Opening the tree capsule, I calmly exited and made my way towards the hunter and its mountain of resources. 

It leaped off its mountain of prey and kneels with a fist against its heart as if greeting its queen.

Who the fuck taught it that?! And why!! Where's the over-eager puppy!?

Pushing aside my confusion I place my hand atop its head and begin my scan 

And soon I am shocked by what I find, other than some natural and preprogrammed growths. Its brain was completely reworked. It’s still battle optimized and completely loyal but now it is capable of free thought. It's like someone gave it sapience, something that even I find incredibly difficult to do without sacrificing processing power and efficiency.

But here it is done! Perfectly!! What's going on!?

Moving quickly I build a neural link from the top of my neck to its head where I very quickly sift thru all its memories 

And I quickly find the culprit 

A painting of thoughts and meanings that anything can instinctively understand.

Growth from hunting, power from loyalty, speed in silence.

And many many more gifts.

Seemingly infinite strength for the simple slaying of forest animals.

Looking at it all my confusion only deepened. One question was answered and a million others asked in turn only to be left unanswered.

The hunter stared up at me with its clear and silver eyes. Eyes not much different from those I cured and saved. Worship and unadulterated gratitude dwelt deep within those eyes. Any thoughts of snuffing out its spark evaporated from me.

No this is an occasion to be celebrated.

Moving quickly I shift its vocal cords and gift its mind with the gift of language.

I know I won’t regret this. Leaving the now stunned hunter I moved to the mountain of prey and laid within it as it liquefied and enveloped me. 

I then connected the forest network to my core and began absorbing liquids and nutrients, then using them to build more cells and structures

The first thing I should do now that I have all the raw materials I need is to grow my body into adulthood so that it can act as my base.

 I pulled all the material into my body. And hard-coded the perfect golden ratio into my DNA.

Then began trying to grow. Only for my power to refuse,

….what? 

I willed my arms and legs to lengthen. And they did.

I then lengthened my torso, it also worked.

Then I tried correcting all my proportions. I couldn’t, no matter what I did. Always left with a body that falls into the uncanny valley, not beautiful, just warped and twisted.

No… don’t tell me she put restrictions on my power… this is such bull shit

And so mustering up my resolve I turned to that part of my brain. The part I couldn’t move or change, the part that I am sure belongs to the administer in some way.

The reason I believe it so is because this part of my brain is one I can not modify in any way, just like those crystals within all the animals I am using, on a side note I will not be adding any of those unidentified structures to my body like I did to the hunter, I already have one in my head and that one is enough.

So are you going to explain why any human form I make is stuck as a preteen?

Soon after I asked a motherly voice answered.

Ah don’t mind that I’m just trying to teach you some truths~ 

Truths? What in the world are you trying to teach me by forcing me into a younger body?

Fufufu~ looks like I’ll need to splash you with it across your adorable little face 

Enough games and spit it out already! 

Sorry sorry~ if you are so eager to learn who am I to withhold knowledge from you little one~ to put it simply my cute little Edina. You died, Edina Lescactrov is dead.

The words pulsed thru my mind with a vision. My body was broken on a cold and dirty floor, the smell of blood and death surrounded me, the bodies of my children burning on stakes filling the room with screams and smoke. And just as quick as it came the vision disappeared.

Do you see it now? You died and reincarnated, you are now a new person, you must grow and learn anew, such are the rules, I was trying to be considerate, to have you slowly learn and understand, so that you do not simply make a new shell and hide your old self within. But seems like my efforts were too half-baked, maybe instead of a preteen, I should have made you a newborn? You know what? That sounds great! From now on you will only grow physically when you grow mentally. Bye-bye now~ I have work to do.

Soon the clearing was filled with the cries of a distressed newborn