Aiden emerged from the narrow confines of the underground tunnel into the forgotten ruins, blinking against the sudden brightness of the forest. His ears, accustomed to the hushed silence of the earth, were immediately assaulted by a cacophony of sounds—chirps, squeaks, squawks, and chatters—a symphony of forest voices, each distinct and vibrant.
The air, thick with damp earth and decaying leaves, held a surprising sweetness. Honeysuckle tangled with wild roses and lavender, creating a sweet, intoxicating melody of scents that danced on the breeze.
His eyes adjusted slowly.
An instinct made him kneel, his fingers sinking into the yielding carpet of moss, cool and damp against his skin. But there was more—beneath the moss, a pulse, warm and ancient, thrummed gently against his palm. It was as if the forest itself was breathing, a silent, rhythmic exchange that resonated through his fingertips and crept up his arm.
A whisper of life stretched far beyond him, across a vast distance. It was a subtle hum, unmistakably alive, an intricate web of life force that flowed. The forest was a single, colossal entity, its consciousness woven together by the intertwining roots beneath his feet, each plant a nerve, each tree a muscle. He could feel it shifting, responding to his presence—small adjustments in the earth, a quiet shifting of energy. The forest was observing and reacting in its own primitive, instinctual way.
The sensation was alien, foreign to his own solitary existence. It was a presence without thought, a massive, instinctual network that operated on a level far from human reasoning. Yet, somewhere in the back of his mind, Aiden sensed the faintest possibility of influence, like a blacksmith's hammer poised above an anvil, ready to strike a single, resonant blow that might reshape the very fabric of the forest. The realization was both humbling and awe-inspiring as he knelt there, connected to something far greater and profoundly alive.
A blue jay perched atop a gnarled oak branch chirped in a high, piercing tone, breaking Aiden out of his introspection, and he looked up. The jay's vibrant azure feathers ruffled in the breeze as its beady black eyes blinked back at him. It squawked, cocking its crested head, "Predator? Danger close?" the thought echoed in Aiden's mind.
Aiden stiffened and asked himself. "Did I just understand that?"
The silver bell rang inside his head before he could fully process the implications. A familiar, unwelcome sensation—akin to a condescending pat on the back—preceded the appearance of glowing text hovering in his vision.
"BING! Animal Psychology is level 2"
[M] -------------------- [X]
Animal Psychology (Rare), Level 2
You’ve managed to gather enough awareness to understand that animals have thoughts beyond "food" and "run from danger." At this level, your grasp of animal behavior extends to handling domesticated creatures and some remarkably simple-minded wild ones. Don't let this minor accomplishment go to your head.
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Aiden had just finished reading the text when the last sentence faded, leaving only the description.
The bell rang again and another set of text was added.
"BING!"
[M] -------------------- [X]
Hidden Synergy Unlocked
Congratulations, oh perceptive one, you've managed to trip over something useful.
Through the combined influence of Nature’s Language (Legendary), Forest Kinship (Rare), and Animal Psychology (Basic), you have unlocked a deeper connection with the living world. The tangled mess of noise that was once indecipherable animal gibberish now carries meaning—granted, it's still mostly screaming about food, danger, and territory, but progress is progress.
New Synergy Skill Unlocked:
Instinctual Translation (Unique), Level 1
Your understanding of the wild has reached a rudimentary stage where animal speech, intentions, and emotions translate into comprehensible thoughts.
This is not telepathy. Animals will not start discussing philosophy with you. (Most of them barely think beyond their next meal, unlike others you could immediately name.)
More refined creatures may allow deeper communication—assuming they consider you worthy of more than a passing glance.
System Note: This skill is entirely your fault. You had no business understanding animals this well, yet here we are. If you continue down this path, expect unexpected consequences.
Passive Enhancement: All future interactions with animals will be influenced by this understanding. Oh, you are in for so much fun with this one.
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The wild rush of sounds around him resolved into words, ideas, and feelings.
Another bird, a melodious wood thrush with its speckled breast and russet-colored back, sang out in a flute-like trill, "Here! Safe here!" Its liquid notes cascaded through the forest, a soothing counterpoint to the jay's harsh alarm.
A third voice, quick and frantic, cut through the others. "No, no, no! There! There! The danger! Not you! You!"
"Mine!" a squirrel chattered from a nearby oak tree, its voice a rapid-fire burst of high-pitched squeaks. "Mine! Mine! Mine!" It shook its tail at another squirrel.
The second squirrel retorted in a lower, guttural chatter, its voice rasping like dry leaves skittering across the ground. "Food! Need food!" It clutched the disputed nut tightly in its tiny paws.
Aiden's mouth fell open. He had always felt a strange connection to the forest, but he had never heard its inhabitants speak so clearly before. The realization that he could understand them left him both bewildered and amused.
He mentally dismissed the messages and turned his attention to the animals he could see. He found he could focus his attention on specific creatures, gaining a clear understanding of what they were communicating, and in his mind, he understood the motivations.
A blue jay fluttered down to a lower branch, its bright eyes fixed on a spot in the grass. "Worm! Worm! Worm!" it cried triumphantly, its voice a series of sharp, staccato notes. "No worm. Twig." Its crest drooped in disappointment.
Nearby, a group of sparrows engaged in an animated discussion about the merits of various nesting materials, their chirps a flurry of quick, twittering sounds.
"Straw!" one insisted, its voice a bright, cheerful chirp. "Best! Best!"
"String!" another sparrow retorted, its voice slightly deeper, more insistent. "Strong! Good!"
As Aiden took a few steps further into the clearing, he nearly stumbled over a pair of rabbits. Their soft, murmuring voices were almost lost in the surrounding cacophony.
"Clover!" one rabbit accused, its nose twitching with indignation. "Mine!"
"Slow!" the other replied, munching on a tuft of grass. "Lazy!" Its voice was slower, more deliberate.
When they spotted Aiden, they both bolted for the underbrush, their white tails flashing like signals against the green.
Overhead, a couple of magpies were engaged in what seemed to be a lovers' quarrel, their harsh, cawing voices echoing through the trees.
"No shiny!" one of them squawked, its voice raspy and demanding. "Want shiny!"
"Here shiny!" the other magpie sighed, its voice softer, almost apologetic. "Brought shiny!"
The silver bell sounded again as another message appeared.
"BING! Animal Psychology is level 3"
"BING! Instinctual Translation is level 2"
"BING! Instinctual Translation is level 3"
Aiden laughed as he dismissed the new messages. He hadn't laughed like this in a long time. The animals' conversations were a blend of the mundane and the ridiculous, their concerns echoing the simplicity of their lives.
He shook his head, feeling a bit dazed indeed. "This is incredible," he muttered. He had read about druids and their ability to communicate with animals, but he had never considered that he might possess a similar gift. At the time he'd thought it'd be fun to have that ability, now the reality was settling in that it was a mixed bag.
Gigi stepped out of the shadows of the tunnel into the light, seeming to form from the shadow itself. The air around her rippled with a strange, dark energy.
"What are you laughing at?" Gigi growled.
"I've already gained five levels and two new skills!"
Gigi stopped and stared. "How?"
Ria chirped, "Never mind that. If he's got levels, I'm still level 5! The skeeding system is going to make us re-earn our diurdin levels!"
Gigi shook her head. "He's still showing as level zero to my interface."
Ria stopped cursing and stared off into the distance for a moment. "Ya, mine too. What exactly did you see Aiden?"
"I got a few of those messages, there was one about a skill upgrade of animal psychology to level three, another about a hidden synergy unlocking instinctual translation, and then a couple more as they leveled up."
Gigi let out a low, rumbling growl, her sides vibrating with what Aiden’s Instinctual Translation promptly identified as sarcastic amusement—or, in simpler terms, wolfish giggling. The sound carried an unmistakable undertone of affection like a predator playfully humoring its clueless cub.
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Ria let out a series of rapid chirps, the unmistakable cadence of laughter. "Oh, Aiden, that’s not leveling up. That’s just skill progression. Big difference."
Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Pretty sure leveling up means getting stronger. My skills are improving, so..."
Gigi snorted—a deep, amused rumble that sent a shiver through the ground. "Pup, that’s like saying sharpening a knife will make a sword."
Ria flapped onto Aiden’s shoulder, tilting her head dramatically. "Skills improve with use, yes. They level up quickly at first, but it gets way harder after level five. Every ten levels, you unlock extra perks or attributes. But true leveling up? That’s about your character class level, and that’s a whole different beast."
Aiden crossed his arms. "Alright, so how do I level up, then?"
Ria whistled in what Aiden could only describe as mild exasperation. "Effort. A lot of it. Seekers used to get quests—but, oh, fun fact! The quest system broke when the realms split. So, no guaranteed quest rewards, no clear progression, and absolutely no hand-holding. Just vibes and suffering."
Aiden groaned. "Great. Anything else rigged against me?"
Gigi grinned, flashing her knife-like teeth. "Oh, plenty. But my favorite part? You’re listed as an NPC. That means no class description, no starting abilities, and technically, people aren’t supposed to attack or kill you."
Aiden blinked. "That actually sounds… kind of useful?"
Ria gave a slow, deliberate chirp, the kind that came through clearly as —oh, you sweet summer child — "Yeah, about that. You’re also registered as a Seeker, which isn’t off-limits. So, congrats! You’re a walking contradiction. Technically untouchable but technically fair game. I’m sure that won’t cause any problems down the line."
Aiden sighed, rubbing his temples. "So I’m a level zero nobody who’s both killable and unkillable, with a broken system that won’t give me quests to gain levels."
Gigi’s tail flicked as she settled back on her haunches. "Yup. You’re gonna have a great time, pup."
Ria flew back to Gigi's back. "Speaking of great times, where are the soldiers?"
"The soldiers and that other Seeker are to the north. And I want to talk about what just happened with this bonded link." Gigi growled, her voice a deep, resonant rumble.
"No kidding this is a skeed disaster of the first order. The urding system is skeed," Ria chirped from Gigi's back, her voice laced with a frantic edge. She fluffed her feathers in protest. "We need to go somewhere Aiden can be safe. What about your hunting grounds?" She chirped.
Aiden turned east towards the village. "We can deal with that later. First, we make sure Tilda is safe and help the village."
Gigi stepped in front of him, blocking the way. "That is crazy!" she growled, her voice vibrating with urgency.
"Gigi, I'm going." He said, trying to push past her. But, she didn't move.
Ria made a rude, squawking noise.
Gigi looked down at Aiden's feet. "Fine, but let's not leave any tracks they can use to find us or this place."
"You think the soldiers won't find this entrance?" Ria squawked, her voice laced with disbelief. "They will, especially with that Seeker sniffing around. There is the campsite where Bram and Aiden sat around for a week trying to figure out the interlink chamber. The path from here to there is practically a boardwalk!"
Gigi lowered her head, her tone dangerous. "Ria's right, pup. Those tracks are not subtle. That Cassian, he's got a nose for trouble—and he's a Seeker. He will find this place."
Aiden stepped back so he could look at Gigi and Ria at the same time. His heart sank as he thought it through. He had been so focused on getting to Tilda that he hadn't thought about Cassian finding the chamber or the trails he'd been leaving. He looked back at the tunnel entrance and then at the dense undergrowth surrounding them.
"What about my powers? I'm a Seeker now, too," he asked, remembering the strange energy he had felt coursing through him when he had accepted the system prompts. "Can't I use them to hide our tracks?"
Ria and Gigi exchanged a look—a mixture of exasperation and amusement.
"You," Gigi said, her voice a low rumble, "have no idea what you're doing."
Ria hopped off Gigi's back and landed back on Aiden's shoulder, her claws digging lightly into his tunic. "She's right, you know. This isn't just hammering in nails. This is like your smithing, learning metals, heat, and the chemistry involved. This is... different."
Aiden frowned, feeling a surge of frustration. "What am I supposed to do? Just stand and let the soldiers find us or this place or both?"
Gigi barked, "Sometimes there are no good choices. We should head off. It isn't like Cassian will be able to do much more with this interlink chamber than he can do with the one he's using, wherever that is."
"He can cut Aiden off! Post guards and set up fortifications. Aiden might need to get back here. And what if he dies?" Ria shot back.
Aiden's stomach did a complete twist, "What do mean what if I die?"
"If a Seeker dies, the next day they reappear at the last system gate. There are gates scattered throughout the realms. Some are just gates. Interlink chambers are gates and more. Right now, if you are killed by normal means, you'll reappear here." Ria twittered nervously.
Gigi shook her massive head, "Oh that isn't good. He probably already has guards at all the gates they know about."
"Because if he finds this, he can have guards waiting," Aiden realized.
He closed his eyes and held his head. He had to hide this place. Which meant removing all traces of his and Bram's trek in and out of the forest, the campsite, and this chamber.
Desperately, he tried to think of what the system had said about his abilities as a Seeker.
A notification suddenly blocked his field of vision.
[M] -------------------- [X]
[Abilities]
Forest Kinship (Rare)
Inventory (Rare)
Nature's Language (Legendary)
Spatial Awareness (Epic)
Universal Voice (Rare)
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He focused on Forest Kinship, Aiden was sure that was the solution. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. The notification was replaced with another.
[M] -------------------- [X]
Forest Kinship, Rare
TL;DR: Feel the greenery areas around you, no chatting with trees or shrooms, but a real magical green thumb as a bonus!
Hey, you understand the forest. Not that plants have much to say. Still, this ability grants a sense of what’s happening and where. With patience and practice, you can influence plants, sort of. Of course, this can be done with a good pair of clippers, a watering can, a small pile of skeed, and patience.
But hey, you don't have any patience. And no one wants to smell like they've been elbows deep in skeed. Sure, you cannot talk to plants; luckily for you, they don't talk. But they do have feelings, insights, and reactions, which you now tap into.
Grants the cantrip Plant Growth.
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The tone was different—sharp and biting, almost personal. It reminded Aiden of the more cantankerous villagers, the ones who always had something sour to say about anyone who didn’t share their opinions. He usually ignored them, but their pettiness was relentless, needling at him like a burr caught in his cloak. And he shuddered, thinking that whatever entity or entities that controlled this system thing were going to be like this. He needed to understand this new reality.
That was for later. Now, he needed to clean up his mess. He focused on the cantrip Plant Growth line at the bottom. He'd never heard of a cantrip, and the notification again was replaced.
[M] -------------------- [X]
Cantrips:
Ah, you've discovered cantrips which are simple spells you can cast at will, requiring minimal effort. Think of it like snapping your fingers or whistling a tune… except actually useful. Wizards love to act like they’re above such petty magic, but let’s be real—every last one of them uses Laundry Day when no one’s watching.
Plant Growth (Cantrip), Rare
TL;DR: Want instant greenery or long-term farming magic? Great. Just don’t blame us when the vines get ideas.
This spell transfers your mana and vitality into plants within a limited area. You know, like feeding them with your life force. Sounds dramatic, right? That’s because it is.
WARNING: This cantrip directly drains your vitality. Mana and vitality costs increase below fifty percent of your total vitality score. Mana and vitality do not regenerate while you're using Plant Growth — magic takes, it doesn’t give.
You’ve got two ways to abuse this leafy power:
Immediate Use: Pick a point within 100 feet. All normal plants in a fifty-foot radius centered on that point will start growing rapidly.
Side effects include overgrown tangles, vines acting like they own the place, and invasive plants growing insanely faster than their well-behaved neighbors. (Seriously, keep an eye on kudzu, wisteria, bittersweet, winter creeper, smilax, and definitely the blackberry.)
On the bright side, it is a convenient way to restock your herb supply.
Pro Tip: You can exclude one or more areas within the affected zone. That means you won’t accidentally turn your camp into a thicket or suffocate yourself under an overzealous pumpkin patch.
Long-Term Use: Meditate in an area for a full day. Doesn’t matter how much you try to rest—your mana and vitality will slowly drain. The tradeoff? The plants in the area get a serious boost, resisting invasive species, disease, and drought. Oh, and they’ll yield significantly more when harvested.
Basically, you get to be a magical gardener… or an unintentional harbinger of plant-based chaos. Use wisely.
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That was what he needed. He concentrated on trying to use Forest Kinship combined with Plant Growth.
He felt the Plant Growth begin to activate, and he could feel the energy draining. But, he pushed to control the process with his Forest Kinship. There was a pressure that built up in his mind. He focused his mind as Bram had taught, and his smithing work had trained him to stay focused on the goal.
With an almost audible popping sound, the pressure was released in a rush of power.
*BING: Plant Growth is level 2."
"BING"
[M] -------------------- [X]
"New spell created by combining Forest Kinship and Plant Growth."
Verdant Dominion (Epic)
TL;DR: Congratulations! You’ve successfully merged Plant Growth and Forest Kinship. Now, instead of just encouraging plants, you are the forest… and the forest listens.
Ever wished you could shape the wilds with sheer force of will? Well, here you go. This spell allows you to not only accelerate plant growth but command it, forging an instinctive link to the land itself. Of course, wielding such power comes at a cost—your mana and vitality fuel the forest, and the forest does not take lightly to careless hands.
WARNING: This spell is fueled by your mana and vitality. Costs increase below fifty percent of your total vitality score. Mana and vitality do not regenerate while you're using Verdant Dominion.
Effects:
Living Wilderness: You can feel the forest—its rhythms, its whispers, its secrets. When activated, your connection expands, letting you instinctively sense movement, disturbances, and the health of the plant life in the area.
Instant Overgrowth: Choose a point within 100 feet. All plant life in a 100-foot radius surges to life, thickening into a dense, wild tangle. You control this growth with your intent—want a natural, ancient barrier? Done. Need an impassable wall of vines? Easy. Want to make someone regret walking through the wrong patch of blackberry underbrush? Have fun explaining that to them later.
Invasive plants still grow faster (seriously, watch out for kudzu, wisteria, and the ever-vengeful blackberry).
Pro Tip: You can exclude areas within the affected zone—so you don’t accidentally entangle yourself. Unless you enjoy that sort of thing.
The Forest Remembers: If you meditate in an area for a full day, you may imprint a lasting change onto the environment. This strengthens the land, making plant life more resistant to disease, drought, and external destruction.
Over time, the area may take on characteristics of an untouched, ancient forest.
Side effect: You may experience vivid dreams of the land’s past. Enjoy the nostalgia.
So, welcome to being part of the forest—literally. Just be careful. The more you use this, the more the wilds might start recognizing you as one of their own.
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An odd feeling washed over him like a warm wave. He could feel something vast and ancient, almost touching his mind and his magic. He reached for the presence, trying to focus it on the forest around him, like hammering a rivet into place, a part of his mind connected to the presence. His mind exploded in a riot of sensations. He felt the wind whispering through the leaves, heard the rustle of insects in the undergrowth, and smelled the damp earth and the sweetness of thousands of flowering plants. It was overwhelming, and he felt himself vanish into the forest's vastness.
With the understanding and connection, he poured his will into the plants around them, picturing the undergrowth closing in, concealing their tracks. He wanted a natural forest, an ancient and concealing growth that people had never touched.
"BING! Verdant Dominion is level 2"
Vines snaked out from the undergrowth, their tendrils thick and strong, entangling Gigi's legs and wrapping around Aiden's ankles.
Gigi yelped in surprise as more vines flew up, wrapping around her.
"Urding STOP!" She screamed as the thick vines constricted and plants exploded all around them.
