Gladesbale Grove Book 2 - Chapters 16,17,18 (Patreon)

Chapter 16

Radiant Flowers

Unlike most parties Rud remembered from back on Earth, no one was sluggish the next day. Although he had lost some quality sleep, the druid didn’t feel any worse for it. He woke the next day energized, jumping out of bed and brewing himself a cup of strong tea. Although he had enough rest for the night, there was plenty to do today. It was time to put the gifts from the mortals to work.

“Good morning,” Rud said, entering the longhouse to find Taz, Major, Sarya, and Dean. Mint was missing, and there were no mortals in sight.

“There he is,” Dean said. “The dance commander.”

“Yeah, I got moves,” Rud said, having no confidence that he had any moves at all as he took a seat. “Soup for breakfast?”

“Soup every single day of our lives,” Taz said, laughing as he dished out a large bowl for Rud. “The mortals seemed to have moved on. Guess they had their fill of grove life.”

“They’re moving west!” Sarya said with a hair too much excitement. “Off to fight orcs… I wanna fight orcs.”

Dean sniffed at the air, narrowing his eyes toward the distance. “I must attend to something.”

Without fanfare, the giant wolf was gone. Sarya yawned, sprawling out before the warm fire. The chill of the night hadn’t been banished away by the sun yet. Rud doubted it would leave for most of the day, thanks to that constant blowing wind from the north. His plans for the day would keep him moving enough that he wasn’t worried. And he knew the other members of the grove would keep an eye on the adventurers as they passed through.

After finishing breakfast, Rud headed off to drain his baths and collect the donations given by the mortals. They had left more than he could have hoped for, including enough Dungeon Core Fragments to upgrade some buildings. While he could focus on dragging his own buildings to Rank 1, he wanted to work on Ban.

“Let’s see what we got!” Rud shouted, clapping excitedly as he pressed his hands into Ban’s trunk. A system message appeared.

[Ban’Tanthein]

Rank 1 Level 1 Sacred Tree

Upgrade Energy: 20%

Reserve Energy: 50%

Energy Nodule Efficiency: 92%

Upgrade:

[Thicket Travel]

[Root Spears]

Expansions:

[Mining Workshop]

[Smelting Workshop]

[Blacksmithing Workshop]

[Energy Nodules]

[Unified Grid]

[Observatory]

To start, Rud topped her off to 100% Reserve Energy, ensuring she was good to go. Whatever excess energy she gathered could go directly to her Energy Nodules, or into her Upgrade Energy. Then he inspected the nodule building itself.

[Energy Nodules]

Rank 0 Level 5 Sacred Tree Building

Upgrade Progress: 0%

Description:

Nodules form throughout the Sacred Tree’s root system, nourishing it and storing excess energy.

Effect:

Allows the Sacred Tree to store 50% of their total Reserve Energy capacity in nodules.

Draws nutrients from the ground, adding additional energy to daily collection.

Upgrades:

[Energy Flowers]

“Do I need to do anything special to get a building to Rank 1?” Rud asked.

Ban’s soft voice filled the clearing. “It depends, but I don’t think so. In some cases, you might need ritual magic to upgrade a building or person to Rank 1. But not with this one.”

“What would a rank do for your Energy Nodules building?”

“Ranks always increase the effectiveness of something. Your attributes count for more when you rank up, and the same goes for buildings. Increasing the rank of Energy Nodules will increase the amount of energy it can store. This passes down as well, also increasing the effectiveness of Energy Flowers.”

That was perfect. Talk about getting bang for your buck. While he doubted it was common for people to use Dungeon Core Fragments to upgrade stuff like this, Rud had plenty of them on hand. He pressed the first core fragment into the bark of the Sacred Tree, watching with satisfaction as it vanished. He added them until the building rolled over, earning him an interesting system message.

[Building Rank Up!]

The [Energy Nodules] building has achieved Rank 1. This building has increased in power, and you may select from one of the following upgrades…

“New stuff in the list,” Rud said, clapping with excitement. “Can you see the list?”

“I can,” Ban said. “Since I’m awake.”

“Yeah, note to future self: wait for Ban to be awake to do this.”

“But the upgrade you selected last time was good. No harm done. Perhaps I’ll let you give me a suggestion for which upgrade to pick.”

This was a crummy test. Rud went through the long list of upgrades, sifting through them. Ban wanted to go for an upgrade that would help her generate and store energy. Well, the Energy Nodules building had a lot of those. Combined with her Unified Grid building, he wanted to find things that would work together to create even more energy. That would be needed if they wanted stable portals to the other groves. He sifted through the selections, finding two that fit the bill.

[Nutrition Reuptake]

Energy Nodule Upgrade

Description:

Put your tree’s metabolism to work! Do trees have a metabolism? This one does!

Effect:

50% of the energy generated from absorbing nutrition through the soil will be converted to usable energy.

Nutrients are drawn toward your roots.

“This one is like the Nutrition Magnet upgrade,” Rud said. “You’ll get energy just by being alive.”

“An interesting choice,” Ban said, her soft voice echoing with a comforting chime.

“But wait… there’s another.”

[Photosynthesis Mastery]

Energy Nodule Upgrade

Description:

Chlorophyll? More like borophyll!

Effect:

Increase the effectiveness of gathering energy via sunlight by 25%.

“I have thoughts on both upgrades.” Rud tapped his chin. “Combined with your Unified Grid building, both would be effective. But I was thinking about the amount of energy that adjacent trees can gather. Will Unified Grid work with both?”

“It should.”

“So we should go with Nutrition Reuptake, because we’re getting less light by the day. And we can enrich the soil so you get even more energy.”

“An interesting approach. If we focus only on the sunlight and flower method of gaining mana, we might hamstring ourselves.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking!”

“So investing in a diverse selection of upgrades might be a good idea. I’ll leave it up to you.”

“Nope, you’re picking this one.” Rud held his hands up defensively. He could feel Ban getting ready for a laugh.

“Have it your way, custodian. Select the Nutrition Reuptake upgrade.”

Rud nodded, picking the first of two upgrades he had considered. The ground rumbled slightly as something underground changed. Ban seemed to breathe in the surrounding air—although of course she couldn’t actually do that. Could she? Whatever, she seemed relieved as a flood of new energy entered her body.

“And of course, we’re considering a new problem.”

Rud gave the tree a flat look. “What?”

“Any soil that is corrupted will now doubly affect me. We’ll have to consider soil quality from here on out.”

“That’s fine. I’m working on a way to enrich all the soil in the grove. Thanks to the enchanted spring. Now, care to upgrade the Unified Grid with me?”

“I’m shocked. You’re really going for it today. How many core fragments did the mortals give you?”

Rud shook his head. “They gave me a lot. Like… more than we can even use right now. Stop complaining about getting nice things! Let me give you nice things!”

Ban laughed, watching as Rud shoved more core fragments into her bark. He targeted the Unified Grid building, which was another building he couldn’t see. But he could access that building by touching Ban’s trunk, so there wasn’t a problem. It rose in levels, becoming more effective with each jump. It didn’t take long for the building to reach its first upgrade potential, presenting them with a list of selections.

“I have a preference here,” Ban said.

“Which one?”

“Easy Connections.”

[Easy Connections]

Unified Grid Upgrade

Description:

Connect yourself to more trees with no effort!

Effect:

Connecting to new trees no longer costs energy.

“It costs energy to make those connections? Dang. Yeah, that’s a good one.”

Rud selected that upgrade, having no desire to go against what Ban told him to do. Perhaps this is why she hadn’t been making as many connections as she wanted. But he didn’t stop there. The druid was determined to add as much power generation to the tree as possible. And he had the core fragments to do it. Once more adventurers passed through, he would have even more. And so on, until he got what he wanted. Which was, of course, a huge party with as many custodians as possible. Perhaps that would start with only one or two custodians, but that wouldn’t deter him. The groves would be united, no matter how many core fragments he had to shove into a tree.

“More upgrades!” Rud shouted, shoving more cores in.

“He’s a madman!” Ban said in mock-horror. “Someone stop him!”

“Never!”

The building rolled over to Rank 1, giving him the same message as last time. Ban made an interesting cooing noise as she thumbed through the upgrade options. “I have another one I want.”

“Please!” Rud sighed dramatically. “Less choices for me.”

“Radiant Flowers.”

[Radiant Flowers]

Unified Grid Synergy Upgrade

Synergize Upgrade:

[Energy Flowers]

Description:

Flowers for everyone!

Effect:

The effects of [Energy Flowers] now apply in full to connected trees.

“Woah. Is that a thing? Synergy upgrades?” Rud asked.

“This is excellent,” Ban said. “Since the flowers don’t rely on sunlight to gather mana, my energy generation will almost double.”

“Woah, double? Are you sure?”

“Once I get enough trees, anyway. And I’ll eventually go further than double, using the entire grove. I’m very excited.”

Ban’s voice bled through with that excitement. And Rud couldn’t help himself but to do a little dance. Although he had used quite a few core fragments to upgrade the buildings, he had some left over. Those were best kept for Ban’s upgrades for now, until he got back to a stockpile. She was the most important ‘building’ within the grove. To him, nothing mattered more than working on the long-term project, and if he didn’t put in the work it just wouldn’t happen.

“Morning report and chores time!” Rud said. “I hope the new upgrades work well.”

“I can already feel the energy flowing through me. Dizzying, in fact…”

Rud slapped her bark, shaking his head. “Get all the energy you can, you awesome tree.”

“I’m going to enter a brief hibernation,” Ban said. “The energy might be too much to handle for now…”

Yikes. Rud was slightly concerned as he walked away from the tree, heading into the nearest thicket to travel to his Observatory. He accepted Bent’s Aspect and ascended the stairs, nodding to Nulsa who was perched upon the balcony outside.

“Strange energy coming from the lake,” Nulsa said, not waiting for Rud to greet him.

The druid clicked his radio on, signing in and waiting for Maria’s response. He sent his Farsight to the lake, spotting the frozen island just out of range. The swirl of ice energy was potent today, looking more like a haze resting over the landmass. The lake itself was massive, seeming more like an inland ocean than anything to him. While it was hard for him to judge distance in this new world—mostly thanks to Thicket Travel—the size of the lake would rival those he knew back on Earth.

“Strange energy indeed… Have you been to the island?”

“No one has, as far as I know,” Nulsa said. “The constant blow of ice mana is too much. I cannot get close enough for inspection.”

There were a few things that could have been going on. The first was that it was some naturally occurring phenomenon, but that wasn’t likely. Next was errant magic, which could have been the answer. But he had his doubts. Instead, Rud figured there was something else going on. Likely a high-rank dungeon creating the energy. While the mana he observed wasn’t like most dungeon mana he had sensed, he wouldn’t write that possibility off.

“Maria here. How’s it going, Rud?”

“Fine, just fine,” Rud said, adding the island’s energy to his notes. This was interesting enough to send a morning note over to Feather in Barlgore. “I’ve got some weird ice magic forming in the distance. Not sure what to do about it.”

“Ah. Magic stuff. Don’t you just love it?”

“I’ll take ice magic over waiting in traffic to get to work anyday.”

“Were you a commuter?”

“Nah. I took public transit. Or walked.”

“Lucky.”

On top of the weird ice energy, there was a swirl of dungeon magic somewhere in the distance. Rud sensed it at first without noting the direction. It took a while for him to align his senses, finally finding it in a strange spot. While they normally were created in the south, he spotted this one north of the logging camp. It wasn’t the first dungeon he had seen in the north, but it was the first one he detected in that region. The only other point of reference he had was the Fire Construct Dungeon that spawned in the center-north section, right on the grove’s edge. That was the same region that Taz had used to arrive at the grove.

“We got another weird buildup. Just north of the logging camp,” Rud said, making a note.

“I hadn’t noticed that one,” Nulsa said, spreading his wings. “I will go scout.”

“Thank you,” Rud said with a nod. He made a note on his letter all the same.

“If we didn’t have this Observatory, we’d be in some serious trouble,” Rud said, thumbing the button on the radio. “I wish I could figure out where these dungeons are coming from.”

“You’d be celebrated by scholars if you could figure that out.”

Rud drummed his fingers on the table, reading over his note to see if there was anything else he should add. A smile spread across his face as he added a paragraph about Tuft and his adventuring party. They were such pleasant people that he felt the need to send word back to Feather, detailing what good guests they were. This might have been a ploy to get more adventurers to pass though, but the true boost in visits would come when Tuft and his party made their way back through.

“Any idea how to check soil quality?” Rud asked.

“Nope. I just have rock down here. Well, there’s some loam, but nothing more than that. Maybe a visual check?”

Rud tapped his chin, not sure if that was good enough. He had an idea, but it might not work. The conversation with Maria went on for a while as he awaited Nulsa’s return. She posed some hypothetical questions that weren’t quite as interesting as the ones she had posed in the past, but he humored her anyway. Talking to another Earthling was its own reward.

Nulsa flew silently, landing on the banister outside. “The dungeon is forming quickly. We should deploy a beast capable of combat to handle it for now.”

“How quickly?” Rud asked.

“I think the dungeon will form before the day is over,” Nulsa said, hooting softly. “Orcs, if I had to guess.”

Rud clicked his tongue. “Okay. Dean?”

Dean appeared from the tree above, leaping and landing on the balcony outside with more grace than a giant wolf should have. “Yes?”

“Got a dungeon forming north of the logging camp. Can you kill the monsters there?”

“Finally. I’ve been bored.” Without waiting for further orders, the wolf was off. 

Nulsa hooted something like a chuckle, swiveling his head from side to side.

“Something about a hammer and nails, I think,” Rud muttered. He added a post script to his letter, urging Feather to act quickly. “Could you fly this over to Barlgore for me?”

“Indeed. The mortals are always excited to get these letters.”

“Yeah, they get a lot out of the dungeons. Experience mostly, I think… and magical items.”

“Yes, they do love their magical toys, don’t they?”

Nulsa flew off, leaving Rud alone with his thoughts and the static from the radio. He thumbed the microphone again. “Okay, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you tonight. If I remember.”

“No worries. Nice talking to you, Rud.”

Clicking his radio off, Rud stepped onto the balcony and shifted into his squirrel form. He flew into the nearest bush, teleporting to his house and tending to his garden. A forming dungeon was interesting, and he wanted to check it out. But there were plants to take care of first, and lightbulb plants to propagate. Once that was taken care of, he dashed into the nearest tree and traveled through the thicket. With Ban still asleep, he had nothing to do but work on his roadway lighting project and gawk at a dungeon. The druid emerged near the logging camp, soaring through the air before coming to rest on one of many trees he had grown.

The logging crew was working below. Oblivious to the danger lurking in the forest.

“That’s not good,” Rud said, clearing his throat. “Time to ring the warning bell.”

Chapter 17

Eat the Dirt

Rud landed in front of a group of loggers. They were working a saw on a massive tree grown by the druid. When he shifted back into his true form, both men clutched their hearts. One shouted a shrill scream.

“Mortals!” Rud shouted, throwing his arms wide. “You are in grave danger!”

“I see no graveyard,” one said, cocking an eyebrow.

Rud clicked his tongue, narrowing his eyes at the wiseguy. “There’s a dungeon about five-hundred paces over there. You guys gotta go unless you wanna be eaten.”

“See? Those are words I understand,” the second one said, nodding with approval. After a moment to process, his face went white. “A dungeon!?”

Both loggers fled from the scene, screaming down the road as they retreated. Rud stood there, hands on his hips, as he appreciated his work. Another day, another mortal life saved. It didn’t take long for Mira to stomp down the stone road, looking around for whatever had frightened her workers so badly. Rud would have uttered apologizes for scaring the workers, but he was too overjoyed seeing his old friend back on the job. She had spent a lot of time back in Barlgore when the threat of monsters had first arrived. Now she was here, working her old job and having a blast. He hoped she was having a blast, anyway.

“Are you causing trouble, Rud?” she asked, shaking her head down at him.

“They didn’t tell you?” Rud asked. “Man, you can’t rely on loggers, can you? There’s a dungeon forming north of here. An orc one, I guess.”

“Are you serious?” Mira asked, her eyes going wide. “You need to send word to Barlgore.”

“Already did. We just detected the dungeon, so I passed word along to Feather. While we’re waiting for him to dispatch a team, a Sacred Beast is watching the entrance.”

Mira performed the gesture of reverence, muttering something under her breath. “What would we do without you, Rud?”

“Don’t give me all the credit. Remember, the grove is here to help you mortals. We live and die together.”

Rud wasn’t sure if he believed such a poetic way to put it, but he was happy with his bold statement. The mortals always treated him with such reverence, but he needed them to know how valuable they were. Sacred Beasts couldn’t enter a dungeon, no matter how thirsty they were for monster blood. Without the mortals, the dungeons would remain. It wouldn’t take long after that for the grove to fall, even if they had an army of Sacred Beasts.

“You’re in an inspirational mood. Well, I’ll clear my workers out for now.”

“You should be fine,” Rud said. “I’ll encircle the dungeon in thorns while the Sacred Beasts watch it.”

“I’d rather not risk the lives of my people… Respectfully,” Mira said, correcting herself at the end. Rud wouldn’t blame her. Dungeons were no joke, and orcs didn’t seem fun to deal with.

“Just stay safe,” Rud said. “I hope the lumber I provide is worth the risk.”

“Merchants go crazy for the wood harvested here. It’s stronger, more durable, and puts off more of a pleasant scent than any other lumber we harvest. This is a logger’s dream.”

A sense of pride flashed through Rud. These were his trees she was talking about. Saplings that he cultivated himself, grown for one purpose. If the grove could provide only that, perhaps this experiment would be worth it. But the symbiotic relationship they had developed with the mortals went far beyond that. He watched as Mira left, gathering tools before heading out to somewhere safer. They had a camp not far from here with basic defenses, so she should be fine.

Rud shifted into his squirrel form, finding the nearest tree to jump from. “Oh! Neat!”

The Shapeshifting Magic skill hit Level 6 as he soared through the air. Finally. Perhaps Rud hadn’t been shifting as much as he should have, but it wasn’t his focus. If he put more effort into this school, perhaps the spirits would award him with another form. More than anything, he wanted a bird form. But he knew that wasn’t likely, seeing as none of the Great Spirits were birds… Were they? He didn’t know. It didn’t take him long to glide to the place where the dungeon was forming. It had appeared in a clearing. A stone archway was rising from the ground as though some great giant was pushing it from below.

“Rud. You shouldn’t be here,” Dean growled.

“Just gonna make some basic defenses,” Rud said, shifting to his true form. Although he was outside of the grove, he could still use his Shape Plant spell.

Rud created a ring of wood from the surrounding clearing. He then pulled sharp spikes out from the material, encasing the dungeon in a prison of thorns. Dean watched, nodding with satisfaction as the defenses came together.

“Not a bad idea,” Dean said.

“Thanks. This should help. But… Man, this dungeon is forming quickly.”

“Faster than any I’ve ever seen. Where is this energy coming from?”

“I dunno. But I cleared the loggers out, so they won’t be a problem.”

A rush of wind burst into the clearing. Mint appeared from the boughs of the trees above as she landed, growling at the dungeon. “We cannot have a calm day, it seems. You shouldn’t be here, Rud.”

“Just making some defenses,” Rud said, shifting into his squirrel form. He scampered up the nearest tree, his small body easily avoided his thorns. “I’ll leave the fighting to you guys.”

“That’s a good idea. I’ve left Sarya to defend the tree with Major and Taz as backups. We need you to keep an eye out. Just in case,” Mint said.

Rud saluted in his squirrel form before leaving, heading through the nearest cluster of branches. He appeared at the Observatory, accepting the aspect and double-checking everything. No more dungeons were appearing. It was only the one dungeon, and there were no signs of another spreading. He sent a mental message to Mint, stating as much. He passed through the branches again, appearing in Ban’s clearing.

“Hey, Rud!” Sarya shouted, stomping on the ground with excitement. “I’m on guard duty!”

“Me, too,” Taz grumbled.

Rud looked over, spotting Taz standing with a simple iron spear. He winced when he saw the weapon, but calmed himself immediately. A weapon was a tool, especially in a world with monsters. He couldn’t get offended after spotting a spear any more than he could upon looking at Mint’s teeth or Major’s claws.

“Do you know how long she’s gonna be out?” Taz asked, jabbing a finger back toward Ban.

“Only a few hours,” Rud said. “After that… Well, follow Mint’s orders, but I think Ban can defend herself with Root Spears.

“Good. I have some more smithing to do.”

“Defense of the Sacred Tree is our duty, Taz,” Sarya said, seeming slightly offended at the notion. “Even Rud is helping.”

Rud wouldn’t correct her. He didn’t fight. Ever. If someone needed some fine wicker furniture woven from a tree, he was there to help. But in combat, he was useless. He decided to split the difference, offering what he could actually do. “I’m here to heal you if you get injured,” he corrected.

“Fancy druid magic,” Taz sighed. “You never see dwarven druids.”

“I wonder why,” Sarya mocked.

But the playful teasing didn’t go further than that. Major lumbered into the clearing eventually. His massive frame would give any orc problems. It would be shocking if a single swipe from those massive paws didn’t kill a monster in one go.

“Looks like a party,” Major said, snorting. “Does this happen often?”

“Only when Ban is sleeping and monsters show up.” Rud rubbed his hands together. “It is unlikely monsters will get into the grove, let alone all the way to the tree. This is only a precaution.”

“Mint wants us ready to battle if needed. This is the best spot,” Sarya said.

Rud lingered near the clearing for a while, but couldn’t offer more than moral support. But the others started a small cook fire eventually, Taz bringing some meat to roast. That gave the druid an idea, and he rushed over to his drying building. He checked the cured meat, finding that it had dried to his satisfaction. He pulled one length of meat from a hook, parading it out to the gathered spirits.

“Have I got news for you,” Rud said, holding the dried slab of meat up. “Jerky!”

“I almost forgot!” Taz shouted, abandoning the fire and rushing over. “That’s a fine cut of dried meat you have there.”

“Looks delicious,” Major said.

Rud split sections of the meat off with his fingers, handing a sizable strip to each member gathered. He waited to see the reaction on their faces before trying it himself. The meat was still slightly wet. It could use some more time in the drying room, but he remembered having similar jerky back on Earth. The flavor was mostly plain, but the salt and pepper he had slathered onto the strip helped a lot. It seemed to suck the moisture from his body in an instant, making him feel parched after the first few bites.

“Now this is travel food,” Taz said.

“Too salty for my taste,” Major said.

“Perfect!” Sarya shouted.

Rud smiled to himself as the group enjoyed the salted meat. Once they ate through one massive strip, they turned their attention to the hunk of venison roasting on the fire. The defensive group felt more like a camping trip than a muster of fighters. With Mint constantly bringing back spices, Taz went wild with a jar of salt. It brought out the meaty flavor of the venison, hiding some of that gaminess he had become used to. Major avoided eating a lot of the meat. The bear seemed to favor nuts and berries. But that didn’t mean he was a vegetarian bear. The guy still ate meat.

Dean appeared from the forest’s edge, appearing and snarling. “Sarya, could you lend a hand?”

“Yeah!” Sarya shouted, springing up and dashing off into the forest.

The party was left there in the clearing, sitting near the fire and chatting about whatever. Rud didn’t feel it was right to leave the area until the dungeon problem was sorted. He helped carry the conversation, which focused on theories about dungeons appearing and life in the grove. A few hours later, and a pulse of energy radiated through the grove.

“What did I miss?” Ban asked, her voice echoing through the clearing.

“A few things,” Rud said, popping another bit of meat into his mouth. “New dungeon appeared, and we have jerky.”

“Lots of excitement,” Ban said. “This is why I can’t take naps.”

Rud giggled, looking up at the tree. “Oh, you. Should we be concerned about the dungeon.”

“The dungeon is outside of my influence, but with the information I can see… No, the Rank 1 dungeon won’t be a problem.”

That was comforting. Rud knew that part of that was him and his people being prepared enough to call for the adventurers. “Did your nap help?”

“Tremendously. The new energy doesn’t feel so stifling. So, are you ready to prune more trees?”

Mint appeared from nowhere, right after Rud nodded.

“Everyone is dismissed. With Ban awake, we don’t have to worry so much.”

“Later!” Taz shouted, trundling down the path and vanishing into a bush. Major did something similar moments later, leaving Rud alone with Ban and Mint.

Rud had to wait a few beats before Ban spoke again. “I have attached a few trees to the network. You should have awareness of where they are.”

“Thanks, giant tree lady. And you too, wolf lady.”

Mint bowed her head. “Anytime, stink squirrel.”

“I really don’t stink that much,” Rud said, shifting into his squirrel form. He scampered off before anyone could call him stinky again. The section she had selected rested off the main path heading west.

The druid lurked around the area for a bit, sniffing the air and pressing his hands against the diseased trees. He could feel something of their sickness with his senses, getting the concept of rot burrowing into his mind the longer he held his hands on the bark. Digging his fingers into the ground, he removed layers of soil. On the top was a layer of wet moss, which gave way to a clutter of rotting sticks and leaves mixed with dark brown dirt. Deeper still were lighter shades intermingling with root systems. Rud held his finger out, looking at the shade of dirt clinging to his palm. He licked the dirt off, finding nothing from the action.

“Are you eating the dirt?” Ban asked.

“I’m assessing the quality of the soil,” Rud corrected. “Like a good druid.”

“I can sample the soil for you, Rud. You don’t have to eat dirt.”

“I knew that,” Rud lied, licking another finger and grimacing. “I like the flavor.”

“If I had a face, it would be filled with doubt.”

“Let’s pretend that never happened. Do you know if we have soil quality problems anywhere? How far do your roots go?”

“My roots cover some of the grove, but I’m still young. This network of trees will help bridge that gap, though. Get to pruning, little druid.”

“I’m on it boss,” Rud said, saluting.

Clearing the trees away was easy enough. Especially with the Prune spell. Rud got to work, cutting down twenty trees as though he were plucking dandelions from a garden. But this section of the forest was thinner than others, perhaps thanks to the layers of moss or the rocky terrain. Rud spent a lot of time here, not only regrowing the twenty trees he had removed, but also adding many more. He pushed another acorn into the ground, casting his Plant Growth spell to watch another oak shoot high above.

“Fifty,” Rud said, looking at the new crowd of trees. “And a level in Growth Magic. Level 7. Sweet!”

“This is a better density for the grove. I like it,” Ban said, a wave of appreciation flooding through the very branches of the trees themselves.

“Bet you got a jolt of power from this,” Rud said, thrusting his chest forward.

“Yes, I connected the trees you grew to the network. You have a few thousand more trees to connect, though.”

“Really? That few? Pathetic. I am a tree pruning machine.”

“Be careful how loudly you boast when talking to me, custodian.”

Rud went rigid, performing the sign of respect and pressing his forehead into the ground. “I beg forgiveness, great tree spirit. Do not smite me.”

“I’ll think about it, but you need to shape up. Perhaps a few more pruning sessions will harden you for life in the grove.”

“I live to serve!” Rud shouted, shuffling off into the forest to prune a few more sections before night fell. It would be best if Ban had the night to adjust to the new wave of energy that slammed against her.

Sorting the entire grove out was going to take forever. The more trees Rud pruned from the vast collection of trees, the more he realized how many trees were here. And each one was his responsibility to care for. All of them. Seriously, like a billion trees all connected in some way to the grove. The weight of that responsibility weighed heavily on him as he finished up for the night, shambling back to the longhouse and falling into a chair by the fire.

At least the animals within the grove weren’t his responsibility alone. Rud was certain he was supposed to take care of all the animals, but Mint spent a lot of her time caring for them. Even the goats. Especially the goats.

“Meat!” Taz shouted, gaining Rud’s attention for the first time since he had arrived.

The druid looked up, spotting the dwarf hoisting a hunk of meat into the air by the bone. Rud wasn’t one to decline meat, although he wondered which forest creature was unlucky enough to find themselves on the wrong end of Mint’s fangs. He accepted a large slice, setting it on a plate before dishing himself out some soup.The best part of having dinner was Taz. His spirits were high, perhaps bolstered by Rud’s confidence in him getting his subclass. The good mood made conversation light. It was a thing that carried through the longhouse like a song, bolstered by whatever old dwarven songs Taz felt like singing.

But there would be no late nights for the dwarf. “The fire of the forge burns brightest at dawn,” Taz claimed, thumping his fist onto the table before leaving the longhouse for the night.

Rud lingered for some time, taking a few bites of the meat scraps before heading out. The rest would be left there for the wolves or bear to eat. While they didn’t need to be fed like common dogs, they wouldn’t resist such tasty bits. The druid made his way to the Observatory, checking and double-checking the area around the grove for random dungeons. When he was satisfied there was nothing, and the conversation with Maria died like the fading embers in the longhouse, he headed to bed. An exciting day led to fatigue that made him eager for the next day.

Chapter 18

Nature’s Cleanse

The garden of lightbulb plants sprawled far and wide. With no organization to how they were planted, they crawled over the landscape, the bulbs still hanging high in the air early in the morning. Before those plants went into place, the watering system needed to be there. Otherwise the plants would just wilt, especially after they had just been moved. For now, Rud was happy to extend his root-based watering system to the tea plants, creating a system that would water them automatically.

“One chore automated,” Rud said, heading to the Observatory before having breakfast.

The situation with the dungeon was going as well as anyone could have expected. Ban promised not to go to sleep while they waited for mortals to arrive. While the dungeon had already formed, no monsters were coming forth. There was an amount of time that needed to pass before that would happen, although Rud was unaware of the specifics. The best he could do was put on his customer service smile and make sure the operation ran well.

Rud clicked the radio on after accepting Bent’s Aspect to scan the forest. Farseeing was the most useful skill he had for keeping the grove safe, and he had every intention to exploit it daily. He saw the dungeon in the distance, just outside of his magical sight. Nulsa settled in on the banister outside, watching in silence as the druid made his report. Two reports might be needed during times like these. It took him a while to notice the letter that had fallen to the ground.

“Oh,” Rud said, scooping the note up. “From Feather?”

“That’s right,” Nulsa said, hooting softly.

“All good in Gladesbale?” Maria’s voice came crackling in over the radio.

“Yeah, give me a sec. Got a letter from the mortals in my nearby town…”

“Understood, captain.”

Feather had written a letter detailing the planned operation against the dungeon. He was sending the standard teams to take care of it. Thanks to the location of the dungeon, they would arrive quickly. The mortals in Barlgore had sailing ships that could cross the lake swiftly, often driven by the frigid wind borne of the frozen island. After that, they would take paved roads to arrive at the site of the dungeon.

“That’s a relief,” Rud said, thumbing the button on his radio. “My mortals are moving in to take care of my dungeon problem.”

“Always good to hear.”

As Rud made his notes, he chatted with Maria. Nulsa fluttered off once the letter was done, off to deliver it to Feather. It almost seemed as though the grove should be paying the adventurers for their services. But they apparently came out the other end richer and more powerful, so whatever. Both parties were happy and that was all that mattered. When the morning work was done, the druid noticed a nearby Sacred Beast searching for his attention.

“What is it, Major?” Rud asked, descending the steps of the Observatory. The massive bear was waiting for him, the linen bag slung over his back.

“I have determined that you’re an expert on nuts. What are these?” he asked, nodding back toward the bag. “I realized I was calling all nuts that required smashing ‘smash fruit.’”

Rud scampered over, withdrawing a nut from the bag. He never thought he was a nut expert before coming here. But now ‌this was the case. “Walnut,” he said, placing it on the ground for Major to smash. The druid picked through the pieces of shell after it was thoroughly smashed, holding a bit of the nut up for the bear to see. “I had a lot of these around Christmas.”

“I’ve eaten many of them,” Major said, slurping up the small piece Rud had offered. “But the shells are hard to deal with. Perhaps with your tiny hands you can help.”

“Picking through shells sounds fun,” Rud said, shaking his head. “Maybe we can make a nutcracker or something. We can also roast these, but they’re great raw. Sometimes they’re kinda… Gritty? Chalky? Hard to describe.”

“They are delicious. And there is a large grove of them that is easy to get to.”

“Great work, buddy,” Rud said, patting the bear on the head. “More nuts, more better!”

With the excitement of discovering walnuts over, Rud was ready to get to work. The lighting project meant much more than just creating an illuminated path for adventurers to travel. Rud wanted the watering system to stretch throughout the grove, all fed by that singular spring. It was a good thing that spring provided infinite water, and he hoped it never dried up. For now, he wouldn’t question it.

Rud carried a conversation with squirrels as he walked down his endless trail. He could now attach one root system to another, programming it to deliver water without breaking his stride. While he had to walk slower than normal, he could still cover a vast amount of ground with little effort. Along the way, he practiced his magical senses ability. Not by controlling the wind above, but by sending those stunted senses into the trees themselves. He could feel something of their plant-based magical energy radiating outward, but it was faint.

Compared to the wind energy that held in the sky high above him, the plant energy was much more subtle. It was the difference between detecting a gust from a hurricane, and a cool breeze during summertime. He plucked flecks of that energy, drawing it in and tasting the flavor. After a few hours of this, he got a feel for what a normal tree should feel like. A massive pine had a flavor of mana that seemed strange. The druid paused, tilting his head as he gazed at it.

“Something is wrong with that tree,” Rud said, tapping his chin. He drew in more of the magical energy, feeling the twinge of something familiar. With his sense for magic developing, he felt Ban’s attention turn to him. She bore a hole in him, assessing what he was doing. He struck a pose, thrusting his staff skyward. “Disease!”

“Great job,” Ban said, her laughter filling his mind. “You’re getting better at this.”

“And I haven’t forgotten about your project, my sweet little tree,” Rud said. “I’ll cull more of the diseased trees in a few hours.”

“This project will take you days at this rate,” Ban said. “My project will take you months.”

Rud scratched his chin, pulling a walnut from his bag. He failed to crack it open, replacing it in his bag before standing with his arms crossed.

“Why doesn’t Nature’s Cleanse work on these trees?” Rud asked, pulling the spell up for inspection.

[Nature’s Cleanse]

Rank 0 Druid Spell

Healing Magic

Mana Cost:

20

Description:

Infuse a being with nature’s cleansing powers.

Effect:

Affected target will be put into a deep slumber. Depending on the strength of the affliction, the target will remain sleeping for longer.

Curse, disease, infection, and magical effects will be purged.

“Astute observation, if only later than I expected you to make it.”

“I noticed before. I just figured it was quicker to cut them down and regrow them.”

 “There are two sides to the problem. You’ve already observed the first. The second is that these are naturally growing trees.”

“You’re saying my trees are better?” Rud said, uncrossing his arms and thrusting his chest forward. “Is little old Rud better than mother nature?”

“In a way. Only because you’re creating the trees with design. Nature doesn’t follow anything like that. It doesn’t have an agenda.”

So there was more than one reason to cut down all the trees and regrow them. Rud had no intentions of doing that, but it made sense. The trees he forcefully grew were strong, often growing past what the natural limit should have been. And they grew up without the hassle of battling the elements for a century, resulting in a perfect tree. Using his druidic powers, he could imbue every single tree in the grove with his power.

“Okay. Remind me in an hour, and we’ll get to work on your project.”

“Sounds good.”

Rud pushed himself harder after his conversation with the Sacred Tree. He let his mana dip lower each time, feeling exhaustion tugging him further down. A quick stop for tee around midday, and he felt refreshed. He tackled even more of this root project, adding other skill-gaining actions to the mix. He cut down and regrew trees as he sensed them, often having to fall on his butt for a rest in-between. The skills attached to his class grew, seeming to surge forward as he pushed himself harder. As he was wrapping up, a message he had desperately wanted appeared.

[Skill Gain!]

Your Growth Magic skill has increased to level 8!

Rud pumped his fist in the air, feeling his understanding of Growth Magic increase slightly. He checked his skill levels attached to his Druid class before moving on to Ban’s project.

Skills:

[Animal Communication] R0 L8

[Growth Magic] R0 L8

[Detection Magic] R0 L1

[Construction Magic] R0 L9

[Healing Magic] R0 L3

[Crafting Magic] R0 L6

[Shapeshifting Magic] R0 L6

[Plant Care] R0 L8

The class was in the home stretch for Rank 1. Animal Communication, Growth Magic, Construction Magic, and Plant Care were going to be the skills that shot him forward. While he had no plans to leave the other skills behind—besides Detection Magic, which he didn’t care for—he wanted to focus on those skills for now. The druid returned to the center of the grove, finding Taz leaning against the longhouse. He waved, a smile on his face.

“Where are we going, Ban?” Rud asked, pressing his hand into the bark of the Sacred Tree.

“I have a few spots I’d like to bring into my network,” Ban said, sending the information to the druid’s mind telepathically. 

Without waiting for further instructions, Rud passed through the nearest thicket to arrive in the dense crowd of trees. It was much like the others she had selected, giving a range of trees in different stages of life. The druid could sense the disease between the trees, like a flu spreading through an elementary school. The more he sensed the diseased energy in the trees, the more he felt he understood the way it worked.

“This thing is spreading,” Rud said, placing his hand on the tree. He looked back as though expecting to meet Ban’s eyes, but of course he didn’t. “Am I wrong?”

“I don’t know. The disease is older than the forest.”

Rud was now concerned about the trees he was cutting down and replacing. Was all this work for nothing? Could the disease spread to his newly grown trees? But he wouldn’t find answers here. He made a mental note of this location and went to the first one he had aided. Ban looked on in curiosity, watching as he approached the first of his regrown trees. The energy inside was strong. Far stronger than the trees that had naturally formed. He felt something from within that tree that sang of a hearty life.

“My trees are resistant to disease, aren’t they?” Rud asked, running his hand over the bark. “Is that an unexpected bonus?”

“Perhaps. We won’t know until the disease tries to spread.”

Ban just didn’t want him to get his hopes up. Because the next logical step was for that disease to work its way through every non-magical tree in the grove. Which meant Rud needed to replace them all. That was a daunting task he wasn’t sure he could accomplish in a single lifetime. Selecting small clusters of trees to regrow was one thing, but to consider replacing the entire grove was a gargantuan effort.

The druid took a steady breath, bolstering himself against the challenge. He wasn’t normally a person who felt this way. Rising to a challenge was one thing, but this seemed like something much larger. A long-term project that required him to bust his butt over the months and years to come. But who was he? The Custodian of Gladesbale Grove. Not some paper-pusher in an office somewhere. The impact of what he was doing here had far-reaching consequences, and he had accepted that mantle with pride. Now he would carry it with pride, ensuring Gladesbale became the grove that united groves.

“You’re buzzing with conviction,” Ban said, giggling to herself. “I’m getting excited just feeling that energy.”

“Yeah. Time to get excited,” Rud said, thrusting his staff into the air. “We’re gonna grow some trees!”

After completing his short, rousing speech, Rud made his way to the area Ban had originally indicated. Using the Prune spell, he cut away the diseased trees, allowing them to fall to the ground. There they would gather more life for the forest, giving a home to insects and fungi. Using his Plant Growth spell, he watched as new trees soared skyward. Like a farmer tending their fields, he cut through the diseased trees and regrew healthy ones. When that was done, he demanded another cluster from Ban. And again. Until night had fallen and she begged for him to stop.

“I’d rather not take a nap,” she said. “So you can calm down for the night.”

“Sorry,” Rud said, rolling his shoulders. “I’m just all amped up.”

Ban’s warm sense of approval washed over him. He absorbed that sensation, rushing off to the Observatory and taking the Aspect of Bent. Ascending the stairs at night was always lovely. The wild was chilly and the insects sang their songs. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled and an owl hooted. The forest really came alive at night, and the druid could kick himself for missing out on it.

“I know it's late, but this is Rud.” Thumbing the radio and listening to the play of static, Rud waited for Maria to respond.

While he waited, he used his Farseeing skill to peer far into the distance. He could almost make out the shape of people near the dungeon, and had to wonder if they had already arrived. He almost couldn’t imagine the mortals covering that much distance in such a short time. But depending on what attributes a person took, they could move quicker than a mundane mortal. The figures moved, trotting down the paved road far enough for him to figure out what was going on.

“They have mounts,” Rud said, shaking his head. “Of course they do.”

Feather had sent his message back, detailing how he planned to send an elite squad of adventurers over. That elite squad had come on horseback… Or some beast close enough to a horse to count. Even through the Farseeing skill and the power of the Observatory, he could feel the power emanating from those people. They were high-rankers, coming to clear the dungeon and save the grove.

“You’ve been staying up later than normal recently. What gives?” Maria asked.

“Well, there’s a real reason. But I’ll just say I’m always so excited to talk to you!”

“God, you’re just dripping with sarcasm… What’s the real reason?”

“I’m drinking more tea, so I feel wired all day.”

“Ah. To be back in college again. All-nighters with enough caffeine in my system to kill a grizzly. The dwarves have an interesting mushroom drink that is pretty energizing.”

“Sounds disgusting,” Rud said. “We need a tropical grove to grow everyone some coffee. We got coffee in this world, right? Bah, I bet I could make it once my Growth Magic skill gets high enough. I’m thinking of starting a premium brand of genetically engineered vegetables. I’ll make some pinto beans the size of your head, serve them with some hot dogs… Franknbeans. What do you think?”

“I think you need to regulate your tea intake,” Maria said, her voice coming back with raucous laughter.

“Come on. I have great ideas!”

Maria didn’t seem to think so, but that didn’t stop Rud from pitching more products. He talked with her later than he should have, finding himself growing tired as the night wore on. She signed off before he was ready to, forcing him to head to the longhouse for some food. Of course Taz had added some more awesome stuff to the pot. Big chunks of meat floated near the top, mixing with something that looked suspiciously like potatoes. They were potatoes, Rud discovered as he slurped some soup.

The silence within the longhouse was comforting, only punctuated by the occasional pop of the fire before him. When the door swung open, he almost jumped out of his skin. But a small elven woman appeared, brushing her blonde hair out of her face and offering a smile.

“Are you a spirit?” she asked.

“Yep!” Rud said, waving. All the mortals called anyone in a grove ‘spirit,’ so he had just accepted that as a fact. He wasn’t a spirit, but he liked the title.

“I know it’s late, but…”

“A bath it is!” Rud shouted, jumping onto the bench and stomping over. “Come on. Nothing better than a hot bath to soothe your sore bones. How is the road?”

The elven woman followed behind him, seeming more sheepish after his outburst. “Very comfortable,” she said. “Who built the structures along the way?”

Rud swelled with pride, leading her to the boiler room, filling the boilers, and lighting the fire. “Oh, that was me. Did you like them?”

The elf’s face brightened up. Rud would have been happier if there was a lightbulb plant here to illuminate her visage. “I loved them! And I already got some tea from your store. Everything has been lovely so far.”

“Well, just find a spirit if you need anything… We’re always happy to help. Well, at least I am…”

Rud saw the elven woman off after filling her bath. By the time he got back to his mushroom house he was exhausted. And there was even more stuff to do tomorrow. Like pushing for Rank 1 and watering the entire grove.