Current Location:
[Belbulb Zone]
[UvoSath Forest of the UvoSath Region]
----------------------------------------
The forest loomed around KiAera, a thick mess of vines twisting around towering trees as bulbous fruit hung lazily, swaying in the breeze. Her fur prickled. It was almost too peaceful. She wasn't sure if it was the strange quiet or just her nerves, but something felt off.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
★ Zeozons Detected!
Creature: Punkpump
◦ Species: [Punkpump]
◦ Sobriquet: "Pumpkin Punks"
◦ Destruction Scale: [Localized]
◦ Evolution Stage: [Fledglings]
◦ Attribute Influence: [Plant] [Phantom]
Accumulated Particles (APeX): [Dormant]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
She ignored the pumpkin creatures as she padded forth, leading her company consisting of Amber and Pi Osseod.
The Belbulb Zone was sprawling and wild, a twisting labyrinth of bulbous vines and floating trees. She leapt from one elevated platform to another, Pi Osseod grasped in her ears, Amber gliding behind with ease. KiAera took in the area once more. More normal, stable.
Her claws dug into the mossy ground as she paced, feeling the cool dirt squish between her pads. The colors here were all wrong—vibrant blues, reds, purples—and yet, all she could see was disappointment. A few scattered crystal shards glinted in the dappled sunlight, but they were the wrong kind. Clear crystals, useless. No nourishment for her, Amber, or Pi Osseod.
Her ears twitched at the sudden rustle above her. KiAera felt small beneath the dense canopy, the faint luminescence of the vine-covered bulbs casting a ghostly glow on the forest floor. Every step she took was calculated, and with her claws clutching a makeshift piece of charcoal, she etched rough lines onto a scrap of parchment.
The map was taking shape, slowly but surely. She had to get it right. The terrain shifted so subtly that getting lost here was far too easy. She turned to her companions.
She sighed, stretching her tail and flicking the tip of it with frustration. “Looks like we've gotta search somewhere else, guys." Her ears twitched as she glanced at Amber, who tilted her head.
Amber trailed behind her, pecking curiously at the mossy ground, while Pi Osseod zipped around, pausing at every interesting plant or mineral he detected. His little nose twitched nonstop, leading him from one patch of herbs to another.
“LeeLee? Not finds suitable crystals?” Amber's wings fluttered slightly.
Before KiAera could answer, Pi Osseod, the small crystal-mouse-like creature, scampered up to her. “Osseod! Finds suitable crystals!” It nudged her leg.
She blinked. Wait—finds suitable crystals? Her [Insight] flared to life.
Osseod π Status:
- Species: Osseod
- Evolution Stage: Fledgling (F)
- Influence: Ore
- Accumulated Particles: 159 Units
- Variant Grade: Common
- Rare Trait (NEW): [Crystal Sniffer (Tier E)]
Trait Description:
Crystal Sniffer allows Osseod π to detect nearby light-blue crystals and locate them with ease.
Her eyes widened. "What? When did you get a rare trait?" She knelt, staring at Pi Osseod like it had grown a second head. How had she missed this? It must've unlocked during one of their last expeditions. And here she was, thinking today was a wash.
"Pi Osseod! You have a rare trait?" She crouched to its level.
The little Osseod squeaked again, puffing out its chest. "Osseod! Finds rare trait!"
Amber fluttered closer, peeking curiously between the two. "LeeLee! Finds rare trait?"
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
KiAera nodded. "Yep! Pi Osseod here's our crystal expert. So, we'll rely on that sniffer to lead us to the good stuff."
“Osseod! Crystal expert!” The little creature pranced around, legs kicking up tiny clouds of dirt.
"Alright, crystal expert," KiAera laughed, "lead the way, but no rushing, okay? Stay careful." She tapped its head, watching as Pi's ears flicked back, a clear sign it was taking her words to heart.
"Osseod! Careful, leads, crystals!" With that, it scampered ahead, its tiny form bouncing between roots and over rocks. Amber followed with a light skip, chirping excitedly.
KiAera’s ears swiveled, constantly on alert as they ventured deeper into the forest. Even when things seemed peaceful, she knew better. Too many close calls had trained her to always expect the worst. She couldn't afford to let her guard down, not here. Not with these creatures watching.
"Find anything yet?" KiAera asked, her eyes still focused on the parchment.
"Osseod! Osseod!" Pi squeaked, dragging his nose across a patch of dirt until he found a hidden cluster of Geilbund Tangles. He yanked them out of the ground, each vine-like plant curling tightly in his paws.
"Good work, Pi. We need this as well," she said, crouching down to inspect his find. She gently placed the Geilbund into the satchel strapped at her side. It shimmered faintly, its pocket-dimension abilities still feeling surreal to her. Every time she placed something inside, it disappeared, weightlessly suspended somewhere else?
Her thoughts drifted back to that moment. The memory hit her like a wave, pulling her back into the past, when GamaGen had created the satchel.
---
The Crystal Shelter had been quiet that night, only the soft rustling of her companions disturbing the stillness. Amber was curled up in the corner beside the Liorex egg, her massive feathered form slowly rising and falling with each breath. The Osseods had nestled into a bundle of crystal shards, their soft snoring barely audible. KiAera sat by the dim light of a fire, staring at GamaGen's book lying before her.
"I've been thinking," she had muttered aloud, fingers tracing the worn edges of the pages. "I need something more... practical. Something to carry everything we find. We're collecting so many materials, and I can't afford to be weighed down."
For a long moment, there was silence, and then a familiar voice whispered inside her mind, the voice of GamaGen.
⎾'A satchel, then. A simple solution, though I can make it... extraordinary.'⏌
KiAera had raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "Extraordinary how?"
⎾'Bring over a satchel. And you shall see.'⏌
Suspiciously, KiAera had complied as the voice of GamaGen faded, the book began to glow. A faint, eerie light pulsed from the raven symbol on its cover, its edges blurring as if reality itself was unraveling. Then, from within the pages, tendrils of dark magic began to rise—coiling and swirling like smoke.
KiAera had leaned back instinctively, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. The magic took shape, knitting itself into something tangible, something real. Before her eyes, the satchel appeared—small, unassuming at first glance, made of rough leather and simple stitching. But the moment she touched it, she felt power humming beneath its surface. 'This… this isn't just a satchel, is it?'
⎾'Correct. It holds more than it appears. A pocket dimension, if you will, limited only by your imagination... and the strength of my magic. It will serve you well, KiAera, but remember, its power is tied to mine. Use it wisely.'⏌
She had grinned, the weight of the satchel strangely reassuring. "You're full of surprises, GGen."
⎾'And I have many more, should you continue to earn them.'⏌
---
The memory faded as quickly as it had come, and KiAera found herself back in the present, standing amidst the Belbulb Zone. Her fingers brushed over the satchel once more, now filled with all the materials they had collected so far—Geilbund Tangles, bits of moss, strange vines, and even small crystal fragments that could be useful later.
"Osseod! Crystal! Crystal!" Pi Osseod's excited chirps pulled her from her thoughts. He had darted toward a thick patch of bushes nestled between two towering trees. Her nose twitched as she followed him, weaving between roots.
With a mighty leap—well, as mighty as an Osseod could manage—Pi dove into the shrubbery.
KiAera dashed over, pushing the foliage aside. Her eyes lit up. And there they were—light-blue crystals, glowing faintly beneath the foliage.
"Now that's more like it," she said with a grin, scooping up the precious shards. “Pi, you’re amazing.”
The Osseod beamed as his little crystal horn pulsed with pride. "Osseod! Crystal lead!"
Amber danced on the spot, her beak already pecking at one of the crystals. "LeeLee! Crystals delish!"
KiAera chuckled. "Alright, alright, don't eat them all in one go. Let's gather what we can."
Together, they worked to collect the light-blue crystals, KiAera stashing them into her satchel as Amber fluttered nearby, eagerly helping in her own way. Pi, still riding the high of his newfound talent, sent crystal projectiles flying with little bursts of energy, cracking open the larger deposits with ease. The raw force behind that little creature always surprised her. Osseods were deceptively strong, their energy-based attacks packing more of a punch than most would think.
Watching Pi shatter solid rock like it was nothing... well, it made her glad he was on her side.
Amber chirped softly, nudging her with her beak. "LeeLee, more vines over there!" The bird-monster pointed with her head towards a section of thicker underbrush, where more materials lay waiting to be harvested.
"Right. Let's get to work."
Amber kicked up loose soil and vines as she walked. KiAera quickly added the new finds to her growing collection, placing them into the satchel without a second thought. Everything had its place now. No more dragging sacks of materials around like a clumsy scavenger.
She directed her gaze back to the crystals, scooping up the pieces and placing them into her satchel. "You're a little powerhouse, Pi," she mused, handing some of the shards to Amber, who eagerly clamped them in her beak.
Items Obtained:
- Light-Blue Crystals x43
Pi darted ahead, sniffing at a bundle of bright orange bulbs, likely some kind of plant they hadn't cataloged yet. He squeaked loudly, signaling for her to come inspect.
KiAera knelt down beside him, studying the plants with a keen eye. "Huh. These might be useful for… something. Let's grab a few, Pi."
He nodded eagerly and began yanking them from the ground, his tiny paws working tirelessly to dig out the roots. KiAera joined him, filling the satchel.
While Amber and Pi continued to harvest, KiAera glimpsed the map again, tracing her path through the Belbulb Zone. The rough lines she had drawn began to form a more coherent picture, showing a network of landmarks and dangerous areas. So far, the zones on the map were the Ungroot, Belbulb, and Lyrlore, where their base, the Crystal Shelter, resided. The UvoSath region had less than 5% of its surface explored and mapped out.
KiAera stood, stretching her back, satisfied with their haul. "Alright, that should do it for now." She scanned the surrounding trees, her instincts nagging at her to remain cautious, even if the area seemed quiet.
No dangerous creatures in sight, but... there was something about those trees.
The two towering ones she passed by earlier groaned, almost like they were shifting. She glanced back, just in time to catch them blink—blink—before they settled again.