[You have arrived in realm one: Robhurst Grove.]

After the voice within my head informed me that I was in the 1st realm, which was called "Robhurst Grove," I felt a scorching sensation on the back of my right hand. The sensation only lasted a short while, and when I investigated, I saw a peculiar marking that looked like a tattoo on the back of my right hand. It seemed odd to me.

I discovered myself at the grove’s entrance. We were instructed throughout our training that the environment and biome would gradually change as we descended, with the first realm resembling the region where the entrance is located.

I walked inside, and I was immediately enveloped by the thick and misty air. The canopy overhead was so dense that I could barely make out the sky, and the ground beneath my feet was damp and spongy with moss. The sound of rain was a constant presence in this dense rainforest, pattering against the leaves and drenching the forest floor.

As I moved deeper into the forest, I came across small pockets of the rainforest where the rain seemed to fall much more heavily, despite being surrounded by areas that were relatively dry. The mist was so thick here that I could barely see a few feet in front of me, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease as I stepped closer to these "rain pockets."

As I walked, I couldn’t help but be struck by the incredible diversity of life in this forest. Giant trees towered above me, their massive trunks covered in a thick layer of moss. Hidden flowers peeked out from underfoot, and the calls of exotic birds and the chatter of monkeys filled the air. A strange reptile that I had never seen before caught my attention as well. It appeared as though the air was twisted since I could not make out his appearance. It seemed to be observing me distantly.

He was no longer there as I drew near, and the air returned to normal. I took in the scent of the air as I cleared my head and focused on my surroundings. I achieved Zen and then looked all around me once again. However, this time, when my senses were heightened, I could hear a low hum that was almost audible. It appeared to originate from a nearby rock that was placed on the ground.

My eyes widened as I got closer to the rock and realised what had transpired. As the air swirled around the rock, I soon caught sight of the reptile racing away with its form still obscured. I understood it to be a shape-shifting beast. I wasted no time and started to chase it, as I would soon lose focus and Zen would vanish.

With Zen activated, I could run almost twice as quickly as usual, but the shape-shifting reptile was still faster. I soon lost sight of it as I lost my focus. My time was up. The reptile would be out of sight by the time I was able to activate Zen once more.

When I turned to look around, I discovered that I was next to a large tree whose pale husk stood out among the rest. Its leaves had also lost their colour, and it was slightly larger than the trees around it. When I drew nearer, I could see blue, jelly-like creatures; they were cuboid in shape, like bricks. They were acting like parasites as they clung to the tree’s husk, close to the ground.

They came in both little and great sizes, and there were tens of them. They probably couldn’t feel me, so I realised they were safe for me. I made an attempt to pick up a small one that was wandering close by. I grabbed it, and it wriggled and felt frigid to the touch. It began to vibrate immediately.

Along with it, the rest of them began to vibrate, and soon they were moving in my direction. Did they all share something? I swiftly let go of the little one, and it dropped to the ground. At first, its shape appeared to be squished, but it rapidly returned to normal. But they persisted. They were aware of my presence. I had to relax my thoughts. I took a small step back and activated Zen while I cleared my mind.

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Due to my increased senses, I quickly rolled to the side when I felt a strong vibration coming from behind me. When I looked, it was a large, jelly-like cuboid that was larger than all of them and about the size of a vehicle. Moreover, it vibrated. Most likely, it was their parent. Its form began to change, and then it began to shoot dark blue liquids that appeared to be vomit. I managed to avoid them, and they fell behind me on a tree, damaging the husk and making a frizzling sound.

I just had thirty seconds left, so I knew I had to get this done quickly. I prepared my fist and ran towards it. During my time at the lakefront, I received martial arts instruction as a requirement of my training. I finally understood the cause. The creature started to vomit once more, but I avoided its vomit as I brought my palm downward until I reached it, at which point I unleashed a tremendous uppercut.

My hand sliced through its gooey body and came out the other side. My time was now up, and I lost focus, barely making it. But was it already dead? My question was quickly resolved when it began to vibrate very loudly and ruptured like a water balloon. Its body splashed on the ground and turned into liquid. Its children, who had been trailing me, quickly followed, popping one by one.

I could now clearly see how the two months of preparation had paid off. I exhaled out of exhaustion. I had just used Zen twice in quick succession. Only a few more uses of it would be possible for me before I collapsed from tiredness today. My stomach started to grumble as I felt hungry.

As I stood there staring at the enormous tree, I felt a sense of pride wash over me. I realised that my actions had caused the death of the creature that had been acting as their father, and in turn, the blue jelly-like insects that had been crawling all over it had all metamorphosed into liquids as a result of it. The tree’s trunk was now covered in blue splotches, as if someone had taken a paintbrush and smeared it all over the bark. The vibrant blue colour of the insects was a stark contrast to the pale and sickly appearance of the tree.

I came to understand that what I had done had prevented the parasite organisms from slowly killing the tree in its true form. The tree now appeared to be in better health than previously. Fruits quickly began to fall from the leaves as they began to shake. Did the tree possess any consciousness? Was that a thank-you?

I looked at the fruit. They were apples, but they were twice as big as apples seen on Earth, and they were a vivid red color. The leaves immediately started to tremble and soon took the shape of a hand that was pointing down towards the fruits. Was it requesting that I eat? I chose an apple and gave it a taste. It had a typical apple flavour but was juicy.

Soon, more apples fell, and the leaves formed a kind of umbrella that gave me protection from the rain. I rested there for a while and then departed.

**

I explored the area for a few hours, taking note of the various plants and animals that I encountered. The rainforest was teeming with life, and every step I took seemed to reveal something new and exciting. I marvelled at the colourful birds that flitted through the canopy overhead and the monkeys that swung through the trees, their calls filling the air.

As darkness fell gradually, I was surprised to see that the entire realm was illuminated by the tree leaves, which had begun to shine like lanterns. I climbed one of the trees so I could have a better view of the jungle. One of the trees was shining a different hue, as if calling me out. I decided to go check it out and rushed in its direction.

When I eventually arrived, I noticed a white light in the shape of a door on the tree’s trunk. I understood that this must be the entrance to the second realm. During our training, we were informed about the passages and how they appeared. However, when I got closer, the white light faded and the tree’s leaves began to glow similarly to other trees. What caused the passage to vanish?

I could once more see one of the trees sparkling in a distinct colour as I ascended the tree. Was the passage moving somewhere else? Strange. I came to the realisation that getting to the next realm wouldn’t be so easy.

My tree suddenly started shaking a lot. I lost my sense of balance and dropped to the ground. When I came to, I could see something in front of me.

It was a massive tarantula with six pairs of yellowish-green eyes, and it was glaring at me. It had a grey body with dozen legs.

I was in danger. I tried to activate Zen but failed, probably because I was in a state of panic and my mind would not listen to me.

"You're mine now," I heard a deep, guttural voice say.

Was it speaking? Before I could process what was happening before me, I lost consciousness.