The Druid Who Devoured the Great Nature

I remembered a saying from childhood: if you swallowed a watermelon seed, a watermelon would grow inside you.

Of course, it was nothing but a teasing lie.

Even seeds hardy enough to sprout through concrete would dissolve in stomach acid once swallowed. If not digested, they would simply pass out as waste.

“Then why is a plant growing inside me?”

It defied all common sense.

Even as it happened to me directly, I could hardly believe it.

“The cause must be that seed I swallowed during the inspection…”

So, the sudden pain then hadn’t been from the overseer’s blow?

‘Yeah, something about it was strange.’

No matter how overworked I was, it didn’t add up.

If I were weak enough to collapse from a single strike to the head, escape would have been impossible from the start.

‘Whatever it is, such a bizarre change means…’

It was a game mechanic.

Just as mages awakened to mana, and knights to the flow of their energy.

‘Have I awakened as a Druid?’

Sure enough, when I looked up, new notifications appeared.

「As the last Druid, you have taken the World Tree into your body!」

「Title acquired: Cradle of Nature!」

「Cradle of Nature: Nature Affinity +10」

“…?”

The title and increased affinity stood out, but what drew my attention most was the plant that had taken root in me.

“The… World Tree?”

The World Tree.

A mythical tree symbolizing the origin of the cosmos and the source of life.

A staple of countless legends, it had influenced fantasy stories and virtual worlds alike.

‘So what I swallowed was the seed of the World Tree?’

I’d figured it was some unknown plant—but the World Tree?

It wasn’t something a mere factory manager should have received as a gift.

‘No, the giver probably didn’t know either.’

They must have thought it was just some rare seed.

Even I hadn’t imagined such a thing existed in this world.

Not after dozens of playthroughs.

Rustle…

As if asking for attention, the little sprout on my arm quivered.

I reached out, almost entranced.

The tender stem bent gently and brushed against my palm.

Rub, rub!

It felt as though the plant itself was nuzzling me.

A new string of text appeared.

「World Tree

Growth stage: Sapling

※Rooted in infinite potential.

※As it grows, countless abilities may awaken.

Skills available (viewable)」

“A status window…?”

Not for a character, but for a plant?

The World Tree truly was different.

‘So it evolves through growth.’

The conditions weren’t clear yet.

But surely it wouldn’t grow through battles like a warrior.

Then my eyes fell on the listed skill.

「Skill List

Whip Vines

─Grow the World Tree’s vines and wield them like whips.

─The vines move freely according to your will.」

‘This is…’

As if sensing my thoughts, the World Tree stirred.

The twin leaves hidden in my palm stretched wide.

A strange energy surged through my veins, condensed at my fingertips—then burst forth.

Whoosh!

From my hand, thick brown vines exploded outward, sprawling rapidly.

Not thin like thread, but as thick as two fingers pressed together.

And though strange at first, I could move them as naturally as my own limbs.

‘Amazing.’

Not only had the plant rooted in my body—I could control it.

Strictly speaking, it was the World Tree’s power, but since it had become part of me, there was no difference.

「The World Tree struts proudly.」

Its will imprinted directly into my mind.

Sharing a body, I felt no resistance.

It was… almost comforting.

I stroked the little sprout, thinking it over.

‘This isn’t just some neat trick.’

Controlling tough vines—it was a form of magic.

‘If I use this well…’

It felt like the answer to the problem I’d agonized over for so long had finally appeared.

Escaping through the incinerator wouldn’t be easy.

If it had been, workers would have already succeeded.

It was only easier compared to the heavily guarded front gate.

High steel fencing surrounded the incinerator, charged with electricity.

They claimed it was to keep animals out, but clearly it was meant to stop workers from escaping.

Climbing electrified fences was impossible.

Even if the power was off, with our starved bodies we couldn’t scale them.

So there was only one route.

‘There’s a side gate for overseers.’

A high-security door that opened only with an ID card.

If I could get through that, beyond lay freedom—no guards, no watchers.

‘The plan had been to steal a card when the chance came…’

It was possible, but far from certain.

Even sneaking it away while an overseer slept carried risk.

But now, there was no need to steal.

‘Better to take it by force.’

And now I had the power to do so.

It would also solve the problem of pursuit.

‘Once I vanish into the city, the factory will have no way to find me.’

Short-staffed as they already were, they couldn’t afford to raise hell over one missing worker.

As long as no one knew the incident happened at the incinerator, it would end quietly.

I just had to take out the lone overseer guarding it.

‘Here it is.’

The watchtower, installed as a formality to monitor the incinerator.

The overseer I had been targeting was here.

Three stories up, with no guards around—it was laughably lax security.

Perfect for what I needed to do.

I climbed the building carefully, making sure not to make a sound.

At the top floor, I finally sensed someone inside.

I peered through the crack of the open door.

“Yaaawn… damn it. No matter how much I sleep, time just crawls.”

The room had wide windows on three sides, overlooking the incinerator grounds.

But the guard wasn’t even looking outside.

Slouched deep in his chair, he just yawned and stretched.

“Who the hell’s gonna escape from here? Anyone who values their life will just work and go back.”

My eyes caught on something atop the desk.

‘A dagger?’

The sharpened blade gleamed under the lamp.

With electrified fencing all around and a weapon in reach, it was no wonder he looked so smug.

‘But that bastard…’

His half-drowsy eyes looked familiar.

I narrowed mine and studied him carefully.

‘…It’s the one who hit me in the head.’

Perfect.

I had no shortage of grudges against the overseers, but this one? His was deeper.

He had been the first to lay a hand on me.

He’d make a fine sacrifice for my escape.

“Ahh… these smokes are the only thing keeping me alive.”

The overseer rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette.

Every movement was loose, careless.

I waited until he sank deeper into that expensive smoke, his guard slipping further.

Then I rolled up my sleeve and signaled to the World Tree.

Ssshhk!

That strange energy stirred again, and branches shot from my fingertips.

Slipping through the crack of the door, the vine stretched silently toward him.

“Yaaaawn—!”

‘Now!’

I tugged my fingers as though pulling a fishing line.

“Mmmpfh!”

The vine whipped around his face in an instant, binding him.

His eyes widened in panic at the sudden attack.

He thrashed, trying to tear it off.

His thick hand darted toward the desk.

‘The dagger!’

If he got hold of that, I couldn’t predict what would happen.

I quickly redirected the vine to seize his arm as well.

“Ghhk!”

The World Tree’s strength easily overwhelmed him.

It was stronger than I had dared hope.

Relieved, I kicked the door open and charged inside.

Crack!

“Grkk!”

No time to waste.

I swung the iron pipe I’d picked up from the incinerator and smashed it against his skull.

The sound was like an egg cracking. The overseer clutched his bleeding head and collapsed.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

‘Not yet.’

It hadn’t been enough.

Even with blood streaming down his face, he still writhed, struggling to lift his head—trying to see me.

Wham!

It didn’t matter.

If once wasn’t enough, twice would be.

I struck again. And again.

With each blow, the fight drained out of him until finally even his hulking frame went limp.

“Haaaah…”

I tossed the bloody pipe aside.

My breaths came shaky, ragged.

In the game, I’d killed more NPCs than I could count.

And now, with the game turned reality, it was no different.

‘If I hadn’t, he would’ve killed me.’

It was survival, nothing more.

Steeling myself, I searched his body.

‘Got it.’

The ID card was in his wallet.

I stripped off his uniform and put it on, just in case.

‘Until the next shift comes, no one will notice.’

The overseers didn’t check in with each other.

They barely even bothered with patrols, let alone roll calls.

I left the watchtower and headed for the side gate.

Beep!

‘Success!’

The scanner recognized the card, and the gate unlocked.

Pulling my cap low, I walked out calmly.

No other overseers crossed my path.

By the time the factory had shrunk to a speck behind me, I broke into a sprint.

The city was far.

By car, it would’ve been close, but on foot it was a long haul.

Following the deserted path, the scenery slowly began to change.

From barren wasteland to scattered buildings, and then—people.

‘If I keep on this road, I’ll reach the city.’

After all, even overseers were only human.

Working in the middle of nowhere would’ve been too troublesome.

I pushed on, resting only when I was near collapse.

At last, the city came into view.

Tightly packed skyscrapers, smoke curling thick into the sky.

Neon signs blazed even in broad daylight.

Cables sagged overhead, and garish billboards crowded the skyline.

Cars twisted the laws of physics with bizarre shapes, while trams ran not just on streets but along rails strung through the air between buildings.

It was nothing like the empty plains around the factory.

Another world entirely.

A city that functioned in place of a nation—just as the game’s lore had described.

“Cough! Cough!”

I gasped for breath, only to break into a fit of coughing.

The air stung, sharp as smoke blown straight into my face.

‘Still the same.’

For all the constant expansion and development, the cities were never big enough to house their swelling populations.

Thus were born these cramped, polluted urban sprawls.

No space left even for a tree.

If air quality here were measured, the chart would flash bright red with warnings.

Breathing it in felt like poison.

‘So this is why people implant machine parts into their bodies?’

I’d thought it unnecessary before, but living through it in flesh and blood, I could see how sickness would thrive here.

「The World Tree writhes in pain, twisting its branches.」

And for the World Tree, the suffering was worse.

Even as it stirred with wonder at this new scenery, its leaves twitched as though taking damage over time.

It was both sad and oddly funny.

“Phew…”

Only after a long struggle, coughing alongside the World Tree, did I finally calm down.

People, seeing me cough, recoiled as though from plague.

That suited me.

It cleared the space around me, giving me a clear view of the city.

Steel and concrete, gray and cold, stretched in every direction.

The only “green” I found was the sickly glow of neon lights.

Honk! Hooonk!

Traffic jams filled the streets with unending horns.

Pedestrians weaved recklessly between cars, while drivers plowed on, accidents be damned.

“Watch where you’re going!”

Fights broke out in the streets without pause.

It was chaos incarnate.

But to me, it felt like home.

‘Good. I made it.’

A city full of disorder—that was the essence of this world.

And now that I’d reached it, no pursuers could touch me.

Collapsing onto the pavement, I let myself savor it.

…The fact that onlookers finally fled, convinced I was diseased, was just a trivial detail.

(End of Chapter)