I wanted to say a few words before I left but sadly, I still could not understand them. I doubted Theye'd have any better luck understand any noise I made while attempting to communicate. So instead, I just stood up slowly. Taking in for the first time just how much smaller the settlement seemed than when I arrived. Slowly I made my way around the edge of the settlement being careful not to accidentally step on any small children or pets. An odd feeling considering not that long ago I was worried about getting stepped on.

Once I'm certain that I'm far enough away I head back towards the forest. I should be able to handle anything in that forest by now. Even with my significantly improved speed it still takes almost an hour to get back to the forest. The first thing I notice upon my return is just how different the forest looks. Where the trees always this close together? The other thing I notice is how small the creatures look. Even those that I would have considered giants last time I was here seem average sized at best. My skills now being level 2 only add to my confidence. Mirror shield is now even more effective and water manipulation has gone from almost completely useless to slightly less useless. Well to be fair it would be useful if there were bodies of water around, I could use it with.

I've also noticed as I was walking over towards the forest that the ground seems flatter than before. I know it's just because I'm so big but still it is a noticeable difference. Honestly skipping so many levels it's probably going to take some time for my consciousness to catch up with my new size. I still find myself thinking like a small creature despite the fact that the 'sheer cliff' at the edge of the forest is just a small hill now. The forest has always been a good reference point for judging how big I've become. Considering how much I grow after each level up now though, I honestly don't know how much longer I'll even be able to fit on the path.

Speaking of the path I've come to that fork in the path again. This time I choose to turn right for no other reason than I haven't been that direction yet. I think it's almost time for me to set off. the city guard and local adventures keeping the beasts under control was good for me in the beginning but now it just makes it impossible to find an opponent on my level. It also means that I'll likely be one of their targets soon. Putting myself in their shoes for a minute. I doubt they'd let a monster my size just wonder around near the city.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

As I continue to travel, I start to notice that the trees are starting to get a little more spread out. Odd, you'd think if anything they'd be getting denser as you went further into the woods. This trend continues for the next few hours until I suddenly find myself in a clearing. I'm not out of the forest as, with my current height, I can clearly see trees all around. For whatever reason trees seem to be getting removed from this area faster than new one can grow in. It's also to perfectly round to be natural.

Exploring the clearing for a while I soon find the cause. There used to be a settlement here. Very little evidence remains. Most of what does remain is half buried frames of walls that look as if they were once on fire. I didn't see them earlier because of the tall grass. It also seems I was wrong trees aren't slowly being removed. Instead, they are slowly reclaiming this area. Even so it if I didn't know better, I'd think the trees were avoiding getting too close. At any rate it's clear that whatever happened here took place a long time ago.

I was going to just continue along the path, but it seems to stop in the middle of what I'm assuming used to be a town square or something. I could continue on without the path and that is what I initially plan to do. As I take a few more steps though I am suddenly hit with this overwhelming feeling of dread. Some instinct way down deep that I didn't even know I had begins screaming at me that only death waits in that direction. I have come close to death a few times after becoming a turtle but never have I felt the specter of death like I did just now. It seems that whether there is a really powerful beast or it's just some spell designed to keep living things away I'm no match for it in my current form.

So, with that I make a mental note to avoid this area unless I have a reason to come here. Then I head back to that fork in the path. This time I take the left fork. As I walk, I can see dew drop slimes and other creatures. Unfortunately, even the highest levelled among them is to low level for me to gain anything from fighting them. As I venture further though, I start to see new creatures of higher level. At some point they even start to approach my current level. Obviously, this means I'm heading in the right direction.

A little ways further and the levels have gotten high enough for me to begin looking for another opponent. It's also been long enough that the little bit of health that was still missing has almost fully recovered. Especially since I can now heal 7 health in 6 hours instead of just 6. It may not seem like much, but it adds up over the course of a day or two.

Just as I start to approach a level 13 bear, which seems to have stats similar to mine with the exception of a lower defense, my thoughts are interrupted by the sounds of fighting in the distance.