Chapter 58

"Damn it, he didn’t even leave a task! How stingy can you get!" Zhao Mai found the banyan tree and the blackboard hanging under it. On the board, several tasks assigned by the Druids to their apprentices were written in chalk, but Master Duncan’s name was conspicuously absent. He quickly scanned through the tasks, which mainly involved patrols, helping animals relocate, transplanting plants to other areas, or persuading loggers who had ventured too deep. None of them were particularly difficult, but the rewards were quite good. Teacher Celine had posted a task to collect seeds from more than ten purple berry plants, with the reward being a finely crafted Adamantine Wood walking stick.

Adamantine Wood wasn’t a type of tree but a Druid spell that could make wood as hard as steel and immune to fire while maintaining its original weight and buoyancy. This task intrigued Zhao Mai, but he was still preoccupied with his father’s illness and didn’t have the time to take it on, so he reluctantly passed.

Reserve, his dog, licked Zhao Mai’s ankle, trying to comfort him. "You’re the only one who really cares, but you can’t solve the problem. I really want a disease-removal potion, but I don’t know what to do. Should I really ask Master Joseph and Teacher Celine to take me to Master Duncan?"

The dog barked twice and shook its head. Zhao Mai laughed, realizing he was getting a bit muddled. Just because he had become a Druid didn’t mean his animal companion could understand human speech. He rubbed the dog’s head and set Reserve on the ground.

Unexpectedly, the dog bit the hem of Zhao Mai’s robe and dragged him toward a corner of the village. Zhao Mai didn’t know what Reserve was up to, but since he had nothing else to do, he decided to follow.

There, they found an ancient tree even older than the maple tree they had seen earlier. Its rough bark was covered in vines, but this didn’t stop it from reaching toward the sky. While the maple tree was impressive for its size and age, this Eucalyptus tree was striking for its height. Zhao Mai looked up and saw that its lowest branch was higher than the canopies of other trees.

"Amazing, why did you bring me here?" Zhao Mai asked Reserve, puzzled. The dog didn’t answer but ran forward and bit a vine with its mouth.

"How can you pull that down?"

As soon as he spoke, the vine coiled like a snake, wrapping around Reserve and lifting it upward. Zhao Mai was alarmed and rushed to try to pull the dog down. However, his movements triggered more vines, which quickly entangled him and lifted him up as well.

He was about to call for help when he saw Reserve comfortably lying in the vine’s “cage,” wagging its tail and panting happily. If the dog wasn’t worried, why should he be? Despite the uncomfortable position and the increasing distance from the ground, Zhao Mai remained silent.

Soon, they surpassed the height of the other trees and stopped at the first branch of the Eucalyptus tree. The vines released them and slowly descended. Reserve led the way, wiggling its butt as it walked toward the trunk.

The branches that grew out horizontally formed a spiral staircase. As long as they were careful to avoid the gaps in the middle, it was easy to climb up. They ascended about ten meters and found a nest-like house perched on the trunk. The bottom and walls were woven from flexible branches, and the roof was made of large banana leaves, hanging in the air and separate from the walls below. If one lived in this room, they would have a wall to block the wind when lying down and a viewing platform when standing up.

The house had no door, and no one was inside. Zhao Mai walked in directly. Inside were two simple sleeping bags, a small pot, and a plate of oatmeal bread next to the pillows. Between the two sleeping bags was a fire pit, which contained no wood or other fuel, but a slightly purple flame burned steadily.

"Have you been here before?" Zhao Mai scratched his head, looking at Reserve in disbelief. "We only separated for a day yesterday. I went to learn magic chants, and you went exploring. You’re quite the adventurous one." He squatted down and scratched Reserve’s chin, enjoying the dog’s contented expression. "Since you’re so smart, can you tell me why you brought me here?"

"Woof!" Reserve ran a few steps to the side and pointed to a corner of the room with its paw. In the corner, there was an unlocked leather box, about the size of a common hatbox.

Curious, Zhao Mai opened the box. Inside were many potions, small bottles of different colors and shapes stacked together, with their names written in Common. Healing Light Wounds, Animal Communication, Swift Stride, Leap, Owl’s Wisdom, Protection from Energy Damage, and a Disease-Removal Potion.

After confirming the label, Zhao Mai picked up the potion. After so long, he had finally found it. Despite it being a small bottle of less than 100 milliliters with a clear, water-like liquid inside, he could feel the rich natural essence when he uncorked it.

Reserve jumped around, wagging its tail. Zhao Mai held the potion, closed the box, and instead of leaving with the dog, he sat down. He held Reserve in his arms and rubbed its neck. "Thank you, Liang. You’re the smartest creature I’ve ever met. I found what I needed, but I can’t just take it. Taking without permission is stealing, and I won’t be a thief. No matter who this potion belongs to, I’m willing to negotiate and see if I can get it from them."

"This forest belongs to the Druids, and their power covers the entire Ashen Lake. Even if we take the potion, we won’t get far." Zhao Mai explained to the dog. "The Druids here have been sincere with me, and I will be sincere with them. Let’s wait a bit longer."

Determined, Zhao Mai sat on the floor of the treehouse with Reserve. They waited from noon until nightfall, watching the sun slowly sink below the horizon, and the forest transition from vibrant activity to serene stillness. As night fell, the birds returned to their nests, and the dynamic and static aspects of nature were in perfect harmony.

The sound of flapping wings grew closer, followed by a thud as someone landed, causing the branches to sway. Zhao Mai knew someone had arrived. Just as he stood up to greet them, a spear was placed against his neck. The metal tip was sharp and cold from the night air. Reserve rolled out of Zhao Mai’s arms and landed with a thud, shaking its head to regain its senses.

"Apprentice? Who is your teacher?" a hoarse voice asked.

"It’s Miss Celine. My name is Mike. I recently came to the Wayfarer community for Druid training. The dog on the ground is my partner, named Liang."

"He’s a good dog. He was here yesterday."

The spear was removed from Zhao Mai’s neck, and he stood up from his half-crouched position, turning to look at the spear’s owner. It was a boy less than 1.5 meters tall, with a slightly immature face adorned with white patterns that outlined his eyes, nose, and mouth, and a third eye drawn on his forehead. He wore a cloak made of feathers, a light crossbow and bolts around his waist, and many throwing knives tied to his ankles. The spear, which was about his height, was spun a few times in his hand before being securely placed against the wall.

"You’ve been waiting for a while. What’s the matter?" the boy asked in a hoarse voice.