Author’s Corner: For those that read the last chapter early, I would like to point out that I made a slight adjustment to the last two chapters. Rather than a cube shape, the inner groves are now spheres. Thanks to dan for bringing it up!

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Placing my hands down on the grass, I began the process of refining my Seed of Plants. Seriously, that name sounds redundant. Well, I should probably save up a few of these eventually and have Jacobs do some enchanting with them. Either that, or I’d have to learn how to enchant in order to do it myself. And really, that didn’t seem like such a bad idea since I already had my heart set on Technomancy. Since most devices are made with at least some level of enchanting in this game, the two skills compliment each other as well as Alchemy and Nature Magic.

A few hours slowly passed before the small pellet gradually formed in my hand, with varying shades of green. If I had to describe it, it’d be like someone painted a classic camouflage pattern on it. Shrugging my shoulders, I popped it into my mouth like a pill and let it dissolve with my Nature Magic. I think by this point I had the process worked out pretty well. Even though I was essentially just doing the same thing I had spent a few hours on, but in reverse, the effect was still clear.

In order to introduce a new element into the world, rather than gradually letting it pour in over time, you had to shock it with a large amount all at once. Doing so would force the world to adapt in order to accept this new element. To my pleasant surprise, my grove actually expanded a full meter in radius after I put the plant mana into it. Then, I pulled out a few of the herbs I had gathered so far.

Starting with the most rare plant I had acquired to date, the mushroom, I planted a total of four herbs. First was that mushroom, second being blood Weed, then fireflower so that I could make health potions whenever I wanted. Finally, I decided to plant the mushroom that said it was a component in mana potions, spider cap. I still needed to learn what other herbs go with it to make the mana potion, though.

This process went fairly smooth, since I had previously pulled the entire plant out of the ground in case the roots might be an ingredient of their own. Thankfully, they didn’t seem to have withered away while in my inventory, so replanting them was not an issue. Now I simply had those four herbs planted at equal distances around my small globe, with only that single blade of grass breaking the pattern. And, when I concentrated, I was even able to sense that several other blades had appeared around it beneath the surface, just unable to break through yet. Must be because of the plant mana.

Now, I had a few options. I could either cultivate Dark Affinity to have a day/night cycle in my grove, or I could cultivate one of the elements already present to expand it. However… I chose neither option for now. I still needed to advance my other class skills, specifically my shapeshifting. In order to do that, it was time to begin a leveling frenzy!

Thanks to my flight a couple weeks ago, I now knew that this pond was at the center of the forest, meaning that the strongest animals should be directly around it. Looking to the two lovebirds that were just coming back from getting themselves a meal, I instructed them to stay behind mentally. Rather than it being because I cared about them, it was more because I didn’t want them getting in my way. However, they didn’t seem to get that part, and only happily agreed, thinking I was doing so for their sake.

God, I sound like one of those cheap characters from an old story. What were they called? Tsunders? Thundere? It doesn’t matter, either way I focused for a few moments to activate my Aspect of the Armored Beast, covering my entire body with snake scales as I stood. Sadly, it took a bit longer than normal to activate, and there was a bit of pain suggesting that I didn’t get it completely right. I really needed to hurry up and get Technomancy. Maybe with that I’d be able to solve the issue of memory.

Although I had taken the precaution to equip my scales, I did not intend on playing the role of the brute melee fighter again. My vitality was not nearly high enough to do that if I ran into a bear. Rather, I planned to try out some of my new magic abilities instead!

Guiding a bit of mana into my eyes, I activated Aura Sight, and my vision was bathed in various lights. I had a theory that this skill could be used for more than just failing to memorize auras, and as I set out into the forest my hunch was soon proven correct. I mean, why would there be an entire skill that just covered such a small purpose?

After I was about twenty meters from the clearing, I began seeing irregularities in the aura of the ground. At first, I was able to overlook them, but then they turned into a pattern and my eyes were naturally drawn to them. Specifically, the pattern was as if something had walked by, a sort of magical footprint. Kneeling down next to it, I decided to study the pattern for a few moments, to see if I could gain a new skill or ability. However, the only thing I was able to determine was that it did not match the aura of the wolf I had killed previously.

Knowing that, this should be a different animal. With the track being on the ground, it obviously wasn’t a bird. They were clearly not snake tracks, so it eliminates that as well. The most likely option, then, would be a bear. At least, I hadn’t seen any other animals this close to the clearing besides those.

Either way, I had a target. Comparing what I knew from other games, if a wolf was considered level 10(and I hoped they were, given the difficulty I had in killing them), then an average bear should be level 15 or 16. That would put it at the same tier of difficulty as the Great Boa. However, each had their natural weaknesses. The snake could only attack in one direction at a time, but had incredible strength if it got ahold of you, and its defense was likely among the best in the forest. As for bears, they were typically known for strength as well, and while their thick hides were weaker than a Great Boa, they were more versatile while attacking.

By the way, I’m sure there are some people wanting to know why I’m not simply using my Light Manipulation to bend the light around me and make myself invisible. To be honest, that was the first thing I did after I gained the ability. And yes, it even worked. However, there was an inherent flaw with that technique. If all light is bending around my body, that means that it is not being directed into my eyes to be processed by my brain. In other words… light bending invisibility blinded me.

Maybe if I got a higher affinity, I’d be able to selectively make it so that light can hit me, but passes through? But that is way beyond what I can do now. As such, I was left stalking through the forest, my dagger at the ready. I had a feeling that I was getting closer to the source of these aura footprints, but if Celeste didn’t keep interrupting me I would have already found them! Why does an AI need to clear her throat anyways?

“What is it?” I asked as quietly as I could manage, looking down at my wrist. When I did so, I saw a rather timid looking hologram slowly pointing in front of me before vanishing. Following where she had pointed, I was reminded of an ancient saying, passed down from generation to generation. Such a wise saying had saved many lives, and ensured the continuation of the species to this day. However, I seemed to have forgotten it until now. Always watch where you’re going.

Ahead of me, staring in a rather upset manner, was a bear. A rather big bear at that, easily as big as I was while still on all four legs. Oh, hey, look, it has a friend… make that friends. Three bears. Three, really big, really brown, really angry bears. I suddenly felt like a sudden blonde girl who had stumbled into a dangerous cabin. His teeth are too sharp, her teeth are too dull, but his teeth are just right to bite me in half.

Okay, I can do this. This is just like that time against the snake. No, wait, bad example, that time there was only one, and it ate me. I crouched down, planting one hand against the ground while the other held the dagger in front of me in what I assumed to be a defensive posture. If I was going down, I was at least going to look cool doing it!

Gathering the earth mana below me, I prepared to make the ground suddenly rise in order to launch me at the pack of bears. A dumb idea, which is exactly why it will catch them off guard! The three bears slowly walked towards me, which I took as my sign to begin. Suddenly lifting the ground with my Earth Manipulation, I launched myself towards them like a catapult, aiming my dagger towards their vitals!

Yeah, since when has that ever happened? “Waaaah!!” I screamed as I tore through the air, faster than expected, my arms flailing to either side. Thankfully, I managed to keep a grip on my dagger, because I felt it sink into something soft, which made my flight path change from a straight line into a sideways arc. Next thing I knew, I collided head first into something not as soft, and heard a dull cracking noise. However, it also made me black out for a moment.

When I woke up, I saw one of the bears staring rather dumbly at the scene before it, not even paying me much attention anymore. For some reason, one of the bears had a giant gash straight down one of their sides, with their entrails spilling out. Obviously, it was already dead. Then, some distance away on the other side of it, another bear was lying limp on the ground, blood coming from a wound on the side of its head, right behind its eye.

Did I just… no… that’s not possible, right? I took a quick look, and saw that Wild Luck had surprisingly gained two full levels, while my luck stat even increased by a point. Apparently, snake scales beat bear skull, and chain dagger beats bear hide… However, I had also lost half of my health, by what the message window labeled a ‘head on’ collision. I seriously wanted to smack the developers of this game.

Looking at the last remaining bear, I decided to go back to my original druid fighting plan. Drawing a bit of fire mana from my body, I amplified it with wind mana, while pulling out any water mana from nearby it. Although it took nearly all of my concentration to simultaneously command three elements, it was not nearly as difficult as it had been to form that cursed pellet. And the result was quite satisfying, an intense fireball forming in my hand. However, my hand was starting to blister just from being so close to the burning flame, so I quickly threw it at the distracted bear, setting its fur on fire.

Well, that didn’t kill the bear, but it certainly got its attention, as the beast was flailing its arms angrily to try to put out the fire. It even laid flat on the ground and rolled around, which would have proven successful if I wasn’t still feeding it fire and wind mana to keep it going. Eventually, it simply stood up, and charged at me. At this point, I was perhaps more terrified than when I was facing three bears at once. I mean, now I was facing a giant, angry, FLAMING bear.

So, doing the only thing I could, I charged at it as well. No longer feeding the flames on the bear, I instead switched to Light Manipulation, and performed the equivalent of shining a bright flashlight in the animal’s eyes. Although this didn’t stop it, or even slow it down, it made it close its eyes. Hoping to take advantage of that, I lunged at the charging bear, preparing to sink my blade into its flesh.

Have you ever seen what it looks like when a ragdoll is hit by a speeding car?

Ragdoll physics!-30HP, Broken Arm(x2), Broken Leg(x2), Broken Rib(x5)

I have! Sadly, my dagger didn’t even find its way to the bear’s throat, and stabbed uselessly into its shoulder while I was launched several meters into the air behind it, collapsing into a broken heap. Thankfully, the bear died a few moments later from the flames, but I was left crying out in pain from what felt like every bone in my body being shattered. Thanks to the lesson I received from the snake, I instinctively cast Alchemic Heal as soon as the pain arrived, which only made more pain come as my misaligned arms and legs forced themselves in the proper position. Another spell took care of the bleeding and started the process of mending my arms. A third, final spell fixed my broken bones, but still left me missing some health. Sadly, between the three heals and all of the magic I had thrown around to fight the bears, I was now running on empty.

Moving over to the dead bears, I winced slightly with every step. It seemed that last bit of health missing made my bones still sore, so every movement caused a bit of pain. Once I got to the bodies of the bears, I put the burnt one, and the one that I headbutted into my inventory. As for the one who was painting the forest with its intestines… it made me sick just to look at, so I left it alone and went on my way towards somewhere I could rest. Once I had the mana, I would fly towards town to sell the bears… after thoroughly studying them.

You have leveled up!

You have leveled up!