Today, I set forth on a fantastical adventure!

Or, at least, that was how I planned it.

Kaden wasn't entirely sure what he expected when the sun rose but his newfound ability to grab and push with his trunk's roots had definitely accelerated his passage more than anyone could have anticipated. But it wasn't because of some profound ability to toss himself off hills or catch himself from rolling back down a hill.

It was because Kaden had constructed an idea on the fly: if he could grab things, he could grab Nugget.

The stubby-legged eyeball had taken a bit of finagling to finally get above and grab by the eggshell, but once Kaden was on he was surprised at how easily Nugget moved. Unlike his bush's stats, all of the ranbi that had been stomped likely was thanks to just how insanely high Nugget's strength was. Even under-leveled, it was hard to imagine that he could beat Nugget. The HP difference between them would make it very unlike for Kaden to defeat him.

Isn't this a bit mean to make an isekai hero so weak compared to something he's supposed to be guarding? I mean... on one hand Nugget can carry me. On another, we've been making a lot of progress. We've traveled almost three miles and it doesn't seem as if the little critter is slowing down at all.

The rumbling trip had kept him higher above the grass than ever before, granting Kaden the opportunity to get used to combining his sight and the map feature. The pond was an actual landmark and with the map, he could use the Map skill to actually plot a path northeasterly. And after hours of staying on the move, the first grand discovery finally unveiled itself. The great sea of green hills finally broke into blue.

That's the Sea of Helmuth! It must be! It's way too big to be anything BUT that, right?

His camera panned, scanning the approaching blue further; no immediate structures or things stood out. The beaches had simple, pale creamy sand that'd be common on traditional shorelines. There were no signs of fishlife leaping out, yet the waves were also so calm that it was unlikely to beach anything anytime soon. Giving up wasn't in his vocabulary, however; without the pesky attacking ranbi, things were going splendidly and meant they had a lot of time to search. A wave of his camera could turn him toward either the west or the east; the ocean was primarily on his northern side which meant the Northern Ocean was the waters closest to his end of the Sea of Helmuth. Heading east would take him toward destiny (the islands) but without a ship he couldn't go anywhere even if he wanted.

So Kaden swung his camera and put the sea on their right; Nugget took off at the steady pace heading west, driving them further along.

We keep going until Nugget gets tired or we find something... anything...

I know I wanted to find something, but erm... I didn't expect this.

Nugget stayed still since he ordered Nug to stop, but thankfully couldn't see what was ahead of them.

Massive trees, rising as high as small skyscrapers, filled nearly all the land twenty feet ahead of them and started almost directly in the water. The sea-side trees were shorter and lurching outward, the dead ones crumpled and supporting it as some sort of natural wood seawall.

This is the kind of place you'd expect elves to be... but is it really safe to take Nugget into a place like this?

Kaden released Nugget and tumbled clear, catching himself on the nearest hill while Nugget leaped into his bushy mass. For now, it was more practical to not expose Nugget to danger. In reality, this new place was actually a bit easier for Kaden to navigate due to one major factor: his skills. While Uproot toggled his roots and allowed him to draw nutrients from the ground, his unique roots granted him plentiful access to whatever they might be able to kill. Worst case, he could begin cannibalizing his outer grasses. As far as he cared, this new region wasn't that bad, either; his Map had recorded the plains and their massive snaking coastline voyage. Even without markers, he had a vague idea of direction now that he had realized a trick; using his old map and the current map for comparison, he could track where he was more or less.

Codex entry Gardril Forest discovered.

Into the forest we go Nugget. Hopefully to find something intere-

-sting is what I thought! Why are you trying to mess with me, Stickman!? What did I do to deserve this?

Kaden bounced and rolled, using his stronger roots to reposition and slip between the gaps in the massive trees. His roots lacked the strength to climb with Nugget inside and without the strength to root himself through the bark he couldn't slowly hoist him. The greatness of being able to climb in a forest would naturally be a high-in-demand skill when exploring new territory. The Gardril Forest, however, had other things in mind. One might have anticipated there to be elves, hostile or friendly, yet it wasn't elves that greeted him so early on. Although, he wasn't one to complain a whole lot thanks to them being girls, at least.

Codex entry Batfolk discovered.

Batfolk Reference Art (by nivlacart)

There were four of them, each about five feet tall and almost entirely similar; the main difference that he glimpsed mid-rolling was that their hairstyles and the color of their furs were different from one another. All of them had darker short fur where one would expect skin, however, and they all wore blindfolds. But their faces alone were completely free of fur, showing soft pale skin. Kaden had lost track of time but it didn't matter beneath the massive wood's canopy; the darkness made his bouncing about considerably difficult while they maneuvered between the trees with ease. As much as he wanted to read up on them - or better yet, try interacting with them - Kaden couldn't afford to slow down as each of them kept swooping and swinging their short-clawed toes at him!

"Kkkkkeeeee!" The girl above him made another swing just as he dropped. Violet-brown hair fell in front of her eyes but didn't hinder her speed, the batlady narrowly dodging the tree whilst Kaden threw himself backward.

Even if I spoke bat, I can't speak! And Nugget-

A second batgirl struck him with her passing wing, her red hair in a short mohawk and ponytail, and sounded the HP loss. Her wing wasn't particularly sharp but the impact sent him tumbling down entirely from his tree-bounding venture.

Damn it! She took out 5 HP with a single attack and it wasn't even a proper spell!?

The bush unfurled its protective layer and the lengthy grasses were laid out along with the massive roots around him. Nugget plopped free, landing on its feet and yet hastily moving close to hide beneath the edge of the bush's massive top. The trio of ladies formed up above him yet kept their distance, flapping and screeching in aggressive tones. Kaden couldn't Uproot given how dense everything was, so all he could do was muscle and pull the grasses and maneuver. The golden thorns clinking from his maneuvering kept the noise even more intense, his camera panning up to fully study them.

They stopped. They attack while I'm mobile but cease when I unfurl. They're scared of getting too close, they know that they can starve me out, or I'm just completely missing something!

Nugget brushing along his bush's base reminded him that Kaden wasn't solely alone in this endeavor... and that this was far from over. Spamming Growth right now could be a valid tactic to potentially grab them, yet pulling them down may trigger Nugget's stomping spree. Killing something that looked human was a bit much, even if he had become a plant in an isekai scenario. Their communication, coordination, and their strategy was a bit above that of the ranbi so their intelligence at least seemed likely. Identifying their level was hard but their damage amount indicated they weren't entirely weak. Even bunched up and guarded with his old body grass, they had been able to inflict considerable damage with a direct, simple strike.

After he consumed those ranbi, he had hoped to maybe even proc the conditions to acquire Blast Pod. The way it had been described made it sound like it'd be ideal for knocking the bats out without signaling to Nugget. And without time to communicate otherwise, his options only kept decreasing. The decomposing mites weren't built for fighting, either. Earthy Grasp could work on the ground around him to hastily maneuver but all he had for combat was Vice. So either he had to spam Growth - his trump card - or default to a more cautious vice strategy.

Damn it! I wish they'd stop making all that noise. I didn't get a chance to fully explore just how different Growth is with the Basic Affinity, though. Now... well, now might be a good time. If I keep Nugget down, I might be able to simply hold them until they realize I don't mean any danger, right?

...

Oh, right. Thorns.

Kaden mentally sighed, uncertainly looking at his Codex with a distant glare.

Fine. I'll read it, you stupid system. Tell me about these batfolk and give me something to work with!

FAUNA: Batfolk

Native to Gardril Forest, batfolk are a group of intelligent humanoids. However, unlike humans, Batfolk communicate via a specific pitch-based language. They are well known for being highly homogenous, with the major traits used for identification being different hair color, styles, and multiple tattoos they get from hunting the forest floor. Although believed to be vampiric, these bats are instead territorial and will often resort to driving something away rather than killing them.

Common methods for placating territorial batfolk are believed to be holding them tight and using combinations of wind and water magic. This is due to studies made by elvish natives who found batfolk cuddling their cloaks for warmth. Additionally, the use of loud noises can disrupt their flight or completely incapacitate them. When lacking these things, curling into a ball may work.

... Wait, really? Really? They clearly don't care if you curl up into a ball! Urgh!

Kaden's disappointment wasn't long-lived, although it did remind him of his disgust at just how unlucky he was. However, that luck turned just before the mention of making yourself into a ball; specifically, making noise. While he lacked any skills, his large size and the tight confines of these trees could help him bounce sound around just as well as it could help channel their screeches. The trio of colorful bats may not have deserved it... but at this point, he had no options. Kaden secured Nugget, feeling the shelled runt struggle but ultimately calm down to see out the plan.

And Kaden shook; he shook all his outer grasses to clink their thorns while shuffling the blades for more noise. The smaller legs scraped the floor, his main roots crunched the earth, and he let all of the iron pods crack and shake with the bush.

Improvised Skill: Hell Bell! Face my terrible naming structure, ladies!

All three batgirls' ears flitted down and their wings beat harder; the one with violet hair bumped into a tree and came tumbling down into his grassy grip. Or, at least, what he figured might be the best way to hold her. His outer grasses had fewer thorns and carefully tieing her by the ends of her wings kept her from tumbling about and getting cut up. She struggled for about five seconds before instantly stopping; unlike the ranbi, her panic didn't stop the intelligent mind from struggling her to death. The mohawk girl fell next, but she landed on top of his bush head. The camera's angle conveniently gave him a view of panties... but she was shaken off and plopped down into the grass without hindering him too long.

Yet the third girl didn't fall; a white-haired maiden with longer hair, she kept flying side-to-side above him without failing to stay still. Her balance was unlike the other two.

Come on, just come down! Can't you just-

The bat screeched, pain searing into his head; she was using a skill or magic, harming him and likely Nugget.

Stop that! Damn it! Why can't I-

"-Talk!"

The girl above stopped mid-screech, whilst Kaden felt his body tense.

... Wait... did I just talk!?

Acquired Linguist title.

Obtained Pitchspeak Personal Skill. Due to your pacifistic cowardice, you have a knack for learning languages! The longer you attempt communication with a species, the higher the chance of you acquiring their language! Triggers once per day and starts at 1%!

"Stoooooop!"

The voice boomed above him; the bats in his hold were whimpering, yet now they sounded more like girls crying. They sounded younger... whilst the woman above had a hint of maturity and depth, like the voice of a seasoned mercenary girl from popular animes.

"Release them! I heard you speak our language!" The white-haired girl lowered somewhat, keeping her ears flat. "Your trick won't work on me, either! I don't know what you are but you must release them!"

Kaden was stunned at how he could now understand her, especially when he thought back to mere moments ago when she was screaming unbearably non-reasonable noises. Even if this cheat had been extremely good luck, it left him unsure of how he could possibly dream of explaining this situation.

"Er," he started. It granted him the chance to see a pair of branches scratching their iron pods together with one of the lengthier blades of his grass. "I... uh... I'm not one of you. Is that fine?"

The hovering girl scowled and nearly fell back into the tree, seeming as if struck by the mere situation at hand. "W-Wait, you're not a batfolk!? Then how can you speak our language!?"

"..."

"Answer me!"

Kaden felt every nerve in him trying to contend with this, knowing that Nugget didn't understand this and certainly couldn't communicate any advice. Whatever he said next, whilst holding two of them effectively hostage, may very well shape how his future exploration of this world may go. Gardril was a big place and this world still had a lot of questions far beyond merely how at this point. It took him a minute more and the woman's brows furrowing above her blindfold to finally coerce the bush to steel his nerves... and rattle his balls of ste- iron pods.

"My name is Kaden. I'll release one of them... but in exchange, I wish to know your name! After that, we can speak more evenly and work out how to settle everything peacefully!"

Time to try out Charisma! Come on, isekai protagonist powers!