If one were to wander too deep into the woodlands on that day, they might have sworn the forest itself was watching them. A stillness lingered in the air, heavy and patient, like a predator cloaked in silence.
Look closer. There—between the trunks.
At first, nothing. Just bark, roots, and the endless green sway of leaves. But stare too long, and the shapes began to betray themselves. A shadow shifted where no shadow should, a breath exhaled where the trees should not breathe.
And then, one would see him.
A boy, his figure almost dissolving into the woodland. His form blurred at the edges, as though the forest had claimed him for its own, both present and not. Only the faint glimmer in his eyes betrayed life.
Caelum.
He let out a soft sigh, the kind that carried both relief and bitterness. "Two months," he muttered, his voice almost lost to the whisper of leaves.
It had been two months since that reckless day—the spider, its jagged legs, the threads that nearly sliced him apart. His body still remembered the fear, the helpless scramble for survival, the humiliating truth of how weak he was. That day had seared one thing into his mind: confidence was a luxury he couldn't afford.
He had stayed. He hadn't dared retreat to the settlement nor advance too far into the deadly depths. Instead, he lingered in this dangerous borderland—a place too quiet for the careless, too deceptive for the arrogant. And here, he cultivated.
The forest became his world, his teacher, his silent judge.
> [Skill Evolution Detected]
True Camouflage → Improved True Camouflage
The system-like whisper still echoed in his mind when he thought of his progress. He knew exactly what had changed. He could feel it in his blood, in the marrow of his bones.
Caelum crouched low, pressing a palm to the bark of a tree. A slow breath filled his chest.
And then, he vanished.
Not vanished in the way of fantasy illusions or cheap tricks. No—the kind of vanishing that unsettled even the air itself. His form melted into the grain of the bark, his flesh shifting to the hue of moss, shadow, and leaf. If one blinked, they would swear the boy had never been there.
> Improved True Camouflage – Passive Ability
Blend: Caelum can merge with his tree surroundings, becoming nearly invisible. Current evasion rate: 70%.
Duration: 1–2 minutes.
> Active Ability – Leafy Disguise
While camouflaged, Caelum can move slowly (30% normal speed) without breaking stealth.
Cooldown: 3 minutes.
> Tree Sense
Heightened awareness of surroundings. Detects movement, danger, or hidden enemies within 10 meters. Duration: 30 seconds.
Caelum's lips curled faintly upward. The abilities weren't just words—they were lifelines.
He shifted slightly, testing Leafy Disguise. His muscles burned at the strain of moving slowly, deliberately, like water flowing between cracks. Each motion was unnatural, agonizingly sluggish, yet the effect was undeniable. His outline blurred as he slid from tree to tree, unseen by the pair of Atenum rabbits nibbling roots nearby. Not even their twitching noses caught his presence.
A thrill ran down his spine. Not pride—not anymore. Caution had tempered it. He knew exactly what this skill meant: not dominance, but survival. An extra heartbeat when death came close.
His breathing steadied, and his mind returned to the two gifts he had unlocked during these quiet, grueling weeks. Unlike camouflage, they were not about running or hiding. They were weapons—fangs to bare against the world.
Caelum pressed his fingers into the dirt. Life pulsed beneath—the roots, the hidden veins of plants threading the earth. His essence stirred, coaxing them awake.
The ground shivered.
With a sudden crack, thorns erupted from the soil, twisting upward like jagged spears. They tore through the air, snapping branches, shredding bark, their edges gleaming wickedly. The forest groaned under the violence.
> Skill: Thorn Burst
Summons spiked thorns from nearby plants, striking all enemies in a 5-meter radius.
Damage: 15–20 points.
Cooldown: 2 minutes.
Caelum stared at the destruction, his breath heavy. "Good… but still crude," he muttered. He flexed his hand, the thorns crumbling back into withered vines.
Next.
He extended his arm, focusing on a branch above. His will tugged, and the wood bent unnaturally, splintering free in his grasp. The length of it twisted, reshaping into a whip of hardened bark and sinew.
He cracked it against the trunk before him.
The sound was like a thunderclap. Bark exploded, scattering splinters across the ground. A deep scar marred the tree's surface, its sap bleeding slowly down the wound.
Caelum's arm ached, his wrist stung, but his eyes gleamed.
> Skill: Branch Whip
Summons a whip-like branch to strike a single target.
Damage: 25–30 points.
Cooldown: 1.5 minutes.
"Sharper. Faster. More precise than Thorn Burst," he thought. "But both drink too much from me…"
The drain of energy was real. He could feel it—like marrow scraped from bone, like fire licking at the edges of his veins. These were not toys. Every use demanded a toll.
Caelum straightened, his gaze sweeping the scarred clearing. Two months ago, he would have looked at this display and felt invincible. Now? He only felt the weight of what it meant.
This power is still nothing but at least he won't be as pathetic if he were to face the spider now.
The memory sent a chill down his spine, but it also steadied his resolve. He wouldn't make the same mistake. Not again.
He exhaled, stepping back toward the shadows. His form blurred, merging into the woods once more. The forest accepted him, its whispers curling around his ears.
For a moment, it was difficult to tell where the boy ended and where the woodland began.
Caelum had not conquered the forest. He had only learned how to live within it.