3 — Weird Night

Lilies illuminated by a whitish light bathed the forest with their beauty, while the groves danced with the wind. The night in this place seemed as vivid as day anywhere else, as animals of all colors and shapes moved among branches, hunted, or rested among trees. Something impossible was moving through the earthly plane, a being with an ethereal appearance, similar to fire, moving through the vegetation without affecting it, as if it weren't there and was just a mere vision of some madman.

—"And here I am… stranded in the middle of a green tide, with some Pokémon and in complete solitude. This definitely wasn't the situation I had planned for a Friday after reincarnating… What's next? A bear jumping out, thinking I'm a snack or something? "— His voice was immediately cut off as he heard something behind him break. His nonexistent heart stopped for an instant, then started racing, while a cold sweat, impossible due to the nature of his current form, ran down his back.

—"Hey, it was a joke! I'm just trying to relax, you understand? "— He began to look around, hoping that some higher being would listen to him. The sweat and fear escalated to his throat, making him want to vomit.

Contrary to what he thought, a small figure quickly ran by his feet—gray in color, with a shiny horn on its snout. Could that be called a mouse?

—"A mouse with delusions of grandeur...? Great, well, you know what? Screw you and your jokes, nature! "— Wanting to express his anger, the shapeless figure moved towards a tree, while an appendage stretched out, trying to hit it. The trunk didn't even flinch; on the contrary, it was passed through without being affected in any way. If you looked closely, you could even see how the wood appeared much more vivid than before.

As if he had been heard, after hitting a trunk that resulted in nothing and continuing his path, a root on the ground illuminated in blue tones would get in the way, causing him to fall face-first into the leaf-covered dirt below.

—"Ugh…! Contrary to how it seems… that didn't hurt at all, somehow? "— The ethereal entity stood up again, continuing to talk to himself in a low tone. Did that really not hurt? Did Mother Nature just want an apology kiss? This situation was becoming stranger for him. Unable to breathe but without feeling pain, he could hear and see perfectly, and he even felt revitalized in some way by the surroundings, as if something unseen was cradling him in its arms.

—"Now… I'd love it if some system message would pop up in front of my face and tell me I'm the chosen one to kill the demon king or something like that "— Thinking about the possibility of having a system caused him to blush with excitement. He would love to have someone tell him what to do every minute and guide him through the place, because honestly, finding something in this sea of trees without guidance made his mind want to implode from laziness.

—"But I guess that would be too easy. A system is way too OP to casually carry around… "— His hopes of getting a voice in his head talking to him whenever he wanted vanished. It really would have been fun.

—"Hey you, where's the nearest village "— His voice was directed at a squirrel of ordinary appearance, unlike all the previous animals, which completely ignored him and proceeded to poop in front of him.

—"...Rude "— He left that place before continuing to endure such a disrespectful attitude.

— (I guess that's enough jokes. I should start finding something that can get me out of this… uh… form? I don't know what I am right now, and I don't know whether to be anxious, scared, or excited about this…) — His gaze would again fall on his new body, or form? Looking at his 'arms' and his 'body,' both composed of some kind of energy similar to fire, at least in shape, without having a true indicator of where each appendage was but still feeling them perfectly.

— (The first thing should be a dirt path or something to indicate where to move, but how do I find it…) — He would pass his fingers over his chin, stroking it in a VERY thoughtful manner.

*Krrj* (Sound of something creaking?)

—"Another rat? "— Fixing his gaze on where the sound came from, he tried to look this time from the ground below him, much calmer compared to before. After a quick inspection, he found nothing.

Looking above the ground, he saw bushes, flowers, grass, leaves, and branches throughout the path where the forest extended. It was basically the same everywhere—a bunch of vibrant-colored herbs and plants, well-camouflaged in the darkness.

— (Weird.) — Nothing appeared, which made him feel a bit uneasy, but he still sensed something out there, something close by.

Now that he thought about it, since when do flowers float? Why was a kind of flower—an incense burner?—glowing purple and blue, hanging beside a tree? The 'flower' in question started trembling as soon as it felt our protagonist's gaze, moving erratically from side to side while faintly illuminating the plants and leaves around it. Was it hanging from a stick somehow, or for some reason?

— (What is that? A trap for fools?) — He thought while approaching with firm steps, even if he didn't have real legs—or at least he thought so. He couldn't exactly distinguish which part of his body was which in this form.

Reducing the noise of his steps, he transitioned into silent steps, approaching the incredibly wide tree, wide enough to easily hide any person. But even though he tried to be as quiet as possible, he noticed how the branch that held the flower at its end shook. It seemed he had already been noticed before he could even see who was behind there.

—"You know I've already seen you, right? Come out "— Abandoning his stealth, he tried to coax the stranger into revealing themselves, with no result. Annoyed, he started to quicken his pace, swiftly closing in on the trunk.

—"Eek! "— It was the only sound that came from behind before he heard hooves tearing through the grass, jumping and galloping between the roots of the trees.

—"Eek? You got the hiccups or something?! "— He finally ran around the tree before the stranger could get too far away, managing to catch a glimpse of what seemed to be a deer starting to run away from him… and was that a human torso?!

— (Wh- Damn, it's fast!) — He didn't have time to reason out what that thing was before taking off after it, hoping to catch up with his mediocre speed.

In front of him, the deer began leaping between the enormous roots of the surrounding trees with great agility and grace, while he didn't have to worry about crashing into them thanks to his ability to pass right through. Unfortunately, even with that advantage, he couldn't match the speed of that thing; he was being left behind quickly.

— (This is amazing! I don't feel tired at all; I'm sure after the first few minutes I would have dropped dead from exhaustion) — Before worrying about what he was chasing, he began to notice that this 'form,' so to speak, didn't allow him to get tired, on top of everything else. —"Wait just a darn minute, for God's sake, I just need help! "— He tried reasoning with the thing that was running away, but it ignored him, whether because it didn't want to help or simply because it was already too far ahead.

—"Wait, I'm telling you! "— Finally, the deer stopped in front of a huge wall of rocks, and Kingsley caught up after a few seconds. It seemed the forest ended here, and behind them, there were only trees and plants—there was no way for it to escape.

Or so he thought until that thing looked him in the eye—enormous, glowing eyes, naturally glassy, accompanied by enormous and beautiful purple lashes, similar to its hair, a combination of blue and purple shades, with blue dominating the tips. Was it some kind of centaur or something like that? He didn't know exactly what to make of what was in front of him, as it quickly turned as soon as it saw him and started jumping on the protrusions of the natural stone wall, a wall that was almost at a 90º incline. It did so with such ease and grace that it made it look simple. With each jump, a slight trail of yellow dust was released before it finally reached the top in no time and escaped out of his reach and sight.

—"How did it do that? What kind of injustice is this "— Not knowing what else to do or say, he just stood there, staring at the top of that rock wall for a few seconds, scratching his head in confusion with some kind of finger.

Letting out a tired sigh, Kingsley turned around and started walking back into the forest, only to realize that he had completely strayed from where he was before and was now even more lost. With no other option, he returned to the path of the wind, letting himself be guided by whatever and walking aimlessly. Along the way, he saw many distinctive animals, from deer with red antlers and plumage covering them, to wolves with horns and enormous crystal fangs similar to those of a saber-tooth tiger. Within this place, you could find everything, and many of those animals were sleeping, although a few took advantage of the darkness to start their actions, like hunting.

—"Is that an apple? "— Looking up at an enormous tree with red leaves and vines hanging around its branches, he saw green apples hanging firmly at the ends of the vines. They had a vibrant color and were probably the most natural fruit he had ever seen in his life.

He tried to grab one, but his hand just passed through the apple's form. This made him look at his hand for a moment, questioning the nature of this body, which confused him more and more. Everything that was happening was too sudden, but he couldn't spend much time on those thoughts. He had already decided not to complicate himself with questions that wouldn't have answers right now. He would let himself go with the flow of the situation, hoping for the best results.

—"A lake? "—

In front of him stretched a vast expanse of crystal-clear water, accompanied by small islets that adorned the middle of the waters, on which you could see stones with blue energy extending through their cracks. It was a beautiful sight, along with the white light that spread around the islets, refracting light and creating rainbow-like colors for anyone who looked.

—"Wow~ "—

Finally reaching the edge of the calm waters, he marveled at the beauty that exuded from the whole area. Some aquatic plants rose around the islets, many of them complementing the light in a way that deserved to be captured in an oil painting.

—Every time I see new places around here, I feel more impressed. This could easily be one of the seven wonders of the world—

Speaking honestly and less sarcastically or jokingly compared to the times he had spoken to himself, he stood still, staring at the lake for a long time, practically hypnotized by the light and water.

This lasted until he heard something start to move and take shape behind him, stones clashing harshly and rising, sticking and intertwining along with roots and vines adorned with flowers and leaves. Behind him, what appeared to be a golem was forming—or at least that was the only name he could recognize for a creature like this. Seeing it, he didn't know whether to run or stay still. Maybe if he got lucky, they were like T-rexes, and if he didn't move, they wouldn't see him? Yeah, right, like that would happen—he was clearly screwed.

He tried to say something, but he was so stunned and shocked that nothing came out, even more so when the part that formed the 'golem's' head focused on him. It should easily stand about 8 meters tall (approximately 23 ft?), and unlike all the other animals he had encountered, this one seemed particularly aware of his presence.

Before he could say anything, the 'golem' in front of him began to bring its arm closer to him. Its hand slowly opened as it got nearer and nearer. He couldn't move out of fear—he was screwed. There was no way he could defend himself against something like that if it easily quadrupled or quintupled his size.

He felt his body give way, falling on his rear as the massive stone hand, easily capable of holding his body, hovered over him, completely open.

—(Haa~ I didn't even last a day in this place, how unfair~)—

In front of him, everything was covered in black, thanks to a massive shadow.

Nothing.

Nothing was happening. He looked up, seeing that for some reason, this thing wasn't attacking him; on the contrary, it was looking at him with curiosity. What would be the head of this stone monster was slightly tilted to one side, similar to a dog trying to understand something out of the ordinary.

*Pat, Pat*

The enormous hand gently patted the protagonist's head, with two soft taps contrary to its intimidating appearance. The hand then moved away, returning to a common resting position, while this stone being looked to the side, in an unknown direction, for a few seconds.

The light blue energy that illuminated the center of its head, remaining steady in a hollow space, flared up, as did the remnants of that energy escaping through some cracks in its body. It then moved its arm and pointed to the side, just where it had been looking a moment ago.

—"¿? "—

Confused and not understanding the message, he imitated the confused look that this creature had previously worn, tilting his head in confusion, only to see the noble giant calmly walk away, passing by his side and heading to the lake to reunite with the other stones that adorned the islets. These stones, like him, adapted into a more humanoid form, contrary to the rubble they seemed to be before.

—"I guess I shouldn't judge by appearances? "— He didn't know what to make of such a contradictory situation.

The appearance of this kind of golem was clearly intimidating, so he assumed it must be some sort of Final Boss or somethingâ€"an extremely powerful monster that would need to be defeated by an S-Class adventurer squad.

—"Is there something like that around here? I'd love to become an S-Class adventurer~ "—

Deciding to heed the indication given by his new giant friend, he stood up and began walking in that direction, skirting around the lake for a moment.

—"Hey! Thanks for the help! "— He raised his voice significantly so the golem could hear him from that distance, which wasn't too difficult.

The mass of stone turned its attention to him for a moment, then calmly waved its hand in farewell.

— (What a kind guy) —

[Some time later]

—"How much farther do I have to walk...? "—

Trees, trees, and more treesâ€"that's all he saw. As beautiful as the flora and fauna of this place were, he was starting to get bored. He didn't know how long he had been walking since he had no watch and the moon hadn't moved from its place, but he was sure it had been a long time.

— (If I had my original body, my feet would probably be killing me by now) —

Sometimes, thinking about having a different body was a relief. His past body was... not very attractive. He had succumbed to the cruel addiction of the internet and porn from a young age, which distracted him enough to avoid physical activities most of his life. So, this walk would have already been killing him if he had his original form before coming here, sweating buckets and probably making sounds like a drowning pig.

!!!

—"Strange... "—

A complicated feeling swirled in his chest. For a moment, he was sure he heard someone whispering to him... very close to his ear, maybe inside his head? Nothing like this had happened all this time, so he felt disoriented.

—"Am I imagining things? Do I have undiagnosed schizophrenia? "—

Oh no, he didn't want to end up like those crazy people on the streets banging their heads against lamp posts. Or maybe that was just sensationalist news. Did people banging like zombies have something to do with Fenta- Fentanyl? Something like that was the name he read a while ago while browsing the internet.

This was a concerning situation; he didn't want a voice whispering things in his ear at unexpected moments. That would undoubtedly scare the crap out of him in the wrong situation. Imagine exploring a tomb or some dark place, and suddenly something whispers in your ear...

— (How terrifying) —

He continued walking straight as the feeling in his chest gradually faded away. Each step he took revealed fewer trees; their number gradually decreased until finally, all that remained in view was a vast clearing, filled with short undergrowth, flowers, and trees spread out in pairs.

The fauna had disappeared—he could no longer see, hear, smell, or feel anything or anyone. The only things left in this place were him, the few trees scattered around, and THAT.

THAT was a wooden trunk, no, a tree—a tree of biblical proportions. Its size couldn't be described with a single word. It rose from the earth, almost touching the clouds, with roots as large, long, and thick as trains, which protruded from the ground in undulating shapes. The tree's leaves were a beautiful phosphorescent and vivid pink, and from some openings in the wood, an aura of white, blue, and light blue colors exuded, creating a beautiful image for the surroundings. At the top of the trunk, specifically in the center of the highest point, energy of all colors swirled, seeming to call to him. Translucent blue orbs moved rhythmically toward the tree, merging with it, swirling, and resting on its body.

Without words to declare anything, his jaw would have probably dropped to the floor if it were biologically possible—or ghost-matically possible? He wasn't sure how to refer to this body.

Before he realized it, his body had moved on its own; he was already in front of the enormous trunk, looking in awe at an indescribably priceless spectacle. The voice that had whispered to him earlier had multiplied; he felt as though an orchestra was trying to speak to him, causing one voice to overlap another and creating an unintelligible symphony, further confusing him.

As if by instinct or something else, something formed—or became clearer—something like a bond, a thread that spiritually tied him to this tree? It was a strange sensation, as if something very fine was tightening around his heart but without causing harm; it was even warm.

—"What are you...? "—

Without finishing what he was about to say, he calmly circled the trunk. From the top of wherever he had wedged himself, he managed to see in the distance, very, very, veeeery far away, what appeared to be a coastal town. His vision wasn't the best, but there were clearly ships and illuminated houses there—the first time he had seen civilization since arriving in this forest!

—"People! Finally "—

His vision suddenly contracted, everything became blurry, then it expanded, and he saw before him how everything disappeared in an instant, leaving him alone in a void full of stars and sky, while his consciousness faded again. Was something expelling him?

— (I was so close! Damn, I wanted to check if there were catgirls around here...) —

His vision turned to nothing as he fell asleep in that void.

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New chapter~

Sorry for the delays; I've been busy lately and didn't have time to write. And when I finally got the chance, I opened Webnovel only to find that the draft didn't save.

So, yes, I had to redo the entire chapter.

I hope you like it. I tried to recreate the draft as best as I could, even if it has fewer words than the previous chapters ✌🏻