----***----
Evangeline
Eva had gradually settled into a daily routine in the forest, especially after the unsettling blue screen notification hinting that she might not be alone.
Over the past four days, she had been industriously preparing herself for the worst case scenario: the people or monster that finished the wolf spider is or are hostile.
The first day involved a meticulous examination of dead tree husks near her camp, selecting ones similar to the apple tree she had rejuvenated. She alternated between rejuvenating the tree she thought had potential and using her [Photosynthesis] to keep her mana up.
Her goal was to secure a reliable food source, ensuring she'd be in top condition should she face any hostile intruders.
Her efforts paid off with five new trees by the day's end: three apple trees and two bearing large, nut-like fruits with powdery seeds encased in hard shells
Upon using [Identify] on one of the latter, she discovered it was a [Sandbox Porus Tree], known for its high flammability and tendency to grow in cold areas. Its fruits, which explode upon contact with the ground in warmer climates, can scatter seeds and shrapnel, potentially igniting catastrophic forest fires. This tree was a favorite among [Doebbits].
The second day saw Eva using her [Displace] skill to finish her defensive structure project: she spent the day digging trenches and constructing a wall from the displaced earth.She was proud of herself for finishing this project just before the night fell.
On the third day, Eva dedicated her time to crafting a chestplate from the desiccated cephalothorax of a lieutenant wolf spider. Although the end product resembled a patchwork, her meticulous sculpting and cutting using her [Displace] skill yielded good results:
You have crafted an uncommon [Tough spider chitin chestplate] of low quality.
+ 20 physical defense
+ 10 magical defense
An armor sculpted out of a lieutenant wolf spider's protective shell. Thanks to the quality of the material, and not the crafting ability of it's creator, the result is passable.
`Is it me or the system is just spending its time dissing me?! You know what, let's ignore this, I'm doing it for myself, not for this bot` thought the elf after reading the result of her [identify] on what of her best creation yet.
When she put it on top of her rags, she felt way safer, it even provided her with better protection against the biting cold of the forest!
On the fourth day, Eva turned her attention to cutting down numerous thorny trees. Why? Not that she was a deforestation advocate but she needed lumber, and the result of her identify on them did not please her one bit:
[Infant Thornwood Tree] dormant
Children of the invasive Thornwood Tree, it is incapable of photosynthesis and rely on sucking the life force of other plants around it to grow. If mana is unavailable, it can use miasma as sustenance.
She fell almost twenty of them just to be sure they were not in proximity of her precious apple trees.
The fifth day, she appreciated the fruits of her labour. A juicy apple in hand, she scrolled through her system notifications.
[Novice Space Mage] levelled up! 12 > 15
You have new skills available for this class
[Elven Essence Weaver] levelled up! 2 > 3
She immediately checked the new skill selection menu for her space mage class. The [Levitate: Self] option from her previous level up was still available but she skipped it to look at the new choices.
New skills available:
[Bound : External]
Apply gravitational pressure on your opponent who will feel an increased weight on them. The added weight felt by the target is dependant on the caster physical mass (times 2) added to the caster's mana capacity (5kg for every 750 mana).
Single target only.
[Dimensional Bag]
An upgrade of the [Pocket] skill. Dimensional storage capacity improved to 10 kg.
Eva weighed her choices carefully: on one hand, she had a single-target slow skill that demanded her constant focus, and on the other, the [Pocket] skill, an useless one so far that definetly needed an upgrade. Given her current physical limitations due to her low endurance and strength stats, she concluded that enhancing the [Pocket] skill was the smarter, more pragmatic choice. This upgrade promised to significantly ease the burden of carrying supplies and materials, a vital consideration for her survival and efficiency in the forest.
Your [Pocket] skill evolved into [Dimensional Bag]
With the upgraded [Pocket] skill now providing her a convenient method to transport the felled Thornwood trees, Eva devoted her entire day to processing them. She used her [Displace] skill to cut the trees into manageable pieces, stored them in her [Dimensional Bag]. Once the bag was filled, she would then transport the contents back to her shelter.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
As she worked, Eva had fun singing pop songs she listened too back on Earth. The isolation of the forest, devoid of any critical audience, left her blissfully oblivious to the off-key notes of her singing.
----***----
David
`I was told to prepare myself for a serious escort mission, but in no way would I have been prepared enough for everything that happened the last three days after we managed to escape the spider horde.` Thought David, remembering clearly the horrors him and his platoon went through.
***
The first day saw Hervé, our shielder, and Bernard, an infantryman, exhibiting signs of extreme fatigue, lagging behind the rest of the group. They were in the poorest condition, while the other infantry members had also sustained serious injuries from the spider attacks.
Despite our best efforts to recuperate, their conditions deteriorated with each passing hour, and our supply of first aid kits quickly depleted. On the food front, we were better prepared; thanks to the notorious size and treachery of the Forbidden Forest, we had enough rations to last two weeks.
The tension among the group was palpable, particularly among the mages who were physically unscathed but mentally strained. Two of them were court mages, more accustomed to paperwork or supporting roles in battles, and this direct confrontation was a stark contrast from their usual experience. Paul, a Frontline mage, did his best to bolster their spirits.
Wanting to ask for help, we dispatched our magic-infused paper birds in all directions, carrying messages for backup and detailing our findings, hoping that at least one would reach our kingdom or the elven settlements.
That night, as we set up camp, chilling screams pierced the quiet forest. "SOMEBODY. HELP ME. AAAAARGH." The screams, laden with fear yet unnervingly repetitive, raised our suspicions.
Accompanied by Paul and a few healthier men, we ventured out to investigate, finding an elf-like figure in a clearing.
The figure continued its monotonous plea for help, prompting us to maintain a cautious distance. I instructed Paul to illuminate the area with a fireball, to give us a better view to assess the situation.
The moment the light touched the figure, what we saw sent a wave of horror through us. It wasn't an elf, but merely the body of one, grotesquely manipulated by spider silk strings, floating in the air like a marionette. Sensing our presence, the puppet-like creature convulsed violently and, entering what seemed like a berserk state, charged towards us, its screams unceasing.
Without waiting for my command, Paul acted swiftly, incinerating the monstrous puppet with a burst of fire.
In the aftermath, distant cackles echoed through the forest. Realizing the danger we were in, we quickly decided to retreat, eager to distance ourselves from this nightmarish encounter.
----***----
Alice
David and his men returned in a frenzy, urgently instructing us to pack up and relocate our camp. He didn't pause to explain, but the terror in his eyes was enough; we complied without question. As we moved to a new site, David recounted their harrowing discovery while investigating the screams.
Alice, recalling the eerie tales of sentient monsters she had read at the academy, murmured, "The Arachne is toying with us." Arachnes were notorious for psychologically tormenting their victims, reducing them to barely living husks to manipulate for their own twisted purposes.
Once we had established a new camp and set the guard shifts, exhaustion took over, and I drifted off to sleep. However, my rest was short-lived, shattered by Hervé's harrowing screams of despair.
In the heart of the camp, Hervé writhed on the ground, his face ashen and drenched in sweat. "HELP ME. I FEEL THEM CRAWLING INSIDE MY BODY. END ME. END ME! MAKE IT STOP QUICK!" he cried out in utter desperation. His body convulsed violently, and he began to vomit.
To our horror, spiders emerged from his vomit, others crawled out of his wounds and eyes. It was evident that one of the spiders that had injured him had laid eggs in his body, turning him into a living nursery.
The camp was thrown into panic, and as if this nightmarish scene wasn't enough, Bernard's screams echoed from the other side of the camp. He was undoubtedly enduring the same agonizing fate as Hervé.
"DON'T JUST STAND THERE. ALICE! Please.." Hervé gasped, crawling towards her on all fours, pleading, "please... End me... Tell my boy and wife I love them..."
With a heavy heart, Alice closed her eyes and summoned the strongest fireball she could, aiming to end Hervé's suffering as quickly as possible. After the deed was done, she collapsed to the ground, curling into a ball, overwhelmed by grief and tears.
----***----
David
On the second of the three harrowing days in the forest, the group focused on comforting Alice, who was deeply traumatized by the recent events. She spent the entire day in tears, struggling to come to terms with the horrors they had encountered.
By the third day, the group ventured into a part of the forest seemingly devoid of spider activity. Scout noted that this area lay in the opposite direction from the wolf spider nest, offering a brief respite from the constant threat. Seizing this opportunity to gather their bearings, the team decided to survey the area by climbing the trees.
From his vantage point, Scout spotted green dots in the distance. Their march toward this potential safe zone in the dead forest took the entirety of the third day and continued into the next. As they drew closer, it became clear that they were approaching green patches. Scout speculated that these might be living trees within the forest.
This discovery sparked a glimmer of hope among the group. Could these living trees signify a potential long-term shelter where they could wait for rescue? Knowing that their potential safe haven was close by, they rested for a night, intending on checking the place out the next day.
----***----
Evangeline
In the morning, Eva busied herself with moving makeshift Thornwood planks, strategically placing them atop her shack to cover the numerous holes in the roof. Amidst this task, she heard chirping sounds emanating from near the Sandbox trees.
Curiosity piqued, she approached the source and found two doe-eyed, fluffy creatures feasting on an apple. They resembled rabbits but appeared chubbier.
A pang of nostalgia hit her as she recalled the last time she had eaten meat back on Earth, which now felt like an eternity ago. With survival in mind, she tried to justify her next action. "It's for a good cause," she whispered to herself, gripping a Thornwood plank like a club, raised and ready.
Slowly and cautiously, she advanced towards the adorable, unsuspecting creatures, torn between her survival instincts and the innocent charm of the fluffy animals.
----------------------------------------
[Doebbit]
These creatures, cousins to regular rabbits,are prized pets among elven nobility, particularly for their impressive size when fully grown. In their youth, they typically lack a sense of fear, a trait that unfortunately brought their species close to extinction. Their absence of a self-preservation mechanism make them a vulnerable and easy targets in the wild.
Eva lay on the ground, gazing up at the sky, with two adorable fluffballs contentedly nibbling apple pieces from her hands.
"Ahhh... This is heaven..." she sighed, reveling in the moment.
The initial plan to kill the pair of [Doebbits] had dissolved completely. They were simply too endearing, and even as they sensed Eva's initially dangerous approach, they didn't flee.
Instead, they scampered towards her, nuzzling against her in a display of innocence and trust that completely disarmed her. Her intent to kill melted away like butter in the summer sun under their affectionate gestures.
Now, covered in dirt from frolicking with the creatures on the ground, hugging and stroking their soft fur, Eva found herself not minding the mess at all. The simple joy of their company outweighed any concern for cleanliness.
At one point, as one of the Doebbits started to doze off in her lap, she even found herself softly singing a lullaby, a tender moment in the midst of this unforgiving and ruthless forest.
But this peaceful interlude was abruptly interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps, shattering the serene atmosphere
----***----
David
The morning of the fifth day, as we neared our destination, Scout confirmed that the trees ahead were apple trees, signaling a potential safe haven. Amidst them, we spotted a shelter, crudely constructed with makeshift walls and trenches.
Alice, who had been the embodiment of despair until now, suddenly perked up and dashed towards the shack, with Scout following closely behind. "Wait, we have to be sure that the occupants are friendly -" I began, but was abruptly interrupted by a vigilant female voice calling out, "Who goes there?!"
Confronting Alice and Scout was a figure resembling a dwarf, identifiable by her messy long black hair, short stature, and rugged, dirt-covered armor.
She assumed a defensive stance, evidently trying to appear threatening. However, the intimidation factor was inadvertently undermined by the fact that her 'weapons' were nothing more than two doe-eyed, chunky rabbits, which she held in each hand. David even recognized the cute creatures, Bob and Droplet, that were the pets of Knorr, the now defunct elf guard.