Sera's gaze swept across the horizon as she searched for a clearing amidst the sea of dead trees. Each step she took sent dry leaves skittering away, the brittle crunch of twigs and debris underfoot echoing in the still air.

Aermo trailed closely behind, his movements less certain. "What are you looking for?"

"An open space," Sera replied, her voice calm yet focused. Her gaze never wavered from the barren landscape, eyes sharp as they searched for any hint of a clearing.

"Everything looks pretty much the same, minus the lake."

"You're certainly not wrong. I'll go and make some space myself."

The elder dryad approached a nearby dead tree. Gently, she reached out and touched the gray and brittle bark, feeling it crumble away under her fingers.

She took a step back and raised her hand to her antlers. Her fingers traced along the rough surface until they found a specific spot. She closed her eyes, channeling her magic through her fingertips. A faint, ethereal glow pulsed through the antlers, and the once sturdy bark softened, becoming brittle under her touch.

Then, she snapped off a small piece of the antler. The fragment crumbled easily in her hand before disintegrating into a fine black powder. The dark dust shimmered faintly as she cupped it in her palm, her fingers moving deftly to mold it into tiny seeds.

As her antler slowly regenerated, Sera scattered the black seeds around the clearing with a deliberate flick of her wrist. The seeds fell to the ground like droplets of ink splashing onto an old parchment, each one landing with a barely audible thud.

The moment they touched the earth, tiny black shoots emerged from the seeds and pushed through the soil. Roots soon burst out of the soil with a violent force. They wrapped around the trunks of the surrounding trees, causing them to rapidly crumble to dust.

The sharpened tips of the roots then pierced through more trees as each one was destroyed in seconds. As the last of the dead trees were cleared, the roots retreated back into the ground, leaving a wide space in their wake.

Aermo glanced around, his eyes taking in the new environment. "What are we planning on doing here, Boss?"

Sera turned to him. "I plan on conducting a small evaluation."

"Uh, what kind?"

"To put it simply, I want to confirm the exact triggers of your transformation, and then maybe try to help you control it."

"That's easy, I get angry, and then I transform."

"But do you transform every time you get angry? For instance, if someone were being incredibly rude to you, would you shift into your primal beast form?"

Aermo scratched his head as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Huh, guess that's a fair point."

"My current hypothesis is that only extreme emotions trigger your transformation. However, do you understand why this is the case?"

"Nope, haven't got a clue."

"In that case, allow me to educate you. Your transformation is actually utilizing a form of nature magic."

"Don't mean to be rude, but that doesn't make any sense to me. Isn't nature magic just all about plants and wildlife?"

Sera shook her head and sighed. "Listen carefully to what I'm going to explain to you, maybe, it could even be a step forward in you being able to control your powers."

Aermo nodded and looked at her intently. "I'm all ears."

"The first thing you should remember is that nature magic is the oldest type of magic to have ever existed. Every other school of magic such as elemental magic, illusion magic, and so on, derive their roots from nature magic."

"Ok, got it, but, what does this have to do with my transformation?"

"Your ancestors, like many other peoples during their era, searched for other ways of using magic instead of using nature magic, can you guess why?"

Aermo thought for a moment as he pieced together Sera's explanation. He soon pointed to her antlers. "I noticed you were using part of your antlers to grow the roots. And if you said that my transformation also involves nature magic, I'm guessing my ancestors were trying to figure out an improvement to nature magic because it was taking a toll on their bodies?"

Sera nodded and smiled. "That's correct, and overusing nature magic often led to death for mortal spellcasters because they were unable to pay the high costs required."

"Is that why the shamans I know all use weird ingredients and incantations when using magic?"

"Exactly, it's a way to not only distribute the burden of magic on the body, but also to narrow down its purpose to prevent excess strain. Of course, those who are more naturally gifted with magic can afford to do things normal people can't."

"When you say gifted, what do you mean exactly?"

"Magic users who are born with a higher proclivity to the arcane can better exchange the mana within their bodies for power and will require less tools to help them. Your ability to transform is an example of this."

"But if that's the case, why is transforming so painful for me?"

"It's because you're still inexperienced when it comes to using your abilities, but the potential is there."

Aermo exhaled a sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly. "It's a bit difficult to practice when you awaken your powers at the last second."

Sera shook her head. "What I said earlier wasn't meant as an insult. Besides, mastering any form of magic isn't easy, let alone something closer to nature magic."

"How do I get better at transforming then?"

"First of all, we need to condition you to be able to trigger your transformation willingly.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"You mean I need to learn how to control my anger?"

"Yes and no."

One of Sera's roots sprouted next to her, its tip sharpening into a fine point. Without hesitation, she pricked her palm on the root's tip, drawing out thick, black sap that oozed from the wound. She held her hand up for Aermo to see. "I want you to do this."

Aermo raised an eyebrow, his expression one of disbelief. "You... want me to stab myself?"

"Exchange is one of the most basic principles of nature magic. You need to sacrifice something in order to reap the benefits."

As she spoke, delicate flowers bloomed along her arm, their petals unfurling as blood dripped from her wound. "Most people wouldn't get much out of injuring themselves, but you have greater potential."

Aermo looked hesitant but finally nodded as he readied himself. He extended his hand towards the root, fingers trembling slightly. With a deep breath, he pricked his palm on the sharp tip, drawing his blood. He winced at the pain, then closed his eyes as he tried to focus on triggering his transformation.

His muscles tensed and his breathing grew labored. Beads of sweat formed along his hairline, trickling down to his brow. His fingers twitched, grasping at the empty air as if trying to pull the power into his being. Yet, despite his efforts, nothing happened. After a few agonizing moments, he opened his eyes. "Sorry, I... just can't do it."

The flowers on Sera's arm turned into a sickly brown before they fell away. Each petal shimmered for a brief moment before dissolving into the air. The wound along her forearm, knitted together slowly as it healed.

The elder dryad then approached Aermo and placed her hand over his, healing the beastkin with her greenish light. "No need to apologize, for now, just follow me. There is still much to be done."

***

Sera led Aermo to the entrance of the Spirit Tree's chamber. The beastkin tilted his head when he saw the entrance, which was all covered in dense roots. "Did you need help clearing this?"

The elder dryad took a step forward. "That won't be necessary, just stay back for a moment."

At her words, the roots retracted and parted away, moving aside to reveal the chamber beyond. With the path now open, Sera moved forward. However, just before crossing the threshold into the sacred space, she paused and turned back to Aermo. "When we enter, I want you on your best behavior, understood?"

The beastkin appeared confused for a moment, but eventually nodded. "Right, sure."

Both stepped into the chamber. Sera's eyes immediately sought out the Spirit Tree itself, noting with satisfaction the spread of its roots. The chamber had been transformed, the roots covering every inch of the room.

Turning to gauge Aermo's reaction, Sera caught the awe in his wide eyes. "The sapling you see in front of you is the Spirit Tree."

"Don't mean to be rude, but… is it supposed to be that small? I heard some stories of it before, and I thought that the Spirit Tree was huge."

"Much has happened, and I was forced to revert the Spirit Tree into a much younger life state. But that's beside the point, stand over there please."

Aermo complied, stepping cautiously until he was positioned right beside the Spirit Tree. "Here?"

Sera gave a confirming nod. "Perfect."

With that, she turned her back against the Spirit Tree. And almost immediately, she felt the familiar sensation of the tree's roots gently burrowing into her back.

As she stood there, Sera mentally navigated through the influx of words and data that flowed into her consciousness from the tree. Once she had sifted through the usual items, her focus shifted to one specific function.

[Entity analysis initiated]

A series of thin black roots silently emerged from the ground and snaked their way up Aermo's body, wrapping around his legs and arms with a gentle but firm grasp. The beastkin's body tensed at first. But a sharp glance from Sera made him freeze on the spot.

[Processing request]

[Displaying status]

Name: Aermo

Species: Beastkin Shifter

Level: 200

Magic: 50 (Rating: E)

Magic Resistance: 100 (Rating: D)

Physical Defense: 120 (Rating: D)

Strength: 200 (Rating: B)

Speed: 180 (Rating: B)

Vitality: 150 (Rating: C)

Overall Challenge Rating: B

Note: Entity has been recognized as a shifter. Their stats may vary when transformed.

Aermo's eyes widened in astonishment as he saw the floating text. "What in the world is that?"

Sera methodically scanned the words without turning her gaze. "I've integrated you with the Spirit Tree, which means you can see the same words I see so long as you're connected. But, you won't be able to do anything, given that I am the administrator."

Intrigued, Aermo reached out a hand towards the closest floating text. However, his hand phased through the words as if it went through air. "Didn't know the Spirit Tree was so advanced."

"You'd be surprised at what it can do, though obviously it has seen better days."

"Right, and how long do you need me to stand around?"

"A bit more, just try to relax for this next part."

The roots entwined around Aermo's limbs sank into his flesh and merged with him. Though surprisingly, the beastkin didn't show any signs of discomfort.

Shortly after, the roots ensnaring him started to emit a soft glow. But the light emanating from the roots soon diminished, and they reverted to their original state.

A new words abruptly appeared in the air:

Error: Experience extraction failed, target is incompatible.

Seeing this, Aermo raised an eyebrow. "Is it supposed to say that?"

Sera shook her head. "No, I just showed you that to prove a point. As you saw, the Spirit Tree wasn't able to feed from you because you're too far removed from a normal beastkin."

"Can the tree feed on normal beastkin only?"

"Not just beastkin, anyone who the system recognized as part of the mortal races would do, like humans for example."

"I see, so the plan is to get adventurers to come into the dungeon and have them die so the Spirit Tree can grow?"

"That's certainly one option, however, it's not one I'm keen on undertaking immediately. The Spirit Tree is in a… fragile state, and I don't want to put it at risk until the dungeon is more developed."

"So, are we just going to kidnap people to feed the tree?"

"That's one option out of many, almost anything is on the table at this point. If you're not comfortable with that, then it would be best for us to part ways now."

Aermo's breaths quickened. Sweat beaded on his forehead, a testament to the intensity of his internal struggle. The weight of Sera's ultimatum bore down on him, causing his shoulders to slump under its invisible pressure.

Aermo's gaze flicked to Sera's, searching her eyes for any hint of softness or reprieve. He struggled with the moral implications of her words, feeling the cold edge of her resolve. Loyalty to Sera warred with his own ethical boundaries, each side pulling him in opposite directions, threatening to tear him apart from within.

Meanwhile, Sera's demeanor subtly shifted. Her body tensed as the slightest hint of magic shimmered around her fingertips. Her gaze remained fixed on Aermo, every fiber of her being prepared to strike should he voice his dissent.

Aermo took a deep breath before he spoke. “As long as I don't have to see anything... too crazy, I'll look the other way.”

Sera's posture relaxed instantly, the tension melting from her body. "Good, now follow me."