Chapter 47

After the Jia Fu monster was killed, the thick fog that had enveloped the entire dungeon began to dissipate at a visible speed. The withered leaves and the gloomy, deathly aura clinging to the trees also scattered with the wind.

Since the equipment dropped in the dungeon did not require appraisal, as soon as the Golden Right Hand picked up the shield and the staff, two new faces appeared on the armor and weapon rankings. Due to the one-time dungeon refresh, the rankings were dominated by purple gear, but the Pili Shield still firmly occupied the top spot on the armor ranking due to its superior attributes. The blue-quality Firestone Staff, however, hung at the ninth position on the weapon ranking, standing out among a row of purple names.

Due to the relatively low drop rate of weapons, the top ten on the weapon ranking were mostly level 13 or even level 11 purple gear, giving the level 16 Firestone Staff with a built-in spell slot a chance to make an appearance. With the system-wide announcement, there would certainly be no shortage of people looking to buy equipment.

A mage wouldn't want to give up a staff with a built-in spell slot, and since Fang Yi was pursuing a light and agile combat style, the 46-point weight shield wasn't his cup of tea. Holding the Deep Earth Walker's Amulet, Fang Yi thought for a moment and said, "Right Hand, this amulet is just what I need. You guys take the two pieces of equipment, and then give me some money at market price. How about that?"

Fang Yi's priority in choosing was agreed upon beforehand, and the Golden Right Hand and the mage found it hard to part with the two pieces of equipment in front of them. Even though they knew the odd item in Fang Yi's hand might be very useful, they couldn't refuse this proposal.

In the end, everyone was happy. The Golden Right Hand's team's strength was greatly enhanced. Although Fang Yi didn't get the rare equipment, he had no regrets—items in the game had different values to different people, and the item in his hand had a miraculous effect in many situations.

The moment they cleared the dungeon, the Golden Right Hand received a message from someone claiming to be the guild leader of World Domination, expressing interest in talking to Fang Yi. Fang Yi firmly rejected it, knowing that he and the guild were enemies, and it was best to have as little contact as possible.

The Golden Right Hand understood Fang Yi's style very well, so he only symbolically asked about Fang Yi's next plans. After some haggling, he asked for Fang Yi's bank account and immediately transferred 3,000 universal coins, along with all the materials collected from the Jia Fu monster's body. Then he took his team to nearby maps to level up intensely—the incentive of purple gear was no joke.

After clearing the dungeon, the experience gained directly boosted Fang Yi to level 13, 11%. After saying goodbye to the Golden Right Hand and his team, Fang Yi walked out of the dense forest and prepared to head for the Greenwind Canyon. However, just before he set off, he received some unexpected information from the Golden Right Hand.

The Druid tribe mentioned in the system prompt, known as the Bull Horn, had been encountered by the team in the Emerald Forest. However, the Druid scouts had a "do not approach" demeanor, and any attempt to interact with them would result in a reputation insufficiency message. Considering the efficiency of leveling up, the Golden Right Hand didn't waste time there.

Among the five people in the team, only Fang Yi received a reputation increase notification. Scanning the few quests on his list, the only one that could be related to this Druid tribe was the recognition quest.

After clearing the dungeon, the magic array at the entrance of the Emerald Forest had disappeared, replaced by a large expanse of fresh, lush forest. The new Emerald Forest, together with the surrounding forests, formed a vast, regular forest that surrounded the Greenwind Canyon on three sides, leaving only the northwest direction open to the main road leading to Tashir.

After stepping onto the main road, Fang Yi started running towards the Emerald Forest. The reputation requirement indicated that the Druid tribe definitely had follow-up quests, and the friendly reputation he had gained was almost free. It would be a waste not to check it out.

The Greenwind Canyon looked narrow and fine from a distance, but upon closer inspection, it was far from that. The solitary peaks seen earlier were just a matter of perspective. At the entrance to the valley, the tall, earth-brown mountains stretched southeast, extending for miles. The Greenwind Canyon, like a green python, wound and coiled with the mountains, stretching to the horizon with a thin green line, indicating a considerable area.

The road only extended to the entrance of the Greenwind Canyon, and beyond that, it was cut off by dense jungle. Fortunately, Fang Yi had the coordinates given by the little carpenter, so he wasn't afraid of getting lost.

Fang Yi focused on his journey, choosing the quietest corner at the thousand-foot-wide valley entrance, deliberately avoiding most of the monsters in the jungle. He casually cut down a few blind killer vines and finally reached his destination before sunset. However, it wasn't Fang Yi who discovered the Bull Horn; it was the Druid scouts of the Bull Horn who first discovered the human rogue who had intruded on their territory.

Seeing the two "people" suddenly emerge from the opposite tree, Fang Yi was genuinely startled. His scouting and listening skills had been active the whole time—how high must these scouts' stealth skills be!?

To avoid misunderstanding, the two Druids revealed themselves at a safe distance within Fang Yi's line of sight. Their longbows pointed to the ground, and the moss-like magic used for concealment gradually dissipated, revealing their true forms.

They were a male and a female elf. The male was about the same height as Fang Yi, while the female was a couple of inches shorter. Both wore light green leather coats, and their skirts, made from the fur of unknown beasts, were adorned with six or seven small, intricate bags fastened with bone pins, swinging in front of them. The male elf was handsome, and the female was beautiful, their wild and natural attire exuding a charm of exotic allure.

In human legends, elves were often depicted as unkempt and dirty, with rumors suggesting they rarely bathed throughout their long lives. Fang Yi knew this was nonsense; just looking at the elves in front of him, who were so clean and tidy even in the jungle, let alone the high elves in Evermeet and Silvermoon City.

"How can a human carry the scent of that monster... Stranger, where do you come from?" The male elf shook his head in confusion and asked in broken Common.

Fang Yi knew his friendly reputation was at work but still answered according to the script: "Elves of the wild, I am Fang Yi, an adventurer from Tashir. During my adventure, my companions and I discovered the anomaly in the Emerald Forest and subdued the Jia Fu monster. The Emerald Forest outside the Greenwind Canyon has now returned to its original state."

Hearing the human's words, the two elves exchanged glances, both seeing the disbelief and joy in each other's eyes. The male elf considered for a moment and then said, "Please follow me, adventurer. Let the council of elders determine the truth of this matter."

As soon as Fang Yi entered the Druid camp, he received a system prompt: You have entered the Watcher's Camp.

This was the first time Fang Yi had seen a Druid tribe in the wild. Within a one-mile radius, elegant wooden houses were scattered, some hidden among the roots of giant trees, others suspended dozens of feet in the air by thick vines, blending seamlessly with the towering trees around them.

Fang Yi wondered how they handled private matters, whether they had to cast soundproofing barriers each time. He thought with a mischievous grin.

The two elves led Fang Yi directly to the large house where the four-member council, the leaders of the camp, resided. To Fang Yi's surprise, the elder among the four was a tall human. His long, bushy beard and messy hair reminded Fang Yi of a great man from years ago, except the Druid's face had a few tribal markings, giving him a wild and untamed look. (Due to the complex, contradictory, and selfish nature of humans, it was rare for a human to become a high-level Druid, though players were an exception.)

"Your bravery amazes me, adventurer," the elder of the Watcher's Camp, Mason Lionmane, looked at the human rogue in front of him with surprise and admiration.

Although Fang Yi didn't know how the elders determined that he had killed the Jia Fu monster, he didn't bother to think about it. The next quest was the key.

"Elder Mason, when I entered, I saw the Druids in the camp fully armed, and there were some injured on the ground. Is there anything I can help with?"

"Alas... As you can see, our forest is suffering. A group of Red Robe Mages is wantonly destroying the forest in the depths of Gossamer. They have caused almost irreparable damage to this forest," Mason Lionmane sighed, lowering his head. "The enemy is too strong, and the forest's guardian spirits have not responded to us for too long. If this continues, the balance of the forest will be broken, and life and vitality will abandon this wasteland!"

System prompt: Do you accept the quest "Mysterious Invasion"?

After accepting the quest, Fang Yi carefully read the quest description, but the first step was usually vague, making it hard to resolve his doubts.

The Red Robe Mages, though notorious for their evil deeds, were essentially a group of people who only acted for profit, fundamentally different from groups like Treants and Dragon Worshippers. Running to this remote wilderness for no reason couldn't be just to establish a stronghold, could it?

Fang Yi still remembered his bandage quest and inquired with Elder Mason, quickly discovering the Moonwell in the northwest corner of the camp.

The Moonwell was a unique feature of Druid tribes. Each tribe that worshipped Eilistraee (Goddess of Peace, Water, and Tranquility) or Vanas (Goddess of Nature) would be blessed by the goddess. When the moonlight shone on the earth, the well would gradually fill with mystical water.

The liquid in the Moonwell was one of the few natural elemental substances on the continent of Faerûn, with a significant nurturing effect on the forest, making it more lush and growing rapidly. In other words, it was a pure, natural, and side-effect-free growth enhancer for trees... and also the quest item needed for Fang Yi's recognition quest.

Fang Yi gently scooped up a handful of the water, filled a small wooden bucket borrowed from the Druids, and tightly sealed the lid.

This was completely ridiculous... If it weren't for the 75 reputation points from the Emerald Forest dungeon reward, wouldn't he have to grind for days to get this water? No wonder the recognition quest seemed easier than during the beta test. Fang Yi was somewhat relieved to have met the Golden Right Hand and his team; otherwise, it would have taken much longer.

If viewed from the air, the Greenwind Canyon was a green line slanting southeast from the mountain pass. The valley was lush with vegetation, similar to a temperate rainforest, with tall trees, dense shrubs, and numerous epiphytes covering most of the valley floor.

A few players doing reputation quests had already appeared around the camp. To avoid drawing attention, Fang Yi left the Watcher's Camp in stealth mode and made his way through the dense jungle towards where the Red Robe Mages had appeared.