I had already gauged the approximate power range of this forest: Terrifying, but manageable if I kept my head down.

I collected my vines and began climbing the tree. The vines could wrap around bits of bark that stuck out of the tree and pull itself up. The climb up was extremely tedious. The trees were tall, and I meant tall. These things couldn't be compared to the trees on earth. Skyscrapers, maybe, but trees? No.

I also slowed myself down on purpose. I only knew the power level of the creatures near the ground. I couldn’t be confident about facing the monsters up there. I simply didn’t have any information about them. I didn’t want to jump into a danger zone because I couldn’t be patient.

Control has reached level two!

I had a fleeting thought about trolling myself by making a plant called Control. I brushed that thought aside and began testing out the improved Control. I could now move the vines a bit more precisely, and mana consumption was decreased. It was decreased by nineteen percent, to be exact. Not bad.

I continued climbing up the tree with my vines.

Control has reached level three!

Thirteen percent increase in efficiency.

Control has reached level four!

Thirty percent increase in efficiency.

The degree of improvement between levels was random but tended to be around twenty percent.

I cared for this type of information deeply. Knowledge really is power. Lack of knowledge this would mean death.

I saw many different animals on my way up. I took a long path around a spiderweb the size of two basketball courts. The spider, of course, was the size of a car. I noped out of there as quickly as I could. Even butterflies didn’t look very cute when they could kill you in a bite.

You have leveled up. You may choose one of these two options:

+2 mana regeneration per minute

+2000 max mana

You have also gained half your mana back! Good luck in your future endeavors!

“Eh? why is this so overpowered.” This was supposed to be just one level, right?

I instantly chose the +2 mana regeneration per minute option. It was a no brainer. It tripled my mana regeneration. My status screen also changed to show the new mana regeneration rate.

Vincent the Cultivator

Lv2

MP : 1227/2000

MP Regeneration : 3MP/min

I kept climbing, eventually reaching somewhere close to the top of the canopy. Thick vines were draped everywhere. Despite being so high up, I felt I could build a city here and the trees would be able to hold it.

I wandered around, looking for a place to put down my roots literally and metaphorically. The sun was beginning to set when I found it.

“This is godsend,” I whispered to myself. I didn’t make a habit of talking to myself, but this warranted it.

I found an abandoned nest. It had been a group nest, one for at least fifty creatures. The nest was covered with a thick layer of dirt. Ok, maybe not dirt. Dung, dirt, same thing. It didn’t smell, so I didn’t mind.

The tip of a tree pierced the center of the nest, giving it a solid support.

I sighed and a huge chunk of my mana flowed into a seed. I crouched and pushed it into the ground before turning around and running away.

Twentytacale Trap has reached level two!

Twentytacale Trap has reached level three!

Twentytacale Trap has reached level four!

Twentytacale Trap has reached level five!

The ground trembled. Roots burst out of the ground around me. A bulb surrounded by twenty long vines formed. I walked up to it and planted Poison Spikes on the vines to pierce the hides of larger monsters.

Poison Spike has reached level two!

Poison Spike has reached level three!

Once it had reached level three, I planted a larger one on the centerpiece connecting the twenty tentacles. If the spikes on the tentacles couldn’t do the job, they would drag the creature to this central spike to finish it off.

I sat underneath the giant plant, safe under the watch of the goliath.

Vincent the Cultivator

Lv2

MP : 50/2000

MP Regeneration : 3MP/min