The One Branch of The Tree

- Raka, an ordinary high school student, dies of exhaustion and is reincarnated with his entire class into a fantasy world. There, everyone receives a class and a blessing from the gods to start a new life. While his friends acquire powerful classes like knight, mage, healer, and assassin, Raka is given the class considered the weakest and most shameful: the One Tree Branch. - Considered a burden and a threat to the group, Raka was betrayed and hunted by his own friends on their first day of arrival. Cornered in the Forbidden Forest, a place known as a region full of monsters and death, Raka discovered his class' true ability: Devour Root, the power to absorb the attributes, energy, and even skills of anyone he kills. - Since then, his life changed completely. - To survive, Raka is forced to kill monsters, bounty hunters, and the people who hunt him. Each victory makes him grow stronger, while his class weapon slowly evolves from a lowly twig into an increasingly terrifying weapon. - In the midst of his struggle for survival, Raka meets Nara, a mysterious girl wielding two daggers who has her own agenda in the Forbidden Forest. Together with Nara, Raka enters the Core Zone, the mysterious center of the forest filled with ancient ruins, artifacts, and a dangerous organization called the White Council. - There, Raka discovers that his class resonates with a mysterious entity called the False World Tree, a giant tree that is the source of the anomalies in the Forbidden Forest. - The deeper he unravels the secrets of the False World Tree, the more it becomes clear that the One Tree Trunk class is not a failed class, but rather a forbidden fragment of the true World Tree-a power that has long been sealed away because it was thought to be capable of destroying the balance of the world. - Now Raka is at a crossroads: take revenge on his friends who betrayed him, or pursue the truth behind the World Tree fragment that is now directly connected to him. - But one thing is certain, the more power he absorbs, the closer he gets to something far more dangerous than death: losing himself and becoming the new vessel for the World Tree.

Chapters

Chapter 15

Trees fell one by one the sound of breaking wood echoed like giant dominoes.

ALL.

The ground shook every few seconds, as something was approaching, something very large. I stood, gripping the World Thorn Sword even tighter, my body still exhausted from running out of the collapsed dungeon and still not fully recovered.

The enemy's timing was either absolutely terrible or perfectly consistent with my life. The fog ahead began to shift, the trees parted, and finally, the creature appeared.

I automatically tensed. Its shape resembled a deer, if a deer were experiencing an evolutionary nightmare. Its body was nearly five meters tall, its antlers branched like dead tree roots. Its skin was greenish-black, its eyes glowed red, living roots sprouted from its legs and back, and its aura of corruption was so thick that the air felt heavy.

A notification appears.

Guardian Beast — Cervaros

Level: 22

Status: Corrupted

Threat: Extreme

I stared at the number.

"Twenty two?"

I'm level 16, and the difference isn't funny at all. Nara also seems more serious than usual, which is a really bad sign.

Cervaros lifted his head to take a breath of air then his eyes locked on me specifically me, I pointed at myself.

"Why is it always me?"

Cervaros roared, a low, distorted roar that moved the surrounding roots. Oh, and he was also a plant-themed, large, natural boss fight.

Cervaros attacked without warning, no warm-up, the monster immediately shot forward for its size, its speed was strange, I barely had time to avoid its horns sweeping the area where I was standing.

BOOM!

The ground exploded, I rolled to the side, and dust flew up covering the area. Nara came in from the left, slashing the monster's hind leg with her dagger.

CLANG!

The sparks that came out didn't penetrate the natural armor too hard.

“Good,” I said.

“Even this deer's legs have plot armor.”

Nara didn't respond to focus mode. Cervaros swung his tail, a large root sweeping the area. Nara jumped back and I advanced.

Root Domain activated, the surrounding roots responding to my call, holding Cervaros's front legs for a split second, stopping the monster. Good enough, I jumped, the World Thorn Sword blazing. Ember Slash, I slashed at its neck.

SHRAK!

The incoming attack caused a small amount of black blood to flow out, Cervaros roared angrily. The damage had been confirmed, and I landed with a faint smile.

“Very much.”

“It can still be hurt.” Important information,

The monster stepped on the hard ground black roots burst from under the attack area, I jumped back but was a little too late one of the roots whipped my thigh.

BUK!

I was thrown, it hurt so bad.

“UGH!”

I rolled on the ground almost losing my grip on the sword, Nara appeared in front of me blocking the next root attack.

"Wake up." he said shortly.

I stood up grimacing.

“I'm doing it.”

Cervaros attacks again, this time his mouth opening, dark mana gathering. Oh no, a projectile attack.

“Get down!” Nara shouted.

We both jumped to the side, the next second a burst of black energy hit the center area.

BOOOOM!

The ground melted, I stared at the crater.

"No."

To avoid getting hit by the attack, I activated Minor Mana Sense. Focusing on analyzing the flow of mana, I saw the strongest corruption energy pattern gathered in the center of his chest. "Core? Most likely," I shouted.

“Nara!”

“Her chest!”

He immediately understood good cooperation, Cervaros attacked me again on purpose, I attracted perfect attention.

“Yeah, yeah, I don't like my face either.”

I ran in a circle, the monster chasing me, while Nara disappeared from view in stealth mode. Cervaros slammed into the ground, his roots chasing me, and I dodged as best I could, my mana dwindling.

Too bad, I need bait now, Cervaros jumped his giant body down towards me, I stopped suddenly raising my hand.

Root Domain — Full Release

All the roots in the surrounding area rose up, dozens of roots wrapped around Cervaros' legs holding his body in the air for a split second.

“Now!” I shouted.

Nara appeared from above, I don't even know how long she's been there, she's kind of scary. She jumped from the tree branch, her two daggers blazing, stabbing straight into Cervaros' chest.

CRACK.

The sound of breaking.

Good, the monster's cracked core roared loudly, but it wasn't dead yet. Damn, I ran forward, the last of my mana gathered, the World Thorn Sword vibrated, and the new skill activated automatically.

World Root Devour activated.

Compatible corrupted target detected.

Oh? Interesting, I stabbed straight into the crack in the sword core, Cervaros froze, his roar stopped, the roots on his body shook wildly, then the greenish black energy began to be sucked into my sword, I widened my eyes.

“Whoa.”

Cervaros struggled unexpectedly, but the process was already underway. The mana corruption flowing through my body was painful once again—of course, everything always hurts. The monster slowly weakened, its massive body beginning to crack and then collapse.

BOOOOM.

Dust rose into the silent air, I still held the sword stuck in the last of the energy absorbed.

Notifications appear in succession.

Guardian Beast defeated.

Corrupted essence absorbed.

Level 17 reached.

Level 18 reached.

New trait acquired:

Beast Vitality

New skill:

Corrupted Burst

I pulled out my sword, breathing heavily, my body trembling, but somehow still alive. Nara landed lightly beside me, looking at Cervaros's now motionless body.

“It worked,” he said.

I let out a short laugh.

“Yes.”

“A little overdramatic, but it works.”

Nara looked at me then at my sword, her expression changing to a faint trace of worry.

“The energy of corruption earlier,” he said quietly.

“You absorbed it all?”

I looked at my hand, and a thin black root line appeared on my wrist and then disappeared. Hmm, a bit of a bad omen.

“I think so,” I replied.

Nara didn't look like she could understand, I opened the status.

Name: Lock

Class:

World Tree Trunk Fragment

Level: 18

Condition:

Stable (?)

I stared at the question mark.

…

Your system is not helpful at all, I close the status then the quest notification appears.

Quest progress updated.

Day 5/7

Reward condition nearly complete.

The fifth day is only two days away, almost here, I took a deep breath.

“Maybe we can finally get out of this place alive.”

A sentence I shouldn't have said because the next second the ground shook again, not because of a monster, not from below but from the sky.

Nara and I both looked up and saw something descending from the clouds, a large, winged, humanoid silhouette with a very terrifying aura.

A notification appears.

Emergency event triggered.

Executor descending

I stared at the screen then the sky, then my life and came to one conclusion: I was simply not allowed to rest.

[END CHAPTER 15]

Continue to next part

For ten years, I was the family pariah, framed for a crime that destroyed my brother's career. My husband, Mark, never believed my innocence. Instead, he fell for the lies of my sister-in-law, Elsa-the woman who orchestrated my downfall. On our tenth anniversary, he stood me up to celebrate with her and our daughter. When I finally confronted him with divorce papers, he threw me out into a blizzard. My own daughter looked at me with cold, dismissive eyes. "Elsa said she should have been my mom." Left to freeze on the side of the road, my heart didn't just break; it turned to ash. The decade of abuse had finally killed every last bit of love I had. But I didn't die. A stranger saved me, and with his help, I found the one piece of evidence I needed to burn their world to the ground. Now, at the divorce settlement, I look at their smug faces and press play on a hidden recorder. "The world will soon know exactly who owes whom."

Action Mystery Romance

8.8

Blood Moon Mating Ceremony

8.8

The Offering of the Blood Moon In the savage and intoxicating kingdom of the Legion, the Blood Moon does not simply rise it awakens a hunger that demands to be satisfied... by flesh, by fire, by fate. Kiana was raised to hate the beasts and fear the shadows, to believe that being taken meant losing everything. But when she is torn from her village and delivered into the arms of Silas, the Alpha King, she discovers the truth is far more dangerous Her greatest threat is not death. It's the way her body betrays her in his presence. Silas is dominance carved into living form iron muscle, quiet authority, and a darkness that wraps around her like a slow, suffocating promise. He is a king who does not ask, He takes,He commands, He owns, Yet the one woman who should fall at his feet dares to meet his gaze, challenge his control, and ignite something wild beneath his carefully restrained power. And Silas... does not walk away from what tempts him. Their connection is immediate. Violent. Addictive. Every clash of words burns hotter than the last. Every step closer feels like crossing a line neither of them can uncross. The tension between them coils tight, thick with heat and unspoken hunger, until even the air feels too heavy to breathe. In the quiet shadows of the royal chambers, where the moonlight spills like liquid silver across bare skin, resistance begins to crack. The scent of cedar and rain clings to him as he closes in, his presence overwhelming, his touch slow and deliberate-like he already knows exactly how she'll respond. And she does. Every time. His hands don't just touch they linger. Claim. Promise. Every brush of his lips is not gentle... it's consuming. And when his mouth finds the sensitive curve of her neck, Kiana's defiance falters, her breath catching as something deeper, darker, and far more dangerous rises to the surface an aching, restless need she cannot fight, no matter how hard she tries. Because this is not just desire. It is a bond that burns. A pull that tightens. A hunger that refuses to be denied. Yet the closer they get, the more dangerous the line becomes. Between control... and surrender. Between hatred... and craving. Between captor... and something far more consuming. Because under the Blood Moon, nothing is ever halfway. And once you're claimed... There is no escape.

Action Mafia Werewolf

7.8

From Drowning To A New Life

7.8

On my fifth wedding anniversary, I wasn't arranging flowers; I was staging my own death. My husband, Graham, treated me like a prized accessory, but the antique watch on his nightstand revealed the brutal truth. It was engraved "Forever, Elia"-proof that his heart belonged to his business partner, not me. So I vanished into the ocean, letting the world believe I had drowned. For two years, I lived as "Anna," finding peace in a small coastal town and rediscovering my art. But the past has a way of clawing its way back. Elia tracked me down, storming into my pottery studio with a weapon, screaming that my "death" had ruined Graham. She lunged, and I took the blow to protect a child. That' s when the door burst open. Graham stood there, frozen, staring at his "late" wife bleeding on the floor. He fell to his knees, sobbing, begging to destroy his empire just to have me back. I looked at the man I once worshipped and felt nothing but cold indifference. "I loved the man you pretended to be," I told him. "But that man never existed."

Action Modern Romance

9.1

He Chose Them, I Lost Everything

9.1

My husband Dorian and I clawed our way out of the foster system together, building a software empire from scratch. He was my hero, the man who swore he' d always protect me. But he became obsessed with "saving" a manipulative single mother, draining our accounts and our marriage. I thought the baby I was secretly carrying could be the bridge to bring him back to me. Then, at my first prenatal appointment, her son attacked me. He rammed his head into my stomach, and a universe of pain exploded inside me as I collapsed, bleeding on the cold hospital floor. I begged Dorian for help. He looked from my pale face to the wailing child, and made his choice. "You need to get a grip," he said coldly, scooping the boy into his arms and walking away, leaving me to lose our child alone. He let our first baby die, and now our second. His love was a lie. So I sent him a final gift to remember me by-the divorce papers, and a small jar containing the body of the son he abandoned.

Action Modern Romance

7.3

Her Vengeance Rises From The Asylum

7.3

I walked into the luxury boutique on Fifth Avenue, the air conditioning chilling my skin. There she was-Alivia, my adopted sister-swiping my husband' s Black Card for her wedding dress. Three years ago, she tampered with the neonatal equipment during my home birth, suffocating my newborn son. Then she told everyone I was a drug addict who killed my own baby in a hallucination. My husband, Carter, didn't just believe her; he locked me in a high-security psychiatric facility in Nevada to "fix" me. For three years, I rotted in isolation while she took my life, my husband, and paraded a child that wasn't even his as the Fletcher heir. Even my parents sided with her, protecting their image over their own daughter's sanity. They think I' m still the fragile socialite who would crumble under their gaslighting. They think I' m here to beg for forgiveness. I pulled a silver flash drive from my clutch and stepped into the light. "Shopping for a wedding dress, Alivia?" I whispered, my voice cutting through her laughter. "I hope it goes well with the forensic report proving you murdered my son." The game is over, Carter. I' m not here to reconcile. I' m here to burn your empire to the ground.

Action Billionaire Romance

8.1

HOSTILE OATH

8.1

Vivian bears the weight of an ancestral curse, a yoke forged in darkness, which was meant to be broken. A future ravaged by war and chaos loomed, threatening her destiny but Vivian's path was not yet set to answer to her inheritance. Ignorant of her true identity, she couldn't control the powers she possessed, losing loved ones in the process and consumed by self-guilt. Yet, from the ashes of despair, she felt the rage and determination to harness the powers consuming her in her shadow and forge a new path; maybe she could get back all she had lost in all possible ways she could. Prophecy were made, and a formidable force stirred, rising to challenge her claim. When a greater threat arose, Vivian faced a brutal reality: prepare for battle or succumb to the shadows but there was a price to pay. She was left with two options; reclaim her birthright or shatter the chains of destiny!

Action Fantasy Horror

The One Branch of The Tree

Chapter 15

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