Try Me!

89 Chapter 8: Second Floor

This floor is a forest floor. So, I guess I can expect a dryad and Ent. Can't wait to see the dryad then. Now should I jump off the cliff or head south?

Hmm, whatever let's just jump. I run toward the cliff and jump as hard as I can. I think this cliff is approximately five hundred meters high. So, if I just fall, I will die. Thus, I need to lower the speed of my descent.

And I got just the thing for. As I near the forest beneath, I charge up my greaves and start expelling the pent-up energy to boost myself upward and decrease the speed of my descent.

I land on the ground after falling for five minutes. As soon as I land inside the forest, I fell a certain connection with it. Nature affinity, I suppose.

I look to nearest tree and will it to extend its branch toward me and its branch lowers itself toward me. This shows that there isn't any world tree in this forest. And that makes it so much easier. After confirming my control over the plant, I start to walk heading north.

Hmm, strange I don't feel any lifeform around here. Is there something wrong here? Anyway, let's just keep walking. I'm sure I will encounter something soon.

I keep walking for five more hours. Still, nothing. This is getting strange. And just as I was thinking that, I feel something on my left and lift my arm to caught an arrow. Body made out of branch, head made out of stone and fletching made out of leaf.

Hmm. I didn't fell anything. So, I guess I need to heighten my senses to discover anything around here, huh. I close my eyes and call out to Yggdrasill inside my first door.

I hear him responding back from his home. After connecting with him, I put my left arm on the ground and it branches out and digs into thee ground to connect to roots beneath.

As it connects to the roots, I see everything around me. And I see who set off that arrow. It's a fucking satyr standing on a tree about two kilometers away from me.

He actually almost hit me from that range. No wonder I sensed nothing. I will the tree he is standing on to entangle him and I start running toward him. I wonder if he is a sentient being or just a monster in this dungeon.

Well, doesn't matter. I make it next to him in five minutes. Just like that fantasy novels. Ram's horn on his head, cloven hoof. Well, he is not naked at least. So, that is different.

Usually, satyrs are depicted naked. That's good. I look to its eyes and see fear in it. So, I guess it isn't entirely mindless.

"Can you understand me?"

He nods at me. Hmm, intelligence.

"Okay then, I'm gonna take off the gag and if you scream or call for help, I will kill you, understand?"

He nods at. I will the tree to let him speak and the branch covering his mouth moves aside. And the satyr simply looks at me with fear in its eyes.

"Can you speak?"

"Yes, I can."

"Good. What's your name?"

"My name is Tamnus."

"It is nice to meet you Tamnus, I'm Alder. Is there anymore of you around here?"

"I will not sell out my comrades even if you kill me!"

Ooh, goat with guts. I like him.

"Then what if I torture you?"

"What's a torture?"

What the? He actually doesn't know what torture is. There is only confusion in his eyes. Hehe. This is interesting.

While talking to Tamnus I sense something similar on my back and once again raise my arm to caught another arrow. After a few seconds I put up my mana barrier and just a second later almost dozen arrows hit my barrier and fall to the ground.

"Whew, that was close. Then, I suppose there is more of you around, huh."

As if realized that shooting an arrow at me won't work they stop. I put my left arm on the tree and sense my surroundings.

I see about two dozen satyrs walking toward me. They all shot their arrows from even farther than Tamnus. I think they shot it from at least three kilometers distance. That is one scary archery.

"Now, then shall we wait for your comrades, Tamnus?"

As I say that, his eyes become so big and I see fear and anxiousness in them.

"Don't worry I won't kill you people. I just got a few questions to ask. And you be quiet for a while."

I cover his mouth with a branch. Other satyrs make it here after ten minutes. It seems they believe that I don't know they are here already. If they won't come out on their own, I will simply give them a little push.

I will the trees nearby to catch them and bring them in front of me. As I will that, nearby trees' branches start to move around and catches the surrounding satyr and lift them up for me to see them.

Shock on their faces are priceless. I'm sure they thought that this forest was they home and domain, but when stranger comes in and their home suddenly betrays them. That would be scary and shocking.

There is twenty of them. Excluding Tamnus.

"Who is the leader?"

No one answers.

"Okay, listen here. I'm not here to hurt you people. I just need to ask a few questions from you. But if you refuse to cooperate, I will start hurting you people."

They think for a while after I said that. And one of them nods at me.

"I take it you are the leader, then?"

She nods at me. Got to say, female satyr looks good. I will the tree to take her near me and take of the branch covering her mouth.

"Hello, I'm Alder. What is your name?"

She hesitates for a little while and.

"My name is Vien."

"Okay. Hello Vien. It is nice to meet you. Do you mind if I ask a few questions from you?"

As I converse gently with her, I see the fear in her eyes recede and the curiosity take over. That is exactly what I want.

"It is nice to meet you too, Alder. If I can answer, I will answer your questions."

So na?ve and so cute.