The sun shines through the dense branches and leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground. Several unknown birds sing happily on the branches, and the melodious bird calls echo in the valley. Albert leaned against the tree trunk weakly, and his consciousness gradually blurred. He felt a sharp burning sensation in his abdomen, as if a flame was burning in his body. He opened his eyes with difficulty and saw that the black ink-like substance was spreading along the texture of his skin, like a black vine, quickly covering his whole body.
"What is this..." Albert uttered a few syllables with difficulty, his voice was hoarse and weak, like the last whimper of a dying beast. He looked at the changes in his body in horror and wanted to struggle, but found that his body was completely out of control, and his hands were tied firmly to the tree trunk and could not move.
The black substance continued to spread and gradually covered his entire body. His skin began to become rough, like the bark of an old tree, and the original skin color was completely replaced by black. His fingers began to deform, becoming like branches, and his nails became sharp and hard, like sharp eagle claws.
Albert felt a sharp pain, as if all the bones in his body were twisted and deformed. He wanted to shout, but found that he could no longer make any sound, only a few low whimpers came out of his throat.
He felt that his consciousness was gradually disappearing, and the world in front of him began to blur. The sun shone through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground, which were distorted and deformed in his blurred vision, like a dreamlike scene. The singing of birds became more and more distant in his ears, and finally disappeared completely.
After an unknown period of time, Albert woke up again. He found that he had completely turned into a "tree man". His body was as thick as a tree trunk, his skin was as rough as bark, his hands and feet had become branch-like, and his nails were like sharp spikes. His head also underwent a huge change, and the original facial features had disappeared, replaced by a bulge like a tree tumor.
Albert slowly opened his eyes, with a red light flashing in his eyes. He looked down at his body, his heart filled with fear and despair. He tried to move his body, but found that he had lost the ability to move. He could only stand there quietly like a tree.
A crow flew through the air and landed on the shoulder of the "Tree Man". It tilted its head and looked at this strange creature curiously, with a cunning light flashing in its black eyes. The crow pecked the stiff body of the "Tree Man" with its sharp beak, making a few crisp woodpecking sounds.
The "Tree Man" suddenly opened his eyes, and the red light in his eyes became stronger. He slowly raised his arms, and the black branch-like fingers grabbed the crow. The crow struggled in fear and flapped its wings, but could not break free from the "Tree Man"'s strong restraint.
The "Tree Man" opened his mouth, revealing the sharp teeth inside, like saw teeth, with a chilling cold light. He swallowed the crow in one gulp, and a low gurgling sound came out of his throat.
"Hungry..." The "Tree Man" made a hoarse sound, like the sound of a dead branch breaking, echoing in the silent woods.
"Hungry..." Albert's hoarse voice sounded again, like the noise produced by the friction between two rough pieces of wood. He turned his head stiffly, making a creaking sound like a rusty gear. There was no expression on his "tree knot" face, only the pair of eyes flashing red light revealed his hunger.
A gray squirrel jumped down from the tree, approached Albert curiously, and sniffed at his root-like feet. Albert slowly lowered his head, and the red light focused on the squirrel. The squirrel seemed to sense the danger and jumped back suddenly, ready to escape.
However, Albert's movements were faster than it. His thick branch arms stretched out like lightning and grabbed the squirrel firmly. The squirrel struggled desperately in his hands and squeaked. Albert opened his mouth full of sharp teeth and swallowed the squirrel in one bite.
"Not enough..." Albert's voice was still hoarse, with an insatiable desire. He began to move his body, and the thick roots slowly pulled out of the ground, making a dull sound.
A huge hole was left on the ground, and the surrounding soil was scattered all over the ground. Albert walked towards the depths of the forest with heavy steps. Every step he took, the ground would tremble slightly.
Two rabbits were foraging on the grass, and suddenly felt the ground shaking. They looked up in fear and looked around. They saw Albert walking slowly, and they were so scared that they immediately dropped their food and turned to flee.
Albert found the fleeing rabbit, and a glimmer of excitement flashed in his red eyes. He quickened his pace and chased the rabbit clumsily.
He stretched out his branch-like arms and tried to catch the rabbit, but the rabbit was too fast and nimbly dodged his attack.
One of the rabbits ran into a bush, and Albert followed closely behind, his sturdy body hitting the bush, making a crackling sound. The bush was knocked to pieces, revealing the rabbit hiding inside.
Albert grabbed the rabbit and stuffed it into his mouth. Seeing this, the other rabbit was frightened and ran away even more desperately, and finally disappeared in the depths of the forest.
"More..." Albert growled and continued to walk deeper into the forest. His huge figure cast a shadow in the woods, like a moving giant tree monster.