《The Forest Emperor》Chapter twenty four: You can’t trust anyone these days.

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Kind of lost myself in my experiments. I haven’t gotten a lot to show for it but I've managed to deduce a thing or two.

And I’ve become increasingly better at producing and compressing energy. Something to note is that the energy becomes clearer the more it is compressed, the colors become more distinct and it almost looks like it isn’t transparent.

I’ve managed to use my compressed bundle of energy to form a small triangle on the tip of my spear, I haven’t found a suitable target to test this on.

I went out hunting a few times but realized I didn’t exactly know whether the energy had any effect. Even after not using on beasts my spear pierced through beasts like they were paper. It’s actually kind of unnerving.

What happens if I throw it into the air and it just goes through then flies off? All my hard work and moderate amount of gold! Maybe I should tie myself to the spear in some fashion, this won’t do.

Another strange thing happened, my compressed energy started giving off this attractive force, pulling me towards it.

Now. This confused me to no end, I mean it’s not strong, probably about the same as the force of light wind. But it begs the question, will it become stronger? And if it does, will it be harmful to me?

I’m not sure if I should continue fiddling around with this. Who am I kidding, I´ve got to see what happens if it becomes stronger. I should also note it only affects me, from what I’ve noticed anyway.

Alright I think that pretty much wraps it up, got to keep myself updated in case I get suddenly assassinated and forget something important, you know? Okay let’s have a quick look at our abilities.

| Nature affinity |

| Rapid hand movement |

| Gentle hands |

| Hide presence |

| Energy regeneration |

| Energy shield |

| Empower: Eye |

| Empower: Hand |

| Empower: Feet |

| Empower: Leap|

| Strength and dexterity increase |

| Body enhancing|

| Energy compression|

| Empower: Smell|

| Naturai sprite |

| Water affinity |

| Fibrous affinity |

| Rejuv |

| Soil affinity |

I´ve got a staggering amount of hundred thirty two skill-points right now, I don’t really pay attention to it because I have literally no control of it and it just eats them when skills improve in some way.

Another thing I should mention as it feels very important. While I was on my hunting spree, which has become a lot faster. I noticed the pressure lessen ever so slightly.

This could be because of some sort of system interaction or that I got stronger steadily, I’m not sure about either of those options but I know it is a good thing. Right, right.

Now I’m leaping and soaring majestically towards the designated Naturai tree. No birds flying in the air so far but I’m not hopeful that there will not be any.

I’m also killing anything I see on the way. I haven’t talked to Son in a long time, I took a look at him, and he’s got a new color, a small white line through his hair. Also a white circle on his right temple.

I don’t have a mirror but I can see some of my hair and my hands and I’m becoming greener and my nails started losing some of their green quality.

I think they are becoming white. I’ve got a theory about why this happened and why it only changes parts of me but I’ll leave it for later because it doesn’t really matter.

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The closer I get to the tree the less beasts I find, which isn’t all that strange. I can’t see any flying bastards in the air, which either means that there are none or they are all sitting in the tree.

The main difference in this tree and any of the others, uhm how many were there? Nine? Ye nine feels right.

So the main difference is the incredible amount of vines cascading from the tree. And the length is beyond anything so far. They are pretty close to touching the ground. I bet I can jump and grab one from one of the tree tops.

I’m standing below the Naturai tree staring up trying to see any creatures moving about. My eyesight isn’t bad but I can only make out something moving, and it’s a bit unsettling, it is pretty fast.

Which isn’t good. Should I try to climb up for a better look? There are some strange sounds coming from the top of the tree. This should be easy to climb with all these vines.

This isn’t good. The ambient noise is starting to increase fast. Ah, this isn’t good.

Let’s calm down. Breathe in, sync up with the tree. Be the green. This state is really comfortable, everything is starting to feel slow. Okay, let's continue. The shrieks are becoming louder.

“uh uh! Uh uh ieeee!”

What in the ever-loving tree are those sounds? This is unsettling, I can feel a cold sweat starting to appear on my back. I’m almost to the top of the tree and I’m starting to make out whatever is moving around up there.

They move pretty fast and never seem to stay still so I haven’t gotten a good look at them but they have extremely long, ehm, hands? They are jumping from vine to vine, from branch to branch.

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get close enough while staying hidden at this point. I mean they are all over the place, I should set up some precautions. If I need to, I’ll jump from the tree and glide away. I love you glider, I trust you the most.

I can’t say I’ve properly scouted this place out before I actually manage to properly see whatever it is that is moving around up there. Let’s crawl to the top and hope for the best. Spear ready, spear is sharp, my spear will pierce.

When I make my way to the somewhat flatter platform at the peak of the tree I can see a bunch of lazy creatures either sleeping or messing with the others.

I’m not sure if I managed to actually sneak up here or these bastards just don’t care. There is a pile of what I think is fruits next to the biggest one.

It must be at least three times my size. Still tiny in comparison to the behemoth of a bird I fought before.

Ah. One of them actually looked at me. I’m sitting with my legs crossed in a leafy area on one of the branches. Oh? It is just scratching his behind staring me in the eyes.

What is going on here? Do I attack? Flee? Never! Unless they all come at me. Maybe I should try and take out the big guy first.

These things look fairly similar to simians but their arms are far too long and their bluish fur really takes them to a different direction, not sure what direction but they might as well be something I’ve never seen before. What? It just started eating now, completely ignoring me.

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I have no idea what to do now, should I just leave? I feel like I’m interrupting their peaceful sitting around and scratching.

Maybe they won’t attack me if I approach the, who made the rules that I have to take over the tree by force? Okay, let’s make some new friends, they might look stupid as a brick but never judge a fur-ball by their looks as they say.

“Greetings balls of fur! I have come to humbly ask you to join my Abrasian kingdom!”

No? oh, I certainly got their attention.

“Uh! Uh! Uh ieeek! Ieeek!”

They don’t look all that excited about it.

“Brothers in fur, trust me. The benefits of my society will surely bring you great joy! We have a lot of food, endless food.

All you can eat really. No? big guy, what do you say?

I’ll make you a duke or something, ye? No?”

Oh shit. Maybe he didn’t like being a duke, what’s above a duke? Marquis? Wait what’s the hierarchy like? I can’t make him a prince, that would be ridiculous, I’m clearly the prince or no I am the king right?

Hmm. I could be a Caesar, the patriarch? The prophet? Hmm this needs some serious thinking about.

“Wow. Slow down there furry.”

“Uh!”

He looks like he is smiling now, but the way he’s slamming his thick and long arms into his chest isn’t very comforting.

Nope, operation fight back has been engaged. The giant, let’s call it Alasim, because it’s almost like a Simian, is running towards me. His speed isn’t very fast but I don’t think I want to be the target for whatever he is about to do.

I throw a small stake towards one of the branches behind me and pull on the vine that was attached to it and leap off the platform.

I learned from my mistake and didn’t use an incredibly lengthy vine. I jumped following my throw and swing in a nice controlled arc and landed on the branch, I would be pretty good at gymnastics.

Staying in sync with the tree keeps me unnaturally calm. Even though I think I acted fast the big fur-ball had nearly had me in his hands, his reach is frightening.

Some of the smaller fur-balls, which are still taller than me by a bit, directly leapt off the platform after me. Sadly, their deaths are more or less certain as they fall towards the ground.

A pair of furious eyes are staring me down, I really didn’t think my offer was that bad or insulting, I mean a duke is a pretty good deal right? Some of the Alasims are rushing up the branch I landed on.

The commotion seems to have woken up the swarm of fur. In my peripheral vision I can see silhouettes rushing and leaping towards me. They will probably be the first ones to reach me.

Oddly the biggest Alasim is still just standing at the edge of the platform making a face that says, “I don’t have time for you”. I knew it was smart. But being a cheeky fucker isn’t what I accounted for.

I grab two stakes from the straps on my chest and throw one to my left, they can’t really dodge mid-air so I don’t bother using rapid hand movement as it takes too much effort utilizing it.

The first stake pierces one of them which then gets knocked into the one following behind. They will both meet the green goddess once they land below.

The second stake flies out of my hand and performs a similar action on my right side. I reach for one of the six spears strapped to my back. It’s a carved wooden one.

I wait a moment before throwing it down the branch, rapid hand movement and the upgraded spear really shows its prowess here as it pierces through at least five of them before embedding itself in the sixth and knocking some off balance and off the tree.

It has to be said, even with them suddenly getting impaled and knocked around, they both manage to keep themselves balanced and rushing towards me as if it was merely a bump in the road.

I am on one of the longest branches but at the same time it is a fairly wide thing, two or three of them might manage to squeeze together and make their way together but they are forming an orderly line at the moment.

I can still see a few of them making the craftier choice and going around swinging on vines, probably trying to flank me from the sides.

I’ve got a lot of stakes seemingly at random, attached in various places on my exquisite self-made leather outfit. But that doesn’t mean they are endless.

I keep throwing stakes at the more dangerous Alasims that come from the sides in a disorderly fashion. The look in the big fur-balls eyes is becoming red and he is making his way towards the branch. He can’t be thinking about climbing towards me? Ohoho, then I’ll just force him to fall. Well, come then you bastard!

Slight miscalculation. The Big Alasim is raising his two gigantic long hands. No, he can’t, right? He is clearly about to try and break off the branch. Holy shit, relax big fellow, don’t ruin the tree.

I reach for one of my six remaining long spears, this time it’s a feather one, red one to be exact. I can’t let him ruin my goddess temple. Crazy fur-ball. Since I’m dealing with the largest one I might as well go for a powerful throw.

I don’t have time to add my new trademarked energy tip on the spear but I channel a layer of energy that overlays the spear whilst I activate rapid hand movement and let the spear shoot towards him, her? It.

This was unexpected. I didn’t realize I was fighting a psychic fur-ball. It isn’t fair to just dole out divination abilities to random creatures.

That is the only explanation, as soon as the spear flew out of my hand it should be moving so fast it would be impossible to dodge it but oddly enough the spear sort of moved in a strange way, like I had somehow not managed to properly throw it.

Which is impossible, I only miss a few times, my throwing skills are near the pinnacle of perfection. The Alasim also slightly tilted to his right and let the spear fly by him in an unconcerned way. Ah! My precious spear, it is now going back to its home planet, fly free my beloved.

Shit.

“Uh! Uuuh!”

The good news is that the branch didn’t break but it is shaking and my stomach is aching. I can’t really hold on anymore, my hands are becoming numb because of the violent vibration. See I did tell you earlier that the trees are incredibly sturdy, I should have listened, I was worried for nothing.

Should I wake up Son? Actually, how is he managing to stay in meditation during an exciting time like this, add the vibrations into the equation and it is even more amazing.

“So-o-o-n-nnnn.”

“Y-y-y-o-oooo.”

Ehem, we are having a slight problem and I thought you’d like to chip and offer your assistance.

‘No thank you. Good luck.’

Now, now. Let’s be rational here, what happens to you if I die? Have you ever thought of that? Now go into your mysterious mind-melding mode and help me deal with these furious, ferocious and frivolous fur-balls.

‘Roger that.’

My glider got dislodged from my back and is solemnly staring at me as it falls, if it had the ability to speak it would be crying out my name telling me to move on. I will. I will, you beautiful bastard. I will finish what we started, your descendants will be proud.

After the vibration finally stopped and we as a collective managed to stabilize ourselves the big Alasim raised his big mitts again, clearly intending to make me vibrate to death.

I reached for a stake with a moderately lengthy vine and threw it to a nearby branch before leaping from my current location.

A cheeky hand swipes at me mid-air out of nowhere but my energy shield suddenly makes an appearance. Son’s work I’m sure.

Too bad it still managed to reduce my momentum and now I won’t be able to execute a proper arc-swing thingy to actually make it to the next branch.

I really don’t want to be hanging in mid-air. I still have two more stakes with vines on them. I´ll be honest, I probably look slightly odd with all these things strapped on me.

I need to break through the space time continuum and get some sort of inter-spatial container. Actually what sort of game-like world is this? There is no inventory.

When I hit the apex of my swing I throw my third stake towards the Branches a bit further down and closer to the platform of the tree.

The previous branches all grew upwards, leaving many branches hanging below them. I want to get a few shots off at those bastards for trying to destroy my temple.

I finally manage to gracefully land on a branch. The amount of Alasims has decreased somewhat after the great incident with the vibrating branch. Many fell down, without anything to hold on they grabbed the nearest thing, which seemed to be their fellow fur-balls. No tears were shed.

I reach for another wooden spear, leaving three left strapped on my back. I throw it quickly without too much worry about actually hitting and continue, grabbing a black feathered spear, slightly carved but no gold or silver poured into it.

I form a cone of energy on the tip of the spear and try to compress it as fast I can. After it finally forms a thin layer of semi-translucent energy I take a steady swing and activate rapid hand movement, using almost everything I have.

A shockwave appeared while I was in mid swing and I was about to let it go. The spear of course flew out of my hand, which is at this point, again broke.

Not as dramatic as last time, I can still feel the bone-tearing pain. The skin on my palm has a giant red mark on it, it burns. I lost track of the spear in the meanwhile. Actually I’m starting to feel unfocused.

I have to get out of here. I got one more vine-stake, no more glider. Should I jump off the tree and hope my energy shield will be able to handle it? That sounds like a horrible idea. Another option is to fight with telekinetic Alasims.

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