Chapter 43: Are you maybe impotent? (1/2)
The squirrel screeched and ran for his life. He rushed inside the 'green' area and soon disappeared from Arima's sight.
Rex repeatedly nodded with a happy expression and laughed, ”It feels good. Damn good. That little guy would always talk to us that way. But we couldn't harm him without killing him by mistake and we also needed to keep a neutral relationship with the dryad.”
Hieran also smirked, ”We also couldn't destroy those barriers without causing unnecessary damage. You have a great understanding of space.”
Arima shrugged at Hieran's praise and started walking toward the dryad's territory, ”Let's go.”
Inside this 'paradise of verdure', the leaves, grass, vines, flowers, and any other kind of plant were outright disproportioned. Just a simple leaf was two times bigger than a human. In the end, because it was annoying to cut and shove away all the plants on the way, Arima jumped on Hieran's back and sat down.
”Sorry about that.”
Hieran laughed, ”Don't mind.”
While he was on the dragon's back, Arima observed the surroundings. This area was maybe around five hundred hectares, pretty small compared to the entire size of the forest. But this place was really 'green' with a lack of a better word. All plants here shined with a spotless and beautiful light green.
It didn't take long for the trio to reach the center of this zone. In that same center, a really imposing tree was erected. The trunk was maybe around a hundred meters large and it raised toward the sky for almost two kilometers.
At its roots, stood a tall woman wearing a green dress. She had refined features, emerald green hair, and pointy ears. Arima instantly recognized her as the dryad but surprisingly, even after her barriers were destroyed, her expression didn't express any anger.
Arima jumped from Hieran's back and landed beside Rex who was slightly closer to the dryad.
The beautiful woman frowned when she spotted Arima, ”Are you the one who slashed my arrays?” She asked with a clear voice and cold voice, ”Miane informed me that you wanted to meet me. What is it for?”
Arima glanced at the trembling squirrel, Miane, who was trembling at the dryad's feet and smiled, ”I'm here because I require your assistance.”
”Go away. I won't help someone just because he wants it,” She responded with an indifferent tone and waved her hand.
”Don't break those barriers again. It's bothersome,” She uttered and turned around.
”There's a reason why you will help,” Arima stated and Evergreen froze. ”And it's your forest's integrity.”
The dryad slowly turned her head and stared at Arima, ”Miane told me about something like a savior of the forest… you're the one who prevented that 'thing' then. But that doesn't meet the requirements.”
Arima shook his head, ”You got me wrong. If you don't help me, your forest will burn.”
Evergreen was stunned and glared at Arima with eyes that could kill, ”Do you think you can threaten me?”
Her eyes glowed with a green light and each plant around her followed the example. A wave of spirit surrounded Arima and assaulted him.
The dryad was expecting Arima to bolt or beg for his life but what she got instead was just a smirk and a clap, ”So, can I take this as a provocation?”
”(What? What do you mean provoking you?! You did it first!)” Evergreen shouted in her mind and gritted her teeth to suppress her anger, ”…More importantly, how can you still be able to stand there like that?”
”Mh?” Arima tilted his head, ”The real question is; how are you still standing?”
”Wha-” Evergreen suddenly paled and fell on her knees. She grabbed her shoulders and hugged herself. She started quivering while sweating buckets. She raised her head with difficulty and looked at Arima. With every second she gazed at him, the chill in her heart grew stronger
She struggled to open her mouth, ”What…did you do?”
Arima grinned, ”You tried to attack me with your mind, right? You tried to enter in my mind and you suffered a recoil.”
”That's…impossible…” Evergreen was breathing heavily, ”What kind of mind is that supposed to be? I used the forest's spirit to confront you. There's no way a human, no, a thinking being could possess a mind like that… unless you've gone completely crazy.”
Evergreen used not only her own mind but also the one coming from the forest to attack. Even if it's a plant, everything has its own spiritual existence. When a dryad uses the spirit contained inside a forest, they are said to be able to make thousands of people lose their minds. But with that, Arima actually overpowered it, by literally just being who he is.
”Crazy, huh?” Arima snickered, ”Mh, well, maybe it's more accurate than madman at least.”
Evergreen inhaled and her mind calmed down a bit, ”…What kind of help does a crazy man like you need from me?”
Arima pointed at the sky and smiled, ”I want to you to help me find something.”
Evergreen looked up and scowled, ”What do you mean?”
”Remember the meteorite from a few days ago? I want you to help me find out who or what sent that asteroid here and also his or its position. When I said your forest will burn, I meant that thing may very well target this planet again.”
”That thing was sent by someone?” Evergreen was shocked and mused, ”…I don't think I can do it. Even if I use the power of the entire forest, I won't be able to do it. I'll be short on mana very quickly.”
”You don't have to worry about that. I can provide you with mana, and backup if you lose control.”
Evergreen pondered, ”If you have enough mana then it may work…Come with me,” She calmly stood up and headed toward the huge tree.
”Hey, aren't they being a bit too much friendly right now?” Rex whispered to Hieran.
”Who knows, but it seems that they're getting along pretty well indeed. Perhaps, we just didn't realize before… but those two are probably very similar.”
Rex hummed, ”Maybe you're right. They both appear to have a great ego. Furthermore, I think Arima is the one with the biggest one.”