Reborn as a Demonic Tree

Sullivan's soul-core hummed in his chest as he aggressively pushed Qi toward his muscles. His ragged breaths came out in clouds of mist as he charged through the rain down the muddied back streets of Darklight City.

He could not see or hear it, but the chasing creature's presence was all-encompassing, bearing down on him and making his hair stand on end. He swore it was right behind him no matter how fast or far he ran. Daring not to even waste a moment looking back, he kept going.

His destination? The regional headquarters of the Eyepatch group.

Every evening, the boss comes to do an inspection. If there's anyone that can save me, it's him.

While the Eyepatch group had rapidly expanded in numbers, they were pitifully weak compared to the overlords of the region. The Ashfallen Sect sat so far above the rest on their lofty peak that he honestly believed defying them was impossible. He had taken this position in the group as he noticed the anger spreading through the city like a plague and saw an opportunity to weaponize it for profit.

He didn't want to die for them.

"Just who the fuck was that girl," Sullivan cursed as he felt his heart pounding in his neck. His throat was sore from breathing so hard, and his suit clung tightly to his body as it was utterly drenched.

She gave a fake name and no family name. I didn't feel any Qi from her, even when she destroyed the table. If she was somehow hiding her cultivation, I never got to see a hint of what affinity she possesses. That leaves me with few leads to discern her identity.

Knowing her identity would not do him any good if that monster caught up to him. Still, he knew the boss wouldn't be pleased with him leading such a creature toward their warehouse, so he was hoping to discern some information to provide and lessen the punishment.

Anything. Just what demon in the skin of a young noble girl had he invited the wrath of? His mind raced as he recalled the girl's appearance. He was a man of detail—nothing escaped his notice.

Short blonde hair, pink eyes that could kill, red maple leaf earrings, many spatial rings, enough money to drown in, and the ability to command nightmarish creatures? Now that I think about it, only one such person matches that description.

The Princess of Ashfallen. A psychotic murderer who enjoys toying with the lives of those she deems lesser. The number of rumors regarding her tyranny was as numerous as tales of the All-Seeing Eye's greatness. It was hard to discern truth from fiction, and the human imagination was a powerful thing, but Sullivan started to think that the rumors might be true.

Has the Eyepatch group earned the ire of the Princess? If so, even the boss might not be able to save us. After all, not only is the Princess already one of the strongest known cultivators, but her unknown Father, who lords over Ashfallen, will crush us like bugs with the strength of a thousand suns.

Sullivan narrowed his eyes. If I'm going to die today for the sins of the Eyepatch group, then I'm bringing those fuckers down with me. Including the boss. How dare he convince me to stand up against the Ashfallen Sect with sweet words. I'll curse his name for a thousand years in hell.

After half an hour of Qi-fueled running through the freezing rain, he staggered into a decrepit part of the city. Empty warehouses with caved-in roofs swallowed by foliage cast shadows over the land. This had once been an area where excess spirit stones were stored and sold, but as the nearby mountains had been mined out, the supply dropped, and these warehouses that were so far from the city center became obsolete. They never found a new purpose as the mining industry died down, and people began starving, causing a sharp rise in crime and making these warehouses too dangerous for storing goods.

Giving way to the gangs to take over. They hid among the rubble like rats. To a clueless outsider, this is a graveyard of buildings, but to someone like Sullivan, he knew the invisible territory lines and which buildings had been claimed by whom.

Or at least he had. They were all under the control of the Eyepatch group now. A testament to how quickly their control had spread. It was almost terrifying how quickly humans could band together under a single banner against an overwhelming foe if they were promised a path to quick power and wealth.

Such thoughts ran through Sullivan's mind as he desperately charged toward the most prominent building. He had once seen this place as a land of opportunity, but he now realized he had been blinded by the wealth to be made. The boss had sentenced them all to death.

He never should have tried to defy the Ashfallen Sect. Nobody should.

Sullivan dared to look behind and wished he hadn't. A mere two buildings behind, he saw that monster of twisted darkness lurking in the rain, trailing him and coiled as if ready to lunge and devour him whole. Shit, shit, shit! His muscles burned with an indescribable intensity, and his Soul Core's hum dropped to a sad whisper as he ran on fumes.

"Who goes there?" A voice rang out through the rain, and Sullivan could feel the movement of many cultivators, all in the early stages of the Soul Fire Realm like him.

"It's Sullivan," he wheezed in response. Through the pouring rain, he saw fire Qi dance along the shoulders of the woman who had called out to him from the doorway of the main warehouse. He felt the woman's Qi relax a little. However, once he got closer, he felt her guard rise again.

The woman cautiously stepped forward, signaling two rogue cultivators to flank her. "Sullivan? You look miserable. What happened to you?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I'm... being... chased..." Sullivan pushed past them into the building. Once he didn't feel the rain bearing down on him and was on the warehouse's cover, he half-collapsed on a nearby crate to support his body. He pulled all the Qi pumped into his muscles back into his dimming Soul Core and desperately tried to fill his lungs with air.

A journey across the city that usually took two hours, he had done through this insane storm in only thirty minutes. While he was a cultivator, there were limits, and he had surpassed them to reach here.

"Who is chasing you?" the woman barked over her shoulder as she faced the open doorway alongside the other two. The doorway was like a waterfall, with rain hammering down outside. Soul fires danced along their shoulders as they got ready for a fight.

"There's no point trying to fight back," Sullivan's legs gave in as he sat on the cold ground and leaned against the crate. His heart was pounding so hard he felt like it would beat out of his chest, and his neck was throbbing.

Others seem to have heard the commotion as they gathered around, stealing curious glances at him. The fire woman, whom he had never met before, didn't like his answer as she gripped his chin and forced his eyes to meet hers. From the tingling of Qi, he could tell she was a few stages higher than him in the Soul Fire Realm.

"Next time I ask, it will be to your corpse," she hissed, but everyone could hear, "Now tell me, what do you mean there's no point? Who was chasing you?!"

Sullivan glanced past her at the rain. He was honestly surprised the monster hadn't come in and slaughtered them all yet. "I'm running from the Princess of Ashfallen." He slapped the woman's hand away. He wasn't sure who she was, but she definitely didn't have the authority to treat a regional manager like this. "That is what I mean when I say there's no point. You all know the rumors. We are all dead."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"You..." the woman stumbled back, utter fear appearing on her face, "...lead the Slaughter Princess here?"

Sullivan snorted, "She already knew about the Eyepatch group."

"The trees have eyes," one of the workers muttered, and everyone glanced at them. He reeled back from the stares. "I-It's a saying that is more common in Ashfallen City. You know the demonic trees that grew overnight throughout the city? They are said to be an extension of the Ashfallen Sect's Patriarch. He uses them to maintain control."

Murmurs spread throughout the group as a feeling of dread weighed over them.

"What's the commotion?"

The crowd quickly fanned out to give space to a man, and Sullivan almost choked on his own saliva at the sight of him. He was a man without a face. It was as if the gods had sculpted him in haste, skipping over the unneeded details. He spoke yet had no mouth. He saw yet had no eyes.

It was, without a doubt, the boss of the Eyepatch group. Sullivan had only ever met him while wearing a mask, so seeing his utterly blank face that was nothing but skin was deeply disturbing. The boss's slender hands were clasped behind his back, and his presence was undeniable as every gaze landed on him.

Sullivan had so much hatred for this man running through his veins earlier, but now he was getting cold feet. He was about to open his mouth to speak when the fire woman pointed a finger at him, "Regional manager Sullivan claims he's being pursued by the Slaughter Princess and has led her here."

The boss raised one hand to quieten the room. He was wearing white gloves, but below the fabric, the outlines of his fingers weren't quite right. Once the room was deathly silent, he idly inspected his knuckles and flexed his fingers before responding.

"Is what she says true, Sullivan?"

Sullivan gulped, "Yes, boss. The Ashfallen Princess showed up at my brothel an hour ago to become a sponsor of the Eyepatch group. She donated a large amount of money and even ate a blood pill. But I refused to let her meet you, so she commanded a monster to devour my friend and chased me here."

"The Slaughter Princess..." The boss trailed off and looked to the doorway. "I believe that is the name the people of this city have given to Stella Crestfallen. I've listened to all the rumors regarding her and the stories from which her name is derived. You told me she ate one of my pills. Is that right?"

Sullivan slowly nodded.

The boss sniffed the air despite having no nose, "I don't know who you met, but it can't be her."

"How can you be sure—" Sullivan felt the air escape his lungs as an invisible hand seemed to crush him. He bent over, gasping for air with his eyes wide open in fear.

"Don't question me, boy, " the boss said without taking his attention off the doorway. "Stella Crestfallen is a high-stage Star Core cultivator with murderous tendencies. Do you truly believe she would let a weakling like you escape her?"

"The monster—"

"What monster?" The boss pointed to the door, and with a click of his fingers, a shockwave of Qi radiated out, pushing back the rain and revealing an empty street. The monster that had been chasing him the whole way here was nowhere to be seen. There was a moment of silence as everyone stared in awe at the display of power until the boss lowered his hand, and the thunderous rain resumed.

"I can't sense anything more than a few ants and rats cowering from the rain. Sullivan, have you gone insane off your own supply?"

"N-No boss," Sullivan stammered. "I'm serious. A girl who perfectly matched the Princess's description showed up at my brothel and displayed more wealth than sense. I was then chased by a monster that must have been in the Star Core Realm. See, look at this!" His spatial ring flashed, yet nothing came out. "What, where's the money..."

"Sullivan, the night of reckoning is soon upon us," the boss floated a blood-red pill over toward him. He felt that same invisible hand pry open his mouth and force-feed him the pill. A disgusting feeling spread throughout his body, corrupting the little Qi he had left and clogging up his spirit roots. "Return home, Sullivan. You're dismissed from your duties. Everyone else, return to your posts."

"Boss... please reconsider," Sullivan had no idea what was happening. But he knew being dismissed from his duties and banished was a death sentence. That girl was the Slaughter Princess! There's no doubt in my mind. He curled his fists in rage as everyone left. Some sniggering about him, others expressing relief that he had 'lied.'

The fire woman paused beside him and used Qi to conceal her voice. "Was it really her?"

Sullivan nodded, "Without a doubt."

"Mhm, I'll walk you home."

Sullivan found himself dragged to his feet and back in the rain. Except this time, a thin layer of fire kept them warm and even dried his clothes as the mud beneath them hardened from the heat.

"Why are you helping me?" Sullivan asked once they were far away from the warehouse. He felt on edge as he glanced around, expecting the monster to jump out at him.

"You're a man of business with a good head on your shoulders, and your reaction to the blood pill was that of a first-timer. I also noticed you weren't just putting on an act as you burned your Qi to reach the warehouse as fast as possible." The woman paused and studied his face, "You're not some junkie high on pills or an idiot. You ran with everything you had to the only place you knew where there would be someone strong enough to face off against the Princess."

Sullivan nodded, "The Boss. I know it was selfish, but..."

"I would have done the same," the woman admitted. "It might not have been the Princess because if her past actions are any indication, you should already be dead. But I believe you encountered someone strong, someone we should be careful of, and the boss knows this too. He just doesn't care."

Sullivan paused, "Why?"

"The boss only cares about the night of reckoning that is fast approaching." Her eyes narrowed, "Once it's over, I bet he will vanish and the Eyepatch group will crumble. I'm trying to gather a new group from within that will band together after the fallout, and this person you met today seems like someone I want to speak with."

Sullivan had been on the darker side of business for long enough to know once a boss loses faith in their servant, that servant is as good as dead. If the boss didn't kill him today, it was only a matter of time. But to go back and make a deal with the Slaughter Princess? The very person who lorded over the group that they were trying to oppose?

Wait, this is an opportunity. If I switch sides and help the Ashfallen Sect stamp out this rebellion, perhaps I can get out of this alive. I'll let this woman handle the talking and hope they drag me to the winning side. I'm happy to be on whichever team will make me the most money and let me live.

"I'm in," Sullivan agreed with a smile. "Your name?"

"The name is Kaelith. We can't discuss things here. The boss has eyes and ears everywhere. I'll walk you home first."

It took an hour of speed walking to return to the brothel, and Sullivan couldn't believe his eyes.

"The hole! It's... gone?" He ran up to the exterior wall that, if broken down, would lead to the meeting room. It was through here that he had escaped a few hours earlier. "The monster tore through here and destroyed this wall, I swear."

Kaelith stepped forward, ran her finger along the wooden boards, and showed that her fingertip had turned dark brown. "Fast-drying paint. Expensive stuff," she rubbed her fingers together and frowned. "Due to the weather, it's hard to discern when it was used, but it can't have been more than an hour ago."

Sullivan stepped back, and upon close inspection, he could tell the slight shade difference between the new boards and the old. "They painted the boards to look like the older ones. But why?"

"A cover-up," Kaelith beckoned him to lead her inside, "Let's see what else they took."

Entering, Sullivan led her to the meeting room. There was a brand new table between the two chairs. One he knew he had never bought.

Kaelith sniffed the air, "The smell of fresh paint is stronger in here without the wind and rain to hide it," she looked to the side, "The monster came through here?"

"Yes, it took out multiple walls." Sullivan nodded.

Kaelith whistled, "Whoever we are dealing with here is a professional. That is something the Slaughter Princess is not. She is an arrogant child with too much power and money, not someone who would wipe any evidence of themselves to this extent. This is exactly the type of person I want to work with after the night of reckoning."

No, you don't. Sullivan thought as he recalled how Hendrick had died. It had been so fast and brutal that there was no way for somebody to work with a person like that.

"Have you checked on the blood pills? See if any are missing?"

Sullivan nodded and left for the storage room. His mind wandered as he walked down the quiet hallway.

Why did the monster chase me all the way to the warehouse and then vanish? Why did she kill Hendrick and not me? Did the boss scare off the monster?

Sullivan descended a hidden staircase to a cellar. Counting the crates, his mouth drew into a thin line. "Half of them are missing."

He paused as a thought struck him. Everything began to connect.

"She wanted to meet the boss from the start. That was her goal. Of course, the Princess of Ashfallen would never want to join a group that directly opposed her. She wanted someone to lead her to the leader, and that's exactly what I did." Sullivan's blood ran cold, "Which means my purpose has run out, and if she's gone to these lengths to cover up her tracks..."

Sullivan turned around, and sure enough, there she was. The Slaughter Princess was casually sitting on the staircase with one leg up and resting her chin on her palm with a look of amusement. She was blocking the exit, and this time, she didn't have a disguise. There were no masks or tattered cloaks to hide who she really was.

Which could only mean one thing.

"Finally figured me out, huh."