Chapter 49

"Leave the child to me, you can rest assured," the elf Seline said. "I heard that the eastern patrol team seems to have discovered something, and Elder Berkeley has already returned early."

Joseph nodded. "Oh, then I'll hurry over to check the situation." He turned around, patted Zhao Mai's shoulder, and said, "Study hard."

"Every day, I'll improve," Zhao Mai replied reflexively.

The druid smiled, bent his body, and suddenly darted forward, transforming into a sleek black panther. In a few seconds, he disappeared into the forest, out of everyone's sight.

"He is my best student," Seline said with a gentle smile.

"One of them," Zhao Mai said, suddenly feeling a surge of confidence in front of the beautiful elf: "I will be very strong too!"

Seline neither confirmed nor denied it, only saying, "Currently, I have only three druids from Eaglewing Peak here. They passed the druid language test three days ago and, after enlightenment, truly perceived the existence of the primal forces of nature. I plan to start teaching them the basic prayer spells tomorrow. How is your progress?"

"I haven't learned the druid language yet," Zhao Mai said honestly. "Can I try to communicate directly with the primal forces of nature?"

"The success rate is very low, but if you are willing to try, I won't stop you. Follow me."

Seline led the way, gesturing for Zhao Mai to follow. Zhao Mai didn't hesitate and followed behind, looking around the village curiously. Most of the inhabitants were humans, but he could also see halflings. Zhao Mai had initially thought they were human children, but after Seline's introduction, he learned that these halflings had been living here for decades.

"They love nature and are close to plants, especially those that grow from the soil," the elf said. "The pumpkins they grow are very delicious, but the real treasure is the tobacco leaves. They can help you relax and rest better."

"Would the animals around here also like the smell of tobacco?" Zhao Mai asked.

"Yes, it seems you are very concerned about the animals, which is very helpful for perceiving the primal forces of nature," the elf said. "But don't worry, the smokers use spells to prevent the smoke from spreading, so it won't affect other creatures. In fact, among the druids, there has been debate about whether smoking is good or bad, and there is no definitive conclusion yet."

Zhao Mai had wanted to say, "Smoking is harmful to health," but upon further thought, the druids here had healing abilities and could even transform into elemental beings. Perhaps his Earth-based knowledge didn't apply here. Adhering to the principle of learning more and talking less, Zhao Mai changed the subject to himself: "Teacher Seline, how can I feel the primal forces of nature?"

"I was just about to tell you that," the elf said, brushing her hair behind her ear and speaking in a clear, soothing voice. "The general steps are to first learn the druid language, then under the Enlightenment Tree, with the help of potions and spells, let your spirit and body fully communicate with nature. Then you might be able to feel the presence of the primal forces of nature."

"Enlightenment Tree?"

"It is an ancient banyan tree, over 20,000 years old, one of the oldest druidic legacies in the north of Golarion. The tree is inscribed with the ancient version of the druid language, which is said to record the insights of the earliest druids. You should know that the step from nothing to something is the most difficult. Although we have continuously improved methods of communicating with the primal forces, we must not forget the initial experiences when this skill was born. The Eaglewing druids sent three apprentices here because they are very talented and can approach the Enlightenment Tree during enlightenment, which will benefit their future growth."

Then, Seline shared her own experiences during enlightenment and gave Zhao Mai many tips. Many druid apprentices, whether they succeeded or not, recorded their observations and thoughts, and over time, the community of the Unseen Walkers accumulated a wealth of experience. This helped apprentices avoid unnecessary detours, significantly improving the success rate of enlightenment, making the community well-known among druids.

"Oh, look, your three classmates are still under the Enlightenment Tree. I'll introduce them to you."

"The boy with golden short hair and brown eyebrows is named Lucius. He is only seventeen years old and is very strong in natural perception, a genius, you might say. I estimate he will soon master mourning and then learn first-level spells."

Well, a handsome guy, that was Zhao Mai's only comment. Lucius was sitting cross-legged under the Enlightenment Tree, eyes closed, looking like a master-level sculpture, with no flaws to be found.

"The one with long black hair is Avara, a quiet half-elf girl who is usually quiet and focuses more on herbs and potions. Although she doesn't know any spells yet, she can already make healing potions to speed up the healing of minor wounds and recovery."

Avara was facing away from Zhao Mai, so he couldn't see what she looked like. He might be able to learn more about disease-removing potions from her, even if she couldn't make them, she would know more than he did. Before meeting the druid potion master Duncan, it would be beneficial to know more.

"The last one is interesting because I don't know what race she is," Seline said as they approached the Enlightenment Tree. The three classmates heard the voices and stood up. Lucius's face was still stunningly handsome, with all his features in the right places, presenting the perfect image, so neither artists nor mathematicians could find any flaws. Avara's long black hair covered half her face, the other half exuding a youthful and delicate charm. Though not a stunning beauty, she was very pleasant to look at.

The last student turned from the other side of the Enlightenment Tree, and she indeed startled Zhao Mai. She had lavender-purple skin with a slight blue tinge, deep blue and magenta streaked hair, and amethyst eyes. She had a small, pointed protrusion on her forehead. Unlike Lucius's pride or Avara's reserve, she seemed a bit mischievous, hiding behind Avara and peeking out, her voice clear and crisp: "Hello, my name is Purple Moon."

Zhao Mai quickly looked but didn't see any hooves or tail, but he was still uneasy and quickly asked, "Do you know Jack, Rainbow Dash, and others?"

Purple Moon blinked and shook her head.

"Are you sure you're not a Draenei?"

"What is a Draenei? Is it a creature like me?" The lavender girl suddenly became excited. "I've always been unsure of my race. Am I a Draenei?"

"Do you have a tail? Draenei have tails."

She suddenly deflated and shook her head. "I don't have a tail. I'm not a Draenei. I still don't know where I come from."

"It's okay, as long as you're cute!" Zhao Mai gave a thumbs up, looking like a big brother.