Chapter 5

In just seven days, time flew by. During these few days, Henry made six bottles of light wound healing potion, two bottles of sleeping potion, and two bottles of blessing potion. He and Kegan each carried half of them. He also copied four first-level spell scrolls: Grease, Burning Hands, Magic Missile, and Shadow. He prepared two scrolls of divine spells: Faith Armor, Stone Power, and two Entangle spells.

During these days, he also purchased materials for summoning a magical creature at the temple of Oma, the god of knowledge, and performed the ritual. After the ritual, he obtained a Puck named Louise. This is a small humanoid creature, about the size of an adult's palm, with a pair of wings that allow it to fly quickly. It communicates in the language of the Wood Folk and is skilled in lock-picking and reconnaissance. Due to its small size, it is a good helper for delicate magic experiments. However, Henry believed that the reason he summoned Louise was fundamentally due to his other profession as a Druid.

After checking Henry's backpack and weapons and finding no issues, the dwarf said, "Final check, all items are present. Draw the bowstring. Let's go!" Kegan then stood up and walked out. Henry followed closely behind, leaving the room. The week of rest was finally over. "Good luck to you," the old gnome on the first floor shouted when he saw the two of them.

"Thanks, old man, I'll come to see you again next time we pass by," Kegan waved without turning back. "Thank you, Mr. Bentley, and may your business thrive," Henry said, turning his head and bowing slightly. In Henry's view, politeness is a good disguise that can lower others' guard, after all, he was no longer that 14-year-old rookie boy.

The two left the Friendly Arm and headed north. Henry hung the crossbow on his waist, tied the quiver to his back, and held the spear as a walking stick with the tip pointing upwards. Several bottles of potion were inserted into his belt for easy access. Kegan wore a bull horn helmet, with an axe on his waist, a sturdy leather-covered wooden shield on his left shoulder, and a backpack on his right shoulder. He usually did not use a shield, but this one was specially prepared for this mission. The burrowing worms can spray acid, and iron shields have poor corrosion resistance, so the dwarf had a custom-made one at the Friendly Arm.

By noon, the two decided to rest for a while. "At our current speed, we should be able to have dinner in the burrowing worm village tomorrow afternoon. It's currently spring, and the burrowing worms are in heat, making them very aggressive. Be cautious while traveling; if you get caught by their large mandibles, it's certain death." Kegan quickly explained the dangers of the mission to Henry during the rest, still shaken by the injuries he sustained a few days ago.

"I understand, Kegan. I've already experienced two battles and am no longer the rookie who freezes in combat," Henry nodded helplessly in response. The old dwarf also felt that Henry had matured a lot since the injury, especially during the battle with the hill giant. His use of spells was extremely appropriate. Although most dwarves dislike magic unless it is enchanted onto weapons and armor. At noon, Henry created 2 gallons of water, stewed some dried meat and mushrooms he had gathered from the forest, and after eating, the two continued on their journey.

Around 2 PM on the second day, they reached the outskirts of the village. Henry could already see the houses and smoke in the distance. "We're almost there. From now on, be cautious. Burrowing worms can suddenly attack from the ground," Kegan said, taking his shield from his back and gripping it with his left hand. He then drew his axe from his belt.

Seeing the dwarf warrior ready for battle, Henry quickly took the crossbow from his waist and loaded a bolt. He also gripped the spear tightly, no longer using it as a walking stick. The Puck Louise, due to her small size and agility, was sent ahead for reconnaissance. She returned shortly to report the situation to Henry.

Henry frowned and said, "Kegan, we have a problem. Louise told me that the dirt road ahead is a mess. I think there are two burrowing worms."

The dwarf was shocked. "Two? Damn, that's not good news. We're only two people, and it's best to deal with one at a time. More than that is dangerous." He stroked his beard, trying to think of a solution.

"I think we can set a trap. First, prepare the Grease spell. Then you can lure the two worms over, and I'll cast Entangle. Their shells are very smooth, so once they fall and get entangled by grass and vines, they will have a hard time getting up. This way, we can kill them one by one. What do you think?" Henry suggested after some thought.

"Not a bad idea, let's give it a try," the dwarf warrior, not one to think much, immediately agreed.

With the plan in place, the two began to implement it. The dwarf warrior shed unnecessary weight and started running forward. Burrowing worms have poor eyesight and mainly rely on sensing ground vibrations to locate enemies. It didn't take long for Kegan to run back, shouting, "Henry! They're coming, right behind me!" Two green, three-meter-long worms with large mandibles were chasing him.

"Grease" The spell, which had been prepared, was cast, accurately covering the area behind the running dwarf with a large patch of magical grease. The two worms slipped and fell, unable to get up no matter how they struggled. After casting the spell, Henry threw the short spear in his hand, piercing the vulnerable underside of one of the worms. The worm let out a惨叫并开始拼命挣扎。看到目标命中后，亨利立即开始专注施法，几秒后准备完成。“纠缠术”地面瞬间长出无数的劲草，将两只虫子拉在地面上。其中一只在挣扎过程中短矛与地面碰撞，瞬间插进大脑，死去了。原本保护亨利施法的凯根看到只剩下一只，就把手中的斧头丢了出去，直接劈中腹部，绿色的汁液四处飞溅。两人急忙躲得远远的。

法术的效果没过多久就消失了，被开膛破肚的虫子生命也走到了尽头。凯根迈着小短腿提着盾慢慢地靠近尸体，走到跟前用盾牌碰了碰两只虫子，发现没什么动静便放下心来。捡回自己的斧头用力甩了甩恶心的绿色粘液，冲亨利喊道：“都死了，过来把我们把壳处理一下。只要头部和背部前边几片最坚硬的，其他的没什么用。”

亨利看到没有危险也走过来，把矛从下颚用力抽出，在靴子下边使劲蹭了蹭。随后开始观察起虫子来。巨大的脑袋前端是嘴巴，上面的外口器就像一个钳子，密布的锯齿一旦被夹到一定会让你觉得生不如死。腹部大部分没有坚硬的甲壳，身体最坚硬的部分就是头部和靠近这里的几块背甲。

观察过后便拿出匕首开始跟凯根一起清理起来，肚子部分和下半身直接切割掉，然后把上半身的内脏和肚皮全部挖出。只保留头骨和背部几块最坚硬的壳。随后又制造了两加仑的水把壳清洗了一下，用绳子捆起来。掘地虫的壳并不沉，但是防御力却不下钢甲，可以说是既轻便又坚硬的上好材料，而且对酸还有一定抗性。

凯根把处理好的壳背在身上心情顿时好起来了。“哈哈，1000金币到手了。莫拉丁保佑，这可真是个好兆头。如果我们的战利品够多，回来的时候就雇一辆马车。你刚才的表现好极了，虽然我不懂什么法术。不过感觉简直就象是伊尔明斯特附体。”矮人明显开始兴奋过头了，马屁一个接着一个的拍过来。

“凯根，我想我们不能杀太多的虫子。这个村庄就是靠掘地虫不停地翻地才能保持土地肥沃，粮食才能丰产。我们不能破坏自然的平衡。”亨利无奈的摇了摇头回答。矮人说的明显不可能，自己作为一个德鲁伊，如果真把这些虫子赶尽杀绝，估计就要失去这个职业了。

“该死，你不说我都忘记了你是一个自然之子。算了我们先到村里头休息一晚，顺便问问负责这里的德鲁伊可以杀多少只。”凯根听到不能对虫子大杀特杀顿时丧气不少。

没过多久两人便来到村子，简单的打听过后便来到布朗的农场，准备在这里借宿一晚。因为整个村子就属布朗的农场和房子最大。来到布朗的家亨利便在地头上看到一个五十岁左右的农夫在田间劳作。亨利赶忙走上前去打招呼。

“您好，请问是布朗先生吗？我们是来这里猎杀掘地虫的冒险者。想在您这里借宿一晚。我们会为住宿和晚餐付钱的。”

老人点了点头。“是的，我是布朗。借宿没问题，我的房子很大，房间也够多。每个人1个银币含晚餐。”看到有钱可赚他马上答应下来。晚饭是面包土豆泥还有一锅炖鸡，很丰盛。吃过之后三个人坐在壁炉旁边闲聊。

老人摸了摸自己的头发说：“我有一个儿子也象你这么大，前几天跟着他妈妈去城里卖农产品了。最近几年的掘地虫数量变得特别多，所以路上很危险。”

“这里不是一直有德鲁伊在控制它们的数量么？”亨利听到这个消息有些疑惑的问。

“是由一位叫洁蒂的德鲁伊在这里，但是一个人的力量毕竟有限。掘地虫可不是什么普通的冒险者就能应付得过来的，尤其这前几年不少冒险者死在虫子手上，导致最近两年都没什么人敢来。”

亨利赶忙追问：“那位德鲁伊住在哪里？我们想找他了解一下这里掘地虫的数量问题。”

布朗指了指窗外。“就在农场西北不远的地方，她在那里建了一个树屋。”

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The worm let out a scream and began to struggle fiercely. Seeing the target hit, Henry immediately focused on casting the spell. A few seconds later, he completed the preparation. "Entangle" The ground instantly sprouted numerous strong grasses, pulling the two worms to the ground. One of them, while struggling, had the short spear collide with the ground and instantly pierce its brain, killing it. Kegan, who had been protecting Henry while he cast the spell, saw that only one worm remained and threw his axe, splitting its abdomen and causing green fluid to splash everywhere. The two quickly moved away.

The spell's effect didn't last long, and the worm with its gut split was nearing the end of its life. Kegan, with his short legs, slowly approached the corpses, using his shield to prod the two worms. Finding no movement, he felt relieved. He picked up his axe, shook off the disgusting green slime, and called to Henry, "They're all dead. Come over and let's process the shells. We only need the hardest parts of the head and the front of the back, the rest is useless."

Seeing no danger, Henry also walked over, forcefully pulling the spear from the worm's jaw and rubbing it on his boot. He then began to observe the worm. The front of the large head was the mouth, with an outer mandible like a clamp, covered in serrations that would make you wish you were dead if you were caught. Most of the abdomen lacked a hard shell, and the hardest parts of the body were the head and the few plates of the back near it.

After observing, he took out his dagger and began to clean the worm with Kegan. They cut off the belly and lower body, then dug out the internal organs and belly of the upper body. They only kept the skull and the hardest plates of the back. They then created two gallons of water to wash the shells and tied them up with a rope. The shells of the burrowing worms were not heavy but had a defense level comparable to steel armor, making them both light and strong, and they had some resistance to acid.

Kegan, with the processed shells on his back, felt much better. "Ha, 1000 gold coins in hand. May Moradin bless us, this is a good omen. If we have enough loot, we'll hire a carriage on the way back. Your performance was excellent, even though I don't understand spells. It felt like Elminster himself was in you." The dwarf was clearly getting overly excited, showering Henry with compliments.

"Kegan, I think we can't kill too many worms. The village relies on the burrowing worms to keep the soil fertile and ensure a good harvest. We can't disrupt the natural balance," Henry replied, shaking his head. It was clearly impossible, as a Druid, if he really exterminated all the worms, he would likely lose his profession.

"Damn, I almost forgot you're a child of nature. Well, let's rest in the village for a night and ask the Druid here how many we can kill," Kegan said, his spirits dampened by the realization.

Not long after, the two arrived at the village. After a brief inquiry, they went to Brown's farm, planning to stay there for the night. Brown's farm and house were the largest in the village. Upon arriving at Brown's house, Henry saw a farmer in his fifties working in the field. He quickly approached to greet him.

"Hello, are you Mr. Brown? We are adventurers here to hunt burrowing worms and would like to stay the night. We will pay for the accommodation and dinner."

The old man nodded. "Yes, I am Brown. You can stay; my house is large and has plenty of rooms. One silver coin per person, including dinner." Seeing the opportunity to make money, he immediately agreed. The dinner was bread, mashed potatoes, and a pot of stewed chicken, very hearty. After eating, the three of them sat by the fireplace and chatted.

The old man stroked his hair and said, "I have a son about your age. He went to the city with his mother a few days ago to sell agricultural products. In recent years, the number of burrowing worms has increased significantly, making the journey dangerous."

"Isn't there a Druid here to control their numbers?" Henry asked, puzzled by the news.

"There is a Druid named Jetti here, but one person's power is limited. Burrowing worms are not something ordinary adventurers can handle, especially in recent years, many adventurers have died from the worms, so no one has dared to come for the past two years."

Henry quickly followed up, "Where does the Druid live? We want to talk to her about the number of burrowing worms here."

Brown pointed out the window. "Not far from the northwest of the farm, she has built a treehouse there."

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