Revan sat cross-legged on the wooden floor of the giant tree, his body still trembling from the side effects of the fruits he had just consumed. His eyes remained closed, unable to withstand the light around him.
The sound of birds, once soothing, now felt like deafening thunder. The gentle breeze felt like sharp knives piercing his skin. Even the sweet aroma of the lingering fruits in the air suddenly became so pungent that it made his stomach churn. He tried to take a deep breath, but each inhale felt like breathing in embers. Everything around him had become so intense, making it nearly impossible to focus.
Revan clenched his teeth, trying to withstand the pain attacking him from all directions. This won't be easy, he thought, clenching his fists on his knees. I need to learn to control this. Otherwise, this power will be an even greater burden than my life before.
He closed his eyes, trying to shut himself off from the outside world. With great effort, he began to focus on the sound of his own breathing.
"One step at a time," he whispered softly. "I'll start with the sounds."
Revan imagined a large door in his mind, slowly closing it to reduce the incoming noise. Bit by bit, the deafening bird sounds began to fade, replaced by the softer rustling of the wind. The other sounds disappeared one by one until only silence remained.
"Good," he thought, though his body was still trembling. "Now I can hear... normally."
However, the next task felt more difficult. When he opened his eyes, the sunlight stung painfully. He quickly shut them again, trying to think of a way to cope.
This time, he imagined thick curtains covering his vision, leaving only a small slit for the light to enter. When he opened his eyes slowly, the effect began to take hold. The light was no longer blinding, and he could see his surroundings without pain.
Revan smiled faintly to himself. "Two done. Now for the smell."
The sweet aroma of the fruits still hung so strongly that it made him nauseous. He inhaled slowly, picturing himself in an empty room without any odors. He locked those aromas behind a door in his mind, allowing only a slight trace to enter. Gradually, the nausea began to subside.
"My breathing feels lighter now," he thought, somewhat relieved. Yet he knew his struggle was not over. His skin still felt sensitive, as if every gust of wind was a small storm tearing at him.
He pressed his palms against the wooden floor, trying to get used to the sensations. "I have to accept this. Slowly, my body will adapt."
Over time, Revan's body began to adapt. The sensations that once hurt slowly transformed into something he could control. His senses, which had once felt too sharp, now became more refined tools, giving him awareness of the world around him.
Now that I can manage this, I need to explore its other uses.
He pressed his palm against the wooden floor, and it was as if the world was telling him its existence. The gentle vibrations from running animal paws, the wind swaying the tree branches, even the underground river flows felt so real.
He tried to expand his awareness, letting the vibrations form a map in his mind. The surrounding forest became clearly depicted, extending to a radius of 100 kilometers. He could sense the movements of living creatures, from tiny insects to large predators.
A radius of about 100 kilometers, he thought, surprised. I can feel all of this...
When his focus shifted to hearing, he could hear the rustling of leaves as the wind passed through, the chirping of small birds at the treetops, and the sound of flowing water from an unknown source. However, those sounds mingled with the creaking of the tree wood, the footsteps of small animals, and even the heartbeats of creatures invisible to his eyes.
Revan tried to expand his hearing, extending it to a radius of 100 kilometers. With a bit of effort, he could amplify or reduce the volume of sounds at will.
However, his now sharper vision revealed something interesting. He observed the forest around him—the green leaves gently swaying at the treetops, creating moving shadows on the ground. Far ahead, he saw towering mountains, their rocky surfaces glistening under the sun. But most astonishing was that he could see small details, like insects crawling on tree trunks hundreds of meters away, or the shapes and colors of birds' feathers flying in the sky.
My vision is wider now, he thought. But this vision also has limits: only 100 kilometers. Beyond that radius, the world becomes blurry again, like thick fog covering everything.
As his gaze pierced far beyond the dense forest, his eyes landed on a hidden cave beneath a cliff. Inside, a small pool reflected light from the cave's crevices. A woman was bathing there, half of her back naked, her short green hair softly glowing in the light. Water from the pool splashed around her as she moved.
Unconsciously, Revan focused deeper on the figure. "A human...?" But his heart pounded faster as the woman suddenly stopped, turning towards his direction, even though the distance between them was vast.
The woman spoke in a foreign language that sounded like an odd rhythm. "Apais ngay ukpitnignem?"
Revan froze, confused yet mesmerized. The woman's beautiful face and body radiated curiosity, as if she realized she was being watched. Feeling caught off guard, Revan quickly decided to divert his gaze.
Huh... a woman's intuition is indeed terrifying, he thought, taking a deep breath. Various questions began to arise in his mind.
"Who is she? Why isn't she using Indonesian? Even though the previous book used Indonesian. Where am I now?"
Despite his worries, Revan tried to remain calm and set aside those issues for the moment, as there was something more urgent he needed to address. "I need to find clothes now."
All this while, he had been sitting atop the tree without a single piece of clothing, while the sun was slowly beginning to set. He remembered something from the book he had read earlier—a note about a secret room under the ground floor bed.
"Maybe there's something I can use there," he thought, preparing to descend.
Revan stood up from his seat, stepping towards the teleport circle in the middle of the room. The black and white light of the circle began to glow as he stood on it, and in an instant, his body disappeared, leaving only a flash of light that slowly faded.
Upon arriving at the base of the tree, he immediately headed to the location mentioned in the previous book's notes—a large wooden bed that looked luxurious.
"Is this the place?" he muttered, staring at the bed with a blank expression.
Without hesitation, he took a position to push the bed. However, as he pushed it slowly, too much force unintentionally came out of his hands. The bed was thrown back violently, crashing into the tree wall behind him. A loud noise like an explosion echoed throughout the room.
"Oh, damn... I forgot my power," he said in a flat tone and expression.
The bed, now toppled upside down, caused pillows, bolsters, blankets, and the mattress to scatter across the floor. However, despite the hard collision, there was not a single scratch on the bed or the wall it hit.
It's insanely strong. Even though it had been thrown that far, there was still no scratch. The problem is, I have to clean this up later, he thought to himself while exhaling briefly.
Ignoring the chaos that had just occurred, Revan recalled his main goal—finding the secret room under the bed. He shifted his gaze to the floor beneath him, trying to find clues.
No door, no handle, only a small circle with carvings similar to the previous teleport circle, but only the size of a tennis ball.
"How does this small circle work? Do I have to stand on it too? But..." Revan paused his thoughts for a moment, then sighed softly. "Ah, I'm so stupid. Just step on it."
As his feet touched the small circle, a subtle vibration began to be felt around him. Within seconds, the vibration turned into a loud rumble, shaking the entire giant tree. Revan remained standing still, staring at the floor below him, which slowly began to split in two, forming a large circular hole.
From the hole, wooden stairs began to emerge one by one, like living carvings coming out of the tree trunk itself. The spiral staircase twisted downward, surrounded by ornate carvings with geometric patterns and ancient symbols that emitted a dim glow.
As the vibration stopped, the spiral staircase had fully formed, descending into the dark base of the tree that exuded a mysterious aura. Revan carefully stepped onto the first step, his eyes fixed on the light that appeared to be getting brighter below.
When he reached the base, a stunning sight greeted him. A large dome-shaped room with natural wooden walls filled with shelves containing neatly arranged ancient books. In the center of the room stood a long table made of black wood, with large candles burning without any sign of melting.
"Library?" Revan murmured. He walked inside, his eyes scanning every corner of the room. The books on the shelves came in different colors and sizes; some looked new, while others appeared very old and almost fragile.
Revan walked slowly through the dome-shaped room. His gaze fixed on the book shelves, but his mind shifted to something more urgent.
"Where are the clothes?"
He observed the circular walls of the room. After a while, his gaze fixed on a small door on the left side of the room, hidden behind wood carvings that almost blended with the wall.
"What is this?" he muttered as he walked towards the door.
Carefully, he opened the door. The wooden hinges made a small sound, and behind it, he found a large wardrobe embedded in the wall. Inside, there were ten sets of clothes neatly hanging.
Five sets of clothes were hanfu, with elegant designs that looked like the garments of nobility from the past. All the hanfu were dominated by black and white colors, with subtle cloud and floral patterns on the fabric, and some were plain. They were complemented by silk fabric belts, giving an elegant yet firm impression.
Next to the hanfu, there were five other sets of medieval-style clothes. Each outfit consisted of a long coat with a high collar, simple undershirts, sturdy leather pants, and outer cloaks with minimalistic line patterns. The colors of these clothes were also black and white, giving a formal yet mysterious impression.
At the bottom of the wardrobe, Revan saw footwear matched with the clothes. Five pairs of traditional wooden sandals were placed on the left side, corresponding with the hanfu. The sandals had a simple design, but their carvings showed attention to detail, emphasizing a classic feel.
Meanwhile, on the right side, there were five pairs of black and white leather boots suitable for the medieval-style clothes. The boots had strong laces and thick soles, designed to withstand harsh terrains while protecting the wearer's feet.
Revan gazed at the choices in front of him.
"Clothes so different from anything I've ever seen," he muttered as he touched the hanfu fabric. The texture was smooth, like pure silk, but seemed strong enough to withstand friction.
He decided to put on one of the hanfu first. He chose a black hanfu with white patterns at the ends of the sleeves and the bottom of the fabric. After that, he took a pair of wooden sandals that matched the hanfu.
As he wore the clothes, he felt a noticeable difference compared to his previous attire. The fabric felt light, but provided enough protection. The wooden sandals also fit his feet, though they felt a bit strange when first walking in them.
"Not bad," he said briefly while checking his appearance.
After finishing changing clothes, Revan closed the wardrobe door. "Now I'm ready to meet that beautiful woman," he declared confidently.