Of course, he still doesn’t trust me. I kill a wolf instead of letting it eat him, many times in fact. But no, I must have some sort of ulterior motive. Well to be fair I kind of do, getting to some form of civilization to get some answers. But that’s not nearly as sinister as what this guy makes it out to be.

I just roll my eyes at Alex, drop my stick and climb up onto my pod. I curl up in the center and order it to close and start filling. Since he is so insistent I am evil, I’ll just leave him to it while I heal myself up.

“Hey #$#%# are you going?” he asks

I just ignore him and let the soothing feeling of the sap put me into a lull. I’m not fully asleep, I guess the best way to describe it would be low power mode. Alex freaked out a little bit at first, but quickly found something else to freak out over when the forest noises started to ramp up as night approached.

After a few hours night falls, and darkness has takes over. Alex is jumping like a kangaroo at every little sound. Wind blows the grass, better conjure a fireball. That twig snap in the distance that was just a branch falling, fireball. To his credit he hasn’t thrown any yet, only tried to hold them aloft menacingly. All he has succeeded in doing there is making himself a visible target. On the plus side, I just learned that the enhanced regeneration applies to my mana to.

Health:185/205

Mana: 1558/1558

Stamina: 430/430

Yea the regeneration while I’m podded and sapped up is insane, like one point every second. Which means I can go absolutely ham when the annoying little pricks show up looking for an easy meal.

Grey Timber Pup (Level: 9)

Grey Timber Pup (Level: 9)

These two just showed up on the edge of the glade, hiding in the trees. I think they might be the ones from before. Well unfortunately for them I have way more range than my fists this time. The trees above them start to bend and contort, they don’t notice until its too late. They don’t even get to yelp; I aim for the head. Not letting these two get away to become problems later.

Defeated: Grey Timber Pup (Level: 9)

+28 EXP

Defeated: Grey Timber Pup (Level: 9)

+28 EXP

Well, that was easy. Cost me a couple hundred mana but that stuff will be back to max in half an hour. The wolfs died quietly, Alex didn’t even know they were there. Ungrateful jackass, maybe I should let the next set run at him before killing them. Speaking of next set, here comes trouble.

Approaching from the opposite side of the now dead twins is another set of pups.

Grey Timber Pup (Level: 5)

Grey Timber Pup (Level: 4)

Grey Timber Pup (Level: 2)

They sniff around the edge of the glade cautiously, while above them the trees move into position to strike. With a whoosh the branches sally forth, impaling the pups and ending their short-lived escapades in the forest.

Defeated: Grey Timber Pup (Level: 5)

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+20 EXP

*Ding* You have leveled up!

Defeated: Grey Timber Pup (Level: 4)

+18 EXP

Defeated: Grey Timber Pup (Level: 2)

+14 EXP

Oh hell yea, I know what I’m spending those points on. Time to get me some more universal comprehension. Sucks that it won't work for talking to other people, but at least if I can understand them I’ll be able to somewhat communicate.

General skills:

1. Universal Understanding – Level:9

Boom upgraded again. I hope that ten is the max level or I’m going to lose my marbles. I’m pretty sure it is given that most of the speech is translated at level eight. Seems like Alex is sufficiently freaked out by the whooshing noises of the branches striking, because he is on edge as hell right now. He looks so funny, holding a fireball in his one hand and craning his head around every which way. Still not great that he is going full freakout next to my pod but at least he hasn’t attacked anything yet. I wonder ….

My wondering is cut short as something big, grey, and ugly enters the edge of the glade. Its yellow eyes pierce into Alex, trying to size him up as a tasty meal.

Grey Timber Wolf (Level:14)

Hmm normally I would be concerned, but this time it seems the wolves have bitten off more than they could chew. The trees creep overhead, reforming and shifting until the they are all in the form I desire, then they strike.

The wolf lets out a surprised yelp as it’s caught unaware and impaled from every direction. Dozens of branches penetrate every limb and organ. The wolf yelps and whimpers in pain, but with so many reinforced branches it doesn’t have the strength to break free. Slowly some of the branches not pinning it in place retract back up into the sky. Then come back down moments later to repeat the stabbing action. The wolf yelps out in pain and struggles to break free but can't. Slowly but surely the branches whittle away at its life, leaving nothing but a sad, very dead, pincushion on the edge of my glade.

Defeated: Grey Timber Wolf (Level:14)

+50 EXP

Well, that was a lot easier than the last two times that’s for sure. I should just stay in my pod and let the plants do all the work. They seem to be a lot better at it. Alex on the other hand is just sitting on the outer petal of the pod metaphorically shitting his pants. I guess he heard the wolf die and didn’t appreciate the noises. To be fair it was a little violent, but he should be happy I’m not letting him get eaten. Alex decides this is the time to pull out all the stops, and he raises his left hand and summons a second fireball. Oh boy we’re up to two fireballs, what next? Alex raises both fireballs above his head and combines them into a massive fireball. And he couldn’t have done that before? Hey why you looking at my pod funny?

“Die foul beast!” he yells

Then Alex slams the fireball down on my pod, causing an explosion that knocks him into the grass. What are you doing you schizophrenic jackass! I feel an intense heat on the side he smashed with the fireball, but it quickly fades away. I’m a bit freaked, I though that would do more damage to my precious pod. But all that it seems to have achieved is leaving a light scorch mark and making me angry.

Alex is laying on the floor groaning, I think he bumped his bad leg in the fall. Serves him right, what the hell was he thinking. Oh wait, it probably was something along the lines of “This evil dryad that saved my life is a vicious monster that must die no matter what.” I start draining the sap from my pod. I’m going to teach this jackboot a lesson about not burning other peoples houses down.

Just as I finish draining the sap another big wolf steps into the edge of the glade.

Grey Timber Wolf (Level:16)

Go away mutt, I’m not in the mood for your shit. With that though all the branches above the wolf sharpen and Peirce downward. The wolf tries in vain to get away but is trapped in the merciless onslaught of branches. It dies yelping and screaming.

Defeated: Grey Timber Wolf (Level:16)

+60 EXP

Alex hears the second wolf dying and decides that’s his cue to throw another fireball, which basically just bounces off my pod. I’m going to kick this guy’s ass. I save him and treat him well even offer to take him home and he has the audacity to throw fireballs at me, talk about a bad house guest. My pod gets about halfway drained before two wolf pups come out of the forest. No doubt attracted by Alex’s screaming and little show.

Grey Timber Pup (Level: 5)

Grey Timber Pup (Level: 8)

Well, they won’t be attracted for long. The tree’s above them shift and moments later descend.

Defeated: Grey Timber Pup (Level: 5)

+20 EXP

Defeated: Grey Timber Pup (Level: 8)

+26 EXP

*Ding* You have leveled up!

*Ding* Evolution Available!

*Ding* Class Up Available!

The multiple dings of the system knock me out of focus, what do you mean evolution available?