Since it was only early afternoon when I woke up, I could have left the stranger's territory to hunt. Finding the river or a monster to hunt for meat would have been useful as well. Instead, I stayed.
Danger lurked everywhere, yet this place felt the safest. Safe enough to learn something about the flora and fauna, to study Shift a little more, and to grasp how much the Core's progress increased strength, speed, as well as mental capacity.
The more Essence the Core accumulated, the stronger its host became. That was the theory, even if it differed slightly in rare cases. Regardless, the Core's progression was part of the reason the Hnolls had been so much stronger than I was. My Core was vastly underdeveloped compared to just about everything in this forest. Hence, the importance of learning the forest's plant life.
Before doing that, however, I used Shift a few more times. First came the Arok Serpent. There had been something I'd been curious about, and transforming into the serpent confirmed my suspicion.
The shift did not end after ten seconds. It was hard to count precisely, but it was obvious that the transformation lasted longer than before. Which suggested it was because my Core was stronger than it had been.
There could have been another explanation, but the logic of my theory rang true in my head. That would also explain how I could maintain the Blue Slime's form permanently. My Core was, and always had been, more developed than the Blue Slime's.
That means I can become a Hnoll… permanently. The thought made me shudder. It was terrifying in a way, yet curious all the same.
Strengthening the Core would give me more leeway to stay in other forms for longer durations and possibly shift more often as well. Shifting several times in combat was draining, yet it felt right–like that was exactly what I was supposed to do with my Power.
Experimenting with the Hnoll forms, I realized early on how exhausting repeated shifts were. It was also curious to learn that the form of the weakest Hnoll lasted almost three times as long as the Arok Serpent and the other Hnolls. Alas, it was the weakest Hnoll, which was nevertheless far stronger than I was.
Once Shift was mostly exhausted, the real study session began.
As dangerous as some of the larger predatory plants were, the flowers were relatively harmless. Relatively, if one ignored the numbed fingers, mild electrocution, and the spore cloud that nearly cost a life–my life–less than twenty minutes later.
After the backlash, which ended in a coughing fit that lasted no less than an hour, I treated the forest's plants with far more care.
"A flower that converts sunlight into sparks," I murmured as my eyes fell on a vaguely familiar bloom, its petals shimmering in the sunlight. The petals seemed entirely unperturbed by the minuscule spark explosions around it, which only highlighted its beauty.
"Poisonous bush." A hiss escaped my lips as one of the long-ass thorns of a nearby shrub poked me. A blood droplet trickled from the tiny wound, which I would have promptly ignored if it hadn't transformed into a steady stream. Albeit small and not immediately dangerous, the blood flow did not cease. I just kept bleeding. Not even the cloth I pressed firmly against the wound managed to stop it.
Am I going to die here? Just like that?
Panic surged in my chest. Then, forcing myself to calm down, I transformed into the Blue Slime.
That form persisted for quite some time, until I regained the courage needed to face my demons. When I transformed back into a human, I braced myself for the worst.
But the worst never came.
The bleeding was gone, the tiny wound sealed shut.
"Shit. That was scary." I slumped down to the ground with a heavy sigh. "Dying a stupid death is not on my bucket list."
A sound caught my attention. It almost sounded like a giggle, but I had to be imagining things. There was no way someone was laughing–
…Right?
Maybe there was something. Was the stranger still there, watching me? Making fun of my stupidity?
My cheeks felt uncomfortably warm as the study session continued. Knowing Shift could bail me out of trouble, I could have taken more risks, but what if something went wrong next time? No. I really didn't want to die because of a stupid mistake.
Hence, I studied the forest's plants only a little longer before the third and final phase of my first forest study session began. I retrieved the javelin and the two crystallized wooden blades for some basic training.
That training quickly transformed into something else entirely the moment I used Shift.
Bathing in cold sweat, my chest heaving heavily, I transformed into a Hnoll. The blades remained in my hands even as they shifted, and the sequence continued with renewed vigor. Maintaining a humanoid shape was useful. It helped retain momentum, yet humans and Hnolls were different.
Hnolls didn't see nearly as well as humans, but their other senses were superior in ways that were difficult to grasp.
Instead of analyzing those senses, I trusted my instincts and went with the flow. Shift triggered once more as I briefly transformed into the strongest Hnoll, testing the limits of my power, the shift's efficiency, and the strength and speed my strongest form could wield.
My vision went black for a moment. At some point, I found myself writhing on the ground, gasping for air.
The training results were more than satisfactory. I learned a lot.
The forest was no longer as strange as it had been.
As for the stalker, I was fairly certain I'd entertained him–or her–enough.