Ash waited for finality in their reaction, but instead of pointing anywhere, Flower shook her head slowly. Stick's vines shifted, scratching across the dirt in jagged lines that resembled flames.
Ash narrowed his eyes. "Fire?"
The two didn't understand his words, but they seemed to understand his confusion. Flower crouched low and drew again—a tree, tall and full of leaves. Then she crossed a thick black line through its trunk.
Ash understood this one. Destruction.
His stomach tightened. If they were warning him about danger, then humans—or whatever lived nearby—were either destroying the forest or being hunted by something that did.
Before he could think further, the air changed. Birds fled the treetops, a foul smell drifting in with the wind. Flower and Stick turned sharply toward the east. Stick's vines quivered as if ready to fight, while Flower touched the pond, green light spreading across its surface—defensive preparation.
Ash raised his Glock-19, his MP flowing to the weapon. Whatever was there wasn't a wolf bringing fruit this time.
Stick and Flower ran towards the east. Stick taking the lead while Flower's green energy engulfed Stick.
Ash also followed, knowing he would only be safe with them, but of course he was back in the distance so they wouldn't misunderstand him as an enemy and kill him with a casual strike.
By the impression he felt that these creatures were harmless, but the way their attitude had changed also shifted his view.
"Maybe... good people can't survive in this world," Ash coughed.
Not like he considered himself good, which was the reason he survived till now.
They ran for so long, Ash had already lost his way. He couldn't keep up with their speed but the evidence of green flickers showed him the path.
He was alert to face any other dangerous beast but none came.
Finally at some point he heard the sound of heavy strikes. As the view cleared behind the trees, there were dozens of humans and Flower and Stick were fighting with them.
Hundreds of trees were cut down in the far distance.
He instantly understood what Flower wanted to say. Like his previous world, humans in this world were also cutting trees to expand their civilization. And it seemed as if these two strange beasts were trying to protect it.
"Kill the nymphs, they are delaying the progress for several days," one of the men who wore steel armor and held a long axe exclaimed.
"Yeah, kill the nymphs. We have already lost several cutters to them," another man with an axe said.
Their attire was similar, though they were saying to kill nymphs which Ash understood were these two beasts. But none of them came forward to fight.
Two heavily armoured men with broad shoulders wielding swords were fighting with Flower and Stick.
They were in disadvantage against the beasts.
The clash shook the clearing. Stick lashed out with thorned vines, wrapping one soldier's leg and slamming him against a tree like a rag doll. The man's armor groaned, denting under the pressure.
Flower's green glow spread across the ground, and roots burst upward, coiling around the second warrior's arms. For a moment, the forest itself seemed to rebel.
The armored men grunted, forced down to one knee. Their swords clattered uselessly against living wood, and Ash thought—they're going to lose.
But then, a shout came from behind.
"Deploy the burners!"
Two other soldiers rushed forward, carrying a round metal box strapped to their backs. With a hiss, they drove sharp rods into the soil. A crimson light rippled outward in a circle. The air warped, and Flower's glow dimmed as if sucked dry.
Ash felt it too. The air thinned, mana vanishing from the ground like water drained from a pond. The Nymphs staggered. Flower's roots cracked and withered, Stick's vines recoiled, no longer strong but brittle.
The armored warriors pushed themselves up, laughing grimly. "Now you bleed."
One uncorked a bottle and smashed it against his chestplate. Red runes lit up across his armor, his body swelling with raw strength. The other pressed a palm to a device on his sword—the blade ignited with a bright blue edge, searing against the vines that tried to cling.
Stick shrieked, half-animal, half-human, as a swing cleaved through his side, bark-like skin splitting with green ichor spilling out. Flower rushed to his side, her body shimmering faintly, but the crimson field drained every ounce of her healing before it could knit him whole.
While it was playing out Ash saw a system screen flaring at him.
[Quest: Help Nymphs to survive]
[Rewards: ???]
"No…" Ash whispered, knuckles white on his Glock. But his instincts screamed at him: don't move. He was sure that his bullets would have no effect on Nymphs but the soldiers were different.
They seemed quite weak compared to Nymphs, so he had the chance to kill them with bullets.
The question was did he really want to. He found humans that he wanted and now if the two nymphs died then he could go back with them.
Ash sighed deeply. He liked the way Nymphs helped him without any benefit or personal vendetta. He also was hesitant because he was unsure if he would be able to land a hit on moving soldiers.
Not wanting to get noticed he went for the next best action. Multiple bullets shot one after another hitting the rods responsible for weakening the Nymphs.
The soldiers pressed the assault. Vines were hacked apart. Roots scorched into ash.
She lashed out in desperation, green energy bursting from her hands—suddenly her vitality returned and despite heavy injuries her attack succeeded to throw the soldiers off guard.
Flower grabbed Stick, engulfing him in green healing energy, and retreated back into the jungle.
Seeing her coming towards himself, Ash hid behind another tree. He knew she was not in her right mind and assuming him as enemy she could kill him.
The woodcutters were disappointed and terrified, because they knew the wrath would fall upon them.
"Who broke the rods, disrupting our plan?"
A soldier with blood gushing out from his injury exclaimed, looking towards the woodcutters.
He knew someone had tampered with the formation and it could have caused the death of all people there if the nymphs hadn't been damaged.
The clearing went silent, save for the panting of armored men and the faint hiss of their devices cooling.
Ash stood frozen among the trees, stomach knotted. It seemed like he had lost the opportunity to go back with them. If he revealed himself now then he would be the prime suspect.
But there was also a playful smile. He didn't need to go with them, he could just follow them on their trails.
[Quest Cleared]