Dear diary,
It's currently been one week in the forest, and I have pretty much figured out its characteristics, but they are some strange characteristics. Basically, it's like I have a circle around me, and when I move into the forest, I push on the edge of the circle. That circle is reality I think, and anything in the fog seems to be just changing space. If I stay inside of the circle, nothing in my surroundings changes, but as soon I try exploring more I lose some of the explored space.
And the weirdest part is that when I backtrack, it's like I am exploring something new again as the terrain is different.
By the first day of just running though, I found a source of water that satisfied the 'find water' requirement. After learning from the ghost how to get water and purify it, which he sent me through a memory, I filled all my water to the top.
I decided to remain here, next to the small river, which seemed to flow into the fog. I might later go exploring the path of the river since it seems unaffected by the space-changing shenanigans that this place has. I stayed here because there are some nice trees that don't want to kill me. And when I went up there, there were no critters or animals so I was allowed to sleep nicely. That was the first day, which was crazy.
On the second day, I decided to look around my area without exploring new space and found some wild berries that were filled with mana due to their environment. This apparently could help me recover my body as it's apparently underdeveloped, from what Ava said. As I ate these throughout the week, it did seem to make my body better, and the stats correspond with my feelings.
My stamina mainly increased, as well as a slight increase in my mana factor. Those stats helped me get some food as the food was in some hard places to get to. I am also starting to think I am in a safe zone as there are no creatures here. But there are a lot of plants, and I got a new passive due to it. It is called [Green Thumb] which basically allows me to understand plants better and how to extract them. It gets better with experience, but right now is the best time to get experience.
[Green Thumb] really came in due to the plant guide that I thankfully grabbed before leaving, and helped me out with finding useful plants, even though it doesn't say what the plants do. All the book tells is about Location, How to extract them, and if they were edible.
On the third day, I spent a large portion of the day looking for mana-rich plants and extracting them. It was so boring to do, but Ava seems to hint that these plants can come in use in the future.
I mean, dang, why does she have to withhold information all the time? I am starting to get used to deciphering her cryptic ways of not telling on something. Although she seems to be helping when she needs to and has started her teasing streak again.
On the fourth day, the ghost gave me a solid memory of a breathing technique he had learned when he was alive. It was a general breathing technique that worked best when sitting still and concentrating on the mana. Sadly the ghost lost consciousness afterward, from what Ava said, the ghost had entered hibernation for a small bit that he still hasn't come out of as of writing this entry.
On that day, I tried to use the technique up in my little tree home, which satisfied the shelter thing as I made a little branch dome around the tree I sleep in, that I covered with its big leaves. Those leaves are massive, like arm length in size which is just crazy.
As I started using the technique, and intense sense of itchiness filled my body, which Ava explained as mana entering me again at a normal rate after being stuck at an eighth. She also told me though a little bit of begging that this rate of absorption is the body maximum amount it can absorb in that time period. Later when my body becomes stronger, I will be able to absorb more mana. Then to put me down from my happy streak, she said that there are some techniques that pass the body's natural limit, and then use some of the energy to heal the body. So others with those techniques can get stronger faster than normal people.
There was also another problem with the technique… It's sooooooo boring. You just have to sit there and breathe and get an itchy feeling. After stopping, I did notice a small increase in strength, but that was tiny. How do others deal with it, I foolishly asked Ava for advice, and she basically said because they aren't a baby and deal with it. I should have never asked…
I powered through and did get a small bit stronger as my strength stat went up by .1… Which though Ava's teasing, was an abnormally high amount of growth. Which brought me slight joy, which I hoarded to myself keeping it away from the evil witch called Ava.
On the fifth day, I went back to gathering plants in the morning and strengthening myself in the afternoon. With it being a boring day, in his self-allotted breaks, he tried to start a fire. Originally he didn't need to start a fire because the air was warm at night, but it had recently gotten colder and colder at night. I totally didn't forget about making a fire and passing out the first night…
After 2 hours of swearing, I started a fire. Those things are hard to do, but when I put the stick on, it's really cool as the fire glows green for a few seconds and then turns to the normal color of fire. Also, the fire seems to last longer than normal with just a few sticks. So even with me practicing the breathing technique, the fire wouldn't go out. I didn't sleep in the tree fort that night because it was really cold and I needed the fire.
On the sixth day, I did about the same as the day before, except that I noticed some frost in the area north of me. It's a good thing I had a fire or else I would have probably died. I also brought down the tree fort to the forest ground, next to the fire.
And then today, but something worrying is happening. The frost isn't going, and it's moving closer. I have decided before it gets here, I'll pack up my important things, like all the plants, and move down the river tonight. Hopefully, it brings me better luck, and I don't die. And maybe I'll see my first monster, and I am so excited. But as Ava reminds me constantly, I have to be cautious with monsters because they can and will kill me, but I am pretty sure I can handle them….