When I exited the portal I came right out as I was before, except a branch lower. Instead, Scar, my old monkey friend was at my usual perch looking around confused. I tapped his shoulder, and he turned to me with his usual curious eyes. This time though, he looked bewildered.

Climbing down was much more dangerous than climbing up. That much was worth mentioning, which was all the more surprising that I found it much more fun to do so. There was a very particular grip about the tree that allowed someone to easily slide down its length - if they were careful and knew the right pressure to apply. 

I reached Parvus' altitude and plucked him from the monkeys. They didn't fight me on it as I placed him on my shoulder and began to descend. Though some of the monkeys that were initially closer to Parvus did follow us down.

"Have fun?" I looked at him. Noting some of his apparent fans following us.

The little wooden man gave a thumbs-up. I shook my head.

When we finally reached the roots of the large tree, I took a moment to rest. The forest was rarely so peaceful. The difference between peaceful and quiet was a particular one to note. I could see the signs, the telltale happenings that meant something was being hunted or chased or scared off. Not today, the birdsong rang out into the forest peacefully.

It was later in the afternoon now, I didn't spend too long up in the tree, or in the dungeon. It was getting dark, however, and no one wanted to be in The Woods at night, or rather now [The Woods]. It was time to hightail it home.

At a careful pace, it was an hour trek back home. The shadows of the forest became longer. This was nothing new to me, although I kept to the trees. The larger predators had a tendency to stalk from above, the least of which could easily match me in size. Staying on the same level as them was a prudent countermeasure.

I was nearly home when I paused.

Hidden by shadow, branch, and absolute stillness I spotted one such predator. If I wasn't looking for just this type of animal, I would've thought it another shadow among shadows. Problem was, this one moved. 

It moved among the trees like it was born for it. An ambush predator with keen senses. There was a chance it would recognize me, all the large predators that frequented my area were familiar with me. We left each other alone. I never risked an encounter, and their nature kept them from attacking when their prey was so obviously aware of them. But in the dark, there was no telling what its instincts would tell it.

Root's power enhanced the vitality of both plants and animals. It was one of the reasons [The Woods] thrived. It was why they were rich in resources. But that also meant they were abundant in danger. This was predominantly the reason why no sane people settled in [The Woods] if you were caught off guard, you were dead. Because the animals were affected by Root's power, they were enhanced, better, faster, stronger. All the things you'd rather not encounter in excess in a predator that was already dangerous.

I eyed the shadow and nocked an arrow, tracing its silhouette. I blinked, staring at shadow too long before I realized it was a swaying branch caught in the breeze of a late afternoon. I'd lost sight of the feline.

Parvus pulled at my ear and I turned just in time, wide-eyed, to dodge the pouncing feline. The rough sound of claws against bark, the roar of a large cat. My momentum carried me off the branch and I rolled on my back, feeling some bruises already forming. My reaction speed was something else, it felt faster. There was no time to dwell on that, though.

I lost Parvus in the scuffle but he was the least of my worries. My bow came up, tracing the shadows. There was enough light that I should be safe enough if I strained my vision. My eyes scanned the treeline. Calm was a state that was hard to come by in situations like these, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't found myself in them before. 

It was always the eyes you saw first. 

I dodged again, feeling the impact behind me, before quickly turning around and getting bead on the already retreating figure. I heard a yowl as an arrow struck true. I didn't have time to use an Ability. 

Running away wouldn't help me. It would only tire me out until the cat found my easier prey. Besides, Parvus was around here, I couldn't leave the small man. My best stand was reacting to the cat, or taking it down before it could strike.

My instincts prickled at my neck and I turned around to find its retreating figure once again. It was darting between too many trees, too many branches and leaves for me to track it. All the same, the arrow pulled up to my cheek was cleaner than usual. My aim pulled slightly ahead, further than I would normally shoot. My arm pulled back more too, the distance was too great to rely on timing, I wanted my arrow there fast.

I was aiming for the heart.

My arrow loosed. Two heartbeats. A painful yowl. A crashing thump.

"Damn, I actually got him." I whispered, jogging to my kill. When I arrived I corrected myself.

She was a dark green, matte. A coat that was fully meant for the shadows of a forest. The feline was longer than I was and then some. It was easy to forget just how large these things were. Her blood painted the floor, she was already dead. It was better that way. A clean kill meant no pain.

I looked around briefly and found Parvus walking up to me. He was unscathed but dusting himself off. Must've fallen in the aftermath. 

It was a shame she had to die this way. The predators here were important in keeping all the smaller animals in check. No prompt came as I approached the body, but all the same, I dragged her the rest of the way home. The feline was deceptively light, despite the size of her body, so it was quick work given how close Parvus and I already were.

Meat shouldn't go to waste, after all. 

Arriving home was no different than usual. I placed my things in their places, setting Parvus on the kitchen island. He watched me as I examined the burst bulbs and set about replacing them. The meat I had butchered went into my generous freezer which was thankfully working again.

I checked my things again, giddy at their Rarity. While [Treetop Heights] was an Epic Dungeon, I wasn't impatient. It would've been greedy to explore further than I did. I considered myself lucky I got what I got without even moving far from the entrance.

[Red Feather of Flame] (Uncommon)

A red feather of an [Elemental Raptor] imbued with the element of fire. The single most potent feather of the [Elemental Raptor] lucky enough to contain its magic as it passed from life. It offers enhanced flames and the protection thereof.

Effects:

+5% power of Fire-based damage

+5% resistance to Fire-based damage

[Chitin Fingerless Gloves] (Uncommon)

An armor crafted from the hard carapace of multiple [Hunter Termites]. Unlike regular chitin armor, this piece is made flexible on the hand with multiple moving pieces all interconnected. The breath and flexibility of such a piece is a rare commodity.

Effects:

+1 DEX

+10% grip strength

I held the [Red Feather of Flame] up in my palm, simultaneously showcasing my [Chitin Fingerless Gloves]. They were interesting, distinct items. Results of my powers. I wonder what classification my power fell into then? This aspect alone qualified me for many categories. A conjurer-type from the things I'm instantiating? Perhaps an aura-type for the effect I'm having on the environment? Or did a reality-bender fit the bill more?

I couldn't decide. But perhaps the most interesting was the fact that I could fit any traditional super-category. A strongman, energy-wielder, speedster, probably even a greater mind. All attainable given the right direction. 

What did the Academy call them?

"A growth-type super. That's probably the closest eh, Parvus?" I nudged him, setting the feather beside him to examine. "Careful wooden guy, it's hot." Instinctually, Parvus slowed his approach, feeling out the temperature rather than recklessly picking it up.

I leaned against the granite counter and recalled [Basebuilder] a Title which I presumably earned from constructing my own house. Or rather, what my power refers to as [Home]. It seemed pertinent to understand anything that's changed with my own living space as a result of my power. And I just now had the time to do so.

"I wonder." I said thoughtfully, testing various mental muscles. At some point, Parvus had noticed my mental exercises given the little waving he was doing to snap me out of it.

Base: [Home] (Rare)

A generous one-storied living space built and improved upon during its years spent under construction. Many of the details are tended to by hand, showing careful craftsmanship and the tellings of the patience necessary for perfection. Location aside, this [Home] offers many luxuries and facilities, some of which more conventional housing lack. These include a [Workshop], [Storage], [Solar Power Supply], [Crystal Water Supply], [Reinforced Walls], [Kitchen], [Bedroom], [Living Room], [Butcher Table] and [Internet Connection]. 

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Effects:

+ 20% increase in facility effectiveness from [Basebuilder]

I smiled at the apparent Rarity. To think, I'd get so excited about a few Uncommon baubles, when the rarest thing so far was something I'd built myself. I could find humor in the irony, but all the same, it stung just a little bit how idiotic I must have seemed.

Reading the notification made me curious. I knew my house like the back of my hand. And I had seen both (that being my hand and my house) thousands of times over the construction period. It wasn't an exaggeration that I knew every nook and cranny of this place. So I was surprised to find that there were indeed qualitative differences in the workings of the structure. The wood looked stronger, for one. The kitchen and living room seemed more bright, the former cleaner, the latter more comfortable. These types of changes were all over now that I had the sense and the eye to look for them. It was a wonder I missed them at all. But admittedly I had just Originated, so perhaps I was owed a little slack.

I wondered idly if that had something to do with how easily my parents took the news. I still hadn't received their call. Although it had only just darkened outside. I flexed an increasingly familiar mental muscle summoning forth information I was convinced would be there.

[Living Room] (Common)

A small space for gatherings and socialization. Whether one wants to relax in quiet peace or sit forward in rapt conversation this space accommodates all and aims to please.

Effects:

+ 6% increase in positive mood modifiers

My living room was large, able to comfortably sit my entire family and maybe another two duplicates of us. This was, naturally, where I spent most of my time in the morning staring out into The Woods waiting for the day to catch up to me. It was often my place of peace before the day began. That being said, it really was nothing special. And so I moved on.

I noted the effects of my [Kitchen] which gave a small bonus to the nutritional value of foods cooked there. The [Bedroom] was nice as it gave 6% to the ease of sleep and recovery. 

I focused on another aspect of my [Home]. One less currently tangible, unless I wanted to climb up the roof.

[Internet Connection] (Rare)

The bridge that allows data to travel between your [Home] and the worldwide web. It is the thing that connects this single point in space to every other computer globally. A powerful antenna allows you this luxury in an otherwise isolated zone.

Effects:

+ 12% ease of information transfer

I balked at the idea that an [Internet Connection] was so rare, all the while giddy with excitement at seeing my second Rare classification. I calmed myself and pondered the revelation. Well, that begged the question of what that Rarity meant in this context. Perhaps the fact that I constructed this place with a powerful antenna was pertinent. Maybe other Base candidates often lacked such a facility. Either way, I found it amusing. As I understood it, technology wasn't an easy thing to manipulate for supers or the mundane, not to mention so generally as to "ease information transfer."

Scarce were the supers that manipulated technology to their whims.

I opened my fridge, seeking a drink. Parvus, still on the kitchen counter was waving the [Red Feather of Flame] around, seemingly having found a new toy. He waved at me, I waved back.

[Storage] (Common)

Spaces kept within the [Home] in order to store an assortment of items. From food, to clothes, to tools and equipment so long as they are yours, they need a place to be stored. A fridge, a closet, a drawer, or a medicine cabinet, all are storage.

Effects:

+6% increase in space for stored items

+6% decrease in degradation of perishables

"Powerful." I thought. I pictured myself hoarding all manners of things I might find due to my power and grinned.

The ability to control resources, especially ones valued by supers, are often what make businesses powerful. Other supers who specialize in those sorts of things fly off the market like doughnuts in a police station. Generally, this is due to some item or other that an enhanced might require for their power, for there do exist conditional powers, though it still befuddles me how an enhanced could ever figure their power out under those circumstances.

A super, for example, would become stronger the more sugar he ingested. Obviously, sugar doesn't go bad, at least when handled properly. But say, for example, that super who relies on vegetables for his power. They exist, yes, and for many, if holding onto a vegetable made you stronger in a world full of people doing the extraordinary, then you bet you'd be holding that potato as tight as the next guy.

Taking a fizzy sip of my soda, I looked out the kitchen window, tracing the path of the pipes and wires as I knew them, following their underground paths. I let out a content sigh and examined them further.

[Solar Supply Storage] (Rare)

A vast array of unobstructed solar panels tilted to absorb the maximum amounts of solar energy at any time of day. They feed directly into a unit of industrial-grade batteries able to sustain the maximum energy draw of the Base for an entire month if fully charged. These solar panels are able to self-sustain the house on any given sunny day.

Effects:

+12% increase in energy absorbed

+12% increase in energy efficiency

[Crystal Water Supply] (Rare)

A pipeline siphoning water from a naturally occurring spring untainted by pollution. The crystal clear water goes through substantial purification before being circulated through the Base. This water supply is able to sustain the house indefinitely.

Effects:

+12% increase in refreshment

+12% increase in water purity

It occurred to me that perhaps the Rarity did little to signify how often other establishments might have a certain facility, and perhaps more closely related the quality and particularity of the facility in question. That was to say, I spared no spec in the construction of my solar grid, water supply, and antenna, understanding that they would all be used one way or another on a daily basis. All three of which were considered Rare meanwhile, my [Living Room], [Kitchen], and [Bedroom] all were classified as Common.

I suppose it made a certain kind of sense. 

As night came upon the forest I held on to a certain anticipation. An aspect of gaming that was a somewhat general staple across games. It was more an accepted theme than any expected rule.

The fact that the dark was usually more dangerous.

I settled by the window, watching. Parvus, surprisingly mobile, found his way to my shoulder. The window was against my living room. It had a nice view of the forest, and in turn, was what I was watching. The curtains were pulled closed to keep the heat out of the house as I left, but now I had pulled them open to stare into the rapidly darkening forest.

In truth, it wasn't any different than a regular night. There were dangers to be had without my powers, but I had this nagging feeling. That my power might actually be affecting the environment. This remained to be seen though, everything I had acquired was through a dungeon or instance, and that had the neat little trick to be completely independent of reality.

But... I was in [The Woods] and if that didn't hint at an area that might spawn monsters, I didn't know what would.

The phone rang.

"How is everything out there? Didn't break anything did you, honey?" It was Mom. 

"Not yet. You guys still busy in the city?"

"You know how it is. Wildrest never rests." Came my Dad's response.

I chuckled. "I should be fine for the night. I'm on watch though, I think I might classify as a reality-bender. Actually, I think I already do." I corrected, noticing the sturdiness of my walls.

"Honey, a reality-bender?" She exclaimed into the phone. "You know how those powers are. You have to be careful Ludus, those supers hurt themselves more often than not."

"It's okay, Mom. For now, it looks like I'm affecting the house, for the better that is." Parvus was tugging on me.

The shadows had become longer and he was pointing into the trees with the [Red Feather of Flame], something was moving. I explained further, distracted at what I was seeing. I snatched the feather from him, keeping it below the window.

"I'm staying inside the house for now, but I don't think it's safe around here." Parvus was waving frantically, and my eyes traced a silhouette. All too fast, multiple shadows became a congruent shape. My eyes darted about the shape until I finally realized something.

It was looking this way.

I could make out the glint of its eyes, only just. It must've been the size of a small horse. It held completely still, watching, but that didn't fool me. I had seen it move. My eyes strained, nearly losing their lock on it. It had to be as black as the shadows it hid in. There was no naturally occurring animal in The Woods that ever behaved like this.

"It'd definitely not safe here." I whispered, glad I had never turned on the lights as the evening settled in.

"Son?" My Dad said, immediately concerned. To his credit, he didn't break down with worry as parents often did. He had taught me early how to be capable. "Can you handle it?"

"You're only a call away if I can't." I replied carefully, quietly.  "I think it'll be fine."

"Dear, they're calling you over again." I heard my Mom's faint comment in the background.

My father replied, grunting. "Don't do anything stupid, son. I mean it. Stay safe, Ludus. We have to go but I'll try to make it over later tonight. You shouldn't be too alone right after Originating."

"Dad, it's dangerous near the house. You can't-" I blinked at the dial-tone, my furious whisper cut off abruptly.

Parvus looked up at me. 

"He hung up on me." I murmured befuddled. "They must be really busy over there."

I handed the phone to Parvus, showing him quickly the apps he could distract himself with. The little wooden man wasn't going to be much help here. My bow and quiver had found themselves more work for the day it seemed. If I expected they would be attacking, they'd get an arrow to the face.

It was important to note that my house was raised above the ground. This, primarily, was to keep as many small critters and bugs from getting inside, but it also helped in the sense that it raised the windows higher than they'd normally be on a regular house. Sliding the window open was easy.

I sat with an arrow nocked, watching the dark as it watched me.

Suddenly, something changed, and what I thought were static shadows became dynamic movement.

My count was sloppy. That was the first hint I was in trouble. I locked onto two of them but the rest were so fickle I couldn't keep track of them. There was no telling how many were out there. And they were all heading to me.

Event: [Rat Wolf] Attack (Uncommon)

Establishing a Base in an uncharted and unoccupied Zone always carries the risk of retaliation. However, as a [Woods Man] you belong in [The Woods] so no such retaliation will occur. A Zone will always work to keep itself in balance, however. A [Rat Wolf] presence has recently disrupted that natural balance. This pack of [Rat Wolves] has found your Base.

Objectives:

+Defend your Base 0/1

+Survive the night 0/1

Optional Objectives:

+Eliminate the entire [Rat Wolf] pack 0/1 

I was flattered. Apparently, I was on Zone balancing duty. It made sense, I had lived here all my life and knew the land as much as any animal inhabitant. Did that mean the [The Woods] somehow sent these [Rat Wolves] to me? That implied sentience. No, I doubted it. I figured that whatever governed these Zones was structured in a way that disruptions minor enough would fix themselves. 

Today, it seemed, that was me.

[Rat Wolves] implied a cross between the two, so I could expect a few things. Pack hunters and numbers. I grimaced, silently watching their forms sprint towards me. My hands were faster than I ever remembered, in the span of a second, having a bead on the first in line.

I loosed the first arrow.