Uhh it's so dark

After I died, I thought I will immediately go to the afterlife but I only found myself trapped in the dark without being able to move a single muscle. Because I can't do anything, I just keep trying to distract my mind by thinking about all kind of meaningless things, but even after a very long time I still trapped in the darkness.

How much longer I'll be trapped here? Don't tell me, this is what death is like.

At that moment, an uncontrollable terror rose from deep within me.

No no no I don't want this, I'm afraid. Help! Nii-san! Dai-chan! Anyone! Help me!

I tried to move my body desperately but to no avail. I keep struggling and eventually I felt like I can move my feet, or rather, something in place of my feet because the sensation I felt from my lower body is far to strange. I can feel that my feet is numerous and spread out in different direction in a wide area.

What...is happening?

I focused my sense in my eyes, trying to make out what's wrong with my feet. But instead of nkrmal vision, an image of a forest appeared on my mind. The image itself isn't clear like how human perceive something with their eyes, but more like a 3 dimensional blueprint that usually used by architect.

In my vision, I feel like I'm too tall because I can see the ground about 10 meters below. But the most strange of all is that when I looked down, what I saw is not a human body, but a tree trunk.

No way. Is it possible that I...

I maybe ignorant but at least I'm not stupid enough to not realize the situation I'm in. 

I have become a tree...

After that realization I began to investigate my situation and after several days, what I found is as such:

1. My perception range is depends of how wide my roots spread out.

2. Although my roots only spread out underground, I can still perceive everything above ground up to my own height.

3. I don't have any clue where I am right now.

4. I can still feel pain, hear things, and sleep normally.

5. I can perceive the thoughts of the trees around the reach of my roots.

6. Although I'm not knowledgeable about trees and plants, the trees and plants around me are very foreign to me.

After concluded all my findings for the last 2 days, I began to contemplate what I should do from now on.

I'm not foreign with the concept of reincarnation because many novels these days using the same concept as the basis of their story, although I'm not really a fan of them. I tried to read many of such stories as reference for the basic setting that have became mainstream but it just makes me a bit uncomfortable instead. It's because somehow I fell like I catch a glimpse of the author's deepest and most shameful desire from several of the novels I've read.

Wait, that's not important right now.

I tried to come up with an idea but I don't have a single clue as to what a tree can do beside standing still before eventually being cut down as lumber.

I shudderd at that thought.

No! I'm free now! So there must be something I can do!

At that moment, I suddenly remembered my old wish a year after I was admitted to the hospital.

I want to see the world.

At that moment a burning passion filled me.

I spread my roots to every direction.

I don't know where I am but I will eventually find out if I keep spreading my roots brainlessly. 

Because my roots are constantly absorbing nutrients from the ground automatically and can be stopped whenever I want, I can focus on my vision following my roots.

After 2 weeks I found a city with high walls surrounding it. Both the people and structure of the city itself are similar to medieval period. I tried to listen to the people conversation but I stumped because I have no idea what they're saying.

It's a completely foreign language, not english or any language I've ever heard before on earth.

I keep observing the people and found some people who can create water or fire out of nowhere, some people who looks like soldiers sparing with each other.

Unknown plants, unknown language, an old civilization compared to the modern earth, swords and magic.

After considering everything I come to a conclusion.

Another World.

Reincarnated to another world and going on an adventure.

It's a dream for almost every man in the world.

I thought it was just a fantasy and never have I thought I will be experiencing it.

Although I'm a tree and cannot move from my spot, the burning passion in my heart did not die down at all.

So what if I cannot move? If I spread my roots around the world I can still go anywhere I want!

While I spreading my roots 24/7, I focusing all my brain power to learn the language of this world.

I completely mastered it after being self-taught for around 15 years.

Along those times, my height has reach almost 50 meters and my roots keep spreading far and wide passing underground ruins, old city structure, underground water source and many other things.

I also found out that this world has 340 days a year and probably 24 hours a day. It's seriously troublesome counting the day for a year, I only managed to do that by making a root poking out of the ground everyday from one new year celebration to another.

50 years later, I learned a barrier magic to hide myself because I was taller than any tree around me, so I stood out like a sore thumb.

For the last 65 years many wars happened outside of the forest and the first city I found was razed to the ground but despite all of that, there's hardly any human entered the forest. Even if there are any, they usually scrambling around the edge and because I was at the center of the forest, no one ever found me except for a few beasts and animals roaming around. 

But strangely enough, there's no monster who approached me. Monster is a beast that has been contaminated by mana, or magic power, and they usually took a detour rather moving towards my direction. 

Hmm... It's strange but I have no idea for the reason. Well, it's good for me so I won't mind it too much.

60 years after that, I have a hunch that I can make an avatar of myself in a humanoid shape. It's not an information I found out somewhere but it's more like my instinct.

I have no idea how to do it but I tried by focusing my mind or by creating an image of my ideal self and try to manifest it using magic power many times and none of my trial is successful and decided to go to sleep.

When I wake up I feel like my line of vision lower than usual, and I'm looking up at a familiar tree with height more than a hundred meters, me.

"What?"

A sound escaped my mouth.

Huh? A sound?

I lowered my sight and what I saw is not a trunk anymore but a human body. I couldn't believe what's happening so I shifted my vision.

I saw a pretty girl with green hair and emerald eyes standing near my main body.

It's kinda weird having 2 perspectives at the same time and the fact that I'm a girl is kinda strange but none of them mattered to me at that moment.

"Yahoo! It's human body! A human body!"

In my excitement, I started running and rolling around like a child in a snowy morning.

"Ahahahahahaha!"

30 minutes later...

"Fuuhhh...."

I need to calm down first.

First of all, the  reason for why I suddenly in this form is possibly related with the avatar creation thing.  But if that is so why am I a female?

Wait a minute, don't tell me this is...

•••

"Dai-chan."

It was a conversation I had with Dai-chan a long time ago.

"Yeah?"

"I asked you to make an illustration for the protagonist's sword in humanoid form right?"

"Yeah, and that in your hand right now is the result of my hard work."

"Why is it a girl? Shouldn't the image of a sword be an upright knight or something?"

"What blasphemy are you spouting right now!?"

"Uhh...Dai-chan?"

"You want to make a sword persona a man? What evil path have you been treaded!?"

"What are you saying?"

"Listen. This is an era that even the top 2 R-rated fantasy race are potrayed as cute girls! And you want to make the protagonist's sword-- his partner in life and death situation, as a dude!?"

"Wh-what R-rated? You're scaring me..."

"Imagine it! A situation where the protagonist has overcome a life and death crisis and in his exhaustion, he passed out while covered in blood. Suddenly his sword turn into a person and hold him and say " You're always reckless, you idiot..." With a sad small on it's face, but the sword is a handsome guy! Do you realize how gay is that!?"

"You're exaggerating..."

"But cuteness is different! Everyone can accept cuteness be it men or women! Cute is justice! Therefore feminine is the way!"

"...."

"If you understand then correct your twisted worldview from now on!"

"Don't be unreasonable..."

•••

Is this the so called 'Feminine is the way' thing?

Is that applied in real life too?

No! I don't care! I'm a tree anyway, so even if I'm a female I won't have to face the troubles that human female has! And I can visit various places and cities if I have this form! So I'm definitely not troubled at all!

This form undoubtedly has a human appearance so it's safe to assume I can enter cities like a normal human now.

But...

Even if I wanted to visit various places, I can't right now because the world is war with the demon race right now.

The reason itself is pretty typical.

The demon race wanted to expand their territory while the human thought that the Demons are  beings abandoned by gods and they have no place in this world.

Sigh...Maybe I should become a hermit and never set foot outside the forest.

While various things happened in the outside world, I keep spreading my roots to all over the world.

600 years has passed since I reincarnated in this world, now my roots has reach all over the world.