The satisfaction of making noticeable progress isn’t helping the black hole that is tearing through my stomach right now.

I can feel a change, it isn’t as non-profile as it has been in the past. It’s like the amount of energy I could contain before was a small tent but now I have a decent sized hovel, there is space to move.

After eating I still feel weak but no longer in a state of starvation.

First things first! Let’s try and see how much change actually occurred, my most draining of abilities is energy shield, so draining it is hardly usable.

Though to be honest, I don’t make a habit of taking hits.

I focus on activating the energy shield. The sense of losing strength is instantaneous, it seems I really do rely on energy.

I managed to hold it for around twenty to twenty five seconds. It gets hard to count when I need to focus on channeling energy through forty two points of my body.

I‘ve got a hypothesis about why different abilities drain more energy. I think it’s my lack of control.

The more things I have to do in order to activate an ability the more goes to waste. The problem with that, if it holds true is that I don’t have a way to actually practice any kind of control.

So that leads me to another speculation, so far I ́ve been steadily finding more ways to improve what I believe is a foundation for energy use.

Makes me think that there must be a way to actually either refine my energy, which I think has something to do with energy compression, but it’s not like an energy shield or nature affinity where I got some guidance to use it.

Let’s try and put this in order, I had information forcefully poured into me when I finished the energy shield skill-book right?

Okay, that information could be put in very simple terms. The imagery of pushing out energy through forty two points on my body, we can call it energy points, acupuncture points or whatever you want.

Oh, but what would happen if I try to do the reverse? Let’s try that later.

Right so we got the energy shield down, but nature affinity was just seemingly random hand waving, it wasn’t synchronized.

I think it could be considered self-hypnosis, but then again, I can’t be sure. It could be some kind of activation sequence that allows your mind to accept the various energies that apparently flows through everything.

Two different ways of doing strange things, I always wonder why I lose all sense of self while under meditative trance, maybe I can’t consciously absorb large amounts of energy? Who knows?

Now energy compression was something different. It didn’t impart any knowledge but just changed something about the energy under my control, control is a strong word but I think it applies.

Then there is the book I am currently reading, it has a similar feeling to the energy compression book.

There aren’t any comprehendible instructions or knowledge similar to energy shields.

Alright, there is no need for too much guessing, it will probably not lead anywhere, let’s try doing the opposite of what an energy shield is supposed to do.

And I’m bleeding again, still sitting. There is dried blood on my face and my new leather outfit. Right, let’s not do that again.

I have a pounding headache after that. Even worse than when I read the book I left on the fourth tree.

I think I shouldn’t get too ahead of myself, I’m pretty sure that nature affinity is the key to continue.

To be perfectly honest, I think we should continue to meditate endlessly for eons. Problem is the constant need to eat.

I want to continue capturing the trees in the outer layer of Abraser forest but finishing this book comes first.

There is a slight increase in productivity, I can read up to six pages, excluding the ones I’ve already deciphered or whatever it should be called. I can’t make heads or tails of it, the letters just stabilize.

Seeing as I’ve run out of canned goods and near exhausted my water supply, I think it’s time to hunt for some food and find a nearby river.

Since I don’t want to waste too much time I plan on moving towards the sixth tree. I still haven't reached full circle.

I can’t be sure if I recognize the trees from a distance, but each of them a unique breath or pulses.

That won’t be an issue with tree patience, that place has been burned into my memory.

Before going down let’s check if the description of nature affinity has changed.

Nature affinity

You are not a complete novice anymore.

You have fully stabilized enough energy within you to reach the first step toward not being worthless.

You now have effectively increased the amount of energy absorption available from very small amounts to just small amounts.

With greater energy, your body has started to adjust and utilize more energy.

Always that condescending attitude, not worthless, no, on my way of not being worthless, just how far down on the food chain am I?

I thought I was making great headway. But, that doesn’t change the fact that I am improving, great news. I do feel more comfortable now, even the humid heat isn’t affecting me as much.

So I’ve sort of stopped talking about my, let’s say lesser abilities. They are occasionally improving but their effects aren’t really praiseworthy.

I’ve gone up and down in the skill-point department, standing strong on thirty five points.

I stopped taking note of the skill-points but I do remember being around fifty before I broke through the latest stage of nature affinity.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

Well I say before, I mean last time I checked, and to be honest, I try to keep abilities on at all times but it is easy to forget.

The most notable ability improvement has to be empower eye. I can not only see further distances, albeit not very much further, the greatest new feature is the improved vision in darkness.

I still can’t see in complete darkness but I need less light to properly make out things, not very helpful at the moment as I can’t really make things out but it is definitely an obvious improvement.

I’m going to kill as many things on the way over, I still remember that book I lost at tree patience. Maybe it’s still there.

I’ve noticed my hair color started changing a bit, it used to be a mix of blonde and brown but recently it has started to turn a faint green.

This can only mean I am becoming a tree. The blessings of the all-embracing tree are infinite.

Empower: Smell

Channeling mana through your Cilia improves the amount of different odors you can process.

Cilia? What? Found another empower book, it took one reading to get through it. Cilia? Where exactly is my cilia?

But I was so certain I could get empowered smell. I forgot about it but at one point I did try to get the skill.

I literally cannot feel the difference with the skill activated. This means I can almost certainly get better hearing, I think that would be a lot more helpful as well.

I am about halfway to the sixth tree, I’ve found a few books on and stashed them in my near empty backpack.

I might be able to sell these to a sanctuary or trade them with some random colony of survivors.

All the beasts on the way are easier than ever to kill, it’s come to a point where I feel like I’m bullying them.

Well, it’s my forest so I can do whatever I want here right? That’s right, present me. And as present me, I'll give future me full autonomy to do as you like.

You know, I’ve been wondering about those camo-boots. They dropped off the luck guardian I think.

It might be a bit far fetched but I think everything dropped from these overgrown creatures are achievable through crafting.

Now, now. Don’t be like me, we both know we don’t jump to conclusions without at least a hint of rational backing.

The way I see it, is that the crafting books I've picked up so far all hint in some way or the other towards a more complex or higher stage of creation.

This might be better materials or more in depth ways to manipulate energy into the process. Actually, it is a bit far fetched.

Throw a spear and it's dead. That wasn’t hard, in terms of easy to hard that would be easy. I don’t think I’m playing fairly.

I somehow doubt I’d be able to kill these guardians without rapid hand movement. If there is someone or something that set up this game-like environment, I doubt it expected someone of my strength to be able to so easily take care of these guardians.

Sera had the energy gathering meditative skill but she was scared shitless at that wounded mega cat.

I’m having no delusions of grandeur though, I have no idea how to climb up the trees in the middle layer with those flying things soaring in the vicinity of the trees there. Or at least the one tree I caught a glimpse off.

Or are we weak? Am I just reaching what is expected to be normal strength? Am I and others still weak?

Maybe people are supposed to work together to kill these creatures. Forget it, I don’t want to dwell on it.

Before I head to the seven tree I think it's best I try and finish the last book I found. The sixth tree guardian dropped an energy compression book.

I think it’s pretty clear at this point that there are different tiers of abilities. But let’s not drown ourselves on that topic again.

I should be able to eat this snake for a long while, the problem will be the water supply.

I’ve eaten a small portion of the snake so far and I’m about to run out of water, but! Fantastic news, I should be able to get through the book soon.

The book felt endless, there is nothing I understand in it. I’ve thought it over a bit and I assume it has to be similar to energy compression. A passive skill that changes the way energy works or something.

Nature sprite

You have created a sentient energy being. Due to your relations with naturai it has become a variation nature sprite. The sprite is not an independent being but a constant extension of yourself.

What?

‘What?’

Eh?

‘Eh?’

What in the name of ‘the divine tree mother is going on.

“Who is that?”

‘You, idiot.’

“Idiot? Sprite?”

‘Yo!’

“Where are you?”

‘On your head’

Alright this is getting confusing. Please let me digest this for a moment.

‘Sure.’

Ugh, stop answering.

‘Sure.’

That’s already annoying.

Okay, a sprite? Whatever that is, has been made and is an extension of me. Alright, sure, that’s fine. Can you hear me?

‘Ye, I’m actually pretty confused as well. I just woke up like this after finishing the book.’

So you can read my mind? Alright fair play, whatever. What can you do?

‘I can, let’s see. First of all, I can sense everything you do, I can feel your numb butt after sitting for who knows how long. Let me try opening the skill-menu. Yes it's here, I can open the record log as well. Wow it’s a mess, have you seen this?’

Oh, come on. This log is broken. I’m going to have to be careful with this. Alright what you want to be called? Lord Abraser is taken.

‘Son of naturai.’

Sweet, actually I’m not sure if I want to give that name away, can’t you be like minion number one?

Ah what the shit man. What the name of the glorious all-knowing tree was that?

‘Fuck you, that’s what that was. I ́m the son naturai, you can call me son. Hehehe.’

Alright, just don’t do that again, fuck my head is killing me. Let me try something real quick.

Alright cool, ye nice. I can sense everything you sense as well. It’s a bit confusing but feels right at the same time, know what I mean?

‘It makes sense to me.’

Eh, okay. Well shit. Are you just going to be here always from now? I’ve got a bit of a hermit status to protect, but you know that already. It's fine, this is going to be very confusing though.

‘So we going to capture tree number seven? You do the walking, I’ll stay on top of your head, I’m going to research the log, and a lot of things are missing.

I’m watching it live adding whatever I am saying, kind of freaky. It separates us clearly, so that’s good. Alright be a good boy go, go.’

Aye Son. By all that is green. My head still hurts after getting, what did happen? It was very similar to the wizard snake, invisible pressure pounding me.

Let’s not dwell on this, doesn’t seem I can turn it off anyway. Oh, if I focus I can see the log being updated.

It will take ages to go through all that content. The little guy looks like a miniature version of me wrapped in leaves and vines.

He has a praiseworthy green glow around him. I’m not sure what to make of all this but no one makes better company than another me.

I’m running straight towards the seventh tree, even if something spots me, I highly doubt they would be able to chase me.

I ́ve ran the majority of the way towards the next tree, so it's time to look for somewhere to fill up my water bottles.

Other me is glued to my head, no matter how fast I run he doesn’t budge. Turns out ‘Son’ can meditate, his glow becomes a magnitude brighter.

He is made entirely of energy, or so I think so he will always give off that glow, now there is a problem with that.

What if someone or something can detect that buzzing ball of energy? I lose my main advantage while hunting and the general not-dying-thing I’m trying to cultivate.

“Yo! Wake up son. It’s business time.”

Oh it worked, seems easy to wake you up, I was worried you were too deep in trance.

‘Mmm, so what’s up? Oh we’re already here. Alright let’s do this.’

We will, but how am I supposed to sneak up on a guardian with you advertising where I am? Actually far away from me can you go?

‘To around here, five of six meters.’

Ehm, alright, cool. I was wondering if you can hide somewhere?

‘Ah right, of course. Let me try this.’

What yo- wow. Wow! Oh amazing, can you hear me? Hey? Son! You there? Son! Hm, that’s weird, alright so I can think of two things at once after he rammed himself into my head.

Not sure what the exact use of that is but my head is already starting to hurt, Alright part two just go to sleep or something, I’m starting to see double.

That’s a lot better. Alright so I think my other half is either meditating or sleeping. Either is fine, that was a bit painful.

Need to experiment further on this, just not sure how. Okay, okay. One thing at a time, let’s take out this guardian.

You know what we need? A hang-glider. In many ways it’s more trouble to get down from the trees that it is to get up. I wonder if there is a wood-working book.

Didn’t take long to reach the tree’s platform. The guardian is slithering on one of the branches. Oh damn, he just lunged to another branch.

What is happening? He’s making hissing sounds. And jumping from branch to branch.

A shit, I got caught up in his weird jumping show. I grab a spear and throw it as fast as I can.

Oh. What.

He just lunged out of the way, that has to be random, right? Another spear, fast. I watch the snake come closer and closer, he’s mid air about to hit me.

Fortunately I can just activate my energy shield. The guardian nearly pushes the shield into my face before I use rapid hand movement.

The spear continuously pierces its head like a hammer-drill. Wow that was an experience. The energy shield barely held on but that was a satisfactory result.

I’m almost out of energy at this point but damn. I can now feel the cold sweat running down my back. This was really unexpected. I’ve become too cocky.

“Ey, Son! You can come out now.”

“Son?”

Son? You there? Son?

‘Lonely? Ah what would you do without me? I saw you standing there watching the snake jump around, if I hadn’t helped you out, pouring energy into that shield you’d be dead by now.’

Oh? You helped? Wait, I couldn’t hear you or sense you at all.

‘I’ve got a fraction of your energy supply but I think it’s a bit more compressed or condensed.

So I stopped the snake at the last moment before it was about to literally eat you alive.

When you made your so called other half go to sleep, I took over. It was a very weird experience.’

Not sure how to respond to that, pretty sure I had it under control. The thing was going to die way before I managed to even bite down.

‘Ai, my valiant effort goes to waste. I, the great Son of Naturai, have been brushed aside by my alter-ego the not-as-great Lord of Abraser. Woe, woe is me.’