Nedra’s speed was at its highest as she pushed her Agility stat above and beyond in order to must as much space between them and the horde of monsters that lusted after the golden fruits.
Leon turned back and looked down a bit at the glowing fruits. Nedra held them with her legs at certain intervals, holding them over the ground, while also being able to balance her body and maintain her top speed.
Luckily for them, the glowing tree was what the monsters were rushing to, and not them. Whenever they encountered any monsters on their way, the two of them were easily able to send it to the afterlife before continuing on their way.
Leon found it a bit of a bummer than he did not have the time to stop and add them to his army out of fear that something might go wrong and the monsters would begin swarming to him when they found out he had the fruits.
Before long, they circled around and back to the large tree where they had dug up an underground space. When they got there, Leon was relieved to see that the clearing remained undisturbed. It was a bit far from the tree, and out of the way, so few monsters would pass. Also, it was not too close to the stream that ran through the area.
Leon hopped down from Nedra’s back and watched as she carted the fruits into their little base. He had no idea what they did, but they were obviously valuable. Curtis had told him that the island was full of many rare and valuable materials that could help boost a person’s strength, so Leon believed that the fruits fell under that category. There was no other reason why so many monsters would want it too.
When he finally sat down cross-legged in front of the pile of head-sized fruits, Leon felt a wave of satisfaction run through him. Only the first few hours of the first day, and he had already scored some treasure.
“Here.” He picked up two fruits and passed one to Nedra. She had taken a human form as she sat beside him, her mouth watering for the fruits. She could feel it within her being that just a slice of one of those fruits would benefit her greatly, and yet, they had seven of them!
She gladly took the fruit from Leon, and without wasting a beat, sunk her teeth into it. Leon watched with amusement as she chomped on the fruit, not even letting a single drop of its juicy insides go to waste. In a minute, she had already swallowed the entire thing, and leaned back on one arm, using the other to pat her belly.
“I feel sleepy.” She suddenly said.
“Rest.” Leon nodded. he figured it was part of the effects of the fruit.
Nedra turned into a wisp of smoke and drifted into Leon’s chest, going to rest and leaving Leon alone in the underground room.
“Hmm, I wonder if Kaladin and Nero can take this too.” Leon rubbed his chin and switched back to his human form while summoning the two Obsidian Skeletons. “Have these.” He tossed two fruits to them while holding his own in his hands. The fruit was a golden-green color that looked like a massive peach.
Leon sank his teeth into the fruit, and tender juice gathered in his mouth. It tasted like mango, but had a much greater taste to it that made Leon want to close his eyes and sigh. Indeed, it was a magical fruit.
Before Leon knew it, the whole fruit was gone, and nothing was left. Three fruits remained untouched, but Leon decided that he would leave them be until he saw the effects of the fruit.
Looking over to Kaladin and Nero, he found that they had also somehow eaten the fruits he had given them, and there was no sign of anything going through their bones.
“Ugh, magic.” He snorted, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion washing over him. He shook his head and summoned a hundred of his strongest millipedes, spreading them all around the clearing. If anything happened, then they could probably handle it.
.
.
A couple hours later, Leon blearily pried open his eyes. He felt stuffed and full of energy, but his mind was a bit sluggish. This was the first time he had woken up so muddle headed ever since coming to this world, and it was a bit disconcerting.
He quickly swept his senses around the underground space, and after seeing that there was nothing but Nero, Kaladin, and the three remaining fruits there, he let out a sigh of relief. Leon turned to look at the two Obsidian Skeletons that seemed to be in a dazed state with curiosity. He approached them, and upon a closer look, he noticed that a dark gold layer of mana was flowing along their bones.
“Hmm, strange…” He rubbed his chin and turned his attention inwards. He also found that Nedra was still unresponsive. If she was still unconscious, then why had he woken up so soon?
A wave of irritation washed over Leon as he was confronted by the ever present veil that never provided answers. It was always a ‘why’ or a ‘how’, but he never got answers.
‘Damn meddling Gods.’ He swore and recalled his two summons, before making his way out of the underground space. Cool breeze brushed against his exposed skull and ruffled the edges of his windbreaker.
“I need to explore more. This forest will be a good place to level up for now.” He thought out loud and waved his arm, summoning the entirety of his undead army. In a mere moment, the entire clearing was occupied, and even more millipedes were obscured by the bushes and trees.
“Go, find something valuable for me to take for myself.” He stretched his hand outward, and the millipedes dispersed, off to do their master’s bidding.