Level sixteen. Mason had sure as hell come a long ways from a panicked level one in the tutorial, barely able to kill a goblin.

On the other hand, back then at least he’d had a bow. But moaning didn't help anything. He pulled up his profile.

Mason Nimitz

Level: 16

Primary Class: Ranger (tier 2)

Secondary Class: Druid

Prestige Class: Avatar of Cerebus

Strength: 19

Dexterity: 24

Vitality: 23

Intellect: 12

Will: 16

Presence: 10

Luck: 9

Essences: Essence of the Wolf.

Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Patron, Progenitor, Hit the Ground Running, First Blood, Defender, The Prestige, Tiering it up, Phase Jumper, Front Runner, What Is Dead May Never Die, Poison Shmoison

Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike+, Transformation, Predator’s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger’s Claws (T2), Endless Quiver+, Trapmaking, Aspect of the Cheetah, Blessing of Gaia, Ranger’s Mark, Duality of Strength

Another power enhance. Extra time was pleasant, and God knew he couldn't get enough of those. Now the question was what.

He looked at what he'd enhanced and what he hadn't, and it occurred to him he wasn't sure how the 'synergy upgraded' powers worked with enhancement. It hadn't come up before, but he'd enhanced regeneration before it turned into 'Transformation'. Was that just...wiped out? Or was the enhancement part of the upgrade?

He guessed it was the latter, since the former seemed supremely unfair. Of course with this game unfair wasn't exactly unheard of. But still, he believed it carried over. Which meant he could upgrade the power again…

But best to consider all his options. Aspect of the Cheetah was a staple, but frankly it already worked pretty bloody well. If he moved much faster and he might fly out of control in combat. Trapmaking would be an excellent choice, especially now that he didn't have a bow and realized he could 'charge' thrown objects.

On the other hand, it was situational. A power like Transformation was always in use and vital. He also had his new 'prestige' power, Duality of Strength, which was still a little vague but proved itself incredibly against the treeman. What the hell might enhancing it do?

Out of curiosity, he clicked his companion tab and saw Shared Pain and realized yes, he could enhance that too. Was there a chance he might be able to use it on someone other than Streak if he enhanced it? The thought practically made him pick it instantly, but he just couldn't know unless he tried. It might just slightly improve the thing, which frankly he didn't seem to need at all.

Indecision was getting real. The stakes were just so damn high, the challenges getting intense. But Mason knew his 'build' was made for something like adaptation. If things were stronger than him, he got stronger. If he got hurt, he started to change to deal with it.

Regeneration had saved his life over and over, and it seemed 'Transformation' was now potentially the key aspect of his style, especially until he found a new bow. He didn't have any direct evidence yet, but he knew in his gut the 'transformation' wasn't permanent, that it could come and go and wouldn't consume his body and life. And maybe he could even learn to control it.

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He stopped thinking and chose.

[Transformation enhanced: Increase the speed and control of both the regenerative and adaptive aspects of the power.]

Another enhance without a choice, but when he saw improved control he couldn’t help but smile. ‘Improved’ implied he already had some control, and determined himself to try and focus the next time it was working. The thought gave him considerable ease, and he knew he'd made the right choice.

Mason finally stood, Streak hopping up beside him, apparently no worse for wear despite the painful cleansing. Mason looked at the healthy looking heart of the tree and smiled, then remembered back to the first great tree.

They'd cut that heart in two, hadn't they? And then the damn thing had collapsed all around them. On the other hand it hadn't been green and healthy looking like this one. Did that matter somehow? Mason had no idea how to ask.

He tried activating Speak with Nature and putting his hand on the heart.

Feelings of intense joy and gratitude flooded him, this time with no burning pain between the connection. Something tickled Mason's mind, insistent but not painful.

[Apex Predator Activated: Entity 'Great Plains Tree' has attempted to use a Mental Power on you. Do you wish to stop it?]

Mason frowned, but felt no malice from the creature, and could likely change his mind once the power was effecting him. For now he let it through.

Then his vision blurred and swam, until he was looking at himself in a valley he recognized as just outside on the rocky terrain. The great tree loomed before him, no longer rotting and half barren. It had a face, like a kindly old man with mischievous eyes and a bulbous nose. It grinned at him, and all around them little saplings were sprouting from the earth.

Mason smiled and knelt to touch some, looking up at the bright sun and the smiling tree.

"Good," he said. "I wouldn't want anywhere not completely covered in trees in this world."

The great tree's face raised a curious eyebrow, and Mason laughed.

"Nevermind. Thank you for this vision." He clenched his jaw, not sure how to ask except to ask. "I cleansed another great tree before. Except, it had a pool of water, and a heart more like a man, or a beast, and I...destroyed it, to stop the corruption. What will happen to the tree?"

The old face smiled, then its eyes turned and Mason heard women laughing in the valley. What looked like nymphs ran through the woods and waved, green magic surrounding them as they leapt into the great tree and disappeared.

"I think I understand," Mason said. "The nymphs will keep it alive."

Tree-face smiled.

"One more question," Mason said. "I'm looking for a druid, taken prisoner by a giant. I need to find him to free him. Can you help me?"

The ancient tree stopped smiling, shifting its face and back and forth as if to shake its head. The expression was hard to read, but Mason thought it looked less empathetic than he might have expected. But whatever the issue, he decided to drop it.

"Then we'll leave now. I'm glad we could help you. I'll cleanse the other tree, if I can. I promise you."

The old face smiled again, a little moisture building in its 'eyes'. Then the vision faded and Mason was back with the heart, blinking as his eyes adjusted. As before with the heart's defender, the walls shook and cracked and groaned, and three much smaller tree-men emerged carrying bundles of leaves.

"Patron?" Phuong summoned his sword and stepped into a fighting stance, Alex moving behind him.

"It's alright," Mason said, feeling no threat from the creatures. They came forward and placed their bundles rather purposefully at each player’s feet, then stepped back until they vanished again into the walls. "Gifts," Mason said. "They're thanking us."

He lifted his own, unraveling the leaves until he found a single...acorn? And a small pouch full of the green crystals he'd seen the goblins take. The acorn felt warm to the touch, and he had no doubt it held some magic power, as did the crystals. But he had no idea what.

Phuong lifted his, which was considerably larger, and practically gasped when he found a thin 'vest' that looked like bark, with vines and leaves engraved in some kind of cross between art and forest camouflage. "It's so beautiful," he said, then frowned. "It can't be to wear? It looks so...brittle."

Mason very much doubted that. He helped the man put it on, being as careful as possible but it soon became clear it was the perfect fit. "Well," he said with a grin. "You look a hell of a lot fancier. Even if it doesn't do anything."

Phuong grinned, inspecting himself and seeming rather pleased.

Alex picked out a necklace that looked like flower petals. The stoic Belarussian put it around his neck and looked at the others, his heavy face turned down in his resting scowl. Mason and Phuong burst out laughing.

"What?" Alex glanced at himself. "Does it break already?"

"No." Mason wiped his eyes. "It's perfect. Whatever the hell it does."

"Feels nice." Alex poked at it but seemed to like it around his neck. "Like warm towel."

Mason couldn't help but notice the trees hadn't left a gift for Seamus, but he wasn't particularly surprised. He lifted the still half-unconscious, slightly mumbling Irishman up to his shoulder and somehow knew the exit to the tree was a touch away.

"Time to go," he said, closing his eyes and touching the far end of the room, a final glance at the heart. He thought of Blake and his girls and the druid dreams and the other trees and the giant he didn't know how to find, ending the thought with a sigh. "We've got a lot to do. And probably not much time to do it."

Then he accepted the prompt to exit the dungeon, and vanished with a blink.