Returning to the cave, he was greeted with the same ghostly notification as last time.

You have entered the Garden of Erreth.

Not knowing what to expect, Leo cautiously headed towards the passageway on the other end of the cavern. His hands were sweaty as he nervously unsheathed his new weapon, finding comfort in the fact that he wouldn’t have to face his next foe unarmed. The passage gently sloped downward, growing dimmer until the light from the entrance was blocked from view entirely, blanketing his eyes in black.

He walked as carefully as one could in almost pure darkness, with one hand outstretched against the rough mountain wall to avoid getting turned around. It took about fifteen minutes of slowly trudging along before a faint light pierced his black world. The ground started to level out and the light from the upcoming exit quickly became blinding. He threw up a hand to save his eyes from the sun’s wrath, blinking rapidly to bring the blurred imagery in front of him into focus.

The cavern he had entered was so immense, he could barely spot the far wall where it ended a few miles away. The whole place was lit up like a spring morning and covered in a layer of light mist from a roaring waterfall that poured in through a large hole in the ceiling far above. The combination of water and sunlight had allowed for a thick forest of plants of every shape and variety to spread out and dominate the floor.

The sheer volume of different flora in this place was mind-numbing, and he took a moment just to admire the myriad of colors before his stomach reminded him of more important priorities. The entrance of the tunnel morphed into a scattering of worn chiseled stone that formed a pathway leading into the thicket. Just as he was about to go see where the ancient walkway led, a nearby tree caught his attention.

It reminded him of a pomegranate tree, but replacing the cherry red seeded fruit nestled small, bulb-shaped blue ones that radiated an azure light. Entranced by the strange yet tantalizing food stashed away in the tree’s branches, he walked over to the base of the trunk and plucked one hanging at head height.

If the effect of the fruit was truly random, there was an equal chance he would receive a blessing as there was a curse from consuming it. He considered the potentially perilous item, trying to decide if it was worth taking such a blatant risk. The alluring glow of the fruit seemed to draw him in the same way the scent of a bakery might sway a passerby.

Whether it was the hypnotic glow of the Pandorian or just plain curiosity, Leo brought the item to his lips and sank his teeth through the fruit’s rough outer skin and into the golden juice-filled flesh within. The moment the nectar landed on his tongue, a shiver ran down his body. It was divine. A rich sweetness that stood at the pinnacle of anything he had ever tasted back on Earth.

The fruit’s juice ran down his throat and into his stomach, where it settled with a satisfying wonderous warmth. He tore off another bite, unable and unwilling to stop himself from devouring the piece of heaven in his hands. With each bite the warm sensation at the pit of his stomach grew, trickling out from his center down the length of his limbs and pulling him deeper into the blissful experience.

As he went to take another bite, a sharp pain shot through his hand as his teeth met the flesh of his palm, drawing blood. He had finished the fruit in its entirety without even realizing it. With a shrug, he turned toward the tree, where dozens more of the Pandorians hung temptingly from the branches. The deep blue they radiated marked the now irresistible sign of their presence.

He reached to grab another, but right as his fingers grazed the rough skin of the blessed fruit, the tree grew taller, leaving the treasure just out of reach. Despair held him for a moment as his prizes were whisked away from his grasp, and he jumped madly to grab hold of another. The tree continued to rise over him, dwarfing him in size hundreds of times over.

Leo released a cry of rage at the unfairness of it all, the sound coming out as a high-pitched squeak. Surprise from hearing the stark difference in his voice broke him out of his stupor, and he looked around to discover that giant green curtains had formed all around him. Is this the effect of the fruit?

He poked one of the green objects and it swayed back gently at his touch. It had a tough but smooth exterior that was embedded in the ground. His gaze traced the mysterious object upwards until it fell on the cavern ceiling beyond. It was so far off in the distance, it was barely visible. Which meant the tree hadn't grown bigger, he had grown smaller!

Frantically, Leo pulled up his status window.

The dramatic drop in his constitution left his max health at one-hundredth of a point—a freaking worm could kill him now. He was glad his luck stat wasn’t considered “relevant” to his body size, or else he probably would be fighting one of those five-hearted, pink monstrosities. The idea was so ridiculous it made him chuckle.

If the fruit had imparted a longer lasting effect, he might’ve been running around in a blind panic right about now. As it was, the experience was so novel and harmless that he found himself enjoying it.

“I’m tiny!” he yelled with a grin. His high-pitched squeak echoed off the tall blades of grass surrounding him. As it died away, Leo headed out to explore his temporary new world.

Using the Pandorian tree as a guide, he decided to head toward the walkway. He struggled to push aside the large blades of grass in his way, as the massive green barriers had grown over twice his size. Luckily, his clothes and items had been shrunk with him; it would have been a pathetic way to go out if he had been squished by his own belongings.

Unsheathing Aveth, he began hacking his way through the grass, feeling as if he had been transported to some dense tropical jungle. He slashed down the next several green walls, only to have his passage blocked by his next nemesis, a large stick. At this height, the obstacle resembled a massive fallen sequoia, but one with a multitude of strange, purple markings dotting its surface.

He sheathed his sword and approached the giant twig, looking for the best way to clamber over it while staying away from the oddly sweet-smelling marks. He found an unblemished section that appeared climbable and leapt up. His hands grasped the uneven surface of the wood while the rest of his body frantically scrambled to find purchase for his feet below. It took a moment of flailing until his legs finally found a nook to gain leverage on, allowing him to begin his slow but thankfully short climb up. After what he guessed was almost a few inches of climbing, he managed to heave himself to the summit.

Standing tall, he raised both his hands in the air and let out a ferocious victory squeak, marking his accomplishment for the whole world to hear. As the sound fell away among the blades of grass, he paused for a moment to catch his breath. At least now he could finally see above the green peaks and his destination of the stone pathway beyond.

Movement caught his eye in the sea of green as sections of the grass bent and shifted with the approach of something drawing nearer. Clearly, a ferocious beast had come to challenge his claim. He drew his sword right as the approaching intruder came into view. It was a form of beetle, boasting a great trunk that sprouted out its front and a hard green carapace that formed an impregnable defense around its back.

Leo met his foe’s beady green eyes and cast Observation.

It didn’t take him long to put two and two together: The odd purple blemishes he had found must’ve been how the beetle claimed its territory and based on the agitated way the insect was stomping its front legs, it didn’t take kindly to trespassers.

“To battle, Rare Ingredient!” Leo cried, hefting his sword above his head. The Stag Beetle let out its own trumpeting cry in response. The Beetle’s carapace separated, revealing a pair of colorful wings that it used to take flight and zoom toward Leo. He released an Arc Bolt, half-expecting the electricity to engulf the beetle whole, but the very miniature lightning that burst from his hand barely managed to singe the underside of the encroaching bug.

As it flew by, the beetle swung its trunk at him, forcing Leo to almost tumble off his perch with his dive to the side. He got back to his feet, just as the insect circled to continue its aerial assault.

It dove toward him again and Leo let out a vicious swing toward the creature’s underside. The beetle managed to roll mid-air just in time to take the strike against the backside of its hard carapace, but Aveth’s keen edge still managed to slice through its thick armor. The swing lodged the sword deeply into the monster’s back, and as it completed its roll, it tore the blade from his grasp. The beetle bellowed in pain and crashed to the grass below.

Leo leapt off the twig to follow, his bones easily bracing the light impact of the fall despite it being over twice his height. He sprinted toward his adversary just as the beetle turned to face him. It pointed its trunk straight at him and shot a cloud of glittery purple dust through the air. A quick roll to the side allowed Leo to barely avoid the sudden ranged attack as the cloud grazed just over his shoulder. The drastically sweet smell threatening to overwhelm his senses.

Seeing its opponent on the ground, the beetle trampled toward him. Leo threw his arms out to shield his face as the beetle swung its trunk into his shoulder, throwing him to the side.

He tumbled in the dirt before managing to roll back to his knees, eyes narrowing at the creature before him. “A worthy foe,” he praised as he got back up to his feet. His health bar had dropped by over a third with the blow. Leo let out a cry as he charged the beetle. The creature in turn raised its trunk over its head and let out a cry of its own before following his charge.

It shot out another blast of aroma, but Leo managed to sidestep it without breaking stride. As the beetle approached, it jabbed its trunk at him like a thrusting spear. Leo jumped in the air to avoid the attack and landed lightly on the beetle’s outstretched trunk before pushing off again and leaping over the creature’s head; it was a feat even he was impressed to have managed. He slid down the smooth carapace and grabbed Aveth still embedded in its back, yanking the sword free with his momentum.

The beetle cried out in pain as the blade was ripped violently away. Green blood leaked down the creature’s back as it spun in rage a dozen paces away. Like jousting knights, Leo knew it was time for their final charge.

He raised Aveth over his head and sprinted forth just as his opponent raised its massive trunk and did the same. Right before they struck, there was a ripple of energy through his body as the world quickly spun before his eyes. There was a crunch under his foot as his momentum carried his body headfirst into the Pandorian Tree, knocking him flat on the ground.

The hard impact against the tree was enough to knock loose a Pandorian with its vibration, and the fruit fell to bounce off his throbbing forehead.

“Ow…” Leo muttered, as he let reality slowly settle back in on him from his tiny adventure. After a minute, a grin crept across his face. “That was awesome!” he exclaimed, quickly sitting up.

His good mood soured when he checked his shoe and saw the sweet-smelling remnants of his foe. Feeling like he had cheated in their contest, he picked the Green Stag Beetle off his shoe and gave it a small burial, using the twig they had battled on as a headstone. “You fought well, big guy,” Leo whispered slowly, getting to his feet.

He stared at the Pandorian tree for a bit before grabbing another fruit. Just holding it in his hands reminded him of the ecstasy he had felt when eating it. Making a split-second decision, he tossed the fruit over his shoulder. An unknown benefit didn’t justify an unknown risk.