A "Person"? Appeared

What methods are there for the current me to become stronger?

The first thing that comes to mind is destroying the Lingering Thoughts at the Burnt Tree. It's the fastest way to increase my power by a large margin.

However, unless the place is overflowing with Lingering Thoughts, they only appear about once a day. After capturing and destroying one, I'm left with a lot of free time.

Normally, I use this time to practice manipulating earth and build up proficiency, but from now on, I need to use this time more efficiently.

So, how should I utilize this remaining time?

'What I've neglected to practice until now.'

The two ways I use my power. The ability to manipulate inanimate objects and the perception ability that allows me to see the world.

Among them, I plan to delve deeper into the perception ability.

Until now, my use of the perception ability was very simple. Consuming power to perceive the world. A very simple but most effective method. I want to try adding a little variation to this.

'Such as perceiving different locations simultaneously.'

Until now, I had been designating only one area for perception. I perceived only a certain radius centered on the earth puppet. Like a human.

'It was a measure I took to reduce the power consumption for perception... but now I don't need to do that anymore.'

That doesn't mean I can perceive the entirety of the land, which is my main body. I feel like I've grown somewhat from capturing Lingering Thoughts, but I don't know how large it must be if I still can't perceive it all.

Anyway, returning to the main point, I'm going to try designating a new perception range while leaving the perception range centered on the earth puppet as is.

Doing this would allow me to perceive both the earth puppet and a location I want to see simultaneously, which would be convenient.

'It seems like it might be a bit dizzying... but I'll probably adapt if I keep at it.'

The feeling of seeing two places at once might be confusing at first, but I think it's a matter of gradually adapting.

And another thing: the division of consciousness. You could call it multitasking.

I felt something when dealing with that bizarre Lingering Thought that alternated between bipedal and quadrupedal movement. That I couldn't imagine two or more things at once while manipulating earth.

'Since I only tried to grab it with earth, it dodged swiftly, that bastard...'

What if I had simultaneously erected a large earthen wall in its escape path and also tried to restrain it?

I don't know the result, but it likely would have been better than just trying to grab it with earth.

'Good, that settles it then.'

Adding perception ranges, and dividing consciousness. I decided to practice these two things in total.

First, adding a perception range.

I left the perception range centered on the earth puppet at my dwelling as is, and applied power with the feeling of creating a new perception range far away.

'Oh, I see it.'

Then, I saw a different place from where the earth puppet was, a forest with lush trees.

'So this is how it looks. Luckily, there shouldn't be any confusion.'

Since it was my first time trying to increase perception ranges to two, I was worried they might overlap, but I could clearly perceive that the two locations were completely different.

'Good, the first one is done, next is...'

Next, I decided to practice multitasking.

I started with something simple.

'One hand draws a circle... the other hand draws a triangle...'

Picking up branches and drawing different shapes with each.

'Hmm... not going well.'

It was harder than I thought. When the circle was drawn well, the triangle wasn't, and when the triangle was drawn well, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠circle wasn't.

'I guess there's no choice but to keep practicing.'

In a way, it's obvious. I've only known how to focus on one thing; if I succeeded at two things at once on the first try, wouldn't that make me a genius?

'It's good to try various things.'

After that, I practiced multitasking continuously. Piling up the same amount of earth to the same height, or digging earth on one side while piling it on the other, etc.

When I felt a bit comfortable, I increased the difficulty and practiced. Shaping earth to make identical dolls, or later, even building identical earthen towers in two locations with different viewpoints.

After reaching a certain level of mastery ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and trying it in an actual fight, it definitely helped.

This time, the Lingering Thought that appeared was also bizarrely shaped. Its torso was a spider's torso, but it had six human-like limbs attached, and its head looked like a bee's.

Its main attack method was spraying poisonous gas from its mouth, and I saw nearby trees lose their vitality rapidly upon contact.

'First, erect an earthen wall, and then bury it in that state.'

To prevent the nearby trees and grass from dying, I simultaneously erected an earthen wall close to the creature and dug under its feet, burying it alive.

'The speed definitely seems faster...'

The speed was faster, but the method was the same.

However, this was unavoidable because these things called Lingering Thoughts don't receive physical damage.

'But then again, if you trap them in earth, they can't move. It seems to be because of the vitality in the earth... huh? Now that I think about it...'

Can't I directly inject the vitality in the earth into the creature's body?

'No, even if I did, the cancellation effect would probably be the same, wouldn't it?'

Still, I was curious, so I decided to experiment on the creature buried in the ground.

'First, I need to extract the vitality from the earth... uh, done.'

The moment I thought about extracting the vitality, it instantly flowed out of the earth. The earth that lost its vitality became crumbly.

'I didn't know it would be this easy...'

The vitality had no form. I couldn't see it directly, but I could sense that vitality was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠there.

'Now if I inject this into that guy...'

I directly injected this vitality into the Lingering Thought. Then, I saw its negative aspect rapidly diminishing.

'Oh, it's decreasing quickly?'

This method of directly injecting it was much faster than the speed at which the Lingering Thought's negativity was canceled out by touching the vitality.

'With this, I can also extract vitality from the ground to attack in urgent situations.'

An unexpected harvest. I gained an additional means to use in urgent situations.

However, this method also ultimately consumes vitality, so to increase my power, I have no choice but to destroy Lingering Thoughts at the Burnt Tree.

'I have to take it, what else.'

It couldn't be helped. Currently, this was the only method, so even though it was bothersome, I had to take them one by one.

And so, after restraining the Lingering Thought, I returned to my dwelling and destroyed it.

'I wonder how long this life will continue...'

Today's tasks were also finished. While touching earth and doing this and that as usual, that thought suddenly crossed my mind.

Right now, every day is busy because I'm experimenting with the abilities I possess, but once I master all this, what exactly should I do?

How long must I continue this life inside this limited barrier?

Eliminating the continuously appearing Lingering Thoughts, manipulating earth to pass the time, and using the act of observing the land as a substitute for sleep.

'How long can I endure?'

Even though my main body is the land, I think my mind is no different from a human's.

Little by little, it seems I'm starting to get tired of this repetitive daily life.

'The fact that I'm having these thoughts seems like I'm already in danger... Well, I'll just endure as best I can.'

Even if my mind collapses, the life of this land will continue to live.

'That's enough for me.'

This is the land I've felt an inexplicable attachment to ever since I first opened my eyes. Now, after continuously observing it every day, I've fully accepted that fact.

So, even if I disappear, I will protect this land. I swore so.

That time I swore was just yesterday, but...

It seems such an oath was unnecessary.

The next morning, while playing with earth as usual, waiting for a Lingering Thought to appear, I felt something strange.

A heavy sensation, as if something had crossed the barrier and entered this land.

'...What is this feeling?'

I thought maybe a Lingering Thought had appeared, but it was different. Its presence differed from Lingering Thoughts.

I wondered if it was a creature of a different caliber from the ones that appeared before, but it felt like its orientation was different.

Hurriedly moving my viewpoint to check that location, what was standing there was a single girl.

'...A person, is it?'

A Gothic-style dress, hair like the sunset. Seeing her up to this point made her seem like a peculiar person, but her eyes were strange.

The part that should be the whites was black. The part that should be the iris was white. She was a girl with the so-called inverse eyes.

'It's somewhat mysterious...'

She looked like the first human I've met. Yet, for some reason, a sense of kinship kept stimulating me.

As if finding this place interesting, the girl kept looking around. She gently touched a nearby tree and scooped up earth into her palm.

Then, seeing an ant crawling on the ground carrying food, she crouched down and started continuously observing that ant.

'...What is she doing?'

As I quietly watched, wasn't the girl just sitting there continuously watching the ant? Eventually, tired of waiting, I led the earth puppet out and revealed myself.

The girl, who had been staring at the ant, seemed to sense a presence, turned to look at the earth puppet, and then bowed her head as if realizing something.

"...Ah, such discourtesy. I'm truly sorry."

'...She's not attacking.'

Like the Lingering Thoughts so far, I thought the girl might also attack, but unexpectedly, the girl showed a very polite attitude.

"The vitality of the lifeforms in this land is overflowing, so I lost my sense of propriety and was briefly entranced. Please forgive me."

I waved my arm to indicate it was okay. It was a gesture I took because I couldn't speak with the earth puppet.

The girl seemed to understand the meaning of my action, bowed her head slightly, and then broached the main topic.

"It is an impudent request, but would you not accept me into this domain? One who has deployed such a powerful barrier right in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠middle of a city must surely be a mighty being. Please accept me."

Saying so, the girl looked at the earth puppet with earnest eyes. But I couldn't help but be flustered.

'...She's got it all wrong.'

How should I even answer this girl who is so thoroughly mistaken? It's truly daunting.