“Darkness… can’t see.” I muttered, looking around the unfathomable void that surrounded me. I found myself suspended in an abyss deprived of light, a vast emptiness that seemed to stretch into infinity. It felt as though I was floating, adrift in a cosmic ocean of darkness and tranquility. My senses felt numbed, as if wrapped in a thick, insulating layer, muffling the world around me, leaving me isolated in a sphere of my own existence.
I tried to move, to find some bearing in this endless night, but my efforts proved pointless, as I felt like I was swimming against an unseen current that held me in place.
Where the hell did I end up now? Am I dead? If this is the afterlife, they could have made it a little more lively…
Suddenly, a sense of vulnerability washed over me, like the chill of a cold shower on a warm summer’s day. Shivers coursed through me as I became aware of another presence, vast and incomprehensible. I felt its gaze fixated over me, yet no matter where I looked, all I could see was a cold and colorless void.
It was unlike anything I had faced before, a presence so formidable it seemed to hold dominion over all, effortlessly dwarfing any notion of resistance I tried to muster. The pressure of its gaze bore down on me, a weight that grew with each passing moment until it became almost unbearable, a suffocating force that threatened to obliterate me.
Panic set in as I frantically searched the darkness for any sign of this unseen watcher, but the void offered no refuge, no hint of form or substance. I felt despair starting to take over my thoughts, my mind barely able to keep me conscious against the penetrating gaze that peered into my very being.
Just as the pressure reached its zenith, as I teetered on the edge of desperation, it vanished, leaving behind a silence so profound it echoed in the depths of my soul. A profound calm settled over me, a serenity that felt like the eye of a storm, a moment of peace amidst chaos.
I turned, and there I saw it. A colossal head, emerging from the void, its features crafted from the same impenetrable darkness that surrounded us. Two glowing eyes, bright and unyielding, fixed their gaze upon me, their light piercing through the shadows to illuminate the figure's visage. The entity was an embodiment of the void itself, its skin a tapestry of purples and blacks, yet I could faintly make the markings of a feminine figure. Within its chest, I glimpsed an orb, composed of interlocking rings that spun in an intricate pattern.
As I stared into those luminescent eyes, a sudden ringing filled my ears, growing in intensity until it threatened to consume me. I screamed in pain as the noise became unbearable. The figure's gaze held me captive, an anchor in the tumult of my mind.
The strain of the encounter, the sheer magnitude of the presence I faced, proved too much. My consciousness frayed at the edges, and I felt myself succumbing to the darkness once more as I collapsed under its weight.
Then, through the overwhelming cacophony, just as I was about to lose consciousness, a single word resonated, with a deep yet gentle tone.
"Interesting."
* -
My eyelids swung open, revealing a canopy of emerald leaves and roots above. For a moment, I simply lay there, absorbing the serene calm of the scene, feeling the gentle caress of a light breeze on my skin. The pain and exhaustion that had driven me to collapse were gone, replaced by a rejuvenating warmth that flowed through my veins.
I took a better look at my surroundings. I noticed that I was encased in an intricate web of roots and vines, almost like a bubble that completely surrounded me.
Suddenly, a very familiar voice spoke from above me.
“You’re finally awake.”
I looked up to find the snarky cat perched on top of a root, looking down at me.
Tom's glowing form seemed to shimmer with amusement, his tail flicking back and forth. For a moment, I was too stunned to speak, still processing the surreal journey from darkness back to the vibrant reality of the forest.
“You’re alive…” I finally managed, my voice a mixture of relief and incredulity.
“Thanks to you.” He said, while gently hopping off the root and sitting in front of me.
"What happened? How did I...?" My voice trailed off, memories of the fight with the seraphyte suddenly coming back to me.
The cat tilted his head. “You fought the elder seraphyte and triumphed, Juniper. Are your memories missing?”
I looked up at the cat. “No, I’m just a little shaken, that’s all. You are back in your cat form, that didn’t take long.”
“Once again, I don’t know why you keep using that meaningless word, “cat”, but yes. I must admit it took me a few days to regain enough energy after encasing you within this shell.” He looked up at the roots and vines that surrounded me. “But now I can take my spiritual form once again.” He said, with a tone that sounded a little too proud.
Heh, snarky cat.
Suddenly the words he just spoke sunk in.
“Wait a minute, did you just say that it took you a few days?”
“Correct. It took me about 4 days to regain this form.”
“So how long have I been collapsed for?”
Answer. User has been asleep for a total of 6 days and 13 hours.
I jumped at the system popup.
System! It’s been a while.
“This is the seventh day since your fight with the seraphyte.” Tom’s voice brought me back from the system notification.
Should I tell Tom about System?
I thought about it for a moment. I didn’t know enough about this world and its inner workings, so I decided to keep the existence of the System to myself.
Maybe he has his own System to talk to…
"You ventured deeper than even I dare, Juniper. You touched the essence of the forest itself, the very heart of its power." His tone was serious now. “And you wielded it as a weapon.”
I remembered the verdant glow coming from my scales and claws once I had completely embraced the forest. The energy flowing through my body was unlike anything I had ever felt, yet once it left me I had collapsed within moments.
“Your race has given you a strong form, Juniper, but you are still young. Your body couldn’t handle such a great amount of energy flowing through it. This is why you slept for so long.”
He hesitated for a moment, his gaze now pointing downwards.
“For the first few days, I wasn’t sure you would wake up at all.”
I sensed the sorrow within the spirit, so I smiled at him.
“Yet, here I am, Tom.” I paused as I stood up, stretching my sore muscles. “You have taught me a great deal, and I am thankful for it. I decided to fight for you not because I felt I owed it to you, but because I wanted to.”
As I finished my sentence I saw the cat visually perk up a little, nodding his small head. Then a grin appeared wide across my snout.
“But I do remember we had a deal, oh great spirit of this forest.” I turned to look at the core that was still encased in its cage of vines and roots.
“I remember our deal, and I always planned to honor it.” He spoke and I felt the core trembling as its verdant enclosure retreated, freeing it from its bindings. Then the glowing orb began to slowly levitate off its pedestal.
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“I’m afraid I won’t be able to maintain this form while I move my core.” Said the cat, its ethereal glow seemingly faltering. “So I will follow you until we reach your cave.”
As he finished his sentence I watched the cat’s body fade away and the core slowly hovering towards me.
“Alright then, time to head home.” I said and started making my way towards the underbrush.
As I took my first step, I paused, hearing a loud rumble coming from my belly.
Maybe I should look for some food along the way.
* -
The journey back to my cave was a silent one, with only the soft rustling of leaves and the occasional call of distant wildlife to accompany us. I munched on a few different fruits on the way to quell my lingering hunger. The core, emanating a gentle, pulsating light, hovered beside me. It moved fairly slowly, so our journey was going to take some time.
I decided to inspect my new status.
Name
Juniper
Race
Dragon
Growth
Cub
Body
3
Classes
Level
Reflexes
7 (+1)
First
Phytomancer
8 (+1)
Cool
2
Second
Explorer (1)
5 (+1)
Mind
9 (+1)
Third
none
-
Mysticism (racial)
3
Fourth
none
-
I have grown quite a bit huh?
I noticed the blinking notification next to the explorer class and willed it to open.
Class
Explorer
Rarity
Common
Chart the uncharted, mapping out the mysteries of the land with a keen eye for detail and a knack for getting out of sticky situations.
Abilities
Trailblazer [2]
* Slight increase in speed on natural paths and the ability to identify common safe routes.
* Improved efficiency in moving through difficult terrain such as forests or hills.
Please pick one ability
Forager’s Eye - Identify common edible plants and clean water sources.
Collector - Gain the ability to reduce the perceived weight of an object. Continued usage will increase strain on the user’s mind.
I remembered “Forager’s Eye” from my previous selection, and I still didn’t think it would be very useful for me as my other abilities already covered similar purposes. “Collector” on the other hand seemed quite handy, considering how often I had found myself carrying back loot to my lair.
I mentally selected the Collector ability.
Class
Explorer
Rarity
Common
Chart the uncharted, mapping out the mysteries of the land with a keen eye for detail and a knack for getting out of sticky situations.
Abilities
Trailblazer [2]
* Slight increase in speed on natural paths and the ability to identify common safe routes.
* Improved efficiency in moving through difficult terrain such as forests or hills.
Collector [1]
* Gain the ability to reduce the perceived weight of an object. Continued usage will increase strain on the user’s mind.
I nodded satisfied and couldn’t help but feel intrigued by the new ability and its potential upgrades.
Will I be able to lift giant boulders? That would be cool…
The rest of the journey passed relatively uneventfully. We arrived at my cave as the sun began to set. I looked at the grove of vines and small roots that hid the entrance and smiled. I was able to move much bigger roots and branches now, maybe I would try to do some remodeling of the interior soon.
I opened the entrance and walked in, followed by the pulsating core behind me. I looked at my golden carrots firmly embedded into the earth, my soft bed made of purple grass, and the lumishrooms giving off a faint violet light. I had grown to like my small place in this untamed forest, it really started to feel like my own personal slice of peace, my home.
I looked at the core as it hovered towards the end of the cave, towards my small pile of riches. It came to a stop, and after a moment a large root sprouted from the ground, assuming the form of its new pedestal.
I watched as the core gently lodged itself firmly and the root grew to encase it similarly to how it had been previously.
I saw a blinking notification at the edge of my view and mentally willed it to open.
Dragon’s lair
Current hoard value: Modest (38%)
Body
+2 (+1)
Reflexes
+1 (+1)
Mind
+0
Cool
+0
Mysticism (racial)
+0
Two whole new stats points!
I happily opened my own status panel.
Name
Juniper
Race
Dragon
Growth
Cub
Body
4 (+1)
Classes
Level
Reflexes
8 (+1)
First
Phytomancer
8
Cool
2
Second
Explorer
5
Mind
9
Third
none
-
Mysticism (racial)
3
Fourth
none
-
I was particularly happy about the new point in the Body attribute. The last few times it had increased, the power difference felt quite good, so I couldn’t wait to test my new strength.
The sudden glow of the core brought me back to reality. It blinked a few times, until I watched Tom’s body materialize back into his cat form, yet something was definitely different this time.
“Uhm… Tom?”
The cat looked up to me and slightly tilted his head.
“Yes, Juniper? Is everything alright?”
“Oh I’m alright, bringing your core here was quite beneficial for me.” I paused taking in the cat’s new form. “You, on the other hand, should look into a mirror.” I said, holding back a giggle.
In front of me was a beautiful amber coated feline.
https://i.imgur.com/Fw1g1Re.png [https://i.imgur.com/Fw1g1Re.png]