Adventurers Arrive

[Kaiyuan Scroll Lv.5 → Nine Terraces Palace Creation Art Lv.1]

Within Oak Territory, Chen Yu tried hard to squeeze out a solemn expression. Holding an oak branch in gelatin, he muttered under his breath as he hopped and circled a patch of mud, like he was conducting some primitive sacrificial ritual. The atmosphere was both grave and dignified.

"Change for me!"

The oak branch pointed downward, touching the lump of mud.

[Mud to Stone]

Then, an astonishing sight unfolded.

The mud that had originally lain sprawled across the ground rapidly drained itself dry, compressed itself, took shape... and finally became a dark brown mud brick.

Whether it was picked up and smashed or chopped at, it was no different from hard granite.

This was Mud to Stone, a Dao technique paired with the Nine Terraces Palace Creation Art.

It had cost him a full twenty Spirit Stones to exchange for from the elder of the Scripture Pavilion.

Of course, that was not the extent of his abilities.

Chen Yu began chanting the technique again, then pointed the gelatin-clamped oak branch at the base of the oak tree.

"Grow!"

[Wood Growth Shaping]

In an instant, creaking and cracking rang out from the base of the oak. Its roots broke through the soil, winding upward around the trunk before connecting one after another with the bark to form a staircase of roots.

Once the staircase had fully grown, Chen Yu put down the oak branch and tried hopping up it step by step. Passing the busy Stinger Bee Hive, he soon climbed to the very top of the oak.

Basking in the unobstructed sunlight overhead and the sweeping view before him, Chen Yu was so moved he practically bubbled over. At once, he felt that the forty Spirit Stones spent on exchanging for the Dao techniques had been worth it.

"Mud to Stone" and "Wood Growth Shaping" both belonged under "Nine Terraces Palace Creation Art Lv.1," so they would not appear on the panel.

The replaced "Kaiyuan Scroll Lv.5" had not disappeared; it had merely been inherited.

Standing high above, Chen Yu gazed over all of Oak Territory, and even the entire Swamp Forest.

A bold idea rose in his heart.

Using trees as the sinews and bones, and stone to build the walls, he could completely turn Oak Territory into an impregnable fortress. He could even launch major construction along the outskirts of the swamp, build maze-like ruins, draw adventurers to keep visiting the swamp, and drive those corrupted fellows away.

This was a massive undertaking.

Wasn't this exactly the grand infrastructure project Senior Brothers of Xuxuantian longed for?

Unfortunately, he had taken this project on all by himself.

Poor civil engineering Senior Brothers.

Reed River.

Fed by snowmelt from the snow peaks, the river was far more abundant than it had been in Winter Year. It rushed along with a splashing roar, washing over the tender green reed shoots newly emerging along the banks and carrying with it the fragrance of upstream pinewood.

Old Beaver Kenken soaked in the bone-chilling water, unable to stop itself from shaking its thick, glossy brown fur before sneezing.

The icy river water washed over its paws, but it could not quench its busy soul.

Spring!

This was the golden season for beavers!

And also their busiest season.

"Crunch! Crunch!"

It had set its sights on a young poplar tree, gnawing at it with its powerful incisors as wood chips flew like snowflakes.

Its small eyes were focused and bright, while its tail rhythmically slapped the water, kicking up cheerful splashes. Soon—this branch would soon be dragged back to its precious dam...

Just then, an unusual tremor traveled clearly through the riverbank soil from afar.

Immediately afterward came the dull clopping of hooves and the rumble of wheels rolling over the grass, shattering the riverside's peace.

Kenken raised its head warily, its wet black nose sniffing hard—it smelled dust! And... the scent of those disgusting two-legged creatures!

On the dirt road leading toward Swamp Forest, an open carriage pulled by two sturdy draft horses came speeding toward them, kicking up a trail of dust.

Those strangely shaped human adventurers again!

Kenken flicked its tail unhappily, flinging droplets far into the distance as its mood instantly turned gray and murky.

Ever since spring had arrived and the ice and snow had melted, this road leading deep into the forest had grown lively.

These fellows clad in metal shells, carrying strange sticks and glowing stones, came in groups of three or five, streaming endlessly onto Reed Riverbank before plunging headfirst into that perilous Swamp Forest.

Sometimes, humans would stop and stare curiously at it and its beloved dam, babbling sounds it could not understand in the slightest.

Even worse, one or two reckless fools would curiously poke at it with their hands, even trying to move the branches it had painstakingly piled up!

Whenever Kenken thought of that, its incisors itched with rage. It wanted nothing more than to rush up and give those restless fingers a good bite!

Its precious dam was a home built one stick and one clump of mud at a time, with its teeth and sweat!

It was a fortress against natural enemies, a place to raise its young!

How could it be a toy for these passing strangers?

Yet today, the carriage seemed to be traveling in unusual haste. Its wheels thundered along, dust billowing behind it, with no sign of slowing down.

Like a gust of wind, it swept past Reed Riverbank and headed straight for the forest entrance.

Kenken's taut nerves relaxed a little.

Fine, at least you know better!

It muttered, with a trace of relief and displeasure, then lowered its head again and opened its signature pair of huge incisors.

Crunch! Crunch!

The wheels rolled over a pothole in the dirt road, and the carriage lurched violently, nearly tossing off the young girl seated at the rear with her head buried in a book.

"Ah!"

She cried out and hurriedly grabbed the side of the carriage.

The girl had a head of fluffy, soft chestnut-brown hair, and her fair cheeks still retained a little baby fat—typical Aenir features.

Just like the faded apprentice's robe she wore and the plain Oak Staff leaning at her side, she gave off an air of being dutiful and well-behaved.

"Captain Kelvin, could... could you slow down a little?" The girl picked up her fallen books with a pained expression.

"Slow down? Sweet little Ella, time is money! Money is life!"

The man holding the reins in the driver's seat turned around with an enthusiastic grin.

His name was Kelvin, the captain of this hastily assembled adventuring party.

A little over thirty, he had fair skin and short, slightly curly blond hair, a high nose bridge, deep-set eyes, and lips that habitually curled upward, giving him the shrewd look of a smooth talker.

These were typical Visaji traits—a people renowned for their shrewdness, mobility, and talent for trade. Their footprints covered the continent, yet they rarely had a permanent homeland.

He wore the usual ranger attire seen in Iron Boot Town: a somewhat worn brown leather cuirass, with a slender curved sword hanging from his waist, its scabbard decorated in gaudy splendor.

"Think about it, Ella—we're heading to Swamp Forest to make a fortune!"

"That place is crawling with valuable swamp Demonic Beasts and Moonlight Moss. If we get there too late, even the moss will have been scraped clean by some other lucky bastards! I'm thinking of the team here."

"Captain, I, Broom, have been a blacksmith in Iron Boot Town for ten years. I've gone into the mountains to mine and dug holes in the ground, so how come I've never heard that the forest was so rich? I still find it hard to believe."

A muffled, booming voice came from beside Ella. The speaker was a dwarf.

He had a thick, unruly reddish-brown beard like blazing fire, and a pair of bright little brown eyes.

He wore heavy chainmail beneath a severely worn leather apron, while a weighty-looking double-bladed battle axe rested casually against his leg.

Broom Stonefist was the blacksmith neighbor Ella had known back in Iron Boot Town.

"Old Brother Broom, this came straight from the mouth of Yano the 'Miracle.'"

Kelvin was not bothered in the slightest by the dwarf's doubts. Instead, he raised his voice.

"You do know that legendary figure, don't you? My third cousin's neighbor's distant cousin listened to him, and with the treasures from Swamp Forest, paid off all his gambling—uh, all his investment debts overnight! Then he even married a beautiful wife!"

He waved his arms, making the tale come alive.

"That place is covered in magical plants. Rumor has it that some adventurers even stumbled upon ruins that appeared out of nowhere and looted plenty of treasure from inside."

Ella's eyes glimmered faintly as she listened. She had a natural curiosity toward unknown magical plants, but then her brows knitted slightly.

"But Captain Kelvin, the books say that Swamp Forest is at its most dangerous after spring begins. The miasma starts to spread, and the sleeping Demonic Beasts awaken..."

"Dangerous? Ha!"

Kelvin gave a grand sweep of his hand, nearly striking the horse pulling the carriage.

"With experienced Old Brother Broom leading the way, what monster can his Mountain Splitter not chop apart? And then we have the magic of Miss Ella, whose future is boundless! And me, Kelvin..."

"The Visaji's finest guide and negotiation expert! What danger can't we handle? Our combination is so perfect, it's practically a gift from the Gods. Fortune is right before our eyes!"

Kelvin spoke with absolute conviction, his brilliant smile almost dazzling. Yet his eyes flicked swiftly toward the ever-nearing entrance to Swamp Forest, and he quietly swallowed.

In truth, he was nowhere near as calm and confident as he appeared. If those damned debts had not been chasing him down and lashing at him like a whip, leaving him no other choice, he never would have come here.

The seasoned adventurers all knew his situation. Who would dare form a party with him and enter Swamp Forest? Only these two fools were easy to sweet-talk and readily believed his words.

Though both were greenhorns fresh out of the gate, he had no other choice. He could only see this carefully woven adventure through.

He snapped the reins hard.

"Hyah! Come on, lads, fortune is waving at us!"

Kicking up one final cloud of dust, the carriage charged into Swamp Forest without hesitation.