Celik

" What did you just say?"

Looking at me, he answered, "Your name."

"But how could you know my name?"

"Because I know your name." He nonchalantly replied.

Is this guy playing with me?

"I never told my name to anyone…"

"Well, except those two." He replied as he stood up and threw my fruit at me. "I wouldn't leave that just anywhere either."

"How did you get my name?!" I snarled at him.

"I've been following you, Satoshi."

"Following me?"

"Yeah, ever since you left Ulrich's domain."

Glaring at him, I replied, "Ulrich? I do not know any Ulrich, don't play with me."

"Yes you do." He insisted. "The God of Justice?"

"How did yo—"

"Hushh." He hissed. He then clapped his hands and out of nowhere, the grass from below suddenly jumped and covered my mouth. "Be quiet for a moment."

Wow, that was cool to be honest. I want to play with plants like that...

"Okay, first. I'm a disciple of the God of Nature." He arrogantly waved his arms.

"Mhmm." I mumbled since I can't really speak with all the grass covering my mouth. They smell good though.

"And ever since she disappeared, blessings haven't occurred." Then he stared straight into my eyes and approached me, his figure becoming clearer. "Until...you." He pointed his hands at my neck.

Now that he is close, I can see him very clear. He is basically all green. He glowed with a green hue and his long hands that had very long and sharp nails were… pointed at me. I can't get hurt… right?

"Oh yes, yes you can." He suddenly spoke as his green eyes glowed brighter and his green hair fluttered in the air.

HNG.

"So tell me—who are you, exactly?"

Who am I? Didn't he just say my name? And what did I do? I just wanted to be a damn tree. How did get involved with all this…

"You got blessed a day after she disappeared." He snarled. "WHO EVEN BLESSED YOU!?— oh right, you can't talk"

He clapped his hands again then the grass on my mouth disintegrated.

"I don-don't know anything okay…" I whispered. "I said I wanted to be a tree. But the damn God put me in a demon lord."

"The God of Justice, did he call for you?" He asked.

"Yeah, I just kinda woke up there."

"Did you die?"

"Hmm, I think he said his apprentice killed me."

"No… His disciples never make mistakes…" He mumbled.

Hm? Never?

"What do you mean?"

"He's the progenitor of perfectionists in the 18 realms, do you think his disciples make mistakes, dumbass?"

No one has… no one has called me that in years…

"D-du-dumb-dumbass?"

"Why?" He frowned, "You don't even know his name! HAHA! Don't you worship him? Some of you even thought he's a woman." He laughed.

"Worship who?"

"Ulrich, Themis, Shangti, Forseti, ITZTLACOLIUHQUI?"

"Was that gibberish?"

"I don't know, that's what your realm called him."

"I haven't even heard those names." I shrugged.

Then he laughed, "Quite the unfaithful, eh."

"Well I used to be."

"Alright." He sighed, slowly walking away from me. "I came here to help you, sorry for the outburst."

"Help me? You just threatened to kill me!" I frowned towards him. "And what about your God of Nature? Why don't you go looking for he-"

Then he suddenly appeared in front of me and lifted me in the air by the neck. "Don't you talk about her." He glared at me before throwing me to the ground.

"One way to help, don't you thin-"

"Do you want another round?" He looked down at me. "This time, you will be surprised on how high you can fly!" He smiled.

"W-well then, how will you help me." I asked him as I slowly stood up.

Hearing my question, he smiled. Then he straightened himself up and opened his arms. "To teach you this."

Just as he said that, the ground shook. Suddenly, hundreds if not thousands of trees akin to mighty pillars rose from the ground, each of them bigger than the biggest trees in the forest… except the one in the middle.

I ducked, "W-what's happening!?"

"THIS… THIS IS THE POWER OF NATURE." He screamed, his eyes burning with a green flame as he slowly flew up the air.

After a few seconds, roots, leaves and branches filled with thorns and leaves crept the ground. They moved around like snakes, entangling and devouring every creature they pass by, be it a small mantis, a rabbit or a passing dog.

Then he stopped. He approached the bewildered me and looked me in the face. "And you can do exponentially more than that." He whispered with a smile.

Well, that destroyed the landscape… Wait, why didn't those two come out?

"They're...asleep."

"What did you do?" I asked, knowing how unstable the man in front of me is.

"Nothing bad." He calmly replied.

"Okay then… I will check on the—"

"Stop." He raised a tree in front of me, blocking my way. "Do you want to learn magic?" He asked.

"Sure, yeah." I probably don't have any other choices.

"This is where I help you." He crossed his arms. "And my name is Celik."

"Okay, before that, I should check up on the two…"

"Don't."

"Okay, then. How do we start?"

"Touch the ground." Then he crouched and placed both his palms on the soil. "Like this."

I followed him, placing my hands on the ground.

"Now, exhale."

I followed him again and took a deep breath.

"Now do what you do when you take the consciousness of a living plant."

"When I latch on a tree?"

Then he frowned, "It sounds dumb."

Harsh but okay.

"But we'll call it that." Celik shook his head. "Okay, now feel your surroundings like when you 'latch' on a tree."

Once again, I did as he asked. I closed my eyes and deeply felt my surroundings. But for a good probably ten minutes, I felt nothing.

Then, on the ground, I felt movement. Like flowing...water.

"Yes! That's it!" Celik laughed.

"Wh-what do I do now?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" I asked, my eyes still sealed shut.

"Yes, nothing." He insisted. "The mana you have right now is the mana of that piece of grass, dumbass."

"Can you stop calling me that?" I asked while I opened my eyes and slowly stood up.

"What, calling you a dumbass?" He smirked.

"Yeah?"

Then he crossed his arms, "I decide on whether I do that or not."

"O-okay then..."

"Well then, I shall go now before your 'friends' wake up. We shall meet until you can do what I did and before then, stay alive. And do avoid giving so much of your fruits."

"What do you mean? Don't I decide on that?!"

" At least charge some money, dumbass." He frowned before disappearing. And when he disappeared, the trees and the other things he summoned slowly returned to the ground. Then, after a few seconds, it seemed like nothing changed at all.

I immediately ran to Reyna's tent to see if they're still alive. I slid open the cover and entered the room. Seeing that they're both just lying flat on the ground, I heaved a heavy sigh. It would really suck to be alone right now.

I walked outside, gazed at the early morning sky and slowly walked towards Bettu.

Would I be able to do that? Would I even need to do that? It seemed to destroy a lot of things....

I should try, should I? Yep, I definitely should.

Then, I shook Bettu as hard as I can trying to wake her up. And after a few minutes of shaking, my efforts paid off and the majestic beetle is high on the ground.

I quickly rode on top of her and commanded to go straight to the forest. Well, not really straight, I had to latch from grass to grass, so I would not pass out… I would not like that.

She moved quickly under the silent plains and entered the forest in mere minutes.

I quickly latched myself onto a tree and exited… wow, that really feels different.

Then, like I did before, I laid my hands on the ground, closed my eyes, felt my surroundings. And unlike before, it happened immediately.

I felt the mana that rises on the tall trees, sharp grass as it exited them and as the mana returns to the ground in the form of dead insects and dead animals… it's a full cycle.