Chapter 23 Do you have what it takes?

~Hurry bring another bucket of water from the lake~

~Grandma  is he gonna be okay~

~I don't know if he'll make it, I never expected the blessing to be this potent on a human.~

~Hurry go get the water!~

~on it!~

I could faintly hear their conversation despite the pain I had no strength left to open my eyes.

I fought to hold on to my consciousness as I gritted my teeth to bare the unslaught of pain I  was receiving.

"Lad stay with me prove you have what it takes, let's show this world that you have what it takes to survive!"

I could hear her voice as clear as day it was almost as if she was speaking into my mind her voice enveloped my consciousness as If was within a mothers embrace.

~Grandma the water here it is~

The heat in my body faded away slowly and what remained was the warmth, the warmth of an embrace.

It felt so soothing like the lulling of a baby, so comforting that my resolve to stay awake diminished and I resigned myself to sleep once again.

...

My eyes opened again from what seemed to be the best sleep I've ever had. I slowly sat up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated to the max.

There was no pain and I felt strength that I've never felt before.

"Ah lad you're awake, how are you feeling?"

Madam Selena cloud like body floated towards me her tone was chipper almost as if she was happy I had woken up.

I used my left hand to feel my entire body while looking at the places I touched twisting my body accordingly.

"I am fine as far as I can see. I dont know what happened earlier but after I did some stretches I felt my body ripping itself apart."

I stopped searching my body as I spoke and refocused on madam Selena before me. I am not sure about how this world is set up which makes me unsure of how much of my abilities I could share maybe not everyone could see a status screen and I'd be seen as a weird anomaly.

"You have an amazing body, from what I've seen you have assimilated all of the fruit's experiences."

She spoke and an apple started floating before her cloud like figure.

"You see these fruits are all living creatures born of the tree of Erincle. It takes the tree anywhere between 2 -10 months to produce a single fruit depending on its type or on a certain phase of the moon it produces 2-7 fruits per night."

The fruit began to disappear chunk by chunk until the seed remained as madam Selena went silent it was obvious she was eating the fruit.

I had expected that she ate by absorbing things into her cloud like body but this outcome with intriguing yet anticlimactic.

"This apple takes 3 months on a regular day to form but that Deep dark blue fruit you ate earlier only bears about every Fifty years and take up to a century to be fit to eat, it's called fruit of the night."

My mind instantly flashed back to the oval shaped from I ate earlier it's skin was like that of a melon and the insides was a soft navy blue texture that looked just like a melon even with seeds just a difference in color, so I had assume it was this worlds version of a water melon.

I gulped realizing the severity of what I just did and the consequences of said action.

"So uhm- I started speaking in an attempt to cover what happened, my transmigrator  had registered what I gained from the fruits as exp and it multiplies all exp from monsters by 10 times the gain.

I had also  realized that if I had a life time access to this tree along with my transmigrator skill I could essentially become a god among men.

I gulped unable to form any words as the reality settled in and grew nervious from the thought

~

I have become a monster unknowingly at that, but if that what it takes to save them then it's what I'll have to do and I'll have to have what it takes to defeat power houses like those Eternals.

But should I tell granny cloud about my skill or is it too risky, I've just met her am not sure if they can be trusted.

What if they are somehow connected to them. What would I do then?

~

"I uh, you see..."

"No need to worry lad, we all have our secrets and I won't force you to reveal yours. But it appears I have found myself a lab rat you see and even tho am an elder of the clan I have been ostracized as a weird old coon because of that hobby."

I could sense a hungry gaze direct at me like a hunter or predator stalking their prey which sent a shiver down my spine.

I felt a certain fear cloud my judgement for as one who has never like to socialize or to try hard at anything that thirst or sense of repine was something that I avoided whether directed at me or I directed at something.

A loner's life if you will, it's how I survived without being singled out or used by anyone and now am about the accept a deal that would go against my own constitution all for the sake of friends.

This world has really started to affect my very make up and that's not something am all to comfortable about.

"Even if am disadvantaged I won't just willing offer myself as some kind of lab rat I want you to grant the request I made earlier!"

I resolved myself once more and wore a stern expression on my face which a wry smile fighting to pierce the defenses of my lips as I struggled to hold it in.

"I wonder are you worth it tho lad, I could always just use my magic to cripple you once more and take advantage of your body  as I see fit."

The cloud then got closer to my face just an inch away almost causing me to back away

"But you see, I like that look in your eyes that look of stern resolve and a burning desire... I tel you what I'll make you my disciple as requested but that doesn't mean you can actually learn rune magic."

The cloud the retreated and was now above the hay sack to the left of me causing me to divert my attention to it.

Clouds of steam began to arise from the cloud as it enlarged bit by bit.

"But I do wonder Do you have what it takes?"