Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Of Growth and Changes

Book1, Volume 6

Chapter 52

“I guess your right... about the spoilers and 'other' stuff. I'm really looking forward to seeing the others and the world of Abrynth outside of the starter area. Now, onto the first thing... I need to get the turmoil that's fluctuating within and around my cores under control.” Michael said, feeling his body hum with soft vibrations. Ever since I hit Rank 1 the energies within seem to have... grown, become a bit... wild, and I can feel this pressure in my head, chest, and lower belly pulsing. “It's best I take care of it before doing anything else.”

Lunori gave Michael a concerned look; She was leading Michael by the hand, guiding him out of the Desparu forest since his mind seemed to be preoccupied, and she could feel the involuntary vibrations stemming from within him through his hand. She hoped it was nothing bad... maybe the Old Raven back in the village would know?

The group continued making their way through the swampy forest, the Furbees buzzing along through the air, as Lunori turned her head to watch Michael speaking to himself from time to time. She'd then gently pat his hand and softy tootle-tu to which Michael would smile at her. “Everything is okay Lunori, I just have a lot on my mind... a lot to think about, so no need to worry!”

Feeling relief, Lunori nodded with a smile, a slight spring in her step, and continued marching forward.

“Still, even though it's spoilers, I can't help but wonder how things are going for everyone else. It feels like I haven't seen them in a very long time... it really does feel like I'm living their slogan 'A New World, A New Life!' Ah, time! I almost forgot Anari!”

[ Almost forgot what Wylla? ]

“About what Jen-Je... I mean Syl... about what Syl said when we first teamed up. She said that over 3 and a half weeks have passed in the real world but how can that be? I've only been in here for 10 days or so... and since 3 days here means 1 day in my world then there's no way so much time has passed in my world... right?”

[ Absolutely correct Wylla!...]

Michael instantly felt better, so Jen... err... Syl had been wro...

[ Is what I would say IF you're only counting the number of days you have been in the starter area and are excluding the weeks you were in the dark character creation room. After all, age regression followed by gender bendification does take time... if you want to get it right that is. And since this was our first time, we definitely didn't want to rush and make any mistakes!... ]

Michael froze in mid-step as Lunori, who was holding his hand, felt her arm pull her back to a stop causing the whole group to come to a stop. Lunori and the group all stood quietly, looking at Michael.

“Eh? What are you talking about Anari? I've played plenty of games before and creating my avatars only takes minutes... well sometimes hours depending on the look I'm trying to create but it never takes weeks. Then again, maybe it's different since this is a first of its kind virtual reality game?...”

Anari seemed to have not heard Michael as she continued on with what she was saying [ But no need to worry! For how can there be any mistakes? What with two glorious Goddesses such as my divine mother Lokaini and your divine mother Sylvenori teaming up to make your beautiful new body.

As such, what Syl said is correct but don't worry we took the time frame into consideration when creating the difficulty of your quests and the amount of XP rewarded so that you wouldn't fall too far behind the others... so You're Welcome Wylla! ;) ]

“But I just don't get it?...” Michael mumbled to himself as Lunori got him moving once again and the group followed. “It's just a game, shouldn't this body be easy to make? I mean, it's just a virtual body created out of already made 3d models that are just tweaked a bit here and altered a bit there to look the way the player desires... right?...

But then again, I don't ever remember doing any of that. I never even chose my body or touched any character options to choose the way Wylla looks so then who did? And that pain... did I blackout? Is that where the time went?... But how?”

[ Sorry Wylla but our 'character' creation methods are all 'top secret' classified proprietary information! As such... no can share. ;) ]

“Why am I getting such a bad feeling about this in the pit of stomach... ” Just try not to think about it and breathe in... and out. In... and out...

[ But as I said, we adjusted (we meaning me) the difficulty of your quests in order to justify the amount of XP you earned per quest in order to help you keep pace with your family and friends. Otherwise, you'd be stuck doing loads of quests hunting horned rabbits, slimes, kobolds, goblins, and such (as well as doing all those pesky 'gopher' quests) just to reach this point. And wouldn't that be boring? ]

“So... then normal starting areas take 3 to 4 weeks to complete?”

[ Yes, if you double it. Well, depending on the person that is. After all, there is much to learn, discover, and experience in order to build a solid foundation. As such, one just needs to remember that life here is not a race but a marathon. There will even be those who take far longer, enjoying the journey, living their ideal slow life. ]

“Double? This game really is hard mode. Still, I'm grateful for giving me such rewarding and challenging quests instead of the typical boring beginner quests. Completing them has given me... a sense of accomplishment inside, something to be proud of. Also, I learned a lot about myself, about my magic, and made some great friends. I must say...” GRRMBLE! Michael stopped speaking mid-sentence and his face reddened as his stomach released a loud 'grumbling' sound causing Lunori to startle just as they exited out of the Desparu Swamp Forest. Ah, so embarrassing! Just what's going on in there?

Realizing that the loud noise came from Michael's stomach, Lunori thought they should step up their pace to reach the village sooner in order to get him something to eat! But just as she pulled him by the hand, she found that Michael wouldn't budge. “Sorry Lunori, I can't go with you,” Michael said, shaking his head as he freed his hand from Lunori's warm grasp. Michael could see the confusion in Lunori's eyes and hear the worry in her tootle-tu as she pointed at his stomach.

“I'm okay Lunori, not sick. I just have too much... energy inside. I grew much stronger tonight so I need to go back to my place, to the Oryn Tree to sit and... cultivate to get it all under control. Understand?”

Seeing Lunori standing there, not moving and unsure of herself Michael got an idea on how to explain and created a Memory Rosebud Bulb for her. Lunori reached out holding the softly glowing ethereal flower in her cupped hands for a moment and then let go with a delighted smile on her bunny masked face.

She then gave Michael a big hug and with a soft tootle-toot-tu released him and marched off towards the Makai Forest with the rest of her team as Princess Furbee and her softly buzzing entourage stayed behind.

Seeing that the others had left and she now had Michael all to herself... and that Michael now had a free hand she happily buzzed into his free arm snuggling up against his stomach area. Michael held the fluffy little buzzing Princess in his left arm like a football while his right hand held onto his staff.

Tch... I can't fluff her with this staff in my hand. And he really wanted too; So he looked behind him and spotting his Bloodrose Cauldron Turtle came up with an idea. It should work.

He stepped up to the side of the cauldron, put his staff inside so that it stuck out like a tall ladle, and shifted the grimoire to lean up against it so that it held in place. “Yes! That should do it. Now I can fluff as I walk so off we go.”

And so with Princess Furbee in arms, a recovering baby Serpris sleeping in his carrying bag, a trailing line of bumbling buzzing Furbees, and one cauldron turtle porter they made their way across Havenscent Meadow under the moonlit night arriving at the welcoming Oryn Tree.

They came to a stop next to the Oryn Tree pool as Michael looked up at the Moon. “Not sure how much night is left but it was certainly quite an exciting and memorable one.” Smiling, Michael released his spell as the cauldron returned to normal and clunked down on the ground. He then sat down and leaned his back up against its cool oryn infused cast iron side.

Now nice and comfy, Michael lifted Princess Furbee up with both hands, looked her warmly in the eyes, and gave her a light kiss on her forehead as she buzzed. “Thank you for all your help tonight Princess! You and your entourage were splendid!” He said smiling. “Now it's time for you and your entourage to return home and rest okay. I have much to meditate on so I can't fluff you tonight... but I'll be sure to see you again before I leave!”

He then gently tossed her up into the air as Princess Furbee's wings fluttered to life, keeping her round fluffy body air bound. All the other Furbees then flew once around Michael before joining their Princess and escorting her home.

A series of spasms crawled up Michael's spine and into his head; His heart beat wildly and he clenched his teeth in expectation of pain... but none came. Whew! Breathing out a sigh of relief Michael pulled himself into his seated lotus position, placed his hands (palms up) on his knees, closed his eyes and breathed in... and out. In... and out...

The Moon shone down on his pale moon skin as Michael slipped further and further into a state of spiritual trance. The world around him faded into a golden green fog as he felt himself gently spiraling down... down... down... his whole body thrumming with energy.

The fog around her cloaked her descent as colorful orbs of light danced around her until she burst through; Wylla bent her knees, landing safely on the soft grassy ground as the strong Oryn charged air swirled around causing her hair to whip about and the lush grasses, plants, and trees to greatly rustle.

She slowly spun in a circle, taking in her surroundings. To her right side was a land filled with vibrant gardens and a mixed forest of trees. To her left was a very large pit, well over the size of a football field and 4 to 5 meters deep.

At around where the 30-yard line would be in the pit was a round hill with a wide flat top. Etched into the side of the pit leading to a 3 story tall cliff just 30 or so yards away was a ravine 2 meters deep and about 4 meters wide. There was a collection of large boulders within the ravine where it met the cliff side perfect for sitting on.

The cliff tapered down below the tree line of the garden forest on the right side of this special place. On the outskirts of this land was a wall of billowing golden-green fog abuzz with dancing orbs of energy. It was as if the whole area was on a giant round plate and the edges were covered in that mysterious fog.

I think this place is somewhere inside me... one of my cores? The earth beneath her rumbled and quaked nearly dropping her on her bum but she was saved from falling thanks to her butterfly wings which sprung out from her back instinctually. Ah, I need to get this place under control before this turns into one of those 'end of the world' disaster movies!

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Wylla looked left towards the huge hole in the ground and the tall cliff, “Nope, I don't think that's the... heart of this core.” She then turned right greatly enjoying the sights and scents of the floras and trees. The whole place was made up of plants, trees, mushrooms, and such that she had seen in both this world and at home. Nodding to herself, she walked along a natural path through and around gardens and trees, enjoying the warm welcoming 'vibes' guiding her towards the center of a grove of trees.

In the center of the grove stood a very big Hearth Tree surrounded by a ring of Royal Spider Lotus bushes; A golden Syldrake tree stood guard on each side. Wylla walked up to the Hearth Tree, circling as she gently slid her hand across its warm redwood hue trunk feeling the energy thrumming within. “Here is the place... the heart of this core.”

Satisfied, Wylla moved a couple of meters away, sat down in a lotus position facing the Hearth Tree, and placed her hands, palms down, on the grassy ground.

She sent her energy digging down into the earth like roots searching and feeling the chaotic energies within as the winds above continued to whip her hair about. Little by little, she set about gathering the energies, taming and melding them into harmonious streams of ley lines; And then weaving them into an underground lattice network of nurturing energies.

The large lattice network of ley lines began expanding and contracting like a beating heart ensuring that all sections of the earth covered core was flowing with Oryn energy for the roots of the trees and flora to tap into.

Feeling the green joy of the flora, Wylla opened her eyes and watched the land growing, increasing the size of the core. The lush flora became fuller, more vibrant releasing intoxicating sweet scents mixed with the musky honey fragrance of the various types of trees. Ripened fruits, vegetables, herbs, and nuts grew in abundance. The whole right side truly became a magical paradise filled with flora from both worlds.

Happy with the results, she sent her energies into the flora, trees, and top soils opening their cells and circulating the energy from below into the green life above wending their ways through the cells and getting expelled into the very air where it would circulate back down into the topsoil to be taken into the earth and funneled into the lattice network of ley lines which would then feed the green flora above thus completing the circle.

GONG!

A divine gong rang out as the core in which Wylla was in reached a new state of being; The land thrived with an abundance of nurturing energies and the strong winds had turned into a gentle breeze. Ah, it's so beautiful Wylla thought until she turned around and saw the big open pit in the distance. Now, what am I suppose to do with you?

Wylla walked out of the wonderful garden forest and into the barren area. “This hole and plantless earth must be here for a reason.” Wylla's eyes looked the area over once again from the large empty hole with the wide flat top hill to the ravine which led to the tall cliff. She bent down and scooped up some of the sand surrounding the pit and let it fall through her fingers. “This area feels incomplete like it's missing somethi...”

BOOM!

The loud thunderous sound rained down from above causing Wylla to flinch and then lookup. Her eyes glowed as she looked up into the great blue sky above... only that the sky wasn't like any sky she had seen before. This sky had waves and ripples running across it.

Hmm... if I'm in one of my cores like I believe I am then this is probably my body core in my lower belly... at least it feels like it is. So that means above me is my soul core... and it seems to be made up of a large sphere of water... so my soul is like water which actually makes sense to me. Wylla looked down from the sky for a moment pondering, her eyes tracing the tall cliff into the ravine leading into the great pit with the island near the edge of the sandy banks. “That's it! That's what's missing... water!”

It feels like they belong together! Somehow I just need to...get them together! Wylla stood with her arms stretch up high towards the sky, eyes blazing gold, and energy flowing from her body into the ground below urging it to move up! Her body felt a small downward jolt of movement as the watery sky above seemed to be getting closer.

Root like strands of golden-green energy flew up from the body core, wrapping around the big blue watery soul core above, but instead of pulling the watery soul core down, it used it to pull itself up; Higher and higher the body core went.

Sensing the presence of either the body core or just the great amount of energy (for Wylla wasn't quite sure the reason) the watery soul core sent down liquid streams, wrapping around the body core and pulling it up closer, closer, closer as Wylla watched the now huge watery sphere with concern.

I can't let them collide together! Wylla sent a pair of powerful serpenvine energy harpoons out through her hands, piercing into her watery soul core, forming a connection as she felt a cool wave of energy hit her causing her knees to buckle for a breath or two. She grit her teeth, straightened her body, and furrowed her brows as she sent her commands to both above and below.

“Slow down... nice and slow... that's right. Guide it just above the cliff... Now Stop!... perfect.” A great big smile appeared on Wylla's face as her tense body relaxed; She stood for a while watching the great big beautiful blue soul core hovering above the cliff. She took a couple of deep breaths, shook herself, and then sent her desires into the soul core through her serpenvine connections.

A large watery tendril sprouted out from the bottom of the soul core and touched down on the land atop the cliff. Blue water sparkling with gold began to flow down from above landing down on top of the large boulders below in the ravine sending a spray of watery mist into the air forming a dazzling rainbow.

The sounds of falling and rushing water rang out as the ravine turned into a short fast-flowing river pouring into the large pit. Wylla stood in a happy trance as the pit became a wonderful lake, the hill with the wide flat top became a small island, and green flora sprouted out of the once barren earth both underwater and on land, connecting the left side of her body core with the garden forest of her right side.

But that wasn't all the changes that took place. Seeing that the large watery sphere was gone, signifying the completion of the merging of two of her cores, she turned around and looked into the magical garden forest behind her. Joy filled her as she quickly spotted wonderful new additions to her new and improved garden forest core; waterways, small ponds, and whimsical earth flora fountains gave the area a park-like feel.

“Ah, I feel so refreshed just being here. So beautiful,” Wylla sighed as she spun around several times, coming to a stop facing the cool blue lake which reflected golden light here and there.

“If only I could live here... right there, that's the spot.” Her eyes looking at the empty island. “Just grow a wooden flora bridge from this side to the island with Lampryn flowers on the railings. And a big wonderful tree house like the one the Spriggankin taught me to make in the center surrounded by soft green grass and flower beds.”

ROAR!

Startled, Wylla looked up with eyes opened wide, “No, it can't be! Can it? But if so, then how would it get in here?... Unless...” Her eyes focused in as a huge golden scaled serpentine Syldrake dove down from above towards her.

Its emerald green eyes flashed with mischief as it pulled up from its dive near her, the wind from its movements causing her hair to flutter, as the majestic beast's tail slapped the lake's surface sending a heavy spray of water splashing, soaking her.

Wylla wiped the water from her face, shook her wet hair, and stared at the Syldrake for a moment or two with puffed up cheeks as the Syldrake 'grr-grr-grr'd' at her, chuckling. Ah! What am I thinking... no need to get upset. It's just playing with me... Besides, it's a Syldrake! Best not to get on its bad side. I should be glad it just wants to play instead of eat.

So Wylla just let it be and stood there happily watching as the Syldrake flew several times around the whole garden forest and then returned, circling around the lake, slowing as it spun and flew around the island.

This gave Wylla a good view of this majestic beast as its golden scales shone in the light; Royal purple sigils seemed to dance along its upper body while its underbelly (from the bottom of its whiskered jaw to the bottom tip of its tail) was shades of green like her hair.

It hovered in the air looking at Wylla, tilting its head to and fro, waiting... for something. “Why is it just floating there... looking at me like that?” Wylla furrowed her brows, her head tilted way up, and stared back; Their eyes connected sending a jolt of energy into her brain.

Images then began to flash through her mind, of flowers, plants, gardens, buildings, bridges, and such forming a picture...

ROAR!

The Syldrake roared up into the sky, slapped its tail into the center of the island, and flew up as something silvery grew up out of the ground. Higher and higher it stretched as its body became wider and wider. All around the island's grass grew lush and shrubs sprouted here and there. On the edge of the island, a pair of redwood branches burst out of the ground and stretched out over the lake, 30 or so yards, to dig into the ground in front of Wylla.

Soon board like branches began to connect the pair of redwood branches while other branches grew up forming railings. Meanwhile, the huge silvery tree trunk, now standing over 3 stories tall and 10 to 15 yards wide, began to change as an oversized evergreen arched doorway and stain glass-like windows began to take shape.

Up above, the royal Syldrake flew in circles and then dove into the lake, disappearing from sight with a large splash. Rumbling sounds and ground vibrations which sent waves in the water soon followed. The Syldrake then burst out from the ground, wrapping it's golden serpentine body around the silver tree building, merging together as balconies formed on the 2^nd and 3^rd floors.

The Syldrake's head reached above the top of the tree building, then turned to look down at Wylla one last time; It gave her a wink, then looked straight up into the sky and opened its mouth as if to roar... and froze like a statue becoming one with the new building which was now very clearly a most wonderful pagoda.

Wylla felt a very strong connection to this new majestic Syldrake Pagoda as a large orb of Oryn energy formed just slightly above the Syldrake's open mouth, spinning with shifting shades of swirling energy. Ah, this must have been my last core, my...

Meanwhile, outside in Havenscent Meadows, where a little green-haired girl sat in the lotus position by a large Oryn Tree still in a meditative state a soft [ ding! ] rang out.

[ Congratulations Wylla! You have reached the Trinity Unity Core Realm and have built a solid foundation from which to grow upon. A foundation that even a genius demi-god ranker would envy! You are now a true Rank 1 demi... err... 'player' and as such 15 stat points have been awarded to you. Plus an additional 15 stat points for building such a top tier foundation. Yay! :) ]