A short sleep

Hmm, can I make fruits on the grass?

Holding that thought in mind, I stood up and searched around me. Looking for the tallest grass. As I was doing that, Bettu stopped munching on the pieces of armor and laid down in front of the campfire… keeping warm? Well I wouldn't know if it's cold. Although yeah, I wish I did.

Eventually I found a tall blade of grass. I quickly latched myself unto it and unlike when I latched on trees where mana would circulate throughout the branches, roots, leaves. The mana in a single blade of grass just goes straight up, and it goes into the atmosphere… like photosynthesis…

Is it really photosynthesis?

Cause if it is then that means I can also draw mana from the air… not just the ground. Why is it taking mana from the ground anywa— Ah! The mana from the ground! I should try taking the mana from the air some time...

Clearing my thoughts, I stopped the exiting of mana and forced all of it into one point, the tip of the grass. Then, a small ball immediately formed on the exact point I focused the mana on.

Suddenly, Bettu stood up and went to me and the next thing I know, I'm looking at the scary mouth of my ginormous baby beetle… Is she seriously eating me?!

The mouth drew closer. Her saliva started dripping on the saturated soil as her mandibles widened to eat my grass in one go.

I exited the blade of grass with a loud scream… that mouth will haunt me forever. I looked at Bettu and frowned, "Why did you do tha— You are glowing!!"

Just as I started to shout at Bettu, she suddenly started glowing. Lines of gold came up from the ground and danced on her carapace, horns, feet, everywhere! It's beautiful!

"What's happening?!" A shout came from behind me. It's Reyna and Fern, exiting their tents and raising their swords.

"Nothing bad! Keep your swords down!" I screamed at them while waving my arms around.

"Is that Bettu?" Reyna asked as she slowly put her sword in its sheath.

"Yep!" I answered.

Reyna stayed behind, but Fern was already at Bettu. He gently placed his hand on Bettu's carapace and closed his eyes. "It's pure mana…" He sighed while a smile slowly formed on his handsome face.

"Pu-pure mana?" Reyna suddenly spoke. "Are you sure… Fern?"

"Yes! I am sure Reyna!" He shouted with a big grin.

Curious, I asked Reyna, "Hey, um, what's pure mana?"

"Mana without an attribute…" She murmured. Her eyes widened and her chest greatly heaved. Then she quickly turned around and ran on to her tent as if in a rush,

"Hmm, what's with her?" I asked Fern who is still rubbing his hands on Bettu.

"I don't know… I don't care… this is fascinating!" He screamed then he looked straight into my eyes before asking, "How did you do this?"

"With my fruits." I shrugged.

"YOU NEVER SAID YOUR FRUITS DID THIS!" He screamed at me wearing a ridiculous smile.

"Did what exactly?"

"THIS!" He waved his hands at Bettu.

"Do you want one?"

"Umm...ye-yes!"

"Well then! I'll make a small one once Bettu is settled."

"Okay!" He exclaimed before waddling back to his tent while staring at the glowing Bettu.

What a straightforward guy.

I watched Bettu glow in the dark. The simple air around her has become suffocating for a few seconds before she settled and returned to normal. No, not really normal, she is even more shiny now and her horn is sharper.

Then she dropped… SHE DROPPED! I immediately approached Bettu and shook her. "Hey! Bettu!" I screamed. Fearing that she is dead, I touched her mandibles. And by the time my hands reached those sharp, jagged and serrated jaws, it suddenly snapped at a speed faster than I could have blinked… welp, I guess she's just asleep.

But still, what happened? Evolution? From that small bead? What happens if I gave that to Fern, will he get wings? Taller maybe?

Holding that thought, I latched on to a grass and started making a fruit… it's taking slower than with trees but after probably an hour, I stopped compressing mana. I ended up with a fruit the size of a ponkan fruit.

I then decided to go to Fern to show him the fruit. I walked to his tent and slid open the covers. I entered and the first thing I saw is an armor stand where Fern's majestic armor is hung and a few pieces of meat on a table. I looked to my left and to my surprise, the man is asleep. Well I guess that's fair, he's been to so much lately. If I were him, I would totally love it to be able to have a long day just for sleeping.

With Fern asleep and Bettu also asleep, I instead went to Reyna's tent. I walked past the raging campfire, and stood up in front of her tent. "Reyna?" I shouted. But no one answered. Is she asleep too?

Curious, I slid open the cover of her tent, revealing a well organized, lamp-lit room. And there, Reyna is standing up in front of a table with her eyes closed; she held a shiny crystal ball that glowed with different colors while a blue hue surrounded her.

I walked closer to the table and placed my hands on it while I looked at the crystal ball.

"It's so beautiful." I sighed. "What does this d—"

"You're surrounded?" Reyna suddenly spoke.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

She did not reply, she only remained silent while her frowned continued to deepen.

"In the metal forest? We are a day away from there." She spoke again.

"Who are you talking to, Reyna?" I asked her again. But like last time, she did not reply. Does she even hear m-

"AGHH!!"

"AHHHH!"

"AHHHHHHH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"N-N. nothing… I just wanted to check on you…"

"Where's Fern?!" She asked while the ball disappeared when she touched it… How did that happen?

"Asleep."

"Wake him up."

"Why?"

"We need to go!" She screamed.

"Why? What's happening?"

"It's an emergency!" She screamed even louder, her eyes started to get wider while her breathing got faster.

"Hey...calm down." I calmly said while placing my hands on her shoulders… then she became stiff.

I should let go, she seems uncomfortable.

"Ehem. So, tell me, Reyna. What was that all about?"

"We-well, our group of friends is surrounded by enemies." She sighed while taking out a backpack from out of nowhere and took out a map.

"How did that appear out of nowhere? And how did that ball disappear?"

"A magic ring." She casually replied.

"A magic ring?"

"Yes." She replied before flashing a beautiful golden ring on her index finger.

"How does that work?"

"Well, you put things in it and take things out." She answered, as her hand moved across the map.

I walked beside her to get a good look at the brown map, then asked, "How many things can you fit on it?"

"Alot." She answered.

Then Reyna looked straight at me.

Her face frowned. Then she asked me, "Can I look at your status display?"

"Oh, uhmm, sure."

As soon as I answered, she immediately placed her hands on my chest.

"[Status]" She calmly spoke.

Afterwards, I felt my body being itchy then the status display that I found by accident showed in front of me.

-----------------------

Status Display

Name: Abies

Title: Demon Lord

Buff: None

Debuff: None

Abilities:

-Transfer Consciousness

-Nature Magic (3)

-Fruit of Yggdrasil

-Blessing Bestowal

--------------------

Blessing Bestowal now...

After a few seconds, I looked at Reyna. She looked at me with fear emanating from her face. "You really are a demon lord…" She gasped before stepping back and tripping on her own feet.

"Haven't we been over this?"

"I merely thoughts it's a mortal title!" She screamed. "I never thought it's acknowledged by the Gods…"

"Look." I waved my hands then approached her. But she only backed away. "I won't hurt you!"

"You can't say that… Lord Albies."

Okay now this is downright offending.

I straightened myself and looked at her. This maddening woman—well, not really maddening but still, I thought this was clear on us three… it just feels sick.

I quickly left the tent and froze in front of it.

"I can't believe her." I murmured to myself while I walked towards Bettu. Lying down on her thick but soft feet. I placed my fruit on the ground while I stared at the stars.

Right! She wanted me to wake up Fern!

I jolted up, walked towards Fern's tent, went inside and shook the living crap out of him.

Then finally, after a few seconds, he jumped awake.

"What?!" He shouted at me with a messy face.

"Reyna says to wake you up."

"Why?!"

"She says your group of friends is cornered or surrounded, ambushed or somethi-."

Then Fern suddenly stood up, wore his boots and walked out of the tent.

"Crap." He whispered before exiting

Alone, I went back outside and returned to Bettu. I walked through the soft soil until I reached the ginormous baby beetle and beside her, I saw a man. He calmly leaned on Bettu while playing with my fruit…

"Yo, Satoshi-San!"

WHAT?!