Chapter 2

I wished to be transferred to a place with few people and abundant nature, but I never expected to be sent to a tree sea devoid of any human presence.

I had imagined a modest village or a settlement similar to the countryside of my previous life, but this seemed to be much harder than I had anticipated.

There was no food or water, let alone a place to live immediately.

Would I have to cut down the trees here to build a house? As I was thinking about this, I had a firm conviction that I could do it without much effort.

How? The trees were densely packed, leaving no space to build a house.

However, my body moved naturally as if it knew what to do.

When I swung the divine staff in my right hand, the obstructing trees uprooted themselves.

They were firmly dug out from the roots and lay flat. Then, a giant vine rose from the ground, wrapped around the fallen trees, and moved them to the side.

Thanks to this, a vast open space was created in the middle of the tree sea.

"This is the blessing of the Plant God..."

I had seen such supernatural phenomena in the divine realm.

Elphira could also manipulate plants freely. Receiving her blessing meant that I, too, had been granted that power.

I tried to create a small chair out of wood by focusing and swinging the staff, and a tree sprouted from the ground, instantly becoming a chair.

It seemed that I had gained the ability to grow trees anywhere.

With this ability, building a wooden house would be no problem.

I swung the staff, recalling the house where I lived with my grandparents as a child.

Immediately, a large number of trees sprouted from the ground and quickly transformed into a Japanese-style house.

"The house was built in no time."

Even in modern times, construction techniques have advanced, making house building faster, but it's impossible to build a house this quickly.

However, with this power, I wouldn't have to worry about finding a place to live.

Ars, who transferred me here, might have known about this ability and deliberately sent me to this tree sea. Even if that's not the case, I'll think positively about it.

I headed to the entrance to check out the completed house.

When I opened the sliding door, I saw an entrance just like the one at my real home.

"It's nostalgic."

Since the material was 100% wood, it smelled of wood, not the tatami mats I remembered.

However, the interior design, similar to the places I used to frequent, greatly calmed my mind.

I took a deep breath, took off my shoes, and entered the entrance.

After passing through the unusually large entrance, there were four rooms on the left.

In my real home, these were all tatami-floored Japanese-style rooms, but they were not tatami because they were made of wood.

It was a bit disappointing, but if I could find similar materials, I might be able to make something like tatami and lay them down.

Although the rooms were separated by doors, removing them would create a large room. I could use them as bedrooms or a small storage area.

At the end of the room, there was a closet and a long corridor that allowed sunlight and wind to pass through.

In my real home, we had a garden where we grew vegetables and ate them on the veranda.

Returning from the private room and passing through the entrance, there was a room with a hearth, and behind it was a kitchen. It wasn't a modern Japanese counter kitchen but more like a dirt floor.

Nearby were a washroom, changing room, and a bath.

It was nice to have a proper bath, but the water supply and drainage seemed to be a challenge.

Without a water supply, how would I prepare hot water?

However, that's a low priority at this stage, so I'll deal with it later.

The interior is basically the same as my real home.

Although everything is made of wood and there are many things missing, I can use this as a base for now. Even if it's inconvenient, I can build a house quickly with this ability, so it's not a problem.

Now that I have a place to live, the next step is water and food.

Humans can survive for about four days without water, but with water and sleep, they can survive for two to three weeks without food.

The most important thing is to secure water.

I need to find a water source. Of course, I'll look for food along the way.

However, is there a water source in such a tree sea? Moreover, I'm worried about the existence of monsters that attack humans.

But if I'm afraid of these dangers and don't take any action, I'll die of starvation.

Fortunately, thanks to Elphira's blessing, I can grow trees.

In an emergency, I can hide inside the trees or use them to repel enemies.

My inner sense tells me it will be fine.

I decided to look for a water source.

I left the house and walked straight ahead.

The view was filled with dense undergrowth and towering trees. It was easy to lose my sense of direction just by walking straight.

I should mark the path I take.

I wanted a knife or something sharp. As I thought this, the staff turned into a sharp knife.

Even though it was made of wood, it was surprisingly sharp. When I tried cutting a tree, it sliced through easily.

I was amazed at how effortlessly it cut through the wood.

When I applied more force, the tree slid and fell in the opposite direction.

The sound of the tree falling echoed loudly in the quiet tree sea. Birds that had been perched on the surrounding trees flew away in surprise.

"Wh-what?"

A small wooden knife felled a tree. The shock was so great that I couldn't even scream.

Out of curiosity, I wanted to see how sharp it was. I hadn't underestimated it, but it seemed I had underestimated this tool.

It was indeed a gift from a god.

I was happy that it could serve as a knife, but I would be careful when handling it.

I moved the fallen tree, which was blocking the path, to a non-obstructive place using the vines I had grown and started walking.

I gently and carefully made cuts on the trees to serve as markers.

There were no signs of human activity in the tree sea.

There were no paths, and plants grew as if claiming their territory.

The unmanaged paths were difficult to walk on for someone unaccustomed to them.

The roots of the trees, the uneven ground, and the slopes were one thing, but the tall weeds that reached my height were a real problem.

I thought about cutting them with the knife, but the moment I thought they were in the way, they bent back on their own, creating a path.

This was probably also due to my blessing.

When I focused on making the weeds curl up, they formed a ring.

It seemed that I could not only grow trees but also interfere with existing plants.

Since I could uproot trees, this was to be expected.

I understood why Ars said that Elphira's power would be useful if I were to live in nature.

"With this, I can walk through the tree sea more easily."

I pushed aside the obstructing branches and leaves and moved forward confidently.