First day struggles

The brilliant light of Ariel's spell dissipated. Before even opening my eyes the sounds of the forest exploded around me as the warmth of the sun fell upon my new skin for the first time. Taking a deep breath before letting it out as a wide grin spread across my face I opened her eyes.

The first thing I saw was the trees, a vibrant green canopy with pale grey trunks, and numerous colorful birds sitting among its branches, many of which watched me with surprise, probably from my sudden appearance. After months in that hospital it was almost too much.

I tried to take a step forward but immediately tripped, looking down at my legs I saw some of my changes. My legs were now deer like with dark fur covering my legs up to my waist ending in grey cloven hooves. Now paying attention to my body I felt my hands against the ground and could tell they were different, looking at them I saw long taloned hands covered in dark feathers which went up my forearms. Next I noticed a weight on my head, feeling my scalp I felt 2 short horns? No, Branches shaped like horns with small leaves and flowers “What the hell?” my voice was somehow rough and soft at the same time, like gravel wrapped in silk though it was still obviously feminine. Lastly I felt something entirely new, my tentacles and a tail. Focusing on them I made them move, it wasn't easy at first but it became easy after a minute. First looking at my tentacles there were 4 of them emerging from my upper back, long and vine-like, ending in flower-like buds which draped down my back almost reaching the floor if I stood. Then my tail, it wasn't as long as my tentacles but was reptilian and covered in smooth black scales.

I tried to stand but I simply fell back down though an idea entered my head, I pulled my tentacles up into the air then slammed them down into the ground for support before lifting myself up and after a minute of standing with the support I let me tentacle go lax and managed to stay upright, I then ripped my tentacles from the ground and started walking until I got confident with my stride.

With my first challenge overcome I looked back to the forest surrounding me, as I looked closer I noticed that I was on an incline, seemingly a hill though lacking many notable details, at least to my untrained eyes.

Closing my eyes I tried listening, past the buzzing of insects, the rustling of the wind through the leaves, and chirping of birds I heard the sound of rushing water some distance from me, having no better option I started towards it.

After several minutes of walking I finally reached the rocky stream, it was flowing fast thanks to the incline and even from where I stood I could see a few small waterfalls. Walking down to its banks I knelt down and supporting myself with my tentacles cupped my hands and took some water before bringing it up and taking a deep drink, it was clean and warm. Actually everything was warm, I could only guess it was summer, presuming this world had seasons.

Letting out a sigh I couldn't help but be annoyed at my lack of information, I knew about the dozen strongest entities in this world and that's it. No countries, maps, or potential allies, I got too excited from my resurrection and failed to ask the questions I should have and now I get to regret it.

I thought over my options for a minute and decided that I’d start by testing my power. Standing up my eyes focused on a tree on the other side of the creek, raising my hand I pointed a finger at the tree and focused. It felt like muscle memory as I drew the mana from my body to my arm, finger and then the air in front of me, pooling it into a ball I began aspecting it with ****, my natural attunement making my mana especially willing to take the color I wanted it to.

“This should be 90 times stronger than a normal sorcerer would be able to produce.” Having finished molding the bullet I used a little bit of mana to give the bullet momentum and loosed it.

The **** bullet flew true and struck the tree but not with a noticeable impact but rather was absorbed or rather **** its way into the tree, the effect was immediate as it began to desiccate and putrefy, this rot-less decay spread like poison through the tree consuming the entire trunk only running out of power as it reached the branches.

I gulped at the sight but I knew it would only get me so far but wanting to test my life magic I did it again, pull, mold, aspect, and fire. I sent it towards a different tree and as it hit, the sight might have been worse than the **** magic.

It reminded me of my cancer but countless times more aggressive as the cells of the tree seemed to divide uncontrolled so quickly and viciously that the top of the tree started to lean as the growing mass **** one side of the tree upwards causing the wood to splinter to pieces, having seen enough I loosed a **** bullet towards the mass causing it to putrefy though most of the rest of the tree was still alive likely because the **** magic was weakened as it overcame the life magic.

Bullets, lances… emanations. I really wanted to try making an emanation but considering it was basically a permanent summon so it was definitely going to be expensive, I'd have to wait unfortunately.

Remembering the old survival rule of 3s I decided my first goal was to find or make some shelter which I expected my life magic would make easy.

Keeping close to the creek I began checking the woods for a good place to set up my base. After a while I found what I was looking for, it was a small clearing surrounded by an especially thick patch of trees. The canopy covered the space but wasn't very thick. Deciding this would be a good start I went to each of the trees surrounding the clearing, poured a little life magic into them and after some testing managed to grow the branches above the clearing into a thick leafy roof.

It took a lot of my mana but I still had a good reserve. Honestly I wasn't sure how well it'd work but it should divert any rain away from the clearing.

Wanting proper defenses I remembered the thorny bushes I’d seen as I walked, circling back I found a few small bushes and after digging them up I moved them to the edge of the clearing and began pouring my magic into them. I left enough mana in my reservoir to cast a few **** bullets but burnt the rest on growing these bushes into a thorny wall.

It was decently effective as the now massive bushes wrapped around the trees a little outside the clearing and stood only a little shorter than myself with a single gap along one side of the clearing for entry.

With my shelter set up and the creek as a water supply my last need was food. As every animal needs water eventually I decided to wait by the creek for something to come by for a drink. Having actually reached the creek I went and hid behind a leafy bush with a decent view of the creek and waited.

An hour passed, then another, then I heard a rustling, it looked like a small deer and was on my side of the creek but 50ish feet down the stream. Instinctively I used God's eye on it.

Soul: bestial

Species: lesser forest deer (tier 1)

Apparently it was a light aligned animal, it was also very weak. Deciding It would make a good meal I raised a finger towards it and deciding that life and **** magic would deal to much damage to it I cast an earth bullet, I could instantly tell how much weaker it was and how much harder it was to actually mold it but I bent it into shape and just as the deer took a drink I loosed the bullet.

The deer failed to react and the bullet struck it dead on leaving a 2 inch wide hole in its side. Walking over to the deer I easily pick it up with one hand due to my size and the bonuses from my pure lands. I only moved the deer a few dozen feet before putting it back down and tried to clean it using my claws, I hadn't actually cleaned a deer before so it wasn't easy. Eventually though I pulled the last of the organs out before moving on to the skinning, again it was hard but the hide came off and I separated the hide from the meat and the meat from the bone.

Now completely covered in blood but with dinner in hand I wrapped the meat in the hide and carried it back to the creek before dropping it so I could take a bath.

After several minutes I got the last of the blood out of my fur and feathers before returning to the banks, grabbed my dinner and started back towards my new home.

Reaching my base I realized that I needed to set up a campfire, letting out a groan I placed my meal inside a thornbush and using a little magic had the thorns wrap around the hide covered bundle. I then spend some time gathering up some dry wood and leaves before setting them up just outside my base's entrance before hitting it with a weak fire bullet causing it to immediately ignite.

Grabbing the bundle with my dinner in it I set up a spit and pierced the cuts of meat with a stick, set it over the fire and began cooking it. After some more time the meat looked well cooked and taking it off the fire began eating it.

It wasn't great, unseasoned and gamy but at least filling it wasn't long until it was all eaten. Letting out a slightly satisfied sigh I looked at the slowly appearing stars.

Deciding it was time to get some rest and I laid down on the grass and after the long day quickly drifted off to sleep.