Chapter 45

While the Three Musketeers were busy with their new equipment, the druid Joseph came to Ranger Karl's house. Unfortunately, when he arrived, there was no one there. Not only was the ranger not at home, but neither Soru, Dogmeat, nor Longchong had stayed behind.

The small animals of the Ranger's tree sensed the familiar natural aura from the druid and were not afraid of him, but they did not gather around either. They continued to do what they were doing, remaining calm and peaceful. The large white goose guarding the house squawked twice but did not rush forward to drive him away. Joseph climbed up to the tree hollow room and saw that the ranger had taken all his usual weapons.

The three water flasks that used to hang on the wall were also gone, indicating that Karl was embarking on a long journey. Joseph could guess what he was up to; it was most likely related to the changes at Viper Cliff Castle.

"Why didn't you wait for me? Today was the day we meet every year, right?" Joseph thought for a moment and guessed it might have something to do with Soru. "Maybe Karl wanted to train the half-orc, so he took him along. Would I have hindered the half-orc's growth?"

Upon careful consideration, it was indeed possible. Joseph was one of the few masters among the druids of Farmer's Forest, internally known as the "Master of Intimacy," meaning he could maintain an intimate connection with any being. Even without the boost from his telepathic abilities, Joseph was a versatile expert in healing, combat, transformation, and knowledge of flora and fauna. His only drawback was the lack of a fixed, powerful animal companion.

Karl and Joseph each had their own strengths, but in terms of overall power, Joseph was a few steps ahead. If they were to go on an adventure, Soru might end up with nothing to do and encounter no significant danger, which would not provide any training. Joseph thought this might be the only explanation.

Viper Cliff Castle had always been a region of concern for the druid community. Every year, evil shadow creatures appeared there, harming travelers. Despite multiple efforts, the problem at Viper Cliff Castle had not been resolved, though it had not worsened either.

However, this year was different. A worrying prophecy appeared in the druids' natural dreams. The shadow had substance, evil gained flesh, the forest burned, and the rising ash obscured the sky. After discussions, the elders of the Intimacy Walkers community believed that this prophecy was likely to become a reality, and it would be a terrible human disaster.

Two elders traveled south to establish contact with other druid communities, both to warn them and to gather more information and intelligence. The two elders led two teams to conduct patrols from different directions, searching for clues to determine the time and location of the potential disaster. The last elder, Joseph, was responsible for managing the daily affairs of the Intimacy Walkers community during this period.

He felt that taking on such a task was a waste of his talents, so he took the opportunity of the annual meeting to slip away. He wanted to go to Viper Cliff Castle with Ranger Karl to see the situation for himself and to put his mind at ease. At the same time, the young man he saw in the dream also piqued his interest.

To his surprise, Mike had a natural talent for druidism and a certain foundation. Regardless of whether the prophecy would turn into a disaster, Joseph believed that the druid community needed to continue developing. Whether it was the druid exchange students from Eagle Wing Community or the recruitment of Mike as a new druid, everything was for this purpose.

Since Karl was not there, he should go back to find Mike. Joseph sat for a while and made up his mind. As a temporary overseer, he could not be away from the community for long. He could either go to Viper Cliff Castle or bring Mike back to study, but not both. Since Karl had taken all his people, there should be no problem. The brilliant gem amulet from the gnome village provided strong protection against shadow creatures, and Karl would not forget about it.

Joseph came and left silently. Not long after he left, two suspicious figures appeared near the Ranger's tree.

The half-orc Soru hid in the bushes, squinting as he observed the home he had lived in for a long time. The rustling of the leaves in the wind was so familiar; the warmth of the sunlit clearing, where he used to lie, seemed to be right there.

"There's no one there, what are you being so cautious about?" A hoarse voice, like that of someone with a bad cold, sounded beside Soru.

Soru frowned and looked at the dog-headed man beside him, his eyes filled with disgust. Dog-headed men were always the targets of Ranger Karl's efforts to drive them away. These annoying creatures were always causing trouble and reproduced quickly.

But this dog-headed man was different from the others. His eye sockets were pure black, with no whites. Black lines radiated from his eyes, like a pair of burnt-out holes. At the same time, his strength, agility, and physical endurance had been enhanced, matching Soru's.

The half-orc had seen this dog-headed man cast a black cloud spell to blind prey. Soru touched the brilliant gem amulet on his chest, never expecting to obtain this trophy so easily.

He actually quite liked Dogmeat, a poor old thing that never spoke and slept all day. Unlike the snake, which seemed to know everything with its squinting eyes, often making him feel uneasy. If Dogmeat died and the snake took over, his life would probably become much worse, wouldn't it?

It was better now, more free. He could eat meat without so much trouble, just kill, cook, and enjoy it. The shield left behind by Mike was a great thing; no matter what kind of impact it received, it felt like a feather landing on him. No wonder Mike could injure him; it was all because of this thing!

With the shield and now the amulet, he was confident he could stand out among his new friends. What he needed to do now was get the map from Ranger Karl's house, which marked the forest's terrain, shortcuts, and the locations of all the villages. He could not describe it as detailed as the map. Sharing the map with his new friends would also allow him to share what they had, specifically potions that could enhance physical attributes.

Thinking of the potions, Soru's heart burned with excitement. "Wait here for a moment, I'll be right back."

The dog-headed man, with a long blade of grass in the corner of his mouth, said indifferently, "Go ahead, go ahead. I like waiting."

Soru, carrying the spare shield, climbed up to Karl's room and began rummaging through the drawers. But the map had already been given to Zhao Mai by the ranger, so there was no way to find it there.

"Could he have taken it with him? That's impossible. He has the map in his head, why would he need another one?" Without the map, what could he share with his friends?

The ranger did not have anything valuable. If there were any fine weapons, his friends would definitely like them.

The large white goose waddled to the tree hollow entrance, peering in curiously. The constant sound of things breaking inside made it a bit scared.

The half-orc approached it, and it quickly pulled back its neck, pretending to preen its feathers, hoping not to be scolded. A large hand grabbed it, and the hot feeling pressed against its neck.

Holding the goose with its neck twisted, a good meal was also something he could share. Soru looked at the animals near the Ranger's tree; only a few rabbits were worth eating. Sigh, what kind of life was he living, always not eating good meat.

Page AD starts

Page AD ends