Norbert stood in front of the tree as he looked down at it. Stroking the tree as he thought about what happened, Norbert stood in front of it again as he punched again, forcing the energy to be released. Nothing happened, nothing extra was being used with the punch, and no extra space was going outwards.

Thinking about what to do next, he heard something rustling around, the forest around him moving about. As Norbert looked around, his sword shone in the green light. Looking down at himself, picturing how he looked like to others. Running around with no pants or boots, half his mask bent out of shape, and his shirt and coat in complete tatters. Happy now that he didn't have the opportunity to replace his clothes after the figure as they would have been torn immediately afterwards.

Walking forward, Norbert goes to the sword, his scabbard beside it. Norbert found that the monkeys didn't grasp the concept; after using it, likely the blade hurt them more than anyone else, leaving the weapon where Norbert now found it.

Norbert picked it up and placed it in the sheath with a satisfying sound as the two pairs came together. His belt, thankfully, was still attached to his body. Somehow, his coin pouch still on his hip. Attaching the sword to his waist, happy, feeling the weight on his hip again.

Looking around, Norbert finds a piece of his backpack, and I walk forward and see a trail of items going forward there. Norbert followed, finding the first piece of items that was there. The book that Granny had given him was To the Moon and Back. Its spine and pages were still intact, but none were bent and damaged as he quickly flicked through the book.

Thankful that Granny wouldn't be annoyed at him for the book's homage, Norbert continuing the trail. Picking Obsius's coin pouch and the other book, Norbert is thankful for finding both books.

Following the trail, he was looking behind him and confirmed that no scavengers had tried to take the remains of the gorillas. Finding a scrap of the bag, the biggest one he could find, Norbert placed the items he had gotten inside, tying it up as he held it under his shoulder.

He was keeping out to look for a strap to use. Norbert bundled everything under his shoulder. Further ahead on the ground, Norbert was saddened at the site.

His first mask was crushed in the dirt into several pieces. He was leaning down, brushing through the pieces on the floor. Its red colour is still there. Picking the big piece, the jaw cracked. Norbert also placed it within the sac, not wanting to say goodbye to it just yet.

Further looking, starting to become desperate at one more item he didn’t want to lose. Casting his gaze all around, unable to find one of the first items he scavenged from this world, the pendant. Closing his eyes in annoyance as he breathed slowly, telling himself that he would find it again later.

His stomach grumbling from his exertion, adding to the annoyance that it had no food left; it was being eaten, and his torches were smashed.

Going back the way he had come, Norbert walked towards the gorilla corpses and took a bite out of one, forcing the meat to go down his body. Now feeling like he was overflowing with energy, Norbert walked towards the tree again that he had punched before.

He placed his bundle of belongings beside the tree, Norbert stood in the same position as before. Rooting his feet on the ground, Norbert threw a quick punch into the tree, not forcing any extra energy as he felt his body move.

Punching the tree again, feeling his body move, his muscles tightening to allow his fist to move forward. Feeling the reverberation from the energy coursing up his arm in return.

As Norbert stayed still, feeling the echoes of the force leave his body, Norbert breathed in once more, closing his eyes as he imagined the energy moving through his body again, the path it would travel, convene at his fist before being released into the outer world.

Pulling his hand back, Norbert started to send the energy spinning fast, filling his body in thickness like before. The channels expanded with the force he sent through them—the same way to protect himself from the figure in the hall above. Looking up at the canopy above him, imagining himself and everything he went through, the cold that swept within him.

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

His arm back all the way, Norbert held his breath within him as he forced the energy out of his body through his fist. Feeling it bubble around his knuckles, Norbert sent it into the tree.

CRACK

SPLATTER

Norbert looked down at his arm, the entire thing exploding in bloody gore.

CREEK

The sound of the tree gained his attention, and the almighty tree that he punched continued to creek and crack—taking a step back as he looked at the bloody hole in it. Watching Norbert heard it continue to the creek, now able to see the tree start to lean against Norbert.

Taking his sack of items, Norbert stepped away as the tree fell in the forest or tried to. The other trees and limbs holding it up, the tree now at a forty-five-degree angle, just staying there. The stump was ultimately in splinters, with only a few fibres holding it together. Looking down at the stump, Norbert, seeing that it was still connected, was surprised as he slowly saw the wooden fibres growing again, connecting themselves back up with the tree.

The light headedness was not so severe as before, but as he stared down at his missing arm, the toll it wrecked on his body was even more remarkable than last time. Walking towards the gorilla carcass, taking another chunk of flesh, Norbert bit into it. The meat was no longer warm, having cooled down slightly. He chewed on the tough meat, hoping not to get anything from raw meat. It was too late now as he finished off the bite, his body filled with energy again, automatically going to repair his arm.

Norbert finished another serving of meat, well, his body brimming with energy, now replenished. He was walking towards the tree again, standing on the side of it now, watching as the tree continued to creek in the branches of the other trees.

Standing there, Norbert envisioned the punch again, balling the energy in his fist again, Norbert cutting off the supply of anything else flowing there, instantly feeling it weaker, the energy building up as it wanted to conjoin properly with the flowing river, and not be forced off the track.

Quickly, Norbert punched again, his fist going into the tree.

Flying backwards as he screamed, the tree splintering against his face as it finally crumpled to the ground, Norbert felt the earth shake with the falling tree. Norbert tumbled to his feet, skidding backwards until he finally stopped, the sack he had left behind next to his original position now on the side. His energy was once more depleted as he looked down at his hand, surprised at the skeletal, gaunt arm that caught his eyes.

The skin grey, muscle atrophied as the veins shone dark purple, almost black. The energy within slowly moving about again, his colour coming back to the appendage. Forcing his fist around, confirming that the functions were still there, Norbert walked back towards the tree several meters away.

Standing there, I saw no real impact on the tree, no massive crack or anything similar. Instead, the entire thing had been nudged half off the stump, barely hanging on. Pushing it with a finger, Norbert felt it spin the final way, becoming dislodged and falling to the ground.

Eyes running up the length of the tree, seeing it bend and whip around before falling to the ground. Looking up at the canopy, I see a hole now with the missing tree. Norbert could easily see the birds whipping down and around, the ceiling just above it there for Norbert to see.

Whistling to himself in glee, something he hadn't thought would happen in this hall of life, especially not after dealing with the monkeys.

Walking towards one of the gorilla's meat, the last piece that looked big enough for him to eat, Norbert started chewing it, feeling his energy return to himself.

Knowing he would need to hunt for more fuel before he could try again after this attempt, Norbert tried to remember what happened on the successful time. He knew he had to add something to the punch, as his first attempt failed, but he did not know what.

Walking towards the stump, Norbert took his knife out, removing the most significant jagged pieces to flatten it. Happy with his makeshift seat, Norbert pondered what it could be. As he sat there, thinking of ways to contrive the next attempt at this task of punching with enough force to impact the world, Norbert heard the rustling again.

Turning around, wondering what creature could be walking up behind him, hearing it scamper away from him before he could see it correctly. Shrugging his shoulders as he continued to think about what to do.

Drumming his fingers against the wood, Norbert remembered before. Knowing that, he couldn't force his hand through it, but he still desired to do so. Wanting to do the impossible. Standing up again, Norbert walked over to the next tree.

Placing his closed fist on the tree, Norbert breathed in as he imagined the tree flying, breaking free from its stump as it crashed into another one.

Norbert pulled the energy around him, letting it circulate again as he unleashed his fist.

CRACK

Norbert looked at where he punched, a split going up the tree, halving it in two. The crack snaked up most of the way until it veered off. Looking down at the base, the crack going there, the most significant section where his fist was now.

Wriggling his fingers as much as he could, Norbert smiled, his energy depleted but his hand still primarily intact. Pulling his fist out of it, Norbert looked around, the hunter now searching for its next piece of meat to use.