24 The Changes of the Forest

Several months have passed since Astur has moved to the small island and during this time, she's left the island a grand total of zero times, but she has at least left her house, once, to harvest some mushrooms. Due to the little time she spends away from home, Astur is currently the lowest level of the six Kojuuin family members in Eternal Universe.

Glacia has made her way up the political ladder on her planet. Zrathno has become a well-respected mechanic and is pushing the boundary of his planets technology. Ryuuko has established a company and now stands at the top of the business world of her planet. The only ones that can be compared to Astur are Klaros and Sömskar. But not because of having a low level, but because their social standing is similar to Astur's. Klaros was declared a heretic and is on the run, while Sömskar is wanted for the assassination of a few political figures.

In these past months, the only EXP Astur has obtained comes from her synthesis. But repeatedly synthesising the same thing results in less and less EXP. Currently, Astur only gets 1 EXP whenever she makes the Enhanced Basic EXP Potions. Astur has managed to round out her level and bring it up to 20 by raising her Subclasses both up to level 5 and Alchemist up to level 10. But she's still far from the next lowest of the six, being Klaros with a total level of 42.

For players including Astur and the other five, there are two main ways to gain EXP, either from completing quests or killing other people and monsters. But crafting Classes can also gain EXP from crafting, or in Astur's case, synthesis. Through crafting, there are also two methods of gaining EXP, either by the actual crafting process or by creating new recipes. Despite there being multiple ways to gain EXP, completing quests are by far the most rewarding, having both large EXP rewards as well as often containing special rewards such as Summon Cards. And during her entire life here so far, Astur has only completed a single quest. Astur does still have the Main Scenario Quest available, but she hasn't done anything to progress it.

But as far as changes go, Astur is probably the one who's had the least when compared to her surroundings. Elizabeth has also gotten much stronger, although she herself isn't really aware of it. Through the constant experimental potions that Astur has openly and discreetly fed her, she has also managed to reach level 20. But Elizabeth isn't the one with the greatest change in Astur's surrounding. The greatest change is the Sea of Trees.

Throughout these past months, Elizabeth has been trying to tell Astur about how strange the monsters of the forest have been acting. For some reason, on the path from Astur's house all the way to the exit of the forest heading towards the Town of Dawn, there are absolutely no monsters showing up in that area. Occasionally, Elizabeth will see large groups of monsters drinking from the reservoir or the river. But the strange thing about these groups is that they often contain more than a single species and include what is generally considered to be solitary monsters who don't move in groups. And Elizabeth swears that sometimes she can hear voices when she is walking to and from the town. But the only thing Astur had to say about this was, "ok," and left it at that. At least, until today.

"Based on what I've heard from Glacia, I'm probably the weakest of us all. Not that I don't understand why, but…" Astur thinks as she looks out the window of her living room, "there are only two weeks until the start of the closed beta. At this rate, the player will surpass me in no time. Do I really have to go out..."

[Ding]

[You are now a revered being of an entire area. For being worshipped as a Goddess through the entirety of the Sea of Trees on Planet Vopal, you have been awarded the Title, Goddess of the Forest.]

"... What the fuck?" Astur says aloud.

Reining in her surprise, Astur quickly takes out her phone and call Elizabeth.

"Where are you right now?" Astur asks.

"I just arrived at the forest. Taurion and Lester are here as well."

"I need you to do something for me, it's simple. Walk around the forest for a bit and go to places you don't usually go to."

"I suppose it isn't too difficult with Taurion and Lester with me, but I'd need to ask them," Elizabeth says before turning to Taurion, "It's Astur on the other end, she wants me to go around the forest and check out the places I don't normally go. Do you two mind accompanying me?"

"That's fine with me. Mine and Taurion's father have been receiving reports on strange activity in the Sea of Trees for a while now, but they've been putting it off because of Astur living there. But now there are too many complaints that they have to at least send someone to check it out," Lester says.

"It's as he says, reports of strange voices, trees moving on their own, and unusual movements from the native monsters, the complaints and reports have been piling up. Although the official investigation is supposed to take place a week from now, I don't see any harm in checking things out ahead of time," Taurion says.

"Alright then, thanks," Elizabeth says, bring her phone back up to her ear, "they said yes, so where do you want us to go?"

"I know, I could hear them. As for where, anywhere but my house, good luck," Astur says, hanging up.

Elizabeth sighs as she puts her phone away as she, Taurion, and Lester start by making their way to where Astur's house used to be. It isn't far from their current location and it's a place Elizabeth hasn't been to in a while, so she thought it would a good place to start. And she's right, within the periphery of the Sea of Trees, it's probably the best place to start.

As Elizabeth and the others arrive, rather than the empty area they were expecting to see, standing in the place where Astur's house used to be is a small wooden structure, seemingly a shrine with a crudely made wooden statue of Astur inside of it. Sitting before the shrine is a group of three Vorpal Forest Leopards, one at the centre with the other two sitting slightly behind the first on either side of it.

Upon seeing Elizabeth's group, the three leopards turn towards them and nod their heads to them before leaving.

But as the leopards are leaving, Elizabeth hears someone talking, "We have met good fortune today in our prayers to the Goddess. I'm sure our assault on the Marsu tribe will go well..." but soon the voice becomes too faint for even Elizabeth to hear.

"That wasn't the cat talking, was it?" Taurion asks.

"Actually, those were Vorpal Forest Leopards," Lester says as he moves in to get a closer look at the shrine. "But I've never heard of talking monsters before. If monsters can talk and hold a conversation, what separates them from other intelligent races like the Beastfolk and the Mystic races.

"Miss Elizabeth, being a resident of the forest, do you know anything about this? Both the shrine and the monsters," Taurion asks.

"I didn't know this was here until now. And given the contents of the conversation and the way the leopards were acting towards us, the only conclusion I can come up with is that the leopards were talking," Elizabeth says as she joins Lester in checking out the shrine. "Hmm… doesn't this statue kind of resemble Astur?" She says as she goes to pick up the small wooden statue.

*Scree*

Before she can grab hold of the statue, Elizabeth quickly withdraws her hand upon hearing the cry of a bird. Lester and Taurion quickly pull Elizabeth back as a Terror Hawk lands on the ground in front of them.

The Terror Hawk stand before them, glaring at the three with sharp eyes. The hawk opens its pitch black beak, but instead of the ear-piercing cry they were expecting, a low and noble voice can be heard, "I can't allow you to touch the holy statue of the Goddess, not even you. But given your identity as the Forest Saint, you shalt be left with a warning. Do not try to move the idol again."

Unfurling its checkered brown and white wings, the Terror Hawk returns to the sky, circling above the shrine.

"I don't think anyone can deny that the monsters can talk and are intelligent," Taurion says, relaxing his body.

"I for one, am glad it's intelligent. I could feel that the strength of that bird is much higher than mine. I felt that the monsters here we stronger the last time I was here when we first brought Astur's ingredients, but they've gotten much stronger since then," Lester says.

"Wait, that's not important! Since when did I become a Saint!?" Elizabeth shouts.