Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Forest

It had been 4 days at this point, and their group had still not come to any decisions on what to do. And Catnip would have to have that talk tomorrow. Shit. 

 

It turns out the mercenaries had not liked the idea of being possessed by fungal spores or something. Unsurprisingly for a group of sellswords, Rose, Zack, and Sorjorn all were fully intent on looking after themselves first, and would not be swayed by something like Dacre going on about how the dungeon would have tons of cool history. Myra was fine either way because although she didn’t want to die particularly, she was up for either direction if they offered interesting fights. After all that was pretty much the only reason she was a mercenary. Entirely fair thought process. 

 

Frank… was undecided, more focused on working on his ‘warrior sense’ version of sight. Mia was entirely neutral and would just do whatever everyone else did. Flora was somewhat interested in the idea of scouting the forest due to connection with plant based magics, but she still didn’t really know either way. 

 

During these 4 days, they had occasionally wandered out into parts of the dungeon they had previously explored before, harvesting more mushrooms or surveying the infected area from the side. The results of this investigation were not encouraging. Although for the most part, keeping a bit of distance between the infected area and themselves kept them from being attacked, the creatures that they were able to Identify from a distance ranged from [Rank 2] to [Rank 4]. The [Rank 2] was manageable, but above that? No way they could really deal with it, they’d just have to run. And in general higher ranks tended to have enough speed that it was kind of hard to run from them, so it would be a mess. The dungeon was able to stay on mostly even footing with the whole infection, so presumably it had some scary stuff too, but for the most part it only fought with huge numbers of [Rank 1]s and a few [Rank 2]s. In addition, dungeons were well known for sort of scaling their difficulty for invaders for some reason, possibly because they needed to keep a balance of being dangerous but rewarding and got something from just having intruders fighting within their dungeon. That scaling would not necessarily remain manageable if they continued deeper into the labyrinth, but for now it was pretty manageable. Frank had proposed that if they were to take the dungeon route, they should stay on or near the border of the infected region, hopefully the contest between the two territories of the dungeon distracting monsters from both sides, and hopefully the scaling being not quite as extreme as it would be if they were to just straight up walk into the depths of either side. 

 

Still, none of this really helped if they didn’t actually make a choice. The fact was that any option they took from here was going to be unreasonably dangerous and risky, but staying here for a long time probably wasn’t a good choice either. The dungeon and its fungal sections had a feeling of aliveness to them after all, how long would it take until they started more actively responding to their presence? And the mists and forests were equally creepy, the low pulsing continuing at every hour of the day, a general feeling that there was something greater out there permeating the forested valley. It sucked. What also sucked was the fact that everyone had agreed last night to finally come to a decision on things this morning after breakfast. Catnip really didn’t want to move from the corner snuggle zoneTM  and face reality, but Frank had gotten sick of the rest of his team cuddling in a corner and was kind of trying to pull Catnip up despite her protests, jostling the others awake. Oh well, breakfast was good too. Even if it was mushrooms. 

 

Once again arranged into a circle along the dungeon floor, everyone finishing up their breakfasts of Nutri-shrooms and sipping some water, courtesy of Dacre’s magic, Frank clapped his hands and began the meeting. 

 

“Right, we all agreed that we’ve been wasting too much time without coming to a decision about what to do next, so how about we take a vote?” He proposed. “Personally I vote we continue dealing with the dungeon and entirely avoid the mist forest, something about it just feels off.”

 

“Spending so much time underground… only an Alvarian could think that was natural,”  Sorjorn grumbled. “Off or not, a forest is at least familiar ground.” 

 

“Survivin’ in the wilderness is kind of something we know well, but that creepy place? Fuck mate, maybe if we have someone scout, otherwise I vote the dungeon,” Rose replied. “I know most from Verbon have something against spending much time in caves and dungeons but we don’t have the luxury of caring. Never really got the issue myself, survivin’ is survivin’ regardless of where you are.” 

“Plus, history and ruins! We can’t lose this chance!” Dacre interjected.

 

“Plants and unique forests are great, but I’m fine either way,” Flora added. “Plus Catnip does have me quite interested in the idea of lore now so…” 

 

“So dungeon it is?” Frank said with some finality. “Seems like we mostly agree that’s the better idea.” 

 

“Scout the forest first,” Zack said, breaking his silence.

 

“Why?” 

 

Zack didn’t reply. 

 

“Might be interesting to beat up non corporeal beings,” Myra said. “If we do scout a bit I’m in.”

 

Frank sighed. “Anyone else want to scout the forest against their better judgment?”

 

“Oh ME!” Flora, raising her hand with energy. “If we’re doing this I have no plans to miss out on a taste of nature. Long as Catnip alright with it, that is”

 

“Huh? Why does my opinion matter?” Catnip replied, still not wanting to make decisions. “Oh wait, yeah, I’m alright with it, as long as I lead the pack. If anything I’m in less danger in the forest, as the fungal infection would prove a threat to me regardless of being unable to die. The mist screams and subtle mental manipulation are pretty awful too but I’m used to them at this point.” 

 

“I think… I’d, uh, um like to stay here if that’s okay with everyone,” Mia said quietly. “I need a bit more time to practice one handed fighting anyway, fi-fighting in low visibility isn’t something I feel uh, ready for yet.” 

 

“Hey, that’s perfectly fine girl! You do you!” Flora said, giving her a thumbs up. “Right Catnip?”

 

“Right. You deserve to be yourself Mia. Believe in yourself!” Catnip exclaimed, also giving a thumbs up. 

 

“Uh… Okay. I’m pretty unsure about this, but it seems like it’s decided,” Frank said with a cough. “Catnip, Flora, Zack and Myra scout the forest right?”

 

“Ain’t got anything better to do, so I’ll join too,” Rose said. “Think that’s it though, s’pose the lady and her maid would rather enjoy their lore or whatever that nonsense was.”

 

“Tch, don’t disrespect a historic discovery for the ages!”

 

“Yeah whatever, ya still can’t survive off historic discoveries. I’d much rather focus on putting food on my plate,” Rose replied with an absentminded wave of her hand.  

 

“But - “ 

 

“Don’t waste your breath on rabble Milady,” Fresia interrupted, pulling a napkin out of nowhere and using it to wipe a bit of shroom off of Dacre’s face in a strangely elegant way. “She simply can’t appreciate such things like you can.” 

 

Rose chuckled. “Rabble, huh? Was wondering when ya would start seeming more like a proper noble, all snooty n’ shit.” 

 

“You-”

 

“Anyway, team, let's go scouting!” Catnip interrupted before the minor disagreement could escalate. “Come on guys n’ gals and nonbinary pals, we don’t have all day!” 

 

“So uh, guess that’s it then,” Frank said, trying to finish up the meeting. “I think the rest of us can train and run a few food runs when needed. Stay safe scouts, stay safe.” 

 

“Uh, um, go-good luck!” Mia cried out as Catnip and Flora started dragging the rest of the scout squad towards the doorway. “Please don’t get hurt.” 

 

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head,” Flora said with a grin, “We’ll be right at home in a forest with the faithful ol’ me on our side! And Catnip would never let any of us come to harm if she could help it.” 

 

“Uh, okay!”

 

And so the incredibly questionably wise scouting squad set out into the mist, heading towards the forest. Catnip was entirely sure something was going to go wrong but at the same time maybe thinking that something would go wrong would somehow reverse the luck and make nothing go wrong? Shit, Catnip just thought that nothing would go wrong. Have mercy, world!

 

___

 

The mist was still creepy as hell, even after days of occasionally going out and grinding there. The resonating pulse, the creepy Lost Souls, yeah all that. But in some ways, the atmosphere continued to be really cool. The perfect kind of place for exploration. 

 

Despite Catnip’s lacking stealth abilities, she insisted on being in front. Her safety and well being wasn’t really an issue after all. No matter what Flora or anyone else said about her worth. 

 

The mist swirled behind her as she walked towards the edge of the forest, obscuring the forms of the rest of the group following her. Soon they reached the treeline, marked by a creeping carpet of moss, reaching out into the surrounding stone like tendrils. Ferns and vibrant green bushes covered the ground, trees with countless branches creating an all enveloping canopy above them, the silence only broken by the pulse and occasional rustling in the undergrowth. The maze of branches and leaves above made no sounds at all in contrast, no birds or squirrels or other creatures disturbing the peace, the mist drifting lazily through leaves fluttering in an unseen wind. 

 

Catnip looked back at her party to make sure everyone was there, taking one last glance at the more open misted area. After a second’s hesitation, she signaled Flora and started walking into the undergrowth. 

 

For the most part, things remained quiet. Occasionally, lights would flicker at the edges of their vision, settling in bushes, a quick Identify labeling them as Lost Lights of the Woods, some [Rank 2], others [Rank 1]. Quickly followed by shots of acid from several directions being launched at Catnip. They were rather easy to dodge, but annoyingly the creatures immediately ran away as soon as the party attempted to fight back with blades of blood or whipping vines. Zack and Myra didn’t even have a chance to do anything, neither of them really having much of a ranged attack and not fast enough to get into melee range. Catnip could still feel that despite not killing anything, the fights were still giving some form of experience fortunately. Still not very much though. 

 

Overall it was kind of underwhelming. This was the horrible mist forest they had all been so scared off? It seemed kind of silly at this point. Now they could get to scouting to find a way out! Truly, it would have been silly to go the dungeon route when this totally dope forest was here! 

 

“Why didn’t we check this out earlier? These plants are hella dope!” Flora whispered rather loudly to the group. 

 

“I don’t know, it felt like a smart idea at the time I guess? Kinda silly really, seeing this soothing atmosphere,” Catnip replied with a chuckle. 

 

Zack stared at both of them like they were mad and turned back to the undergrowth. He looked a little uneasy for some reason. What a silly goose. 

 

“Hey Catnip check out this fucking fern my dude!” Flora said, suddenly moving forward and grabbing her arm. “Look it’s like, kinda see through!” she said excitedly. Indeed, the fern’s leaves were kind of wispy and translucent. Very nice. 

 

Myra walked over to both of them, seeming confused. She looked at the fern as well, admiring its unique properties. Her confusion quickly fell away at the sight. 

 

“Hey Zacky boy! Ya want in on this?” Flora called out in a boisterous tone, the resonating pulse in the background growing slightly louder. 

 

“That is a fern,” Zack said in response, looking over to the three of them. “I don’t understand.” 

 

“PSHH what do you need to understand! It’s a fucking fern, and holy shit it’s fucking translucent my guy!” She started laughing. “Ferns. Lmao. Heya Catnip, I bet there’s more cool shit if we just head a bit deeper, whadda say?” 

 

Catnip thought about things for a second. This whole situation was kind of getting a little weird, from an outside perspective. However, that fern was pretty dope….

“FUCK YEAH!” Catnip replied logically, suddenly hugging Flora to herself and spinning around in joy.

 

“Hold up,” Myra said, looking at them both suspiciously. “These ferns are admittedly incredibly cool, but I joined this scouting mission to fight shit, not look at plants.”

 

“Huh… yeah that is true, but…” Catnip mumbled

 

“Plants Catnip! PLANTS!” Flora literally straight up shouted into the mist. 

 

“Good point,” Myra observed, her doubts quenched. “Are we gonna run into this here woods or not? Cause I’m ready.”

 

The mist thrummed with tangible energy, the pulsing growing in intensity. Zack looked increasingly uneasy, and for a second, Catnip herself felt a little scared too.

 

Eh, it was probably nothing! 

 

“Let’s go!” she cried out in joy, pulling Flora along, both giggling as they spun a bit, tripping on a bush and failing to the ground with a thump. They laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and - 

 

Zack suddenly appeared in front of them and straight up kicked them. 

 

You are reading story Isekai #2309523, Variant 2: Op Undying Skill at novel35.com

“Stop. Stop being stupid,” he said firmly. 

 

“Spoilsport,” Catnip replied, grabbing at his leg in an attempt to pull him down with them. She noticed something about her hand as it passed in front of her face, and jeez, was it pretty neat! “My hand, it’s like the ferns now! Translucent and shit!”

 

“Oh yeah, that’s so cool Catnip!” Flora said with a giggle, “Look! Mine too! 

 

Zack was looking around in the undergrowth in a panic, seeming increasingly worried. He really needed to just take a chill pill, like Myra who was now totally chillin over there on the ground, practically becoming one with the vines of the forest! Hell, it almost looked like they were growing over her! Catnip would be jealous of her incredible plant based luck, but her wispy hands were cooler so she didn’t care. 

 

“Stop. I… Stop it,” Zack said, the thrumming pulse in the background accenting his words. “This is… This is…”

 

“Ey Zacky boi, that idea you had to scout out here! Best Fucking Idea ever my guy!” Flora exclaimed in excitement. “Woah, even my magic is getting better! Look, my vines are moving on their own without me even spending any mana!” 

 

Zack didn’t seem to hear her for a second, shaking his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. To Catnip’s joy, he was starting to look quite interested in the surrounding plants, just like them!

 

“It’s cool right! Scouting? What’s that! We got more important things to do, am I right lads!” Catnip said with a growing grin. “Survival! Stupid, I literally can’t die! Plants are better,” she continued, somewhat hysterically. “I mean, why would wandering into the forest at random for ‘scouting’ even be useful in a survival situation anyway! Like, if you were trying to leave the valley, you could just follow the edges of the valley instead of wandering towards the clearly dangerous center!” 

 

Zack seemed to snap out of his daze at that comment. “Scouting… I suggested it… I suggested it because…” He seemed very confused. “It felt right?” 

 

“Well, you made a good call!” Catnip replied. For some reason Flora seemed to be a bit conked out, and Myra had relaxed even more into her vine bed, leaving just Zack and Catnip aware. 

 

“No… we.. We have to get out of here!” Zack cried out in a sudden panic. With more emotion than he had ever shown before, he reached down to Catnip and shook her by the shoulders roughly. “We were just lured here in the first place!” 

 

“Silly… this place is just tooooo cool for you….” she replied sleepily. Wow, the forest floor was a good spot for a nice nap, even for someone who couldn’t sleep anymore. 

 

“Wake up. Now.” He said firmly, slapping her and Flora in the face several times. He quickly ran over to Myra to do the same, but neither Flora or her reacted. Catnip just thought it was a bit rude, y’know. 

 

“Please,” he said slightly desperately. “I know I’m not the best at talking but, I’ll never abandon my comrades, even temporary ones.” 

 

“Eh… I think that’s the longest sentence you’ve ever said, why ya getting all serious on me, home boy?”

 

“Catnip. You are affected by mental magics. Help me save us,” he continued, trying to pull her out of the vines beginning to constrict her and Flora. The pulsing grew, as if the heart of the mist itself was beating faster. 

 

With a crack, Zack somehow managed to get the strength to break Catnip and Flora out of the vines constricting them, jostling Flora slightly awake and giving Catnip slightly more awareness about her situation. Finally, she realized something was wrong. She saw Flora’s glazed over eyes, Myra lying still beneath a growing mass of vines, and Zack’s determined gaze, full of tension and fear but remaining calm nonetheless. This was a sticky situation.

 

Seeing her snap out of it, Zack’s tension left him slightly, visibly relieved, and turned to go help pull out Myra from her prison while Catnip regained her bearings. He reached down to her, pulling at the vines covering her and sighing when he saw her eyes begin to regain intelligence. Really, Zack had saved them all, without him they would have been screwed. She’d have to thank him after this was over. 

 

Perhaps if he hadn’t been so distracted saving them he would have seen it coming. 

 

There was a weakness to Catnip’s Feline Instinct. Despite Catnip mostly being focused on protecting others, the danger sensing skill only activated when she herself was going to be in danger. Intellectually, Catnip knew what this meant, that if something simply targeted one of her allies without her in the way, she would get no warning about it and have no time to protect them. She wasn’t necessarily always going to be in the position to take the hits for others, and without her danger sensing skill she simply couldn’t respond fast enough to nearby attacks at her current level. The cat girl was dependent on the skill for fighting after all, having almost no actual training herself, so any situation where she couldn’t rely on it was bound to go badly. Yes, she knew all this well, but on some level still believed things would go well for her current survival group anyway, that she could and would save them at the last moment if required, that everyone would get out alive somehow because of course they would. 

 

So she was completely unprepared to see a vine burst from the undergrowth and directly impale Zack through the heart, killing him almost instantly. His eyes were wide, a hand drifting down to his blood soaked chest, looking on in horror as his lifeblood dripped to the forest floor, seeming to dissolve into mist halfway down. From the center of his wound, his body started to drift apart, the very fabric of his being dissolving into the surrounding atmosphere, tendrils of mist ripping at his body as he assimilated into the drifting fog. In just a few seconds, Zack was no more, only the blood soaked stake that had killed him being the only thing that remained. No, not quite - He was fucking dead, but the light of his life flowed into and formed a slighter thicker patch of mist, a quite familiar one at that. 

 

Lost soul of the Mist[Rank 2][lvl ??]

 

For some reason, Catnip almost wanted to laugh.

 

It wasn’t funny. Not in the slightest. Zack had been a person. Not one she knew well, an acquaintance who had been an enemy just a few days before. But she had talked to him. Known him and his blunt statements, trusted him to have her back in a fight, watched him do his very best to snap her and her companions out of their addled states, when he could have just run away to survive himself. And now… he was dead and his soul would wander through the mist for all eternity, a tortured existence they had treated like fodder to grind off of not long ago, a cursed being that could only reach an end of horrific screaming that drove one mad.  

 

And why? Why? Because some stupid mental effect of the mist had somehow convinced them it was a good idea to scout out the forest for literally no reason, and the rest of his “faithful companions” had immediately fallen to the mist’s influence because of mildly interesting plants. 

 

He was dead now, or rather worse than dead, and she was almost 100% sure it was entirely her fault. Somehow. 

 

The least she could do was save his soul from that terrible fate. 

 

Catnip jumped up and pulled out her blade, slashing her wrist harshly and immediately forming the blood into sickles. She moved towards what remained of Zack, her Feline Instincts suddenly pinging as another vine like the one that killed Zack moved to spear her. She moved to the side somewhat, letting it spear through her side on purpose then cutting part of it off with her Dark Iron Blade. She probably deserved getting impaled for her sins. And it wasn’t like she didn’t need blood to work with. Ha, ‘Her’. Funny that he was still trying to pretend he was something he was not, despite his worthlessness. 

 

Still paying attention to their Feline Instincts and half keeping an eye on Flora and Myra as they tried to untangle themselves from their predicaments, Catnip launched as many sickles as they could at the lost soul, the creature’s horrible screams ringing out into the forest. Flora and Myra’s efforts temporarily stopped, each of them struggling in the grip of the vines as their orifices started bleeding. Catnip just used the blood from their bleeding to make more sickles, dodging another vine that speared towards her. Their body started to slow as the damage from her wounds and blood loss caught up to them, but they had enough mana to keep forcing their body to move anyway. Much to their dismay, their hand continued growing more translucent, as if the forest was sucking away their very substance. 

 

Congratulations! You have died!

 

It didn’t matter. They continued attacking, pushing their undying skill and blood puppetry to its limits to dodge more and more attacking vines. The screams continued. A vine rose from the undergrowth, tripping them, Catnip barely managing to keep themselves from falling forwards into the body of the Lost Soul, their hand brushing against it anyway, the pain of the mist eating away at their fingers barely registering. For a second, they felt their heart beat again, only for the blood loss to immediately end their life once again. 

 

Congratulations! You have died!

 

It didn’t matter. The mist wasn’t dying. The spearing vines weren’t stopping, their friends weren’t escaping. Catnip couldn’t give in, they refused to fail anyone else. 

 

Regardless of their wishes, their mana ran out, and their body collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. Catnip felt more tired than they ever had in this world so far, intuitively they knew that reaching both 0 health and 0 mana would take longer for their body to recover from. Longer than it would take for the vines or Lost Soul to reach their friends. In their current state, it took all of their effort just to finally Identify the attacking vines, which they could now see was a wriggling mass that made the ground itself seem alive. 

 

Creeping Vines of the Lost[Rank 3][lvl ??]

 

Ha…. [Rank 3]... It stabbed Catnip a few more times for good measure, turning towards their struggling friends, slipping through the undergrowth and over their body. It seemed the vines that held them were a separate thing from the monster, the forest itself infused with a grim magic that lured and trapped. 

 

The mist swirled above Catnip, as they lied unmoving. Zack’s remains drifted past them, heading towards Myra, the mercenary’s struggles having gone silent. The mist pulsed with a dull hum, only broken by the slithering sound of the Creeping vines and Flora’s continuing defiance. Something wet rolled down Catnip’s face, flowing down into the growing pool of blood around their body. They tried to move again, but with so little mana and health regenerated, they only shifted slightly and fell still. 

 

He was… so incredibly pathetic. A man granted his dreams, accepted by a party of strangers, given a skill like no other. A man who received a miracle and squandered it, who used it to lie to the faces of his friends about who and what he was, who failed to help them when it mattered most. This whole adventure had always been so selfish, hadn’t it? Seriously, a cat girl, an anime classic so frequently sexualized that he almost felt guilty? His mouth made a gurgling sound as he gave a choked laugh, his unearned body practically drowning in its own blood. 

 

Flora, still awake despite her restraints and increasingly wispy body, looked at him in desperation, somehow worried about him despite her own struggles, somehow still moving when no one else could, somehow still caring about a worthless person like him. It was infuriating in a way, that people continued to care for him despite everything. Though Flora wouldn’t be Flora if she didn’t care so much about even a moving corpse like him. Though she also seemed a little fascinated by the sheer amount of blood he lay in. Flora, never change. 

 

Fuck, it was finally really hitting Catnip that Flora was going to die. He would never hear her stupid jokes again, never cuddle with her, never have that gender talk they were planning. And it was all going to be his fault. On some level, Catnip had half expected to get some miracle power up once things truly got this desperate, his isekai protagonist status preventing true misfortune from happening to those he cared for. But that didn’t seem to be happening anytime soon. Catnip should have expected a world that granted them an inability to die would be more dark and unforgiving than anything else. 

 

Ha, he was even straight up hallucinating Flora somehow fusing plants into herself, letting her fight back despite her dissolving body. It would be way too convenient for her to gain a power up or something right now that just happened to help them all out of this situation. Could you even do that with plant magic anyway? 

 

Wait - 

 

Shit, if this happened to not be a hallucination, just giving up now like he was currently would be a waste and possibly cost lives! He had to help her!

 

By this point Flora had somehow managed to pull herself free from the vines binding her, but she was clearly running out of energy. And Zack’s Lost Soul was almost at Myra, Flora wouldn’t have enough time to save her even if she had the energy! Catnip refused to let another death be on her conscience, regardless of her current state. Because… 

 

If Flora could have a power up - so could he!

 

Catnip had regenerated enough to not be dead, and their mana had slightly regenerated, but not much at all, and a clearly reduced rate. Thanks to having both mana and health drop to 0 probably. Frankly, she didn’t have enough to do much of anything, or escape the vines themself. But they still had the bloody pool surrounding their body. 

 

They pumped all of their mana into the puddle, despite the protests of their body, forming it into several sickles of blood. It was hard, they didn’t want to form as easily as usual, and the mana cost was a lot higher than it normally was. But - it was at least a distraction. 

 

The Lost Soul screeched in pain as the sickles passed through it, turning(if a floating mist with no clear front could do so) in their direction. The Creeping Vines shivered and moved to stab Catnip again, apparently annoyed that they still weren’t dead. They barely registered the pain, or the death message. They had bought time. 

 

Both Flora and Myra convulsed due to the screams, but thankfully, it was enough. Flora’s vines seemingly fused to her body and pushed her forwards towards Myra, the mercenary clearly unconscious by this point. And with what looked like excruciating effort, Flora broke the woman free and pulled her over her shoulder, turning to Catnip tiredly. They tried to smile, but it didn’t really work. Especially because they just got stabbed again. 

“Catnip - “ Flora coughed out, lurching forward away towards where they had come from. “We have to go! Do I need to free you?”

 

“I’m the only thing distracting these things - you two need to leave on your own!” Catnip managed to wheeze in response, despite her lungs being punctured in multiple places. 

 

“Fuck Catnip, I’m not leaving you behind!” 

 

“... I still can’t die. You can,” she responded matter-of-factly. She really would have to get a new shirt or something after this, especially since the Lost Soul had almost reached her by this point. Stab wounds that tattered her clothes were bad enough, the straight up erasure of the mist creatures would be worse. 

 

Flora looked a bit annoyed by her response, but nodded back and started slowly trudging towards where they had come from. Every few seconds, the Crawling Vines seemed to twitch and try to turn towards her, but each time Catnip forced her mana to move her body enough to make the plant believe she still wasn’t dead. It was rather fortunate the plant wasn’t very smart or strategic. 

 

“Keep going, I can escape on my own,” Catnip whispered at one point in this tedious escape process. Flora once again clearly wanted to argue, but they shook their head and gave her a small smile before she could continue to object. Flora looked almost painfully sad at that, but got the message. She continued on with determination, disappearing into the mist of the forest, leaving Catnip alone. 

 

Now she just needed to escape. Which shouldn’t be hard, given that she was unable to die, and did know the way out of the forest. Probably. It would be fine!

 

.

 

Yeah! We can do this!

 

…

 

Fuck the entire right side of her body had basically disappeared due to a combination of the wispy effect and the Lost Soul having reached her, and the stabbing vines were effectively pining her to the ground. She literally did not have the mobility with her current body to run. 

 

Maybe they would get to test the whole “entire body gets destroyed” thing after all.