Chapter 32

The victory in battle was a joy. The harder the battle, the more relieved and satisfied I felt. A massive crater had formed in the ground due to the explosion, and black smoke, like factory fumes, still billowed around, but at least the fire was extinguished.

The surroundings were gruesome, but... with the cause eliminated, it was fine...

The battle difficulty was higher than what I had boasted to Dandelion, and suddenly I felt a bit gloomy.

What should I do? What kind of person was that druid who swept through the area with fire? We struggled so much...

If that druid hadn't reduced their numbers beforehand, we might have been in big trouble. Maybe he was a good person, despite being cursed for clearing the hunting grounds...

I was once again impressed by how remarkable Dandelion was, defending the colony from such fires. Damn, I need to get stronger quickly.

I gave the dryads potions to treat their injuries. Daisy was already wearing custom-made gloves, boots, and a jacket. She had grown so much.

The elder's robe had more elaborate gold trim, and Mesquite's cloak was embroidered with silver threads in the pattern of the mother tree's flowers.

Yes, if we all keep growing, we can show combat skills on par with that druid.

"Ah! Druid, look over there!"

Daisy, who was opening a potion, pointed to where the fire had been extinguished. Following her gaze, I saw a blue object sparkling on the ground, standing out against the charred area. It was a very familiar item to me.

Why is the diamond there? I didn't drop it during the battle. I didn't throw it. I hope Mesquite doesn't misunderstand.

"Why is this here? I didn't throw it! Really!"

I picked up the diamond and brushed off the ash. It was definitely a diamond, no matter how I looked at it.

"My master, Jay. It came from the fire."

"Why would it come from the fire? Do they drop items? But we didn't get anything from the fires we've fought so far."

"Exactly..."

Mesquite's expression turned stern again.

"Exactly, it's a crystal left behind by a fire that has consumed a dryad or part of the World Tree, Jay. Since dryads carry the sap of the World Tree, they are burned in the fire and condensed by magical power. The outer layer is surrounded by the soul of a dryad that couldn't become a World Tree, so it can't absorb the diamond itself. It's different from when you throw a diamond directly at the fire."

The thought that this was the remains of a dryad made me shudder.

"It must have consumed one of the dandelion saplings in this colony. The powder the fire spewed earlier... was the white seeds of a dandelion dryad."

The meaning of absorbing power... was that?

This was the remains of a small dandelion sapling that used to play in the colony.

I can still see it running around, wearing a yellow dress and swinging a white fluffy staff.

The children, laughing and running around, were so small, and Daisy, my dryad, who also looked like a young sapling, made me feel a sense of kinship, so I kept looking at them.

How did it end up far from Dandelion's care and get caught by the fire? The thought made my heart ache.

I never imagined that a diamond could be created in such a terrible way. Mesquite had mentioned that there were other ways to get diamonds besides the wallet method, but his expression was strange, so I avoided the topic. I wish I hadn't known. A sigh escaped me.

I should clean up the area around the colony to prevent more young dandelion dryads from being harmed. That's all I can do in this situation.

It's not the time to feel discouraged by comparing myself to the druid who went ahead. He must have been at a much higher level.

I'll be fine if I level up a bit. If I meet him later, I should ask him about his hunting methods.

***

Following the seeds that guided us to other fires, we ran around in all directions.

We might have faced a boss from the start, because the other fires were easier than expected. As our levels increased, we became faster at dealing with them.

Most of the fires were ordinary, despite their human forms. They were just larger and more powerful than the fires near the terrarium.

Still, how much did that druid wander around here? All the fires were in human form.

After a long time of clearing the area, we encountered another fire that had consumed a dryad, in a place opposite where we first met one.

It was clearly a fire that had absorbed a dryad's power. I thought I wouldn't be able to distinguish it until it used the dust explosion, but there was a subtle difference from the other fires.

I probably wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't encountered other fires in the area first.

It was a fire, and clearly the same type of fire, but it had a noticeable vitality. It burned so fiercely that it almost seemed to have a life of its own.

I watched from a distance, staying out of its range.

"Is that it...? I think... it is."

"Jay, do you think it's the same fire we first encountered here?"

"Hmm, did Mesquite not notice? Or am I mistaken? It seems a bit different. I hope I'm wrong, but it looks like it has consumed a dryad."

"Then we should take it down in one go, without hesitation."

Is that possible? The first fire didn't die in one hit from Mesquite's powerful and precise attacks; it just scattered. Daisy has gotten much stronger, but she still can't match Mesquite's power.

If Mesquite can't one-shot it, Daisy, even with her attack specialization, might struggle. Even with the elder's luck buff...

"Can you do it? I'm not doubting Mesquite's skills, but you couldn't do it before."

If only there were accessories to boost Mesquite's power, like the elder's ruby ring. Or a cash shop where I could buy buffs and special equipment with money, like in a game.

Mesquite glanced at her lance and smiled slightly.

"Maybe it's possible now."

What's different? The lance looks the same to me. When my level increased and the dryads' level restrictions were lifted, the first thing to change was the equipment, which I could see.

The speed of level growth seemed inversely proportional to the rank. Daisy looked completely different from the beginning. The elder's appearance and equipment became more elaborate, while Mesquite's changes were the least noticeable.

"Mesquite is right. The restrictions on the skills we can use have been lifted. Your soul's limits have expanded, allowing us to spread our roots. We can now use larger and more powerful skills."

The elder looked at his staff and said to me. It sounded like he was talking about repotting a plant. Like a plant in a small pot being moved to a larger field, where it can grow infinitely.

"Daisy might not know, but Mesquite can use many skills. She's just adapting to your small soul, Jay. If the space for her soul's roots is too small, and she overexerts herself, your soul could break."

"That won't happen. I would never harm my master, Jay."

"Sure, sure."

It's all my fault. My low level's fault...! My weak soul is like a paper cup...!

"My master, Jay. Don't be too sad."

The cold gauntlet gently touched my cheek. In contrast, Mesquite's eyes were incredibly warm.

"Jay, you are growing very quickly. Surprisingly so. You are growing faster than anyone else. Thanks to you, I'm not huddled up like the elder's useless worries. I'll show you. I'll show you how I've grown with you. My strong will to protect you."

Her sincere gaze made me nod without thinking. How could I doubt her! Show me! I want to see everything!

Mesquite sent her shield to her back and gripped her massive lance with both hands.

As she walked toward the fire, the elder planted his staff in the ground, casting the wide-area healing spell we used during the dust explosion.

White petals and light swirled widely from the ground where the staff was planted. It seemed excessive, given that no dryads were injured, but the elder's expression remained calm.

"This is a skill I can use now that my soul's roots have spread."

The white light that touched Mesquite's steel boots gathered and then shattered, like the first footprint on snow.

The fire noticed Mesquite as soon as she entered its range and turned to look at her.

As Mesquite pulled back her right foot and lowered her stance, a yellow light like a desert sandstorm enveloped her and her lance. The swirling light was fierce.

The fire raised its arms to attack. At the same moment, Mesquite lunged forward.

The lance, like an arrow, pierced the center of the fire, leading the sandstorm. The yellow light spread like waves hitting a rock, and the fire disappeared instantly, like a sandcastle swept away by the tide.

"This is a skill Mesquite can use now that her soul's roots have spread. It focuses on attack, abandoning defense, so the chance of taking damage is higher than usual."

I know some warrior skills in games that have similar effects. Berserkers, for example, who gain immense attack power and speed at the cost of lower health or weaker defense. It seems to suit Mesquite.

Looking at it, Mesquite and the elder's skills complement each other well. I once heard that the elder's buffs are more effective on Mesquite than on Daisy due to their soul connection, but seeing this, their skills are a perfect pair.

With the last fire that Mesquite pierced, there were no more dandelion seeds to guide us. It seemed we had cleared all the fires around the colony.

"Hmm... So, can I use such a great skill too?"

Daisy, who had taken the attack position in the previous battle, asked. She had been quiet, thinking about Mesquite's skill.

Uh! How should I answer? Honestly, Daisy, whose level-up speed is almost the same as mine, should have shown new skills before the other two dryads, according to the elder.

There was no noticeable change in her skills except when we fought the fires around the village.

Is there any help? F1! Guide help!