Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 370 The Excavator

If Rean had a complete World Tree sapling, he could recruit not only a druid order of a few dozen people, but even ten would be no problem for him.

If he really did have them, he wouldn't dare recruit them. Even if those druids didn't have any ulterior motives, the "world-class extreme environmentalists" who came attracted by their scent were not people Rean could afford to mess with.

The troubles, conspiracies, and crises arising from the World Tree sapling are at least enough to destroy a city.

A World Tree that has been artificially matured can easily achieve the "uninhabitation" of large areas, and several historical events have directly involved deities, leading to the collapse of certain kingdoms.

If a fully grown World Tree could be cultivated, it would be a "natural sanctuary" with its own demiplane, and could even become the capital of some natural creatures.

What Rean obtained from the monster was merely the remains of a contaminated seedling.

"The Ulda Bull Demon is such a terrifying monster."

Kolluna had never known this part of the story.

When he heard that the World Tree sapling had been desecrated as a monster, his expression showed regret and even anger.

A world tree with limitless potential has been destroyed just like that.

This relieved Rean.

The World Tree can be considered a top-tier sacred object in the natural system, a rare treasure capable of shaping the world. Any desecration of it will incur the wrath of the entire natural faction.

What reassured Rean was that Korluna was merely angry. He wasn't worried about Korluna's lack of strength on the Path of Nature; he was more concerned about attracting extremists.

There are many strange and unusual individuals among the superhumans of various factions and systems, but the natural faction is different. Only a small portion of them may be ordinary people with normal values.

Most druids have a natural aversion to cities and machines, while extremists may even directly attack cities. Most of them live in wastelands and forests, and there are many factions among them. Some are obsessed with planting trees, some are friendly to other life forms, and some are quite "freaks".

For example, some factions that believe "we should return to the herd" not only eat and live with wild animals, but most of them even live in the form of wild animals, and may even follow the "wolf king" to attack the villages of beastmen.

For example, the faction that "does not use any civilized artifacts" considers it quite polite to wear an animal skin and hang a leaf on their genitals; their villages are almost like those in the Stone Age. Ironically, such an absurd faction is surprisingly powerful in the nature faction because they are extremely compatible with "nature".

Perhaps for nature and the world itself, "humans" are not important; what is important is that "self-proclaimed intelligent beings" do not affect the cyclical development of the world and nature.

"Looks like they're not extremists, that's great."

Although Kolluna herself probably cannot settle down in the town of Dania, her druid companions are enough to elevate Baron Rean's territory to a higher level.

The conversation with Kolluna went much more smoothly than expected. Compared to most druids, she, being of a different race, seemed quite human. This was rather rare for a giant.

For dragons and giants, being called "humanoid" would probably be an overly humiliating label, but the reality is that this woman is not only talkative, but also able to understand the weak.

"We cannot be certain about your invitation right now, because we must follow the path of nature. But living in the place where the seed of life is nurtured for ten years may be a gift from nature to us."

He portrayed the transaction as a natural blessing, taking a step back to gain leverage that allowed him to advance or retreat as needed. This seemingly straightforward giant was more worldly-wise than expected. Or rather, he knew how to conduct himself.

What was clearly a transaction tinged with a bit of opportunism turned into a gift of fate arranged by nature.

Rean's expression as he looked at Corluna was somewhat subtle. If it weren't for the fact that this big guy was so outrageous, perhaps he would have already found a suitable candidate for the pope of his new church.

Incidentally, Kolluna is also the least likely candidate to inherit the legacy of the God of Pleasure, because even if druids believe in gods, they will only believe in nature gods, unless she is willing to abandon her profession and faith. This is basically impossible, as druids are all extremely stubborn.

A ten-year cooperation is just a preliminary intention, and there's no need to discuss anything more now. For the Druid order, which has a lot of longevity, this can probably only be considered a short- to medium-term cooperation.

With the details of the collaboration agreed upon, the atmosphere naturally eased considerably. The busy Korluna went about her business, giving Rean some free time and space.

He went to explore the Druid village on his own to meet his future comrades and partners.

Recruiting druids is nearly impossible without sufficient leverage and justification. They have little desire for money and power, while Rean, the Land of Life, is perhaps a reasonably acceptable bargaining chip.

"This wooden bow costs thirty gold coins? Why don't you just rob us?" "It's made of very precious century-old oil oak, its strength is almost like steel."

"Then why don't you buy a steel bow?"

The people Rean brought were also trading with the Order's logistics providers, but judging from the conversations, they seemed to have been taken advantage of.

“It wasn’t intentional. Druids don’t like using enchanted weapons or sharp metal weapons. The wooden weapons they collect are generally of a higher quality. Just because they’re used to using them doesn’t mean they’re worth the money. Their concept of money is outdated.” Emma, ​​who suddenly appeared, seemed to understand. She was also carrying a large wooden bow, but Rean thought it was probably just something she made on the spot.

This is similar to buying a mid-range gasoline car from ten years ago at a high price in the electric car era. The production price is still the same as the factory price, but when considering new gadgets at the same price, the buyer always feels like they've been ripped off.

"Some things here are expensive but low-value, while others are cheap but high-value. Would you like me to help you choose?"

Rean naturally wouldn't refuse Miss Emma's kindness, and he was also very interested in this Heroic Spirit and her life.

To outsiders, the sanctuary of the Verdant Garden is merely a special woodland in a harsh environment, but to those who truly know its secrets, it is a place full of surprises and hidden secrets.

"As a ranger, I can also use the power of nature, though my skill level is only average." Emma's "average" probably means I'm still stronger than a true archdruid.

Wherever Emma went, a faint fragrance of flowers wafted out; she seemed to be guiding something with her own power.

"They form a cycle of natural forces, with the core being elemental power drawn from the earth's veins."

Along the way, Emma introduced the environment created by these natural magics.

Through her words, Rean gained a deeper understanding of the nature faction. After all, they were also users of "elemental power," even closer to the elements themselves than mages.

"At least mages won't be crazy enough to channel elements into their bodies and turn into a bear or something."

It seems that Emma and the Druid have a rather strained relationship.

"That's not true. Hunters all want a good hunting dog or animal companion. I spent three years tracking a rare timehound, and when I finally captured it, I found out it was a druid in disguise."

Uh, Rean no longer cares what happened to that druid.

Emma's guidance helped Rean gradually see the layout of the woodland.

They borrow the power of the earth's veins, or rather, the power of the "spirits of the elements (animals)".

Borrowing the power of elements and souls, the animal totems such as lions, tigers, leopards, and rabbits gather the elemental power flowing from the earth's veins.

Guided by the spirits of animals, they circled the area, using the so-called sacred object as their core to isolate themselves from the harsh environment and the torrents of elements.

"It's somewhat similar to a mage's barrier, but much more useful, and consumes almost no resources."

Those animal statues that originally looked like sculptures have absorbed the elemental power of the ley lines and formed a circulation among themselves. This may also be the reason why the druids were busy with the ley lines before; they are the true core of this special area.

From the mage's perspective, this technique of building an "independent mini-world" without needing precious materials, requiring only a few "rotten pieces of wood/stone," is simply too much of a cheat.

"Uh, so, what if the elemental supply to the ley lines is cut off?"

Upon hearing this, Emma smiled at him. This was also the reason she had specifically sought him out.

"Some things haven't changed, like that jinx that only works when things are bad. You'll find out soon enough."

"Buzz!"

Suddenly, the totem poles that had lost their luster, and the sudden cold wind, explained everything.

"That's what I wanted to say. That sapphire dragon is digging through the ley lines, and it looks like it's making good progress."

(End of this chapter)