Treants

Moments passed since the green-winged long-legs incident...

"I'm really getting hungry."

"The place should be around here somewhere, just keep moving."

"Ha... How troublesome."

Lyrica has entered deep into the Forest of No Return looking for food. Without her knowing, countless yellow eyes, gleaming with malicious intent, are stalking her from above the trees.

Seemingly oblivious of her surroundings, Lyrica remained steadfast in moving forward. Until finally, she reached a wide, open field where the sun dyed the grassy land with light.

"Talk about pretty," Lyrica remarked. "This looks like a good place to hang out and have a picnic. If only no monsters are creeping all around."

"Lyrica, look over there!"

While admiring the ever-so-pleasant view of the field, the voice's words drew Lyrica's attention to her left. Her eyes went wide in astonishment.

"Those are..."

What was in front of Lyrica is a flock of tree monsters bathing under the warm sunlight.

[Treant - Lv. 5]

Treants are tree monsters that can grow from three to five feet. They are one of many residents of the Forest of No Return. They have what normal trees have. Roots, trunk, fruits, and many other characteristics of a regular tree.

What distinguishes treants from regular trees other than their minuscule anatomy are the eyes located on the trunk, allowing them to see what's in front of them.

"Treants, huh..."

Lyrica observed the treants with keen eyes. Their movements, their behavior, she's making sure she doesn't miss any of it.

"I see. So that's why they're called treants."

After watching them from a distance, Lyrica learned that treants possess traits not just of a tree, but also that of an ant.

Treants used sunlight to make their food, while they move and gathered together in a very organized fashion, much like ants. Hence, they're called treants.

"Will it be all right if I go and pluck a fruit on one of them?"

The awe-inspiring sight of treants made Lyrica fond of the tree monsters. They're just standing there, yet they radiate peace and order much more than Lyrica's home country. The urge to just watch and admire them is somehow clouding her hunger.

"Who would want to disturb such a scene? Not me."

But someone who would prefer disorganization and chaos more than peace and order.

"Don't worry! Instead of disturbing, your presence could be more like a blessing for them."

"Blessing?"

Lyrica could not fathom what the voice was trying to say. She can't be bothered to try and understand it, either.

With slow and gentle footsteps, Lyrica approached the tree monsters. She held her breath to prevent making even the slightest noise that would draw their attention to her.

Creak!

Creak!

Creak!

"Ah..."

However, despite the effort, the treants turned to her in perfect unison.

"... Am I in trouble?"

Lyrica worriedly asked as the treants edge closer and closer to her.

"Should I bail or fight them?"

The gentle sound of the treants' bodies as they pop and crack like a door creaking reverberated in Lyrica's ears.

Before she could even decide what to do, the treants stood right in front of her.

"They're not attacking?"

"They'd attack you long before they could even get this close to you." The voice replied.

After that exchange of words, Lyrica assumed an upright stand and looked down at the treant with tiny apples in its crown.

Their eyes meet. One stared at the other with uncertainty and cautiousness, and the other stared back with curiosity and wonder.

Creak! Creak!

After some time, one of the treant's tiny branches reached for its crown.

Pop!

Lyrica let out a gasp. "It plucked an apple."

The treant extended its branch, holding the tiny apple toward Lyrica.

"Huh? You're giving it to me?"

Lyrica was hesitating at first. But as her instinct to fill her stomach kicked in, Lyrica's left hand zoomed in and took the apple from the treant.

"Thank you..."

Soon after accepting the kind offer of the treant, the voice began to speak.

"Treants are known to be harmless, as long as you don't hurt any of them." She stated. "If you show them that you have no ill intent, the treants themselves will offer their fruit to you."

"I see."

Lyrica found another reason to admire the treants and compare them to her home country.

She looked at the apple between her index finger and thumb. It's almost the size of a cherry, it's tiny. Lyrica doubt it would be enough to fill her stomach by a quarter. But food is food. Not eating it would just be disrespectful to the treant who gave it to her.

Lyrica expressed her gratitude in the most polite manner as she put the whole fruit in her mouth. After doing so, she took the first bite.

"...!"

When she did, an explosion of sweetness filled her mouth. The overflowing taste froze Lyrica on the spot.

"How is it?" The voice asked.

After chewing some more, Lyrica spat out the seeds on her hand. A smile of satisfaction transformed her starving and exhausted face.

"It's good... It's really good!"

[You Have Eaten A Treant Apple]

Effects:

- MP: +5

- MP Regen

- HP Regen

Lyrica didn't bother reading the system notice, she continued to savor the taste in her mouth until it lasted.

"How can such a tiny fruit be filled with such an overflowing deliciousness...?" Lyrica, who was on cloud nine, wondered as her back slowly fell to the ground.

Lyrica maximized the size of the character window to look at her HP and MP.

Listener: Lyrica Ley Rael

Lv. 11

HP: 90.9% (HP Regen: 0:20)

MP: 42 (MP Regen: 0:20)

"My HP's going up." Said Lyrica.

"Treant fruits are not only rich in taste," The voice replied. "They're also rich with nutrients, which helps in mana and health regeneration."

"I see. So they can be used as an alternative for mana and health potions."

"Correct!"

Lyrica turned the character window back to minuscule size and dragged it into the corner of her eyes.

With her vision no longer being shrouded by the blue hologram projection screen, a treant appeared, offering a lemon to Lyrica.

"For me? Huh?"

Another treant came, trying to hand over a peach. After that, they just kept coming. Until Lyrica found herself surrounded by the treants.

"It looks like they all recognize you as someone with no ill intent." The voice stated. "As such, they are willingly offering you their fruit."

Lyrica kindly took the lemon from the lemon treant, peeled off its skin, and swallowed it whole. In that instant, a sweet and sour taste transformed her face. Lyrica spat out the tiny seeds, and another HP and MP Regen buff took effect.

She sat up as she accepted the other treants' fruits.

"Do you have all the seeds in you?" The voice asked.

Lyrica opened her left hand where all the seeds are.

"I have them." She replied.

"Good, keep them for now." The voice followed. "But remember, when you leave the seeds on the ground, make sure that they are not too close to one another."

"This seems like a pointless question, but why?"

The voice-directed Lyrica's attention toward a particular treant standing in the far back of the crowd.

"Because if you don't separate them, they will end up like that one."