Chapter 34

This is a rarely visited store, with a few shelves sparsely stocked with a handful of vegetables. Zhao Mai casually picked through a few items. The cucumbers were so limp they could be used as whips, and the tomatoes' skins were beginning to wrinkle, showing signs of dehydration. Only the potatoes and carrots, which were more durable, looked somewhat presentable.

The store was watched over by a dwarf, who had long since fallen asleep in the dull environment. A black cat leaped past the dwarf, gently hooking the string of keys from his belt with its tail. Then the black cat hopped over the counter, suddenly growing larger and transforming into the form of a middle-aged man.

He wore a light brown leather armor, with leather pants and long boots to protect his legs. A wooden staff nearly two meters long was slanted across his back, and he had no other equipment.

The man who had transformed from the black cat gestured for Zhao Mai to lower his voice, then lifted a brick from the wall behind the counter and inserted the key. After turning it clockwise with force, a secret door silently opened in the floor. The man broke off a piece of candle from the wall and led the way inside. Zhao Mai, filled with intense curiosity, followed closely behind.

The secret door closed slowly behind them. The man pinched the candle, and it emitted a flickering light, just enough to illuminate the path. Wooden stairs led them to a basement that smelled of wine, which was likely once a wine cellar. However, after the store was converted, a large amount of cheese had taken over the shelves.

"Could you help me with this?" The middle-aged man didn't need to speak; the combination of telepathy and mind communication was indeed very convenient. Zhao Mai watched as he found a large plate, picked out a few pieces of cheese, and somehow found two pears and a bottle of wine. Then the two of them and the dog left from the other end of the cellar.

After climbing several stone steps and opening a sliding door, Zhao Mai found himself in a courtyard. The walls of the buildings surrounded the courtyard on all sides, and no other entrances or exits were visible except for the sliding door. Two ginkgo trees grew in the center of the courtyard, their branches intertwined, making it difficult to separate them. Only the leaves revealed the difference: one remained emerald green, while the other was beginning to turn yellow.

Under the trees were two stone stools and three thick tree trunks surrounding a smooth stone slab. The man placed the plate of cheese and the bottle of wine on the stone slab, holding out the two pears to Zhao Mai: "Which one do you want? Pick one."

Zhao Mai picked one up, wiped it on his clothes, and took a bite. He hadn't eaten fruit in a long time, and most fruits couldn't be preserved for long except for apples. The pear was juicy and sweet, a rare and wonderful treat.

"Why did you choose that one instead of this one?"

"Pears are for eating, not for generating questions," Zhao Mai replied, spraying pear juice as he spoke.

"I like your answer." The man took a bite of the pear, chewing with a smile. One benefit of telepathic communication was that it didn't interfere with eating. Even with the sound of crunching pears, his words still reached Zhao Mai's ears clearly.

"The last time we met, I introduced myself. I am Joseph, a druid from the Farmer's Forest. It's nice to meet you." He pointed to his face and then transmitted, "I know you don't like looking at old men, so I'm using this face to meet you."

Zhao Mai extended his hand, "Hello, my name is Mike. It's nice to meet you. I am very interested in you druids, whether it's magic or natural transformation."

"Oh, what else do you know about druids?" Joseph shook hands with Zhao Mai and asked curiously.

"Uh... I'm not sure if I can explain it clearly. I roughly know that druids possess natural wisdom, a bond with nature, a sense of wild identity, the ability to move silently through forests, resistance to natural temptations, immunity to toxins, the ability to change into various forms, and an ageless body. Because of the last two abilities, I can't determine your true age."

The druid was profoundly shocked. The words Zhao Mai used were not entirely correct, but the information transmitted through telepathy was completely accurate. This was one of the benefits of telepathic communication, helping to bridge the language barrier. However, it was precisely because of this that the druid was truly amazed, indicating that this young man fully understood the meaning of each druid skill.

Each druid has their own insights during training, which, with the accumulation of age and experience, become their theoretical guidance for understanding and transforming the world. Over generations, druids have identified and named the most helpful and effective insights as skills, used to determine the level of a druid. However, this system of skills has always been used internally among druids and rarely leaked out, let alone in such a systematic manner.

"Have you ever received druid training before?"

Zhao Mai pondered for a moment, his expression appearing somewhat blank, but his mind was working rapidly. He realized that in his excitement, he had said too much, but it had inadvertently made the druid believe he was one of their own.

Druids are very powerful and have a long history, almost qualifying as the earliest spellcasters. When they appeared, the world was one of elements and natural wilderness, and even the gods had not yet formed their own domains.

Intelligent beings needed to utilize, transform, and conquer nature, and the first step was to understand it. The wisdom found in forests, plains, mountains, rivers, and oceans was a powerful force that predates civilization. By understanding this force, the earliest spells were created. These spells appeared even before the concepts of arcane and divine magic, representing the power of nature. The followers and protectors of this power were the druids.

Druids possess the power to heal and can use elemental forces like lightning and fire. They can communicate with plants, befriend animals, and learn a vast amount of knowledge related to nature. With the help of the earliest druids, civilization began to take shape, and wisdom accumulated. Later, arcane and divine magic emerged from this foundation. Dragons mastered the earliest magic, and elves systematized and popularized it. Gods with their own domains gradually appeared, spreading faith and gathering followers. The druids, however, remained in the wilderness, seeming out of place.

They are often misunderstood and sometimes deliberately misrepresented. However, everyone knows that druids wield the power of nature and fiercely resist anyone who threatens their land, not hesitating to show the power of the wilderness to the "civilized" people hiding behind the high walls of castles. They are devoted to nature, striving for balance and the cycle of life, and possess extraordinary power.

For Zhao Mai, the extraordinary power alone was enough to pique his interest. Considering his own situation, a druid with healing abilities could undoubtedly help his father, alleviating his pain, which was a decisive reason.

Mages are almost always the most powerful, and Zhao Mai knew this. However, how far a person accustomed to scientific thinking could go on the path of a mage was uncertain. Having been an atheist for over twenty years, the path of a cleric would likely be difficult. Among the three spellcasting classes, druids seemed the most approachable.

"My training just started and then ended," Zhao Mai said solemnly. "I am not a native of this world. In my world, I had just begun learning the theory of balance when I arrived here due to an accident. I am very eager to learn from you and walk further on the path of nature. Please let me join!"

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