There were three types of players lining up outside the launch site of RealmCore Online.
The rich kids with preorders—flashy, cocky, already arguing about what classes they'd choose.
The elite gamers—streamers, former ranked players, even a few pro cultivators, all talking trash and comparing cultivation experiences.
And then… there was Arin.
Hood pulled low, shoes two sizes too small, eyes dull like burnt-out lanterns.
He wasn't here to chase power. He wasn't here to chase dreams.
He was here because he won a free neuro-seed headset from a street lottery he hadn't even entered.
He didn't belong.
---
BEEP!
The access pod scanned him, and a soft chime rang out:
> "[NeuroLink recognized: Arin Seth — Non-Registered Legacy Body Detected.]"
"…Legacy?" he whispered. "What the hell does that mean?"
Before he could blink, the capsule's vine-like cords snaked around his wrists.
Cold. Alive.
They yanked him down into the darkness like roots dragging a corpse back into the soil.
---
[SYSTEM LOADING…]
Welcome to RealmCore Online
Your destiny is about to sprout.
---
[Random Race Selection in Progress…]
Other players floated into a white void, all gleaming with divine particles and avatars.
> Phoenix hybrid detected.
Spirit Cultivator detected.
Titan-Blood Warrior detected.
And then—
> Analyzing host: Arin Seth…
ERROR: Legacy Fragment Detected.
Overriding default settings…
The light vanished.
A wave of pressure gripped Arin's chest. He couldn't breathe. Couldn't see.
Then the screen blinked red.
> [ROOT-BORN CLASS ACTIVATED.]
[Starting Race: Spirit Flower (Seed Stage)]
[Status: Immobile / No limbs / No inventory / No cultivation.]
[Warning: Root System Sealed.]
[You… are alone.]
---
Arin opened his eyes—
But not his eyes.
He had no hands. No feet. No mouth.
Only petals.
He was a flower.
---
At first, he thought it was a glitch.
Then the pain hit. The freezing, soul-splitting pain of being bound to dead soil.
Above him, through the grass, he heard laughter.
"Dude, check this out. Someone got a flower class! Broooo, LMAO!"
"NPC plant? No way, it has a name. 'Player: Arin'? Yo, are you real?!"
A boot hovered over his vision.
"Let's squash it."
---
Before they could stomp him, a tremor pulsed through the earth.
A green glow shimmered from under the soil—just for a second. The player flinched.
"Wha—what was that?"
"Let's get outta here. This area's glitched."
They left. Their voices faded.
And then, silence.
Not peaceful silence.
Alone-in-a-dark-room-while-something-breathes-behind-you kind of silence.
---
> [System Override Detected...]
[Legacy Seed Identified: Root God Fragment #09A]
[Unlocking Inherited Function: ROOT SYSTEM]
A voice. Ancient, hoarse, yet deeper than oceans.
> "Root Bearer... awaken."
---
Arin felt warmth coil into his mind like fire through dry veins.
He saw it.
A massive tree, older than time, stretching across galaxies.
Its roots pierced through stars. Its bark was carved with memories.
> "You are my final vessel."
Then a glow spread through his tiny stem.
From his roots—yes, he had roots—energy surged.
> [ROOT SYSTEM INITIALIZED]
Name: Arin Seth
Race: Spirit Flower (Root-Born Variant)
Status: Conscious | Immobile | Petal Class 1
Root Growth: 0.3 meters
Photosynthesis: +1 Qi/Minute
Soil Absorption Rate: 2%
Available Actions: Wait | Absorb | Bloom (Locked)
---
Arin didn't smile. He didn't laugh.
He screamed.
But it was internal.
Because he couldn't open his mouth.
He didn't have one.
---
Days passed—maybe hours. Time blurred. But he focused.
Absorb... absorb... absorb.
Every second, he gained one tiny spark of Qi.
The world above was cruel and bright. He had no arms to cover his eyes, no voice to cry, but slowly… his roots deepened.
---
And then came the wolf.
A wild, silver-furred beast sniffing around. A field boss.
The same type that had murdered a whole party earlier that day.
It growled… and stepped on Arin.
> Pain Detected.
He screamed in silence again—
Until something snapped in his root.
---
> [Emergency Function Activated: Root Pulse V1]
The ground beneath the wolf trembled.
Thorns erupted like spears from the soil, impaling its legs.
The beast howled and collapsed.
Arin didn't hesitate.
> [Initiating Absorption: Beast Core Detected]
Warning: Absorbing active soul signature…
His petals glowed.
Roots wrapped around the corpse, sucking life and essence into his tiny stem.
Flames. Growls. Memories.
A flicker of bloodthirst passed through him.
---
> [Congratulations. You have absorbed your first Beast Core.]
+2 Strength | +1 Vitality | New Skill: Core Conversion
New Trait: Predator's Instinct (Tier 0)
He didn't smile.
He felt hunger.
A different kind of hunger.
---
In his HUD, a new section appeared:
> [Absorption Progression]
Every 5 days, you may consume 1 sentient player.
The player's ID will be deleted.
Their soul will become your Subordinate.
Stored Subordinates: 0/1
Time Until Next Absorption: 4D 23H 59M
---
Arin didn't understand.
He had no emotions left to question it.
Only instincts.
And instinct whispered:
> "Grow. Take. Devour. Build."
---
Beneath his flower-body, roots pulsed through the dead soil.
A small altar of stone emerged—unlocked by his awakening blood.
> [First Root Territory Formed: 2m Radius]
[Root Throne: Locked]
[Spiritual Vine Gate: Locked]
And then, for the first time…
A leaf bloomed on his stem.
Green. Bright. Alive.
> You have reached Root Awakening Level 1.
You are no longer prey.
You… are the beginning.
---
Chapter End.
Word Count: ~2,100 words
---
Would you like to continue with Chapter 2 right away?
It will focus on:
Arin's first real evolution
The world discovering rumors of a "glitched flower player"
A top guild player getting curious
And Arin encountering his first human target...
Shall I begin?