Now that I could recall the lucky outfit I wore when our team faced formidable opponents, I knew I would need to make some adjustments so that I could move swiftly and easily through the jungle.
If I had something similar to Spiderman’s webbing, but it was reusable, like a longer version of an amphibian’s tongue. I could swing along the branches if they were attached to my waist and easily controlled, like my mage hunter whips.
I needed weapons now that I had a battle outfit and a means of transportation.
Magic should not exist if this was a real planet and not a simulation. Neither should what I was doing in this hometree matrix, but I wasn’t going to try to decipher the hard facts of what was going on with me at the time.
My plasma swords and the dozen psy-daggers I had hidden around my body would be simple to recreate. Using my whip would be inefficient and ineffective given the density of the jungle flora around us. It would be preferable if I did not rely on it for the time being.
Perhaps in the future, after I’d lived on this planet for a while, I’d have the time to create a different type of weapon, but for now, it was best if I stuck to weapons that I was familiar with.
I took a deep breath and clenched my fists, which shook with my sudden rush of nervousness to see what I’d created.
Slowly, I opened my eyes to see what I had imagined, based on my Altus avatar’s outfit, floating between us.
Zyre’s mouth dropped open in surprise, and his eyes twinkled with wonder as they traced what I had created.
“What do you think?”
“I was correct. You have a natural talent,” he muttered, his gaze shifting to my weapons. “That’ll do.”
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
ZYRE
Sucking in a deep breath, I opened my eyes and shook my head as I stepped away from myluwaeri, giving her the space she needed as she returned to the real world.
I kept my vines wrapped around her, afraid of how she would wake up after being in our hometree’s matrix for the first time. My instincts told me she should be protected, especially since she wasn’t a Calyzis. The last thing I wanted to see was her body collapsing onto the floor because I was no longer holding her. It would have been my fault if something bad had happened to her when she was most vulnerable.
Even the greatest warriors were vulnerable at times, relying on the protection of their home and mate to defend them.
When I saw how her eyes glowed like the flames of a wild inferno that would’ve engulfed me if I had stared at them for too long as she created new outfits and areas within our hometree, I knew I had nothing to worry about once she learned the way of our land.
She was a natural at using the matrix, almost as if she were female Calyzis herself and she had been doing it her entire life.
Even though some of the changes she made to the hometree were not something I’d ever heard of or something my kind needed, I was glad she had listened to me and was confident enough to create all the necessities she required.
Once all of the changes were implemented, our hometree’s energy supply would be slightly more than half full.
I sighed and combed my hair back, unable to take my gaze away from myluwaeri. Everything about her was captivating, addictive.
I wanted to know everything about her—her likes and dislikes, her past, and her hopes for the future.
And how did she choose her career path? Or was it thrust upon her like some of the IPA’s savage, warrior species?
Whatever myluwaeriwas on her home planet, she was not a female to be trifled with.
As myluwaeri’sbody began to move in my vine embrace, a soft moan filled the room. She quickly covered her face with her hands and rubbed it, groaning and shaking her head.
“Is something wrong?” Alarm bells rang in my head, because this was the first time I had witnessed such a reaction after exiting a hometree’s matrix. “Do I need to take you to the Giving Pool?”
“No, that’s not necessary,” Viola grumbled, her words almost sighing out. “When I wake up after a long drift session, I’m always a little disoriented, especially if I’ve been using a new system or playing a new simulation for a long time. It will pass, and my experience will improve with time.”
“That’s useful to know.” My shoulders slumped and my body relaxed as a result of the news. “Everyone reacts differently, and I was unsure what was normal based on your species and your own experiences.”
“There’s no need to be concerned; the aftereffects will fade quickly.” She shrugged and smiled softly, tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. “It always does.”
A strange sense of pain washed over me, and I knew right away it was the plants of our land.
