Gladesbale Grove Book 2 - Chapters 55,56,57,58 (Patreon)

Chapter 55

Tea Workshop

The area outside of the mine smelter and blacksmith’s workshop was oddly quiet. The grove that Taz had claimed for his own was normally filled with the sound of singing metal, but as Rud emerged from the bushes, he heard only the silence of the forest. It took him a while, but he eventually heard a pick slamming against stone and echoing off the expansive halls of the mine. The dwarf was expanding his home or adding more rooms. It was hard to tell what the man was up to half the time.

Today was a day of upgrades. Rud had promised himself, and silently the others in the grove, that he would upgrade their buildings, and that’s what he planned to do. Since the blacksmith’s workshop was already at rank one, he instead started with a smelting workshop. It was only level five and had an upgrade that allowed the smelters within to heat and cool more quickly. It also magically made those smelters operate at the ideal temperature.

The other two upgrades that were available the first time he leveled the building up were one that provided an additional smelter and another that made the item more powerful if used in an adjacent production building. That upgrade, called Production Line, actually seemed pretty good, and if nothing interesting popped up for the rank one upgrade, he planned to pick it.

“Are you touching my smelter?” Taz said, emerging from the mine as though his dwarven senses told him something was wrong with his smelter.

Rud had trouble keeping the smile from his face as he looked at the dwarf. He was covered in a layer of dust, and there were flecks of rocks still sticking to his beard. The druid shook his head. “I’m upgrading your smelter. I was going to grab you before I picked the option, but since you’re here...”

“Right, right, get on with it,” Taz said, walking with a pickaxe slung over his shoulder as he approached. “How many of those core fragments do you have?”

“Enough that we could likely upgrade everything in the Grove to rank one, maybe even rank two. The adventurers have been leaving quite a lot of them, especially since they have an incentive to do so. More dungeons mean more happy adventurers.”

Taz wasn’t a dwarf to stand idly by and chit-chat. He simply folded his arms and waited for the goods. Rud didn’t mind. He began shoving the fragments into the side of the building, watching as they melted and empowered the structure. It rose in levels slowly, the magic intensifying, until it was almost blinding. Then, with a flash, it finally rolled over to level 10, granting the smelting building the title of rank one and presenting the druid with a fresh option to pick from. He inspected it, reading it for Taz to hear.

[Slag Recycling]

Smelting Workshop Upgrade

Description:

What use is a bunch of ruined metal if you can’t do anything with it?

Effect:

Slag produced in the workshop can be fed back into the smelters, producing a small amount of the base metal from the wasted material.

“That might be helpful on an industrial scale, but I’m not sure about our little operation,” Taz said, scratching at his beard. “Could you read the description of that production one again?”

Rud was all too happy to oblige. He disregarded the Additional Smelter upgrade and instead read the description for the Production Line.

[Production Line]

Smelting Workshop Upgrade

Description:

Using your own resources is good!

Effect:

If an ingot is produced within the smelter and used within a nearby workstation, the resulting item will be more powerful.

“It might feel weird going back and picking an old upgrade, but that one is actually pretty good.” Taz said, “If you don’t mind, I’d like for us to pick that one.”

“This is your building now, so choose whichever option you think will work best for you.”

The building pulsed with faint magic after he selected the upgrade. On the periphery of his senses, Rud could feel the change take hold within the smelter. Then, he sensed Taz’s desire to get in there and test it out. However, there were more upgrades to perform.

“We’re going to work on the mining building next,” Rud said. “It only has the one upgrade, and I don’t mind spending a few more fragments to get you something that makes your home nicer.”

“Aren’t you just an altruist? Okay, let’s get to it.”

The one upgrade the Mining Workshop currently had was an enhancement that weakened the amount of stone within the mine each day. This effect reset at midnight and made it very easy for Taz to expand his home. The upgrades they had declined were both useless, and Rud was certain he would select whatever the new option presented was. However, upgrading a building to rank one wasn’t just about obtaining the upgrades. He suspected that all mining actions within the mine would become more powerful, and that might even include the quality of materials that appeared there. But there was only one way to find out. He shoved the fragments into the building and watched as the magic swirled around it.

It didn’t take long for the workshop to reach rank one. The magic swirled, and the options appeared. Rud was quick to read the newest one aloud to the dwarf because he knew he would choose it.

[Song of the Dwarves]

Mining Workshop Upgrade

Description:

Dwarves are known for their mining songs. No matter how shallow or deep a dwarven mine is, you can expect it to be accompanied by a powerful song.

Effect:

Singing a traditional dwarven song while working in this mine grants you a significant bonus to all mining actions. If a song is sung for enough days in a row, rare materials appear within the walls.

“Is there even any question about that one?” Taz asked, shaking his head. “We’d have to be idiots not to take that. Not only is it a great boon to my mining enterprises, but you also get to hear my lovely voice all the time.”

“I can’t wait,” Rud said, fluttering his eyelashes at the dwarf.

“Don’t be weird about it,” Taz grumbled.

Rud had to think about it, but he suspected there were only two more buildings within the grove he needed to upgrade to rank 1 for everything to be at rank 1. Those were the Barn and his newest Tea Workshop building. Taz had actually held true to his promise to milk the cows every day. It was likely the allure of the cheese. When Rud finished his work on those two buildings, he made his way to the Barn and the paddock. He had previously upgraded it to level 5, granting him the Animal Tracking upgrade. That upgrade was the first one he had selected with a synergy. Connecting to the Observatory, it allowed him to track animals within the grove.

It was a handy upgrade that had nothing to do with animal husbandry.

The druid gave the barn the same treatment that the other buildings had received. He shoved fragments into it and waited for the new upgrade option to appear. It must have been his lucky day because the option that appeared was far better than the crummy farm-related ones he had previously seen.

[Heavy Udders]

Barn Upgrade

Description:

Who doesn’t like milk!?

Effect:

Increase the potential milk extracted from milk-producing animals.

Animals will produce milk so long as they are regularly milked.

Note: this upgrade does not force animals which are not normally milked to produce milk for you. We simply cannot have you creating squirrel cheese.

Although the name of the upgrade wasn’t entirely appealing, Rud was happy to accept it. More milk meant more cheese, and more cheese meant a happier dwarf. The druid went to his next building to be upgraded. It was a building he hadn’t even inspected yet. Standing outside the tea workshop, he pressed his hand against the wall and summoned the interface.

[Tea Workshop]

Rank 0 Level 1 Sacred Tree Building

Description:

A building dedicated to the production of dried tea leaves.

Upgrades:

None

Rud checked in his bag and ensured he had enough fragments to handle this building, but what he found was far more than he needed. He could do quite a few more and still have some left over. With Ban now drawing the majority of her energy from the grove itself, or more likely the Labyrinth, he didn’t have to worry about having too many Arcane Fragments on hand. He shook his head, getting back to the task at hand.

The druid shoved the dungeon core fragments into the building. Watching in appreciation as it shimmered with energy, he was so impressed with the way the sacred tree had incorporated these buildings into the grove that he couldn’t help but marvel at what he saw. This was another building tied to the Great Spirit of the Land. It was a conceptual spirit that he still didn’t quite understand. Only when the system message appeared, informing him that three upgrades were available to inspect, was he snapped out of his thoughts.

The druid went through each option.

[Quick Drying]

Tea Workshop Upgrade

Description:

Why waste time waiting around? Sip your tea NOW!

Effect:

The time it takes for tea stored in this building to dry is reduced.

As this was the first option Rud looked at, he wasn’t sure if he would take it right away. It was an incredibly strong candidate, though, since waiting for tea leaves to dry was one of the most annoying parts of his process. He earmarked this one as the best so far and moved on to the next.

[Potent Formations]

Tea Workshop Upgrade

Description:

What’s better than tea? Potent tea!

Effect:

Crystalline formations appear on your drying tea leaves, increasing the effects of that tea.

Most production buildings had an upgrade that increased the potency of the items produced there. This was the tea workshop’s version of that. It was themed around crystals forming on the surface of the tea leaves, which would enhance the effects. Rud wasn’t certain whether this was better than the quick-drying option, but that just highlighted the differences in the upgrades as a matter of speed versus potency. Did he want more tea leaves, or did he want them to be more effective?

For now, he inspected the last option.

[Pests, Be Gone!]

Tea Workshop Upgrade

Description:

Pests that would otherwise infest your stores are banished through the power of magic!

Effect:

Insect-type pests can no longer enter this building.

If pests were a regular occurrence, this would be the option he picked. But Rud had never had insects attacking his stores. That left him to choose between the option that would allow him to create his teas more quickly or the one that would strengthen them. Of course, he leaned toward the option that would make the tea leaves dry faster. The market for his teas was massive, and he knew people would snatch up all the stock he produced. Rud selected Quick Drying as his first upgrade and went back to shoving fragments into the building.

It didn’t take long for the next upgrade option to appear. The building reached rank one quickly, shimmering with the same energy that the others had that day. Rud could feel the power of the grove bristling over his skin. It gave him goosebumps and sent a shiver down his spine. When the newest option appeared, he shook his head. If only his other buildings had presented him with something so good. He expected to select this newest one, but still read it all the way through.

[Grove Tea]

Tea Workshop Upgrade

Description:

The tea produced in this building is infused with the power of the grove. Any tea dried here will produce more potent effects, thanks to that power.

Effect:

The effects of your teas dried within this building scale with the power of the grove.

Rud shook his head, trying not to laugh at himself. Anytime an option appeared that was aligned with the power of the Grove, he selected it. This time was no different. He was happy to pick this one and stood outside his workshop with his hands on his hips. A look of pride flashed across his face. He had taken care of all the buildings within the grove, and now it was time to chill out. Or so he thought.

The druid didn’t hear Nulsa alight on a branch behind him. Instead, he heard the gentle hoot of the owl. He spun around to spot the great beast there, looking with a curious expression on its face.

“You weren’t planning on calling it a day, were you?” Nulsa asked, offering another curious hoot.

“I’m done with all the buildings,” Rud said, ticking each one off in his mind. “So yeah, I think we’re probably done.”

“You’ve missed one, you silly druid,” Nulsa said. “You haven’t upgraded the observatory to rank one.”

Rud clicked his tongue. “I knew I was missing something,” he lied. In truth, he thought he had everything without exception. Somehow, the Observatory—a building he had spent quite a lot of time in—had slipped his mind entirely. “Wanna come with me?”

Nulsa shrugged, flying from the branch and doing circles above the druid. “Sure.”

Rud traveled through the nearest thicket, arriving at the base of the observatory tower a moment later. This was a building he had upgraded to level 5, selecting the communication system upgrade that had been so beneficial for him he had dismissed the idea of getting any more. Even though his far-seeing skill was one of his most useful abilities, this building had slipped his mind. He pressed his hand against the surface of the structure and nodded to himself, “You’re a good building,” he said.

“Ah, our druid is losing his mind…”

“I think I’ve spent too much time today upgrading buildings,” Rud said, turning to offer the owl a smile. “I don’t know if it takes anything out of me, but it very well might.”

“Your connection with the grove is deep,” Nulsa offered in his sage-like way. “You feel the changes here more than most. Sacred beasts align with it.”

Rud shoved fragments into the building, watching as it rose in levels. Finally, it rolled over to rank one and presented its newest option. The druid’s mouth fell open, and he looked to Nulsa with wide eyes. “Oh, that’s going to change things,” he said.

Chapter 56

Communication Connection

[Communication Connection]

Observatory Upgrade

Description:

Your connection with other groves is stronger.

Synergy:

[Communication System]

Effect:

A thin line of power connects your Observatory with other groves throughout the world. This connection is stronger if the other groves have an Observatory.

The upgrade didn’t seem good. Not compared to upgrades that provided tangible benefits. But this upgrade had something that tickled at the back of Rud’s mind. Something that would help him with the thing he had been focusing on this whole time. He read the description for Nulsa to hear.

“That isn’t a good upgrade,” Nulsa said with a hoot.

“Not on the surface,” Rud said, thinking back to the time he had visited Cliffs of Mog. “I was still learning back then—I still am learning—but when I visited Cliffs, I remember when the portal formed. There was this thin thread of power…”

Nulsa tilted his head to the side. “Do you believe you could exploit this to create portals?”

“I’m certain I could,” Rud said, scratching his chin. “And the other upgrades aren’t amazing, so this could be a boon for the grove.”

Nulsa seemed to shrug, turning away from the Observatory to gaze out into the forest. “You have enough fragments to take the building to Rank 1 Level 5 if need be. You’re not missing out on an upgrade.”

“Ban?” Rud asked. But he felt her senses distantly. It was as though all her attention was on something else. Without her input, he had to make the decision himself. “Guess this is up to me.”

“You have my support,” Nulsa said. “I’m no expert in druidic magic, but think about it. If Ban had a thread of power to hold onto, directing her portals would be easier.”

“Right?” Rud asked. “That makes sense, doesn’t it? I’m not going crazy, am I?”

“No. I would select the option. Even if it doesn’t do what you want, being closer to the other groves is a good thing. That’s the goal, right?”

Nulsa’s support of his idea sent a wave of excitement spreading through Rud’s mind. He picked the option and felt a flash of power settle into the building. If he focused hard enough, he could sense that new thread of power stretching from the Observatory. It went far, but the druid’s senses weren’t honed enough for him to track it with any accuracy.

“Interesting. We need Ban’s opinion, but I think that was a good choice,” Rud said. “Which means I am now happy with the buildings in the grove. And I can rest.”

“Can you?” Nulsa asked, his head tilting far to one side. “I sense something.”

Rud gave Nulsa a flat look. Sometimes it was hard to read the expression of the animals, but the smarmy look the owl had on was obvious. He rushed to accept the Aspect of Bent at the Observatory and made his way to the top. As he scanned the landscape, he found exactly what he had expected. That tangle of pathways he had created between the many dungeons and the southwest region of the grove had several parties exiting their respective dungeons.

Although they took up positions as though to rest, the druid knew what this meant. He held his artifact staff in his hand and shook his head. “Well, you’re looking mighty hungry today,” he said to the item. It didn’t respond, thank God.

“Who would complain about getting stronger?” Nulsa asked with a chuckling hoot. “Might as well go collect them now before they regenerate.”

Rud allowed his shoulders to slump for only a second before shifting into his squirrel form. He jumped from the railing of the observatory and glided into the nearest collection of branches, arriving just over that tangled pathway a few moments later. He did tight circles, keeping his eye on the landscape below. The adventurers there had already started fires on the wooden platforms he had made for them and were settling in for the day. Running these dungeons must have been exhausting, and he didn’t blame them for getting some well-deserved rest. When he shifted into his true form after gliding to the ground, the nearby party yelped in surprise.

“Nothing to see here, folks,” Rud said, waving a dismissive hand through the air. “Just the dungeon maintenance crew. I’ll be done here in a moment.”

The adventurers shared confused looks, all but one—a diminutive fox person—who gave an excited thumbs up. Rud returned the gesture before turning to the dungeon, pressing the tip of his staff against it. It lit with energy, absorbing the soul of the dungeon and generating one of the system pop-ups he had become so accustomed to.

[Orc Dungeon Soul Absorbed]

Your [Custodian’s Twig] has absorbed a dungeon within Gladesbale Grove’s borders. This artifact has gained +2 Strength, +2 Vigor. 

The [Orc Dungeon] has been destroyed.

With a simple nod, the druid turned back into his flying squirrel form and skittered off, chirping along the way. Of course, he was celebrating to himself. He might not want a ton of strength, but he certainly was getting it. Why he wasn’t receiving more magic-based attributes was beyond him, but these were all free, so he wouldn’t complain. The extra vigor would be appreciated though, and he dashed into the nearest bush to find the next dungeon. There were three ready for him to harvest, and he didn’t want to delay.

The next dungeon was clear of adventurers. They had moved off to camp close to their next target, rather than sticking around the dungeon they had just cleared. That left Rud free to absorb the dungeon soul without fear of a group of mortals making surprised sounds when they saw it collapsing. He pressed his staff against it and waited for the energy to flow into his body. A message appeared, claiming this was an insectoid dungeon and granting him his attributes.

This dungeon gave him two points of Mind and one point of Affinity, which made him do a little dance and a jump before shifting back into squirrel form. The next one granted a point in Agility and Affinity. By the time Rud finished clearing out all the dungeons, he used his squirrel form to teleport to the boughs above Ban. He settled in and reviewed the progress he had made by summoning his attribute sheet.

[Rud]

Main Class:

Rank 1 Level 1 Druid

Subclass:

Rank 0 Level 6 Grove Custodian

Attributes:

Health: 137

Mana: 190

Strength: 7

Agility: 7

Vigor: 11

Mind: 15

Affinity: 13

Titles:

[Keeper of the Gladesbale Grove]

“Dang,” Rud said, flexing his muscles. He was still scrawny. There had been no physical change to his body at all. But jumping from two Strength to seven was significant. He could tell that he was stronger, just as he could tell that he was faster and more agile from the increased Agility attribute. Even when he stowed his weapon in his bag, the attributes remained.

Since the staff was bound to him on such a fundamental level, it seemed unlikely that those increased attributes would ever fade. And with a never-ending supply of dungeons to suck the soul from. He imagined there was no limit to how strong he could grow. Which was a moderately frightening thought. But as long as he used his increasing attributes to better the grove, he wouldn’t call into question his ability to wield power.

Rud did some simple counting and figured out he had 19 levels of extra attributes. It was nearly two ranks of attributes that considering them made his head spin. Had adventurers normally gained strength, this couldn’t have been normal. However, he decided questioning it wasn’t the best idea. It was better to be blissfully ignorant and reap the rewards. Besides, he could now move heavy things, and that was something to be proud of.

Now Rud had to turn his attention to what sort of trouble he could get into. Trouble? No, not trouble. He turned his attention to how he could help the grove out while he waited for things to shake out in the labyrinth.

The scouting party making their way through the grove was almost at the western border. After the forced march their leader put them through, they took it easy afterward. Even though the journey wasn’t difficult, they still had many people and supplies to move along that road, which forced them to travel at a more reasonable pace. Rud headed over to get a better look at the gaggle of adventurers, perching in a tree and watching as they moved.

“Poor fellas,” he chittered, looking down in his squirrel form. “At least they’re close enough to a rest stop…”

“Rud,” Mint’s voice entered the druid’s mind. He hadn’t expected the guardian to DM him out of the blue, causing him to jump slightly.

“What’s up?” Rud asked, sending his thoughts afar.

“Could you come to the labyrinth?”

Rud narrowed his eyes, trying to predict what she would ask of him. A few moments later he shrugged, heading into a nearby cluster of branches. The labyrinth’s entrance appeared below him, Mint standing with Elm at the front. He could see a few ritual circles in the distance, still glowing with an intense light. A swirl of magical energy washed over the area, stinging the druid’s skin as he descended from the tree.

“Yo,” Rud said, shifting into his true form. “What’s going on?”

“An excellent question,” Elm said. If she had a pair of glasses, this was the part where she’d push them up. “According to the guardian, Mint, the Sacred Tree is unreachable. My detection magic has been going wild. As if it isn’t hard enough to cast spells in the grove, it is becoming unreliable.”

“Hmmm, yes,” Rud said, nodding and squinting. “I can see why that’s someone’s problem. But is it my problem?”

“Hah! You goofy little druid,” Mint said. “Of course. With things related to magic, you’re second in command. And guess who isn’t here to help us out?”

Rud set his jaw, looking between Mint and Elm. “You guys know I’m an idiot with magic, right?”

“Yet you’re still the expert,” Elm said with a sigh.

Rud threw his hands into the air, once again looking between the two of them. “Really!? I’m not! This is like… mage magic. Not druid magic.”

“Unfortunately, you’re wrong,” Elm said. “I’ve detected more interactions between the natural magic of the system with the grove’s magic. It is collecting here. Right above our heads.”

Rud looked up. He could see the swirling magic above his head, but it just looked like a bunch of magical dust being blown through the air. It glowed a bit, shifting between a bunch of colors. There was a lot of green in there, but that didn’t mean it was druidic magic. Even if it was, how would he interact with it?

“Just give it a try,” Mint suggested.

“Yeah, okay. But what am I doing exactly?”

“Reach out with your magical senses and attempt to peel the power of the grove away from the other magics,” Elm said.

Rud looked up, squinting real hard. He started grunting and vibrating a bit, but it didn’t help. “I got nothing,” he said, giving up.

Elm sighed again. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a steadying breath. “Imagine the magic in your mind. Two forces coming together above our heads. They mix and clash, creating a whirlwind. That’s your first step, sense the grove’s magic and pull on it.”

Rud took a steadying breath, holding his hands out. That felt like it helped, and he grasped on those strands of magic. He could feel them under the pads of his fingers like pulsing strands of electricity. One was familiar while the other was foreign.

“Okay, I think I got hold of both magics. What now?”

“Excellent. Now when you pull them apart, weigh them. Give me an estimation for how much each strand weighs,” Elm said. She knew how to talk to Rud about this kind of stuff. He knew he should have been studying this topic more, but whatever. Life in the grove was busy.

Rud tilted his head from one side to the other, sensing that each was similar in weight. “If I had to guess, I think the grove’s energy is heavier.”

“You’re doing great. Now let me know if the two magics are bonded tightly.”

“How?”

“Is it difficult to peel them?” Elm asked.

Rud grasped some more strands, splitting them like he was pulling apart twine. “Nope. Like peeling a banana.”

“Concerning. You’re not actually removing the magics from each other. Rather, you’re pulling them into your senses and cataloging them. That’s the best way I can describe it,” Elm said.

When Rud opened his eyes again, he saw Elm taking notes. The color in her face had drained and some sweat was forming on her forehead.

“So, everything is good forever, right?” Rud asked.

“I don’t think so,” Elm said, shaking her head. “We saw some concerning system messages while adventuring in the labyrinth. This might have confirmed it, but I need more information about why this building structure formed here of all places.”

“The other groves all have similar structures,” Rud said.

Elm looked up from her notes, blinking a few times as whatever color was left in her face drained. She looked ashen, then the tips of her elven ears went red as she faltered on the spot. Collapsing to the ground, Elm was caught by Mint as she fell.

“Well, that doesn’t seem good,” Mint said, fanning the poor woman.

Rud rushed over, his healing spell at the ready. When casting that twenty times failed, he teleported over to the longhouse and made some tea. He returned with a cup of steaming hot tea, holding it steady as he brought it to her lips. After pouring a bit down her throat, she began sipping it on her own.

Elm’s eyes fluttered open. “You must stop the tree from interacting with the labyrinth,” she said. “Otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll have a much bigger problem on your hands.”

“Just chill out for a minute,” Rud said, placing his hand on her forehead. Elm’s eyes closed as though his clammy hands were enough to comfort her. He had to remember he carried a lot of the power of the grove. And she was marked as a friend of the grove. Perhaps some of that energy transferred to her. “I’m more worried about your health.”

“I’m fine,” Elm said, pushing herself to a seated position. “Just shock. If the two energies are loosely intertwined, it is impossible to tell what happens next. Monsters, more dungeons, another labyrinth… How the system chooses to manifest its power is beyond our power to predict. And if Ban keeps fiddling with that magic, we could all be in trouble.”

“Ruh roh Raggy,” Mint said.

Chapter 57

Lurking Around

The gang had all gathered in the longhouse for dinner that night. None of the Sacred Beasts, Taz, or Rud had taken the news about weird magic and coming doom as serious. But Elm had taken it hard. Her forehead was pressed against the surface of the table. Every so often she let out a groan of disappointment while the others celebrated.

“You know what?” Taz said, having just finished showing off a really cool dwarven dance. “We need to hire a group of bards. Have them play music in our little tavern every night!”

“What a splendid idea!” Mint shouted, slamming her mug of tea on the table. “Another round!”

Rud laughed, pouring her another cup. “Take it easy. I’ll cut you off if you get rowdy.”

“I can handle my tea, little druid,” Mint growled, downing the cup in one go.

Although he was in high spirits, Rud couldn’t help but think about what this all meant. Everything within the grove had been in-hand for quite some time. There was nothing they couldn’t handle, so long as they worked on it. But the labyrinth presented a challenge he didn’t know whether they could overcome. And the other groves were experiencing the same problem.

This road led them to one destination. Monsters spawning within the grove itself. Rud might have been confident in the sacred beasts, but it was hard to say if they could handle something like this. With a swig of tea, a bite of soup, and a steady breath, he reassured himself. What was the point of worrying about it when he had cheese and tea to make?

“Oh, what do you think about tea cheese, Taz?” Rud asked.

“If you put tea in the cheese, I’m revolting,” Taz said.

“No tea in the cheese. Got it. We’re gonna put some nuts in the cheese, though.”

“How about mushrooms?” Taz asked. “I’ve seen that done back home.”

“Sure, why not? Mushrooms, nuts, dried fruit, berries… whatever!”

Everyone seemed tired tonight. Although Taz did a few more dances, the party wound down faster than the druid had expected. Although Elm wasn’t happy about the developments with the labyrinth, the members of the grove weren’t as affected by the news.

Although the night was winding down and Rud had already given his nightly report, checking in with the other groves, he made his way to the observatory anyway. As he climbed the steps, he heard the familiar sound of the owl alighting on the banister. Nulsa usually napped during the day and stayed up all night. He was the sentinel within the grove. But the owl didn't say anything as the druid assumed his seat in the chair. His senses widened as he probed for the dungeons in the southwest.

The adventurers who cleared the dungeons were voracious. They were tearing through the existing dungeons, weakening the magical energies day by day. Rud appreciated this. The more damage they inflicted on that overflowing magic, the better it was for the grove. He had originally invited them there to protect the grove against rampaging monsters, but now, with the gathering energy above the labyrinth, he took a moment to pat himself on the back for his foresight.

“How many more dungeons do you have to collect?” Nulsa asked. He seemed to sense Rud’s exact thoughts.

“At least four,” Rud said, shaking his head. “I think these dungeons are quite young, and the adventurers are ripping through them faster than if those dungeons were given time to gain strength.”

"You're faced with an interesting dilemma, aren't you?" Nulsa asked. "Power, like you could have never imagined, is on your doorstep. Do you feel the excitement to collect that power?"

Rud released a sigh, pushing back in his chair and staring up at the ceiling. "No, the only reason I've been rushing to collect them is so that they don't repair their dungeon cores before I absorb their souls. Frankly, the only thing I'm interested in is getting more mana so I can shape more trees. Even then, we're already at a pretty ridiculous level."

"This is an interesting test for you,” Nulsa hooted. “Perhaps this was a way for the progenitor of the groves to assess you. Had you thrown everything away and sought this power for your own selfish reasons, maybe you would have failed."

“Do you really think this is some kind of test by Bent?” Rud asked. “I don't think he's petty enough to worry about us.” But did he really believe his own words? Not really.

"We are his first grove in 20 years. He considers the others before us not exactly failures, but not successes. They’re something in between."

And that was the truth of it. No matter how he sliced it, Rud had to face the fact that they were under great scrutiny. There could have been tests all along the way that  they were completely unaware of. Now he considered all the trials he had faced and wondered if he had passed. But he knew he was doing well with this latest trial. He wouldn't snatch power for the sake of it, but to protect the grove. To ensure the investment Bent had put into the world, he would do anything. Whether that was for the love of nature, those around him, or perhaps even mortal kind itself, Rud didn't care.

Those other groves weren't exactly failures. Rud didn't think so anyway. There were kind people there. He thought about Maria and Jim and how they were living their lives and their respective groves. Maybe this whole thing was just a test to get everybody together. Perhaps it was something Bent himself couldn't do, as he wasn't a true mortal. No, that stag was anything but mortal. It was an eldritch thing that might not know how mortals experienced time.

"You're oddly pensive tonight," Nulsa said, breaking the silence that had settled over the observatory.

"I'm glad you're here to put things into perspective.” Rud didn't know how I was going to phrase it, but that's what the owl had done.” I believe I am true to the ideals of the grove, and I think I've done a good job so far."

"Perhaps you've missed the most important part. You're true to the ideals of the grove because the grove's ideals are your ideals, and they align with both Mint and Ban. That's the entire point of this project: to find three souls that have interlocked so tightly that they attract other similar souls."

Rud thought about it for a moment. The type of sacred beast they attracted to the grove was closely related to the three aspects of the grove. Nulsa was right. Sarya, Dean, Major, Taz, and Nulsa were all hardworking, upstanding souls who had a keen sense of justice, as well as fairness. They got along well because they were all similar.

“Want to join me on a late-night walk through the grove?” Rud asked, looking at the massive owl with a smile on his face. “Who knows, maybe we’ll eat a few dungeon souls.”

“Something to cleanse the palate, perhaps,” Nulsa said, stretching his wings and giving them a good flap. “Certainly. I shall defend you, fair custodian.”

###

The adventurers were tireless beings. At first, Rud was impressed by the work they had accomplished that day in the grove. The two parties he had originally spotted had grown to ten and then fifteen. Those small campsites he had constructed for them were crowded, and by the next morning, every single dungeon was cleared. At least all those he had detected.

Rud only gave a brief morning report on the radio that morning. He hastily scrawled his message to the town before going to inspect the work of those adventurers. He had spent a few hours the night before traipsing around the forest with Nulsa, absorbing dungeon souls. There were six for him to gain, and the attributes they provided made his body swell to where he almost passed out.

The results of his dungeon-eating adventure were substantial. 3 Strength, 2 Vigor, 1 Agility, 5 Mind, and 2 Affinity. Rud now held three ranks of attributes in his staff, which was a more frightening thought than he had expected. He reviewed his attribute sheet to get a better idea.

[Rud]

Main Class:

Rank 1 Level 1 Druid

Subclass:

Rank 0 Level 6 Grove Custodian

Attributes:

Health: 143

Mana: 218

Strength: 10

Agility: 8

Vigor: 13

Mind: 20

Affinity: 15

Titles:

[Keeper of the Gladesbale Grove]

Looking at the sheet only reminded him how he hadn’t followed Ban’s advice. In his squirrel form, he watched as the adventurers moved down below. Perching on a high branch and spying on them had become something of a hobby, but he could turn this into a moment where he gained experience. The druid jumped from the branch and moved in a tight circle, coming to rest on the pathway before turning back to his true form.

Even now, as the mortals gazed upon him with surprise, he could feel his body bristling with power. Rud smacked the butt of his staff onto the wooden walkway and smiled.

“Greetings, mortals. You have passed my first trial,” Rud said, putting on his best wizard voice. “But there may yet be more dungeons for you to conquer.”

A murmur spread through the crowd. Interested voices called out, asking what the next trial could possibly be. Of course, Rud hadn't thought that far. He wasn't willing to send them into the labyrinth yet. Mint was still plumbing those depths, getting a better feel for the strength of the place. In truth, the labyrinth was dangerous because it was expansive. If the adventurers went down there without the proper supplies, they would likely not make it out because of starvation or dehydration.

Yet, as he held his staff in a dramatic pose, Rud could feel it begging for more dungeon souls. He focused on the thread it presented and felt his heart skip a beat. Spreading throughout the grove was a tangled web of lines that shot in all directions. He tried to count the dungeons but couldn't. They were innumerable.

Are they? He thought to himself, narrowing his focus. No. It wasn’t quantity. It was quality.

"There are more powerful dungeons deeper in the grove." Rud announced, "You will camp here for the day, and in the morning you will follow new paths that will have appeared overnight. Those paths may lead you to the tallest mountain or the deepest dungeon. But what awaits you are trials more troubling than you’ve experienced in your life. Giant chihuahuas, blood-thirsty baboons, and perhaps several geese with bad temperaments. Prepare yourself, adventurers.”

As always, the adventurers had little to say to that. They muttered among themselves, giving Rud just enough time to shift into squirrel form and scamper away. He really wasn't sure what they would find, but he had concerns about where he sensed some of these dungeons. He grumbled as he climbed up a tree, gliding through the grove and following those instincts. A few hours of searching later, he spotted a measly three dungeons slightly deeper in the grove. He marked them and planned to create a path to them later. However, as he stood on one tree, he noticed a thread that appeared in his senses. It shot straight down through the ground.

"I should have figured there'd be a dungeon in the caves," Rud muttered to himself. "Once I get these sorted, I should also take care of those stupid cursed objects. What else is going to fall on our heads next?"

The druid searched around for a few moments, expecting an entire mountain to appear above him. But it didn't. Only the calming sounds of the forest around him greeted his ears. It was a welcome reprieve from the concerned worries spreading through his mind. Rud reassured himself that he was doing everything he could to keep it under control. He wasn't even fully relying on the other members of the grove. He had this under control, as long as he stayed ahead of it.

Rud emerged from a bush near the Blacksmith’s Workshop. The sound of metal singing greeted his ears and he saw Taz within, hammering away at a piece on the anvil. Shifting back into his true form, the druid poked his head inside.

“Wanna go on an adventure?” Rud asked.

Taz’s gaze dragged up from the dimming metal on the anvil. He raised an eyebrow. “Depends on the quality of the adventure.”

“There are some underground dungeons in the grove,” Rud said. “We gotta scout a path for the adventurers to take so they can clear them.”

Taz took a few moments to think about it. “Reminds me of home… Fine. Let me finish this, then we can go.”

“Excellent,” Rud said, rubbing his hands together. “I’ll just lurk around here like a creep.”

Chapter 58

Tower

Rud didn’t exactly have an aversion to the caves under the grove. But the last time they were here, he was almost in trouble. Unfortunately, the location of the dungeons didn’t line up with the areas they had already visited. After recruiting the help of both Sarya and Major, the group set off on their journey. The first leg was boring, as expected. There was no vegetation on the first few levels of the caverns, meaning they had to hoof it.

At least the bats didn’t mind them passing through this time.

“Are you certain we’re heading in the right direction?” Major grumbled. He led the way through the tight passageway, his bulk almost clogging the tunnel.

Rud shrugged, looking at the thread of energy shot into the cave’s wall. He was guessing which direction they should head in. But the tunnels went in all directions, snaking all over the place with a bunch of dead-ends.

“Yep. This is definitely the right way,” Rud lied. “Just right up ahead.”

Yet as the hours passed, the party doubted him. At least they found a few weird cave bushes along the way, giving them an easy out if they got truly lost. By the time the group lost faith in Rud’s ability to lead them in the right direction, the passageway opened up. Lingering on the far side of the room was an archway, in the center of which was a shimmering portal.

“Wow, he wasn’t lying,” Taz said, chuckling in surprise.

“Of course I wasn’t lying. You try navigating a strange cave, ya silly dwarf,” Rud said. “There are a few more around here, though. Just a guess, but I think they’re clustered around this network.”

Rud wasn’t sure if he could go into dungeons. He had never tried and had no desire to do so. Mint couldn’t enter normal dungeons, and he doubted the other sacred beasts could. Of the members of the grove, he figured it was only himself and Taz that could go in. Yet neither had a class meant for combat, meaning this was a problem for the adventurers.

“Only problem is giving the adventurers access to the dungeons,” Taz said, rubbing his beard. “We’re not that deep underground, though…”

“What are you thinking?” Rud asked. “Tunneling straight up?”

Taz grumbled. “Depends on where we are. Under a lake, maybe?”

“Nope. Just the forest,” Rud said. He could sense the trees above… Perhaps fifty feet? Maybe more, it was hard to say. “So, are we digging?”

Taz approached the wall, placing his hand on the surface and closing his eyes. It took a while, but he eventually shrugged. “Doesn’t seem too hard,” he said. “Most stone I deal with in the mines is hard. Something about stone that can produce metals makes it harder.”

“Magic or some crap,” Rud said.

“Yeah, magical nonsense. I can feel the surface from here. This should only take a few hours if we work together,” Taz said.

“Actually… This might be my time to shine.” Rud flexed. “I’ve been absorbing some dungeon souls, so I have a lot of Strength.”

“So buff…” Sarya trailed off, her eyes sparkling as she watched Rud doing various poses to show off his muscles. Of course, there were no muscles to speak of.

“Yeah, right,” Taz said. Still, he withdrew a pickaxe from his bag and tossed it over.

Rud caught it with surprising grace and wiggled his eyebrows at the dwarf. “Witness the power of my cheat staff.”

Of course, Rud had to wait for Taz to direct him where to dig. Once he had a section of mostly flat wall planned out, the druid rolled his shoulders. He pulled the pickaxe back and swung it with all his weight. The metal tip struck against the wall,  sending shards of stone flying everywhere. He followed up with another hit, removing just as much stone and barely feeling the strain of the act. High Strength and Vigor combined to make the action almost effortless.

“That staff is unfair,” Taz grumbled, hoisting his own pickaxe and joining in the fun.

The dwarf was right. The stone didn’t seem as hard to cut through as that in the mine. Chipping away, the pair made some stairs and just kept going. Truly, it wasn’t as difficult as Rud had expected. Best of all, they didn’t have to chip away for long. Piles of dirt came flooding down over the steps they had cut.

Rud whistled.

“Come on, puppy!” he shouted. “Time to dig.”

“You boys might be cool with your sharp metal stuff, but check this out,” Sarya said, sauntering over to the pile of dirt with far too much swagger. She got to work right away, doing what she did best. Moving dirt.

Once enough of the dirt had been moved out of the way, it was Rud’s turn. He reached out to distant trees, pulling their roots down to reinforce the walls. He created a tunnel that allowed more dirt to flow in. And of course, Sarya was there to remove that soil as it piled up in the cavern. Major got involved. Although he was not as good as the wolf, he helped move the piles out of the way so the others could work.

“Sunlight,” Taz announced, tossing a handful of dirt down the expanding, angled passage. “We’re almost there. One more push.”

Rud angled another set of stairs as the last of the dirt fell through. He pushed through the soil, taking a deep breath as the dappled sunlight fell over him. Looking around, he had a decent sense for where they were. The tunnels underneath the grove were expansive, and they had arrived somewhere north of the Observatory. They were near enough that he could pull a line from the north-south road. That would make it easy to bring the adventurers to the underground dungeons.

Sarya emerged from the tunnel, shaking to paint everything around her in mud.

“How did you even get wet?” Rud asked, wiping a glob from his face.

“Slobber,” Sarya said, her tongue lolling to the side. “Lots of slobber.”

“Delightful,” Rud said, grimacing. 

“Mission accomplished, right?” Major asked, removing himself from the hole next.

Rud turned back, placing his hands on his hips as he observed the hole they had made. He was thinking more defensively lately, and this newest addition to the grove was no different. Like the labyrinth, he wanted to reinforce this point. But Major was right. Their mission was accomplished, even if it was a goofy mission, with little excitement.

“Everyone did a great job,” Rud said. “Dinners on me tonight.”

“But dinner is free every night,” Major said.

“Well, thanks everyone for coming!” Rud said, clapping a few times. “We did some great work here today. Made a staircase in some rocks. Built some wooden stairs. What more could you ask for?”

After some chatter, Taz and Sarya headed out. Major stayed behind, helping Rud inspect the passageway to ensure it was stable. After some hardening and use of the Lacquer spell, both were satisfied with their work. Once he was certain the tunnel was safe, he got to work on the above-ground defenses. The druid didn’t plan anything crazy. Just a wall with some brambles around it to keep folks who were overly curious out. And a giant sign detailing what was inside and how dangerous it would be for mortals to wander inside without cause.

Rud stepped back from his wall, tilting his head to one side. “Does this look crooked to you?”

Major joined him, going on his rear paws to get a higher view. “No, it looks level.”

“Hmmmm…” Rud looked at it from a few more angles. He stumbled to the side as the ground rumbled beneath his feet. It was as though the floor shifted from side to side a few times, sending him tumbling to his butt. “Whoops!”

“Did it collapse?” Major asked, looking around in confusion.

Rud rushed into his structure, looking down the passage. There was no dirt or stones clogging the tunnel. “Looks good from here. What was that?”

The ground rumbled again. This time, Rud was smart enough to hit the ground before he fell. This time the rumbling was far more violet, lasting about a minute before it calmed down. The druid shot a concerned look at Major, who shrugged.

“Earthquake?” Rud asked.

Silence settled in after that, the bear tilting his head to the side.

“I’ve done it!” Ban said, excitement flooding into Rud’s mind. It was almost enough to banish away his concern. “Finally tapped into the labyrinth’s core… wait, what’s that?”

“Rud, Major, get your butts to the labyrinth,” Mint said. “Where is that elf!?”

Rud shared a look with Major, shifting into his squirrel form and jumping on the bear’s head. “Onward, faithful steed!”

Major thundered forward, jumping into the nearest bush. When they arrived on the other side, the druid squinted. It was far darker than the labyrinth’s clearing normally was. When the bear released a string of forest-themed curses, it drew his attention upward. Toward the shadow that stretched far into the sky.

“Are you seeing this!?” Mint shouted, gesturing frantically toward the sky.

“Yeah, I see it,” Major said, smacking his lips. “But, uh… What’s it doing here?”

“This ain’t normal!” Mint shouted. “By all the great spirits of the world, I’m gonna climb that thing! Right into the clouds.”

Dean padded from the nearest bush, coming to a slow stop as his eyes shot skyward. “Well, then…”

“I think I may have made a mistake,” Ban said, speaking into the druid’s mind. “A big mistake.”

Rud could finally process what he saw. There were the barriers he had created to keep random people out. But there was another feature that wasn’t there before. Sprouting from the ground was a circular structure made of white stone. The seams between individual stones were almost invisible. In a normal structure, this might’ve represented amazing craftsmanship, but the druid doubted this was man made. A stone archway stood, perhaps twenty feet tall, leading inside of the structure.

Above stretched the tower. Impossibly looming above to stretch even higher than the Sacred Tree, a tower had appeared directly above the labyrinth.

“That ain’t right,” Rud said, blinking a few times. He watched as Mint dashed into the entrance. “Should’ve seen that coming…”