"What do you want, challengers? "

I'm chillin' on this huge root pulled by Oak Treant from below the ground. I know it is probably his feet, which kinda make me sit on his lap.

A Lion sitting on a lap? I'm probably closer to a kitty now.

Things happen quite smoothly once Oak Treant answers me. The other Treants suddenly stop attacking and they open the path towards the Great Beast.

"I want to know if you can spare me one or two Treants for my village.

I have a mission to protect my village; they need wood to build their homes. "

"You want to take my Treants?

Do you know if it is equal to me giving my child to be killed by you? "

"Ah... I am sorry if I said something bad.

I just wish I had some wood and your Treants were the only trees for about, I don't know, forever? "

"Apologies accepted.

And you are right, we are the only wooden beings in these wide grasslands. "

"So, is there any way for me to have wood while not giving you a bad impression? "

"There is no way like that.

To get wood, you have to either kill one of us or wait for one to die naturally. "

Well, that's a really complicated thing.

"Then, how about I take the one closest to their death? "

"Then you have to wait for two hundred years for that. "

I can only raise my eyebrows. Wow, that is even older than some grandpa out there. We cannot wait for two hundred years just for some woods.

"Do you really have no other way?

Please. "

Oak Treant's face quickly changes to that of thinking. I had hoped, just a little, that he would pull out a root or branch and make that thinking gesture. Where you put your hand on your chin.

Unfortunately, my hope didn't come true.

"I think I have a way, that will bring both of us some benefits.

It can only happen if you are willing to accept my terms. "

"Hm? Tell me and I'll think about it. "

"Sure.

My mission is to live as long as I can.

The longer I live, the less fight I'm in, the greater I will be.

My terms are for you to protect me and my Treants from any harm, as much as you can.

In return, my Treants will reshape themselves to become the home for your little village.

Of course, if your village grows, the rest of my Treants will offer themselves as houses, in exchange for protection.

Do you agree with my terms? "

Wow, that is quite amazing. If there are elves out there, they will turn blue from envy.

Oak Treant's terms are quite good. We get our houses, we spend no effort on building them, and I can protect them both at the same time.

"Oh by the way, do you mind if I ask?

I want to know what you guys eat to survive. "

"We can take nutrients from the ground for our sustenance.

If you can be kind enough to provide for us, we accept any kind of organic leftover from your food. "

This means they can go along with my plan for the village. Maybe it just needs a little adjustment, here and there.

"Do you mind if I ask this to the villagers first?

Just to make sure they are comfortable with these terms? "

"You are their Great Beast!

Why ask them when you can decide that on your own? "

"Well, yeah but I think they have the right to know. "

"Decide now, Challenger!

Or my terms will no longer be yours to take. "

Ahh.. Is this what a Great Beast is supposed to do? Giving orders and controlling villages? That is so much work for someone like me!

"Before I go with your terms, can I ask you a few things? "

"Go ahead. "

"Okay, so I want to know about Great Beast.

What are they supposed to do? Are we just a pawn, used for a fighting game? Or do we have another purpose? "

"Ah, I believe that you are one of those.

Copies! The soul was taken from another world without disturbing its balance.

Say, why do you want a purpose?

You were promised three wishes right?

Isn't that enough for you? "

"Well, the wishes are great.

It's just that I feel like all this battle is useless.

I don't ask for wishes, nor do I ask to be here. Someone took me out of my world and put me here to fight a battle that I didn't sign off on.

Worse, they give me skills that make me focus on the battle and ignore my past life!

For what? Win a prize? I just want to go home! "

"This is what I am thinking.

You are taken from your world, where everything is fine and nothing has changed.

You arrived here, pushed to a battle you didn't want for a prize you didn't ask for.

Then why not make your own reason?

I believe there are good things here that you find interesting, things that you love because you cannot get back home.

Make that your reason. Protect that reason and be a new being, one with the power and destiny they made for themselves. "

"But why? Why me? Why? "

"Because it could be someone else and they might not be as good as you. "

me? a nobody? could be the best choice in my world?

There should be many like me. I am just an office worker. I am a commoner with nothing special.

"Don't lower yourself for doubt.

Sometimes, you are far greater than you think you are. "

Oak Treant kept his eyes on me while I began to think. Somehow his words hit deep in my heart.

I know I am a Copies, my real self is safe back home and everyone's life is safe. This means, now I can be free to be my new self!

I can put Yohan, the Office Worker behind, and leave it back in my home world.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

I will become Lord Yohan, the Great Beast! The one who protects those in need and saves them. Somehow this new thought got me really excited. I can't help but grin wide in satisfaction.

"I think you already have a decision for yourself. "

"Yeah, thanks Oak Treant. "

"Oak Treant? Is that what they call me? "

"Um, yeah?

I called you Oak Treant before and you answered. "

"Well yes, but that is my name from a hundred years ago!

Weren't they supposed to change my name already? "

Oak Treant then begins a long story about his life a hundred years ago, filled with so much action and combat that it was mostly impossible for a walking tree.

Who am I to judge? I am barely a lion right now.

"Oak Treant, I accept your terms.

I will protect you and your Treants that become houses for the villagers.

We will try to provide sustenance of your kind but we need to work on that first. "

"We have a deal!

TREANTS! WE ARE GOING TO A NEW HOME! "

HURAAAAAAA!!

Their cheer sounds like that one that comes from the northern part of my planet.

*****

We begin our travel together, a whole forest of Treants and me in their midst.

Based on my battle against them before, I thought that their walking speed was somewhat a bit less or equal to my walking speed. Turns out that their walking speed was barely faster than a crawl.

When night is over and their time to rest has come, we barely make progress on our journey.

As they slowly gathered around to sleep, Oak Treant spoke to me with a worried tone.

"Challenger, we rely on you for our protection.

Many seek our wooden bodies and most fail to find us.

But those who find us usually come with greed in their mind. "

After he said that, Oak Treant quickly closed his eyes and went to sleep for the day. He leaves me confused thinking about his words.

Did he just leave a death flag? Not a good tree bro!

The Treants finally fall into a sleeping state, turning into a normal tree with their faces barely visible unless you really look for it. At this time, I just realized that my body didn't feel as tired as I expected it would be.

Probably because I am not that tired yet or maybe because I'm still thinking about the flag and the terms.

Having a living house that can be moved whenever we want is really convenient, no matter where you look at it. I can expect an easy time when the village expands. maybe we can invite some people from the outside later to join us and merge into one big community since housing might never be a problem.

On the other hand, I think I have to train some people in the village. I know I am supposed to be their protector, but I am just one person and the world might be full of dangerous beings. Some from being like me, Great Beast with missions, or maybe from other more powerful creatures that I don't know about.

There are too many possibilities and I won't change anything if I just think about it. Better keep them in mind and work on it when the issue really comes.

For now, I think I can spend some time training. I still need to hone my Beast Form and Kick Form.

I hope Oak Treant didn't mind because I chose one of his widest branches as my training ground. My reason is quite simple, I need to look out for them so I need a higher place to keep watch.

*****

I've been training for about three hours straight when I see something in the distance. Its shape is closer to that of a panda bear, with a chubby belly and black-white color.

The only difference is that this bear had a huge pair of fangs like that of a sabertooth tiger. Make a decision, you cuddly bear!

There are three of these creatures that are running at a stable speed toward my Treant forest. It seems like these creatures are one of many that Oak Treant is talking about.

As they got closer, I quickly left my training area and climbed down to welcome the new guest. It is pretty clear this time that I have to fight.

I stopped the three guests quite far from the forest. I don't want one or two of them to take a chance and sneak away from me while I fight, hence the distance.

"Hold! Why are you coming here, friend? "

....

They didn't answer. Nope!

They just bare their teeth on me and draw their claws. Good! Straight to the point!

I will take my stance and be ready to respond to their attack. They start by rushing at me with their claws out, eager to cut me down as fast as they can.

Unfortunately, for them, I am ready for this fight. When they pounced at me, I responded with a few steps back and countered with a straight punch.

My punch missed the target, but I managed to make the three Saber Pandas take some steps back. Yes, Saber Panda, Sabertooth, and Panda mashed together. I am quite lazy to think of a name right now.

They begin to use strategy now, coming at me in turn while trying to distract me. The rabbits used to do such a strategy and they failed, these Saber Pandas won't have it better.

I respond to every attack with a faithful counter, a pre-determined straight punch that is useless every time. I even try the kick and it feels stiff, like my body refuses to obey the technique I trained for a month.

Our battles got more heated until finally, one of the Saber Pandas managed to leave a shallow cut on my back shoulder. I missed the timing and one of them pounced on me from behind.

I began to feel my anger bubbling from within, and I started to look at the three Saber Pandas with murdering eyes.

You better be prepared.