Under Skyler’s solemn and panicked gaze, the fifth day since he had planted the seed arrived. Yet, even after waiting this long, the ground remained unchanged. Not a single sprout had appeared, not even the slightest sign of life emerging from the soil.
The doubt that had begun to grow in Skyler’s mind only deepened.
He stared at the spot where the seed was buried, his gaze becoming more restless with each passing moment.
Finally, he couldn’t help but mutter.
"Was I tricked?"
The mermaid crouched down beside him and patted his shoulder to get his attention.
"Should I water it again?"
Skyler smiled at her and let out a sigh.
"It’s fine."
Isaac, Zack, and the others, who had been watching Skyler for the past several days, couldn’t help but shake their heads. They had witnessed his repeated attempts, his growing uncertainty, and the empty patch of land that had shown no signs of life.
Charles looked at the spot where the seed had been planted before closing his eyes.
"We wasted so much time. Now, the goal Skyler set at the start seems impossible."
Zack turned his head toward him.
"I agree."
Austin nodded in agreement as well.
However, Yuris was different.
"Well, I still have faith in Skyler."
Isaac gave him a strange look.
"You still believe that a massive tree will grow from that tiny seed in a single day, even though nothing has happened for the past four days? Doesn’t that sound a little too unbelievable to you?"
Yuris returned his strange look.
"Isn’t reaching this level in the amount of time we did far more unbelievable? Think about it. We have already witnessed things that should have been impossible. So why are you so quick to dismiss the possibility of a tree growing in a single day?"
He glanced at the buried seed before continuing.
"Besides, this is Skyler we’re talking about. If he is confident enough to stake our path forward on that little dark seed, then there must be a reason behind it. So, let’s wait."
Zack raised a brow.
"You’re that confident in him?"
A sudden idea came to his mind, and a smirk appeared on his face.
"Wanna make a bet?"
Everyone immediately became interested. After all, aside from hunting a few nearby monsters and exploring the sand castles on the 31st level, they had been doing nothing but waiting around. The endless boredom after living a life of adventure for so long was truly getting on their nerves. At least this could serve as a little entertainment.
They all gathered together and began setting the terms for the bet. What had started as a simple conversation turned into a competition to pass the time.
Yuris hesitated for a moment.
But he was the only one who said he still had faith in Skyler. If he backed down now, it would mean going against his words.
So, despite his uncertainty, he stood his ground.
However, when it was time to put forward the items they would bet, with the winning side taking everything, Isaac felt his eyelid twitch. As someone who had rarely lost a bet before, Isaac trusted his instincts. And right now, those instincts were telling him one thing—he was going to lose. With a dry laugh, he immediately took a step back.
"Well... I think it’s better if I stay neutral. Someone has to be the referee and make sure everything is fair, right?"
Charles, who knew Isaac was incredibly skilled at betting and rarely lost in it after following him and winning a large number of Star Coins at the Academy Annual Gala, immediately saw through his dry excuse.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"You..."
Isaac quickly averted his gaze, pretending not to notice the accusing look directed at him. Seeing this, Charles also took a step back.
"I’m not betting either."
With two people already backing out, Austin lost interest in betting as well. Zack’s eyebrows twitched, and in the end, even he raised his hands in surrender.
Yuris quietly sighed in relief. Although he had claimed to believe in Skyler, the truth was that he wasn’t completely confident either. Thankfully, the bet fell apart before he ended up losing a fortune. Just as this thought flashed through Yuris’s mind, the ground beneath their feet suddenly began to collapse. He jumped away in shock.
"What’s going on?!"
Opposite him, Isaac’s jaw dropped. He pointed a trembling finger behind Yuris.
When the others followed his shocked gaze, their expressions changed instantly.
Behind them, the ground where the little seed had been planted had split open. A deep crack spread across the sand, as if something enormous was forcing its way out from beneath the earth. The entire area began shaking with a thunderous noise, causing the surroundings to collapse.
Then...
A massive black sprout emerged from the cracked ground. For a moment, everyone held their breath. The massive dark sprout trembled before suddenly expanding at an unbelievable speed. Its thin stem twisted and stretched upward, growing thicker with every passing second. Dark roots burst out from beneath the sand, quickly spreading in all directions like countless veins, while everything in its way continued to collapse under the overwhelming force of its growth.
Skyler grabbed the wide-eyed mermaid, along with the snake resting on a nearby rock, before disappearing in an instant.
The place where they had been collapsed the moment he vanished, as the massive black roots spread across the area like a storm of destruction.
Leaving the area and reaching a safe distance, Yuris suddenly slapped his thigh.
"I was actually right..!"
Hearing him, Zack, Austin, Charles, and Isaac’s eyebrows twitched. So, he actually didn’t have that much faith in Skyler? It was a good thing they hadn’t gone through with the bet, or they would have lost tragically.
No one could believe what they were seeing. The small seed that they had mocked for so many days was transforming right before their eyes.
The stem became a massive trunk.
The trunk became a towering tree.
And it didn’t stop.
The tree continued to grow higher and higher, piercing through the clouds above.
Its massive branches stretched across the sky, blocking out the sunlight and casting a vast shadow over the entire area. The once barren land was transformed into a scene dominated by an ancient tree that seemed to have existed for thousands of years.
Its bark was dark, almost as if it had been carved from the shadows. Countless long branches extended outward, and hanging from them were massive blood-red leaves that shimmered faintly under the light.
The color wasn’t natural. It was probably due to the blood that Skyler had poured onto the dark seed at the start.
Everyone stared upward in silence. The towering tree was so massive that they couldn’t even see where it truly ended.
Its highest branches disappeared into the clouds, as if connecting the earth and the heavens together. Then, just as everyone was planning to climb the tree, something even more shocking happened. From the enormous trunk, a series of thick branches began twisting and connecting with each other, forming a path that spiraled upward.
A natural staircase. One that continued endlessly toward the sky, reaching so far that they finally believed a tree could truly lead them to the next level of the Battle Royal. For a few seconds, no one spoke.
Finally, Austin licked his lips and slowly turned his head toward Skyler, dazed.
"So how far will it lead us?"
Skyler, who had been staring at the giant tree with a smirk, laughed at his question.
"I told you already, the 52nd level. Let’s go. I’m sure everyone in this level can see this tree just like we can. It’s better to leave and climb this tree before trouble comes."