The Dryad vs the Orc
Sylvan inhaled deeply and ran towards the monster with Vine Punch. He kept running until he was right beneath it, his fist raised above his head, and slammed it against the monster's leg.
It connected, but Sylvan stumbled backwards, barely avoiding being crushed by a giant hand trying to squash him.
His grin faded. The orc had thick skin skill so it barely flinched from his punch.
It grabbed a tree and ripped it out from the ground.
The monster lifted the whole tree above its head and swung it at Sylvan who barely managed to dodge the attack. The tree smashed into the ground with such force that the entire area shook. The leaves scattered everywhere, filling the air with their sweet scent.
Sylvan tried punching again, this time aiming for its torso.
The orc didn't flinch, instead he punched Sylvan in the stomach, sending him flying. His back slammed against a stone wall that wasn't there before.
He cursed under his breath and spit out green blood.
It was an even fight. They both kept throwing punches at each other. Unnoticed in the chaos, a pair of tiny green eyes watched the battle from the shadows.
Sylvan tried to attack it's eyes but the orc grabbed his arm and lifted him up, then smashed him against the ground.
A sharp pain shot through his body.
He rolled out of the orc's hand, "This is nothing compared to her fire."
He thought and tried to use vine summons to restrict the orc's arm but the orc tore the vines apart easily.
Sylvan panted as he kept attacking. It was a stalement until Sylvan saw a stick lying on the ground and picked it up. He had a plan. He threw himself towards the beast and punched its leg. The orc lifted him up, ready to smash him against the floor.
Sylvan was closer to his face now, he stabbed the stick hard into its right eye. The orc roared and dropped Sylvan. The monster covered its bleeding eye with both hands.
Sylvan backed off. His breathing was heavy as he watched the monster in pain. He was almost out of mana. He wiped sweat from his brow and thought of ways to kill the orc.
"I'll try choking it."
Sylvan inhaled sharply. He felt adrenaline course through his veins, he charged at the orc, vines from both his arms wrapping around the monster's neck.
He was on its back, trying to choke the giant. The orc clawed at the vines, ripping a few off.
They both tried their hardest. The orc moved closer and closer to a tree. He slammed his back against it, squashing Sylvan who couldn't let go because if he did the orc would regain his advantage.
Sylvan finally dropped to the floor. Blood leaking from his mouth. The orc grabbed his throat, lifted him up and finally used its last skill, rock punch.
The fist made of stone connected with Sylvan's abdomen, tearing a hole through it.
Sylvan collapsed onto the ground. Blood poured out of the cavity in his chest as he struggled to stay awake.
'Think. Think. Think.'
His mind was blank, he had no second life left, if he dies it's over.
His body was frozen from the pain and fear.
The orc grabbed a boulder, aiming to squash the dryad like a bug.
'Please work,' Sylvan put his hands on the Orc's ankle and activated Treeify.
Sylvan felt his mana drain and a connection formed between him and the orc. The monster froze mid-swing.
The orc's body changed. His skin turned brown. Branches grew out of its head, replacing its face with a wooden trunk. Its eyes disappeared, replaced by two holes in the wood. Moss grew on its body, covering it entirely.
Sylvan looked in amazement and then fell unconscious.
Cinder and Nyx arrived as soon as he collapsed.
Nyx was speechless but Cinder burst out laughing.
"What is this thing?" She asked, pointing at the half-orc half-tree.
"It seems that treeify is more than just transforming things into trees," Nyx muttered.
Cinder grinned, "This is a good sign. I might be able to fight him eventually!"
Nyx rolled her eyes.
Sylvan stirred, regaining consciousness. His eyelids slowly opened, revealing tired green orbs underneath them. He groaned softly as his body ached.
─LEVEL UP!
─LEVEL UP!
─LEVEL: 5!
─BONDED CREATURE ACQUIRED! (Lvl 8 Tree Orc)
─BONDED CREATURE ADJUSTMENT!
─NEW LEVEL: 9!
─NEW AFFINITY: EARTH!
─NEW SKILL: Rock punch (Lvl 5), Stone Wall (Lvl 5)
─SKILL LEVEL UP: Vine punch (Lvl 5), Treeify (Lvl 4), Vine Summon (Lvl 5), Appraisal (Lvl 2)
The notifications popped up in his mind, he could feel his body change and adapt to his new power. It was a pleasant experience, like a warm shower after a hard day's work. A connection formed between the orc and Sylvan.
Nyx and Cinder watched him carefully as he stood up.
"Level 9," Cinder said.
"Level 9," Nyx repeated.
Sylvan blinked, still dazed from the power boost, "Huh?"
"Level 9," Nyx repeated again, "You skipped 6 levels fighting an orc."
Cinder chuckled, "What kind of freak are you?"
Nyx nodded slightly, agreeing with Cinder. Her eyes focused on the dryad as she examined his new status.
Sylvan also checked his new stats.
─CONSTITUTION: 28
─MANA: 37
"Wow..." he muttered.
Cinder grinned widely, her eyes shining brightly, "Now you just need 11 more levels so that I can fight you."
Sylvan smiled weakly, his body still aching from the fight, "Sure, sure..."
He trailed off before noticing something else. The bond between him and the orc felt weird, as if the monster was no longer there. He made it move but it felt robotic and slow.
Nyx watched him closely as he controlled the tree orc.
"You're like a lich now," she said, her voice quiet and emotionless, yet there was something behind it, something cold. Something that made him uneasy.
"A lich?" Sylvan asked.
"A skeleton mage who enslaves the dead," she said, "It's a monster that everyone dislikes."
Cinder punched the tree orc, causing cracks in its trunk, "He's a dryad, not a lich."
Sylvan felt the impact of Cinder's punch through the bond, "I felt that."
"It's an extension of yourself," Nyx muttered before her eyes widened, "Your second life."
Sylvan smiled, "My second life."
Cinder summoned a small flame and smiled, "What happens if I burn it?"
"Please don't," Sylvan said but she already set the orc on fire.
It burned for a while, the flames engulfing its body.
Sylvan stood there with slumped shoulders as he felt the bond fade away. Cinder was mean sometimes.
"Second lives take away the fun," Cinder shrugged.
Nyx rolled her eyes, "Says the phoenix who can literally die every day and just revive."
Cinder smirked, "That's exactly why I understand the importance of death."
Sylvan was about to interject when he felt something on his shoulder.
A tiny pixie sat there, eating a blueberry and smearing the juice all over him. She wore a leaf dress that matched her size. Her wings flapped every now and then. Her eyes were bright green and sparkled like stars. She seemed fascinated by Sylvan. The pixie stopped eating when she noticed his attention.
"Hi, I'm Eryk! Want a blueberry?" She asked in a melodic voice.
She shoved a blueberry to his mouth.
"Why are you sitting on my shoulder," he managed to mumble.
"You saved me from the bad orc," Eryk explained as if it was obvious.
He thought back to the fight and didn't remember seeing any pixies. Then again he didn't know how they even looked until now.
Eryk continued, "You were really awesome! I liked it when you let the orc beat you around so that you can surprise it with a stab to the eye."
Sylvan smiled weakly, "Uh... thank you."
"I want to repay your awesomeness so I'll take you to the best spring in the area!"
Nyx walked and picked Eryk by her tiny head, "No, pixies are notorious tricksters."
Eryk pouted, her eyes looking down at Nyx's blue orbs.
"I'm nothing like my brothers and sisters, I promise. The dryad saved me so I'm indebted to him. Plus..." she sniffed, "He smells delicious."
Sylvan also smelled himself, wondering what she meant by smelling good but he smelled nothing special. Just like normal.
"Ignore her Sylvan," Nyx said and flicked Eryk away, she landed a few meters away, her eyes wide.
"What kind of person hurts a delicate and kind soul," Eryk pouted before flying up towards Sylvan again.
"You want to see the spring right?" Eryk asked.
He did actually. He needed to wash away the tension from the orc fight.
"Take me there."
"Okay! Okay!"
The tiny pixie grabbed his finger and started dragging him further into the forest.