《One Of Many: The Story Of A Walking Bush》Chapter 10 – The pond
Advertisement
A squealing cries of pain could be heard in a small part of the forest, the cries came from a bunny that was struggling on the ground for its life. Who is this evil vicious person that would torture this innocent creature you ask? But of course it was me.
“Plan B succeeded! Now that the poison inside its system, I should steal its health and heal my wounds.” Yep I poisoned the innocent bunny, don’t get me wrong it was me or it. The battle of the survival of the strongest as they say.
Plan B was really simple all what I did is getting few berries from my body and milking the snakes poison into them. After coming to an open area and placing the trap, I spread a little webs of berries here and there to attract potential preys.
After that all what I needed to do is wait for the prey to eat the trap, there was a small chance that the other monsters could smell the poison, but the chance was low and as seen that scenario never happened.
“I should start before it dies.” I came closer to the bunny, it tried to stand up on its feet and escape. I placed both of my hands on it and placed some weight. I didn’t want to let it escape, after that I said with creepy voice, “Thank you for the meal, *Lifesteal*.” But for my surprise nothing happened, just in case I checked my status to be sure.
-Ontopary bush Lv4-
Experience: 38/40
Rarity: Common
Health: 1/6
Mana: 10/16
Stamina: 4/4
“Thats weird… maybe it’s because of that stupid sentence from the skill explanation.” I tried to recall from my memory what was it. “Right if I am not wrong it was ,the correct way to steal health from the opponent is different from user to user.”
“Don’t tell me I need to be socked in its blood…” I looked at the bunny with an expression of pity.
“Well I have enough mana to make myself spiky again for few times.” I released mana from my body and concentrated on my wood element control.
All the branches on my body started to wiggle, and become more solid forming the shapes of spikes, the little bunny could feel the change in my body and started to squeak even stronger. It didn’t bothered me at all “Sorry little fellow.”
My spikes pierced its flesh and blood could be seen gushing from its wounds as it made a painful cry. “*Lifesteal*.” I used my skill again, but weirdly nothing happened. I checked my status with frustration but it was the same as before, except the three mana that disappeared too a thin air.
“Is this a jock? How the hell do I suppose to steal its life…” I was just standing there with no clue in mind. “I need to do something or the bunny will soon die, inspect *bunny*.”
-Horned White Bun Lv4-
Health: 8/15
Mana: 4/4
Stamina: 10/10
Status: Poisoned(Strong)
I didn’t have to think for long as an idea popped into my head, “No way, don’t tell me it wants me to do that….” I said as the expression on my imaginary face got even darker. “I am sorry.” I said as my roots freed from their shapes and flew towards the wounded bunny.
Advertisement
The roots entered the bunny wounds, as scary cries of pain could be heard from the poor little bunny. I tried my best to not think about it and used my skill again, “*Lifesteal*.” Something hot could be felt gushing through my roots, it felt as drinking hot soup in a cold weather and slowly warming me from the inside.
I stood there for a moment to let this beautiful feeling to soak in, then I checked my status to look at my mana pool. “There some mistakes that I won’t repeat.” I said as I examined my mana. “Looks like one use of the skill uses three mana points, the price is not small but I need the health.”
I used the lifesteal skill again, this time the cries of the bunny could be heard getting weaker and weaker. I use the lifesteal skill once more and the cries of the bunny stopped completely. “I guess it’s dead.“
*Experience reached the desired quantity “Ontopary bush” leveled up to Lv5*
“Yep.” I pulled my roots from the bunny and backed off a little, in my mind I still saw the bunny with pity, but sometimes there stuff that needed to be done whatever you want it or not. After giving my respect and thanks to the bunny I checked my status.
-Ontopary bush Lv5-
Experience: 11/45
Rarity: Common
Health: 5/7
Mana: 2/17
Stamina: 4/4
Race: Berry bush.
Status: Unique-Intelligent, Poisoned(mild)
Skills:
*Magic Perception Lv3(Active)* *Self Awareness Lv1* *Calm Mind Lv4* *Inspect Lv3* *Rage Lv1* *Killing Intent Lv2* *Pain Resistance Lv1* *Mana Manipulating Lv1* *Wood Element Control Lv3* *Dig Lv2* *Stealth Lv2* *Detection Lv2* *Lifesteal Lv1*
Titles:
*Clutz Lv1*
“Good now I don’t need to to be a caveman for the rest of my life.” After looking through my status, the feeling of fear that followed me from the golden tree started to disappear. I looked at the dead bunny corpse again for a second, thinking if there any use for it, but then I just turned to the direction of the cave and left.
There were no use for the bunny carcass, I couldn’t eat it and the smell of blood would only attract predators, my way to the cave wouldn’t be so safe, because of those reasons I chose to leave it there as it is.
The sun wasn’t that high anymore, after just few more hours the night would fall and all kinds of scary creatures would wake up. I hurried to the cave entrance, with a weird feeling coming from my body. “I feel funny…” not thinking about it much I checked my status again.
“How could I miss that, I am poisoned.” It wasn’t that unexpected, I knew that there were a small chance that I could get poisoned from life stealing directly from the bunny blood. But I was sure it would not happen, I was wrong. “Inspect *mild*.”
*Mild* – Weakest state of an status barely noticeable.
“Thank god at least its mild, there shouldn’t be much danger from it.” If the poison was worse it would bothered me, but it was nothing special, so I just ignored it and returned to the cave.
Advertisement
As I returned to my cave, I didn’t bothered to train on my skills or do anything else, I just wanted to go to rest. And at this moment it was the perfect opportunity for me to start checking something out.
I came close to a wall and embedded myself to the floor, but I didn’t used the dig skill, because I could faint after using it and it would be really troublesome, if I won’t be able to root myself to the ground before falling asleep.
After rooting myself to the ground, I took out my hand and pressed it against the wall and used the the dig skill. A weak light was emitted from my hand and a small rock fell to the ground from the wall. Slowly I started to lost my consciousness, and everything around me started to get darker and darker as my mind went blank.
*Skill learned “Poison Resistance”*
I woke up feeling refreshed and new, checking the state of my body I could feel a spark of joy, because at last my body almost returned to its original form. I still had little less leaves that supposed to be, but it didn’t bothered me that much.
All my fruits returned as well, now that most of my body was covered with leaves the number of berries grew and was more than last time. After examining my body I checked my self awareness status as usually.
-Ontopary bush Lv5-
Experience: 11/45
Rarity: Common
Health: 5/7
Mana: 17/17
Stamina: 4/4
Status: Unique-Intelligent
I slowly explored my status and said with a thinking tone, “Looks like the poison effect disappeared. Sadly my mana didn’t increased, maybe I was wrong?” I failed to increase my mana pool. But I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure, how sometimes the mana pool increase, so I chose to try more few times too lose consensus with mana lose.
“Oh I got a new skill, man this is great I am getting skills while sleeping… Now that I think about it I never inspected pain resistance skill, because it’s was pretty obvious what it does, but still just to be sure, inspect *Poison Resistance*, *Pain Resistance*.”
*Poison Resistance Lv1* – The effects of poison are decreased on the user’s body.
*Pain Resistance Lv1* – The user body tolerance to pain increased.
“The poison resistance is nothing unexpected, but the pain resistance is little weird, it does not decrease my pain, but make my body care less about it?… That’s strange.” But that didn’t really bothered me, the effect would be the same anyway.
After waking up I used the dig skill to get me out of the ground, now that I was almost healed I wanted to explore the area around the cave. To be safe I took one dead snake with me, even I could already smell the disgusting rotting smell of a corpse coming from it.
“If I am not wrong there should be a small pond around the area, I think I can get enough water from the ground, but monsters gather near ponds and it will be nice to heal my wounds completely.”
If I could find a weak monster group and lure one monster away from it, restoring all my health won’t be a dream. “Or if there no monsters around it I could take a bath, haha.” I joked to myself.
I exited the cave and started to look around for a pond. In the forest there were lots of ponds located here and there, but most of them were surrounded by groups of monsters for obvious reasons, so I was trying to find one with really weak group.
After walking for twenty minutes or so I found a pond, luckily or not the pond that I found was not guarded at all, just in case I used my detection skill to be sure. I couldn’t feel any auras around the pond so I sighted with relief and approached it.
I embed myself not that far away from the pond and waited for monsters to appear, after close to half an hour I got impatient because not even one monster approached the pond. Thinking about my last jock seriously, I diged myself out of the ground and started to go to direction of the pond.
“For now at least I take a bath, later I will wait here some more and see if any monsters will come.” I said my plan out loud inside my mind. I left the snake’s body near the pond and jumped inside. “Stay here, don’t run away I still have few plans for you.” I said jokingly before moving deeper into the pond, as you can see I was euphoric at that time.
The fresh cold water in the morning was so refreshing that I almost moaned from pleasure. It was the first time I took a “proper” bath in this world. I relaxed inside the pond for few minutes then a ripple could be seen forming not that far away from me.
I was startled and didn’t moved for a while, as I looked at the source of the ripple. A few moments passed and I could see a log slowly drifting out of the water to my direction, the pond was not deep but at the same time it was kinda dirty so I couldn’t see inside it.
However I was sure one hundred present, that the log was alive. “Stupid detection skill surely that’s not a log, that’s a crocodile!” I exclaimed with fear and didn’t want to discover if I was correct, so I started to move out from the pond with maximum speed.
The ‘Log’ started to rush as well. I didn’t bothered to look at it and continued to sprint like a madman. I ran out of the pond and passed the dead snake, my view has locked on the snake’s body for a moment, as I saw a huge long jaw emerging from the water and flying with speed at my direction.
Advertisement
- In Serial12 Chapters
Stacking The Deck!
Waking up in an unfamiliar body within the Slifer Red dorm, what's a teen to do? Especially when there was no deck in sight and no currency to spend on new cards. Thankfully, an avid fan such as himself knew all about the discarded cards in a well deep within the forest of Duel Academy Island. With those spirits by his side, he'd fight his way to victory and survive! Self-Insert!
8 115 - In Serial36 Chapters
[Semi-Webtoon] Shifters 2230
In the 21st century, an event known as the Great Shift of 2030 destroyed 90% of life on earth. A new race known as the Shifters emerged. 200 years later, countless wars divided what was left of civilization into two areas: The city-states controlled by the crime fighting SPA, and the badlands controlled by lawless bandits. Axel, a powerless Shifter in 2230, has vivid dreams of future events that never seem to come true. He has dreams of Joining the SPA academy and becoming an agent, but he is unable to deal with a bully at his local school. As Axel progresses and becomes stronger he begins to wonder, if his dreams are just dreams, or are they warnings from the future of a destiny he cannot escape? This novel was originally posted as Shifters, and now I am bringing a rewritten version here. I am the original author. This story occasionally features images and manga panels. [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] Updated daily The illustrator, Mo's Instagram is below@degamishirohttps://www.instagram.com/degamishiro/
8 104 - In Serial14 Chapters
Youko Advent
Before entering into his life as a half-breed, Rune Lifen had a past existance in another world, a wretched world he was glad to leave behind. He never thought he'd done anything worthwhile in his past life, but is proven wrong when gifted with the chance to be reborn in a world of swords and magic. While Rune discovers that being the only half- fox in a community of Kitsune aristocrats is not without its own troubles, and he'll never be considered anything besides a worthless mutt, he decides that perhaps through training and growth, he might redeem himself of his meager former life.
8 208 - In Serial64 Chapters
Tiffany
Some demons yawn at human affairs and others are outright mischievous. And then there’s Tiffany. Out of goodness or maybe just when her interest is piqued, she occasionally interferes in the fate of some poor soul. She usually shows up as a dark-haired woman in her middle 30s. Her eyes are black and blazing and she radiates authority… The world is ours but the sky above has been mysteriously replaced by eye-bending Chaos. A storyteller stumbles onto a secret of the Planners and a fearless little girl named Jasmine explores secret tunnels that lead into the demon world.
8 201 - In Serial30 Chapters
Bad Habits {V2 Out now!}
Some people are lucky, others are unlucky, but a tiny bit of the population have it way worse than unlucky. Takumi Ishido (Red) is one of these people. Takumi’s father was the expected successor of the Ishido clan, a group of dangerous people doing dirty work all around Japan. But it went wrong. Instead of his father, his uncle took the role as leader of the Ishido Mafia. Both his parent’s disappeared from his life and he ended up in an Orphanage. Here he meets a group of people who had something similar happening to them. The first he knew was Ukato Takeshi. (Blue) They quickly became friends, but the Orphanage started slowly to fill up with more. Later on Kuruka Zukaka (Green) joined the Orphan, following him up was Nokado Tatafu. (Yellow) The last two were brothers, the older brother was Rikishi Mika. (Pink) The younger one was Tado Mika. (Purple) They all ended up becoming friends and after half a decade, they had one week left until they were allowed to leave the Orphanage and make their own future. The workers of the Orphan who took care of them: Ryan and Anne started to search a present for the boys. That is when the biggest change of their lives happened… - - - - - - - - - - - Note: I don't own the characters in the cover, nor do I own some photo's in the Web Novel you see later on. - - - - - - - - - - - Copyright: "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair"
8 266 - In Serial76 Chapters
how the words come
"this is the poetrythat has come fromfinally realizing it is okayto be okaybut also not okayat the same time."~'how the words come' tells the story of overcoming the aftermath of an emotionally abusive relationship. the book is separated into two parts. the first part, titled 'the broken and the bruised' delves into the pain and heartbreak one feels while dealing with the trauma an abuser leaves in their wake. the second part, titled ' the happy and the healed' is filled with lighter, positive, and empowering poetry, embodying the strength and joy one finds in new love and in healing. there are also pieces covering topics like feminism, gun control, the act of writing itself, and self-love throughout the entire collection. for more of catarine hancock's poetry, check out her instagram: @catarinehancock
8 132

