The stake I just threw pierced into a furry silhouette that was mid-air leaping towards me, it went straight through it but didn’t kill it.

The momentum carried him towards me so I take a step back and ready a spear. Don’t have too many left at this point. I don’t want to waste my precious spear. This is the last disposable one.

It’s a white one but it just has some rough carvings on it, various stripes and odd looking circles. I can’t keep throwing things anymore, I only have six small wooden stakes strapped to my legs at this point, one on each shin, slanting sideways.

Another two on each of my thighs. Maybe I should have done some of this fancy spear moves everyone seemed to love to showcase. Aiii, regret is a mother of five children.

I’m trying to swing with grace but it feels off in so many ways, spears were meant and born to be thrown.

These Alasim aren’t really combat experts and their numbers seem to be dwindling, at least they have slowed down their somewhat careless charging and are playing a game of taunting.

They are pretty close, close enough to jump at me pretty fast but I’m not too worried about them, this branch is a good bottleneck, even if they can swing about on this vine infested tree. The biggest Alasim, the boss. Their leader.

He is looking a bit off as well, probably the reason they aren’t as aggressive anymore and are just there shouting at me with a mocking light in their eyes.

Bastards, I’ll tax you through the ground. Miners need to have long arms right? I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere.

Oh! He’s bleeding. I must have managed to hit him, but where is the spear? There is a hole on his lower left stomach area.

It doesn’t look it but it is at least double or triple the width of my spear. Must have gone clean through. He doesn’t seem to bleed a lot. Ah, he is also not very happy about this.

“Mister big fur-ball. I believe we have a grave misunderstanding between us. Sure we both have had some losses here today.”

Rest in peace, spears and glider.

“But I feel we haven’t burned all bridges, walls have not been shattered, the rain hasn’t ended, the fat lady still holds her tongue. Why don’t we sit down and talk this through, we could come to an understanding. Yes?”

“Hu, hu. Hu! Hu, iee!”

“I understand, but what has been spilt, has been spilt. Let us not wallow in rivers turned to oceans. I am sure we will find a way to compensate you for your losses.”

“Hu.”

Finally, we are getting somewhere.

“Good. Very good. We should start by treating your wound and talking in private, what do you think?”

A proper display of power will always sway one's heart. He waves me over and the relatively smaller Alasims make way, still confused as to what is happening but they don’t dare to act against their leader.

As it should be. After a short exchange of meaningful phrases I, with tears in my eyes rip apart my beautiful leather vest and hold it against his wound, we have a helper holding it closed. Amazingly enough, the wound has pretty much stopped bleeding, an extremely resilient creature.

After some careful negotiations I finally yielded a Naturai tree he could control, but it would still be under my ownership.

I also made some lee-way in regards to loaning me some of his underlings to do some mining related work. That is to be firmly consolidated in the more stable future. Of course his tree is on the opposite of my already two established areas.

“So, do we shake on this or get it in writing, how is your writing by the way?”

“Hu! Iiiieee, iee, ieeee.”

“Right, the whole huge fingers situation, never mind me. Verbally we a handshake it is.”

So me and Big Sim are now shaking hands, solidifying our deal.

You are now in control of two safe zones in a Kelas ranked area, Capture all related areas to further expand your domain.

You will be rewarded with an increase in rank.

Further rewards will be revealed at a later date, as I’m not sure what to get you.

Eh? Oh for goddesses sake. It can’t take a single thing seriously can it? I’m fighting, losing blood, sweat and spears here! The system is almost certainly a bored god.

Well there is nothing new there, it was to be expected that I would get a bigger area and all that. I still haven’t found out what the whole pressure thing is but eventually I’ll find an old sage living in solitude to take me under his wing and teach me the ways of this troubling world. I am sure.

The main reason I’m having the Alasim move to the outer-layer is because it can freely build there and he was very interested in the whole greenhouse operation I have going on and was very keen on having his own hot water bath.

Not sure if I can build something with the construction system that would be big enough to accommodate him but we could always manually extend a bath and just pour water from there.

Actually, I’m going to have to create a whole new separate pipe system on their side of the Abraser. I’m fairly certain I still have the currency for it.

I’m having them join me over to the birds Naturai tree, see if we can get that huge bird moved with all this new Alasim power.

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So here I am, stampeding through the forest with over sixty Alasims, killing everything that gets in our way. Things don’t drop for them oddly enough. Only when I am involved do this drop.

Big Sim also gets drops but he is the strong silent type and doesn’t bother with anything. His would may have stopped bleeding but I bet it still hurts.

I’ve been having a few words with Big Sim, it appears he has some abilities. He can’t really put them into words for me but they sound like they may possibly be impressive, I can’t tell. He doesn’t have a way with words.

I tried multiple times to ask him to join me in taking over the other Naturai trees but he just stared at me like I was an idiot.

His eyes convey things I never even imagined before, I think I´ve found a friend in this jewel of a beast.

Alright, so I really can’t be blamed for this. Turns out Big Sim is actually female and quite literally almost killed me because of what I believed to be one of the greatest jokes ever spoken.

Sadly, she didn’t agree and sent me flying with an offhanded swipe of her long arm. There wasn’t much of her power behind it or I would really not have been able to even move.

Nonetheless, I’m not forced to have her carry me while I focus my energy to do what I believe is healing me. You know what? I haven’t tried this, might as well try it now.

I’m trying to focus on the nature energy, the green and plant energy that I have under my control. It’s a bit fuzzy, like sticking my hand into sticky liquid trying to differentiate between various similar looking objects. Uhm. Eh.

Not sure if that translates over, hell that even confused me. Let’s see, it’s like trying to do a blind taste test of similar tasting drinks? Yes, that should be easier to understand.

There is a part of me that believes I’m actually recovering faster now. How about this, let's try to use Rejuv, it should work well with nature things right? And growing. Right? Mmm.

“N-Stop!”

“Hu!”

My goddess! Big Sim just threw me to the side, into the lush canopy. Luckily I managed to stabilize myself. The bruises and broken bones may have already been recovered to a great extent but this is no way to treat a wounded fragile and handsome man such as myself.

After some timid questions, I finally figured out that my use of Rejuv appeared to have caused unwanted stimulation, but that is as far as the giant Alasim was willing to confer on me.

Currently I am again being carried by Big Sim, she finally relented. I’m trying to figure out how to use energy pathways, whatever that means. And also trying to make it easier to call upon an affinity.

For example, it is easiest for me to gather some plant related energy. But for the life of me I can’t get any of that fibrous energy. I’m coming to the conclusion that I simply have very little of it whilst on the other hand I have a lot of nature energy.

Well Nature energy feels like a broad term. It is technically something like living plants. And I specify living, because I lose near all connection to decaying forms of plants.

“Right, see. That’s the bird I was talking about.”

“Hueh! Ie.”

“Ye, but I still took him down, this isn’t really open for discussion. Look, whether you believe me or not. I killed it, look for a spear hole somewhere on it. Anyway, I’m looking for some things that might be hidden in some of the trees around or under this behemoth, it’s even bigger than you.”

“Ieeee! Huhuhu!”

“ouh! Wow! Calm down. Fine, yes. You aren’t that big.”

How am I managing to offend her so easily? Note to future self. Take extra precautions when dealing with female beasts.

Some of the Alasims are roaming around the area looking for my skill-books and whatnot, another group is gathering vine.

We are going to pull this enormous bird into the air. I’ve also promised to cook for Big Sim. She apparently loved the taste of fowl but for reasons she could not explain, she was stuck in that Naturai tree.

I’m assuming this has something to do with the system. Anyway, she was stuck in the tree and couldn’t really hunt for her favorite food.

Horrible news. Finally found the missing piece of loot. Which sounds like it would be a good thing but it ended up being some sort of sleeves for either the legs or hands.

They look fluffy and weird.

I am not wearing that. No fucking way am I walking around like some sort of hybrid bird person. A mutated abomination, It’s so sad as well.

These leaves allow me to glider majestically through the air but the price I have to pay for is too heavy. Truly the goddess’s sense of humor is as twisted as she is divine. O, woe is me.

This just seems spiteful. No person with a sense of dignity would freely wear this. I mean the fluffy feathery look is one thing but the horrible combination of colors with no symmetry is too much.

This has to be intentional, the system must know my love of gliding. Are you listening to my thoughts? Why do you mock me so, I, a mere humble servant to her all-loving, all-embracing greenness, have done nothing to deserve such humiliation.

Let us not dwell on this misery and continue onwards, I’m going to cook this giant bird. I would think he had decayed a bit like some of the other feathery creatures around but he’s still in perfect shape.

I lost track of time there, after we ate that delicious giant behemoth, wow by the way. those Alasims sure can eat.

I can still see the images of them in a frenzy eating both raw and cooked portions of the bird, even braving the giant fire we constructed to eat just that tiny bit more than the others. Everyone aside from Big Sim who ate with the grace of a princess.

A very strange sight.

Right, I lost track of time, not meditating but trying to fix this ugly looking feather sleeve. I don’t want to give up on it, maybe I can remodel it, make it more streamlined or perhaps remake it after I study it.

I still have a nice batch of feathers left from that huge feathered beast. I’ll also take it back to the villages and make some people, I mean ask some people to study it for me.

How has it been since I left for my scouting mission? I really need some way to keep track of this elusive time.

While I was distracted and deep in thought the Alasims made good speed towards our destinations. I’m thinking about renaming the tree Ala City or Sim City but they just don’t sound right.

I asked Big Sim and she gave me a low growl. Not sure what it means but something like “loud noises” is the feeling I got. So we might as well name it Loud city.

But that’s more of a name for their community than the tree, did I name this Naturai tree? I really can’t remember. Doesn’t really matter does it? In the grand scheme of things, few things truly matter.

Ai, I have to start publishing a book of philosophy, the world seems impoverished without me insightful words of wisdom.

It took some effort but I finally managed to create a container strong enough and big enough to hold Big Sim and all that hot water.

The majority of the work still went to setting up the piping system along with the electricity.

I wasn’t until I finished setting up amazing looking living arrangements for the rest of the Alasims that I figured out they don’t really need electricity but what is done is done.

I tried explaining what it was to Big Sim but she was just happy that she could keep the lights on while in her luxurious new bathing facilities.

Now. I need to find this Mining area and get these long armed bastards to work. Sadly I have no idea how to even start looking for it but I’ve found a cheap building that came up when I played a bit with the filters.

The problem with some of the filters is that some words mean two or more things. I’ve been creating some of the cheaper buildings on a whim because I can and I honestly don’t know the use for at least eighty percent of them.

Even when I have an idea what the building is used for, I’m still not really sure I’m getting it right. The struggle continues.

Maybe I should just have them randomly dig somewhere? Wait. How do you make a mine? Oh for the love of all that is green, this is becoming frustrating. Can one not simply have things happen because I want them to happen?

I’ve been spending my days with big Sim, I’m mostly studying the feather sleeves but also meditating occasionally and making a few more spears.

Not my finest work but they’ll do for now, I can carve finer markings into them later and imbue them. Can’t really waste fine material like this.

I’ve given up on exploring energy pathways and the shockwave for now, I’ve made no progress at all in either field. My energy shaping has been improving, the speed that I manage to form energy into is coming together nicely.

Also the speed of compression and its density is increasing. That’s what I assume anyway, it starts to look more and more solid, losing its ethereal look.

I’m debating whether or not I should go back to check on Sera and now combined town or go for a third Naturai tree in the middle layer, the area looks smaller I think there can’t be more than five or four Naturai trees there, I should be able to take them over if I’m careful.

My efforts in recruiting big Sim to join me in my adventures have all fallen flat and I’ve now given up. Just as well, can't really hide that enormous simian. My manner of operation has always been stealthy, silent and ambush my prey. Granted, my latest endeavors failed miserably in the whole cloak and dagger department, but even so, I won’t give up on it.

This feeling is just plain awful. I’ve left at least eighty percent of my materials behind in Loud City due to the weight.

I’m now soaring through the air heading towards, have I even named the village, town or city that I’m governing? We could name it after the Naturai trees or the goddess. Naturai city? Sure that works for now.

I’ll discuss it with the others later and let them know of my decision. I got these distasteful feathery sleeves on right now, despite their ugly appearance they are really quite handy and take next to no space.

I wonder how they function. I've been studying them a lot. I'm really tempted to take them apart to make sure I’m not missing something. I’ll probably do so soon.

I’ve managed to make quite the improvements over the days I spent with Big Sim. I can now create a flat material out of energy and lightly step on it in mid-air.

It wouldn’t be of any use if it wasn't for my fluffy and feathery new sleeves but now I can almost permanently stay in the air.

It’s not really flying but I’m getting pretty close, although I will not reduce myself to the state of flapping my arms to fly. It already looks horrendous with these unflattering things on.