Okay, the Ranger class it is, thought Arin as he mentally confirmed his choice. For a moment, he simply stared at the System window, marveling at how quickly he had become accustomed to controlling it with his mind instead of physically interacting with it. Using his hands had initially felt more intuitive because the System had behaved almost like a tablet, but after enough practice, mental control had become considerably easier. More importantly, it meant that he could access the System during almost any emergency, regardless of what happened to his body, as long as his mind remained functional.
That realization alone made Arin rather pleased with the direction humanity's relationship with the System was heading. If he lost the use of his hands during a fight, he could still open his Status Window and access his skills. If he were trapped somewhere or restrained, the System would still be available to him. It was a small improvement in his daily life, but one that could become incredibly important when his life was actually on the line.
And then there was the skill that came with his new class.
Forest Stewardship (Uncommon) — A skill that grants the user a deeper understanding of the natural balance within a forest and the knowledge required to maintain it. The user can recognize signs of disease, overgrowth, damaged ecosystems, and disturbances caused by animals, monsters, or other external forces. They understand how to encourage healthy tree growth, protect useful plants, manage wildlife, and remove threats before they become serious problems. This knowledge also allows them to identify which areas require rest, which plants can be harvested without damaging the forest, and where new growth should be encouraged. While the skill does not grant direct control over nature, it allows the user to work alongside the forest and gradually improve its health, stability, and productivity through proper care.
"Eugh!" screamed Arin as the knowledge suddenly flooded into his mind. He immediately grabbed his head and clenched his teeth as wave after wave of information appeared inside his consciousness. Okay, that is way too much; she needs to be more careful about that, thought Arin as he struggled to breathe normally. The sudden influx of knowledge was so overwhelming that for several seconds, he could do little more than sit there and try not to panic.
The problem was not that the information was useless. Quite the opposite, because almost everything being forced into his mind was incredibly useful. Arin had become accustomed to skills providing him with knowledge that he already possessed in some form, allowing the System to refine what he knew or fill in a few gaps. Forest Stewardship was completely different, because it introduced him to an entire field of knowledge that he had barely considered before.
The skill was teaching him how forests behaved under the influence of mana. That alone changed almost everything he thought he understood about maintaining a healthy forest. Before mana arrived, the principles of forest management had been relatively straightforward, even if the actual work could still be complicated. Now, however, the mana contained within the air, soil, plants, and surrounding environment had become another factor that had to be considered.
Mana could accelerate growth, alter the health of plants, and change how an ecosystem responded to disturbances. That meant a forest could become healthier much faster than it could have before the arrival of mana, but it also meant that certain problems could develop far more quickly. A forest that was exposed to an unusual concentration of mana could experience changes that ordinary forest management techniques simply could not account for.
And then there was the problem of dependency.
Arin's thoughts immediately went toward the Nature Heart sapling that had become such an important part of their forest. The sapling continuously released nature mana, helping maintain the health of the surrounding ecosystem and strengthening the connection between the forest and nature mana. It was incredibly useful, but the knowledge from Forest Stewardship made Arin realize that such a benefit could also become a weakness.
A forest could become dependent on a single source of support. If one tree, artifact, creature, or natural feature provided too much of the energy required to maintain the ecosystem, removing that source could cause the surrounding environment to collapse. That did not necessarily make such a dependency bad, especially when the alternative was allowing a damaged forest to die, but it created a vulnerability that needed to be understood.
Fortunately, Forest Stewardship contained methods for dealing with exactly that problem. Arin was shown techniques for spreading the benefits of a powerful source throughout the ecosystem instead of allowing the entire forest to depend upon a single point. He also learned how to encourage other plants to become stronger, how to distribute mana more evenly, and how to identify when a particular section of the forest was becoming excessively dependent on another part.
Wow, taking care of a forest is going to get a lot more interesting now, thought Arin as he finally collapsed backward onto his bed. His entire body felt exhausted despite the fact that he had barely moved since receiving the skill. The physical exhaustion was not the problem, though, because his mind was struggling to process everything that had suddenly been placed inside it.
Sorting through the knowledge was strange.
Arin had the peculiar sensation that he already knew everything he was reading, yet at the same time, he knew that he had never encountered most of the information before. It was almost like discovering an enormous library inside his own head and somehow recognizing every book while simultaneously remembering that he had never opened any of them. He needed time to sort the information into something he could actually use.
The strangest part was how naturally some of the information connected with things he had already experienced. He could read about a particular type of mana imbalance and suddenly remember seeing something similar in the forest months earlier. He could learn about a certain plant's behavior and immediately understand why it had grown in a particular location. The skill was not merely giving him facts; it was giving him a framework through which he could interpret the forest.
And that framework revealed just how much had changed.
Forest Stewardship even contained information about the state of forests before Gaia had intervened during the Expansion of the Earth. Arin could now understand just how badly many ecosystems could have been affected by the sudden arrival of mana if Gaia had not taken steps to stabilize the environment. The forest had not simply become healthier because more mana existed. It had required an enormous amount of adjustment to survive the fundamental changes taking place around it.
Well, this was fun, thought Arin as he stared at the ceiling. He had wanted a class that fit his connection to the forest, and the System had certainly delivered. He just had not expected the first skill to come with enough information to make his head feel like it was about to split open.
Still, he could not deny that he was excited.
The skill did not give him direct control over nature, and that was probably for the best. Arin had no desire to suddenly wave his hand and command an entire forest to obey him without understanding what he was actually doing. Instead, Forest Stewardship allowed him to understand the forest well enough that he could work alongside it and gradually improve it.
That was much more appealing to him.
After resting for a while, Arin finally pushed himself upright and rubbed his face. He could still feel the remnants of the mental exhaustion, but the worst of it had passed. His thoughts were becoming clearer, and the enormous collection of new information was slowly settling into something he could actually access without feeling overwhelmed.
Well, I am definitely going to need to test this properly, thought Arin as he stood up. Now I am going to look through the forest and see if I can spot anything interesting during my patrol with this new skill. He briefly considered leaving immediately, but then remembered that he should at least check his Status Window first. After all, he had just changed his class and gained a new skill, so ignoring the System would have been rather stupid.
Arin opened the System with his mind.
Status Window
Race: Human
Stage: Mortal
Class: Ranger
Profession: Bowyer (0.9)
HP: 250 / 250
MP: 350 / 350
Stamina: 270 / 270
Attributes
Strength: 35
Agility: 27
Endurance: 27
Vitality: 25
Toughness: 24
Wisdom: 35
Intelligence: 35
Perception: 48
Willpower: 31
Free Points: 0
Techniques & Traits
Breathing Technique: Sonnenberg Breathing Technique Version 1 (Rare)
Physique: Son of the Forest
Class Skills
Focus of the Old Marksman (Epic)
Basic One-Handed Weapons (Inferior)
Archer's Eye (Common)
Echo of the Grove (Rare)
Power Shot (Common)
Basic Tracking (Inferior)
Forest Stewardship (Uncommon)
Professional Skills
Arboreal Lore (Common)
Stringcraft (Uncommon)
Limb Shaping (Uncommon)
Identify (Common)
Essence-Gated Reservoir (Uncommon)
Woodwright's Insight (Common)
Arin stared at the panel for several seconds, mostly because seeing Ranger written beneath his race still felt strange. He had spent so long being an Archer and Bowyer that seeing an actual class that represented his relationship with the forest felt almost surreal. The fact that Forest Stewardship had already given him an entirely new perspective on his home only made the choice feel more appropriate. He had wanted something that represented more than simply shooting a bow, and the System had given him exactly that.