Tree Monarch - Chapter 4.1

A bit on the shorter side. Still recovering but another chapter should be up in 6 or so hours, once I've woken up from being passed out beacuse of my meds.

XXX

Disclaimer - I don’t own Marvel or any of its characters. The Mighty Mouse does and I hope it is not standing behind me with a shotgun cocked and ready to blow my brains out the second I have the audacity to press PUBLI——

Point Nemo, South Pacific Ocean, Earth 

–Caden–

He came back to awareness with a snap, not flailing about this time, as if his mind was getting used to having a body without limbs to flail about. Taking a few deep breaths in his mind, he instinctively focused on the things close at hand. He took stock of his reserves, noting that they were already halfway past the necessary requirements for the next upgrade, and noted that the roots were already expanding, in the other direction of the volcano.

The energy collection was happening at a good pace, and while he had not—

His breath hitched; if he was breathing anyway, his mind stuttered to a halt as he saw something, something other than the usual thermal data he saw through his roots. Instinctively, he knew. As if the knowledge was buried in his soul and getting close to it finally unlocked it for him..

He could see…..life.

Green, not blinding or at the level of that green he saw back in his soul but he could see wisps of green all around him. Using that single root that was flopping uselessly outside the soil, he saw himself and he could see it, his life as he called it.

It was not evenly spread, as the trunk part contained far deeper shades of green than his roots, and even then, the roots carrying just energy were much dimmer than the roots carrying him nutrients from underneath the soil.

Compared to the dark shade of his body, the small wisps or blips of green all around him could barely be called life. Near his body, barely any life was present, and this time, when looking at the volcano, he could see a void, as if no life was present.

It was an interesting experience, getting used to the sheer contrast in between the life in his body and the life all around him. It was practically barren. Even looking into the soil didn't net him anything more interesting.

Yet, it was all just so fascinating. Not because he could now see life. No, that part was not that important, especially because he already had thermal vision, limited as it may have been but because of what it might lead up to.

He knew what he was seeing was life but what if he could use it? Manipulate it somehow?

It was just a feeling but he had a hunch he could do it. 

And…he just found the perfect test subject to use it on. Deep underground, near the edge of his root network, he found the biggest green light of life, other than himself that is. It must be some sort of underwater worm or something because it was moving, it also had heat inside of it, and it was inching closer to the roots. 

He waited, freezing the roots in place, so that the worm was not scared off and as soon as the worm made contact with his roots, he sent the mental command for energy to flow out of him. Just energy, nothing else. NO root expansion or absorption, nothing.

For a moment, nothing happened and then, he watched in awe and wonder, as a streak of dark green shot out of his body, through the root network, ending at the tip of that root. He could feel his control over it, allowing him to stop that streak but he let it flow and from his life vision, he could see the life energy flow out of the root and into that worm and….

He blinked or would have blinked, and sighed, as the worm’s life signature rapidly shifted shades, turning darker and darker before…darkness.

The worm’s life signature disappeared, turning his life vision dark, with little wisps of green shifting in the air, before they too disappeared from his life vision. It was a little jarring, to have multiple sorts of energy vision but he wagered that he would soon get used to switching seamlessly between them as time passed.

It would seem that he had injected way too much life energy into that poor worm, making it explode from sheer life force. While that was not good, killing a lifeform willy nilly, it also opened up new avenues for him. The ability to see and manipulate lifeforce.

He now finally had something to protect himself, even if it was rather limited. Something offensive was finally added to his repertoire now, which was good. Before, thermal vision would have warned him of a warm blooded creature coming close but not a cold blooded one but he would not have been able to do anything if a sea creature, for example, wanted to turn his body into dinner or wanted to burrow inside his trunk, both of which would have rather devastating effects on his continued well being.

Now, at least he had something that he could pump into anything that came too close, and hopefully, overload it with life energy, causing it to explode spectacularly. Granted, it was not the most optimal way and he still had no way of reliably targeting anything but at least it was a start.

Now, all he had to do was wait for the next upgrade, until then, he would just gather energy and fuel, and experiment with this new ability granted to him. 

Life energy manipulation. He had a hunch it was going to be the single most important ability going forward, especially since it would synchronize much better with all his other abilities, since he was a tree with tentacles in the form of roots. Roots that could channel most of his abilities, and if he could somehow manipulate life itself through his roots? Manipulate sea creatures? Underwater trees? Corals? 

What if he took it a step further? Life force manipulation to total biokinesis? Granted, it would take him a long, long time and a ton of overall upgrades in between the current him and his omega-level biokinetic self but he could see it happening, someday in the future.

Oh, he could feel the boss music creeping in.