Chapter 2: Chapter 2 – Helping the Princess

Year 5 - Month 7

 

Nothing new today. The princess is learning against my trunk once more though. Hello.

 

Tree-sama! She jumped up and spun around to face me. Not that I could tell. I felt more like an omnipotent being floating above when I used my nature senses.

 

Thank you for bringing me followers. Now, are there any skills you want? I should be able to do quite a lot.

 

She stood still for a few moments, thinking. A healing skill would be nice, usually, those are limited to priests, but with you…

 

I see… Well, I suppose I am a religious figure according to this system so it wouldn’t be too far-fetched. First, display branches and roots.

 

[Displaying tree…]

[Branch 1: Shadow Magic]

[Branch 1.1: Blend with the Shade]

[Branch 1.1.1: Sync with the Shade]

[Branch 1.2: Shadow Leap]

[Branch 1.3: Shadow Stalk]

[Branch 1.4: Assassinate]

[Branch 2: Water Magic]

 

[Root 1: Nature Sense]

[Root 1.1: Life Sense]

[Root 2: Telepathy]

[Root 3: Path of Divinity]

 

Okay. Branch three then… Let’s try it out…

 

[Branch 3: Light Magic - Cost: 50 - Magic based around light.]

 

I guess light magic leads to healing. Okay. Purchase.

 

[Branch 3: Light Magic selected!]

 

Now, branch 3.1 do you have healing?

 

[Branch 3.1: Greater Heal - Cost: 500 - Provides strong, but slow, healing.]

 

Hmm. Is there any quicker, life-saving thing?

 

[Branch 3.1: Sudden Stasis - Cost: 500 - Keeps a person alive long enough to receive greater healing. Note: will induce a coma.]

 

I guess those both work. Purchase and purchase!

 

[Branch 3.1: Greater Heal selected!]

[Branch 3.2: Sudden Stasis selected!]

 

[Destiny Points: 142290]

 

Now, can I make them permanent?

 

[Branch 3.1.1: Permanent Skill - Cost: 500 - Makes the parent skill permanent when eaten.]

 

The price is higher… although it’s a higher branch. Maybe that means its children will also be permanent? That would make sense. In that case, can I make the parent branch Light Magic permanent?

 

[Branch 3.3: Permanent Skill - Cost: 1000 - Makes the parent skill permanent when eaten.]

 

Okay. Purchase.

 

[Branch 3.3: Permanent Skill selected!]

[Destiny Points: 141290]

 

Now… is there some way to grant the base branch to someone? So that it includes all of the children's skills?

 

[Grow skill tree fruit. Cost: <varies>]

 

Huh? What does that mean?

 

[Innate Skill: Grow Skill Tree Fruit - Cost: <varies based on branch> - Creates a fruit that will grant the user a skill tree featuring all child skills, both present, and future (when you designated them)]

 

How do they unlock new skills then? Do they have some experience system? I guess I can always have Lily tell me. I should let her know about this.

 

Ah. It seems she is gone. I must have taken too long. Next time then. Oh, I need to ask about the ruler system as well.

 

 

Year 5 - Month 9

A nice two-month nap.

 

Let’s see if Lily is here. Ah. She is. Hello Lily.

 

Tree-sama! Hey!

 

I can indeed grant healing skills and make them permanent.

 

Awesome. Okay, so what do I do to get them?

 

I guess I should try that skill tree fruit. Ah, maybe I should add a few more skills to it first.

 

[Branch 3.4: Lance of Light selected!]

[Branch 3.5: Dome of Light selected!]

[Branch 3.4.1: Light Beam selected!]

[Branch 3.4.2: Light Arrow selected!]

[Branch 3.5.1: Moving Dome selected!]

[Branch 3.5.2: One-sided Wall selected!]

[Branch 3.1.1: Greater Refresh selected!]

[Branch 3.1.2: Greater Cure selected!]

[Branch 3.2.1: Offensive Stasis selected!]

[Branch 3.2.2: Postpone Death selected!]

 

[Destiny Points: 135440]

 

Now I can just use that grow skill tree fruit thing…

 

[Skill Tree Fruit grown. Destiny Points: 130440]

 

Five thousand. A bit pricey. Well, let’s give it to Lily. Grab the Skill Tree Fruit. It probably looks different.

 

Hmm. She walked around my tree for a bit, before finding it at the back. Ah, here!

 

Lily jumped up and grabbed the fruit, pulling it off. Then she ate it. WOW! It’s an entirely new tab in the system! That’s so cool…

 

Nice. How does it work?

 

It looks like… Okay, basically, there's a list of skills connected with lines. Starting from the bottom, I can use experience to unlock skills and level them up.

 

Level them up. Skills have levels?

 

Of course! That’s how you improve them.

 

Huh. Mine… don’t.

 

They don’t? That’s weird… you are a tree though so maybe things are different.

 

Yes. I suppose humans can’t grow skill fruit. Now that that’s over with, let’s see… So could you explain this Ruler Management Screen?

 

Oh? It actually works? We added you as a religious figure since… I don’t know. I felt like it. I think it should let you view the religions and basic stats of our kingdom. I’m not sure, mine just has everything unlocked since I'm royalty.

 

I see… I opened up the panel and was greeted with a map. I saw a small star icon that I assumed indicated me. I was located in the capital city of the Twilight Empire, creatively called Twilight City. The map displayed information for the entire Twilight Empire, which took up about half of this continent. The empire's population was around fifty million. Quite large. I wonder if I can get them all to follow me. Maybe make myself a state religion?

 

Right now, I could see small streaks of red in various locations around the empire and castle. They seemed to be mostly military locations, they probably indicate my followers. This map is nice. Is there a way to see other nations?

 

Other nations… I could bring books or physical maps, but I don’t know if you can see them.

 

I will see if I can find a skill for it.

 

Okay. Well, I have to go to school now, so see you later Tree-sama!

 

Bye. I wonder if there's telepathy for images. That might work. I probably need telepathy first so…

 

[Branch 4: Mind Magic selected!]

You are reading story The Skill Tree at novel35.com

[Branch 4.1: Telepathy selected!]

[Branch 4.1.1: Enhanced Telepathy selected!]

[Branch 4.1.1.1: Permanent Skill selected!]

 

[Destiny Points: 129940]

 

That should work. I guess I’ll sleep some more.

 

Year 5 - Month 10

Tree-sama!

 

Hmm? I’ve been awakened from my deep slumber. How intriguing… Lily?

 

Yep. Your new telepathy skill lets me start conversations instead of just replying. I just tested it out.

 

I was sleeping.

 

Sorry…

 

Well, what do you want to talk about?

 

Ah… I hadn’t thought that far.

 

Humans… so impatient. Could you send me some world maps with enhanced telepathy?

 

Oh sure! I’ll go grab a few. Then Lily ran off. Since I’m awake I suppose I should do something. Let’s look at that ruler screen

 

…

 

Interesting… It seems we are at war with the Kingdom of Hargrove. We are winning overwhelmingly though. I wonder why this war even started. I can ask Lily later.

 

Other news time. The population is increasing… I’ve gained a few more followers, probably some new soldiers. My religion has been named Order of the Tree with Lily as its leader and then it follows a military structure with some generals beneath her, then a bunch of other ranks that I don’t know the order of. It’s probably the empire's hierarchy. Sadly, I can’t see many details about the empire's military, just the general situation with spread and placement.

 

I’m back Tree-sama!

 

Welcome back.

 

Here are the maps… Suddenly, a new map filled my vision. It showed a second continent with two other empires as well as numerous small empires covering the lower half of this continent.

 

I spent the next few hours looking at the map. Then I fell asleep. I hope Lily doesn’t mind.

 

Year 6 - Month 1

Hello Lily.

 

Ah. Hey Tree-sama. Did you have a nice nap?

 

I did. Napping is very relaxing. But now it is time to learn. I was wondering why there was a war with the Kingdom of Hargrove.

 

I say was because it is no longer showing up. It seems we have absorbed Hargrove and they are now a vassal of the Twilight Empire.

 

Oh. Their king was just an idiot who kept attacking some small border villages. We decided to put him in his place.

 

I see. Is this something common? She felt very casual speaking about it. Maybe these small wars don’t mean much to the empire. The empire does seem very strong. So how has your school been?

 

That’s a new question. Lily chuckled before laying down in front of my trunk. It’s awfully boring. Most things are boring when you’re royalty. So much politicking. Everyone tries to be your friend just to raise their standing. Honestly, I wish I could just be tutored at home, but my father says I need to go to school to show the world my power so they will willingly follow me once I take the throne.

 

Pressure. I could imagine that. Lots of plants and trees fighting in a small area, always trying to get on the side of the biggest and strongest. Very challenging. Also, fun sometimes, but always tiring. I understand. Must be hard. Anything I could do to help?

 

Heh. Maybe. Is there some intimidation aura or something? I could scare everyone into submission.

 

Hmm. It might actually work. Let’s see…

 

[Branch 5: Aura selected!]

[Branch 5.1: Regal Intimidation selected!]

[Branch 5.1.1: Permanent Skill selected!]

 

[Destiny Points: 128465]

 

That should do it. Now I just need to grow it. Is there a way to quickly grow a skill fruit rather than a skill tree fruit?

 

[Skill Fruit grown. Destiny Points: 128365]

 

One hundred points. Much cheaper. I grew an aura skill. The fruit is on my fifth branch. I’m not sure where that is but it should help once you find it.

 

Thank you, Tree-sama! Lily stood up and started searching. Talking to you is oddly calming. I quite like it.

 

…I think I enjoy it too Lily. Although, I’m not sure what enjoyment feels like, it certainly is more interesting than doing nothing. Let’s check my tree.

 

[Displaying tree…]

[Branch 1: Shadow Magic]

[Branch 1.1: Blend with the Shade]

[Branch 1.1.1: Sync with the Shade]

[Branch 1.2: Shadow Leap]

[Branch 1.3: Shadow Stalk]

[Branch 1.4: Assassinate]

[Branch 2: Water Magic]

[Branch 3: Light Magic]

[Branch 3.1: Greater Heal]

[Branch 3.1.1: Greater Refresh]

[Branch 3.1.2: Greater Cure]

[Branch 3.2: Sudden Stasis]

[Branch 3.2.1: Offensive Stasis]

[Branch 3.2.2: Postpone Death]

[Branch 3.3: Permanent Skill]

[Branch 3.4: Lance of Light]

[Branch 3.4.1: Light Beam]

[Branch 3.4.2: Light Arrow]

[Branch 3.5: Dome of Light]

[Branch 3.5.1: Moving Dome]

[Branch 3.5.2: One-sided Wall]

[Branch 4: Mind Magic]

[Branch 4.1: Telepathy]

[Branch 4.1.1: Enhanced Telepathy]

[Branch 4.1.1.1: Permanent Skill]

[Branch 5: Aura]

[Branch 5.1: Regal Intimidation]

[Branch 5.1.1: Permanent Skill]

 

[Root 1: Nature Sense]

[Root 1.1: Life Sense]

[Root 2: Telepathy]

[Root 3: Path of Divinity]

 

I feel overloaded again. I think it’s time for another nap.

 

---

 

Tree-san’s stats: