I penetrate the ground with the base of the rigid rod, it comes to about half my height when upright, and add onto the top the smaller and less rigid branches to form a roof.

I tie them together using the thinner and easily bendable baby trees.

The MPU™ is now complete. I grab the base and lift it off, the tie becoming easily undone by the resistance of air as it rises up, and by doing so the entire thing falls apart as the top falls. Scattering my collected leaves around me as they get taken by the wind.

“Well, that was to be expected.” I tell my brain.

The baby tree needs to tighten so that the top can stay on properly, I may also need to punch some holes into the top of the rod so that I can properly connect them.

However, could the sharpness of my blade even pierce the exterior of the base?

Well, I must attempt or I'll never make progress.

Pondering for a moment to see how I could improve my softer and bendable trees, I notice an exposed patch where its bark had fallen off. Naturally, I begin to pick at it, and my nails manage to dig into the bark that was around the exposed patch.

Ah, I can probably strip the bark to make thinner and more practical strips I can use for the tie I grab my knife and begin stripping all the thin strips of bark I might need for my project.

My knife is quite sharp and using it on these baby strips was a good enough test for it.

I proceed to drill the base with my knife, slowly puncturing it while also quickly dulling the tip of my blade. I sharpen it every now and then for the next couple hours.

Slowly making progress, because no matter how little work is completed it is still finished and I can only move forward from there.

After finally going clear through the base, my knife resembles a butcher’s cleaver as the tip has thoroughly been ruined by the extremely tough bark.

However, this loss of a tip is not for naught as I now have a proper anchor for my thin strips to go through to properly secure the rest of the materials.

I tie the smaller branches that will work as a top together more tighter as to not loosen and fall.

I begin construction once more starting by piercing the earth with the base and properly securing it with nearby rocks and loose dead wood. Still about half my height, but it is too late to think about gathering a new base for this project.

Then I put on the top and use the thing strips to properly secure it onto the base.

I slowly add the leaves to the top which slowly form the shade beneath it.

As I finish putting on the last leaf, I let out a sigh and sit down for a moment under a nearby tree.

More have accomplished more than I have done in a day, but I am still proud of what has been completed as I admire my work.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

However, it must pass one final test. I get back up and a slight cold sweat occurs as I grab the base.

This could fail you know. I might have to just abandon this project.

All this work for nothing, and the loss of a precious resource.

I take a deep breath, and quickly lift it. It stands firm and fully upright, with no loss of leaves or a loose tie here or there.

“It was not for nothing.”, A smile slowly raising the corners of my mouth.

I can’t believe the excitement I feel over such a tiny thing, its just an MPU™. An item that in my memories was nothing more than an item I could grab whenever, from any store location, yet unknown to where I am.

I lift it above my head, and find that the sun has been blocked by my mighty barrier.

I can now avoid the dangers of heat stroke and uh, falling water.

Now my journey can truly begin.

....

....

....

Where do I even go? That voice didn’t even point me in a direction. Did it even give me a goal?

I slowly enter a thought spiral once more, as I have trouble remembering what exactly the voice said. A slight chuckle escapes me before I can fully enter the spiral once more, I didn’t even have a time limit. Yet I acted like this was a matter of life and death to finish this for the past day and a half.

I look at the sky, trying to find the position of the sun. I guess I could walk in the direction of the sun to try and maintain as much light as possible no matter how little.

I find the sun and know it is late enough in the day that it is likely beginning its slow descent over the horizon.

Now my journey begins as I put one foot in front of the other, and make my way towards the sun. The MPU™ doing its job exceedingly well.

Might as well enjoy the scenery during my stroll out of the forest.

I pass by the old locations that I will surely miss, like the old field that has the ability to freeze me to death despite it being summer, or the trees of impossible properties.

I would rather not experiment with anything in this forest anymore, thanks to both these experiences.

The animals look normal to me, like the birds that fly in the sky. I spot one resting in the branches of a tree, it’s feather on the top a shade of light blue while having a grey feathers on the bottom. It tweets away as I pass by it.

I keep walking through the strange forest of wiggling bushes and as I continue on, I see the trees of grey and brown slowly becoming sparse, and the cold separate winds slowly becoming united in a constant breeze. The Sun inching it ways slowly over the horizon, killing the already sparse light I have.

I see one final hill I must cross, before I may get a good vantage point to see if there is any civilization I can get too before I lose all the light I have.

A little steep as I have to use my hands at times, which is hard at times due to the low loght conditions of the sun being on the other side of the hill.

As I make the last few steps up the hill, the light returns to me and I can see the vast landscape before me.

“Wow, huh. This is just.” I say in confusion as my brow curls

I see a couple more hills but much smaller than the hill I stand on, and some mountains in the far distance. However, the most confusing thing I can see is the snow that takes the land, it looks close to fully melting, and I can see trees that have green leaves and lush bushes that don’t wiggle but rather rustle under a breeze.

....

I look behind me, despite the darkness, I can see the leaves are brownish and dark coloured. The bushes wiggle as the wind passes through its clutches, and the very apparent lack of snow.

I rub my temples, releasing a long and exaggerated sigh.

best not to think about it.

I continue looking around on the new normal side of the hill. The snow is melting, so I feel as if it is early spring, maybe even mid spring now seeing as the leaves and bushes have green foliage attached to them. I look around before I begin my descent and see in the distance a path, clearly not made by animals, but rather something intelligent.

The path is differently coloured from the rest of its surroundings, I can’t tell what its made of from here, so the only thing I can do is make my way towards it seeing as I see nothing else.

Maybe I can finally find something to talk to.