The wind is blowing cold today. I could feel every blow that hit my twigs and branches, dropping some of my leaves and I could only see the leaves fall without me being able to do anything.
Maybe if I were still human, that leaf would look like a hair that falls from your head when you comb it.
I've been here 120 years. I don't feel much difference. All I experienced each day was listening to the fairies gossiping around me about the situation in the forest and the present life.
For example, they gossiped about a race of giants who had a new king named John Mystique and they built a very powerful empire in the north. They have a lot of resources that are highly envied by other races.
Apart from that, the fairies also gossiped about the human continent—which was located not far from this forest.
On that continent. there is only the human race. They have a short lifespan but have better reproductive abilities than other races, which is why they have many people. And slowly, in a few centuries they started to take over one continent and drove many other races to move from their places.
Sounds like something humans would do. I understand that well, because I was a human too.
All my life I have been protected from the mask of hypocrisy that makes me unable to deny the fact that human nature is evil, greedy and arrogant.
Humans are the worst definition of all living things-although I know not everyone is like that.
"Goldie~, how are you?" asked a fairy who often came to me.
Elves have a relatively long lifespan, but not as long as other races. They usually have up to 400 years of life—but the fairies assigned to guard the trees and nature around them are fairies who have just been born or are on duty.
They have shallow and meager knowledge about the plants— but still have much information about what's going on in the situation. Some of the fairies who had just come to this forest still missed taking care of some trees by accident. They are also still careless and sometimes unreliable.
But, they are absolutely adorable. And that's fine by me. I'm not a perfectionist tree that needs to be watered every time with the right way. They're also a living being— so a mistake is just a common thing.
But sometimes, I envy them.
I want to be a fairy too. Flying through the air with its tiny wings, and moving its legs as if it were walking in the air. Ah.. that looks fun.
[Skill Sin Forgiveness Skill Level is Max, Whining Ability cannot be increased]
SO NOISY!
Oh my Gosh! Systema, it's been more than 100 years but you still haven't changed. Really annoying huh.
During 120 years, I acquired several skills from that system. The skills I got weren't really that useful, like my first skill, the Sin Forgiveness Skill.
I got it because I often whine and complain about my life, that ability will make my whining and complaining better—which I know it is completely useless. Everybody knew whining and complaining is undeniably meaningless.
My second skill is, when my branch is broken, I can grow it. Some sort of ability I got because of a plant hormone I was born with. It wasn't very useful—since I was a tree, I could grow my branches whenever I wanted. I was very disappointed when I got the skill. But when the skill's level increase, the ability is improved. I can healing other people too. I've already tried it to soma of birds that alighted at my branch. And it's really works. The real skill. My first very useful skill!
My third skill, I can move my roots and branches. Yep. I can move and move to another place. For example, the leaves on the tree beside me have fallen and the sun will hit me directly, I will move to a bigger tree and shade myself. Or, if any danger approaches, I'll flee to a safer place.
The fairies are used to my moving places—they always scold me for that.
Apart from that, there are a number of other skills that really aren't that important at the moment, but maybe there's nothing wrong with having it— I'm a person who's fairly easy to be grateful for what I have.
Life is short, I don't know when people will start coming after me. And I can die anytime, so I must gain any skills that useful for me to escape from them.
"Baby, I heard that the human race has heard about you." said the fairy who stroked my tree trunk. I'm speechless.
That's the worst thing I ever heard since this 50 years!!!
Ah, humans really suck. They want to get everything for themselves. And they're annoying.
"Her Majesty The Queen will come to see you at the full moon, until then, you should be able to survive in this forest." said the fairy who hugged me tightly.
Aw, she's so adorable.
Fairies love me. They really are good people. They always took care of me, healed my wounds—even though I could heal them myself—and even they quenched my thirst.
They invite me to talk and tell stories even if I can't reply to their words.
"Other races are also starting to hear about you, I think in a few days a war will break out around here. I don't want to hurt you.." said the fairy who patted my branch. It flew over me and let its fairy dust fall on my leaves.
Fairy dust turns out to have benefits that can make plants healthy and grow well.
The fairies were a race that lived in this forest and cared for the crops of this region with all their heart. This forest is indeed the forest that supplies the most Mana to all corners of the world.
Just like the oxygen in my previous world was supplied by the trees, Mana in this world is also supplied by the trees. Trees created Oxygen during the day—just like in my old world, using the process of photosynthesis—and at night, with the help of moonlight—they would create Mana.
Because of that, I often basked under the moonlight to produce a fair amount of Mana—because as a tree—that was all I could do.
There are many things I want to do but can't do right now. I still can't turn into a human though—according to the stories I've read, even if you were born not a human, you would be able to become one with magic.
But, seeing how few skills I had that wasn't even 50 after 120 years of my life, it felt really difficult. Some of them are even skills that are not very useful.
It sucks.
"Ah, it's noon. I have to go. See you later, Goldie." said the fairy as she flapped her wings and flew away leaving me alone.
I turned to the other trees around me. I could talk to trees, but trees would rather spend their time sleeping than talking to me— they're quite the individualists more than I imagined.
Full moon huh.. on the full moon tomorrow, I'm officially 120 years old. I counted it since I was born. Even though I suck at remembering things, I'm pretty good at remembering numbers.
Especially my birthday.
I don't want war. I don't want anything bad to happen to anyone because of me. Therefore, meeting the queen at this time, I think it is the best way to solve the problem.
Thomp! Thomp! Thomp!
The footsteps that I heard hitting the ground with fast steps were getting closer to me. His steps were light but he was dragging his feet a little— probably tired or injured.
"Cough..."
That voice.. sounded like a boy's voice. I also felt that person leaning against my body. I averted my eyes so I could look at him.
I can only see it from above. His mane was black, his skin was deathly pale and his body was covered in wounds.
"Ah, where is this.." he moaned in a voice so low.
He's.. human?! Why are there humans here? This is indeed a place close to the human continent— but not just any human can enter this forest— because it is very dangerous.
"Tsk." the boy chuckled when he saw his own arm. He then covered his eyes with his other arm and leaned against my back—my tree trunk.
He's a boy who seems to come from a well-to-do family. It can be seen from the clothes he was wearing— even though they were torn here and there— but they still looked like they were made of good quality cloth.
Before long, I could hear his regular breathing. He then fell asleep.
The injuries on his body were so severe, how could he fall asleep at a time like this? When his blood flowing down my stalk and even the grass.
He was obviously asleep, he wasn't passed out. But, I can't do anything. It's his choice to ignored his own injured body.
A tree doesn't do anything— that's what I've always done.
I will not interfere in other people's affairs and will only be what has been outlined for me.
Maybe because in my previous life I was an apathetic person, doing nothing and just cooping myself up at home, I was reborn into the same— same person. A figure that now can't even do anything that I could do in my world before.
Maybe this is karma for me.
("You promised to be a good person right? Why not help him?") asked a tree beside me.
He was just a sapling that was only 50 years old. I'm much older than him— even though I just moved into this place a few weeks ago.
He is a kind of apple tree. It often bears fruit and many animals will congregate beneath it when it is in its fruiting season.
He's the typical good tree— maybe. I've only known him recently, because there aren't many trees that want to talk to each other.
("Why should I help him?") I asked reluctantly. I did say I would be a good person when I was babbling or talking alone in my mind, but that didn't mean I would just help random people.
[Skill : Hypocrite—enhanced]
Argh!! How noisy, Systema!
("I heard from the fairies that you are a special tree.") the tree said to me.
("I could heal him, but I'm not sure there's a good enough reason why I should.") I answered him most honestly. Who wants to heal a stranger just like that? More of that, this boy is a HUMAN! I hate human!
("If he stays here too long, he might bring other humans here.") replied the tree.
I would snort in disgust—if I only had a nose—problem I don't have one right now.
("Okay, I'll heal it. Don't bother me anymore.") I complained, then used one of my branches and grabbed the boy's body. I made a cut on his cheek, which then made the wounds on his arms and stomach slowly disappear. His torn clothes also slowly put together back to normal(?).
Get out of here, human. I don't want to get involved with you guys.
*To be Continued*