A monster resembling a fox appears. It was hiding in the bushes, but with my advanced perception level, I killed it effortlessly. It was my chrysalis that ambushed it from behind another bush.
[Miasma Fox Lvl.15]
This is a new type of monster from the outer forest.
Usually, crows and wolves hunt these monsters. However, their activity levels seem low. Some enter the inner forest and take advantage of the confusion to hunt various things.
My levels are up to date. [Level 36].
Year 28 Month 3
The number of crows has decreased again. It has been three months since the presence of crows has significantly dropped. The last time crows were seen was four months ago in the outer part of the forest.
Cawing for entire days had passed. It was an important movement similar to the last time the crows left for somewhere. Perhaps it is simply a natural migration.
Although I do not know if monsters behave like animals.
I gained two levels by killing four wolves. [Level 40].
Year 29 Month 5
The wolves are very active and entering the inner domain of the forest. Their numbers are significant, and they lead hunts. Could it be a pack that recently settled, taking advantage of their competitors' absence?
Some came towards me and died.
The chrysalises continued to monitor their movements. Maybe I should prepare for a battle-scale confrontation. Yawning inwardly, I started producing battle chrysalises.
Year 29 Month 6
The forest was home to various environments. These were terrains located between the trees, and on this terrain resided a pack of wolves. It was currently occupied by a leader.
A wolf was now running swiftly across the burrows.
Shuuuu… Shuuuu…
It ran as fast as thunder. Electricity spread behind it at a speed similar to that of sound. Its expression was urgent, as if it had an important message to deliver.
Upon arriving at the top of the hill, two wolves appeared and sniffed the newcomer.
Sniff. Sniff.
[Thunder Wolf Lvl.30]
The wolves stepped aside, turning their heads.
And the messenger quickly entered, searching for the leader. The one who led the entire pack was playing with some female wolves. Some were sleeping, others were having fun.
(Chief! There is trouble!)
[Variant Thunder Wolf Lvl.40]
Staring at the newcomer who disturbed him, he released a brief killing intent before retracting his aura. (Give me the report,) he said, turning his head while listening to his words.
At first, he thought the crows had returned, but considering their departure, it was unlikely they would come back so soon.
The messenger quickly reported. (The hunting ground in the forest is currently blocked by strange trees! We can't extend our activities further. The pack needs you!)
Lowering his head firmly as a sign of submission, the leader finally turned his gaze towards him. (Are these the trees from the other world? My elder warned me not to provoke those beings…)
Variant Thunder Wolves are raised by second-generation wolves that fight directly against the other world. Unlike ordinary wolves born in miasma territories, he had been warned of the dangers by his master.
But is it really a threat?
After all, it wasn't the other world but beings arrogant enough to settle in their race's territory. Deep in thought, the messenger did not dare disturb him further and remained silent.
(Provoking beings? Huh. They are weak.) The leader took out an arm from his collection. It did not look like that of a monster but rather a humanoid arm.
The messenger lowered his head further.
(Tell everyone to prepare for battle. I don't know who hides behind those trees, but they will regret being born.) He sniffed before resuming his activities and embracing his female wolves.
Year 29 Month 7
Oh, this is really amusing. I watched my roots spread like spider webs. One of my roots finally snapped in two. Hmm… It's difficult to craft since roots aren't as flexible as those produced by spiders, but it was durable enough not to break.
By placing the root webs between the trees, the forest became silent. It seems my roots repel the monsters. However, some still attempt to stay and end up trapped inside.
Like this [Blitz Hound].
Falling in isn't fatal. But as numerous roots emerge and prevent any escape, it was as good as losing one's life.
It struggled, but it was futile.
I think my skills have untapped potential. I use my free time to think about other matters.
The Blitz Hound died, and I gained a level. [Level 41].
Year 29 Month 8
Ah- The wolves are in front of the forest. According to the reports from my chrysalises hidden among the trees, the number of enemies was 200. One individual stood out; it was likely the leader.
They stopped and waited in front of the forest.
They seemed to discuss or rather follow the orders of the strongest. The wolves split into several groups and slowly entered the forest. These wolves seemed well-prepared and aware that numbers could be a disadvantage here.
The forest was arranged so that numbers didn't matter. Bringing hundreds to fight one-on-one was pointless. Numerical superiority would be unusable. They might as well fight alone.
Well—anyway, they're just monsters.
Come, my free experience points!
…
A wolf fell suddenly into a deep pit.
In some parts of the forest, wolves were trapped by roots.
Other, less fortunate groups died battling unidentifiable monsters. The leader looked confused, watching his men lose the battle despite being trained by him for hunting.
(What is this mess? And these monsters. Are they new?)
Leaving the sacred territory of the wolves, he had planned to use his authority to establish a small territory where he would be worshipped like a living god… but the scene before him shattered all those dreams.
(Damn… What have I gotten myself into?!)
He finally decided to move forward and enter the forest to kill whoever was tormenting his people like toys. But as soon as he stepped into the forest, huge wooden walls rose from the ground.
It appeared to be a trap, driving him mad.
(That bastard…!) He sped up, not looking back. The exit was blocked; the only way out was to fight and kill the other, whether monster or humanoid.
Upon advancing deep into the forest, he noticed in astonishment that most of the growls of the other wolves had ceased. Not only that, but even his subordinates were no longer visible.
(What's happening?) He backed away slowly. His instincts screamed at him to run, but his legs were weak. Perhaps due to the recent chase.
Finally, he ran in another direction.
An hour. Two hours.
One day.
He didn't even know anymore. (Why is the forest so big?!) He was now sure he had returned to the starting point. The same tree was there, even though he had turned in a different direction.
He remained constantly wary of his surroundings. As he caught his breath and lowered his guard, he was suddenly impaled by various roots.
(Huh…) Around him stood dozens of unknown monsters. The ones that had killed his subordinates earlier were now using roots against him. He was too weak to fight back and closed his eyes gently.
[Level Up!]
…
Bingo!
The leader leaped in one direction but soon returned to his previous spot. It was like running in place! He wasn't foolish but was instead affected by a skill. [Illusion].
It was an AOE-type skill that confined the senses, causing the individual to enter a state of confusion. At this moment, he must have been lost and running in circles for days.
In reality, it hadn't even been two hours.
I had leveled up, reached a higher level, and used it immediately. I hadn't thought it would be this useful. I was a bit surprised but quickly eliminated the leader when he became exhausted.
I gained nine levels [Level 50].
And among the spoils, I obtained a surprising item.
[Miasma Stone]
It is obtained by killing a high-level miasma monster. It can be used in various domains and holds a significant amount of miasma.
I turned the Miasma Stone over and over. It seemed that the energy inside was trapped in some kind of ice. The dark glow was somewhat intimidating but appeared harmless. I stored it in my sub-space.
Maybe I'll discover its purpose later.
Year 30 Month 3
Phew- The number of secondary trees has exploded over the past year. The number of chrysalises has also multiplied several times. And the need to create an empty space has also increased.
This led to an empty area around me.
A bit like a large tree in the middle of a meadow. Although for now, it was limited to a distance of thirty meters.
As the number of trees increased, manually planting seeds became exhausting. I wanted something that could automate the process. Is it really possible?
[234 secondary trees]
[Would you like to activate the auto-planting mode for tree seedlings?]
A window appeared and asked me.
What is this? I said yes, and as I watched a secondary tree drop a fruit from its branch and get carried further by the wind, the fruit exploded, and a sprout emerged like an ordinary seed.
Wow? This is really useful. Why didn't I think of activating this feature earlier? If there are other features like this, make sure to show them to me first next time!
[…]
Year 31 Month 5
[The mana reserve is empty]
I reach the maximum number of secondary trees and chrysalises I can contract. I temporarily halt the expansion of my forest. I feel a bit disheartened, but thinking about finding an underground path and the pocket of liquid that my roots have sensed for a while, I regain confidence.
Could this be a source of mana?
Year 31 Month 6
The mana pocket bursts and rises to the surface. The misty blue liquid quickly spreads everywhere across the terrain and drains at an alarming rate. I quickly use my roots to block the source and slow the loss of mana.
I immediately feel a surge of mana as my roots absorb the invaluable amounts of mana. My mana reserve quickly regenerates fully, and I have planted more secondary trees.
I believe that this mana source has also increased my initial mana reserve so that I could store a larger amount of mana. I'm not sure to what extent, but I will have to experiment.
Some monsters heard the explosion and approached my forest. Their numbers were significant, mostly Blitz Hound, Miasma Fox, and Thunder Wolf. I used illusions to make them go in circles.
For now, it seems the mana source has been contained. I need to check that the hole is sealed, otherwise the monsters will rush toward me. Is it some kind of pheromone it releases into nature?
I shudder at the thought of holding a bomb in my hands.