I woke up as I felt the light of the first rays piercing my eyelids. I yawned as I slowly adjusted my vision and struggled to activate my muscles and get seated.

I looked around from the top of the tree.

Well at the very least I didn’t fall off in my sleep.

The forest was alive with the golden hues of dawn, a myriad of greens glistening with the morning dew. I nodded in satisfaction. It felt good to be high up, away from the unknown dangers that lurked below.

Stretching my limbs, I felt the stiffness of the night's rest leave my muscles. I thought back to my incredibly intense first day in this world, in this foreign body.

This is really happening isn’t it?

I sighed and felt a little nostalgic about the peace and quiet of my old life. I was never someone to actively seek adventure and excitement. Little old me would have been happy just getting by, but I guess I needed to ditch that mentality if I was to thrive in this new life.

I looked down at my amber scaled body and lifted a paw while staring at my sharp claws.

Maybe I should just take this as a second chance. A chance to live a life that’s not mediocre…

The first step to conquering this new world was understanding its apparent new mechanics. I thought back to my Phytomancer class.

“I got to pick my first ability, but it sort of feels like a passive ability… were there also more active abilities? I thought games had both…”

Just on queue, a new panel popped up right in front of my vision, startling me as I almost lost my footing and fell from the branch.

Clarification.

Abilities are awarded to users upon reaching certain milestones. Attaining the first level of a class can be considered as such.

While abilities give the user special capabilities, this is not to be considered a limitation but an addition to the user’s class abilities.

“Hey there System, did you have a good night's sleep?”

Answer.

The entity you refer to as “System” does not require or enact the act of sleeping.

“Ah, so you can talk with me if you want to! I knew you were sentient, you’re just a bit shy but it’s okay, one day we’ll be best friends!”

Once again I waited a few moments.

No answer… whatever System. I am onto you now.

I grinned and nodded to myself as I started climbing down from my sleeping spot. Today I would delve deeper into the secrets of my Phytomancer class. The lack of explanation offered by System was puzzling, but I was eager to experiment. I suspected that the power of this class was more intrinsic, more organic than a simple button press for an effect.

But first, I had to address the occasional low grumble of my stomach, as well as my parched throat.

I slid down the tree, my claws making short work of the descent. Once on the ground, I made my way to a shallow stream that I found the day before while looking for refuge. I also grabbed a couple of those dragon fruits that seemed to be quite common in this area.

With my belly full, I focused on the surrounding plant life while slightly reducing the mental barriers that I so painfully erected the day before. Immediately I started reaching out with my senses to the network that now felt like an extension of myself. The plants seemed to lean towards me, responding to my presence, and a thrill ran through me.

I started with something simple, or what I assumed would be simple. I looked at the nearest plant that I could find. It looked like a common fern, but it was dotted with bright pink spots all over. As I got close to it, I activated my “Herbal intuition” ability and suddenly I was able to discern that this plant was in fact poisonous, although for some reason I was sure that it wouldn't kill me, just make me sick for a day or two.

My intention was simple. Make the leaves move even just a tiny bit. If the game didn’t offer me any more abilities it just meant that I had to create my own.

I opened my mind and established a weak connection to the strands of life that pulsed through the fern. For a long moment, nothing happened, and I furrowed my brow in frustration.

I sat down in front of the plant, my connection to it still active. I looked through its pulsating veins. They were bright and green, but upon further inspection I noticed that each strand was made up of tiny tendrils. Each one unique and yet part of the same system.

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I focused on the intricate network, honing in on a single tendril. It was a delicate process, like trying to thread a needle with my mind. The plant's life force was vibrant, each tendril pulsing with energy, and I had to align my will with its natural rhythm.

The connection between us was fragile at first, a whisper of intent from me to the plant. I encouraged the tendril with gentle mental nudges, coaxing it to shift, to guide the growth of a leaf. My brow was knotted in concentration, my breath held in suspense.

And then, there it was, a quiver. A single leaf trembled under my gaze, and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. It was a tiny motion, barely noticeable, but it was there. The leaf twitched, curling slightly at my behest.

It was exhilarating. The interaction was intimate, a silent dialogue between species. I had tapped into the very essence of what it meant to be a Phytomancer, and the realization filled me with a sense of power and gratification.

With a newfound motivation, I practiced this small act again and again, each time with less effort, until the leaf's movement was more pronounced. My mastery over the fern's tendrils grew, and with it, my confidence in my ability to influence more of its body.

As the leaf settled into its new position, I finally understood that my abilities were only limited by my creativity and my willingness to connect with nature. I tried grasping more than one tendril at once, my intent being to move more than just the leaf.

While this took a larger toll on my mind, and I felt my head start to spin slightly, I felt my connection with the plant had expanded and just as I willed it to move all of its leaves, so it did.

I didn't just have the power to change the forest, I was a part of it, and it was a part of me. I commanded the fern to move, and so I saw its roots spring from beneath the soil as the plant started to rise from the earth.

Just as most of its body was digging itself up though, I felt a stinging sensation in my mind and my head started spinning.

I relaxed my senses and severed my connection to the fern. I realized I had been at this for a few hours at least, the sun now bright above me.

I shouldn't push myself more than this, the day is not over yet.

Phytomancer - Experience +25

I looked up at the notification in front of me.

So practicing with my class abilities gives me experience points huh… That makes sense I guess.

I took another look at the half dug up fern in front of me. “Why do I feel bad for almost killing a simple fern?”

It was just a plant like the other millions that are probably in this forest, yet my heart stopped me from leaving as I instead walked up to it. I used my claws to dig the roots of the fern back into the soil as best as I could without breaking them. After a few minutes I looked satisfied at the plant in front of me which now looked a little better off without half of its roots flying about.

Hope this is enough…

“I hope you recover, and thank you for helping me experiment with my abilities.”

I didn’t know why I tried talking to it, but my newfound connection with nature told me that there was more to the flora around me than what the naked eye could see.I grabbed another dragon fruit as I began wandering through the forest again. While my treetop night hadn’t been bad, I still wanted to secure a more long term solution for my well being.

Walking through the forest wasn’t so hard as a quadruped, especially with my sharp claws providing grip whenever I needed it.

Suddenly, I heard some irregular rustling of leaves not very far. I immediately lowered my center of gravity and froze, pondering for a few moments whether to investigate or turn tail and be on my way. In the end I decided to sneak forward towards the noise. After a few steps I peeked my head through the branches of a bush, all the while taking care of not making any sounds.

What I saw was another mossy crab like the one I fought the day before. It was facing away from me and looked intent on digging something up with its pincer claws.

He’s distracted and I have the element of surprise. I can take him.

I thought to myself as I prepared to attack and assert my dominance in this forest, especially after my previous encounter with one of these creatures. I crouched low, my muscles coiled and ready to spring. But just as I was about to leap forward, more rustling in the underbrush caught my attention.

Another crab emerged, joining the first. They both carried an assortment of fruits, roots, and vegetables. The scene piqued my curiosity, overshadowing my initial predatory impulse. These creatures, which I had initially thought of as mere beasts, were displaying behaviour that hinted at something more complex.

The second crab approached the first and the two began to produce clicking noises with their mandibles. I assumed they initiated some sort of conversation.

After a short while they both lined up and started walking in the same direction. They reminded me of ants in a way.

Quietly, I followed them, my movements stealthy and calculated. The forest floor was a tapestry of shadows and light, and I moved through it with a newfound grace. The crabs seemed unaware of my presence as they continued on their path, their focus entirely on the path ahead of them.

After a few minutes they led me to a small clearing and beyond it stood quite possibly the largest tree I had ever even imagined.

So far the largest trees I had come across were roughly the size of giant sequoias from Earth, but this was on a whole other level. I climbed up a nearby trunk to get a better look at the sight before me.

The tree must have had the diameter of 4 sequoias. You could have fit a whole house in there and with a decently sized garden too.

https://i.imgur.com/CTfxd7Y.png [https://i.imgur.com/CTfxd7Y.png]

As I took a better look at it, I noticed it was riddled with small rounded entrances and spotted multiple crabs going in and out.

I guess this is their den? Oh here come the ones I was following…

I looked at the two creatures I had been tailing as they entered through the biggest entrance at the middle of the trunk and disappeared into the darkness. I noticed most of the crabs entering the den were carrying some sort of fruits or vegetables.

I guess they are stockpiling their food?

I looked over the tree one more time before deciding that I was pushing my luck and turned to leave.

I easily descended from the tree I had climbed on and started picking up my pace in the direction I had come from. If this was where those crabs were living, now at least I knew which area I should keep my distance from.

As I was lost in my thoughts, I heard rustling from the leaves to my side just in time to stop and dodge a crab charging towards me.

I decided I wasn’t going to pick a fight with it so close to its den so I turned around to bolt away, but another creature blocked my path, pincers ready to strike.

Alright then if flight is not an option, let’s have it you mossy crustaceans.