CHAPTER 4(Edited)

The feeling of having a body full of muscles is certainly....pleasing. Especially if they give you a boost in strength.

Sure they aren't the humongous Arnold Schwarzenegger (god, the name) type, whose many use for showing off...

No, mine shows that great power is hidden within them. Perks of being a High Human.

But, what does that have to do with my magic training, you ask?

Well, everything...

"HA!" "*Crash!!*" "*Crackle...*crackle.."

"Holy...mother of god" I just went from hitting wood and breaking my wrist, to obliterating a boulder with a single punch.

I love this combination of body strength and magic.

What I did was rather simple. I condensed my mana into my right arm until I made my skin, muscles, and bone tissues harden until the limit...

That's the basic explanation anyway.

I had to focus on different layers of the area, first.

After that, well...let's just say that caves aren't exactly hard for me to make anymore...

I tested with Kon too. Oh, who is that you ask? Kon is the larger and older Ape, he's actually pretty chill when you get to know him; his partner is just a bit more agitated that's all.

I haven't met one that goes punching elephants, like the wiki(encyclopedia) shows.

But, that's probably just the old maesters saying they are freaking strong...

Like I was saying, I asked him to punch me.

I know, I know. Wtf. But, the excitement in discovering my super poise and strength at the time, won...

And now I remembered why no one messed with a 14 feet gorilla.

Because if trucks had fur then that would be fucking it...ow ow, my poor muscular arm...

Anyhow, now that my little suicide episode already passed(never doing that again). I could finally see the effects of my race traits in action. My injuries healed after a nap of about 4-6 hours...yeah, it hurt that much.

But hey, super regeneration for the win!

And now, thanks to me taking some time to nap a little bit, the moon finally came into view, and boy was she bigger than back home.

I wonder. Is that why the waters are so chaotic in this world?

Nah, it's just your normal chaotic fantasy world, nothing less.

I mean, it can't get worse than what the books showed us, right?

"..." Aaaand, I just jinxed it didn't I...

...Shit.

Oh well, live with it, I guess.

At least this is not The Witcher plane. That place is infested with monsters. Although, magic is much more present there...

Still, Game of Thrones has more lore depth...bite me.

Now, to find the nocturnal flowers...Ohh, my sight is a bit clearer than it should be.

Huh, so I do have an enhanced sight at night, but I can't see that far, some 20 meters or so.

I may need a torch or something...

"Huh?" Is that...a glowing flower? That is a glowing blue one.

I didn't know something like this existed. There is the Ghost Grass, but it doesn't glow like this one.

With that being said, the continent of Sothoryos is pretty much unknown and revolved around mysteries. Only losing to the Shadow Lands on that matter...

Like Ashai. Now that's somewhere you want to stay away.

Maybe after I have enough skills and resources I could knock at their doors...

Something for the far future...

So, I should follow this trail then.

"Alright. See you guys another time!" I waved goodbye to the apes after I had stuffed them with enough bananas for 1 week.

A week for them, mind you.

Fluffy is going with me, at this point, he's pretty much inseparable from me...

He's a cutie pie alright.

Anyway, while following the trail, I saw many things that would give a man many sleepless nights.

To flies and bats with bellies full of blood, to fish with legs and reptilians bigger than a lion...

Shit, this place is a horror circus, thank god(literally) for my aura, without it I would be at the top of their meat-only menu...

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[3 hours later]

I fear I won't be able to reach my destination tonight.

I forgot one fact: It is said that Sothoryos is the size of Essos.

...*Sigh*

Hopefully, it's next to the continent's border. Else, I'll have to spend months to some years traveling across the land to Essos...

Or Westeros. Haven't decided yet.

Well, do what? I need to learn how to use my magic. No way I'm letting this opportunity pass...

"If there is someone, or somewhere, that has more connection to nature's sorcery, then it's got to be in these jungles" I mumbled to myself since my traveling companion is sleeping in my arms.

He should be thankful for my super strength, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to carry him for such long distances without breaks, and, I probably would have to make some poor basilisk carry us along the way.

Heh, a basilisk carrying a bunny. Now that's something I would pay to watch.

Chuckling at the image, I continued to climb another tree, since, below its another bloody swamp with all sorts of lion-lizards, short-legged snakes large enough to eat a cow, and other swimming horrors

Those things are a death trap.

Not to mention the clouds of blood-sucking parasites and mosquitos the size of a hornet...

I was a bit anxious about it, not gonna lie. But they seem to ignore me overall, so that's a relief...

Another reason for my Tarzan path is that I don't wanna wet/dirty myself for no apparent reason.

I only have the clothes I'm currently wearing, so there's that.

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[4 hours later]

Seems like I reached a cleared grass space with some...weird rocks?

They are full of markings and don't look natural, nor recently made. It's at least some hundred years old, for sure...

Who did this? Some ancient tribe perhaps?

Whatever it is, I sh-

"You here," A calm and wise voice interrupted me, almost causing me to have a mini-heart attack.

Can you blame me? The first voice I heard until now, and it turns out to be a Yoda one...

"Err, hi, you.....wouldn't be a child of the forest....would you?" Yep. Short, brownish-green skin tone, plant-like traits, large glowing, ruby eyes, and exhaling a magic-like pressure.

Definitely a child of the forest.

I knew they weren't extinct. Well, excluding the ones wiping the three-eyed-raven backside, in the North of Westeros...

She lightly tilted her head, "We have many names, some of which you wouldn't understand, at the moment. Others, forgotten in the old tongue. But, yes, some men have called us as such" Explained the little female wood elf.

I smiled, practically jumping on my toes from pure excitement, just to fire all manners of questions...

They were rare as they come in the books, after all.

AND they were one the best race of sorcery users in the World.

I nodded carefully, "And you are here because?" I knew the reason, but it's better to play safe.

"Excluding the fact that this is my home," She started in an obvious tone, "Our ancestor's spirits contacted us to warn us of your imminent arrival" Spirits, is that what whispered to me?

"If it isn't rude to ask, did they speak anything else?" I am curious, did the spirits warn them positively or negatively?

The child's eyes seemed to shine like a jewel when showered with the moon's light, "They say you require guidance. As guardians of this jungle, and you," She peered at my chest, "one blessed by the gods. It is then, our duty to teach you whatever sate your necessities".

That's....better than I hoped. I honestly thought I would have to pass a ritual or something along those lines to be part of the forest club...

Focus Art, you can play Indiana Jones later. For now, though, it's the moment of truth time.

My back straightened, "What about sorcery? Can you teach me your people's ways of handling it?" I anxiously asked.

For even if it is on my behalf, their magic teachings are bound to their beings, and so, is highly unlikely they would teach outsiders about it.

I don't even know if Bran the builder was taught in their arts. They say the wall was infused with magic to never melt, resist until the end of times, and whatnot.

Even so, it was never estated if, excluding the children of the forest themselves, others were capable of using their Old gods' magic.

Apart from the blood-related ones, of course.

As such, you can understand my nervousness in asking such a question.

If they refuse...it's going to be a long way from here to the path of mastery.

"Of course, it would be a waste to not put all that potential stored in you to work." She answered while turning and gesturing for me to follow.

Ehh, "Thanks?" Bit ominous, but alright then.

"Can my little companion come with us?" I asked. He's pretty comfortable to hold, kinda like a warm pillow. Must be all that fat...

"Kyu!" You mind-reading, spoiled hare.

"Humm, I don't see why not. He seems meek" Well, yeah...he's a bunny. Wait, unless...

"They are not usually like that?" Hares are of shy and meek nature here too right?

"Not their species, no. He's from a larger and less friendly group, they may even bite pieces off a human when feeling threatened." She dropped a small bomb on me.

Holy shit...

What are they, cousins of the Night of the Lepus ones?

"I-I did not know that" I exclaimed, looking more closely into the hiding cute nemesis in my arms.

There is a reasonable explanation for why they are feared in the movies. Those little furries give birth like crazy, and if left unsupervised...you end with an army of carnivorous rodents.

And not only that, but they can also act cute to fool their victims.

So yeah, pretty terrifying, if you ask me.

We kept passing through tress that had similar symbols to the rocks, engraved in their trunks. I could notice some shadows among them as well. Ruffling the tree leaves, and whispering incomprehensible words to themselves...

"We are here" She stated, coming to a stop.

It looked....no different than the last clearing, honestly. It has a cottage made of twigs and leaves, what you would imagine from them, and a small pond at the side with a clean-cut rock in the middle of it.

"It's your home?" It came out more of affirmation than anything, but I had nothing more to say.

"The jungle is our home, but no, this small space is yours now" Was her response. Huh, neat.

"So, when can I start learning your mystical ways?" I was tired, not physically, but mentally.

Nevertheless, I was eager to start as soon as possible.

"We can begin in the first ray of light. I will come to you by then. Until so, be free to get familiar with your space, it's going to be, more helpful that way." Helpful?

Humm, I think I need a bath too. Even with me being careful, the mud and dirt got to me. It doesn't make me uncomfortable at all. Must be the blessing charm. It's just old habits that die hard.

"Alright then, Thank you," I responded.

She nodded to me and started to leave.

Oh yeah, didn't ask her name.

"Wait! I'm sorry. Please, can you tell me your name? Mine's Art Turin," I asked.

She observed me for a moment. "Kimtharr" With that, she disappeared into the forest.

My eyes lingered at the shadows hiding among the woods, "Kimtharr...not so simple as Leaf, huh" I chuckled.

Now, until my class begins, let's test more with my stored mana.

But first, a bath!

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