A few minutes have passed since I entered the forest. I'm walking toward the right, but I wasn't finding anything. Did Lennon tell me the wrong way? Shit, it's total darkness. If it weren't for my Seismic Sense, I'd be screwed. The sound of crickets and nocturnal animals scares me, but I can't waste time. I have to run; a monster could appear.
I have to think... I'm not tired. It's like I've been taking energy drinks nonstop. It must be the forest, since it's practically my domain. Is this how Percy felt when he entered the water? Should I invest all my points in Strength? No, better to keep it balanced. I don't know which monster might appear.
System, put 9 points in Strength and 6 in Endurance.
[NOTICE]
[STRENGTH]: E (05/20) → E (14/20)
[ENDURANCE]: E (08/20) → E (14/20)
My body got warm, then it gave a light crack that echoed in the forest. I started running for about 30 minutes. I was jumping over fallen logs and dodging rocks, but a slithering noise made me stop. It looked like a huge snake. The sound is coming from my left side... it stopped. She's drawing my attention.
There's another one behind, I thought, hearing a slither, or they have two snake legs, or they are four snakes. They must think I don't know where they are. What is it? Giant serpents? One drawing attention and the other going from behind... they are smart and devious. I can't get distracted.
I pressed the bracelet and the Bronze Leviathan appeared. The one on the left almost jumped in front of me; she's fast, but I felt it: it wasn't a mouth, it looked like a weapon in the direction of my chest. I swung the axe. The impact was dry. My arm cracked hard. I went back with the impact, my arm hurt—they are strong, I can't let them hit me.
The one in the back seemed to jump to my back. I felt the steel cutting the wind while I ducked. I stowed the axe, forced my heel, and jumped to the side, rolling and staying crouched. I put my hand on the ground. Thick and damp roots sprouted, wrapping around the one in the back and the one on the left, pinning them to the ground. They are monsters with snake legs. The one on the left might be a spear, the one in the back a sword. The smell of sulfur and rotten egg was impregnated in my nose.
I got up already with the axe returning to my right hand. With the left, I manipulated the roots, which started to pull the one on the left down. I used more power, making the roots also climb the one in the back, tying its hands and wrapping around its neck. It must have dropped the sword by the sound of metal falling. Now is my chance.
I advanced on the one in the back. I felt it struggling in the roots violently and letting out a sharp, hissing cry. I know where its neck is. I didn't think; I held the axe with both hands and swung, wanting to separate its head from the body. At the moment the Leviathan's blade hit its neck, the blade turned green and the root that was tied joined the cut. I felt like it cut through butter.
When my blade passed, there was an intense golden glow. It turned to dust instantly and the roots that held it fell to the ground. But before the glow ended, I saw it: a head looking like a deformed humanoid face, with yellow eyes like snake slits. She is with her mouth open, the teeth looked like sharp needles, but the roots were pulling her down.
I stowed my axe and, with both hands, the roots started to squeeze her. I felt some of her bones breaking. I didn't know if the sharp cry was from hate or pain, and I didn't care; I just want to kill her. With the left hand, I made the roots tighten, making the spear leave her hand. Her body, through the roots, was heavy. I felt blood run down my nose. I can't waste more time.
With the right hand, I used a trunk near me that started to twist until it became a 1-meter stake. I threw the stake with everything, pinning it in her chest. She gave a cry so sharp it hurt my ears.
"Like a worrrrm... The Masssterrr... will finnnnd you... insssect..." . "Your deatttth... will be sssslow..."
She spoke before dissolving into gold. I sat there, catching my breath. I passed my hand, which started to shake, and cleaned my nose. I'm strong, but shit, my body can't take it. I looked at the system and started to see the notices.
[NOTICE: - 10 HP]
[NOTICE: - 05 STAMINA]
[NOTICE: - 15 STAMINA]
[NOTICE: KILLED A DRACAENA +03 ATTRIBUTE POINTS]
[NOTICE: - 15 STAMINA]
[NOTICE: - 30 STAMINA]
[NOTICE: - 10 HP]
[NOTICE: KILLED A DRACAENA +03 ATTRIBUTE POINTS]
Only 6 points? Shit. Motherfucker system, show my status.
[STATUS PANEL]
[HP]: 130/ 150
[STAMINA]: 20/ 80 (Recovering - Body may collapse)
[STRENGTH]: E (14/20)
[SPEED / REFLEXES]: E (12/20)
[ENDURANCE]: E (14/20)
[INTELLECT / PERCEPTION]: D (22/35)
[DIVINE POWER]: D (25/35)
[SKILLS]
[DRAIN / SAP] (Beginner Level): Allows absorbing the vital energy of nearby plants to heal wounds and restore stamina. Notice: Excessive use in critical state can cause muscular collapse.
[WOOD MANIPULATION] (Beginner Level): Different from green plants, you now control the density of dead or living wood. Allows creating stakes, barriers, and changing the shape of dry branches.
[PLANT MANIPULATION] (Intermediate Level): Fast and fluid control of roots and vegetation. Capacity to create walls of damp roots and trap enemies in seconds.
[SEISMIC SENSE]: Replaced "Earth Intuition." You feel vibrations at long distances, predict attacks, and detect movements even without looking.
[COMMUNION WITH NATURE] (Passive - Unique): Rare capacity to hear and talk with the spirit of the trees (Dryads) and local flora.
[GAMER'S MIND]: Allows keeping calm and logical reasoning even in panic situations and protects your mind. You still feel fear, but the fear doesn't paralyze you. You will feel discomfort when someone tries to read your mind.
[GAMER'S BODY]: Your body works like an RPG character. You don't die from a cut on the arm, you lose HP. Resting in a "safe zone" recovers light wounds and tiredness. Limitation: If HP reaches zero, you die. There's no respawn.
[ADHD]: Passive. Fast reflexes and constant alert, but difficulty with prolonged focus.
[EQUIPMENT & INVENTORY]
WEAPON: [BRONZE LEVIATHAN]
Class: EPIC (EVOLVING) | Potential: LEGENDARY (LOCKED)
Hidden Form: Rustic leather bracelet with oak seeds.
Soul Bond: Indestructible, returns to the hand and can only be used by the Host.
Special: Divine Conduction and Defense Break.
INVENTORY: (1/5)
04x Full Recovery Potion.
[ATTRIBUTE POINTS]: +06
I stayed for about 10 minutes recovering, waiting for my stamina to give an increase. The forest helped a lot; if it were in the city, I'd be already fainted or dead. The axe was of great help, but I need to train and find out the powers it has. Now I need to run. I need all the energy I can get.
System, put 6 points in Endurance.
[NOTICE]
[ENDURANCE]: E (14/20) → E (20/20)
I felt my body getting hot and relaxed, as if I were in a sauna. My stamina, which was recovering and was at 41, already jumped to 63. This is good, but why didn't it go up? System, why didn't it pass the rank?
[NOTICE: THE HOST WILL ALWAYS NEED TO SPEND ONE EXTRA POINT TO RANK UP]
"That sucks, huh? Well, let's go, I can't waste time."
I didn't waste time and started to run. The cold air passed by my body. Before completing twenty minutes of running, I heard a crash that the whole forest must have heard: it was as if sledgehammers hit the ground, accompanied by an animal roar.
I picked up the pace. While running, I used my power to make roots stretch between the trees, forming straight lines two meters from the ground. I thought: "If he's dumb, he falls; if he's smart, I'll have to be careful." I didn't put just one, but three traps. In two minutes, I improvised stakes of sharp trunks in the ground and went closing the path with roots full of thorns.
I didn't look back, but I was sure it worked. The noise indicated that he fell face-first on the ground. By the crash, he must have been about three meters and very strong, since some smaller trees fell. "He's dumb, that's good," I thought. I continued running and, by the cry, the thorns hurt him. I decided to risk it: I used my energy so that barriers of roots with thorns sprouted from the ground. The blood gushed from my nose and my vision blurred, but I continued. I just couldn't faint.
I gained time. I crossed the forest until a hill appeared with a pine tree on top. I ran to go up. Right behind me, I heard another roar, but it didn't matter anymore. Crossing the limit of the hill, I felt electricity running through my body. The cold air and the smell of the woods vanished. I looked back and it wasn't dark anymore; I could see the pursuer: a giant guy, three to four meters, running like a bull. He only had one eye. He hit something invisible and was thrown ten meters away. I lay down there, looking at the sky, and smiled.
Shit, I made it. I closed my eyes. I just want to sleep.
It was warm. I opened my eyes and the sun hit my face. I felt the same I felt when I saw my mom for the first time. I got up; everything looked the same, the same plants, but the environment was warmer. I turned to the side and there she was, looking at me with a smile. Her eyes shined like emeralds, her tanned skin gave off its own glow and her copper-brown hair had wheat branches braided in. She wore gardening clothes. We stayed staring at each other for a moment, until I passed my hand in my hair and broke the ice.
"So... hi. You're my mom, right? Like, the plants and stuff. My name is Caleb. So, everything cool?"
She gave a short laugh, that looked like the sound of leaves in the wind. Before I could react, she stretched her hand and gave me a painful pinch on the cheek, pulling with will.
"At least the name is strong, You are a brat, son"she let go of my cheek with a little push. "We have some time before you wake up."
It wasn't what I expected, but I felt a comforting warmth in my chest. A wooden table decorated with white flowers formed and she waved for me to sit.
"Tell me your story. I want to know how you became so strong at this age."
I started to speak. I told about the orphanage, the bullying and the decision to run away. I spoke about sleeping in the greenhouse, the awakening of my powers and the disguised Empousa. I narrated how I lost her using the crowd, the trip to the hospital and the encounter with Lennon. I remembered our escape, his death and how the Elder Empousa played with my pain while I was dying. I explained how I awakened the power to drain energy to save myself, the help of the tree and how I finally killed her. I omitted the "System", the potions and the names of the monsters; I used only physical descriptions, because I wouldn't know how to explain how I knew certain information.
She heard in silence, as if she lived every moment with me. I finished telling about the sensation that guided me to the chest in the forest, where I found the bracelet that transformed into an axe, and how I used it against the Dracaenae. Hiding the ability to drain or the axe would be useless — making up a story would be better.
When I finished, I looked at her. She shined, but I don't know if it was from pride or satisfaction.
"An Elder and two Dracaenae… with eleven years," — she repeated, and her voice made the flowers of the table vibrate. "Many children of mine die before even seeing a monster, but you not only survived, you killed an Empousa and two Dracaenae in cold blood. A strong seed. But don't use this ability to steal vitality for nothing and don't tell anyone about it. Zeus is paranoid enough, I don't need him on your back. Our time is ending, I need to see your sister."
When finishing, her face got sad. But I... I'm happy, I survived, in my own way but... I survived. My vision started to darken again.
"I'm proud, little sprout."
It was the last thing I heard before everything went black.