Negative energy passes through the soil. They move through the air. They move through vibrations, spreading from every step taken by the creatures they injure.

It's easy to see when something releases negative energy from itself.

You can tell this from their expressions, their behavior, their mannerisms, and their lack of concern for themselves and those around them. These things, these negative creatures, are best avoided.

- After all, pain needs companionship.

Maybe it's a brutal way of looking at the world. But negativity is a parasite. It will attach itself to one host and then infect it, and then this entity will go on to infect another in an attempt to heal itself of its own pain, thus further spreading the disease.

The treatment is sunlight.

-[Sunflower]-

You are bathed in the sun

+ 1 exp

XP: 23/310 EXP: 56/160

- At least for sunflowers. I can't speak for other creatures.

My petals are wide open, and my stems are tall and straight. It's really simple. All it took was some sunshine, some water, and a few days of rest for my friend to recover. So maybe it works against monsters too?

I didn't let her negativity affect me.

That's very disproportionate for a sunflower.

Can you imagine? A sad sunflower?

- What a strange thing that would be.

The big stone path, the "road" we had walked for a day and a half, led us to a strange place.

A split.

-[Sunflower]-

You are bathed in the sun

+ 1 exp

EXP: 24/310 EXP: 57/160

The road divides into two directions. One to the left and one to the right, like two branches, leaving behind a thick trunk.

How interesting. I don't know the road can do this.

Can all roads become two?

Can these two paths be combined into two?

Are there countless roads, like branches in a forest and stars in the sky?

- Incredible.

I never knew the trail and the big road could be so much fun. Maybe they're too funny because my friend Birch can't make a choice. Roughly speaking, both options lead to the West. But one leads to the low west, and the other leads to the high west.

I don't care which one we choose.

Either way, life is good.

Birch was overwhelmed by her two choices and stood there hesitating.

Tell me, friend.

What are monsters afraid of?

I noticed tension in her back muscles, my roots slipped, and she wasn't sure. An hour passed. We were still at a fork in the road.

Birch took a step towards the lower path.

- Then she stopped, turned her head to the right and turned to another.

Yes.

Life is confusing. You want to know, what's the end of the road? Is it preferable to this ending? Am I making the right choice? Will this bring me closer to my goal, or will it be farther away?

- A puzzle.

At the same time, though, I think that's what's exciting; The indecision of all this. What if we choose the wrong one? If this road leads to death, what about that road to heaven?

That's great.

The gift of life, the choices, the personality, it's absolutely incredible. The sad are those who can't feel the kiss of the sun, those who can't choose the path, left or right.

The living are truly blessed.

Birch left the trail and changed his mind again. We walked along the road above and finally continued our journey.

As for myself, I still don't care.

As long as I can see the world, as long as I can feel the sun, as long as I can spend a few more days with my monster friends, then I guess it doesn't matter which way we go, does it?

I am a contented sunflower.

It's night.

A loud voice could be heard in the distance. An unusual oddity.

Fire and life manifested themselves in the grove not far in front of us, in the meadow over there.

"Over there" is a good word.

I wonder where I learned it from? I don't quite remember. In fact, I guess I still don't know why I'm alive and why I'm conscious. But maybe it doesn't matter, really?

- What are the benefits of knowing the answer to this question?

Any idea why it makes me less or more energetic and aware than before?

I don't think so.

Birch tiptoed towards the woods and threw himself on the ground like a stalking predator. We crawled, sneaking through the bushes. I wanted to complain, but there's no sunshine right now anyway. So, why not live it well?

Birch tries to learn how sunflowers grow. Maybe it's time for me to learn the methods of monsters?

That's fair.

Walking to the edge of the bushes, my curious, horribly beautiful monster friend and I stared at the pile of wagons stretched in a circle outside.

It seems that some of her kind have gathered here for the night. They seemed to have pulled the cart in a circle, made a barrier, a bird's nest, and they all rested by the roaring fire.

If I had to bet, I'd suspect Birch was hungry.

After all, food was always scarce during our journey, and she only ate when she was gobbling it up after finding an adequate source of food. The last big meal she ate was fish from the river. That was a few days ago, and since then, she has eaten very little, except for the occasional odd berry we picked up on the road.

- Are we hunting?

No.

Judging by her demeanor and low profile, it seems like we've just come to steal from these unsuspecting creatures.

Well...

Or is it more appropriate to use the word "harvest"? After all, how is this different from taking berries from bushes or seeds from flowers? It seems to me the same.

Birch crept forward, over the meadow toward the carriage, in the shadows of the fire.

The men and women in the circle talked to each other, but I didn't understand the intonation and language in which they spoke, just like the girls in the village.

Judging by their now muffled voices, the conversation seemed to be fading away as they all slowly descended into the depths of sleep, their energy suppressed by the heavy spiritual blanket.

We waited in the shadows for a few more minutes, and after a few minutes of silence, except for the sound of the wind, except for the rustle of the trees, except for the mischievous crackling of the flames across from us, Birch slowly walked around a carriage, and I peeked with her.

-Bounty.

The car was full of things I didn't recognize. There are small, vague shapes and forms that glow seductively in the firelight. There are also strange wooden trinkets and knick-knacks, and there are still long spines and claws made of hard metal. There's a bunch of things there that look like dried leaves, plants, and mushrooms.

Birch seems to pay particular attention to a chest full of dried meat.

I could feel her stomach growling over her shoulder all the time.

We crawled towards it, and she grabbed handful after handful, already biting a piece, unable to stop herself.

I can't taste it. But I suspect that this is the most pleasant, given the radiance I feel in her blood, the inclination of her posture.

My friend harvested a lot of meat from the car, stuffed the meat and many knickknacks into a bag and put it on my land.

My roots, perhaps, can have a small bite of meat. But there's no blood in there, so I don't care much, and—

- This is my friend's.

An angry voice shouted, very inappropriate on this quiet night. I don't know what that means.

Birch looked quickly at the man who had found us. Others woke up from a daze. Birch turned and ran away, arms clenched, and I looked at them curiously, the original meat harvesters, who had been hampered by their own carriage barricades in pursuit of us, and they had to climb over first.

Yes.

Satirize.

We fled into the night, like robber raccoons.

-[Sunflower]-

You are bathed in the sun

+ 1 exp

XP: 27/310 EXP (Birch): 60/160

I sometimes wonder why my friends took me on a trip.

It does seem unusual, doesn't it?

Birch sat by the big rock, and I sat on the big grass next to her, and we watched together, gazing at the great water pouring down from the edge of the cliff. The waterfall, the most beautiful, sparkles because it shows the prismatic beauty of the humid sun.

She leaned against the big rock behind us, feasting on a cart of dried meat and spring water from the monster, with a look of satisfaction and calm on her face, which I was most happy to see.

The waterfall is majestic and emits a suffocating hum that is sweeter and more harmonious than any bird and beast I've ever heard.

Birch fell asleep leaning against the big, hot rocks by the waterfall, and I watched her fall asleep.

Harvesting food and things has been a common theme in my life until now. At first it was the bird that took my seeds, and then it was Birch who took me. A lot has happened during these most exciting days. This is the law of nature. The strong, the agile, the clever snatch from those who are not strong.

- But what if someone wants to take Birch away, like she took me from my meadow?

Then I'll be alone.

That would be the most unpleasant. I'm used to having friends. I don't think I can allow that to happen. After all, it's so much fun. I want to drink blood again, I want to see a big fish again, I want to see many other things, impossible and wonderful.

I gazed calmly at the sun and pondered my thoughts.

A sunflower and a monster, friends on the journey.

- What a beautiful world.