‘This is weird. Where am I? My senses still aren’t back very much but I’m moving. Everything feels like it is about to break. Like I am holding myself together with string. I guess I probably am at least while I am still in recovery mode. But why did I start moving on my own? Did I force myself unconsciously to retrieve my missing piece?’
Arthur shuddered and stumbled as he stepped over a rock. His upper body shook and rattled as his joints flexed separated for a bit longer than they should have.
‘That didn’t feel good. At least the finger isn’t moving from its current position. Maybe the birds dropped it in their nest. That would be the most logical explanation. Though I don’t think they will take kindly to me arriving at their home after that last encounter.’ Arthur paused for a moment. ‘Damn it. I can feel my fingers and I think I left my sword back where I woke up or maybe I dropped it after. Zoe is going to be disappointed in me when I don’t return it to her. I also don’t know how long it has been. It could be over a day now, but I don’t think so based on how long my recovery times have been in the past. I hope my senses come back on. I should have them back in full soon if I am able to pilot my body through these trees.
‘While I have time I might as well go over a new battle plan and should go over strategy. First off, with my sword gone I can dual cast spells and their nest’s location should be much better suited to [Vine Trap] and the like, but I will have to see for myself for that. From the beast manual, they like to set their nests high up in trees. Depending on the height the spell may be limited, but I will make sure that they have to fight me closer to the ground.’
Arthur felt his insides shift and adjust for a second before his eyesight was back online. He currently saw in shades of black in white because he had to fix other things first, but it was a nice change and a sign of real progress.
‘That’s much better. Now let's return my manual control.’
With a little focus, the control systems within himself changed to accommodate his control. Arthur immediately felt closer to his usual self. He now felt everything that was right and what was wrong in his body and connections to his limited senses.
‘Leg are good, but no jumping for me yet. Arms are mostly limp but are fully connected to cast plant growth when available. My available mana is nonexistent and when extra is available beyond facilitating me walking it is used up casting spells and healing myself. That ends now.’
Arthur stopped walking and kept himself still.
‘Now I’ll start diverting more power to healing because I should keep wandering towards the nest. Next, is my metal core and my chest. Most of the lightning’s power went through them so I need to check on them.’
Arthur started with the ones around his chest. The resistance runes took a beating and the lightning one was completely destroyed from trying to avert both blasts at the same time. The connecting rune that communicated with the other pieces of his body also seemed intact. Next, he tried activating one of the runes on the metal core.
He felt a jolt of energy leave his body for a second. It left the only open hole he had on him and then spread onto the nearby tree. The tree accepted the power and then Arthur felt a connection to it.
‘Weird. What was that? It wasn’t mana, but some other form of energy. My mana doesn’t feel anymore drained but something else within me left and is not refilling anywhere as fast as my mana does. Is it soul power? The connection to the tree is fading but it feels similar to the connection to my finger. Did I bond myself to the tree temporarily like I have done permanently to this golem body? I hope Zoe has the answers for me. I need her to.’
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Arthur continued to contemplate some more while he was stuck in place healing himself. With his full focus on healing, it only took another hour for him to feel ready to continue. A few more things required fixing still, such as his black and white vision, but they could be finished in the time he estimated that he would arrive at the nest. He also factored in the mana required to do so before setting off for the nest.
He observed the forest as he walked. The thin grayish-green trees surrounding the outpost had been replaced with tall red trees with large diameters and plenty of accompanying flowers. The wildlife in the area was mostly small critters from what he could tell and there was the occasional large ferret mammal from earlier hunting for berries and grasses to eat.
Arthur slowed his pace when he got closer to the nest. With his life scan, he assessed the nest and its occupants. With two of the seven now dead he only had to worry about five of the purple-streaked shrieking birds. He observed for a bit longer and found that the two birds that he had injured with his sword still had not fully recovered and had to be tended to by the others.
Arthur kept himself out of sight and cast his [Silence] as he scouted them out. He felt the connection to his finger was stronger now and it helped him identify the exact location of the nest when it was so high up and partially obscured. The nest's location was almost one hundred feet up in the air nestled between one of the red trees many similarly thick branches. The purple-streaked shrieking birds moved in and out of the nest in the half-hour that he watched them.
‘It would be best if I can take one of them out while they are separated. They have been rotating who gathers food and I have the greatest chance at dealing with them if I take the one that is alone. Once the first is taken care of there will only be two that could fight at full capacity. As long as I am careful then I’m sure I can defend with one hand and attack with the other.'
With a proper plan forming in his head Arthur waited for the purple-streaked shrieking birds to rotate hunting positions and separate. It didn’t take long for the hunting bird to return and bring with it a dead rat to feed to the others. Once the injured once had eaten their fill the next bird that was free of exhaustion set off to hunt for more food.
Arthur refreshed his [Silence] casting and chased after the bird from behind. Arthur slowed down occasionally because the purple-streaked shrieking bird would duck its head down and scan for potential prey and he would stand out.
He finally gave up a broke off some twigs and leaves to cover his head. After testing it against the bird he continued. As long as he didn’t move too fast he reckoned the bird wouldn’t see him. The reality however was a bit different. The bird screeched and Arthur realized that it was now diving straight towards him. He threw off his makeshift had and cast his first spell.
“[Plasma Bolt]”
The spell hit the bird’s own and exploded outward scarring the trees and burning them. Seeing that the spell didn’t immediately end the bird’s life he pivoted and rolled on the ground out of the way of the bird’s beak. The forest floor did not like Arthur’s heavy body and his roll turned into laying on the ground and hitting his head on a tree as he tried to dodge.
The move however was effective, and its beak stabbed into his metal body with a twang instead of injuring one of his joints. As soon as the bird hit him it shook off any dizziness it might have had and took to the skies again. Arthur focused on his magic while still a little bit dizzy as well and cast again.
“[Vine Trap]”
The spell grew and expanded to the area around him and the bird. The burned trees looked a little better and the thick branches of the trees began to move. As the bird ascended it encountered more and more branches.
The branches bent and slowed the bird. A few of the branches grabbed hold of the bird by working together but it cast its lightning spell and together with its beak broke apart the hostile branches.
While ultimately unsuccessful Arthur used this time when it was stalled to cast another spell.
“[Plasma Bolt], [Plasma Bolt]”
With both hands, he sent out the spell twice in rapid succession right to the bird. The purple-streaked shrieking bird focused its attention on escaping and warning the others, so it didn’t see the attack. Arthur also aimed and timed his shots perfectly because the bird was in almost the same spot for the seconds that the bolt flew through the air.
The attacks hit the bird perfectly and his still active [Vine Trap] spell took the opportunity to rip it apart once they recovered from the blast as well. After a minute the vines dropped the bird’s body to the forest floor with a thud. Arthur followed up with [Plant Growth] as thanks to the three trees that had been burned and damaged while helping him out in the fight.
“Thank you trees. I’ll need your family's help again soon for my next fight. I hope you recover quicker with this spell. I can’t use all my mana to help you so this will have to do for now.”