Nathan sat leaning against the tree, his upper body still bare.
The night wind began to bite, and goosebumps formed across his skin.
He glanced toward where the Monster Girls had disappeared earlier.
"Hmm..." he muttered, eyes lifting to the sky.
"Should I buy clothes now... or wait until tomorrow?"
His thoughts began to swirl.
If he accessed the Hunter Trade Center now, he wouldn’t be able to use it again tomorrow—he’d have to wait for the daily cooldown.
But still, he was getting uncomfortable staying shirtless , sleeping with his body so exposed.
And tonight... felt colder than usual.
"Well then..." he muttered, "maybe I’ll let them pick their own clothes tomorrow. I haven’t spent much of my Tower Points anyway, so it should be enough to buy a bunch of clothing."
But that was for later.
Right now, he was still shivering.
Nathan stood and took a long breath.
"Well, there’s always another shop." He muttered, then stood.
Instantly, a panel floated in the air, glowing cyan-green.
Unlike the Hunter Trade Center’s sleek and minimalist look, the Tower Shop felt more... organic.
Its icons looked like they were carved from vines and roots, and the item list seemed etched into giant leaves.
Nathan scrolled slowly, looking for something to warm him up.
"Oh?" His eyes landed on one item.
[Chameleon Mantle – Adaptable Cloak of Lesser Defense]
Cost: 0.25 Tower Points
Effect: Warms the body when cold, cools when hot, slightly increases defense, and passively conceals the wearer’s aura.
"Perfect..." Nathan smiled faintly.
Without hesitation, he pressed the buy button.
His points decreased slightly, and from the panel, a soft beam of light descended into his hand—forming a gray-green cloak with a texture like fine scales.
He immediately put it on.
Warm. Light. Comfortable.
Nathan twisted his body.
The cloak moved with him, adapting instantly without any weight.
He smirked. "Perfect."
But then he looked up, eyes scanning the forest around him.
Something had always bothered him...
"Why... does the size of this forest keep changing?" he muttered.
As if on cue, a system panel popped up—without being called.
[Environmental data requested. Loading...]
Nathan frowned. "Huh? That’s weirdly responsive..."
A loading bar appeared. It filled fast.
And in a few seconds, the answer came:
[Area: Fantasia Forest]
Description: A forest that responds to the subconscious mind of those who explore it. Its size, terrain, and appearance of hunting routes are based on the visitor’s mental state and emotions.]
"Oh... that’s why sometimes it feels small, sometimes massive... and why Domina and Livia’s hunting trips vary... it depends on their mindset? Damn..."
The panel didn’t disappear yet.
[New Task Available: Retrieve a Crystal Banafruit Sprout]
Nathan immediately straightened up.
"Crystal Banafruit? That’s the one the Rabbit Fighters were carrying earlier... that crystal banana-looking thing?"
[Sprouts can only be collected at night. The brighter the glow, the higher the quality.]
He was getting used to the system’s nonsense.
"Okay... why not just imagine the place nearby? This is Fantasia Forest," he smiled.
Another panel popped up.
[Task location has been determined. A fixed route has been generated to avoid wild monsters and preserve the sprout’s integrity.]
Nathan clicked his tongue.
"This... is special treatment, huh? Like I’m some kind of main NPC?" he muttered, closing the panel and getting ready to move.
A few seconds later, the map panel appeared— A faint blue path lit up, pointing east.
Without wasting time, Nathan followed it.
His steps were steady, though the forest’s atmosphere had changed drastically.
Fantasia Forest at night was nothing like daytime.
Glowing mushrooms sprouted from trees and soil, lighting his path with a gentle aura.
Tiny insects flitted around like miniature stars.
The air was damp but fresh.
"Nature in here really is beautiful... even if it’s inside the Tower," he whispered.
After about fifteen minutes of walking, he arrived at a strange clearing.
A towering crystal-like tree stood at the center—its translucent trunk glowing with gentle pulses of blue and silver.
Its massive roots sprawled along the ground like ancient veins, twisting into the soil like something alive and dreaming.
Nestled between two of those glowing roots,
a sprout stood—about the size of a water bottle.
Its stem was semi-transparent, like frosted glass, with delicate veins of light pulsing within.
A few crystalline leaves shimmered at the top, catching the moonlight like polished gems.
And at the very tip, a budding fruit glowed softly with a silvery hue— not blinding, but... divine.
Like it was grown from moonlight itself.
The system popped up again:
[Please retrieve the sprout using farming tools. Handle with care.]
Nathan summoned his soul-bound shovel.
He stared at the sprout for a moment, then took a deep breath.
"Well then... time to work."
With care, he began to dig...
Just as Nathan gently lifted the sprout from the soil, a soft chime echoed.
[Support Item Deployed: Farmer’s Carrying Basket]
A woven basket materialized beside him—wooden, simple, and old-fashioned. The kind villagers would use in rural farms to carry produce.
"Seriously?" Nathan squinted. "You couldn’t just give me an inventory slot?" He muttered, frowning.
Another chime responded almost smugly.
[Crystal Banafruit Sprouts are highly sensitive to ambient energy.
Storing them in your inventory may sever their life flow and result in death.]
Nathan stared at the basket. Then at the glowing sprout in his hands.
"...Fine," he sighed, placing it inside.
As soon as he did, a glowing arrow formed in the air—pointing deeper into the woods.
He followed it. Dug again.
Second sprout. Third. Fourth. It didn’t stop.
By the tenth, the basket was nearly full, glowing like a mini sun.
Nathan wiped his forehead, strapped the basket on his back like a tea farmer, and began walking home.
If the system could explain the forest... then maybe it could tell me about other regions too? Snowfields? Deserts? That eerie dark one?
He looked up at the night sky.
"What’s the snowy region called?"