[Chapter 8: reflection]
Out in the forest I move with book in hand. I am out searching for rare plants. My goal are medical herbs. According to the Apprentice botany book I should be able to find them.
While more potent variants are far rarer, the common type of medical herbs can be found in any heavily wooded area.
According to that passage it should be an easy task. Though I haven’t found any after over half an hour. It was then I realized it didn’t specify scarcity at all. I feel they should have said garden variety instead, both not misleading and a pun.
Wording issue aside I kept looking until I found what seemed like what I was looking for. A strange bush with a thin vine-like stem covered in spiky edged heart leaves. I flip to the page of the medical herbs and compare the plant I found to the picture illustrated. I carefully study the detailed sketch of the leaf and compare each part to my plant. I make sure to check every part up the lines covering the surface in order to make sure each part is identical.
[Skill obtained]
[Inspect| lv.1]
[Visual focus increased by 10%]
At least I got a skill out of it. I notice my vision has gotten a bit better. I only take some of the leaves as the book says this way it will eventually grow more. Taking my leaves I go back to my cave.
Once I get back I contemplate what I should do next. But I can’t think of anything so I just sit a try to relax.
That was a mistake. “What have I been doing, what have I done?” The realization that I had killed living creatures weighs dawns heavily upon me. “I know it was self-defense but why di d it have to be so… easy.”
“So I must have just been surviving by keeping constantly doing things. Now that I’ve stopped I can actually think about this crazy situation I’m in. I mean now I’m in a magical forest where monsters live, this isn’t even my dimension!”
After panicking a bit I fell a bit more rational and ponder on my situation. “I mean it’s not that I mind this world. I’m not too afraid to admit that this isn’t something I want to give up. After all here I can actually become something more than what I was. And best if all, I don’t have to talk to people anymore. While almost impossible where I come from, here I can survive by myself with just the right skills.”
“I probably should miss where I come from, but the thing is I really don’t. No expectations, no rules, maybe here I can finally be me. I don’t believe it will be easy, but I am willing to do whatever I need to fulfill my dream.” With renewed ambition I finally regain lucidity only to find it already dark out.
“Guess it was good that I ate earlier.” After my usual before night exercises I lay down ready to sleep. With my ambition restored I had prepared a new plan for the next day. “Tomorrow I start learning magic in earnest.”
Thanks for the chapter :)