45 Freefall.

I tucked my legs inside and flipped around. The world was the right way up again. The canopy was so thick that I didn't even bother checking where my foot was going. The view was making my mind blank out. I could hear neither Vivi nor Rumie anymore.

I could just see. And feel.

Feel the rustling leaves under my feet, and the current of cold wind blowing across the cold sweat accumulated on my skin. I could feel the right amount of moisture in the air as if it was just a blow away from turning into the fog. I could feel the soft kiss of the sun's dying heat as it started to slip over the horizon.

And I saw, I saw tall, slim peaks protruding from the deepest valleys. Trees sticking out from the sides. Birds flying and feathered winglings trawling in the river hidden under the mist below.

Animals, beasts, and flowers that can eat, were all there in the thick luscious land beneath us.

Waterfalls, clouds, and everything else abode above.

How were we higher than the peaks? And why did they look so tall regardless?

Before I knew it, I was already walking forwards.

Amongst this marvel of nature, there was a city. A city being held up by beams. Large cogs that brought up a resident waterfall. Bridges, connecting the various peaks and carriages running across them. Ladders connecting the forest below to the town above and elevators for produce.

In the dimming light, the town was beaded with glowing orange-yellow. Steampunk almost.

The stature of the task I was about to do set in.

I was involving myself with killing the deity, while at my strength I couldn't even touch the hero. The hero who was stronger than Lumie, who I couldn't even beat with my own strength. Who I had to borrow the power of a monster to beat. And right now, I was going to fight a subordinate of that deity, a God.

A God of Weaponry, who by all accounts would be leagues stronger than that hero could ever hope to be.

I knew this mission was suicidal, but I didn't want it to end without even scratching at some change. Or I wanted it to end before I even set off.

As I pondered and wracked my brain about this, it only came with one solution.

"I need that power back." It was incredible. It was stronger than I even imagined was humanly possible. I needed it back.

"Huh?" Rumie turned around to look at me.

"That's the only way I have a chance of beating him."

"What are you talking about?"

I needed to turn back into that skeletal form. If I didn't I would die as soon as I came across that God. By the time I was done thinking I was already standing on the last branch of the last tree leaning over the edge.

There was a bridge connecting it to another hill, which connected that to another hill, and that to another until they all met at Onicht. It made sense how it would take a while to get to Ohnicht. We needed to wait for food after all.

"Say, Vivi." I mumbled.

"What?"

"Birds learn how to fly by jumping off right?"

I had wings. Or at least the skeletal form did.

"I mean, sure. They do." She replied.

Hmm. I needed that power.

"Then off we go."

I stared down. It was more than 4 kilometres at the very least. It wasn't like the air up here was thin. So I could only wonder how thick the air below would be.

But I had no intention of going down there.

I just needed to turn into that skeleton and I would be able to fly right to Ohnicht. A day's journey at best.

This was the only way. I needed to push myself into a corner so that the only option this body had was to turn into that monster. Stress would release my wings.

If I couldn't do that I might as well die. Before I disgraced myself struggling against the God of Weaponry.

I leaned over the edge and closed my eyes. Deep breathes.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

I shifted my weight forward.

"Oi, what are you doing?" Vivi shouted.

In.

Out.

In.

"El, don't you dar-"

Out.

I dove forward. Straight down. Headfirst.

Apparently, my body had forgotten about everything from the bridge incident. I wasn't scared.

With every falling second my speed kept on increasing. Faster, and faster and faster.

I opened my eyes, but they kept getting dragged back by the wind hitting me. I was sure to keep my mouth closed. And didn't inhale at all.

My eyes traced the uneven terrain of the ledge I jumped off of. But nothing inside me was changing. I wasn't getting that distinct feeling I felt.

With every falling second, I was getting closer to the ground. I had give or take 20 seconds before impact. But I was calm. Frighteningly so.

I lost a lot that day.

20 seconds and my body didn't change.

19, and nothing happened.

18, and the air started to push me back.

17 and a bird flew past me.

16 seconds... I was halfway down.

15, nothing was changing, the branding wasn't even responding.

14 seconds and it became obvious that I wasn't pushed into a corner. I couldn't even see this as unsafe for some reason. It just felt normal. My mind wasn't registering me falling to death a threat anymore!

JUST CHANGE ALREADY!

I heard the voice of the girl above but even Vivi should know by now... That I was weak in combat. I couldn't even jump up the entire length of the tree. I was incredibly weak as a human. I had to change.

12. 11.

10. Nothing. My body was willing to move on and do what it had to do for self-preservation but my mind still didn't register it as a problem.

9.

8. The monster inside me didn't want to come and quite frankly, it no longer had the time to.

7. Death was inevitable at that point. I was not turning into that monster.

6. 5.

4.

"GODDDD DAMN IT!!!!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs leaving the last bit of air out. Nothing was working, even I wanted myself dead. But my body had a different plan.

"HARDENING!" An exoskeleton came out of my back and spread itself out like a butterfly's wings. And a thin enamel membrane formed between the adjacent bones.

Drag. My torse laid diagonal to the ground as the motion of falling down suddenly turned into the motion of skimming through the air in front of me. The forward motion against gravity was a different beast. My limbs were getting dragged back but I was pushing them forward so they didn't fall off.

"AARRRRGHHH!!!"

I wasn't in control, and I was going incredibly fast.

A crackle started sounding from the edge of the glider I fashioned at the last second. The fact that I created this meant that I was undoubtedly getting smarter, but I had no time to think about that.

Three hundred metres, like the height of the cliff I fell off of. And I was at least going more than a hundred kilometres per minute.

I leaned back in order to retard my speed and the air started hitting the mass of the glider.

"UUUUUURRRRGHHH !! SHIIIIIT!" The edge of the gliders start breaking off and cracks started forming in the membrane. "COME ONNN! HARDENING!" I reinforced it.

It broke off again.

"HARDENING!"

Again.

And again.

I was barely slowing down. I was at around 80.

But that height meant that there were trees in front of me.

"Shit shit shit shit." I was gritting my teeth. And trying to manoeuvre to a clear area, but that was just not possible at this speed.

I broke through the ground height and was still going at 60. Headed straight at a tree.

I leaned to my left to avoid it. And I did!

Barely.

Then my shoulder hit another tree meters in front of me. And my exoskeleton crashed.

My shoulders cracked, ribs cracked, and I tumbled around for I don't know how many meters. My elbows were coming out of my skin. And I couldn't even count how many bones I had broken.

I finally hit a tree and stopped, completely wrecked on the green luscious grass.

What was I even expecting?

"Ouuuuuchhh..." I turned to my side.

[Activating Regeneration.]

This is going to take a decent minute.