I manage to get about one meter away from the portal before I collapse in agony; the mana is still too thin. First, the mana was too light in the Demon Realm, and now It is somehow even thinner in the Creation Realm. Still, I at least handle it better than the first two times, so it goes away after about half an hour, but a slight feeling of being uncomfortable in the thinner mana stays.

Not a good start.

The portal has already dissipated by now, and once I stand up, I can get a good view of where I am—currently standing in a relatively large open meadow in what looks like a type of pine forest with a foot-thick layer of snow covering the ground and trees. However, it seems it won't last as some of the snow is already melting as the smell of spring and pine fills the air. I soak in the environment, the aroma and the crisp cool breeze that flows through the meadow carrying a few pieces of snow both far away and into my hair, filling me with a sense of beauty I haven't seen since the lake.

Looking up, I can see two suns bathing the ground in the light that reflects off the snow both on the ground and in the air that now shimmers and glitters; the main sun is a sizeable yellow-orange star, while the second one that appears to orbit it looks like a blueish white dwarf star half the size of the main one. Deciding this is the perfect chance to check the time, I create a type of pocket watch in the same sort of style of the central clock in the void, 12 hands and all as those seem to be necessary but with a dark silver cover so people can't see the abnormal hands.

Checking the time, it appears to be late in the afternoon with cirrus clouds here and there occasionally passing over the main star letting the smaller blue star wash the ground in a brilliant blue. The pocket watch seems to work as the suns as they seem low in the sky, sending a pleasant warm light through the treeline with a slight bluish hint. I bask in the glow and breeze as I wonder where all the animals went; the only sound is the occasional rustle and cricket when I decide to check out where the portal I came from was.

This place was supposed to be a weak spot in space. I want to see why.

Looking at the spatial constructs, I quickly see an obvious problem. Space, as you know, is made up of triangles which help support pretty much everything, but the spot where my portal was constructed was a square where space can't connect properly and is structurally weaker.

Deciding that leaving a weak spot in space was probably a bad idea, I decided to try and fix it by first replacing the square with a triangle (easier said than done). Then once the triangular construct is finished, I have to connect it to the surrounding constructs while keeping space from literally collapsing. Unfortunately, fixing space itself appears to be very time consuming as the suns already set by the time I was barely halfway through, and it is late in the night when I am thoroughly done.

Time seems to be so quick up here; this was much quicker than what I guessed in the Demon Realm and Void. So I think my perception of time is very off.

Checking the time and seeing that it was nearly early morning, I make another discovery.

Not tired either. Damn, this is going to take some getting used to.

Sighing, I look at the moon in the sky. It seems like one fourth got turned into debris with large chunks of the moon floating near a gigantic crater while a little thin ring of smaller debris orbits the moon. A shooting star streaks across the sky before I decide to move on and look for something to go towards; using my signature move of looking at the most obvious thing in the distance, I see a few places I can head towards.

Straight ahead through the trees is another open field not far away with a good-sized hill standing just above the treeline where I can already see some small melted patches of snow revealing fresh green grass. To my right, in the distance is a massive set of snowy mountains with little patches of grey contrasting the white, while clusters of floating, snow-filled islands give an immense sense of grandeur.

The floating islands have varying biomes, with some being flat patches of snow and occasional grass while others have large lakes, forests and boulders. I can't tell if it is a good or bad thing that there are so many places with floating objects, first the diamonds in the Demon Realm and now floating islands in the Creation Realm.

Is it something to do with mana? Or are there unique types of rocks there that defy specific rules of the world? If so, are there more types of materials that defy other laws?

I quickly decide that I am literally a walking jackpot if materials that defy the natural order are expensive or rare. Using spatial magic, I store my very obvious and magical glaive as that was what the group of misfits seemed interested in. Using the short sword I found will have to do; it isn't shiny (the exact opposite actually), and they didn't even notice I had it when I was in the Demon Realm.

Alright, ready to make an actual good first impression for once.

To the left of the hill is more forest and hills in the distance that barely reach past the tree line; if I were to go that way, the forest would quickly become much less flat than it is here. Behind me is a long stretch of cliffs that briefly come off the mountains to intersect half the forest before changing direction, going off into the distance away from me.

Looking over myself, I again notice that all my clothes are flawless for some reason; even my hands and feet seem like they would make a king jealous. But along with unblemished clothing and skin, my very body seems different, like the void changed me in other ways than just internal. When I try to investigate by channelling void mana throughout my circuit, the slight difference becomes more pronounced, along with an unnatural feeling that is neither bad nor good.

As the void mana circulates, my body seems to almost phase in and out of existence in unnatural ways. The closest thing to describing it would be becoming a living glitch; when I try to move, my moves become bizarre and extremely hard to predict to anyone watching me. So I try fiddling with my mana circuit more before testing releasing it. Instinctively, I immediately know this is a type of aura but what worries me the most is that it even affects me.

What kind of aura affects the person releasing it? Is it just bizarre, or do I seriously underestimate how strong I am? Or maybe my aura's just weird. I wouldn't be surprised.

The feeling of inevitability, despair and surprisingly unworthiness feedbacks through the aura just barely, but enough to be noticeable. I don't know how strong it would be for someone else, but that is enough meddling with my circuit for one day, so I try to shove the aura back inside before realising it is more difficult to release it than put it back, but I still manage to do it with little difficulty.

I wonder how far that aura went. I hope I didn't give some poor sap in the middle of the forest a heart attack.

Ignoring the fact that even though I stopped trying to circulate void mana through my circuit, my circuit seems fundamentally different now, not enough to make reality hate me but still noticeable as it was changed by the void. I move towards the hill right in front of me to look over the forest, and then from there, I will probably move to the left and see if anything is interesting through the woods, like when I found the lake.

Once I get to the hill, my suspicions are confirmed as straight ahead is yet more forest. The only difference from going to the left is that it is that straightforward is much flatter than if I went left, which is more hill than forest.

Taking in the view from the hilltop for a while, I yet again enjoy being in someplace other than a barren rocky wasteland, but I quickly move to the left, reasoning that the less flat forest might have more exciting things. Taking this time to release Eden for a walk finally, a dark patch appears on the ground before they slowly walk out silently as always. Then, quickly realising that they were also affected by the void, turning a darker colour with a surprising purplish sheen that I hadn't noticed in the sword while still being the same size as myself; in other words, huge.

While they weren't bored while in the void as I made sure to chat with them often, I still felt bad for keeping them stuck. However, once I finally released them they kind of just sat there looking at me expectantly, so after standing there awkwardly for a few minutes until I finally tell them to explore and have fun.

Finally, my eldritch pet walks silently into the forest seemingly as happy as a faceless monster could be, so I wave them a short goodbye and continue to the left, away from the mountains.

Time really does pass significantly faster in this Realm than in the Demon Realm or void. However, my ability to enjoy just being in a forest with different trees and nature makes it hard to get bored. I took my sweet time exploring every nook and cranny of every tree or exciting shrub. The only thing that ruined my mood was the few times that Eden came back with what looked like extremely unfortunate monsters mangled and shredded beyond recognition in their maw without so much as a scratch on Eden.

I have to remember that Eden really isn't a puppy sometimes.

The first few times, I was perplexed about where they came from, as not a single hostile monster came even close to me, with only peaceful-looking creatures occasionally coming by but never close. Most notably was a deer-like animal with intricate long antlers made of actual dark stone with tiny blue crystals spread throughout. It was the first creature that let me come close and get a good look; after spending some time admiring each other, the crystal deer and I simply parted ways, wandering off into the forest that kept ongoing. The mountains I first saw that were relatively close initially are now much smaller in the distance, barely peeking out of the trees.

The following few times, I was more baffled at the number of things that Eden brought back. Soon, not knowing what to do with the unfortunate beings, I just kind of said thanks to Eden and shuffled away. Finally, after a few more times I just shrug, take note of what I can from the unrecognisable remains, occasionally taking a few things of interest and continuing through the endless forest.

Soon after, I experienced my first ever rain shower. I noticed the clouds start to become different from those normally hovering high above (damn floating things) before they began to get bigger and darker before it finally happened. A light sprinkle was quickly followed by heavy rain that got pretty much everywhere.

While I did like watching the rain, I enjoyed being wet slightly less. Still, since it was a new feeling, I decided I would get used to it eventually and being in the rain was definitely a new feeling that was worth it.

Eden, like always, didn't care too much, not that I could tell very well as they again don't have a face but I guess it is a type of intuition.

Currently, I am practising on my rune cubes and possible improvements, being completely absorbed until I abruptly walk into what I thought was a clearing, but it turns out is the end of the forest. The end was so sudden without any signs; I instantly get suspicious as to the possibility that this is not natural.

As far as I can see is not so grass plains with some hills spread here and there with more snow cover. In the far distance, I can see the storm that I experienced raining over some poor patch of snow. A weird dirt track with small patches of snow and mud about 50 meters in front of the tree line along with a strange faint line in the snow about a meter away from the treeline that is thin but noticeable, reminiscent of a border.

I shrug; no border's going to stop me.

Boldly, with as much dramatic flair as I can, I step past the line of the trees where absolutely nothing happens. Reassured that I will not get sent to some weird void dimension again, I put the rest of my body past the line and trudge towards the dirt path.

Finally, I reach the dirt path, and then when again nothing happens I sigh with disappointment before considering where to go. If I were to go left, it would lead to what I see as a vast steep valley downwards which is why the cliffs in the beginning probably changed direction so suddenly, while if I were to go right, it would lead to yet another less steep cliff upwards that is more mountain then cliff where the road spirals upwards.

Hmm, yet more choices, left or right?

If I was to go left, I can probably get a good view and go to sleep for the first time in what is quite probably a few months of forest exploration, but what feels like just a short hike.

Deciding to go left, I turn on my heel and start a merry walk towards a nice view and sleep; even though I don't need sleep, I can't deny it feels nice and energising.

I reach the edge of the cliff and look at the surprisingly safe and wide zig-zag dirt road that leads to flat snowfields that don't have the hills I usually see a good hundred or two meters below.

In the far distance is a familiar scene that brings both excitement and worry. A stone wall rises about 20 meters towards the sky in the shape of a square surrounding a rather quaint old-timey town that couldn't have more than 200 or so houses.

These guys and their stupid walls.

I just got my freedom from the void, and I definitely will not go into another town for a while, but I won't let that stop me from going to sleep watching this view.

Watching Eden come out of the forest with what looks like a snake with bright green scales with hints of blue that reflect the rising suns in their mouth, I add another reason to that list.

Being trapped in a soul doesn't sound like much fun either.

I pat Eden, taking a scale off the snake and putting it in one of my inner pockets in my coat, adding it to my collection of other monster nick-nacks before Eden swallows the massive snake whole. Then, walking a good dozen meters away from the road to lay down and take a nap facing the edge, watching Eden take a peek at the town, quickly deciding they aren't interested and walking back into the forest to say hello to more unfortunate monsters.

Closing my eyes, I start drifting off watching the rising suns, either blissfully unaware or forgetful of what a road is used for.