I'm still considering where I should go and why I was brought here as the last of the orcs are being defeated. Once I'm sure it's safe and there is no longer a danger to the noncombatants, I create a land bridge and walk across. I wanted to get closer to the fighting so the wounded could get treated more efficiently and give me more experience. Once the last orc fell though I was treated to another surprise.

Defeated Orcs Outnumbered bonus 7 Experience received 196

It's a surprise for two reasons. For one I thought the orc army was larger than that, and for two I know I killed enough to get more than 196 experience with the outnumber bonus. Thinking about it though most of the ones I killed were probably to low level for me to gain experience from. I don't really have time to think about it right now though as I can already feel the level ups coming. I managed to remain conscious this time since I wasn't physically or mentally exhausted. As much as I wanted to level up the skills I currently have I opted for more random skills.

As soon as it was done, I immediately opened my stats. Along with two new skills I also got a new talent. To say that I couldn't wait to try them out would be an understatement.

Name Thomas Race Living Hill Size 400m Level 21 42/220 Health 80,000/80,000 Attack 99 Defense 116 speed 98 skills Active; Water manipulation level 2(0/10), Earth manipulation level 2 (9/10), Mirror Sheild Level 6(0/10), Air manipulation level 1(0/10) Gravity Manipulation level 1(0/10) Passive; Regeneration level 4(0/10), Healing aura level 7(0/10) Talents Copper Shell, Improved Mental Fortitude, Last Stand, Telepathy, Inspiring Physique, Enhanced Awareness

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Up first were the new skills. Air manipulation was exactly what you'd expect. It behaves pretty much exactly the same as water and earth manipulation and given that I already had those wasn't a big surprise. What is a surprise however is the skill gravity manipulation. Not because of what it is, it's pretty self-explanatory after all. No, the surprise comes in what it allows me to do. Namely manipulate the gravity around a person or object. with it I can make thing so light they float, cause them to get pulled one way or another, or make them so heavy they are crushed under their own weight. At least I will be able to once I get a few levels in it. Right now, the amount I can affect the gravity around something is minuscule. The range is also extremely limited. Right now, something has to almost be touching me for gravity manipulation to effect it.

The big surprise though was enhanced awareness. To be honest I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. It's like I have eyes everywhere. As if I can literally see through my skin. I guess it would be more accurate to say it's like having millions of rear-view cameras pointed in every possible direction. The reason being that they're there, but I can choose to ignore them. They aren't constantly bombarding me with information. This is definitely going to take some getting used to. On the upside by shrinking my perception to a single point, focusing on a single rear-view camera as it were, I can actually see the faces of the people I'm helping as well as my friends.

This came at the perfect time as I'm now almost half a kilometer in size. Without enhanced awareness trying to see their faces would be a near impossible task no matter how much a squinted my eyes. I'm legitimately worried now about how big I'll get. I joked about my expanding size in the past, but this planet is only so big. I can't help but recall that I used to only grow by a few centimeters at a time. Now I'm growing a hundred meters at a time. How much will I grow in the future. At a certain point somethings got to give.

I don't want to stop leveling up but at the same time I also don't want to be responsible for disrupting the planets orbit. "it's fine" says a voice from nowhere and everywhere all at once. Apparently able to hear my thoughts despite me not using telepathy at the time. "What do you mean it's fine? How can destroying a planet be fine?" I quickly ask ignoring everything else about this sudden exchange. I'm not about to miss the only chance I've had since I got here to get some answers.

"This planet was already dying before you arrived." "What do you mean the planet is dying? How can a planet die? Who could have the power to kill a planet?" "Not who but what." came the reply "The star in this system has reached the end of its life and begun to expand. The equatorial regions are already feeling the effects and it will only get worse. Now normally we are forbidden from interfering directly on a grand scale. Those of us assigned to a planet are meant to simply observe and guide the sapient creatures on it. However, these are my people I've looked after them since the birth of sapience on this planet. So, I sort of ... bent the rules. I can't say more than that because if I were to explain everything it would go from bending the rules to flat out breaking them. Part of why this doesn't count as breaking the rules is that you can chose to do nothing. Even if you do decide to help you need to figure it out on your own and even then, you may not actually be able to do what I need you to do."

I wanted to ask more questions, but I suspect she, it was a feminine voice so I'm going with she, probably wouldn't answer anyway. That's if she was even still there. So, what do I know. Well for one the planet is dying and I'm supposed to do something about that ... somehow. Aside from that the only thing I know now that I didn't before is that there is apparently a time limit.