Endless possibilities

Sol wiped the sweat from his forehead, his breath steadying as he prepared himself for whatever challenge the system would throw at him next. His control was improving, but he still felt the strain of splitting his focus between multiple tasks.

"Initiating combat application exercises," the system announced. "Objective: Utilize Plant Affinity to neutralize incoming threats."

Sol straightened, eyes sharpening. "Finally, something practical."

The ground around him rumbled slightly as the system generated several floating holographic drones. They hovered in a loose formation before suddenly darting toward him at high speed.

Instinct kicked in. Sol slammed his palm against the floor, sending vines shooting upward, but his control wavered—the first set of vines lashed out too wildly, missing their targets entirely. One drone swerved around and zipped past his shoulder, another barely scraped past his cheek.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to breathe. Precision, not force.

He adjusted, visualizing the vines as extensions of his own body rather than just wild growths. The next wave of drones came, and this time, his vines reacted differently—thinner, more controlled, snaring two drones midair and slamming them into the ground. The remaining ones circled unpredictably, forcing him to shift his focus rapidly.

The system's voice remained steady. "Analyzing reaction time and adaptability. Increasing difficulty."

The drones doubled in number.

"Oh, come on!" Sol growled, throwing himself into the challenge, vines whipping outward in a chaotic dance as he pushed himself harder than ever.

Sol didn't hesitate. He kept practicing, experimenting with more efficient ways to summon his vines and plants. His previous methods were too slow, too imprecise. He needed something quicker, something instinctive.

As the drones swarmed around him, he slammed his foot down. A surge of energy pulsed through him, and in an instant, thick vines erupted from the ground, forming a dense barrier around him. The first wave of drones crashed into it, their impact shaking the structure but failing to break through.

Sol couldn't help it—he laughed madly, exhilaration flooding his veins. That... was so fucking cool.

But the system wasn't done with him.

"Increasing difficulty. Adapting to user's progression."

The drones recalibrated, moving faster, their attacks more erratic. Sol had no time to rest. Inside the dome of vines, he pressed his hand against the wall, his mind racing. With a single thought, the vines obeyed, unraveling in sections and lashing outward like living whips. The drones weaved between the attacks, forcing Sol to adjust on the fly.

His excitement only grew. The more he pushed himself, the more ideas flooded his mind. He wasn't just reacting anymore—he was experimenting. He willed his vines to shift, creating strange formations. Some became needle-thin, fast, and sharp, slicing through drones and even embedding into the metal walls. Others grew thick as his own body, dense and powerful, able to crush anything in their path. He even tested creating spiked vines, jagged edges forming along their surface as they struck outward with lethal force.

Then, an idea struck him. If he could shape his vines freely, why not turn them into weapons?

He willed the vines to mold into a spear, the tip hardening into a razor-sharp point. With a flick of his wrist, it shot forward, piercing a drone clean through before embedding itself into the far wall. His grin widened. That worked better than he expected. Encouraged, he tried again—this time forming a sword-like vine, the edges rigid and sharp. He swung it experimentally, feeling its weight, adjusting its shape until it felt right. The moment another drone came at him, he sliced cleanly through it, the illusion of wielding a real blade making his movements sharper, more refined.

The more he played with the concept, the more possibilities opened up. He formed whips of twisting, thorn-covered vines, daggers that extended and retracted at will, and even a massive hammer-like structure that slammed into the floor with a resounding crash. His mind raced—his Plant Affinity wasn't just about growth. It was about control, shaping life into something deadly, something adaptable.

Sol hadn't expected to love this affinity so much. When he first got it, he thought it would be useless in this tech-filled universe, something archaic and impractical. But now? Now he didn't care. His heart was fully invested in his amazing new ability. He looked down at the vines twisting around him, admiration flickering in his eyes. Without thinking, he reached out and gently petted one, grinning as he murmured, "We're gonna have so much fun."

To his surprise, the vine pulsed back, as if responding to his touch. His breath hitched. Was that just his imagination? Or was his affinity more alive than he realized?

Time blurred as he refined his techniques, his control growing sharper with every move. What started as wild, instinctual movements began to take on structure. He was no longer just summoning plants—he was commanding them like an extension of himself.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Sol collapsed onto the floor, huffing with exhaustion but wearing a wide, triumphant grin. His body ached, his breath came in ragged gasps, but he didn't care. Right now, in this abandoned building, on a flying megacity coursing through space, he felt truly free. No one was watching, no one was chasing him. It was just him, his affinity, and the limitless potential before him.

The moment was short-lived.

"Initiating final training module," the system interrupted, breaking his brief respite. "Objective: Experiment with specialized plant formations."

Sol groaned but couldn't suppress his curiosity. "Specialized how?"

"Potential applications include: spore plants capable of inducing paralysis, sleep, or hallucinatory effects. Bioluminescent flora for sustainable light sources. Rapid-growth healing plants. Adaptive plant structures. Begin experimentation."

Sol sat up, eyes lighting with renewed interest. "Oh… this is gonna be fun."