The Awakening After a Century

When a hundred years had passed since Ariana entered her deep slumber, she finally awoke, and many changes awaited her. Stretching her arms and yawning, she flew at high speed to Arcadia, landing directly near the human village.

As she observed her surroundings, she was amazed by everything she saw. A hundred years ago, almost none of what lay before her existed. The humans had evolved in a surprising way.

From within the forest, she noticed men wearing leather and iron armor, armed with spears and swords, standing guard and watching the forest for any unusual activity. They were tasked with alerting everyone in case of danger.

Ariana used her powers to change her appearance and walked towards the small village. One of the patrol guards stopped her, asking, 'What do you want?'

She replied, 'I just went out for a brief moment, but I'm already on my way back.'

The guard watched her with suspicion and looked in the direction of the forest, warning her, 'You shouldn't enter the forest without company; Chief Kayn made that quite clear.'

Ariana responded as if she were sorry, but in reality, she felt like laughing.

Upon entering the village, Ariana was enchanted by the houses, made of wood and stone. Some of them had two stories with balconies, all very well constructed. She explored the village, observing the people and the changes that had occurred.

In the center of the village, near a fountain that gushed water, there was a large statue of her. Some people were walking around, chatting. Ariana noticed that her appearance disguise was working, as no one recognized her.

She approached one of the stalls where a young woman was selling delicious apples. She took an apple and was about to take a bite, but the vendor stopped her, saying, 'You can't just take things like that, young lady; everyone knows you need to offer something in return.'

Ariana made some seeds appear in her hands and offered them to the vendor, saying, 'These are special; you won't regret it.'

After the exchange, she took two apples and continued her exploration of the village. Ariana spotted a large plantation where people were harvesting and planting. Aqua was among them, teaching about caring for the seedlings. Ariana was surprised to see Aqua looking so young and decided to check her System.

[Name: Aqua]

[Power Level: 3 [Elite]

[Age: 111 years]

[Mana: 1267] 

[Strength: 130] 

[Intelligence: 41]

[Magic: 1009] 

[Abilities: [Flora Mastery Lv3], [Deadly Thorns Lv2], [Dark Claws Lv2], [Ecocontrol Lv3], [Entrenched Roots Lv1], [Vegetal Fury Lv1], [Earth Manipulation Lv1].

Ariana was surprised to note Aqua's age and how young she appeared.

The System then responded, [Due to Aqua's high power level, her life expectancy increases, which also applies to all other living beings. For clarification, suppose Aqua reaches the Elite power level at the age of 30. This will result in an increased life expectancy and a slower aging rate. However, if she is already of advanced age when she reaches this power level, her appearance will remain unchanged, but her longevity will be extended, allowing for a longer life than expected based on her age,] clarified the System, dispelling Ariana's doubts.

Later on, Ariana observed Aurora gathering children and teaching them about past events, including the mysterious person who saved them in their time of need.

Aurora noticed Ariana's presence and invited her to join them. Ariana sat down and listened to Aurora's stories and teachings while admiring the way she conducted everything.

A while later, when Aurora realized that Ariana was leaving, she noticed a subtle change in her appearance: her hair had turned green. Aurora was surprised and shortly after received a notification from the System: [The Goddess smiles upon you.]

A second notification announced that Aurora had acquired the title of [Priestess of the Goddess,] with significant benefits. This event confirmed that there was indeed a Goddess who protected and loved them. 

[Description: You have caught the Goddess's attention, and you have become her Priestess. Your abilities will increase much faster when you perform acts in the name of the Goddess.

+25% Mana.

+25% Magic. 

Your healing abilities will have double the effect.]

Aurora couldn't help but express her shock, her hands trembling as she read the System notifications. Finally, the confirmation that the mysterious figure was indeed a Goddess was almost overwhelming. While many in Arcadia questioned whether this help came from a deity or a common magical being, the notifications now provided definitive proof of the Goddess's existence.

After exploring the human village, Ariana decided to search for the Ent Aviva. However, when she arrived at the place where she had last seen it, the Ent Aviva was no longer there. Using her divine powers, Ariana managed to locate the Ent Aviva in the middle of a vast forest. This forest was extraordinarily extensive and housed a wide variety of animal species.

In the center of the forest, stood a majestic tree.

Ariana observed that within a radius of at least one kilometer around the Ent Aviva, there was no sign of life, indicating the extent of its power. In the forest, she also noticed the presence of some other Ents, but they were smaller, common trees, not posing a significant threat. These trees seemingly had emerged due to the presence of the Ent Aviva, which had the power to influence and give life to the vegetation around it. Ariana approached, curious to understand what the Ent Aviva was doing in the heart of the forest.

Ariana closely observed the flow of mana emanating from the Ent Aviva. It was a constant exchange of energy between the entity and the forest, as if both were nourishing each other. Fascinated, Ariana stopped to examine the direction in which this mana flowed.

She soon realized that the Ent Aviva was directing this magical energy toward some nearby fruit-bearing trees. These trees carried succulent fruits, and the mana rays appeared to strengthen and nourish the trees themselves. It was a symbiotic relationship between the Ent Aviva and the surrounding vegetation.

While watching the scene, Ariana noticed several animals in the area. They approached the fruit-bearing trees and savored the delicious fruits. However, what caught her attention the most was a giant squirrel, whose oversized body barely allowed it to move with agility. Nonetheless, its mouth was full of nuts, making Ariana find it a very amusing sight.

Ariana continued her exploration of the forest, still intrigued by what was happening in that place. She came across a deer that seemed to have given in to its voracious appetite. Its condition was pitiable, as it had consumed so much food that its body had become too bulky to move. The deer remained fallen next to a small bush full of little fruits, extending its tongue to feed.

The scene stirred compassion in Ariana, but before she could act, she heard a strange noise. Her eyes turned to a huge root extending toward the helpless animal. The root completely enveloped it and dragged it into the depths of the forest.

The deer screamed desperately, as if begging for help, and Ariana's hands trembled as she witnessed the scene. However, she made the difficult decision not to intervene, knowing that if she did, she would be obliged to help all the other animals in similar situations.

As Ariana reached the point where the roots emerged, she stood before the majestic tree, the Ent Aviva. It had grown slightly over the past hundred years, and Ariana couldn't help but admire the complexity of its creation. The tree seemed larger and more powerful than ever. The deer, which had been dragged there, was suspended in the air as the wood twisted to form a huge and horrifying face. Ariana chuckled at the thought of how she had created something like this.

However, her laughter abruptly disappeared when the deer was thrown toward the mouth of the Ent Aviva and devoured. The reality of the situation became clear to Ariana. The Ent Aviva wasn't just feeding on the animals, but also maintaining a life cycle that turned the forest into a kind of slaughterhouse. Realizing that if it consumed all the food in a particular area, it would have to migrate constantly, the Ent Aviva had decided to settle there and nurture the forest's life, sustaining itself with what it produced.

"HA! HA! HA! What a delicious meal, but it's not enough yet." A chilling voice suddenly spoke near Ariana, as the voice echoed in an aged manner, the enigmatic and almost diabolical smile on the twisted face of the tree captured Ariana's attention.

 "It seems I need to feed this forest more; small rodents and antelopes are not enough," declared the Ent Aviva with a sinister tone."

Ariana was very surprised; the intelligence of the Ent Aviva was frightening.