Venturing into the ancient Everwoods Forest, Ben was once again dwarfed by the towering titans that dominated the landscape. The old-growth evergreens stood well over 100 feet tall, their robust trunks spanning dozens of feet in diameter. This primordial forest had remained unspoiled for centuries, making it a priceless regional landmark as well as a precious resource for the local villages.

The sheer scale of the mature timbers reinforced to Ben the challenge of felling even a single tree with his meager borrowed axe. As a boy, Ben had assisted his lumberjack neighbors with harvests, but the trees seemed even sturdier and more daunting now. Back then, Ben’s emerging telekinetic gifts had allowed him to subtly augment his strength and stamina when chopping or hauling logs. But now his metaphysical abilities had vanished along with his interdimensional passage to Earth.

Scanning the grove of ancient giants, Ben identified one relatively slender evergreen that looked reasonably scalable for a lone woodsman like himself. He spent the next hour scrambling up the 100-foot height of the tree to see off some branches and clear space to fall it. But despite working up a hearty sweat clambering around the pine’s prickly boughs, his arboreal prep work barely made a dent. Exhausted before even beginning the true chopping labor, Ben clambered down and plopped onto a thick protruding root at the base to catch his breath.

"It's going to take me till next harvest to chop this thing down by myself," Ben muttered breathlessly. "Ah, but for some modern power tools from Earth right about now!” Just then, his pity party was interrupted by a distant holler.

"By the gods, Benjamin! Is that you, you old joker?" Ben peered around the titanic trunk to behold none other than his old friend Liam tramping through the dense woods toward him. A wave of relief and camaraderie flushed over Ben at the sight of his truest childhood companion.

Ben leaped up to embrace Liam in an effusive bear hug. "Liam, my guardian angel! Your timing could not be more heavenly!" Liam squirmed awkwardly and pried himself from Ben's clench.

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"Alright, enough with the touchy-feely act, you nut!" Liam chuckled. "What in blazes are you doing out here anyway? Did that knock on the noggin' I gave you a few years ago finally scramble your brains for good?"

Ben laughed heartily and explained his intention to log enough timber to create something that could be sold in the market. "So you see, without your woodcraft mastery, I'd surely perish attempting this task alone. Please lend me your brawn for but a day, noble Sir Liam, and I shall be ever in your debt!"

Liam smirked and shook his head. "Fine, fine, quit the dramatics. Just promise me you'll never grab my ass again and I'll help you get all the lumber you need." The two shared the warm camaraderie of reunited old pals as Liam began meticulously inspecting the tree Ben had attempted to clear earlier, formulating the optimal felling strategy that had been honed across years of logging.

As Liam traced his fingers over axe nicks and knots in the bark while murmuring timber harvesting jargon Ben couldn't comprehend, a touching realization crystallized in him. Liam had effortlessly stepped in to support Ben's ambitions without hesitation or judgment, just as he had done even when they were excluded as prepubescent misfits. He was a beacon of selfless generosity, one of the few who had kept Ben from descending into hopeless desolation as an Everwoods youth.

And now, when Ben had returned with his hippified cosmic perspectives learned abroad, earnest Liam embraced him without missing a beat. A lesser man may have judged or resented Ben for abandoning their shared hardship. But Liam seemed without malice or pretense, his stalwart kindness having weathered through uncorrupted. This quality represented the best of old Everwoods - the parts worth cherishing and redeeming.

For the present, Ben was blessed to bask in Liam’s friendship for this intense day of labor as they worked together felling timber just as in their youth.

As the day wore on, the tree gradually yielded to their combined efforts. The distant sun cast a warm, golden glow through the trees, and the symphony of nature accompanied the duo's rhythmic labor. Sweat dripped from their brows, but the laughter and banter between Ben and Liam never ceased.

At one point, as they took a breather, Ben glanced at Liam with genuine gratitude. "Liam, I owe you more than just a debt for today. Without you, I'd be stuck here, talking to trees and dreaming of modern power tools."

Liam grinned, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "Modern what? Oh well, you're not the first to underestimate the power of good ol' woodcraft. Now, go finish what you want to start and get this timber ready for market. I've got a feeling there's a story to tell about the two of us turning this giant into something more than just firewood."