Chapter 25 – My reflection
“Why did I see myself in that vision?” After focusing on the deathly feeling I saw myself but I couldn’t understand why. “There no mistaken it I did saw myself, or there some other blue bush with hands and legs walking around…”
I looked at the dead white rat, I looked at my roots that were still connected to its body and a weird thought came to my mind, “I saw through the eyes of the rat? That could explain everything, all this time I was afraid of my own shadow, or more correct from the me that the monsters saw before their death.” Telepathy, tough stealing I wasn’t so sure what exactly happened there, but I felt that I hit a gold mine.
“It’s little weird that I didn’t get a skill from it yet, I guess I need to try a few more times, but for now I should fix this place up.” I said as I looked around, there was a dead body here and there, broken spears laying everywhere and not only that but my disposal room became a huge furnace. “Oh no, the crystal!” I completely forgot about it, I looked to the room through the tunnel and saw the flames inside. “I guess I wait till the flames will extinguish…” I made an ugly face after seeing the fire.
I picked the bodies of the rats and dragged them into the tunnel, then looked at the flames with a worried look and said, “I think that the smell of the burning meat won’t attract any other monsters, I hope so at least…” I wasn’t completely wrong but I forgot about something else.
Not giving it much care after that though I started to patch up the trap, I spread the broken spikes around the trap as normal ones with the thought of, “If there more spikes it shouldn’t hurt, at least it won’t hurt me.” I took rocks and dirt from the small mountain that I created to fix the wall and then wanted to bring more branches for the spears.
But before going to the dried tree I replenished some of my stamina because most of it was used in the battle, I didn’t deactivate my magic perception skill because I was still wary from the chance of a monster wandering to here.
*Self Awareness Status*
-Visavil bush Lv3-
Experience: 11/60
Rarity: Uncommon
Health: 12/12
Mana: 15/40
Stamina: 5/9
Health regen: 1.2/week
Mana regen: 3.85/hour
Stamina regen: 1.67/hour
While resting I checked my status and found out that my mana and stamina raised but not my health. “Well looks like the weak health trend will continue even in the new evolution, but the experience to level up raising a lot faster than before, almost forgot I still have few new skills that I didn’t inspect.” I looked through my status and inspected those new skills.
*Lesser Spear Mastery* – Slightly increase the control and damage of spear weapons when held by the user.
*Thorns* – Gives the ability to the user to grow temporary thorns on its body, the user can choose where the thorns would grow their amount, their size, their strength and their sharpness. Growing the thorns consume stamina while maintaining them will consume mana.
“The first skill looks completely normal as the second one is a lot more advance than most of my skills, I already used my branches as spikes before but never got a skill out of it, looks like a combination of skills is a great way to get a new powerful one.” I said while a drool started to drip from my imaginary mouth while I was thinking about all the possible skills I could get.
After two hours of rest, the area around the trap was still quite and no monster came to the trap, the fire already was extinguished so I moved the bodies into the disposal room and buried them there. While doing that I looked for my crystal between the ashes.
“Oh found it!” I shouted with happiness while bringing up a dirty blue crystal from the ashes, “I knew that the heat won’t do anything to you!” I smiled as I cleaned the dust from the crystal. I dropped the crystal inside my body and grabbed it with my branches, I exited the tunnel and gave another look to the trap.
“I need a lot more spears here…” I said while looking around then I started to move to the dried tree to get more branches. When I came closer to the tree I remembered that I already took almost all the good branches on my last trip, the other branches were or too thin too thick or too short, so I decided to look around for another source of good branches for the spears.
After walking for a few minutes I stopped near some sharp rocks, even though I already found some good trees for the trap on my way here, I wanted to take a small detour. I left my sled near the rocks and continued to walk into the forest.
This was the first time that I entered the deeper parts of the forest, I didn’t know why but today I wanted to go for a short trip. While walking in the forest I found the usual flowers and fruits, there were few new ones that I inspected but they didn’t have any special properties to them, so I didn’t even bother to think about them much.
While walking I saw in the distance interesting tree, it had dark brown bark color, mildly red leaves and beautiful white flowers that reminded me of a white lily flowres, the flowers gently reflected the sunlight as if were made from snow. It didn’t even notice that I remembered something from my past, I just stared at the tree as at a masterpiece made by nature. I approached the tree and used my inspection skill on it.
*Purus Tree* – An uncommon tree with reddish leaves and white flowers, mostly used for ceremonies, in them the tree holds the symbol of life. It’s strong and dark bark represent the road of life, the tree leaves represent the hardship and the pain of life, while its flowers represent purity and innocence of life.
“Ceremonial tree, It easy to see someone taking this beautiful tree and using it in their religion.” I made an annoyed face as I said that, for some reason I didn’t really like the idea of religion, especially in a world like this.
I was still was looking at the tree when I heard footsteps coming from behind me. “Oh shit.” I said as I slowly looked behind me, there I saw a wolf. The wolf was glaring at me it had normal gray fur and it was smaller that all the wolfs I saw till now.
After giving the wolf another glance I was a little happier because the wolf looked normal, “This wolf looks weak, is he a devolve Iron Fur Wolf?” I asked myself and inspected the wolf.
-Young Wild Wolf Lv8-
Health: 33/34
Mana: 3/3
Stamina: 13/15
The wolf released a low growl at me as it was getting ready to make an attack. “It’s not weak, It’s not weak at all!” I didn’t bother to inspect its name and immediately started to run away, sadly the wolf came from behind so I had no choice to escape into the deeper part of the forest.
“I am really am unlucky to meet a wolf out of the blue.” I said as I ran, but then I remembered something, I moved my view and looked at my body. “No I am an idiot, I am still drenched in the rat’s blood!” All my leaves were soaked red in the blood of the white rat, I got it on myself while using the thorn skill and completely forgot about that.
The wolf swiftly caught me and with a jump bite me on the back, I was ready for an attack so I used the thorn skill on the part of my back. A sound of two metal jaws closing on me could be heard, as my branches broke and leaves were torn apart, but with it a dogs cry could be heard as well. The thorns pierced the wolf mouth and even one of them somehow got to his eye, I didn’t make the thorns long but it happen because the wolf bite was too deep.
The pain went through my body as if few bones were broken, I wanted to scream but didn’t, I was focusing only at escaping and a perfect chance appeared. I found myself standing on a small hill, I looked behind for a second, the wolf was few meters away from me still choking on my branches and leaves, while blood dripped from his mouth and a big scar was on his left eye.
“I will remember this…” I said as I slowly started to fall forward, while falling forward I took my hand and legs and brought them closer to the center of my mass, I did the same thing to my leaves and branches.
I looked like a grassy ball was that running down the hill. I did my best to not get any damage from the fall, as well to try to avoid any obstacles on the way, but still I could feel that I got damaged from bumps here and there. While dodging trees and rocks and rolling down the hill the, mighty voice rang inside my head yet again.
*Skill learned “Roll”*
“Oh, a skill!” Because of the voice, I lost focus for a second hit a tree straight on.
*Skill learned “Falling Damage Resistance”*
I stopped from the impact and said, “Ouch… Well, this is great, at least I got another skill.” I slowly started to get up from the ground, “Weird normally from a ride like this I should already be puking, I guess this is another perk of the wooden body.”
I looked up to the hill to see if the wolf was still chasing me, but I couldn’t see it anywhere, it was a good sign but it didn’t mention that he lost interest in me. Because of that, I continued to move forward, I did my best to inscribe the way into my memory, if I didn’t do that most likely I would get lost and be doomed when night falls.
While I was sneaking around the area I found a small pond, “Great exactly what I need!” I ran to the pond while using the detection skill to see if it was safe. I was really lucky because there were no monsters around, but I still didn’t let my guard down, how could I forget my experience with the crocodile in the last pond.
I cleaned the blood off my body and made some distance from the pond, a water source would surely attract few monsters. I wanted to go back but sadly I couldn’t, there was a good chance that the wolf was still roaming around that area, so I needed to wait around for a bit so the wolf hopefully won’t be there anymore.
I rooted myself near a few other bushes and trees while using my stealth skill, and waited for the time to pass. While waiting I inspected the new skills that I acquired.
*Falling Damage Resistance* – Decrease the damage that is taking from falling.
*Roll* – Let the user the ability to roll easily and faster.
“The explanations are really simple it’s like the system isn’t trying anymore, but still it’s great if I increase the first skill, there a chance that I would be able to survive a fall even from a fifty-meter cliff. The other skill is barely usable, at most it is possible to use it to dodge few attacks.” I didn’t see much use for the rolling skill, I still little disappointed that I barely increased this skill.
”I hope the stupid system will give me an running skill already!” I was surprised and annoyed at the same time that I still didn’t get any running or escaping skill after all that happened to me, even though I just did but I would not know it for a really long time…
I waited for half an hour, I was getting nervous because the night slowly was approaching, because of that I chose to go back earlier I started to unroot myself as I heard a few branches breaking. “Shit something coming, is it the wolf?” I used my detection skill to look behind a tree there I saw an aura, it was much bigger than the usual. I immediately rooted back into the ground and used my stealth skill, few moments passed and I could see the approaching party.
I was little lost for words, but still mumbled two, “A human?”
Fun fact: Drinking redbull won’t give you wings, but drinking vodka will make the walls around you move with the power of your mind.
One Of Many - Web Novel 