I jolt awake. Quickly rising, I look around, only to realize that my surroundings have completely changed. Where the pit had been a shadowy place, filled with the scent of blood, it was now an empty clearing, devoid of distinction. The clearing changes based on the boss apparently… Interesting, I suppose. Looking down at myself, I can see that I haven’t actually grown taller or changed majorly physically. Instead I could feel power condensing in me, swirling around my core.
Hmm, maybe I’m already beginning to prepare for my first evolution. I wonder what that’ll be…
Shaking off, the pointless thoughts, I call to Sol through our bond. The window had said that the wolf was the boss of the outer forest, something that made me very excited about what was within the center. As I made my way deeper into the forest, I began to notice a change. The trees were far taller and thicker, blocking out nearly all of the light. The ground was completely devoid of life, and a thick miasma began to build in the air.
Something is wrong with this place… Why is it all so rotten?
You have received a request from Themis! This part of the forest was once vibrant and filled with the competition of life. Now it is barren, sucked dry by 5 beasts, the only ones who still live here. This is not the way of life or justice.
Kill:
Shadow-River Serpent lvl 74
Corrupted Stone Golem lvl. 95
Frozen Terror-Hawk lvl. 63
Maddened infernal Lvl. 86
Chaotic Ent: lvl 105
Reward: Become a Champion of Themis (Unlocks Dragon Lord Evolution Path)
“A crap-ton of experience. What you expected more? I’m a minor goddess, not a miracle worker!”
Penalties: “Well besides the obvious death if you can’t take these things on that is.”
Complete loss of interest by Themis
Loss of blessings given by Themis
Do You Accept?
Well, that’s quite a choice there, isn’t it? I suppose it doesn’t matter much, just more rewards for me more because of things I would do anyways!
Mulling over where to find these creatures, I come to a very convenient crossroads. 5 paths branched out from this point, each leading to a different part of the forest. They were all representative of an element. The first path, led up a small mountain. Swift breezes could be felt flowing from it. The second led to a murky swamp ground. Faintly, from the distance, a river could be heard flowing. The third led to a blazing plain. Fires were raging between the trees, preventing any further insight into that area. The fourth led downward into a dark cave that gleamed with gemstones and hidden treasure. Finally, the fifth led into the center of the forest. It was blocked completely by a massive wall of roots.
Taking the very obvious choice, I began to walk up the mountain. As I climbed, the air began to grow colder, and the winds grew sharper. But, fortunately my dragon blood allowed me to simply ignore the chill. Sol’s inner light also protected him, keeping him safe from the freezing temperatures. After hours of climbing, we stood on the peak of the mountain. There was a circle of stones there, but before entering, I turned to look back at my world.
It was beautiful. The treetops of the nearby forest gently rustled as gusts of wind passed through. The outer forest thrummed with life, from birds dancing between the canopies, to massive beasts like me fighting for survival below. Further away, I could see the rippling waves of the lake I was born by. The reflection of the midday sun glistened off of them, reminding me of how little time I had truly lived in this world. How young and small I was when compared to its vastness. Beyond the place of my birth, I could see a vast desert. Shifting sands, and vast storms changed the face of that new world before my very eyes. Stretching my eyes, I could see beyond even this, a towering mountain range, many times larger than my lone peak. Covered in snow, they were the limit of my world. Everywhere else, the land was devoured by an endless sea. And there, on that mountaintop, I watched the sun set for the first time. I had lived for a month or so already, but I had never taken the time to appreciate something as simple, yet beautiful as that. I had never realized that there was beauty in this world.
I stayed there for a while, watching, trying to understand the world. I was… happy. I felt like i had find myself. This was what life was truly like! To see the ground stretch beneath you, vast and unending! To feel the thrill of a grand battle! To protect those you love, and those you are bound to! To learn and conquer! That is life! I made a promise to myself that night. A promise to never forget that there were beautiful sights, even among the chaos and ruin. Digging a cave out with my Earth manipulation, I laid down and slept peacefully until morning.
Morning, when I was very rudely awoken, by a terribly loud screeching noise.
I hate being woken up on mornings.
P.O.V : Sol
Life with Terrus was always an adventure. Stubborn, foolish, but surprisingly kind-hearted for a dragon, he always manages to charge in head-first, literally sometimes, and then think about his actions. Fortunately for him, and me by extension, as an Earth Dragon that’s usually the right course of action. Not many problems tend to stay around when a few tons worth of heavily armored dragon crashes into them!
Yesterday was interesting though. After basically being given an invitation to go completely destroy a tough series of beasts, he stopped and simply looked out on the world. Maybe some sort of light finally went of in that head of his, that he wasn’t the biggest and strongest thing out there. Maybe he would change his ways, and be far more careful about his actions. Nope. He dug a hole out, and without even checking his surroundings fell fast asleep in it.
Right next to a Terrorhawk’s nest. Sigh, he may have rescued me from certain death, but sometimes I wonder if he could have survived even a day longer on his own.
Having never been able wake him, I resorted to keeping watch and hoping the hawk doesn’t come back.Thankfully, it had been sleeping too. When dawn arrived, it screeched out its call, a sharp frozen crashing noise, across the heavens. Turning back to Terrus, I suddenly felt an enormous pressure fall on the area. Something of that kind could only be exerted by a completely ruthless monster! That’s when I realize where it's coming from, the still sleeping Terrus, who has now stood and is angrily making his way towards the hawk. The terrorhawk looked, for all intents and purposes, like a frozen phoenix with smaller wings and far larger legs. Slightly ungainly in flight, they focused on ground combat, a rare trait for birds.
All of which was completely inconsequential to the sleepwalking dragon. Landing on his shoulder, i could make out random mumbling” ...a coffee… F---ing overgrown rooster… mraghms”.
The terrorhawk screached another challenge, which was promptly met by a barrage of massive compressed boulders, each at least 30 meters around, crashing into it. Barely surviving, It blasted a beam of ice at Terrus. In response he roared, stomping both feet on the ground, and unleashing all of his power into the Earth. It rose up, taking the form of a dozen serpent-like dragons, and crashed into the bird obliterating it completely. The core was immediately devoured by Terrus and he promptly lie down and went to sleep. On the terrorhawks corpse. Sigh, well that’s just….
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
P.O.V: Terrus
I woke up in confusion. Apparently, I had somehow killed the first boss already. It leveled me up 8 times. Very strange really that I didn’t remember anything about it though…
Congratulations! You have gained the title: So Not a Morning Person…. Whenever an enemy wakes you up, You go on a sleep-rampage until it is dead! Your stats quadruple during the rampage.
“Wow… Remind me not to wake you up… ever…”
Hmm, the ground was torn up and Sol was giving me frightened looks. Oh well… it was that bird’s fault for waking me up… Whistling happily I make my way down the mountain towards the marsh.
P.O.V. Themis
Well, that was unexpected. My newest follower, or well more of helper, had been really interesting, but that was a bit terrifying. I suppose i’m lucky that he is generally fair-minded. If he was chaotic, I’d be doomed. That invasion is still coming….
Looks like I have no choice… He has to be it. Quickly acting upon my decision, I use my power to shield him from the eyes of the other gods. All except Terra, his mother… I hope she’ll agree to help… Sighing, I go to her palace, to tell her what I’ve seen in the future…
P.O.V. Terrus
Returning to the crossroads, I notice that the path to the river had opened. Walking down it, i could see the trees getting noticeably thicker and shorter. The ground grew less solid, and soon i was knee deep in murky water. The forest’s miasma had grown noticeably thicker, and it was nearly impossible to see through. Finally, I reached a dark stagnant river.
Looking for the serpent, I was surprised when its huge form burst out of the river. Nearly as large as I was, it grabbed my side and dragged me into the water before I could even resist. In the water, the snake was supreme coiling around me, and slowly constricting to force the breath out of me. I began to struggle for all I was worth, clawing the snake’s sides and even trying to unleash a spirit blast at it. Something which unfortunately did not work too well as filthy water rushed into my throat.
Slowly, the pressure builds. My scales begins to crack and my bones are bending slightly. The pain is agonizing, as my body seems ready to be bent in two. I open my eyes to try and see where I am in the river, but the polluted water burns them and blurs my vision.
Blinded, and nearly out of breath I make one final effort and with every last fiber of my being, I reach out desperately….. and touch the Earth. Power floods into me. I’m back in my element and now it was the snakes turn to feel real pain. I raise a platform of earth out of the water. After quickly taking in what air I could, I wedge slabs of stone between my body and the snake’s coils. Then i take minerals, and form grooved metallic spikes. This was the first time i had tried to control steel, but while it was slightly different, I could control it. Spinning the spikes, I drill them into the snake, causing it to hiss in pain and uncoil. It curls up on itself and raises its head high looking to intimidate me. While it doesn’t work, I can see venom dripping of its fangs. I have to finish this quickly then. My resistance should save me from dying to that, but if I fall unconscious I’ll probably get eaten.
Calling to Sol, I charge forward bowing my head downwards to take any strikes on my horns. At the same time, Sol began to fly around the snake launching blinding beams of light at it. The haze dissipated most of the attacks’ power but he still distracted the snake long enough for me to get close. Reinforcing my fangs and claws with metal I bite down on the snake’s body and begin to shred it open with my claws. Fortunately for me, the river serpent’s scales were softer than mine, and my reinforced attacks pierced them relatively easily.
Suddenly, the snake turns into water. Flowing around me, it reappears with its jaws around my neck and bites down furiously. All its injuries seem to have healed, and it merely seems more energised. Once again I wedge it off of me. When it’s not coiled around me, the snake is incredibly weak, but once it has me in its grasp, it is nearly impossible for me to escape. Also the water form seems to reset its injuries. Looks like I’ll have to end this in one blow then!
Charging forward to meet the snake again, I raise spikes from the ground scoring its underside, with a predatory look the snake once again dissolves into water, but this time I was ready, Enhancing my fangs with steel and jaws with spirit energy, my head is covered by an enlarged version of itself and I bite down onto the snake’s head the moment it reforms, crushing it completely. While i devour it looking for its core, a window appears.
[window] Congratulations! Your control over your spirit power has advanced! Now you can constantly consume a portion of your spirit power to form an Avatar of energy around you. This avatar, acts exactly as you do and will take the brunt of enemy attacks. [/window]
Wow, that’s really convenient! Yes please do make my defense stronger… MWAHAHA No one will be able to stop me! Testing the Avatar, I was pleasantly surprised to see how large I grew. Nearly 30 ft at the shoulder, it made me half-again as tall as I naturally was. Crude runes flowed across the avatar’s scales, making an interesting effect. I’d also grown to level 78 which was quite a nice bonus. If I kept this up I’d be able to evolve soon. I wonder what Themis will give me then….? Wait? Didn’t I get a potentially overpowered skill after I saved those puny humans?
“Yes, you did you idiot! Now go check your status! “
Yes, your highness...
Stats: Terrus lvl 78
Strength:602 Agility: 320
Constitution: 690 Resistance: 643
Dexterity: 130 Intelligence: 588
New Passive Ability: Aura of the Guardian.
All of your friends and allies are protected by your presence! In combat, all friendly beings gain 25% of your defensive stats.
Well, that’ll be useful when I have more friends than a bird who ideally won’t get hit and a goddess who has probably transcended stats or something like that….
“Yes actually I have, and you will too one day. Also, aww you think that I’m your friend! That’s so sweet of you! <3 : - D “
Sigh, great just what I needed. A woman that can read my thoughts…..
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Hey readers! Thanks for being patient with me. Here’s the first part of the inner forest chapters! I’ll be out of town for labor Day weekend so I’m not quite sure when chapter 5 will come out, but I’m gonna shoot for maybe monday evening.