An echoing voice

Reyna slowly opened her eyes.

"What happened?" She mumbled out loud. She clearly remembers standing in front of the table, but she suddenly woke up, and now she's on the ground.

She looked to her left and noticed Fern sleeping soundly. She wanted to caress his face but every time she remembers the situation they're in, she holds herself back. Instead, she looked at him with a weak smile.

Suddenly, she remembered the conversation via the crystal ball. She frantically held on the foot of the table and pulled herself up. Then, she looked down on the map laid down at the table.

She closed her eyes and chased her breath, before picking up a pen and started to move it across the leather map.

"If that Bettu carries us…" She drew a clear line on the map. "It could be… a day."

A day… Would they still be alive by then? She started to panic. 'I can't lose my brother' She thought to herself as her jaws clench and a bitter expression dawned on her face.

She took a long look at the knocked out Fern and immediately, she strutted towards him, dragging her feet across the tent.

She shook Fern's head to wake him up and after a few minutes of continuous shaking, he woke up. She just watched him as his gentle eyes slowly opened and look at her for a short while.

"R-reyna?" He whispered while he slowly stood up and straightened his clothes. He looked around just then did he notice he was lying flat on the ground, then he sat up.

Wait… wasn't I in the entrance? How did I get here? Ugh, my head hurts.

"Hey! Reyna!" He called to her again while slowly standing up.

"Oh! Yes, Captain?" Reyna replied, waking up from her daydream.

"What hap—pheww my head is shaking. What happened?"

"Unfortunately, I do not know as well."

"I see… don't mind that then, how about the ambushed groups?"

"Ah, yes, they're in the metal forest… my brother's group is also there…" She answered as her eyes softened.

Fern then slowly walked to the map.

"Do we go?" He asked her.

"It depends on that Demon Lord-"

"Hey." Fern frowned at her. "He's a human."

'No he isn't' Reyna thought.

"O-okay… it depends on him."

"Hmm, why does it depend on him?"

"His beetle can bring us there in a day."

Fern scrubbed his chin. Then looked at Reyna. "Well he said he wants an adventure and this could be one hell of an adventure."

A glint appeared in Reyna's eyes. "Indeed." She replied.

"Well then, I think he's outside, so I'll tell him." Fern sighed before exiting the tent.

Left alone inside, Reyna raised her hand and took out her crystal ball.

"The human kingdom." She mumbled.

Outside the tent, Fern conjured a bright fire and walked towards the campfire. He frowned upon realizing that he remembered Bettu sleeping near the campfire just a few minutes ago.

Why aren't there tracks? I'm pretty sure if Bettu, that huge creature were to suddenly disappear in a few minutes… wouldn't that at least blow the fire out? Aghh, it's the middle of the night! Where are they!

Fern started to run around the plains, trying to find tracks that would lead him where the pair could have gone. And just as he was going to give up… the ground shook. A strong fluctuation of mana suddenly came out of the silent forest, alerting both him and Reyna.

He immediately went back to the camp and found Reyna outside, fully equipped and with her sword unsheathed.

"Why are you armored?" He questioned her.

"Because I don't want to randomly die, Captain Fern. And why aren't you armored?"

"It will slow me down?" Fern reasoned.

Then, with a helpless smile, Reyna replied, "Well then, shall we proceed to the forest, Captain?"

Meanwhile, Inside the forest, Satoshi is trapped in a complex net of wood and leaves.

"Crap. How did it come to this." I mumbled to myself while I wiggle my way out of the logs that surround my waist.

How did it even become like this?! I just tapped it! HOW DO I GET OUT

Realizing I do not want to be stuck like this until sunrise, I calmed myself. I exhaled and I inhaled for a good minute till I'm calm...then I closed my eyes.

Unlike before where the flow of water around me is smooth, right now it is disordered and pretty chaotic from the different entrances and exists by the hundreds of intersecting plants that I created… totally by accident.

I opened my eyes and like that time I was in a tree, I felt myself and my surroundings and eventually, everything got clearer.

Unlike before, I can now see the individual strains of roots, branches and vines that are around me. I reached out my hand, held one strain of mana with my hand and bent it.

The branch moved. It moved according to my will and bent like candy. I continued doing this with the stacked layers of wood than enveloped me and eventually, I freed myself from the knots that tied me down.

I stepped down from the branch that I stood on and landed on the soil. Looking up, I can see the interlacing network of huge trees that I created purely out of accident. A beautiful accident… just like how my parents described me.

And slowly, I lied down in the soft forest soil, took a deep breath and gazed at the sight before me — and wow! I am so amazed at myself.

So I can manipulate plants… that's just… wait!

With an idea in mind, I laid my hand on one of the branches in front of me and closed my eyes.

I felt the flow of mana and knotted it— and to my expectations, a rope is even harder to control compared to this considering that it is thicker than my arm but softer than a piece of thread.

I opened my eyes and in front of me is a thick, solid, knotted branch. I knocked my hand on to it, but it was very solid unlike it was just a moment ago.

Suddenly, a man's shout echoed throughout forest. Well that isn't good news. Aren't Fern and Reyna asleep?

Calmly, I whistled, calling for Bettu. I waited for a few minutes then the sounds of breaking branches came out-and-out came my baby beetle from the clustered trees.

I quickly sat on her back before whispering on her to upwards, jumping from tree to tree until she reached the highest point. I wanted to search for who shouted, but it's night and I never thought it would be harder this way

I latched myself on the tree we're standing at and tried to look around… it's dark. Agh, damn I thought this would work. Oh, wait…

And now I would want to test something.

Readying my mind, I tried to feel all my… limbs. All the branches of the tree and the thousands of roots underground and with those, surveyed my surroundings. Although if I have to be honest, it feels a tiddy bit weird when you're kinda used to only four limbs.

Concentrating myself, I slowly moved each and every...limb? It's still weird.

But never mind that, I could sort that out later—but yeah, I thought maybe I could use these limbs to feel around the forest since it's night and I would not like to be in a pinch without Fern and Reyna, no no no.

I took an imaginary breath and moved everything slowly. To be honest, I'm kinda used to the feeling now, just not the movement so some roots wildly lashed out and the other barely even moved.

*Ding!*

A sound suddenly echoed in my head, petrifying my soft and currently anxious heart.

["Nature Magic has reached 2nd tier."] The lady's voice once again echoed.

What now… Wait, am I supposed to be surprised by this point?

["Nature Magic has reached 2nd tier."] the annoying voice echoed again.

I paid it no mind, I just concentrated on my limbs.

["Nature Magic has reached 2nd tier."]

...

["Nature Magic has reached 2nd tier."]

WHAT DO I DO?!

[Please open status display.]

Oh.