[???; Wedi forest clearing]

{Day 10}

[Growth Assist System v.0.2.8 has finished installing. Thank you for your patience.]

I stare at those words, completely dumbfounded, for several hours, not even noticing the moon rise and fall. Only once the sun rises again do I manage to break this trance of mine. This is clearly unnatural. Were the gods responsible for this somehow? At the very least, I am almost certain this is tied to my rebirth in this new form. After countless failed attempts, I manage to get more information out of the thing.

[Status]

[Name : ???]

[Age : 10 days]

[Species : ??? Tree]

[Gender : N/A]

[Size : 10” (trunk), 3’1” (roots)]

[Health : 100%, Mana : 100%, Stamina : 99%; Condition : Healthy]

[Further information is unavailable at this time]

What I see shocks me. I’d heard stories about the heroes before, many of which were summoned here when a calamity was about to occur. Supposedly, they could see information about themselves and others via some sort of divine blessing, along with growing stronger much easier than the average man. This is a striking similarity to the situation I find myself in now. Does this mean I’m meant to be a hero in the near future? If so, knowing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing, or even who/what I am would be really nice. As if by magic, I suddenly hear an ethereal voice.

“So, you have awoken. There is an immeasurable threat coming. It is one that, if left unchecked, will bring calamity upon the world. Even we are unable to prevent it. The body you now inhabit has unprecedented potential due to its nature, and my blessing will only accelerate your growth. I do not expect you to stop the coming threat alone. Find allies you can trust, and grant them a small portion of your power. Should you choose that you do not want to be put in such danger, I will not force you. In fact, I will be unable to do anything to you, be it for good or ill. At the very least, you’ll want to grow your strength for now, as that will allow your memories to return. Regardless of what you end up doing, I will be watching over you. I hope you enjoy your second chance at life. Your friend, ̡̧͢r҉̵̷͘ȩḑ̶͘a̢͡c̴̢̛t̷e̴͜͡d̵̕͞

This is an… interesting development, to say the least. From what I just heard, there’s something so dangerous coming even the gods are helpless against it, and as such I’ve been chosen to help save the world from destruction. No pressure, especially when you’re currently both amnesiac and immobile. Hopefully I’m not the only one the gods chose, as I’m basically powerless at the moment. I guess I’ll just have to wait for my strength to grow to the point where I’m actually able to do something about my current predicament.

One thing is for certain, at least. I did die somehow, and was brought back as whatever I am now. Hopefully I haven’t been dead long, so when my memories return I can let those close to me know I’m still alive. That is, assuming I’m still in the same general area I was in before and not another continent, which would make communication rather difficult. For the foreseeable future, however, I have more important things to worry about, such as people. I can’t stay hidden forever, especially if my growth continues at its current pace.

That night, a few fractured memories return to me. I see people with their faces blurred out, yet they feel familiar. Do I know these people? If so, that would explain the longing I feel when looking at them. One body stands out among the others, as I can actually make out their face. The girl is no older than ten, with brown pigtails and emerald green eyes. There’s definitely a bond between the two of us, yet I still cannot recall her name. There’s nothing I can do about this at the moment, so I leave my memories and return to the forest clearing.

I just now realized this, but I’ve been extremely calm given my circumstances. Did my emotions fade alongside my memories, or is this yet another side effect from my rebirth? I have too many questions about what’s happening to me, and not nearly enough answers for them. Now, where did I put Wilson?

[Maria; Wedi village]

We return to the village just before nightfall. After today’s events, everyone agrees to immediately head for the inn and turn in for the night, only going to purchase supplies tomorrow morning. As I lie in bed, my thoughts drift towards today’s events, more specifically those involving him. How would the man have passed off the document if we were chasing him the entire time? Thinking back, the bounty on the man’s head was suspiciously large, even considering the fact he was an escaped murderer. Something just doesn’t add up here. I’ll breach the topic on the way back, just in case there is something deeper going on.

I awaken the next morning still tired from yesterday’s excursion. I get dressed and walk downstairs only to see the others eating without me.

“Maria, good to see you back with us! You slept all morning, Ivan was worried you’d caught a cold or something.” Zach exclaims, having noticed me.

“You mean to say... this is your lunch, not breakfast? I really overslept, didn’t I?” I stammer out, embarrassed.

“You really did, and normally Zach here is the one to oversleep. I guess yesterday really took a lot out of you, huh?” Ivan replies. At that moment, the waitress comes over, asking if I want anything to eat/drink. I quickly look over the menu before deciding.

“Yeah, I’ll have today’s special along with some cider, please.” I say, handing over my meal ticket. Thankfully, a night here, while pricey, comes with a free meal, drink included. While waiting for my order, we resume our conversation.

“So, I was thinking…”