Ch5 Burning Embers.

Asher's heart raced, adrenaline surging through him as he instinctively tightened his grip on the dagger. The man before him was no longer the neighbour he once knew; he was a grotesque puppet of the roots, a vessel for something dark and unknown. The roots twisted and writhed from his back, pulsating as if they were alive, feeding off the man's essence.

Seeing this, the man growled, and Ash, with no hesitation, stepped aside as roots similarly went past with the man.

Asher quickly tried to run away but was unable to as the man was faster. "Stay back!" Asher shouted, his voice trembling but resolute. He had no idea what this creature was capable of, but he knew he had to act fast. The creature's head snapped in his direction, its expression devoid of humanity.

This creature, once human, again tried to attack; as it stepped on the bodies of the dead, it went faster than before and got itself crashed on the wall. Seeing this as an opportunity, Ash decided to test his newfound ability on this creature.

Asher gritted his teeth as he was filled with rage. Holding the dagger with both hands, he raised it forward toward the enemy, waiting for the next opportunity.

As he tried to step forward, 'Static,' the man suspended in a moment of eerie stillness. Asher felt a strain in his mind, a pressure building as he maintained the hold. He could see the roots twitching, as if they were aware of the disruption in their host's actions.

With a surge of determination, he dashed forward, dagger poised to strike. He aimed for the roots, hoping to sever the connection that bound the man to whatever force controlled him.

The dagger met the roots. Instantly feeling resistance from the twisted roots, Ash put all the pressure on cutting them. With a final push, the roots got sliced apart as she shook in pain.

As the connection between the man and the roots shivered, Ash also released a 'static' effect, letting the man fall on the ground, blood soaking the floor as the roots retreated.

Asher's heart sank. He had saved him, but at what cost? The weight of the situation pressed down on him, and he felt the tears welling up in his eyes. He had to keep moving.

He wanted to cry or even scream, but such privilege was not allowed to him.

He stepped cautiously over the fallen body, his mind racing with thoughts of his grandfather and the others. He needed to find them before it was too late. As he exited Neil's house, he glanced back one last time, a silent promise to remember the man who had once been a neighbour, a friend.

Outside, the roots continued to writhe and twist, a living nightmare that spread across the village.

It's been almost 20 minutes since he has awakened and tested his abilities, but it was still not clear enough on its application. He at least understands its cost of energy consumption.

If he for example has 100 origin energy, it took 7 to stop the movement of the man for 5 seconds. It was a strong ability, yet he felt the cost for a living being's will would be higher than this, maybe 10 to 15. This man he fought was nothing more than a dead person being controlled by a parasite.

He has yet to check the working of this ability on nonliving things, but he doesn't have any opportunities or any specific item to use that can be helpful.

'I can't just throw my dagger and stop it in the middle. That will be nothing but moronic.'

Asher thought to himself as he approached the centre of the village, keeping to the shadows and avoiding the crazed eyes of the root-controlled villagers. His guess was that the source of this horror was at the heart of the town, and that's where he needed to be.

Hiding on the roof of a house, Asher saw the site, which made his heart sink; the large central tree that had been standing in Eron village for centuries now was like a spider web, with many villagers connected to it by their spines and lying down beside it.

'Kit, Grandpa!' His eyes widen at the sight of them all being wrapped around by roots in a cocoon-shaped jail; they were taking deep breaths, so he could assume they were alive for now.

This was the most important and good news he has witnessed in the span of the last two days. Even if the situation was dire, there was still hope to save them.

'But how? I don't have any ability to fight them directly. If I went there, I would probably get eaten by that damn tree. Even the villagers surrounding it are guards looking for me.'

"This tree has yet to gain complete sentience since it has not made drastic moves; even the hosts are not moving perfectly and stumbling upon themselves."

"The best option is to act fast before it could turn them into those ghoulish-like creatures and perfect coordinating his limbs through villagers.".

Asher's mind raced as he surveyed the grisly scene from his hidden vantage point. He knew he had to think strategically to save those he cared for and put an end to this nightmare. His eyes darted to the village chief's house, a place that might hold the resources he needed.

Quickly, he descended from the roof and sprinted towards the building, staying low and avoiding the patrol of the root-controlled villagers. His heart pounded in his chest as he approached the door, the creaks of the floorboards echoing in the silence of the abandoned house. He found what he was looking for—a collection of flammable materials and a pack of matches. It was a desperate plan, but it was all he had.

He struck the first match, watching it flare to life in the dimness. The flame danced in the darkness, casting eerie shadows on the walls as he carefully set it to a trail of gasoline-soaked rags. He had gathered enough of them to create a path leading from the outskirts of the village to the base of the central tree. The flammable trail snaked through the streets, weaving around the stumbling villagers, who were too entranced by the tree to notice his handiwork.

If this plan worked, the tree will send his hosts to stop the fire just like it had done to capture Asher himself. If the road can be cleared enough, Asher can save his friends and family.

This was his only hope.