Start as a Spiritual Planter: I Have a Game Panel

'Bait? what's that?' Just as such thought appeared in his mind, suddenly, a huge bear shadow leaped out from the underbrush, landing squarely on top of Ram and holding him down with an iron grip.

Then its laughter boomed through the clearing. "Haha, bastard, we finally caught you! I would like to see how you can escape now!"

"What the hell?! Get off me!" Ram yelled, struggling beneath the weight of Sid's transformed bear form. "I'm sorry, guys! Let me go; I'll explain everything!"

He knew his friends were likely upset, but this was not the way he envisioned them venting their frustration.

"Stop squirming!" Sid growled, tightening his hold. "You're lucky I don't just throw you into the river. We're tired of your secrets!"

Ignoring Ram's protests, Sid glanced over at Liam, who was already rummaging through his pack. "Tie him up. We'll let Mai decide what to do. Also, stuff something in his mouth."

"Sorry, bro, but it's your fault for worrying us this whole time," Liam said with a smirk, pulling out some rope to bind Ram's hands and legs.

Su Mu rushed forward, her eyes flashing with concern. "Wait! You can't just—" She tried to stop them, but after knowing that it was under Mai's order she hesitated.

"Come on, guys! This isn't neces...." Ram struggled, but it was no use. They swiftly tied him up, effectively rendering him unable to move.

They stuffed a cloth in his mouth to silence his protests, muffling his words into an incoherent jumble. -exclusive

"You know this isn't fair!" he managed to mumble through the cloth, but he was met with grins and chuckles from his friends as they hoisted him up and carried him toward where Mai was working on her robots.

Liam chuckled, "Fair? You've been hiding things from us! This is just a little payback!" Once they reached Mai's new workshop, Ram was unceremoniously dropped onto the ground.

Mai looked up from her work, eyebrows raised in surprise at the sight before her. "What's going on?" she asked, wiping her hands on a cloth as she approached them.

"Just teaching him a lesson," Sid replied with a smug grin.

Ram shot him a glare, feeling both embarrassed and frustrated as he continued to mumble, trying to say. "Guys, seriously! I didn't mean to worry you—"

Liam pressed his finger to his mouth, shushing him. "Let Mai decide. You can explain after that."

"Wait, untie him! Let him explain first," Mai said, her voice cutting through the tension in the air.

She stood with her arms crossed, a blend of amusement and annoyance flickering across her face as she surveyed the scene.

Sid and Liam exchanged glances, surprised by her command. "But he's the one who worried us!" Liam protested, crossing his arms as he glanced at Ram, still lying helplessly on the ground.

"I know, but he clearly has something important to say," Mai replied, her tone firm. "And I want to hear it before you two can decide what to do with him."

Reluctantly, Sid released his hold on Ram, and Liam loosened the rope binding his hands, though they kept a wary eye on him.

Ram immediately set to work freeing himself from the cloth stuffed in his mouth.

Just as he was about to speak, Korrin appeared from outside, his expression filled with urgency as he spoke. "Master, it's done."

Ram's face lit up, a wide grin spreading across his features. "Hehe, it's finally time!" he exclaimed, laughter bubbling from him as he sat up, momentarily forgetting the awkwardness of his situation.

With Korrin here, it was finally time to unveil his preparations.

"What's going on?" Mai asked, raising an eyebrow at Ram's sudden shift in mood.

"About time for what?" Sid added, confusion evident in his tone as he leaned closer.

The atmosphere shifted. All eyes were on Ram, eager for answers, as the confusion hung thick in the air.

Ram couldn't help but chuckle again, his grin widening. "It's better to show you guys than try to explain everything."

Sid and Liam exchanged glances, clearly still unsure of what was happening, but Mai, with her sharp gaze, could sense something significant was about to unfold.

She moved closer. "Lead the way, then," she stated calmly, her curiosity aroused.

Ram wasted no time, standing up fully and brushing off the dust from his clothes. With a confident stride, he motioned for the group to follow him. "Come on. You won't want to miss this."

They followed Ram through the dense brush and into the center of the caveman tribe.

As they neared the center, the once-familiar statue of the Goddess of Wildfire was nowhere to be seen.

In its place stood a massive stone altar, towering ominously over the clearing.

The surface of the altar was covered in complicated spiritual runes, glowing faintly with pulsating energy, their eerie light casting long shadows around them.

Fresh blood had been used to draw the runes, its metallic scent lingering in the air.

Sid's eyes narrowed as he took in the sight. "What the hell is this?" he muttered, his voice low with suspicion.

"Fuck! Just as I guessed—Brother, are you really trying to sacrifice all these cavemen?" Liam's voice broke the silence, his shock and disbelief clear.

His expression turned serious as he took a step back, his brow furrowing with concern.

Just earlier, when Sid had asked him why Ram was gathering those cavemen, he had made a half-hearted joke about them possibly being used for sacrifices.

But now, seeing the stone altar with blood and glowing runes, he didn't know what to say.

Ram's grin faltered as he realized the gravity of the situation. "No! No, it's not what you think!" He raised his hands in a defensive gesture, his heart racing. "This isn't a sacrifice! I wouldn't do that!"

"Then what the hell is all this?" Sid growled, his voice low but laced with anger. "You've got an altar covered in runes and fresh blood! What did you expect us to think?"

Ram took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "These runes are part of a ritual, it's not for sacrifice—"

He didn't continue to explain, but instead motioned toward Korrin, signaling him to begin the ritual.

Korrin, who had been waiting for his orders, stepped into the center of the altar with deliberate precision.

The tension in the air grew thick as he approached a shallow pool of blood at the altar's heart.

His staff, glowing with faint traces of fire magic, was held firmly in his hands.

Without hesitation, he began chanting a strange, guttural incantation, his voice low but resonant, sending ripples of spiritual power through the clearing.

Ram watched from the side, his eyes narrowing as he observed the unfolding ritual.

According to the Evil Spirit, this was the necessary spell to summon the attention of the Divine Spirit Tree—the key to triggering the Lord's Trial.

But even as the ritual progressed, a lingering doubt gnawed at him. Was this really what he expected it to be? Or had the Evil Spirit tricked him into something far more dangerous?

The glowing runes on the altar pulsated with increasing intensity, their eerie light casting flickering shadows across the clearing.

Sid, Liam, and Mai stood a few paces behind, their expressions a mixture of suspicion and curiosity.

Even Su Mu, usually calm and composed, seemed unsettled by the ominous energy radiating from the altar.

While Korrin continued to chant, Ram's gaze subtly shifted toward Su Mu, to make sure there weren't any unusual changes in her.

Meanwhile, Korrin's chanting grew louder, his voice now echoing off the trees as the air around them thickened with spiritual power.

The blood pool beneath him began to bubble, as though something powerful was stirring beneath its surface.

Ram swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on him. He wasn't sure if he had made the right decision, but there was no turning back now.

The ritual was already in motion, and whatever was coming—whether it was the Divine Spirit Tree or something else—would soon reveal itself.

Even Mai who was an Apprentice Arcane Mage, didn't understand what was happening, she had a sharp look towards Ram. "This better not blow up in our faces, Ram."

The ground beneath them trembled, sending a ripple through the blood pool as the runes on the altar flared to life with an intense light.

Bubbles of blood began to rise from the altar, drifting into the air as though carried by an unseen force.

They swirled together, slowly taking shape, until they formed a large, ominous eye suspended above the altar.

The eye glowed with a bright red light, its gaze fixed on the altar. As soon as the blood-eye was fully formed, Korrin stopped chanting.

He turned his head towards Ram and, with a subtle nod, spoke through their mental connection, his voice calm but charged with anticipation. "Master, it's ready. I can feel the trial space summoning us."

Hearing those words, Ram felt a wave of relief wash over him. He exhaled deeply, as though a massive weight had just been lifted off his shoulders.

For the first time since the ritual began, he allowed himself a moment of calm. His fears of being tricked by the Evil Spirit began to fade, though not entirely.

The ritual had worked—at least so far—and the Lord's Trial was within their reach.

Ram nodded in response to Korrin, acknowledging. "Good," he muttered softly, though a part of him remained cautious.

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