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## Chapter 4 – Experiments of a Gamer Fairy
Aria hovered in midair, her delicate wings shimmering faintly as she stared at her hands with anticipation. The memory of last night's conversation with the Ancient Tree was still fresh in her mind. She had nearly been eaten by Nyxstalkers — monsters that regarded fairies as their favorite delicacy. If not for her desperate improvisation and the tree's protective energy, she might not even be alive right now.
"I can't stay weak," she muttered, puffing her cheeks. "If this world works like a game… then it's time to grind skills. Testing mode: ON."
Her past life as a gamer was already showing its influence. Unlike the cautious approach most beings might take, Aria immediately went into *trial-and-error spam mode*.
First, she raised her hand and focused on **Fire Manipulation**. Sparks flickered to life, forming a tiny flame in her palm. Instead of using it properly, she began firing little fireballs in random directions, adjusting their size, shape, and speed.
*Ping!*
\[Skill proficiency increased!]
"Ohhh! Yes, just like spamming spells in an RPG!" Aria grinned.
Next, she switched to **Water Manipulation**. Droplets condensed in the air, weaving together into a small floating sphere. She squeezed it like playdough, forcing it into crude shapes — a cube, a star, even what she swore looked like a chibi cat.
\[Skill proficiency increased!]
\[Water Manipulation has reached Lv. 2!]
"Already?!" she cheered, spinning around midair. "See? Grinding works! If I just keep cycling through elements and doing dumb things with them, I'll level up everything at once!"
The Ancient Tree's voice rumbled faintly from afar, amused yet exasperated.
"Child, are you… playing?"
"Of course!" Aria shot back. "Every skill system has loopholes. You just gotta grind them systematically. Watch!"
She focused next on **Earth Manipulation**, pulling small stones from the ground and juggling them telekinetically. Then she abruptly shifted to **Wind Manipulation**, spinning herself into a dizzying midair spiral. A sudden *whoosh* sent her tumbling into a bush.
"Ugh… okay, note to self: too much wind equals fairy pinball." She crawled out, shaking twigs off her dress. "Still counts as progress!"
One after another, she cycled through skills — sometimes serious, sometimes utterly ridiculous. She tried coating her arms in water like gauntlets, making a fire halo around her head, and even combining earth and wind to fling pebbles like bullets.
The results were messy but effective.
\[Fire Manipulation has reached Lv. 3!]
\[Wind Manipulation has reached Lv. 2!]
\[Skill acquired: *Basic Elemental Fusion*!]
Aria gasped, wings fluttering with excitement. "Fusion? Already?! Oh, this is amazing! Back on Earth, this would've taken hours of grinding!"
The Ancient Tree chuckled softly, leaves rustling in what sounded like fond amusement. "Perhaps… your strange way of thinking may indeed accelerate growth."
"Strange? No, no, no. This is called 'efficient optimization,'" Aria corrected proudly, hands on her hips. "I just turned your world into my personal RPG sandbox!"
She continued experimenting deep into the evening. By the time the first stars appeared overhead, Aria was exhausted but thrilled. Her mana reserves were drained, her body sore, but her skill list had noticeably expanded.
\[Skills Acquired: *Mana Thread*, *Elemental Spark*, *Minor Barrier*, *Water Bullet*, *Stone Spike*]
"Yesss… I'm becoming broken already!" Aria collapsed on a patch of moss, laughing weakly. "This is the power of… a true gamer fairy…"
Her eyes fluttered shut, and sleep claimed her. Yet even in her dreams, she imagined herself farming EXP, running raids, and claiming loot. The forest around her, however, was stirring. The predators of the night had begun to prowl again, and Aria's newfound powers would soon be tested in ways she hadn't expected.
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✨ End of Chapter 4 ✨