Before Reigns stood a gigantic tree that seemed to pierce through the heavens themselves.

Its enormous pinkish leaves covered the land like a second sky while countless branches stretched endlessly in every direction. A gentle breeze moved through the canopy, and soft golden light filtered through the leaves.

Under the shelter of the tree, countless animals played freely.

Small rabbit-like creatures rolled across the grass while deer calmly rested near the roots. Birds with colorful feathers flew between the branches while strange fox like beasts chased each other happily around the enormous trunk.

The entire place felt peaceful and serene.

Then slowly, humans started appearing.

At first, only a few people arrived carrying simple tools and supplies. They built small wooden homes around the massive roots of the tree and began living there.

As time passed, more people gathered.

The tree itself bore huge glowing fruits that fed the residents. Its giant canopy protected them from thunder storms, heavy rain, and even harsh sunlight.

An entire civilization slowly grew beneath it.

Children laughed while running through the streets. Women gathered fruits and cooked food while men worked on houses and farms nearby. The sounds of birds chirping echoed peacefully around the settlement.

Everything looked blissful.

Reigns quietly watched the scene unfold before his eyes while a strange feeling filled his chest.

Then one day, everything changed.

BOOOOOOM!!

The sky suddenly shook with a deafening force.A cracking sound similar to shattering glass erupted across the heavens.

Reigns immediately raised his head.His pupils shrank.

The sky itself was tearing apart.

Huge cracks spread across the heavens while dark energy leaked from within them like black smoke.

Then something descended.A gigantic black mass fell from the torn sky like a meteor.It carried terrifying force as it crashed directly into the enormous tree.

BAAAAAANG!!

A horrifying explosion erupted the moment it struck.The entire land shook violently.

A massive shockwave spread in every direction and instantly tore apart houses, roads, and living beings.

People near the base of the tree exploded into blood mist before they could even scream.

Children,animals and families inhabiting the land were destroyed in an instant.

The giant blackish mass pierced through the middle of the tree and blasted apart the enormous canopy above.Huge branches shattered and crashed onto the city below.

For a brief moment, silence remained.

Then darkness spread around.The dark mist slowly overflowed from the wound in the tree.

The gigantic canopy, branches, and roots started losing their beautiful color as decay rapidly spread through them. The bark turned black while veins of corruption crawled around the surface.

The once holy tree now looked rotten.

People who survived the explosion suddenly started screaming.Their bodies twisted violently.

Black veins spread across their skin while flesh bulged unnaturally.Some tore apart their own faces while others dropped onto all fours like beasts.

They were turning into monsters.

Darkness swayed across the land like living smoke while eerie screams echoed everywhere.

The entire civilization descended into horror.

Reigns could feel cold sweat pouring down his face while watching the horrifying scene.

"W-What the fuck is going on..." he muttered unconsciously.

Then suddenly.

BOOOOOONG!!

A deep ancient sound echoed through the land.

The giant tree shook violently.

Its roots twisted around the gigantic black mass that had pierced into its body.

The roots cracked apart while smoke and black flames rose from within the wound as if the tree itself was desperately trying to chain something down inside it.The sight was horrifying.

It looked as though something alive was trapped deep inside the tree.

Something monstrous.

The dark mist thickened while eerie vibrating screams echoed through the entire land. The sounds felt unnatural, almost like thousands of dying souls crying together.

The air itself trembled.

Reigns started sweating buckets while staring at the nightmare before him.

As he struggled to understand what was happening, a childish voice suddenly echoed nearby.

"Help!"

"Huh?"

Reigns froze for a moment

The voice sounded small,weak and frail.Like a frightened child.

"Why!"

Reigns’ eyes narrowed in confusion as he quickly turned around.

The moment he saw what was behind him, his entire body jumped in shock.

"Kyaaaa!!"

Before Reigns stood a tall voluptuous woman.

The problem was that she was completely naked.

Thankfully, her long cascading hair covered her bare chest and groin area, but even then Reigns still swallowed his saliva nervously.

The stimulation was simply too much for him to handle all at once.

The woman slowly took a step forward.Reigns immediately flinched backward in panic and hurriedly raised both hands.

"Hey, don’t come near... I have a girlfriend."

"...."

The woman paused and stared at Reigns with visible confusion in her eyes.

Reigns awkwardly coughed after realizing what he had just blurted out.

"I mean... who are you?"

The woman quietly looked at him for a few seconds before a soft voice echoed inside his mind.

[I... I am the holy tree spirit of what you called the Shattered Canopy.]

"Tree spirit... What’s that?" Reigns asked while trying to calm himself down.

The woman lowered her gaze slightly.

[I am just one lucky being that managed to gain sentience from the people’s love and warmth.]

As she spoke, sadness slowly filled her eyes.

[The very people who had been killed by it.]

Reigns frowned immediately.

"It?"

"What is it?"

The woman slowly raised her head while the distant screams and darkness continued spreading around the ruined world behind her.

[The very thing that descended down. The mantle of darkness that is corroding everything and the very thing that has enthralled your minds, making you all submit to it.]

The moment Reigns heard those words, his entire mind suddenly felt like it had been struck by lightning.

A sharp pain exploded inside his head.

"GAAAHHH!"

He instantly grabbed his head tightly while his body trembled violently.

His knees hit the ground heavily as the strange haziness clouding his thoughts suddenly started disappearing.

Fragments of memories and strange thoughts flashed through his mind rapidly.His breathing became rough.

Then finally, a bit of sanity returned.

Reigns lifted his head with widened eyes and cursed loudly.

"DAMN IT!"

"We have been hypnotized..."

A chilling horror spread through his heart.

Cold sweat dripped down his face as he slowly looked back at the woman standing before him.

His voice became shaky.

"How... No... What the hell is going on?"