Nagaro.
-Finally!
I've crossed countless biomes and different climates, passing through lightning and poison storms, endless blizzards, acid rain, fire rain, violent winds that tear everything apart, and even hailstorms.
I look around and see enormous trees that block almost all the light.
-Wow!
-No way!
-A "normal" forest!
-Look at that! The trees don't release poison!
At last, I find a forest with non-lethal vegetation. I don't recognize this place, but it's very similar to where I first woke up. It doesn't seem safe at all, but anything is better than the last places I passed through.
I walk without showing a single expression. Physically, I'm fine, but my brown skin is dirty. My gaze, which once carried joy, has now turned cold, almost lifeless. My hair, once beautiful, is unrecognizable, looking like a dry, tangled mess without shape. Because of the places I went through, my hair has been completely ruined.
Over time, my hair grows long, reaching down to my back.
-(What hair color do I want today?)
-(Red, then.)
I focus for a moment. Soon, my hair stirs, changing from black to red, and then becoming smooth again. It's nothing special, not beautiful, but it's different. A smile forms on my lips, but it quickly fades.
I discovered that my hair can change color and shape without any explanation. When I first realized this, I was impressed, and over time, I learned to control the changes.
It's not very easy to manipulate, even after practicing, but I intend to keep trying to control it. Who knows someday, this Skill might become something that saves me.
I observe the forest and the path I'm following.
-(I wonder how long I've been walking. It must have been several months by now.)
There are also many peculiar things about this forest. It has a high restoration factor; I think this is related to the gigantic Source I feel and that I've already seen, when I close my eyes, flowing beneath the ground. The trees seem to share their strength with one another, and the soil absorbs part of the Source and the nutrients, later using them for some kind of restoration. Maybe that's why the forest hasn't been destroyed yet by the abnormal climates and the likely monsters that exist here.
-(That's just what I think. I'm no expert on biomes or on the nature of this adventure world, but from what I've seen and from my perception, it seems to be like that.)
Recently, I also realized that forests possess vast resources. I don't know exactly what is considered valuable in this world, but in many places, I find tons of gold and diamonds scattered across the ground. I could have taken one or two pieces, but strangely, I'm not interested in owning them. And even if I did take them, they wouldn't last long. They would melt and disappear under the acid rains I face.
-(The strangest part is that I haven't found a single other living soul here.)
-(The last creatures I saw were the wolves, back when I was trapped in the Dark Forest.)
….
…
..
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I keep walking without needing to sleep or rest until I come across a lake. I feel a bit excited, since this gives me a chance to observe my own appearance more closely.
I approach the lake and see my face reflected on the surface. Indifferent. I try to smile, but it doesn't come out right. In the end, I can only form a crooked smile. Even so, I look fine. Nothing out of the ordinary.
A strand of hair falls into the lake and, immediately, the water starts bubbling and explodes, almost hitting my face. Instinctively, I bend my knees sharply, like someone dodging under a limbo bar. I'm startled by what just happened. I straighten up and quickly move away from the lake.
I hide behind a bush.
-(What was that?)
-(This lake… is it really a lake?)
I observe it more carefully.
-(It looks like… acid?)
-(And explosive?)
I pick up a small stone from the ground and throw it into the lake. The moment the stone touches the surface, the lake explodes again, forcing me to retreat even farther. When the explosion ends, I notice everything around it burning and releasing smoke.
I don't even seem surprised.
-(This isn't common acid. It's explosive acid.)
-(I can't believe it, everything in this place is made of something dangerous.)
-(Come to think of it… I haven't found water or food anywhere so far. Does this place only produce dangerous things?)
-...
-(If even a simple lake is dangerous, imagine the animals here.)
-(So far, I've only seen green tigers and wolves, all of them gigantic.)
But something else also catches my attention, the way I escaped the first explosion. I admit that, in my previous life, I wasn't healthy or flexible enough to bend my knees like that and still keep my balance.
I observe my own body.
-(…Now that I realize it… my body…)
I begin to rotate my neck backward. Slowly, before I even realize it, my head aligns with my back, like an owl's.
I get startled and quickly bring my head back to its place.
-Wow!
-...Could it be that I…
Without any more fear, I repeat the movement. I rotate my head again, place one foot behind my head, bend the palms of my hands backward, and finally turn the other foot behind me, twisting my body into something unnatural, almost monstrous. If someone were watching what I'm doing, they would certainly throw stones to scare away the "monster."
I return to normal.
-What absurd flexibility.
-Do I still have bones?
I ponder for a moment.
-(I'd better not do this when I meet other people.)
After that strange moment, I move away from the acid lake, feeling the heavy air dissipate as I advance. My steps leave faint marks on the uneven ground, and the silence of the landscape is broken only by the sound of the wind.
It doesn't take long before a sudden movement catches my attention. From inside a bush, a small mouse jumps out. Its eyes shine with curiosity, its huge ears rise like antennas, and its red fur gleams under the light. Its tail, sparkling like a living ember, cuts through the air as it runs toward me, carrying with it a strange mix of cuteness and mystery.
I immediately go on guard.
-(This is the first animal I've encountered after passing through so many places.)
The little mouse keeps running until it stops right at my feet. Its tiny size and almost unreal cuteness leave me speechless. Standing on its hind legs, it lifts its body and looks at me with small but intensely shining eyes. In an unexpected leap, it clings to my mantle at leg height, as if seeking company, as if asking to be my friend.
I'm hypnotized by the scene. I feel my expression soften, unable to reject such an innocent gesture. I tilt my face down, curious, to observe it more closely. For a moment, it's just the two of us, the mouse and me, as if the world around us had vanished, leaving only this unlikely encounter.
In my mind.
-(So cute…)
-(This little animal must be…)
The mouse's tail begins to spark intensely before my eyes, like fire meeting gunpowder. I see the spark run through its body until its fur starts to glow. The red intensifies in the blink of an eye, and before I can react, the mouse explodes right in front of me.
The explosion is so catastrophic that I feel the world around me being swept away, everything vanishing along the path of destruction.
A massive crater opens in the ground. I'm launched into the sky.
-(…The most wretched misery I've ever seen!)
I fly through the air with my face burned and deformed, my legs gone, pulverized by the explosion. My arms are severely injured. Overall, my entire body is in terrible condition. Fortunately, my mantle absorbs part of the impact, protecting me a little.
Even with my high resistance, the impact is far too powerful. I keep being thrown upward, reaching an absurd height. My body begins to regenerate, restoring itself completely. I let out a sigh, still being hurled toward the sky.
With a lifeless gaze, I stare at the sky lit by the morning sun.
-(Damned rat!)
-(The first animal I encounter after so long is an explosive monster.)
-...
-(How long have I been flying?!)
I force a smile.
-The Team Rocket is blasting o…
My words are lost in the height. I become nothing more than a black dot in the sky, until I disappear completely.
….
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..
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