章 24: Finding the Entian!

Cao Tai POV

<Ding! You cultivated 3316 Magical Essence over 12 hours.>

I should've expected this they wouldn't spend any more than they need to, instead of giving us a room at the tavern, they gave us a derelict home.

At least there were no bugs inside. Which is surprising since it was hot and humid, but enough of that.

"Hey Sasha, yesterday you went monster hunting right? Anyways, do you know if your illusions feel real or will it just be like a illusion, it can only cause extreme fear?"

"I don't remember Commander, let me check..."

Sasha steps out probably to find a test subject.

As I sit my vigil over the hut watching the branches weep from side to side 'Are they crying for their rude neighbors or because of a tyrannical rule?' I wonder.

While I was pondering this I heard the heavy flap of wings, I look at the source to see Violet flying up to join me on the roof, I shuffle over to make her some room and we sit there together for a while, in silence.

<30 minutes later>

Sasha returns and tells me that the drowned showed burn marks but didn't die, her arms started to unconsciously rub on her clothes, she must've checked its pulse.

But thats probably the best resolution, at least in this situation, since I'm the one who needs to knock it out, not Sasha, now knowing this, I get up and well... start walking... what did you expect?

Me to blow the toot for hunting?

We walk into the wailing forest, and just as a precaution, I pack some Monkshood and some Hawthorne, something that helps regulate the side affects of taking Monkshood by helping keep the heart going, of course, it's a last resort, but it'll most likely give me the edge over the Entian.

As we finally enter the forest, the sun fades, even though I chose the time of day when the sun should be right above us, it's so dark that it seems to be dusk already, we must finish this job quickly if we don't want to end up ambushed by the Entians pack of wolves.

After some walking we hear the crows, larking, before turning their eyes to us and flying off, "The Entian know's were here, it's time to move quicker, we mustn't be here in an hour."

"Yes, Commander"

"Hey Master, do you want me to fly? So we can find the Guardian of the woods quicker?" Violet asks.

"No, the Entian wants us to split up, and I feel like if we split up, albeit a second we most likely will never see each other again."

As we started to enter what felt like the core of the woods the trees started to twist and grow in odd ways, almost like they are characters.

Then at the bottom there were large stones, the largest being roughly 10 feet tall,with runic inscriptions, but hey, we do have someone who can probably read it, Violet, she is ancient, or supposed to be, "Hey Violet, do you know what this means?"

"Barely... Master, I think it would be better to ask Sasha, she's better than me in ancient Foxen... *just this once*" She finishes in a mutter.

"What was that?" I ask, preparing my ears.

"N-nothing! Hey Sahsa! Master wants you to read this for him!"

Sasha turns and gleefully runs up to her Commander, after all, its not every day that she is more qualified than Violet.

After inspecting the rock for a few moments, Sasha looks up to me, "It doesn't say much, just says; 'When the Guardian of the Woods hungers, The angry wolves will lumber, kill the wolves with knife in hand, not with the cowardice of a bow, not with the safety with a band, just a knife in hand. Bring 5 hearts no more no less, lest you want to bring his hunger and fury. Once you complete this he will spawn, and strike a deal to protect the village. Fail to make a deal and so you shall fight to the death'." [I kinda gave up trying to rhyme halfway, too lazy xD ]

Sasha gasps for air from having to recite a whole scripture and I draw out my secondary weapon, a short sword.

Violet summons another sword from the dirt, this time a sword roughly 1 foot long, like mine but has a distinctive red razor that feels like its meant to cauterize as well to look cool, and seems to work in both departments. (I had a Thermoblade from Subnautica in my mind when I was describing this blade)

And Sasha internally cries since she doesn't have an infinite amount of weapons to call upon, "Just you wait you hairy dragon..." She grumbles.

After Violet's done showing off her dagger (For her size it's really small), we begin to hunt wolves, it was much easier than I thought it would be, we managed to get 5 in roughly an hour and a half, with only one small bite mark! I mean Teddy Roosevelt be jealous!

We return to the stones still dragging Violet who wanted to burn the whole species of wolf so that she can avenge my mark. That warms my heart but that may be a little excessive.

For the fire I decided that we won't be using the Violet fire, the Leshy clearly wants us to do it the old fashioned way, so I go to a nearby tree, and snap off a small branch, the forest responds with shreiks of fury and agony.

'The forest is ALIVE! And quite mad at me! What do I do to fix this situation...' I then remember what the Hunter Borik was doing, he was planting trees and tending to it, and offering bread and salt, but there's no chance of finding that around here.

I sweep the ground, there definitely are seeds on the ground, I mean it literally is a forest after all.

I find a pine cone on the ground and in my rush I don't even search for the Pine Seeds, I just dig a hole about 12 Centimeters deep and putting it in there before covering the hole. The fury in the forest dissipates shortly after I plant the cone.

I then ask Violet to light the tip of the branch, which she does perfectly, now the difficult part, how the hell am I supposed to burn a heart? I'm not a fucking cannibal... I don't have any roasting recipes, and I'm pretty sure that if I place pine cones and burn those to help increase the heat the forest will be REALLY REALLY mad....

So I just decide like I know what I'm doing and place my softly glowing stick on each heart and somehow hey burn a bright blue... how does that work? I turn to Violet and she shakes her head telling me she's not doing anything.

And then to my surprise the fire turns to black. Wow... so much for realism, lets just start floating.

And we do... for a quick second before falling to the ground and seeing a new person with us, a 7 foot tall prehensible stick by the looks of it.

"Greetings, Wanderer," The stick says in a low, gritty voice. [What did you expect him to say!? I am Groot?!?!]

"Hello Guardian of this Forest, I am Cao Tai, me and my group are envoys of the nearby village outside the forest," I bow, Sasha and Violet join in after me.

"What do they want, diplomat?"

"They wish for your killings to stop, or at least tell your familiars to stop attacking them," I ask

"I'm afraid for that to happen, they must treat the woods correctly, as well as give us offerings, and finally return to the days of the sword, alas only then can we stop," The creaking branch sits down.

"I'm afraid that they also demanded for your body, but I do believe that as long as your woods are alive you will reincarnate, so that should be relatively simple, right?" I inquire

"Correct"

"Then do you wish for me to fulfill their wishes or not? If you refuse we'll still have to fight," I sigh regrettably, but that statement was correct, after all, I need its head.

"I'm willing to handle the pain for my forest to continue living, do what you must..." The Leshy then bow's his head and prepares for his death.

"My friend, what is your name, you are too kind not to become a comrade, shame it had to go this way..." I sigh

"My name is Agrochbicla," He says before finally staying silent, motioning me to hurry up.

SHUNK!

I swing and cut off his head, and drag his body back to the village, behind a weeping forest...

"Elder of the Village, we have returned to collect our payment, and the Entian had one message for you"

The Elder looks up, "Which was?"

"That you must care for the forest, or he will come back, and he will burn the village, to stop this you must give offerings of bread and salt, and a small portion of all of your meat, which must be killed by hand, not by bow, not by lance, but by sword. If you do not, he will come back" I recite.

The Elderman nods, "About your payment... the city of Auburn has been taxing us too heavily..."

Of course they have... "Give us a detailed map of the whole Realm and 230 Silver Coins I'll leave satisfied. As well as a favor for when I return to this village."

He nods and fetch's the coins, I then hear a Ding.

<Rewards, 5,000 Magical Essence, 50 Dollars, 15 Tokens>

Wow... so generous, I didn't even have to do much but talk to it.

The Elder returns with the map and a hefty sack, "If any of them are chipped we'll be back with interest" I glare, then leave Violet and Sasha follow me.

After all, we have a long path ahead...