As the battle finally ended, a familiar wave of euphoria rolled through me, and I was inundated with a host of notifications. I flicked through them while lying on the ground, regaining my stamina.

Poison Resistance has reached level 3! +50xp

Small Blades has reached level 3! +50xp

Trauma Suppression has reached level 5! +100xp

Your party has defeated:

Lumbering Root Golem x2

Root Snake x12

Based on your contribution, you have earned 835xp.

Congratulations! You have reached level 5!

+1 Constitution.

+1 Intelligence

+3 Dexterity

+2 Perception

The fight had netted me far more experience than any other had, but considering that I’d come out of it looking like a partially blackened porcupine, that was only fair. What truly surprised me was less so the level up and more so what came after.

Congratulations! You have hit 25 Perception and reached the first Perception threshold.

Gained ability: Danger Sense

You can passively sense when you’re in danger. This ability scales with your Perception and can be overcome by anyone with sufficiently advanced obfuscating abilities or stealth skills. Additionally, you gain the ability to tell when someone is watching you.

Gained ability: Mana Sense

Magic and mana now have sensory components, giving you the ability to perceive mana.

As had happened during my previous level ups, my body adjusted to the influx of new stats. This time, however, the rush was overwhelming. Even my previous level, where a full 5 points had gone into Perception, couldn’t hold a candle to what I was feeling now.

Previously unknown to me, each current of air ever so slowly brushed against my skin, and I could taste the damp earth in the air. From where she stood close by, I could even hear Hartha’s heart beats.

That was to say nothing of my new ability to sense mana — while there wasn’t much of it, there was a small amount diffused throughout the air, imparting a bluish tint. The defeated root creatures held a fair amount as well, though they glowed with a green light instead.

As if to mark my momentous transformation, one final notification popped up.

For gaining 25 Perception, you have unlocked a new aspect of God’s Mind. Skill Identify has been upgraded to God’s Eye.

God’s Eye

Focusing on an item or entity will reveal more details.

Gain resistance to illusions, invisibility, and other sight-altering effects.

Increases the effects and leveling speeds of detection-based skills.

God’s Eye will fail if the target is sufficiently obfuscated or if their level is over your Perception.

Honestly, I hadn’t been giving much thought to God’s Mind, but it had said it could grant additional effects if I had enough Perception or Intelligence. Having a better identification skill felt like it would come in handy, and I focused on Hartha to see how it had changed.

Hartha: Level 13 Forester, 208/220hp

Now that was an upgrade. Previously, all I’d been able to see was her name.

Done reading, I pulled myself to my feet. Hartha had been healing me periodically as I read, and finally all my wounds sealed shut. She used one more on herself, bringing us both to full health.

For all that she’d patiently healed me, it was abundantly clear she wanted nothing more than to pick me up and sprint out of the cavern, and noting that I was healthy, she said just as much.

“Loot the creatures quickly, quickly, quickly. There’s no telling how long the dryad will wait.” She ran through the copse of corpses, looting them one by one, and I followed suit. While I had plenty of questions by now, her intensity brooked no room for conversation.

Your party has received:

Snake Root x12

Lumbering Lumber x30

The first was a moderate strength poison antidote, while the second was just a crafting material. Without a spatial pouch of her own, Hartha shoved her share of the goods into mine, and we moved on.

Where previously the cavern’s exit had been blocked with roots, it now lay open. Seeming to think better of leaving me alone this time, Hartha didn’t run ahead of me, but she did insist that we jog.

Down and down we went through the dimly lit tunnel, until at last, we reached another cavern.

Unlike the first, this one was much smaller and lacked an exit. Against the far wall lay a semicircular pond, and draped across the floor and all over the walls was a verdant carpet of moss and vines and ferns of all sorts.

Of course, none of that was quite as important as the fact that the room wasn’t empty.

Sitting on a plain wooden chair which seemed to grow straight from the earth was the dryad who’d begun this entire mess. She leaned her head against her polished wooden fist, assaying us with unconcealed mirth in her eyes.

For Hartha’s part, she ran forward and prostrated herself. Not feeling quite as generous to the woman who’d summoned the creatures that had kicked my ass, I settled for a test of my new skill.

Elphaea: Forest Dryad, Level ??

I paled as I realized the woman must have been over level 25 for my skill to fail that way. I quickly rethought my stance of prostrating myself.

Fortunately, if she was offended by my lack of deference, she didn’t show it. Addressing Hartha first, she bent her head downwards. “Hello child of the forest,” she chimed. Then, turning to me, she continued. “And you. A human. A Protagonist. And if I’m not mistaken, an outworlder?”

I hesitantly nodded in confirmation.

“A true rarity then.” Her eyes twinkled as she appraised me further. “I’d introduce myself, but you already know my name, don’t you? A bit rude, that, but no matter. For your friend’s sake, you may call me Elphaea.”

I failed to contain a nervous laugh as the dryad made it clear that my identification skill hadn’t gone unnoticed. Still, while everything about the situation was throwing me off my game, after playing hide and seek followed by the rooty, gladiatorial death match, I’d gone as far as I could without getting answers.

“I’m just going to come out and say it: I have no idea what’s going on.” If nothing else, hopefully the dryad would take some pity on me and finally give me some explanation.

Elphaea chuckled, stirring up a refreshing breeze in the cavern. “It is an ancient tradition for dryads to provide their blessing to any child of the forest who manages to catch them. While not one that I’ve partaken in for quite some time, given the expansion of the deadlands, I decided perhaps some aid was in order. After all, as a dryad, I cannot leave the forest, so I must entrust protecting it to others in this case.”

Well, she certainly had an odd way of providing aid then. “Um. Sorry. Couldn’t you have just stepped out of a tree and been like ‘Hey! Here’s some help!’” Where did getting bitten by snakes come into this?

She quizzically tilted her head to the side. “The child of the forest must pass some sort of test to earn my boon. It’s only right. Much more importantly, though, think how boring that would have been, no?”

I could almost feel one of my eyes twitching. Had I just gotten my flesh burned through and peppered with wood chunks because she’d gotten a little bored?

Deep breaths, T.

Considering she was wildly powerful and offering her aid, I was hardly about to curse her out. I settled for a deep, internal sigh, instead.

Honestly, it was hard to stay mad, though: Not only had I managed to level from it, but also Trauma Suppression was already dulling the mental stress of having almost died. Was that a messed up thought? Probably. But then again, this was a messed up world.

“So what kind of help are we talking here?” I figured of all people, the lady made of trees probably had a vested interest in the forest not disappearing, so hopefully she’d give us as much help as she could.

“Well,” she chimed, “does the child of the forest think she is worthy to receive the forest’s blessing?” Elphaea craned her neck down to the still-prostrate form of Hartha. “And child, could you at least kneel instead of lying down? My ears aren’t in my roots, you know.”

As if struck by lightning, Hartha bolted to her knees, stammering. “Yes Lady Dryad! I mean, sorry, no, I am not worthy, Lady Dryad! I mean, I would be honored by your blessing, if you would choose someone unworthy like m-”

A root coiled up from the earth, climbing up Hartha’s body until it slipped around her mouth. “Yes, yes, child. I sincerely hope you don’t make me regret this.”

With that, the dryad extended her hand to Hartha and touched her on the cheek. Vines and roots flowed over her arm, stopping when they came into contact with the forest shadow. My newly acquired Mana Sense nearly blinded me as a torrent of lively, green mana flowed through the roots and into Hartha.

Then, with very little fanfare, it was over. Elphaea retracted her arm, and Hartha knelt there, slack-jawed. She finally snapped to, blurting out some thanks. “Thank you honored dryad! This is more than I cou-”

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, I know, I know. Thank you young one. Use the power responsibly or I’ll summon some trees to eat you or something.” She switched her attention from the awestruck shadow to me before continuing. “And as for you. What aid would you seek from me?”

I thought for a moment on what would best help me in the expedition. “You wouldn’t happen to be able to teach me any spells, would you?” Hartha had mentioned that mages could only teach people spells after they’d leveled up their magic enough. Who was more likely to be able to teach me something than an ancient, magical forest nymph then?

“Hmm. A possibility. What is your Intelligence, and which spells were you hoping for?” Her gaze bore into me as if focusing more intensely on me would somehow reveal my Intelligence. Then again, for all I knew, it actually might: I had no idea what sorts of abilities the dryad had.

A pang of excitement leapt out of me as I thought about what sorts of magic I wanted. “14. And I certainly wouldn’t say no if you had a fireball spell…” I hardly considered myself a pyromaniac, but being able to fling some fire would go a long way towards making me feel safer, not to mention considerably cooler.

Elphaea’s features shifted as she fixed me with a blank stare. She said nothing, letting the silence build until it became physically uncomfortable, until at last, she broke it.

“Young one, I am made of wood and I live in a forest. No. I do not have the fireball spell.”

Oh. Right.

My face grew redder than a fireball as I rapidly pivoted. “So what I’m hearing is life spells? Maybe something else too?”

She nodded. “Just so. At your current Intelligence, all I can teach you is a life spell and a water spell, nor will they be too strong. Like most things, however, they will serve you better and better the more you train with them.” She beckoned me over to her chair, and like Hartha, I kneeled.

“Now, let’s teach you some magic, shall we?”

You have learned a new spell: Minor Healing. +50xp

Minor Healing:

Heal a target within 15 meters for hit points.

Cost: 20 mana

You have learned a new skill: Life Magic. +50xp

All life spells 1% stronger. Gain 1% resistance to life spells cast against you.

You have learned a new spell: Conjure Water. +50xp

Conjure Water:

Summon a small orb of clean water.

Cost: 5 mana

You have learned a new skill: Water Magic. +50xp

All water spells 1% stronger. Gain 1% resistance to water spells cast against you.

With little effort, Elphaea had granted me my first two spells before kicking us out of her grotto. The process had been simpler than expected: She’d touched my forehead, and the complete knowledge of how to cast both spells had appeared rather suddenly.

I scrolled through the notifications for my new spells, admiring them. As almost an errant thought, I tried to will away the little +50xp’s that followed each one. They’d been useful at the start, but were beginning to feel like clutter at this point.

Surprisingly, it worked. The experience amounts disappeared without a trace, reacting to my thoughts almost instantly.

That’s actually kind of cool? Takes UI to a new level at least.

As interesting as that was, however, it paled in comparison to my main takeaway. I was a mage now! I knew magic! Maybe no one on this planet would be impressed, but for someone who’d spent a quarter century on a planet without any sort of magic at all, it was a big deal!

At some point, I’d have to figure out a way to celebrate. For the time being though, it wasn’t about me — of the two of us, Hartha had undergone an even bigger transformation, and even after we’d left Elphaea, the shadow remained in a daze of sorts.

I analyzed her with my recently acquired skill, the proof of her transformation visible before me.

Hartha: Level 15 Heart of the Forest, 300/300hp

“So a new class, huh? And two levels to go with it? Want to tell me about it while we walk?”

The chance to talk about her class seemed to bring her back to her senses, and the words began tumbling out of her. “It’s an advanced class. It’s a very rare advanced class. I… I think I have the rarest class in the entire village now. And a whole two levels in a split second? It’s wonderful and overwhelming and frightening and a lot of other things! But mostly it’s good! It’s good!”

“Yes! We love to hear it, and I’m happy for you!” I went in for a high five, but the shadow left me hanging, looking at my hand in confusion. Welp. Guess that was just an Earth thing. I put my hand back down.

As a thought occurred to her, she wrinkled her nose before giving me a more pointed look. “Wait, how did you know that I leveled? And that my class changed?”

I chuckled. Busted. I hadn’t yet told Hartha about my new skill, and from what I gathered, it wasn’t that common to be able to read people’s classes. “How about I tell you on the way home, and you can geek out to me about this whole ‘Heart’ business.”

She agreed readily, and just as expected, she geeked out the entire way home.