Chapter 41
As night fell, Seed 237 and Sprout 12 arrived at a crucial confluence of water veins.
This place had long been planted with monitoring seed pods by the Dark Root forces, with more than ten scouts lying in wait, their roots intertwined underground like a spider web.
They sensed the energy fluctuations in the light field and immediately launched a capture operation.
The auras of light and darkness collided instantly, and a battle erupted on the silent plain.
Seed 237 stimulates the light flow provided by the mother tree, constructing a defensive barrier.
But the scouts' offensive was fierce, their roots piercing the barrier like sharp arrows, gradually approaching the core.
Bean Sprout 12 was also trapped in a tangled root prison, unable to escape.
[Seed 237 - Heartfelt Words]: "We can't delay any longer... otherwise we'll all be caught..."
Just then, the whisper deep within the soul core suddenly amplified, and the alternate personality "Shadow Parasite" emerged with a cold laugh:
[Shadow Parasite]: "You're too slow. You're still thinking about protecting, about avoiding harm?"
These men are hounds, and you're still debating whether or not to draw your sword.
"Give me control, and I'll handle it."
Seed 237 gritted its teeth, trying to stay awake.
But the enemy's roots were breaking through the barrier, and the intense stinging sensation made his will waver.
The next instant, the dark marks deep within the spirit core spread completely, like ink lines crawling all over his body.
Seed 237's pupil split in two; its left eye remained clear and bright, while its right eye was pitch black and bottomless.
His actions suddenly changed—from slow defense to sharp killing intent.
The roots suddenly swelled up, like thorny black snakes, piercing through the chests of several scouts and pinning them to the ground.
Sprout 12 stared in astonishment, completely unable to believe that this was the same steady Seed 237 from just moments ago.
【Shadow Parasite - Whisper】: "Look how fragile they are."
Rather than letting them be monitored, let them become fertilizer first.
Wherever the roots passed, all the monitoring pods were destroyed, the underground water veins were forcibly diverted, and mudslides and torrents were instantly stirred up.
The shadow materialized, surrounding Seed 237 like a black root armor.
The remaining scouts launched a frantic counterattack, only to be torn apart one by one.
There were no unnecessary movements; every strike was deadly and precise.
The battlefield was left with only a desolate and bleak scene.
Only when the last scout fell did the shadow slowly recede.
Seed 237 knelt on the ground, its roots covered in dark marks, its breath disordered.
His consciousness gradually returned, but all he saw were corpses strewn everywhere.
Sprout 12 shouted in a trembling voice:
"...237, you weren't yourself just now."
Deep within the soul core, the alternate personality let out a mocking laugh:
[Shadow Parasite]: "Not myself?"
No, bean sprouts.
That's the real me.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, the Dark Root Council monitored a sudden fluctuation in the data map.
Countless monitoring points went out simultaneously, creating a strange "dead zone".
An elder slammed his fist on the table and stood up:
"Someone has taken control of the killing pattern inherent in the water veins!"
This is... a sign of dual-source parasitism!
For the first time, the entire dark web across the continent has raised a red alert for seed 237.
Ash-like root dust still lingered in the air, and the remains of dark root scouts remained in the trenches torn open in the ground. The air was thick with the metallic and scorching smell.
Seed237 slowly opened his eyes, feeling as if he had been forcibly pulled from the bottom of the water. His memory only stopped at the moment he was surrounded and attacked; after that, it was a blank.
Before him, Sprout 12 stood motionless.
She didn't approach, nor did she eagerly check his injuries as she usually did. She simply watched him quietly, a strange shadow reflected in her pupils.
Sprout 12 (deep voice):
"...Was that you just now?"
Seed 237 (stunned):
"I...I don't remember. You mean, what happened?"
Sprout 12 (biting her lip, her voice trembling):
"Don't remember? That wasn't you. Those eyes... were so black they looked like they wanted to devour everything."
You're not resisting; they're being—swallowed up. You laughed, 237.
Seed 237 was startled and reached out to comfort him, but Sprout 12 took a half step back.
Sprouts 12:
"Do you know? I follow you because you are a seed of the Light Realm."
But just now... what I saw wasn't a guardian at all, but... a shadow.
Silence descended, with only the low, rumbling sound of water seeping from the crack.
Seed 237 (inner monologue):
Shadow Parasite... That thing really exists. It's inside me, fighting by using my shell.
If even Sprout 12 is starting to be afraid of me... am I no longer myself?
Sprout12's voice suddenly lowered, as if she were talking to herself:
Sprouts 12:
"What if one day... you completely turn into that thing from before?"
Seed 237 suddenly looked up, only to find it couldn't find the answer. Deep within its chest, a familiar yet strange whisper gently resonated—
Shadow Parasite (a low laugh, audible only at 237):
"Look at the fear in her eyes, how delicious. Don't worry, she'll get used to it sooner or later."
Night fell over the plain, and the shattered battlefield was gradually buried by the night wind. Sprout 12 sat alone on a charred rock made of tree roots, head bowed, as if whispering to the wind.
At that moment, her heart was split into two voices.
The rational side (softly):
"237 is no longer pure. That dark aura... is too dangerous."
If the mother tree finds out, he might be removed immediately.
"Though free plants have no home, I cannot watch the continent be swallowed by darkness."
The emotional aspect (eagerness):
"But he's no one else, he's 237."
That seed that spoke out for vulnerable ecosystems at the Light Domain Conference, that person who stretched out their roots to save me in the most dangerous moment.
Can I betray him? Can I?
Sprout 12 raised its head and looked at Seed 237 sleeping in the distance. The moonlight shone on it, making it look serene and peaceful, as if it were not the same person who had shown a dark smile during the battle.
Her hand gripped the Free Vine Leaf Beacon she carried with her tightly; it was her only means of secretly communicating with the Council of the Mother Tree of Light. With just a touch, the Light Realm would know everything.
She reached out her hand, but then stopped halfway.
Sprout 12 (inner voice):
"If I choose to inform on them, 237 will never be able to reach the center of the light domain again."
But if I choose to remain silent, I will have to bear this fear and risk... to stand by him and gamble with our future.
As the night breeze swept by, she finally gently withdrew her hand and buried the beacon back into the root bag.
Sprout 12 (whispering):
“I don’t believe in darkness, but… I believe in you, 237.”
At least this time, I've chosen to keep going.
But she didn't truly let go; instead, she secretly made a resolution:
Once the alternate personality regains complete control of the battle, she will definitely take action—whether it's to stop it or to sacrifice herself.
Night deepened, and the wind ceased. Seed 237 slept peacefully, as if the exhaustion of all the battles had finally overwhelmed him. But in this tranquility, the shadow parasite slowly awoke.
It is not manifesting externally, but rather wriggling deep within 237's consciousness, like a wisp of black mist swirling between the roots and the soul.
Shadow Parasite (whispering, as if echoing in a dream):
"Did you see that? She hesitated."
She almost pressed that beacon and handed you over.
Seed237's brow furrowed slightly in the dream, a hint of hesitation rising from the depths of its soul.
Seed 237 (inner voice):
"No... Sprout 12 wouldn't do that. She's my most trusted partner."
The black mist suddenly tightened, as if bringing a chilling mockery.
Shadow Parasite:
"Trust? Foolish. Free Plant never belongs to any faction; she can move freely and betray freely as well."
Her heart is wavering; her roots are not tied to you.
Meanwhile, Sprout 12 paced outside the tent, still struggling internally. She looked at the sleeping 237, reached out her hand, wanting to confirm his presence, but stopped halfway.
At that very moment, the shadow parasite captured the movement, transforming the whisper into a sharp blade:
Shadow Parasite (Enhances Induction):
"See, she doesn't dare touch you."
Because she's afraid... afraid that you're no longer the person you used to be.
The way she looks at you isn't trust, but wariness.
Do you want to live under this gaze forever?
Seed 237 was breathing rapidly in his dream, as if his chest was being torn apart. He tried to suppress it, but found that the words of the shadowy host were like venom, slowly seeping in.
Seed 237 (Inner Struggle):
"Sprout12...will you really...betray me?"
From within the black mist, an even colder voice rang out:
Shadow Parasite:
"Don't wait for her to make the first move. When she's extremely hesitant, she'll choose the Light Domain over you."
And I can let you make the first move—take the initiative, instead of passively waiting.
Just as seed 237 was about to be fully induced, sprout 12 finally spoke softly, whispering through the night:
Sprout 12 (softly):
"...No matter what you become, I will never let go first."
These words pierced the dream like a glimmer of light, temporarily suppressing the corrosive influence of the shadowy infestation. But the black mist did not recede; it merely sneered and continued to lurk deep within 237's soul.
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