章 7: Mr. Fern, I won’t let you go!

The boy had never witnessed this kind of strange event before. While hawks were birds of prey, they didn't usually go after humans unless they felt threatened or were protecting their young. Perhaps this hawk was chasing the rabbit before it got trapped? But no, that also didn't make sense as it released the rabbit instead of trying to kill it and then eat it. But maybe they weren't that smart, either?

He shook these wonderings out of his head and concentrated on avoiding the hawk's attacks. He picked up a nearby branch and swung it at the bird in self defense. The hawk careened from the waving stick and alighted on a tree to observe him.

Unsettled by the bird's penetrating gaze, he nervously shifted his eyes around in search of the rabbit. Stupidly enough on the rabbit's part, it didn't run away and just peered at the boy through some undergrowth.

Following the faintly smirking boy's line of sight, through Brownie's eyes, Rialyne saw Minty under a bush.

"Why that little idiot bunny!" Rialyne huffed inside her head. "Doesn't she know that she was about to be served for supper?"

While keeping an eye on the hawk, the boy snuck over to the rabbit. Minty perked her eyes and widened her eyes, slightly shaking. Just as the boy lunged at her, she sped away on her hind legs, and the boy crashed face first in the bush.

"HAHAHA!" Rialyne laughed through Brownie. The resulting sound was more of a mocking skree skree skree. The shrillness made the boy jump in fright. Was the hawk…laughing at him?

"That's my girl." Rialyne praised Minty through her contract.

Picking himself out of the entanglement in the bush, the boy glared at the hawk whom he imagined was sneering at him.

"Tch." He clicked his tongue, gathered the broken net, and began tromping back to his camp base.

It was at this point that Rialyne realized the he was the first human she had met since entering this world. Fretfully, she brainstormed how to lure him back to her Domain, so she could speak to him. Actually, she wasn't even sure if she could communicate through the tree, but certainly, she couldn't speak through the animals.

"Hey Cardisys!" She called out to him through their system connection.

"Ehhh.. What?" He responded back lazily. If he were human, he might've been picking his ear in nonchalant annoyance.

"Am I able to speak to humans?"

"Che. Of course this system would enable you to do such a basic thing."

Rialyne narrowed her gaze at his cheeky answer. This Cardinal System really…

She exhaled and then commanded Brownie to fly near the boy and circle around him. The boy jerked back at their proximity, confused to what antics this bird was playing on him again. He had obviously underestimated this bird's intelligence and was now wary of its motives.

"What do you want bird?" He voiced with mild irritation and interest.

He watched as the hawk did another loop around him before flying a few meters behind. It then circled that spot as if waiting for him. The boy suspiciously raised an eyebrow before carefully stalking over to the spot. Right before the boy reached the area, Brownie flew a little further ahead and then circled another area, waiting for him again.

"You want me to follow you?" Confused but curious, he followed the bird. Soon, he picked up speed and arrived shortly at the Dielweiss Tree upon which the hawk perched.

At the sight of the splendid looking tree, his heart lightened in anticipation. He approached it and tapped on the bark, bringing up a small screen in front of him.

_________________________________

[ Dielweiss Tree ]

Lv. 1 [ Gold ]

HP: 72846

MP: 3193

PATK: 1042

MATK: 618

PDEF: 923

MDEF: 794

SPD: 1506

FLX: 1572

_________________________________

"A gold-ranked tree? That's pretty good, and it has some high stats, but it's only level one," he muttered while reading the brief statistical information on the transparent screen.

"Hey!"

He jolted at the loud, human voice and anxiously looked around him. There didn't seem to be anyone else around..? Wait, was it an assassin sent after him?! Before he could dwell upon this possibility, the voice spoke again.

"Hands off the bark mister!"

His head whipped around in shock at the Dielweiss Tree. It was…talking to him?! Suddenly, something lightly prodded his shoulder. He spun his head and found a vine poking him. Startled, he quickly stumbled backwards, eyes fixed upon the floating vine.

"Sh*t! A plant monster?!"

"Monster?! Who're you calling a monster boy!"

"You talk! I've never heard of a talking plant before!" The boy's eyes and mouth were as wide as saucers.

"Calling me a mere plant, so rude! This is a gold-ranked Dielweiss Tree, and you are in the middle of my Domain. One wrong move and you'll be fodder for my roots!"

The boy looked at the tree in a side-glance. A plant didn't want to be called a plant? In the middle of its domain? A plant is threatening me? Dafaq is this situation. His jumbled thoughts were made up of surprise, fascination, feeble fear, and amusement.

A vigorous rustle caught his attention, and he watched a rabbit appear from the brush and sit down next to the Dielweiss tree.

"Wait…you're the rabbit from before!" He gawked up at the hawk and back to the rabbit and back again. A predator and its prey were resting comfortably near each other.

"This is Minty and Brownie," Rialyne informed the boy by pointing at the creatures with vines. She caressed their fur and feathers softly. "They're my contractees."

"Contractees…" He repeated thoughtfully before inquiring, "And you are?"

"Rialyne. I'm the soul inhabiter of this host tree, and most of the plants within a hundred meter radius from here belong to me. This is my domain."

The boy had never heard of soul inhabitation. It sounded to similar to possession, except without the malicious factor. But the strangest part was that she apparently controlled a large area of plants around her. This was also unheard of.

"I'm Kyferne, a first-class soldier from the kingdom of Arvon. Umm, or I guess I should say I used to be one." He scratched his head.

"KyFERN? Like a FERN? Ahaha a fern! And here you are talking to plants!" Rialyne tittered at the coincidence.

Kyferne scowled, remembering how his comrades would often joke about his name. Back at home, no one would ever dare to offend him in such a way. And yet here he was again, being called a fern…

Rialyne composed herself. "Anyway, what happened?" Rialyne wondered how he ended up in this forest. Was he kicked from the kingdom's army?

Kyferne grudgingly answered, "That… It's a long story. I basically uncovered a plot to overthrow the king, and the people behind the coup chased me out."

"You mean they tried to kill you." Rialyne could easily tell that there was more to the story. After all, it didn't make sense that they would let him go, nor did it make sense that he would decide to survive in the wilderness rather than hideout in some other place. He must've been pushed and chased to this inhospitable location.

"Hah, yeah," Kyferne confirmed with a sheepish glance.

"Are they still chasing you?"

"I'm not sure. They followed me into the forest, but I think they gave up after some distance. After all, this is Ghevirres, the largest forest near the kingdom of Arvon."

Upon hearing that this was an expansive forest, Rialyne's hopes sunk. It would definitely take more than a few days or even weeks before she got out of this damn forest.

Looking at Kyferne, the only human she would likely meet in this forest, her nonexistent eyes glowed. Yes, she would have to keep this boy here…