Noah kept his guard up, alert to any changes in the ivy's thrashing as he knelt to brush aside the loose soil. The mysterious object was revealed to be a glowing fruit. It grew from the chest cavity of a small skeleton belonging to a child. The shape of the fruit was its most ominous quality. It looked similar to a brain in appearance with an unusual origin crystal with an opaque colour, merged with the stem. The origin crystals Noah had seen until now were all completely transparent. Roots were attached like an umbilical cord from the ivy to the fruit, apparently supplying it with lifeforce. The fruit was translucent, glowing blue with a strange shadowy object, displaying a symbol able to be seen at its centre.

Noah braced himself. The ivy had caught fire and seemed almost to be screaming in agony even though no sound could be heard. He quickly plucked the unusual brain-like fruit. Suddenly, the ivy stiffened as Noah prepared himself for an attack. The plant began to vibrate as if it was having a seizure. The leaves of the ivy started to curl in on themselves as the plant visibly wilted. The ivy's blue-lifeforce faded away as it no longer resisted the flames. Noah hurried out of range of the fire's heat to examine his prize.

"What is that?" Lyn asked.

"I don't know," Noah replied.

[Tier Two Ability Embryo - Uncommon. Stimulates the User into awakening the tier one ability: Flora Manipulation.]

The System's voice appeared in his mind to answer their curiosity, leaving Noah speechless for a moment. It was a far greater prize than he had anticipated.

"It's an ability embryo. It will allow someone to gain an ability," Noah said in a daze as he regarded the bright fruit.

"Even a blank like me can become a witch?" Lyn innocently asked as he processed the information, becoming silent.

"I think this belongs to you. The ability it will awaken is called [Flora Manipulation]," Noah said as he handed the fruit to the stunned boy, who accepted it reverently.

"That was Maddy's ability!" Lyn emotionally said as tears welled up in his eyes.

"She would want you to have it," Noah replied.

As the boy, Lyn stared at the glowing, brain-like blue fruit in his hands. It grew brighter until it disappeared in a flash of light, absorbed into the boy's hands as it rushed through his body to his origin crystal, located at the base of his skull. White-lifeforce became visible beneath Lyn's skin. A wave of blue light washed over his body to replace it. He was now an ability-user.

"I'm a witch! I can't believe it! I wish Maddy were still here," Lyn said while wiping the tears from his cheek with a beaming smile.

A moment later, Lyn's legs started unsteadily shaking as he collapsed to his knees, burying his face in his hands as he began to sob. Noah placed a hand on the boy's shoulder before crouching down to give him a hug of reassurance. Noah patted the boy on the back awkwardly as his pent up emotions overwhelmed him. He started crying into Noah's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Maddy," Lyn wailed.

"It's okay. Let it all out. We have plenty of time," Noah comforted the boy.

The boy pushed himself away from Noah's embrace while putting on a brave expression, betrayed by the clean streaks from his tears on his filthy face. Noah gave him a reassuring nod as he stood back up, pulling the boy to his feet.

"Let's see if there's another fruit like that in the garden before we leave. But first…" Noah said as purple-lifeforce appeared beneath his skin.

Noah activated his newly acquired [Earth Manipulation] ability to move soil to rebury the remains of Lyn's unearthed sister. The small mound became flat as her shallow grave sank deeper.

"Thank you, Noah," Lyn said gratefully.

"Don't mention it. Show me your ability," Noah replied.

"Okay," Lyn agreed resolutely.

He walked into the glowing-white grass field with Noah close behind him toward an ancient oak tree. A thick yellow-light illuminated the oak tree. Noah suspected that it had advanced to become at least grade two. There was the dried corpse of an elderly man merged with the tree. As the pair approached, the dead man's eyes flickered open to watch them as his mouth moved silently. Blue-lifeforce appeared on Lyn's skin as he directed his [Flora Manipulation] ability toward the large tree. Creaking sounded from the tree as it attempted to resist the ability. Slowly the corpse was pried from the tree's embrace.

Branches attempted to strike at the pair, but Noah's [Battle Instinct] triggered in time to dodge the ambush. As they avoided the sudden attack, the elderly man's corpse collapsed in a heap at the base of the tree. The back half of his body had been devoured by the oak tree, exposing to them the hollowed-out husk of his torso and skull. There was a man-shaped impression left behind in the tree.

In the place the elderly man's origin crystal would have been located was a yellow fruit in the shape of a heart merged with another murky coloured crystal. Two lights pulsated as yellow-lifeforce flowed from the fruit into the oak tree, confirming Noah's suspicion that it was grade two.

"Can you keep the branches away long enough for me to grab that fruit?" Noah asked the straining Lyn.

"I can try," Lyn replied as beads of sweat formed on his brow.

"Good lad, now!" Noah shouted.

Noah charged toward the tree as he prepared to counter any retaliation from the grade two oak tree. The branches fought against the blue-lifeforce of Lyn's ability as it attempted to prevent Noah's approach. It struggled in vain as Noah's hand gripped the yellow pulsing heart-fruit, mercilessly ripping it from the trunk. A scene similar to the ivy occurred as the leaves curled in on themselves, falling to blanket the ground surrounding the tree. The corpse of the elderly man was covered beneath them. Noah took a moment to activate his [Earth Manipulation] ability to lay the man to rest before inspecting the fruits of their labour.