I must have accidentally smoked something weird while I was walking in the wood. I turned around and put in some knocks on the bark of the tree.

Then it moved and turned towards me.

That must have been a really strong hallucinogen.

Wait, I been through this phase of denial before. Let’s stop this. This is a fantasy world. Most of it makes sense without relying too much on science.

Hmmm, I think I remember now, There was something like a living tree amongs the summoned. I had never seen this guy since that night. I wonder what it is doing here.

I was stared down by what I think was its face. It had two holes like eyes and a grin-like hole as a mouth.

“Friend?”

It asked me again.

“… I’m not really sure if we can be friends if we’d just met.”

It then shook as though it was surprise.

“Would you like to be friend?”

Wouldn’t I?

“If that is okay with you, the name’s Ruigne, nice to meet you errr…”

“Ah, a friend who talks! My name is Krolve!!”

After I introduced myself, it was swaying happily from side to side. It’s quite surreal to see a sight of a tree-like being doing that movement. After it had calmed down, it turned around like it was before and it ‘rooted’ itself.

“Come sit beside me, if it’s comforting for you to rest under my shade, then by all means, sit.”

Krolve cordially invited me to sit beside him. I readily accepted because I need to rest my feet’s before I get into a beat-down by Vefal.

“The trees here are just like from where I was, quiet but friendly. It would be hundreds of year before they talk back.”

……

Well technically, it’s not really strange for a tree wanting to befriend other trees but as far as I know, I don’t think inanimate object like them understand or even have a concept of friendship. Hell, it’s even weirder for a tree to talk, walk, and showing expression but then again, it’s from a different world so perhaps to it, I’m maybe more weirder subjectively.

“I see. So you are spending time with your friends here?”

“Yes, although the main reason was that I am currently having a meal right now.”

A meal?

After much thought of connecting the dot on how a tree gain nutrition’s, I finally realized it.

Oh I see, Photosynthesis.

No wonder I never seen it inside the Dining Hall. It’s a plant, how the hell does it gain nutrition’s from eating by the mouth like us animals.

“Although, the nutrition I received from the sun is nothing that I had before… It feels different.”

“Different?”

“Yes, it’s hard to describe.”

I guess that would make sense that this unconventional world would have an unconventional sun. Perhaps the sun is not what it seems to be.

“Well, how everything so far for you?”

“What do you mean, Ruigne?”

“I meant that since being summoned here, how have you been?”

It took a pose as though it was contemplating. I rest myself as I let my back against its side.

“Since I was brought here, I had been feeling sad since I had left many friends back in my world and the people around me are not as kind as I imagined.”

It made what I think was a sad face although it was kind of creepy.

“But it is alright. I already acquainted myself with these fellow trees, I never feel alone if I try and make friends.”

Krolve’s deep and grating voice was chimed in a happy tone.

……

Such a kind and pure soul, I can’t fault Krolve’s happiness in just having friends even though they will never ever speak unless some magic enables them.

“Well, you made one more today right?”

Krolve turned towards me. It was tilting on the left side but after a while, it was vigorously nodding on its upper half.

“Yes, true! A friend that falls under the category that talks!”

Well, I can’t judge that. I think it’s normal to categorized friends. In my categorization, there’s only two: Assholes and Not Assholes. For Assholes, I mean, you can’t avoid them sometimes and they always try to bother anyone so befriending the one you can’t avoid and just keep feeding their ego, so you don’t have to deal with their shit needlessly. Even Assholes need friends.

We rested there in silence as the wind occasionally blew opposite of my direction.

“By the way, Ruigne, what were you trying to do wandering this part?”

“Oh, I was curious what lies beyond of our living quarter, so I decided to try to find it.”

“… I believe that is impossible. There is some sort of a misdirection power around. I tried once to go further but I realized after some time of walking, I was walking in circle.”

……

Does that mean that during the time when I thought I was walking straight ahead but in actuality I was walking in circle? That’s pretty possible since if what I read was correct, then the Eomancy colour of Light Yellow is used to change the perception of a living being or a place, in other words, giving false sensation to the minds. Perhaps there are tools that are enchanted by that colour surrounding this area.

After sometimes, I could subtly feel the sound of Ethka vibrating.

“I see, well, I guess my curiosity is sated.”

I felt refreshed once more and I got up.

“Are you leaving Ruigne?”

“Yeah, I got some combat training to attend. You have a combat training too right?”

“… I guess so. Will you come to visit again?”

“Not so much but I’ll swing by.”

“That is reassuring enough.”

I waved with my fleshy and bony hand and he waved back with his branch-like hand. I left the forest.

--

As usual, I was lying on the ground in a ragged state. Right now, I was watching Akujin utilizing his [Replication] while sparring against Erganisu who also used his special ability [Indomitable]. Akujin was replicating the wooden sword and stabbed the replicated on the ground. It seems that he was using them as a one hit attack as every sword he swung had shattered due to the fact that he was treating the replicated swords like a blacksmith hammer so every hit would strike with such a strong force.

But Erganisu casually shrugged them off and he was using his wooden sword gracefully that you wouldn’t believe that someone with Erganisu large frame could do such skill. Erganisu attacks don’t fall behind in terms of power due to his special ability of boosting his natural strength.

Akujin seems to focus on dodging after he attacked and waited for the chance to attack again while Erganisu was trying to score a hit.

If I were the one getting hit by either one of those, I’m pretty sure I’ll be crippled for life, ready for an earlier retirement. Wait, if I’m useless, I wonder what they would do to me?

As I brushed off such thought while shuddering, I changed my sight towards the sparring between Kiefy versus August and Vefal [Shadow].

Kiefy was truly a force to be reckoned with. Even when it was two versus one, he still maintain the advantage of the battle as his defence was impenetrable while still being able to counterattack even when pressed by the two. August used his special ability when Kiefy pulled a feint and surprised him with a sudden slash.

Seeing from here, he was coaching August on how to attacks as I saw his mouth moving and he never actually used his special ability unless he was truly cornered.

For me, I’d been getting slightly better. As I spar with Vefal, I had lasted longer and I was able to defend myself to some extent. Still, getting my ass kicked was still the end result of our match.

“Can you still go on, Ruigne?”

“Well, yeah, I think all the exercises and the pain had made my muscles toughened and my bones stronger.”

“It depends on your stamina. You have a really low stamina, so the problem is you get tired pretty quick. I think we should just run around the field for twenty laps.”

“Yeah, I’ll admit, I got no endurance whatsoever, I was quite active back then. Don’t know why my stamina had plummeted. Guess I was just lucky on the first match with August.”

“Everyone can improve even if they seemingly have no talent it in. You just have to maximize those potential. If that doesn’t work, maybe something else would. You been looking at the others, more specifically, the way they fight right?”

I got up with the help of Vefal and looked at her in awe. Her face was glistening with sweats but it didn’t mar her beauty at all. Instead, it further enhanced it.

Heh, I think I have a crush.

“Yeah, I noticed they were trying to develop a fighting style complementing with their special abilities.”

“Perhaps you have a knack in analysing and strategizing. You loved reading right?”

“Have you been observing me like a stalker?”

“I may or may not have been.”

She answered coyly. We laughed together on our playful conversation.

“… Ruigne, there is something I want to tell you. You see, my brother and the rest of them had decided that they wanted to take the Weapon Pills tonight… We had this discussion but we just an hour ago but you weren’t here. If you wanted to, you can just go on with them.”

She embarrassingly shied her face away.

I remembered I promised her that we’ll take it together. She had a trauma concerning about swallowing pills but I wonder, wouldn’t she had a problem taking the Specialized Pill? I guess the pain she felt at that time had overpowered her fear.

“That was… my first promise I made when I came to this world. I have no intention of breaking it. We’ll do it together.”

Although I initially said that just to comfort her, I realized how important was that promise to her and myself.