Corpse Tree

The Corpse Tree starts as a spore that attaches to the back of a living being, most commonly human, that burrows deep within the skin and ends up growing a tree around the host, with the host becoming the heart of the monster. The tree will grow roots that attach to the hosts nerves and mana points. These roots will extract mana from the host, but will also provide the host with nutrients to keep the host's body alive as the tree cannot survive without the host's mana source.

Corpse Trees start off as spores that are basically invisible to the eye. They land on a host that has a strong mana signature and tries to dig into the hosts mana circulatory point (usually in the base of the spine). Once the spore has taken control of the mana point, it starts to drain mana from the host to allow the tree to grow, tangling its roots with the hosts nerves and mana channels to allow the Corpse Tree to grow stronger and use the skills of the host, but also helps to keep the host alive.

• Birth: This is the stage where the spore lands on the host. Due to seeking out stronger hosts, there is a chance that the spore will be rejected. So, the birth stage is where the spore struggles to override the host's autonomy. If it manages to gain control of the host's body then the tree will grow.
• Growth: This is the stage where the tree is growing. This is when the Corpse Tree is at its weakest as all defences are down so that it can focus on growing, it will find a safe place away from any other lifeforms to fully grow and develop before trying to encounter any other being.
• Power: This is the stage where the Corpse Tree searches for life forms to slaughter to strengthen its host and awaken new powers. The host, since the host is still alive, will still be able to level up and grow in strength and skills, but the host can't access these skills and power, only the Corpse Tree is capable of it.
• Death: When the host is nearing death, the Corpse Tree will feel it and will detatch itself from the host, becoming a new spore that goes out and searches for a new host.

This is a monster that is said to have been born in the Eden Dungeon, a dungeon that is said to be a spacious open area that resembles a forest. This is a bizarre dungeon that has its own sky and ecology that mimics day and night, as well as all seasons and weather.

Corpse Trees only feeds on the mana of the host, so the monster needs to kill other life forms to strengthen the host's mana. It can sense when mana signatures are near and hunts those that are strong, but also only hunts those that the Corpse Tree knows it can kill.

The behaviour of a Corpse Tree is very life-preserving. It will only attack those it feels like it can defeat. Even the spores only attatches to those it feels like it can overwhelm.

It is an intelligent monster. It can tell who is stronger that it is and it knows how to keep the host alive while using the host's magic and skills.

The corpse tree is only as strong as the host is, and can only use the same abilities that the host has. If the host is able to use magic, so can the Corpse Tree. Since the stronger the host, the stronger the monster will become, new spores do seek out stronger mana signatures.

This is a parasitic species that requires the host to be alive for the Corpse Tree to live. The host is enslaved by the monster and can't move or speak, but they can still feel and see everything that is happening around them. But once a host has been infected by the spore, the host will not be able to survive without the Corpse Tree, so the only way to free themselves is to die.