Fingers gripped sturdy bark and with a heave of effort, he hauled himself up and over onto a branch wider than he was tall. He rolled onto his back, breathing hard, a curve playing at the edge of his lips.
He was sweating, smiling for some reason he couldn’t know. Maybe it was the exertion or the new sights. He wasn’t sure, only thankful the ascent was not entirely vertical. The natural ridges of the tree and position of the branches gave him ample opportunities to climb.
He had climbed in spurts throughout the day, amazed at the life he had spotted up here. There were birds aplenty, even at this altitude, and small mammals that seemed to jump between the canopy without fear. The sun was at its peak, having climbed much faster than he. Despite his efforts, he was no nearer to the top than this morning, and yet, he burned with something like determination.
He would do this.
New Quest: [Reach For The Sky] (Unusual)
The desire to reach heights beyond anyone else is certainly not surprising. To achieve just that, however, is the work of an unwavering will. The Grren Trees give solace to all life on the plains willing to sit under its leaves, few ever seek to rise beyond its shade.
Climb a Grren Tree: 0/1
Reward: Unusual Item, 200 Nex
He blinked as the notification appeared in his mind. A Grren Tree. He wondered if the plains were named after the enormous trees. It would make sense.
The Quest only cemented his will. Like his goal had been given solid form, true substance, and now all he had to do was reach it. To climb the Grren Tree.
The rewards seemed interesting too. 200 Nex alone was a boon. He had seen what he could buy with it in the Nexus Shop. If he wanted to, he could open two other Nodes with that much currency, or choose something more specialized.
The Unusual Item was a curiosity though. It was a type of Article, an object in the same vein as the [Lesser Node Crystal]. The fact that the reward did not specify further meant it may well be random.
So he climbed.
He stuck as close to the trunk as possible. The branches were immense and provided stable footing, but only a glance around him showed how the wind could sway even a Grren Tree. As branches reached their tapering ends, he saw large leaves and smaller ‘twigs’ dancing to the tune of the breeze.
The wind picked up and he braced himself, pressing his body against the trunk. It was fairly warm and only barely got cold once a strong gust shook the canopy. The sun burned hotter than he’d thought, and even up here it was warm.
Every now and then, he would spot specks in the distance. It was the third time seeing them that he realized what they must be. A cloud of dust followed a clump of them. Herd animals. Four-legged, he couldn’t tell from here exactly how they looked like, but he saw enough to realize they were fast. They ate up distance incredibly quickly, the dust they left behind merely a footnote of their passing.
He’d stop to stare at them. In awe at the sight. The fact he could see the cloud from up here spoke to the immensity. He wondered just how fast they were going.
He climbed on, smiling at the sight. He spotted birds flying below, just above the treetops of the forest his tree sheltered. They were golds and greens not unlike the plains and forest they lived in. And they weren’t unique to the forest below, he’d spotted some of the feathered friends up here as well, dancing on the turbulent air between branches.
The branch he was currently on, which he had climbed on using the natural knurls and gnarls of the trunk, was a dead-end. Between the closet branch that led upwards and him was a void of air, the nearest branch below a hundred feet down.
It was a treacherous path along the trunk that could take him there, if not to his doom, which was partly why he considered it a dead-end. He didn’t flinch at the height, only the thought of death. A flutter of wings drew his attention for a single moment, a bird that flew and perched on a small branch to watch him.
“I wish I had the wings to join you, friend.” He said wryly. Looking down, “It would definitely help.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
His first step took him from the safety of the branch and flattened him against the trunk. A natural ridge in the bark, enough to stand on comfortably without any distractions and uncomfortably without. Unfortunately, distractions were aplenty, and he had a number of such steps to make.
He leaned into the wall, breathing deeply. He found a rhythm, moving when the breeze stopped, shuffling his feet faster across the more precarious sections of footing. Time seemed to slow down as he focused, and then suddenly, he was making the last jump to another branch.
He traded certain death for solid ground and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally safe, he couldn’t help but stare upward, gazing through the canopy. The bird, of deep emerald feathers speckled with ruby, which had been watching, landed nearby, hopping to observe him. It chirped at him curiously and he waved at it dumbly.
“Still a long way to the top.” He said idly, sprawling out flat on the branch, as he watched his feathered companion fly away.
By his judgment, the trip would take days. It wasn’t an unpleasant climb, with the exception of only a few parts of the ascent so far, but it was long. He didn’t think he really minded though, the view was breathtaking.
The Grren Tree, he had come to know, was more than the shade it provided. Life flourished even up here. Smaller plants grew from the tree, vines hung from branches, even grass grew as a carpet in some places. Flowers and moss were commonplace, coating parts of the bark.
He plucked one such flower, a five-petaled lily, once he started moving again. They were growing right on the trunk, just at head level. Bright colors that grabbed the eye, the flower itself was so delicate, a pure white mixed with sprinkles of pink, red and purple. It was everywhere on the Grren Tree, forming in patches of sunlight like the tree itself had flowers in its hair.
It wasn’t until the dozenth or so branch that he came across something interesting. He’d spotted it a while back, down from below and staring upwards, a hollow in the tree not unlike the one he had emerged from. Only this one was wreathed in flowers, a tunnel straight into the tree. It was narrower than the other one, more like a passage than a room.
He paused at the entrance. The sun didn’t reach the inside, but instead, another natural glow took precedence. He stepped into the shadow of the tree and into the tunnel where mushrooms grew with bioluminescence, twinkling like stars hidden in the daytime.
It was a soft blue glow. They grew in clusters, thin and numerous, some as short as his thumb, and others as long as his hand, illuminating the features of the walls and floor. There were growth rings, countless under his feet, indicative of a tree that lived thousands of thousands of years. He could see the grain of life on the walls, the passage of time written in the flesh of the tree itself.
Something moved in the dim light and he spotted a small animal. It had large eyes and was munching on one of the mushrooms. And just as he spotted it eating, so too did his stomach start rumbling. It took him a moment to place the feeling as hunger, to which he laughed.
It was a new feeling that was entirely familiar. That should’ve been, if not for the nature of his existence. He observed the small mammal, mentally naming it a squirrel of some sort. It was then that he realized there were berries along the walls, hidden upon vines snaking across the passage. The squirrel grabbed at them with swift movements and he couldn’t help but notice the flaps of skin under its arms, wings he realized.
He followed its teachings, and for the first time in his life, he ate. It was a sweetness coupled with sharp tartness, a texture that was ripe, cold even. The mushrooms were plain, tasteless, but held surprising amounts of water. The water was fresh, satisfying in the way a man unaware of his own thirst would find water to be.
That was the moment he fell in love with another one of the simple pleasures in life. Seeing the beauty of the world, and now, eating and drinking. Then, he wandered deeper inside the tunnel, finding it ended closer to the center of the trunk.
There, he stood at the center of what he knew was another type of Article. He marveled at it.
Congratulations!
You are the first person to discover [Mushroom Alcove]! As an unexplored Dungeon, certain bonuses may be applied for initial discovery dependent on the Article.
New Dungeon: [Mushroom Alcove] (Unusual)
Recommended Level: 1-10
Type: Mushroom, Cavern
A hidden alcove rife with mushrooms of all types, sizes, and shapes. A unique environment afforded by the life-giving nature of the Green Tree’s sap. Here, an extremely divergent colony of mushrooms exists, forming artificial sentience.
First Discovery Bonus:
* 20% Increase in emergence rate of mushroom-related Articles
* 30 Nex
He blinked, looking around at something that looked more like a cavern than the inside of a tree. Mushrooms lined every available surface. Where grass or trees might decorate a forest, there were glowing mushrooms of appropriate size.
He debated exploring, but paused, unsure. Despite his age, he was somehow… tempered with knowledge. He had a strong hunch it came from the nature of his existence, him being Nexus Born.
He followed the path out and instead came out onto the branch, plucking a white-gold lily on his way out. He breathed the fresh air, so different from the still air inside the alcove. He couldn’t help but pause every now and then, enamored by the smallest thing.
By now, the sun was setting, the wind was picking up, and he sat, twirling a beautiful lily between his fingers. If he’d thought the sunrise was beautiful, he was so very wrong. Or perhaps it was just a different beauty than witnessing the sunset.
“It’s like melting fire.” He said softly as the world seemed to breathe slowly around him.
Radiant orange and gold, like glistening magma across the horizon. A sight that was bright in its waning, like the last throes of something glorious. The smile on his face was somehow already familiar.
He supposed it was a good first day.