 suddenly tightened:
"...237!"
Seed237 raised its head, its eyes burning with light, yet mixed with a deep darkness like that of a raven.
"They want to destroy me? Then let them try... whether they can withstand my wrath!"
As the words fell, light and darkness erupted simultaneously.
The light roots transformed into countless beams of intense light soaring into the sky, while the shadow vines transformed into a raging torrent of black flames, the dual forces tearing the earth apart.
The Armored Vine Beast instantly shattered, the swamp vortex was evaporated, and the screen was burned with huge cracks.
The entire battlefield was thrown into disarray in an instant.
The enemy troops halted, and they realized with horror:
This is not simply light, nor simply shadow, but some kind of "hybrid power" that should not exist.
A brief silence fell over the battlefield.
Sprout 12 gasped for breath, looking at the penumbra in the center.
His eyes wavered.
Is this still 237?
Or is it a monster altered by "Shadow Parasite"?
"Bean sprouts..."
Seed237 called to him softly, its voice carrying both the warmth of light and the chill of darkness.
The alternate personality sneered inwardly:
"Look, he's already suspicious of you."
Sooner or later, he will abandon you with his own hands.
Rather than be betrayed, it's better to betray first.
The branches and leaves of Bean Sprout 12 trembled, hesitating on the verge of collapse.
He could sense that every moment of his silence would become a catalyst for the cracks to widen.
But in the end, he gritted his teeth and charged onto the battlefield, standing in front of 237, his blade flashing once more:
Even if it's the penumbra... I will protect you!
His choice was like grabbing the last ray of light at the edge of an abyss.
Light and darkness surged simultaneously, and the battlefield roared.
Although the three forces were repelled, they did not collapse. They regrouped on the perimeter and prepared for a second charge.
237 stands in the center, the light flickering, breathing heavily.
He could sense that he had crossed a certain line.
The shadows writhed within him, their whispers growing ever more piercing:
"You see? Only I can make you invincible."
The purity of the Light Root... is nothing but a fragile illusion.
Guanggen responded from the other side:
"If you completely fall into depravity, the mother tree will have no successor."
My heart is torn apart, my soul is in turmoil.
At that moment, Sprout 12 rushed to his side, her voice hoarse:
"237! Don't let it take you away!"
You're still here, you are you—not some parasite!
At that moment, Seed237's eyes suddenly narrowed.
The radiance was restored, and the shadows were forcibly suppressed back into the body.
He trembled all over, yet he managed to hold up the last barrier of light.
The roar of the battlefield finally faded away.
The three forces realized that they could not completely defeat them at this moment, so they chose to retreat temporarily.
The plains returned to their deathly stillness.
Amidst the scorched earth and bloodstains, only two figures stood side by side.
The wind howled again.
Sprout 12's voice was deep:
"You know what... for a split second just now, I almost didn't recognize you."
Seed 237 closed its eyes, and a light spot on its forehead flickered slightly.
"...I almost didn't recognize myself either."
They remained silent.
Light and shadow intertwine on him, like a double-edged sword hanging over the battlefield of the future.
As night fell, the desolate plains resembled a giant furnace, with embers still burning faintly beneath the scorched earth.
In the center of the light field, Seed 237 sat quietly, its light roots retracted, and the glow on its body was intermittent, as if it might be extinguished at any moment.
Sprout 12 came over, with traces of blood and scorch marks still remaining on its branches and leaves.
He didn't speak immediately, but stopped a short distance away and stared at the half-lit, half-shadowed outline of 237.
Silence spread, broken only by the rustling of the night wind through the scorched leaves.
Finally, Sprout 12 asked in a low voice:
"...That power just now, it was 'Shadow Parasite', wasn't it?"
Seed 237 slowly opened its eyes, its pupils shimmering with light, yet unable to conceal a shadow within.
"yes."
The answer was extremely calm, yet it was like a heavy stone thrown into the lake of Ya Dou's heart, stirring up a thousand ripples.
Sprout 12 paused for a moment, then spoke in a hoarse voice:
"You know what? When you become penumbra like that... I really can't tell if you're still yourself."
Seed 237 lowered its gaze, its branches and leaves trembling slightly.
"I couldn't tell either. For a moment, I almost thought... I had been swallowed up."
The night wind suddenly picked up, dispersing the air between the two, but it couldn't dispel the heaviness in their hearts.
Bean Sprout 12 stepped forward, its branches and leaves trembling slightly:
"237, you have to promise me you won't let it control you anymore."
Even if you become vulnerable, even if the light domain is destroyed again, never surrender yourself to that Eastern West.
Seed237 looked up at him, its eyes sparkling.
After a long silence, he slowly spoke:
"But... without that power, do you think we could have survived tonight?"
Sprout 12 was stunned.
His branches trembled in the wind, yet he could not speak.
Because the answer is cruel.
They won't make it through.
Seed237 saw through his silence and a bitter smile appeared on his lips.
"You see, you understand it yourself."
"The shadows were not my choice, but... they are the inevitable price to pay on the Mother Tree's path."
Sprout 12's heart tightened suddenly, and he said urgently:
"No! The successor of the mother tree does not grow in darkness!"
If you succumb, the path to the Mother Tree will be utterly destroyed!
Seed237 stared at him, his voice low, almost as if talking to himself:
"But if I don't accept the darkness, can I survive?"
The air fell silent once more.
It was as if an insurmountable abyss lay between the two of them.
Sprout 12 gritted its teeth and finally stretched out its branches and leaves, firmly grasping 237's arm.
I won't allow you to give up!
Even if the entire continent turns against you, I will stand by your side.
But the prerequisite is that you must still be yourself!
Seed237 paused, the shadow in his eyes wavering for a moment.
The light flickered back on, illuminating his tired yet determined expression.
"...Thank you, Sprout."
At least for this moment, you remind me that I am still Seed 237.
The two sat down side by side, the night wind blowing, the scorched earth exuding a cold aura.
But in that silence, they all knew deep down—
This bond has already been sown with the seeds of inevitable cracks.
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