Chapter 7

Snake Report:

Day two here at Tiny Snake Camp [Dust Bowl.]

I swear to Tiny Snake God, I saw something again when I woke up.

There was absolutely, with 100% certainty, some sort of message.

I know it.

Of course, by the time I was awake enough to realize it, whatever was there, was gone.

Fishy, to say the least.

Anyways, as is apparently becoming routine now, I’ve finished my checks.

In summary:

[Voice of Gaia] is still uncooperative.

[Spirit Attendants] are still uncooperative.

Earth related magic is also uncooperative.

Fire, Healing, and Water seem to be cooperative.

Passive skills are probably cooperative, but I’m not super interested in finding out.

Imra is… kind of cooperative.

By that, I mean she’s not talking to the tree or muttering about losing her mind. Together, I take these as a good sign.

She’s meditating.

I think it’s some sort of skill.

If I focus on her long enough, I start to see an image of a… pool.

No, a pond.

Something like that.

One very calm body of water…

I think.

Makes me feel super strange to try and look at it, so I haven’t tried again.

Also, a bit thirsty.

Really weird.

That’s pretty much the reason why I’m sitting lookout by the root entrance to camp [Dust Bowl.] Farther away from Imra I go, the less it seems to reach me, and I’ve had enough weirdness for right now.

I’ve been trying to come up with a goal for the day.

Sure, I can sit around and wait. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a pro at that, but I’ve been thinking today I might try something else.

See, catching the sun as it’s coming up: I spotted the outline of... something.

I wasn’t really looking up until now. I mean, for trees and monsters, sure. Of course, I was looking for those, but this seems like...

Well, I just kinda want to take a closer look.

It doesn’t seem as though it’s that far, and I haven’t seen anything out here that I won’t be able to handle.

Little bit of hot sun shouldn’t be trouble. Foxes don’t scare me. Lizards… okay, maybe those lizards do sort of scare me, but I literally barbequed and ate one last night, so I’m slightly less intimidated.

This place might be inhospitable, but it’s no Dungeon.

I’ve seen worse.

Ssss…

Imra is… still meditating.

She might just be trying to conserve her strength.

For someone who recently ran close to a marathon in distance, I’m entirely sure she hasn’t had enough water. Doesn’t matter how hardy Elves are, there’s no way she can just bounce back from that.

Besides, I can only draw out so much water before it starts to get difficult. The little water I can get to seems to need time to fill back in. Think of it like a normal well, minus the magic-aspects, but one that is almost completely tapped.

Plus, I suck with water magic.

It’s coming from at least a few feet of dirt: there’s a lot of resistance.

Troublesome.

What’s even more troublesome, is for all the time I’ve spent using that magic, I haven’t even gotten one notification.

Usually I’d have seen some by now. I know I would have.

Just a “rank up” sort of thing.

Instead, it’s been radio silence. On all fronts, really.

Nothing.

Does it feel like it’s getting easier?

I don’t know.

Maybe a little? I’m used to seeing proof, though.

Something.

Anything.

Just like [Voice of Gaia] has been, the messages I’m used to seeing, are staying quiet.

I don’t like that, one bit.

Makes me nervous.

I’ve been taking a lot of these things for granted, ever since I got here. Magic working, weird messages popping up. Stuff like that.

Sss…

Whatever.

I’ve still got fire, and healing. Lopsided magics 101.

Either set something on fire of save its life, or I guess I could splash them a bit.

Not a great combination, but more than enough to go investigating, and I’m not going all that far.

Yeah.

I got this.

Imra, keep doing whatever it is you’re doing.

For me, it’s Tiny Snake Adventure o’clock.

I’ll be back soon.

… Hopefully.