Leshen's Element! The Mysterious Grove!

[Ding! Use Ronnie Dickinson's Vessel of Great Deeds?]

The moment the cold notification sound rang in my ear, the icons in my inventory immediately came to life.

The translucent golden cup floats and sinks in the hazy golden light, like a boat heading to the other shore.

But strangely...

Although Ronnie Dickinson's Vessel of Great Deeds has a series of question marks on the item panel, along with the note "Knowing too much before you reach a certain level of strength is sometimes not a good thing," everything is very similar to the @#￥%&'s Element @#￥%&.

But Ailin didn't have any of those @#￥%&'s Element @#￥%&, forgetting to breathe, with every cell in her body feeling that intense longing, like a traveler in the desert who has seen an oasis.

Ronnie Dickinson's Vessel of Great Deeds seemed to have its own thoughts, emanating a faint sense of rejection.

It is refusing.

"Knock knock knock~"

Ailin tapped his fingers on the table, frowned, and murmured softly, "Vessel of Great Deeds..."

He felt he could forcefully absorb Ronnie Dickinson's Vessel of Great Deeds, but the subconscious lack of feeling and the Vessel of Great Deeds's rejection of him spoke volumes.

"I know too little about Vessel of Great Deeds..."

Ailin shook his head, abandoning the idea of using the Ronnie Dickinson Vessel of Great Deeds.

Unlike the elements, besides instinctive feelings, the name is another reason why he remains cautious.

Is the Vessel of Great Deeds" a container for great achievements, or a container "manufactured" by great achievements?

There are many different opinions on both.

The former is the container that holds great achievements, but what is it forged from?

In many fantasy novels from the past, such things used for promotion and advancement were mostly made from materials closely related to one's own soul.

Does it really have no impact when he uses other people's containers to house the great achievements he has created?

As for the latter...

Using containers "manufactured" by Weiye is even more inappropriate.

Great achievements are inherently personal matters, and it is even more inappropriate for Ronnie Dickinson's great achievements to contain something extremely important about his future.

Just like Hercules wanted to atone for his sins and ascend to godhood, but instead of undergoing his own twelve trials, he took the fruits of others' labor.

This sounds very strange and awkward.

Putting aside whether it was despicable or not, would the "Olympian gods" really approve of this result and allow Him to become a god?

Ailin shook his head.

In fact, if there are any problems with the consumables, the Witcher's Handbook will usually stop the use of them or make the user confirm them again, just like when the power reaches its limit, it will remind the user.

However, this was related to his future career advancement, Ailin didn't dare to gamble, nor was it necessary.

Ailin pondered how to obtain information about the Vessel of Great Deeds.

"Tissaia de Veris certainly went through this process, but we can't ask her, lest we find out what the Vessel of Great Deeds is, which is a very sensitive and crucial matter for a warlock."

This is not impossible.

Even centuries-old Witcher Master like Vesemir and Dante didn't know, so it's hard to imagine how meticulously the warlocks guarded against it.

"Ianna might not know, after all, she is the High Priest of the Temple of Melitele, it is only natural that she would know some secrets."

"If she doesn't know, Aristo is one direction; he has an excellent relationship with the prophet Rebidia, Rebidia is suspected of undergoing a great feat of advancement..."

"Lady Vesemir may also know this, after all, she is the second most Sorceress in the Northern Continent after Tissaia de Veris..."

"Etc..."

Ailin's eyes suddenly lit up. "Even if none of the above know, Meritellie definitely does."

"I just don't know if the goddess has recovered from the depletion of the blessing Divine Art when she banished the Evil God."

"The prerequisites for the Vessel of Great Deeds mostly require extreme values of both perception and mystery attributes, but it's not so urgent that we need to consult the gods."

"A hundred Experience Orbs for a Divine Transformation is still too expensive. It costs seven or eight gold chests just for one question, which doesn't seem worthwhile..."

"Then I'd like to ask Ianna tonight, and then go to the icon room tonight to try. If the goddess hasn't recovered, I'll go back to Kaer Morhen tomorrow and ask Aristo and Vesemir. I refuse to believe that we can't get a reliable answer through so many channels."

"Even if my luck is really that bad, I can wait until my perception and mystery attributes reach their maximum values, and then use 100 Experience Orbs to Commune with Melitele..."

Having clearly considered the arrangement of the Ronnie Dickinson's Vessel of Great Deeds, Ailin's mind moved, and his gaze jumped forward one space.

[Key @#￥%&'s Element the Leshen]

[type:?]

[Function:?]

[Note: Knowing too much before you have the necessary skills is sometimes not a good thing.]

Like the Evil God, the Leshen '@#￥%&'s Element remain largely unanswered in the Witcher's Handbook, offering little information.

It's as if once he discovers the hidden information, he will be hunted down by some higher being.

This is so similar to the Vessel of Great Deeds that Ailin has been wondering for some time whether the contents of the Vessel of Great Deeds are these elements.

But it's hard to explain why he could absorb elements even before his own Vessel of Great Deeds had manifested.

He absorbed at least one element of the Evil God into his body, and the commotion at the time was quite significant.

Could it be that the Witcher's Handbook has replaced the Vessel of Great Deeds?

Or perhaps these mysterious elements can be integrated into the human body?

Ailin shook his head and put away the appraisal panel.

The star-shaped mist, emanating a fresh, emerald green hue, shimmers and dazzles in the inventory, captivating all who behold it.

Weaker than the @#￥%&'s Element @#￥%&, but far stronger than the desire of Ronnie Dickinson's Vessel of Great Deeds, the moment he saw that nebula, his whole body and flesh stirred with excitement.

Ailin also succumbed to this desire.

[Ding! Do you wish to use the Leshen '@#￥%&'s Element?]

——

The forest is singing.

Sunlight filters through the dense, lush green canopy of the oak trees, dancing on the leaves, rocks, and soil.

The birds tilted their heads, chasing after the fine spots of light, their voices loud and clear.

Enveloped in waist-high grass, Ailin stared blankly at the scene before her. Her right hand sank into the soft soil, and she propped herself up, inexplicably twitching her ears.

"Splash splash~"

The soft sound of water only then reached his ears, as if he had simply not noticed it for a moment.

But no.

He knew it very well.

There was no sound of water just now, only a gentle, cool breeze blowing through the boundless forest.

But he didn't find it strange at all, as if everything was supposed to be this way.

The sound of water came from the same direction as the surrounding jungle, just as green and brown, just as vibrant with life.

"Tap~ Tap~ Tap~"

Walking on the soft grass, following the sound of water.

With each step he took, the surrounding green grass responded to him more actively, drawing closer to him.

Then came juniper, then broom, aspen, and oak...

This vast clearing in the woods became increasingly intimate with him, even seemingly merging into him.

We left the meadow and entered the jungle.

The scene before me grew ever more beautiful and majestic, ever more vibrant. Earthworms wriggled their brown bodies, turning over the soil. Fungi took root on every piece of decaying wood, and then tall banyan trees drooped down their thick aerial roots, blocking every ray of sunlight from the sky.

The gentle, warm breeze that used to blow through the forest suddenly turned grim and cold.

The banyan tree is cruel and resolute in depriving all life in the forest of its survival.

Ailin's knowledge of botany was not profound; he only recognized some common plants that could be used to make potions.

Even so, he knew that such a diverse array of plants within his field of vision could not possibly coexist on the same land, much less be so densely packed.

Even the most fertile soil cannot provide such abundant nutrients.

But he said nothing, did not stop, did not pause, did not wait or think; he simply followed the sound of the water forward.

Then he saw a white-tailed squirrel cracking pine nuts, and a fawn twitching its ears and turning to gaze back.

The giant wolf was just two steps away from the fawn. It was so large that its shadow alone enveloped the fawn's entire body, yet the two did not harm each other.

Its beautiful silver-grey fur shimmered and gleamed.

There were also wild boars, tigers, brown bears, white doves, crows, and falcons...

When Ailin passed by, no matter what they were doing, they seemed to suddenly sense something, stopping to look back and gaze.

There were no roads in the woodland, but these strangely behaving animals stopped and walked along the sides.

The direction Ailin was heading became a road.

As he walked along this road, the animals stared at him in utter silence.

There was complete silence, yet whispers could be heard, as if echoing in one's ears or rippling in one's mind.

They are saying.

What is he?

He is human, a Witcher, without a doubt.

The question is too simple, and besides, they are talking about "him" rather than "you," so they are not asking him.

So he didn't speak, he just kept moving forward.

Then they started talking again.

He was still walking forward.

He is certainly moving forward.

He didn't find anything strange about it.

The babbling of water is right beside you, guiding and urging you on, while the soft yet muddy road lies beneath your feet.

He will certainly move forward, he will definitely move forward, he must move forward.

"Splash splash~"

The sound of water was crisp and clear, growing ever closer.

Amidst the swaying shadows of the trees, shimmering light flickers faintly.

As he drew closer, he left those strange animals behind.

As they fell behind, the whispers in her ears gradually faded away, even though to Ailin it seemed like they had only taken a few steps apart.

But he wasn't surprised.

The sound of the water grew louder and louder, and the shimmering light before his eyes became more and more dazzling, leaving no other thoughts in his mind.

When all thoughts fall silent, they tend toward unity.

He didn't even have to avoid the bushes, shallow pits, and trees blocking his way.

The tall banyan tree uprooted its aerial roots, sweeping the shrubs aside. The base of the aerial roots was as fine as a net, bringing up large clumps of soil.

The soil fell and filled the shallow pit perfectly.

Gazing upon the oak tree, which is at least a thousand years old, I respectfully bend down its thick branches to build a bridge behind the shallow pit.

He walked onto the bridge, and the dense foliage automatically retreated; then he walked off the bridge.

He saw a lake.

The lake, which should have been as deep as jade, was now as dazzling as gold, the sunlight reflecting off its surface so brightly.

He seemed to realize something; he knew he had arrived at his destination.

The lake was teeming with life, but there were no fish.

A Reindeer, even more imposing than the silver wolf from before, blocked his path.

Golden sunlight shone on its massive, ebony antlers, covered in drooping moss, creating a shimmering effect of blue and gold. They resembled more of a crown to the creatures of the lakeside than deer antlers.

Solemn, beautiful and majestic.

The Reindeer had its eyes closed, its mouth agape, and it was eating grass.

As he stepped down from the branch, his feet sinking deep into the mud, the Reindeer stopped and slowly raised their heads to gaze at him.

It is examining.

Ailin did not stop there; after getting off, he continued forward.

The Reindeer showed no intention of moving aside, nor did he.

Although the Reindeer are enormous, they did not completely block all the paths leading to the Unnamed Lake.

The Reindeer can enter his desired land from either side.

Given his past personality, he should have taken a detour long ago.

But at this moment, for some reason, a surge of pride welled up in his heart, making him unwilling to lower his head or take a detour. It seemed that once he left his own path, even if he reached the Nameless Lake, it would not be the place he wanted to go.

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

Heavy footsteps echoed around the lake.

He was getting closer and closer to the Reindeer.

The Reindeer swallowed the grass in its mouth, propped itself up on its thick, even hooves, which were as thick as the trunk of an ancient tree, and stood up from the ground.

A massive shadow instantly enveloped him, preventing him from seeing the nameless lake.

But he didn't stop, one step, two steps, three steps...

Ten steps later, he stood before the Reindeer, meeting its gentle yet majestic golden eyes. Two more steps and he would bump into its broad, sturdy chest.

"Ding-dong~"

It looked as if a drop of water had fallen from the sky and landed in the lake.

The Reindeer's eyes flickered.

With only one step left, she gently moved her foot, just barely brushing past him.

Ailin paid no attention. After passing the Reindeer, he walked to the lakeside and, without thinking, followed his body's instincts, bent down, lowered his head, and tried to scoop up a handful of water from the lake to quench his inexplicable thirst.

At this moment.

A deep, resonant voice whispered in my ear.

That deep, majestic voice asked.

[what do you?]

He paused for a moment.

He opened his mouth.

He closed his mouth.

He was also thinking about this obvious question.

Yes, what am I?

He seemed unable to answer the question, so he lowered his head, trying to find the answer in the lake's reflection.

As soon as this thought arose, the wind stopped and the rain ceased.

The emerald green lake surface instantly became as smooth as a mirror.

But he didn't see himself.

Only one colossal beast, with long, golden fur and sharp fangs protruding from its mouth, gazed back at him from the bottom of the lake.

But strangely enough...

Such a colossal beast, which should have been ferocious, grotesque, and cruel, was instead perceived by Ailin as sacred, and an unusual tranquility that did not belong to its appearance.

He was as calm as he was on the other side of the lake.

No!

That's him!

"Kano".

The ancient tone, which does not belong to the common language or the Elder Speech, was uttered for some unknown reason.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

A sudden gust of wind howled, rippling the surface of the lake, and the giant beast vanished abruptly.

"Boom!"

Thunder roared.

The peaceful forest suddenly seemed to collapse as if the sky had fallen and the earth had split open.

Caught off guard, Ailin was thrown off balance by the sudden celestial phenomenon and fell into the nameless lake.

"Bang!"

Before he was enveloped in comforting warmth and darkness.

He heard the voice penetrate the lake and speak in his ear.

[Kano? A strange pronunciation.]

I've remembered.