Extra's Sign In System: The Hero's an Idiot!

Chapter 201: Chapter 201: The Midnight Gardener

Chapter 201: The Midnight Gardener

The heavy, steel-plated elevator hummed quietly as it ascended.

The Captain stood beside Lord Commander Helion Goldmane. They had left the underground bunker right after securing the squad in the evolution vaults.

’The depth of that bunker is significant,’ the Captain noted internally, tracking the ascension time.

’We have been moving upward for nearly two minutes. The defensive layering is flawless.’

"The Meditatory Chambers you saw below are merely the foundation," Helion said softly, his golden eyes fixed on the elevator doors.

"A secure vault is necessary for survival. But a growing faction cannot live entirely in the dark. You need a place to breathe."

"Where are we going?" the Captain asked smoothly.

"To the surface," Helion replied.

"The underground facility is anchored directly beneath a surface-level estate. It sits on the highest elevation point in the northern sector. It is completely isolated from the Noble District and the main Vanguard thoroughfares."

The elevator slowed to a smooth halt.

DING.

The heavy metal doors slid open.

Draven stepped out.

"Who owns this property?" Draven asked.

"You do," Helion stated calmly.

"As of ten minutes ago. I scrubbed the property records myself. The official Vanguard registry lists this estate as a highly unstable Miasma zone. No scout or noble will ever authorize a patrol near these coordinates."

The Captain placed his hands in the pockets of his dark coat. He looked out over the sprawling, empty dirt courtyard in the center of the villa.

’A massive, unmonitored surface estate connected directly to an impenetrable underground bunker,’ the Captain analyzed.

’It solves every logistical issue. That Villa was back at the Academy cannot even be compared. This just has everything.’

"If the Vanguard Senate knew I handed a primary estate to a first-year student, there would be an immediate tribunal," Helion remarked dryly.

"It is a good thing I am currently dead on paper," the Captain replied.

Helion gave a knowing nod. The Lord Commander stepped back toward the elevator.

"I have border reports to review," Helion said, his golden aura glowing faintly in the dark.

"Take your time. I will return tomorrow morning when your team wakes up."

The elevator doors slid shut. The Lord Commander was gone.

Draven was finally entirely alone.

He walked slowly down the marble steps, stepping into the center of the sprawling dirt courtyard. He looked up.

’Plenty of open sky,’ the Captain thought with satisfaction.

’A mythical botanical entity cannot survive in a dark cavern. Well, it did survive in that underground Dungeon, but plants need Sunlight. It is just basic Science. The ultimate air purifier!’

He opened his System interface with a single thought and selected the glowing item.

A brilliant green seed materialized in the palm of his leather-gloved hand. It was about the size of a heavy gemstone. The World Tree Sapling had converted itself into a Seed to preserve energy.

Draven knelt in the center of the dirt courtyard.

He dug his fingers into the cold earth, creating a small, shallow hollow in the center of the yard. He gently placed the glowing green seed into the soil and covered it with a handful of dirt.

He stood up and stepped back.

FWOOSH!

The reaction was violent, immediate, and utterly breathtaking.

A blinding pillar of emerald light erupted from the soil. The ground violently trembled beneath his combat boots.

CRACK.

The dry dirt of the courtyard instantly transformed. Lush, vibrant green grass aggressively spread across the barren ground.

Thick patches of glowing, bioluminescent moss crept up the dark stone walls of the villa, illuminating the architecture in a soft, ethereal glow.

In the exact center of the courtyard, a magnificent World Tree Sapling shot upward.

Its trunk was forged from pale, silvery bark that looked stronger than steel. Its branches spread wide, unfolding hundreds of brilliant, glowing green leaves. The canopy captured the starlight, weaving the cosmic energy directly into the surrounding air.

Draven watched the roots. They did not just spread across the courtyard. They dug deep, violently piercing the bedrock below.

’The roots are burrowing straight down into the Meditatory Chambers,’ the Captain realized, tracking the flow of the magic.

’The tree is physically linking the surface villa to the underground vaults. It is creating a unified, living fortress.’

The air inside the courtyard shifted. The faint, lingering trace of Miasma in the atmosphere was instantly incinerated by the sapling’s presence.

Breathing felt incredibly light and revitalizing.

The Captain felt the [World-Root Vitality] passive skill in his own body hum in perfect synchronization with the tree.

The first step of his empire was firmly planted. Now, it needed maintenance.

Draven opened his [Inventory] once more.

Nine tiny, brightly colored orbs of light floated out of the interface. They zipped excitedly through the air, swirling around the Captain before darting directly toward the glowing sapling.

The ancient elemental spirits materialized into their translucent, humanoid forms. They hovered gracefully around the silvery trunk of the World Tree, their grandiose voices chiming together in the quiet night.

"The Root is anchored," the spirits echoed happily.

"You have chosen a magnificent garden, Master of the Tree."

"This is the new sanctuary," the Captain ordered calmly. His voice carried the firm, unquestionable weight of a commander.

"Your primary directive is caretaking," the Captain instructed, gesturing to the glowing runic gardens forming around the base of the sapling.

"Nurture the soil. Maintain the ambient mana density. When the leaves are fully mature, I will harvest them to integrate into the city’s Miasma Clearing towers."

The nine spirits bowed their glowing heads in perfect unison.

"We hear your command," they replied softly.

"We shall tend the garden."

The spirits immediately dispersed. A few of them floated into the branches, gently coaxing the glowing leaves to spread wider.

Others descended into the soil, tending to the massive roots boring their way down into the underground bunker.

The courtyard was a picture of perfect, mythical serenity.

Draven sat down on the soft, newly formed grass, leaning his back against the pale, silver bark. The tree pulsed with a comforting warmth, seeping directly into his tired muscles.

He unbuttoned the top of his dark coat.

CHIRP.

Astraxion crawled out of his inner pocket. He stretched its sleek wings and let out a tired yawn.

The neon-purple scales caught the emerald light of the tree, giving the lethal predator a strangely peaceful aura.

The dragon circled once before curling up into a tight ball directly on the Draven’s lap. It closed its glowing purple eyes and began to purr loudly.

Draven gently rested his gloved hand on the dragon’s head.

He looked toward the ground, his eyes staring straight through the soil. He knew exactly what was happening hundreds of feet below him.

The Strike Team Zero was undergoing the mutation required to reach the pinnacle of human power. Level 100 can be considered Top 10% of the World right now.

’Do not fail now,’ the Captain thought quietly, keeping his mental focus completely sharp.

’You have survived far more brutal things than a mere mutation through Level 100. This is just another step.’

The Captain closed his eyes and prayed for their safety. Because that was all he could do.

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