Chapter 22 – Light of hope
The huge panther finished its loud roar, lower its head and looked at me. It was as if a small mountain was hovering above me, all what I could do is tremble in fear under it. The strong pressure of its aura was crushing me and because of it I barely could move.
I did my best to turn around and started to run, I felt as if time slowed down while I tried to make some distance from the creature. I ran and ran but for some reason, the panther didn’t follow suit as if it wanted me to struggle as if it wanted to chase after me. Just when I made some distance from the panther, it made another scary roar and with huge sounds as if from explosions *boom* *boom*, *boom* *boom* the panther was chasing after me again.
I was passing withered trees and withered bushes, this place only gave me the feeling of death. I ran and ran and ran, I did my best but of course I didn’t have any chance to out run that creature.
After passing another tree my pace slowly started to get slower and slower, I stopped trembling and the fear that I was feeling slowly started to disperse. Even the heavy pressure that I was feeling early, disappeared as well just like that, without leaving a trace.
I stopped in an open field that was full with withered grass and dead flowers and asked myself, “What I am doing? Why I am running away?” Of course, it was a completely stupid question to ask, but I was in a dream and not only that I couldn’t think straight, I even didn’t know that I was dreaming.
I made a turn to the direction of the creature, that its head was already above me. It looked at me with its scary pitch black eyes and let out a low growl. “You want to eat me? Then come and get me!” I screamed at the creature without any care.
The panther stomped its two huge paws near me and it created two immense shock waves from contact with the ground, but I didn’t even flinch, I continued to stare at the creature straight in the eyes. Now not only that there weren’t any fear left inside my heart, it was as if I didn’t have a reason to fear it from the beginning.
While I was looking at the creature my body started to release a light blue aura, it started to accumulate around my body more and more, the aura gave out a strong feeling of control and power.
The panther opened its huge jaw and sent his huge head straight at me, I didn’t even try to dodge it. As its jaws were coming closer and closer to me I clenched my right fist and punched with full force at the upcoming panther’s head while screaming, “FUCK YOU!” I hit the panther right inside its mouth, but although all my efforts I found myself being torn to shreds by the panther huge teeth.
At this dark withered forest the panther was standing still and in its mouth, you could still see branches popping out, as small pieces of leaves were slowly falling to the ground, even now the blue aura still surrounded them and when the pieces touched the ground all the flora around them immediately came back to life.
I woke up in my dark small world, I immediately understood that it was just a dream and said, “Well that was weird, did I die?” I wasn’t frightened at all, all my fear vanished as if this dream wasn’t a nightmare, I didn’t give it much thought and used my magic perception skill as usual.
As I opened my eyes I saw that I was still holding the blue crystal in my hands, but its light was somewhat a lot dimmer than what I remembered it and when I looked at my body I was surprised because I was surrounded by a thick aura that was filled with rich mana.
“Oh no, don’t tell me I used the crystal in my sleep?!” It wasn’t specific in the explanation of the crystal if you could replenish its mana, but I was almost sure that it was impossible because it takes decades for this crystal to form. Without a delay, I inspected the crystal and found out that I was correct and there was barely any mana left inside it.
*Lesser Mana Crystal*
-Mana: 3/25
I tried to control the mana around me and insert it back inside the crystal, but no matter how many times I couldn’t do it. “*Sigh*” I sighted in a disappointed. ”I guess the crystal really became just a good luck charm.” Now that the crystal was almost empty there weren’t many much uses from it for me. I tried to insert my mana last time inside the crystal but it just didn’t want to enter it, just as my imaginary face was getting gloomy the mighty voice rang inside my head.
*”Mana Manipulating” leveled up to Lv2*
*The correct requirements are met, the evolution “Visavil bush” is now available.*
“Wha?” I was stunned for a moment, “Evolution?” Flashes of different games that I didn’t remembered playing went through my mind. ”Evolving and getting much much stronger in a short frame of time, I think that explain the strange stats differences in monsters compared to their levels!“ The levels of the monsters jumped around in this forest, from a level five lizard that could kill a wolf, to a level nine bunny that couldn’t do anything to the same wolf.
My imaginary smile was filled with endless happiness, this is the ticket that I was waiting for to get stronger, without further ado I inspected the name of the evolution.
*Visavil bush* – Uncommon bush that found mostly near a high mana concentrated areas, it feeds mostly on mana and can even grow inside dark caves. It’s berries restores a small amount of mana and its branches can be used as the main ingredient for low tier staffs and wands.
“Hmm that’s interesting bush, there was some kind of requirements that I met, inspect evolution requirements?” I tried to check them but it didn’t work. “Inspect *evolution requirements Visavil bush*.”
*Evolution requirements for Visavil bush*
– *User lv5*
– *Mana Manipulating Lv2*
“So I could evolve even sooner but lacked a level in mana manipulation.” I stopped my mumbling for a second and said, “Well I have nothing to lose.” And with confidence I said, “Evolve into Visavil bush.” A moment passed then another and I asked in confusion, “Maybe I said it wrong…” But then suddenly all the surroundings started to shift in shapes and I immediately blacked out, I didn’t even had time to react.
Time slowly passed, my unconscious body was still rooted in the middle of my room, it radiated with a weak blue light that was pulsing stronger and stronger. The leaves started to change color into light blue and had a lighter blue pattern resemble veins all over them, my branches started to get a bluish color and even my berries as well, but their color was mixed a little with reddish orange color.
*Evolution Bonuses*
-*”Wood Element Control” increased to Lv4*
-*”Grow” increased to Lv2*
-*”Self Awareness” increased to Lv3*
-*”Increase Mana Regeneration Lv1” skill acquired*
And just like that in a blink of an eye, morning turned into night. I woke up little disoriented inside my small world and with a reflex immediately activated my magic perception skill. I looked around the small room, it was lit by gentle blue color it resembled the light that came from the mana crystal.
I looked around and said, “ The crystal emitting such a pretty light.” I slowly looked at my hands where I saw the mana crystal that was barely emitting a dim blue light, I immediately returned to my sense and understood that the light wasn’t coming from the crystal. Moving my view and scanning my body I found out that I got completely blueish.
“Well… This is evolution.” I was little speechless, I did expect to have some kind of change but didn’t expect the change to be so drastic, I immediately started to scan my body. The biggest change of course was the change in color, but not only that have changed, my body structure changed as well.
There was more space between my branches and I had fewer leaves on my body, the most surprising thing there were something similar to frost cracks on my branches and from them, a strong blue light was pulsing. “What is that?” I asked, but of course I wouldn’t get a simple answer. After finishing observing my body I remembered something vague about evolution bonuses, “Can it be?” I immediately checked my status.
*Self Awareness Status*
-Visavil bush Lv1-
Experience: 0/35
Rarity: Uncommon
Health: 12/12
Mana: 12/35
Stamina: 4/8
Health regen: 1.2/week
Mana regen: 3.8/hour
Stamina regen: 1.65/hour
Race: Berry bush.
Status: Unique-Intelligent, Shadow Mark
Skills:
*Magic Perception Lv3(Active)* *Self Awareness Lv3* *Calm Mind Lv5* *Inspect Lv4* *Rage Lv1* *Killing Intent Lv2* *Pain Resistance Lv1* *Mana Manipulating Lv2* *Wood Element Control Lv4* *Dig Lv3* *Stealth Lv2* *Detection Lv3* *Lifesteal Lv1* *Poison Resistance Lv1* *Item Crafting Lv2* *Stamina Storage Lv2* *Throwing Lv1* *Lesser Hand To Hand Combat Lv1* *Grow Lv2* *Increase Mana Regeneration Lv1*
Titles:
*Clutz* *Novice Trapper*
I checked my status with a glance and shouted, “Yes! My wood element control, self awareness and grow skills leveled up and I even got a new skill!” Then I looked little above and shouted again, “AT LAST! My regeneration stats are displayed as well!” I looked at my health regen and said, ”Ugh, that explain why I barely healed any of my injuries at all.”
I was really happy about all the powers ups I got, “My stats increase a lot as well!” Every time I found something new I shouted stronger and stronger while my smile on my imaginary face suppressed its limit and became crooked. “I should do my best to evolve even more.” After examining my status completely I inspected my new skill.
*Increase Mana Regeneration Lv1* – Increase the mana regeneration of user by a specific number of points.
-Current increase : 2
“This is great, this is really great!” I completely forgot about the events that have happened to me these last few days, about the nightmares that I was dreaming, about the crazy feeling as if my life was almost slipping through my fingers, about being completely scared to nothingness. This time I felt that something new was born inside me it was a new feeling the feeling of hope.
Fun fact:
A scary woman was running after a young man inside a forest, the scary woman had black long hair and lifeless eyes, she was dressed in a tattered white dress with dirt all over it. She had long black nails on her hands, every nail was at least twenty centimeters long.
While the crazy woman was running after the young man she screamed, “I will kill you, your friends and your family!” The young man ran desperately for his life suddenly stopped and asked himself a stupid question, “Wait, why I am running?”
The young man faced the crazy woman while clenching his right fist, when the crazy woman was almost near him he jumped at her and punched her with full force. But for his surprise, it didn’t stop the crazy woman and he found himself impaled on her black long nails.
One Of Many - Web Novel 