Chapter 14: The Seed of Life


    Deep underground, in a place surrounded by bubbling, molten lava, there lay a massive island. The lava, a deep crimson, churned and spat, its high-temperature bubbles bursting and releasing plumes of smoke. Despite the inferno around it, the island was enveloped in a dome of light, creating a lush, spring-like environment that defied logic.


    At the center of the island stood a towering tree, unlike any other. It was leafless and appeared to have been dead for a long time. Beneath it was a pool of emerald-green water, and floating on its surface was a naked man. His body was severely burned, but the green water seemed to be healing him at an astonishing rate. His wounds were closing, and new flesh was growing where the burns had been. One of his arms, though smaller and redder than the other, was slowly regenerating.


    Occasionally, injured animals would limp to the pool, drink from it, and then curiously glance at the man before bounding away, fully healed.


    Standing beside the giant tree was a strikingly beautiful woman with pointed ears and long silver hair that fluttered in the breeze. Her deep blue eyes were filled with complex emotions as she gazed at the man in the pool.


    "Ahhh!!!" A loud, exhilarated shout broke her reverie.


    The man in the pool suddenly flipped over, stood up, and let out a triumphant roar. He stretched luxuriously, then looked down at the emerald water around him, puzzled. Staring at his reflection, he opened his mouth in disbelief, examining his body.


    This man was Han Ming.


    "You''re awake," the woman by the pool said softly.


    Han Ming looked around, confused. "Catherine? Where am I? Shouldn''t I be dead? But... my wounds are healed. Did you save me?"


    The woman, Catherine of the elven race, sighed deeply. Instead of answering directly, she pointed to the giant tree behind her. "Do you know what this tree is?"


    Han Ming was taken aback by the question. "What tree?"


    Catherine''s expression turned somber. "This is the remnant of the Tree of Life. Our elven race has guarded the Tree of Life for generations. It is said that all life in this world was born from it. But long ago, the three Trees of Life disappeared. We searched for them for ages but found nothing. This one here is a remnant, and it had borne a Seed of Life. That seed... has been absorbed by you."


    Han Ming was still processing her words. "What does that mean?"


    Catherine continued, almost to herself, "I had hoped to transplant this remnant back to the elven forest. But now... it''s too late."


    Han Ming felt a pang of unease. She had mentioned that the Seed of Life had been absorbed by him, and it was incredibly important to her people. Would she kill him out of anger?


    Catherine seemed to read his thoughts. "Don''t worry. What''s done is done. The Seed chose you. I tried to take it, but I couldn''t get close. As an elf, I must respect its choice."


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Relieved, Han Ming still wondered what changes the Seed of Life had brought to him. For now, all he could see was that his body had healed, even his severed arm was regrowing, though it was still underdeveloped.


    Catherine asked, "Do you know the most important characteristic of a tree?"


    Han Ming was puzzled. Catherine, who usually ignored him, was being unusually talkative. "Uh... leaves? Not being able to walk?"


    Catherine''s eyes flashed with irritation. "Are you mocking me?"


    Han Ming quickly backtracked. "No, no! Let me think... Photosynthesis? Absorbing sunlight and water to grow? Long lifespan?"


    Catherine nodded. "Close enough. The most important characteristics are nurturing new life and absorption. Your body has been partially transformed by the Tree of Life. I''ve examined you. Your lifespan has been extended to match that of this world''s humans, but your physical abilities haven''t improved much."


    She tossed Han Ming a small blue crystal. "Try sensing it."


    Han Ming caught the crystal, which was about the size of his pinky finger and shimmered with a deep blue light.


    Before he could think further, the crystal began to tremble. Tiny cracks appeared on its surface, and a torrent of blue light surged into his body through his hands. Han Ming''s head buzzed, and his body swelled painfully. He tried to drop the crystal, but it was stuck to his hand. The blue light continued to flood into him, and he writhed in agony, screaming to vent the pain.


    Catherine watched impassively as Han Ming thrashed in the water like a dying insect.


    After about half an hour, the blue light faded, and the crystal crumbled into dust. Han Ming collapsed into the pool.


    Another half hour passed before Han Ming slowly opened his eyes and struggled to his feet. His body felt as heavy as lead, and even lifting his arm was a monumental effort. He felt like a balloon about to burst.


    "That was a small water elemental crystal. Normally, someone like you would have exploded several times over from absorbing it," Catherine said casually.


    Han Ming clutched his head, panting in pain. "Then why did you make me absorb it? Were you trying to kill me?"


    Catherine remained calm. "My judgment was correct. Your original body couldn''t absorb magical energy, but the Seed of Life gave you that ability. However, your body still rejects most magic and battle aura. When you fell, you were holding that girl, Wei''er. Her blood and flesh mixed with yours, and you died. The Seed of Life didn''t remove her essence but incorporated it into your body during the reconstruction. That''s why you can now absorb water elemental energy, though not fully. That''s also why you didn''t explode just now."


    "Wei''er..." Han Ming trembled at the mention of her name. "Where is she? Is she alive?"


    Catherine replied, "When you two fell into the chasm, I sensed Kalon''s presence. He must have been drawn by the fire mage''s magic. I hid, but he likely took Wei''er''s body. Whether she''s alive or not, I don''t know."


    Han Ming frowned. "Kalon? Why would he take her? Could he revive her? But why? Just because she''s a water mage? That doesn''t make sense..."


    Catherine pointed to the emerald pool. "The Seed of Life gave you a new body, and this pool heals wounds. If you want to know why Kalon took her, you''ll have to ask him yourself. But you''ll need to become much stronger first. Right now, you''re insignificant to him. Also, the Seed of Life has been absorbed by you. The remnant of the Tree of Life will soon wither completely, and this island will collapse. You should focus on escaping before that happens." With that, Catherine vanished.


    "Wait... so I just came back to life, and now I might die again?" Han Ming groaned.


    Still, he had gained two important pieces of information. First, he could now absorb water elemental energy. Did that mean he could become a water mage? But the thought of water magic''s limited power made him feel helpless. He had seen firsthand how devastating fire magic could be. A single fireball had caused so much destruction. What about more advanced spells? And why did fireballs explode? They were more like grenades! Compared to that, water magic seemed laughably weak. Water arrows? Seriously?


    Second, his lifespan had increased. If he continued to grow stronger, he might live for centuries. The thought made him smile. Centuries! What a concept!