Jura Forest
Disclaimer: If you are stupid and think I own Tensura, then sorry to burst your bubble. I don't. If I did, then Tensura wouldn't have succeeded as much.
Summary: A human soul transmigrates into the body of a newborn snake with some strange skills. How would it fare in this world where people with strength like Gods roam freely? Surviving this mayhem should be its first concern.
The air was humid with yesterday's rain, and there was an earthen aroma around. It was the nostalgic smell of the first rain. Ah, I remember revelling in this when my family used to live in the countryside.
There were puddles all around the cave entrance. Due to the rain, I had decided to remain inside. While I was cold-resistant, the feeling of wet soil sticking to my scales wasn't pleasant.
The sun had just claimed its position and was shining the first rays of light, creating a beautiful rainbow.
All night, I had observed the beautiful forest. Its beauty was enhanced by the rainstorm. In my past life, I had always been repulsed by rain. The reason being that when it rained, the streets of the city smelled worse than anything.
In monsoon, things needed more protection, the chances of getting sick were high, and the worst thing was the smell of wet garbage.
This was perhaps the first time I enjoyed the rain. This world is truly more enchanting than my previous one. Heh, I should probably start seeing this as my world.
It was very cold in the morning, and there was a cold breeze around me, at least I think so. Telling the temperature through plants is hard. I am assuming that based on how the leaves of a tree were somewhat wilted.
The Jura Forest sprawled out before me like an endless sea of green, each tree standing tall and proud, reaching towards the sky. The rustling leaves and distant calls of wildlife filled the air, enveloping me in a sense of serenity.
Seeing the narrow pathways between the trees, my eyes twitched.
Navigating through the dense undergrowth is gonna be a pain in the ass for me. Man, I hope I get that human form fast. I like my snake form, but I don't believe it's the best body in terms of mobility and manoeuvres. Well, for that I just need to evolve.
Despite knowing how troublesome it would be, I was still excited to explore the Jura Forest.
Well, I can't just remain in the cave. Time to leave and become stronger.
Ugh, I also need to get washed. I have been cleaning my body with the occasional ponds I found in the cave, but I need to properly submerge myself and rinse off the blood of the monsters I killed.
Man, I should have just used the rain. Fuck this world for being so damn attractive.
I am unable to sense any big water source around, but I can sense the water in the ground flowing towards a particular direction. Maybe it opens up somewhere. If it doesn't, I can just make a hole in the ground anyway.
Oi {Scholar}, try making a path to the nearest water body, also it should be optimised for my current form.
[Answer: Affirmative. Matching location theorised. Probability is 79%. Path optimization... Done.]
Yeah, I can reasonably trust these odds. I was worried about having to break trees in order to travel. Having a skill like {Scholar} really is a cheat.
Following the path that it gave me, I carefully manoeuvred between trunks and sharp roots. Though, even with its help, I did sometimes mess up. The mess-ups were brutal. I didn't even get scratches or anything, but I lost some self-respect every time I got stuck in between vines.
Oh Great Veldora! Please, I don't want to find myself entangled in those vines again. They seem determined to fuck with me.
"Fucking hell! Why the fuck are these trees so big and wide!?" I cursed, trying to get myself out of the entanglement that I had found myself in.
I was trying my best not to just use {Black Flames} and demolish the forest, but it was becoming more and more tempting.
As I was trying my hardest to get out of these damn bushes, I was momentarily stunned by a scene.
The scene that I saw was a group of vibrant birds perching on a branch of an enormous tree.
The birds had teal feathers with red accents on their wings and tails, and they flew gracefully. Their crests were tinged with purple and blue. Against the forest background dense with greenery, their striking appearance stood out.
The birds were calmly observing their surroundings and flew away as soon as they saw me.
Even after they left, I observed them fly away into the distant horizon with wonder in my eyes.
Wow… I have never seen such beautiful birds in my life. I had tamed birds, but the prettiest of them all was an eagle. While I am biased in favour of my pets, I have to admit; even they weren't as beautiful as the birds I just saw.
How does this world just continue to skewer my perception of beauty every damn minute?
I was still looking at the birds as they became more and more distant. So engrossed in my observations, I completely forgot about my current situation.
That was a mistake in hindsight, as when I tried to move, I became more trapped.
Fuck off! You damn bushes!
After what felt like an eternity of wriggling and cursing, I finally found my destination. Ahead of me, I could hear the sound of flowing water; it was growing louder with every step—slither.
The scent of fresh, flowing water was tantalising, promising me freedom from my current state of being covered with God knows what kind of things.
As I approached the source, the trees began to thin out, revealing a large water basin that glistened under the morning sun. The water was crystal clear, flowing steadily over smooth stones, and the banks were lined with soft moss and flowers.
I slithered closer, savouring the sight. This was it. I had found the perfect bathing spot. No more pond water, no more being covered in dirt. A proper wash, finally.
Just as I was about to dip into the water, I was again reminded of the existence of other monsters here.
Near the riverbank, a group of creatures was gathered. They were unlike anything I had seen before—deer-like monsters with short antlers. I could describe them best as a mix between cattle and a deer.
They seemed to be communing with the river, dipping their heads into the water and drinking serenely.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to approach them slowly, making sure not to startle them. As I drew closer, one of the creatures lifted its head, meeting my gaze. For a moment, we simply stared at each other, an unspoken understanding passing between us.
To my surprise, the creature didn't flee or attack. Instead, it continued drinking, seemingly unbothered by my presence. The others followed suit, acknowledging me briefly before returning to their peaceful activities.
Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Looks like not everything in this forest is out to get me.
They had a minuscule amount of Magicules anyway. If my perception of the power scale isn't screwed, they should be D Rank. What do you think, {Scholar}?
[Answer: The species should have an estimated rank of D- Rank.]
Hm, forget about them. Let me focus back on getting clean.
I lowered myself into the river and swam to the centre. After reaching there, I coiled my body and enjoyed the cool water covering me and washing away the grime and blood. It was blissful, and I could feel the tension in my muscles ease.
Fortunately, the river was deep enough for me to fully submerge myself, allowing the water to clean every inch of my scales.
As I got more soaked in the moment, I couldn't help but reflect on the strange beauty of this world. With its dangers, it also held moments of peace and beauty. It was a place of balance, where even a giant snake like me could find comfort.
"This world really is unique after all," I mused, watching the peaceful monsters continue doing… whatever they were doing.
I was rubbing my scales against any surface I could find. The feeling of sand being stuck in between your scales is very unpleasant.
Oh Veldora… Would I be able to find any other baths after this? Maybe learning some water magic is the answer to that question?
How can I even go about that? Should I just start doing the things I did as a child? I used to fill my mouth with water and then spit it back out after doing some hand signs. Yeah, I was trying to recreate Suiton: Mizu Deppo.
Welp, no longer an option. No hands, no hand signs.
I also have the {Magic Manipulation} skill; that should count for something. Oi {Scholar}, tell me how I can go about using water magic?
[Answer: After analysing the data available, the Host can perform or create magical phenomena involving water with Extra Skill: Magic Manipulation.]
… Well, I guess, childhood fantasies do come true.
I relaxed my body and focused on my surroundings. I became aware of everything around me, every single Magicule and how they were interacting together.
After this revelation, I used {Magic Manipulation} to affect the Magicules in the water to move to my will. I pushed them outwards, away from me. With a single thought, I had created little waves in the water.
I noticed the weird deer-like creatures getting curious at what I was doing.
Ignoring them, I continued what I was doing. This time, instead of pushing them outwards, I willed them to concentrate around my head in the shape of a sphere.
Unsurprisingly, they obeyed my will and did exactly what I wished them to do. It was at this moment I got the confirmation about my efforts bearing fruit.
I shot the "Water Ball" towards a random tree with a short use of {Flight Magic}'s concept of using Magicule resistance. The poor tree was split apart, and the tree behind it almost faced the same fate.
The deer ran away after seeing what I had done. For some time, there was no other sound but that of water dripping and leaves rustling with the wind.
……
I am definitely not gonna shout Suiton technique names in Japanese while using this skill.
However, this does raise a question. Why the fuck did I travel through that treacherous terrain in order to get water? I could have just created it with magic from the start?
Oi {Scholar}, answer for your actions!
[Answer: The Host had asked for the direction to the nearest water source.]
……
Fuck me. Can I at least recreate some water techniques from other animes too?
It's been a few hours since my discovery that I can do some crazy shit with {Water Manipulation}, but I did find one limitation. I can't create water out of nothing.
I can use the moisture in the surroundings to create water, I can fuse the Hydrogen and Oxygen molecules in the air, I can extract water from living things, but I can't create it from nothing.
In a situation where there's no moisture to turn, no constituents in the air, or any organic matter, my skill becomes kind of useless.
However, there's a solution to this problem of mine: I can just carry around a huge storage full of water and use it in such situations. Now I just need to find such storage.
I looked at another group of weird deers that had arrived after the first group ran away. They came from a different direction, so it is safe to assume that they aren't the same group as before.
I asked {Scholar} for the exact time and sighed at the answer: I have relaxed enough now.
I still don't want to get out of the water, and the sun above my head raining heat wasn't motivating at all. But I knew that just staying here isn't gonna benefit me.
Reluctantly, I pulled myself out of the river. The creatures by the bank glanced up at me one last time before resuming their calm activities.
As I slithered onto the mossy bank, I took a moment to appreciate the refreshed feeling that washed over me. My scales gleamed in the sunlight, free from dirt and grime. It was a small victory, but it felt monumental after the struggles of the past days.
Alright, time to move on. My gaze scanned the forest for the next path.
Oi {Scholar}, look around for footprints in the area and tell me where they are heading. Choose the path that has the highest density and variety in footprints.
[Answer: Affirmative… Footprints found… Analysis in progress… Analysis Finished.]
[Notice: The Host is advised to head North. Probability of encountering unique monsters is high.]
Good! Man, who needs to wander around aimlessly when you have {Scholar}.
With a new sense of purpose, I started moving north. The forest, though dense and seemingly endless, began to feel more navigable. I have almost mastered the art of travelling through forests with a big serpentine body.
As I moved, I didn't remain idle. I practised manipulating Magicules around me, using {Magic Manipulation} to create small gusts of wind or gentle ripples in the air. It was a satisfying way to pass the time and hone my skills.
The journey was relatively uneventful until I stumbled upon a clearing.
It was a beautiful open space, bathed in sunlight and filled with different types of colourful flowers. In the centre, there were some unique trees, their branches stretching wide and providing shade.
But what caught my attention were the creatures gathered around the tree. They looked like a cross between a rabbit and a squirrel, with bushy tails and large, curious eyes. They were nibbling on the flowers and seemed completely oblivious to my presence.
And I would have also been completely oblivious to their presence as they have a very low Magicule presence. Even lower than the weird deer things.
Why are monsters outside so weak? I need Magiculse to evolve, but I don't think I am evolving any time soon if this trend continues.
Well, at least these guys are cute.
One of the creatures looked up at me, its nose twitching. It seemed to consider me for a moment before going back to its meal.
I chuckled, feeling a strange sense of peace.
Alright, let's see if there's anything useful here. I said, shifting my focus back to the task at hand.
I approached the trees in the middle of the clearing, my eyes scanning its bark and leaves. There was something unusual about them, a faint glow that wasn't present in other trees.
All the trees in Jura Forest had some Magicules in them, making their wood exceptionally hard to cut, but even they didn't have such a glow.
Oi {Scholar}, analyse this tree.
[Answer: Analysing... This tree is a {Luminous Sapling}. Its sap has minor healing properties and can be used for production of healing items.]
"Healing properties, huh? Sounds useful."
I extended my senses, feeling the flow of Magicules within the tree. After that I just used {Magic Manipulation} to make small cuts on the tree with precise manipulation of air.
As the hole got bigger, the sap began coming out, I watched as it pooled on the surface of the bark. I manipulated the air around it to hover the sap to some scratches on my scales.
The scratches disappeared within a minute of the tree sap remaining on my scales.
Nice find. But again, I don't have any way to store it. Such a waste of opportunity.
Hm, I am definitely coming back to the Sealed Cave with a way to store things.
Soooo, where should I head now? I looked at the huge mountains, and decided that it would be the best place for isolation. Also, if my knowledge of magical fantasies was to be believed, then there's always good shit around huge mountains.
Who am I kidding, I was definitely going there because I didn't want to deal with travelling in forests. I was built for the caves.
On we go then.
[Mikami Satoru]
I leaned back in my chair, letting out a long, tired sigh. My apartment was cluttered with various H-games and manga, a testament to my escapism from the boringness of everyday life.
The news channel was blaring in the background, something about a massive scandal involving the medical industry. Apparently, despite it being an American thing, it was affecting the whole world.
I had heard about it around some time ago, but hadn't focused much on it. Though, the signs about this being a very big matter were evident from how there had been a steep decline in the American clients of his company.
He had taken a look into it after this and what he had found had been surprising to say the least.
"Here we go again, another corporate shitshow," I muttered, flipping through my latest game manual.
"Not that I care much. Those greedy bastards had it coming."
I glanced at the TV, where they were showing the face of Carlos Linkin, the man responsible for blowing the curtains off from the entire industry. There was also a blurred image of his dead body found at a decrepit building.
It was hard to believe that one person could cause such a massive upheaval. Not that I doubted it; after all, people are capable of anything when driven by vengeance.
"Carlos Linkin, huh? Never thought I'd see someone with bigger balls than the idiots in my games," I chuckled to myself.
His story was all over the internet, and I couldn't help but admire his bravado, even if his methods were a bit extreme for some people.
Scrolling through my phone, I saw posts and comments flooding social media. People were both praising and cursing him. Some people were criticising him for committing suicide to escape his consequences.
There were also the regular internet trolls creating dark memes about it. He suddenly saw a meme that made him laugh so loud that his stomach hurt.
It was an image of a group of suit-wearing people, standing in a boardroom. They had exaggerated expressions of shock and horror on their faces. The background was filled with stacks of money and medicine bottles labelled "Overpriced meds."
The text in it read as: "When you realise the 'safe and secure vault' was just a kid with a laptop."
He did have a hearty laugh at this one for sure. Though, what made it more funny was how real it was.
Lawsuits were flying left and right and all the people involved were sued. The governments were scrambling to control the public outcry. It was a beautiful mess that Carlos had created.
"This guy's practically a real-life anti-hero," I thought, sipping on my coffee.
"Maybe I should write a story about him. 'The Man Who Fucked the Pharma World'—sounds like a bestseller." I nodded at my wise words, and saved those thoughts in my mind to talk about with Tamura.
As much as I respected his actions, I couldn't help but feel a pang of cynicism.
"Sure, he exposed the dirty secrets, but will anything really change?" I wondered.
"The rich and powerful always find a way to bounce back. It's like playing an unwinnable game."
I turned my attention back to the TV. The reporters were now discussing the ripple effects of the leaks—how medical research was accelerating, how treatments once deemed too expensive were now becoming more accessible.
People were hopeful for a better future.
"Well, at least something good is coming out of this mess," I mused. "Maybe if this had happened a bit earlier, I wouldn't have lost my old man to that overpriced crap they call medicine."
It was a bitter thought, but I quickly brushed it aside. No point dwelling on the past. I'd learned that the hard way. Life was too short for regrets, and too long to waste on what-ifs.
"Good luck, Carlos, wherever you are," I said, raising my cup in a mock toast. "You did what most of us only dream of doing—sticking it to the man. Hope you found your peace."
As the news droned on about his personal life and tried to paint him as some villain, I returned to my game, with a small smile on my lips.
For once, reality was more interesting than fiction, and I couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of satisfaction. The world was changing, and who knows? Maybe, just maybe, it would change for the better.
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