We survived, somehow.
There were about six dozen waiting for us on our path, hidden under groundcover like a police spike strip, and I only dodged them because I was hopping between rocks and dirt like a game of avoid the lava. I saw hundreds. That meant that there were thousands of these freakish plants in my area.
It was a setup.
And I was pissed.
"That… asshole…" I said, taking deep breaths once I was certain we were at least a mile away. "Acts all concerned, then puts me onto a death trap!"
There was no way in hell that was random. This was part of that "Quest," the "Trial of Worth," to prove that I had what it took. But what did botany have to do with surviving soul-eating plants? It was absurd!
I took deep breaths and then bent my back, stretching. Then I turned to a massive tree blanked in brown moss. "Hey! Lithco!" I yelled into dead space. "Can you tell me… if that tree… is safe… to lean against?" I swallowed and took deep breaths. "Just a yes… or no?"
A pop-up flashed in front of my eyes.
"No."
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so I did both. "Beautiful. Just beautiful." I wanted to scream, and I probably would've if Kline hadn't started yowling, limping around on three legs, and trying to rub off the tendril.
"Oh, you poor thing," I whispered, kneeling down. "Let me see it."
He hobbled towards me with shame in his eyes.
"How do I get this off?" I whispered.
A screen stacked on top of his paw.
Name: Dying Wandering Reaper Tendril
Summary: This sentient tendril was once a mighty warrior, stalking the forest for prey. Now, its only purpose in life is to make your cat miserable. But don't despair—if it isn't dead, it still has weaknesses.
Type: Plant, Soul Reaper
Species: Carnivoriflorum mobilis
…
Weaknesses:
Heat
Fire
Cold
Salt
Parasitic fungi
Burrowing creatures
Treskirita miranita
Senaki
…
I smiled wryly when I read a long list of species names and words I didn't understand regarding weaknesses. "What's Treskirita miranita?" I tried.
The screen shifted:
Skill "Identify (Plant: Advanced)" cannot fulfill your request. Please upgrade the skill or buy books from the Library.
Note: You are in a dangerous environment. The Guide has been restricted to Survival Mode, and the Library is currently unavailable.
I frowned and looked back at Kline and sighed. "It's sensitive to heat, obviously…" I smiled wryly, fishing out my green BIC lighter from my pocket. The tool was a doomsday prepper's wet dream. It prevented hypothermia, destroyed bacteria, provided light in the darkness, and could become a serious weapon.
It could also be used to burn cat fur. That's why Kline took one look at his clumsy owner with a lighter in hand and started backing away slowly.
I huffed. "Don't be dramatic."
He was dramatic. Kline turned and ran, but my cat lady reflexes outdid him, grabbing his hindquarters as he howled and wiggled.
"Hold… still!" I snapped as I grabbed under his chest. "If you squirm, I will burn you!"
I was always convinced that Kline could actually understand English because he usually complied. Now, it seemed even more prevalent. The moment I said that Kline fell limp, doing his best to remain still as he watched me lift the lighter. His movements were choppy, like a hummingbird feeding, calculating whether to screech and escape if my movements became too risky.
"It'll be okay," I sighed. I took a deep breath and risked sitting on a rock. Then I flicked the flint wheel, creating the satisfying chich-chich sound lighters are known for.
A golden bulb of light lit up my hand, and I lifted it to him. Kline gulped.
Things went smoothly. The tendril was very sensitive to heat and popped off when I got an inch away. Kline was stoked, but his leg was sticky, so I got closer. The adhesive melted off, dripping like wax onto the ground.
"Good boy." I released the lighter's plunger and dropped Kline, who pranced around, feeling like a free man.
"Thank God…." I sighed. I was relieved—but it didn't last long. Over the next ten minutes, I really thought about how dangerous the forest was, the fact that I was thrown into a death trap, and thought about the rations and tent and plastic blanket and water bottle and life straw and magnesium flint and cooking tools and poison making equipment in that backpack. Then I took a deep breath and grunted.
Yeah, I grunted in a dangerous forest, but look, that was a restrained compromise. I wanted to scream and yell and throw things everywhere.
And why shouldn't I? Sure, I didn't consider that maybe, just maybe, this alien planet captured animal souls in plants, so humans stayed away from forests. Whatever. My bad. I get it. But Lithco clearly dropped me off in a location where I would lose all my survival equipment!
Putting me in a dangerous forest was one thing. Shame on me. But to take away all my survival equipment and put me onto a massive carnivorous plant? That wasn't cool!
God, I was pissed. And I was wigging out.
Here's a fun fact about me. I'm a "stuff lady," or as my mom likes to call it, "a hoarder." If I'm being honest, it's something in between the two, and you can call me a "prepper"—someone preparing for nuclear war or a zombie apocalypse. My car had a month's worth of rations, twelve gallons of water, a hunting rifle, camping equipment, and a portable stove—and I kept buying more.
I'm satisfied and, okay, probably obsessed with how many days I can live with supplies. Some people like accumulating money and cars and wives (if they live in Utah)—and I accumulated days. That's why I had a bag loaded with everything I needed to survive if things went south. Now, things went south and what happened? A psychotic AI stole it from me!
Now, I was stuck in another world—perhaps in an alternate dimension—in a forest that was trying to kill me, right on all counts about the end of the world, and I didn't even have a magnesium flint!
"I want my stuff!" I yelled, standing and kicking a rock. "I'm going to kill that thing!"
That's when I heard a chime, and a screen popped up. I wanted to scream, but the words drew me in.
Neophyte Mira Hill has completed a hidden mission for Mandatory Quest: "Trial of Worth."
Hidden Mission: Don't Back Down
Mission Summary: As someone wearing Charles Darwin on their t-shirt, you certainly know that violence isn't the answer—it's the solution. Prove that you're the fittest by fighting back and surviving against an enemy.
Value: Learn to protect yourself.
Requirement(s):
Use any amount of violence to defend yourself.
Survive
Reward(s):
Quest Reward
As soon as I finished reading and thought about moving on, it disappeared. But a new set came in with a flurry.
Neophyte Mira Hill has met the conditions to be promoted from Level 1 to Level 2. You've leveled up!
You have received two requests:
Information Request
Free Request | Grade: Epic
Note: You are in a dangerous environment. The Guide has been restricted to Survival Mode, and the Requests tab is currently unavailable. Information Requests can be used at any time.
"What's a free request?" I asked. I didn't get an answer, but I did manage to earn fifteen more notifications for leveling up, a remarkable feat—that meant nothing to me! "What the hell's going on?"
But it seemed… good?
Each level came with two requests—an Information Request and a Free Request. They had different grades, and right off the bat, I got an "Epic" request, three "Diamond," five "Platinum," and seven "Gold." Now, I wasn't an expert with metals or geology, but bronze and silver usually came before gold when ranking things, platinum was more expensive than gold, and diamond was, well, diamond. Epic went without saying. If I could actually examine them, they might be valuable—instead of being completely useless.
No, they weren't just useless—they were unsettling. The only thing I had done to get all these important-sounding "requests" was stab a plant and run away. That seemed to say that simply surviving that thing was remarkable and worthy of rewards—which kinda made sense. After all, there was a carnivorous plant with thousands of sentient tendrils that tried to strangle me and steal my soul. Yeah, it fit.
"Hey, Kline," I said nervously. "Did you…" I looked at my cat and saw him watching something. I thought it was an enemy, but there was nothing there. He was also pawing at the air. "What are you doing?"
Kline suddenly swiped his paw, and a nearly invisible force rustled the ground cover and flowers like wind. Once it hit the tall grass and bushes, it cut right through them like a saw, hitting a rock and making it explode with dust.
"What… was that?" I asked Kline.
He looked up at me with innocent eyes that said, "What was what?"
We stared off for a moment, then he smirked creepily and then pranced off, re-masculated. Little prick.
I smiled slightly, feeling relieved that one of us could do something.
"Lithco, why did he get something useful?" I groaned, so sleep-deprived and overwhelmed that I just accepted what I saw was real.
A screen popped up just for spite.
Kline Hill
Race: Felis catus
Type: Spirit Beast
Level: 10
Evolution: 0
Class: Phantom Cat
Spells:
Active Camouflage (Second Evolution): Blend into your surroundings.
Phantom Claws (Second Evolution): Create blades out of raw mana. Can extend claws or release them as an aerial attack.
Sharp Bite (Second Evolution): Use raw mana to sharpen teeth and jaws for bite attacks.
Summary: Kline Hill has demonstrated a keen willingness to join The Path and has thus picked a class that exercises strength, adaptability, and lethal potential. This is a strict contrast to your class, which, unless forced to be violent, is absolutely worthless.
Warning: Mana is a limited resource that generates over time. Relying too much on these spells can leave Kline with mana deprivation, which can be lethal without a mana core. Additionally, while animals are inherently capable of utilizing mana, using too much without a core can shatter the animal's mana seed and eliminate their ability to use magic.
Note: The Guide is currently in survival mode. Kline's ability to choose spells and make requests is limited. More information is restricted.
"Oh, huge surprise," I said sarcastically. "Who would've thought that a predator that's forced to eat meat would pursue a class ideal for hunting things? I should've done the same. Just uproot my peaceful life working with plants to start MURDERING THINGS!" I picked up a rock and threw it against a tree, creating a hollow drum that echoed in the forest. "Now give my stuff back before I follow The Path and fucking kill you!"
A chime met my words, and what followed made me laugh murderously.
Neophyte Mira Hill has been offered a new Legacy Quest.
Legacy Quest: Get Your Stuff Back
Quest Summary: Your knee-jerk decisions have landed you in the pits of hell, and the Trial of Worth certainly isn't helping. Now, you are in a dangerous location without any survival equipment and a class that's—just as I've warned you—practically useless for The Path in the short run. But rejoice—a god of nature has recognized your desire for revenge and has offered you a path to salvation. Fight back against the reaper with weaponized plants and fungi to be offered their legacy.
Value: Obtain the means for survival.
Requirement(s):
Obtain your survival equipment.
Survive.
Complete the quest within 24 hours.
Rewards:
An Epic-grade Soul Weapon
Temporary Shelter
A Six-Month Barrier That Prevents Beasts Third Evolution or Higher From Entering Your Location
Quest Reward
I nodded a few times as I laughed. "Go fight that thing? Yeah. I'll get right on it."
My entire body flinched when I heard the final chime.
You have 16 information requests. It is recommended that you use one to determine a solution for completing the quest "Get Your Stuff Back." Would you like to use one?
Note: Recommendations for Requests, Rewards, and other Guide features are active in Survival Mode.
"Finally, something useful. Yes. I would like to know how I can defeat that thing." The screen shifted.
Information Request Used
The locations of the following items have been added to your Map:
Treskirita - Treskirita miranita - Fungi
Water Sack Plant - Floga Syllogi - Plant
Diktyo River
"Your Stuff"
More information about these plants and fungi will pop up once you reach the locations.
Information Requests Remaining: 15
Note: To use your Map, just think "Map" while visualizing a map.
I furrowed my brows and thought: Map.
A pop-up appeared on the side of the current one. It said, "Map (Basic)," and was mostly blank and had no topography. The only place that was revealed was the area I had run from, which was obvious since "Your Stuff" was at the end of it. The only other feature was a massive bright blue outline around the space, like a border, with the center saying, "Areswood Forest (Fourth Ring)."
Four other icons were on it aside from the tent labeled "Your Stuff." The first was a plant, another a mushroom, a third a river, and lastly, a dot for my location.
"How do I zoom in?" I asked.
Just by thinking about zooming in, it magnified the areas that I wanted. Convenient.
Despite not having topography or landmarks, the map was still useful. I knew at least one mile I shouldn't get anywhere near, and it allowed me to estimate the radius to avoid. Additionally, it would show the safe paths I took if I needed them.
I looked at Kline, who was staring into dead space.
"Can you see the map?" I asked.
He turned to me, and I swear to God—he nodded.
"Can you understand me?" I asked. "Like, my words?"
Kline meowed.
Never have I been so frustrated. If he could understand me, I couldn't understand him confirming it. I hated this world!
After brooding, I sighed and asked, "Can you protect us?"
Kline puffed out his chest and meowed confidently.
I smiled. "Thank God you're here. Let's go."