After a brief discussion, we came to a unanimous decision. Son will continuously meditate until we expect any kind of combat situation.

This whole sprite thing made some hole into my foundation theory. Or maybe not.

So once I get into a combat situation that I am not hundred percent confident in, we merge together and Son will be my backup.

It's flawless co-operation, it’s as if we are of the same mind. Hehe. he has that inkling of the greatness of naturai around him, respectable.

Since I got literally nothing else to do and I am already getting bored, I decided to try to make a hang-glider out of my new leather.

It’s a sophisticated design, three sticks tied together with leather pulled over it and sewn together. Test number one.

Let’s see if this thing follows through the laws of aerodynamics. I haven't the slightest idea how it works but I’ve seen a glider before. That should be enough.

Alright test number two? I get the feeling I wouldn’t be a great engineer, I think I’ll just stick to the tailoring. So much for jack of all traits.

As boring as it is. I am currently running at a leisurely pace above the canopy towards the eighth tree.

I’m not even sure how long it would take to run a marathon around the whole forest. I ́ve gotten a lot faster though, so it’s more like running an errand at this point.

You know what? I think it’s time to check out the middle layer, see if we find something interesting.

Passing through the fog-screen carefully, it’s somewhat nerve-racking not knowing what’s on the other side.

As soon as I get to the other side the ambient sounds are already a few decibels higher. I already have a spear in my hand.

Taking a moment to adjust to the surroundings, which haven’t changed much, still an endless sea of green.

There is a light pressure enveloping me like last time. It isn’t enough to slow me down, but I can still feel it, as if the wind had picked up, I wonder what it is.

I keep moving in line with the eight trees but stay close to the border, I can’t see the border after passing through it but it just means I won’t get too close to the inner layer fog-screen.

I am a lot closer to a, what should I call these majestic trees? Trees of Naturai, sounds befitting.

I didn’t take particular note of it last time, as I had other things on my mind. But the Naturai trees look to be an even distance between each other.

Up in the air around the tree, there are a lot of feathery creatures flying about. It’s still far enough away that they look like a small swarm of bus.

Ugh, I’m already feeling itchy. Shuaaah! Ignore the disgusting imagery of thousands of insects crawling over you, creating an insulated cocoon around your body before literally burning you alive.

I see some movements a little bit deeper into the forest. I slowly make my way through, holding true to the best tactic of all, hiding in the lush tree tops.

Maybe I should wake up little Son. Abraser Junior. The second to the throne. Merging together is a bitch, so let’s not.

I keep prowling forward but I haven’t seen whatever it is that shook the trees earlier. The ambient music is faintly increasing.

I can’t help but remember that rodent assassin. I still haven’t gotten a clear idea how strong the overgrown beasts within the middle layer are.

The ambience is dropping a bit, I must have passed it. I’m going to rest for a moment, not sure how long since I entered but I already feel tired.

I should be able to stay awake for days on end but something is telling me I won’t be able to here. Is it the pressure? I brushed it off last time because of the adrenaline rush.

There is definitely something influencing me right now, it can’t be fear or nervousness, can it? Maybe I should wake up Son, two minds are better than one.

“Son.”

‘Hrm? Where are we? Why is your energy so unstable?’

We’re in the middle layer, I got bored and thought it would be fun to check it out again, but I can’t seem to think properly in here. I was wondering if you can feel something different.

‘Something is definitely wrong with you, your energy feels, uhm dull? It feels as if I am being pushed from all sides. I can’t even float here.’

Alright, no worries then, I’m going to get out of here and clear out the eighth tree, you can go back to meditating.

‘Have fun.’

Wish I could meditate for eons.

It doesn’t take long before I feel that watery feeling as I pass through the fog-screen. I still feel a bit odd but the strange pressure is gone.

Nothing can be straight forward can it? Just wanted to check it out and I feel like my mind was being violated, what I’d give for nutrients being pumped into me while I forget myself in meditative trance.

I wonder if the Naturai trees are just meditating, they feel very much like they are alive, just living leisurely. I’m sure they think I just don’t understand them.

It was quick work to take care of the eighth guardian, I think the next is the tree Patience. I ́ve been using empower leap constantly to move as of late.

It feels like the best way to move short distances in the fastest amount of time. I am not worried about facing that overwhelming guardian again, I am pretty sure I killed one similar to it on the eh, fifth tree?

I’ve also been thinking about the pressure that they give me, that overbearing power enveloping me, making me defenseless or just considerably weaker.

It feels like I am thinking in circles, but I believe it has to do with energy, either the quantity or quality of it. Now what I think of it like that, I can’t believe it is anything else.

Question is, did my energy get strong enough to withstand that ability? Also, if they have it, can I learn it?

It isn’t as simple as the empower abilities, they are pretty straight forward. I’m thinking it is something similar to an energy shield, in less quantity but concentrated. Or something, how the hell do you magically effect a different being with thought alone.

Maybe I should go back to get the book I left behind, it might be the sprite one as well, it’s too far back, I’d rather die than run back and forth for days.

Now that I think about it, do these guardian books drop depending on my own strength? Would the sprite book drop if I hadn’t already learned |Nature affinity|?

What is the point of all of this? Who would have the power to move people to another planet, shit I don’t even know if it’s the same dimension. Multiverse is a thing right?

That’s not a comforting thought. If we look past the how, there is also the why, who with that kind of authority over the world would even bother to do this? Sadistic or benevolent gods?

One tree left in the outer layer. I can’t imagine I’d be able to take on the middle layer. A prolonged meditation session would be ideal.

To do that without having to constantly hunt and prepare food, I'll have to go to the sanctuary, and I only know about one. But then I won’t be in the forest.

While standing in front of the now confirmed tree of patience, I don’t feel like taking it on. Even knowing that I have a way to defeat it, it isn’t making it any less scary.

The pain, helplessness and confusion. It’s all coming back to me in waves. Oh the books I left here, or well the book I lost after dying. Are missing, so is my outfit.

Which means two things, someone actually travelled up to the tree and took it or it de-spawned. Since I ́ve seen nothing de-spawn aside from other people.

I am inclined to believe it was taken by some daredevil trespassing in my forest.

The travel up the tree feels like it is taking ages, I might actually be starting to get afraid of the height. I need to calm down, let’s stop on the next branch.

After meditating, I feel refreshed, clear minded. There really is nothing better, even sex can’t compare to the peace of mind you get once you close off the world entirely.

Reaching the tree platform, my breath has stalled. My heartbeat slowed down to such an extent I can’t feel my heart’s movements while beating.

Again, there is no sight of the wizard lizard. No problem, we’ve dealt with this before.

Minutes pass without notice as I focus on hearing the pulse of the tree. I ́m trying to recreate the previous event of almost falling into a meditative trance but keep my consciousness.

In the right state of mind, I doubt it would be hard but I feel a bit agitated, maybe I’m losing my everlasting patience.

Two, two pulses. Now sync, completely getting into the pace of the tree is the hardest part but also inevitable in opinion.

I only need to retain my consciousness. The only hard part is I can feel Sons’ pulse as well but the difference is easy to differentiate.

Oh? Ah, seems I failed. I went into trance. A long one by the burning sensation coming from my stomach. I don’t want to let it discover me so I’m going down eating then trying again.

Round two. I had Son meld with me before going back up, which should be easier without the small distraction.

Actually, I have to consciously keep the log active to record so that’s going to, I’ll update it once I’m out. So cya then, logging off.

Log back on. I found it. It’s actually on one of the largest and most protruding branches. It took a long time to make out the pulse, being so far away.

Or that’s my hypothesis anyway. The problem now is that even knowing where it is, I can’t pinpoint its location precisely enough to guarantee I hit it where it matters.

Plan A, is to slowly make my way over there and throw a spear at it from close proximity.

Plan B, which is impossible to do, is to destroy the branch and force it to freefall to the ground.

I have no near the strength to destroy this enormously thick branch, not only because of its width but also this is a Naturai tree, their durability has been confirmed.

Plan A, is in full affect. I won’t go onto the branch itself, not enough space to move properly in case things don’t go my way.

I Raise my spear as fast as I can without making any sounds. I reach for as much energy within my control.

It takes time to gather the energy but it’s usually not even worth mentioning. A second shouldn’t really matter but it doesn’t hurt to get any advantage I can.

The spear I am using is a bit thicker than usual, not for any special reason, it just calms me down knowing the added weight might be helpful.

I bend my hand backwards and start my swing, when the swing is one fourth of the way there I activate empower: hand, almost instantaneously afterwards rapid hand movement joins in.

After the spear leaves my hand I use empower feet and leap to jump and in mid-air I prepare another spear.

The spear had already landed on the guardian before I made it off the ground. The moment the guardian becomes visible I see a small wound ushering out its blood.

The spear went through and stopped when it hit the branch it was lying on. Hopefully it will restrain it.

I grabbed the branch above me with my left hand threw the second spear. Before it reaches the snake, it slows down at an incredible rate.

Seeing as I’m close enough that I shouldn’t be able to track its movement so easily. It definitely did something to it. But it didn’t slow it enough to avoid it completely.

It still hit it somewhere below the head, piercing the thick hide and stopping halfway through.

A nightmare inducing hiss generates from the bewildered guardian when it locates me, already perching on the branch I clung to earlier. Another spear already in hand.

The energy gathers around its eyes and I can feel something trying to squash me from every angle. It’s stronger than the middle layer, but it feels exactly the same.

Fortunately, it isn’t enough to render me completely immobilized like last time. It helps that rapid hand movement defies the laws of physics, even though it has been slowed down, I can still pull out enough energy to throw another spear.

The energy consumption is already beyond my perception, I’m being drained since that thing hit me.

The spear leaves my hand, it doesn’t get slowed down like earlier, it seems it can only do one thing at a time with whatever that pressure ability, active.

Before I finish my thoughts I suddenly get thrown into the air and a near translucent green spike flies and hits the tree-bark behind me.

Confused at what had just happened, I turn back to the guardian, who is deathly still, missing one of its eyes and a spear nowhere to be seen. What? How did I suddenly leap like that?

Son splits away from me and he has a smug smile on his face. Ah. He clearly used his energy to propel me upwards, dodging that green spike. Great job dude.

‘No, no. You did the hard work, I just saved your life. The satisfaction of seeing that fucker go down is all I need. I’m going back to meditating, that invisible power threw us off in a major way.’

The forest

You have taken control of a hetra ranked wildlife area.

You now have nineteen percentage skill proficiency in your zone.

Anyone with authorization in your zone has now gotten a ten percent drop rate increase.

You are now able to purchase and build up your zone, the command for the construction has been unlocked.

Hetra authorization

You have gained hetra level authorization in any sanctuary in the Beginners continent.

You are the fourth member of the current round to achieve a hetra level clearance and the first to take over the first one to take over a hetra level wildlife area.

You have now unlocked additional building possibilities in the construction menu.

What? Build? What in the name of all that is green. Let’s check this thing out.

Okay, so I can apparently order up a variety of tree-house and only tree houses.

There is no information window like the quest-log or skill-book menu, just a variety of commands and names of buildings.

Doesn’t surprise me that the system won’t help with any information about their uses but I can gather that a chemical lab would be something to do with potion making.

Some of the buildings are too large to be placed down anywhere other than on the Naturai tree. I can buy utilities such as a toilet, bathing, water-pumps, generators and a bunch more.

The most expensive building is called the Gatherer. The names are mostly self-explanatory.

I mean tanning salon sounds suspicious but it should be for leather related stuff and not ultra-violet bathing right?

Holy shit, there is a dam here to make electricity. Too bad I don’t have the location to put it anywhere.

These things also cost a ludicrous amount of skill-books and gold. I ́ve got to try to make something.

Utilities have some of the cheapest stuff, a few dozen kilograms of silver at the lowest. Let’s make a circular stairway down the tree.

Alright, cool. A wooden stairway has started to materialize out of nowhere, it starts as a faded outline before it starts to fill in.

Also, I expected it to take some of my gold and silver but turns out I have ownership over the land and air in the outer-layer now. Supposedly there should be minerals in the ground.

I’ve got a lot of information I can’t quite take in, if I focus on specific keywords and the information about it becomes clearer.

Not in word but as if I just forgot about it and am now remembering that I had stumbled upon a land rich in silver. It’s a similar feeling to the crafting-books.

This is the shitty kind of system I’ve grown used to. I’m trying to bring out random buildings to see their price. Incidentally the search options aren’t very limiting.

For example you can bring out a flood of information by filtering it into most expensive to cheapest. I’m currently looking for something that only costs a few gold and some skill-books.

The skill-books seem to be a much more valuable currency than any materials, I wonder how they are made.

I made two buildings, I used up all my gold. Apparently I don’t have a gold deposit on this land, I can’t convert silver from the ground to gold either.

Seems I’d have to do so in a sanctuary, a bit annoying but it's fine. It used up five of my skill-books. I am in possession of three now. I regret leaving a few with Sera now.

I have no idea where they are but they must still be considered mine. This is all very confusing, there must be more rules I am not worthy of being informed of, this is ridiculous.

So I got this gathering room, placed it in the tree of origin, got to go over there. I already have the pulley system there and it is closest to the sanctuary.

I was hoping for something out of this world like a teleporter station, I mean they got some things in here I have no idea what is.

Some words I don’t even know. The second room is the smallest library available. I sincerely hope that the new buildings have furnishing.