Druid

In nature, everything is interconnected.

In previous years, when winter came, the monsters in the wilderness, lacking food, would attack other creatures nearby. Now that the snow has fallen more than a month early, their attacks on others are likely to be even more frequent. Although many of the natives lack sufficient knowledge, their generations of survival experience tell them that this winter is unlikely to be peaceful. Soren led Vivian down, and just as they reached the foot of the Inn, they heard a familiar voice.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!"

"I'm here, down here, I'm down here."

Aladdin was so small he was barely visible; only his voice could be heard. The Inn glanced around before poking his head out with a broad smile and saying to the person under the table, "Hello, Halfling. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Aladdin was so angry he almost jumped onto the table. He took a breath and said, "Did you see a man and a woman with a little girl coming to stay the night? I saw their carriage outside."

Soren's lips twitched slightly as he descended the stairs and said, "Aladdin, we're here. Weren't you going to the Iron Dwarf' place?"

Aladdin was delighted to see them and clapped his hands, saying, "Thank Goddess of Fortune, you really haven't left yet!"

"What bad luck."

"I walked quite a distance yesterday and finally found a cave to sleep in. But when I woke up after setting up the traps, the heavy snow outside had blocked the entrance. I dug for ages with my little shovel, only to find out that the snow had collapsed, and I was trapped several meters deep. I was planning to continue to the Iron Dwarf ' territory, but the snow was just too deep; one step reached my thigh, and I couldn't move at all."

"So I came back the way I came, to see if I could go to the Elven Realm with you. I heard there's lots of delicious food there too."

Soren glanced at the man's legs. Sure enough, they were soaked from the feet to the thighs, and even the waist showed signs of melted snow. This meant the snow outside was probably even heavier than here, and the small Halfling was making a mess of his footing. The Inn's expression also grew serious. He glanced at Aladdin's height, calculated it in his mind, and said in a deep voice, "This is bad! With this much snow, winter is already setting in."

The expressions of the other people in the hotel also changed slightly.

Even though the snow only reached Aladdin's knees, it was still nearly thirty centimeters thick. Looking at the snow accumulation inside Falling Leaf City, it wasn't considered too severe. But if the snow layer outside was really that thick, it would completely block the mountains. "Winter's End" and "Spring's Arrival" are local sayings. During winter's end, wild animals hibernate, and many monsters in the wilderness rely on stored food to survive. Generally, these hungry monsters only become active again after the harsh winter ends.

Inside the tower of Falling Leaf City.

A group of strangely dressed druids gathered on one of the floors. There were Elf, humans, and Half-Elf, with Half-Elf being the most numerous and humans the fewest. However, the leader was a tall Elf druid with antlers. More than a dozen druids sat around a rectangular table. Some of them had already started arguing because of their differing opinions.

"Quiet down!"

The tall, antlerd druid slammed his hand on the table and said in a deep voice, "One at a time. Thorn Walker, you go first."

The one who stood up was a pure-blooded Elf druid. His sharp gaze swept around the room, and he said solemnly, "This year's early snowfall has proven that we have been far too weak in the past! This is the punishment of the God of Nature and the Goddess of Ice and Snow for our endless destruction! We should have unleashed nature's wrath upon those foolish humans long ago!"

"The Grosso Plain in the southeast is already severely desertified. The endless reclamation of farmland and environmental destruction have robbed the land there of its Hit Points. Before long, it will gradually become barren and part of the desert. In the southwestern Wilderness Forest, humans have cut down more than a third of the trees in the last thirty years."

"Nature is roaring!"

"This is its punishment for the entire world. The early arrival of winter is a sign, and if we don't do something, even more terrible natural disasters will occur in the future. I suggest sending out the Thorn Spike Patrol to let those foolish and ignorant greedy humans, blinded by immediate gains, feel what nature's wrath is all about!"

"I object!" An elderly human druid stepped forward, frowning as he glanced at the other man. He slowly said, "Humans aren't the only ones destroying the environment. Dwarf, Gnome, Elf— every race—is contributing to environmental damage to some extent. The world is developing with civilization, and civilization inevitably clashes with nature. What we need to do is find a new balance between civilization and nature, rather than rigidly adhering to the old Way of Nature and always resorting to violence to solve all problems."

A beautiful, ethereal Half-Elf druid tapped her fingers on the table and said softly, "Recently, many people have become dissatisfied with us, especially because of the last attack. The Wizard ' attitude towards us is dangerous."

"The power of nature's wrath should not be abused. We should first send people to warn them. If that has no effect, then send out patrols to drive them away. Unless absolutely necessary, I suggest we avoid launching a large-scale war. We can assign apprentices to plant the felled trees as their new task. In a maximum of ten years, the planters will be able to turn that place into a new forest."

The Thorn Walker glanced at her and said in a deep voice, "And then what? Let those humans continue cutting down trees?"

"Their exploitation of nature is endless. A tree takes more than ten years to grow, but they can cut down thousands of large trees in a single day. In their developed civilization, I have only seen endless destruction and disaster. Do you really want to see another Alchemy city rise up?"

The leading antlered druid tapped the table and said in a deep voice, "The disaster of the Arcane Empire must not be repeated! Civilization can never be superior to nature!"

"But we cannot always resort to violence. Don't let anger blind you, Thorn Walker!"

"This could just be an accident."

"Perhaps we should intervene and curb the destruction of nature by others, not just humans, but also Gnome and Dwarf. Many Elf have also recently forgotten the Way of Nature. Perhaps we should send someone to remind them of their respect for nature. Sudden seasonal changes are definitely not a good sign. I will send someone to the Dream Forest to inquire of Earth Walker."

"The problem now is that the sudden arrival of winter will cause great disaster. Animals should have stored up as much fat as possible for the winter during this month, but the heavy snow more than a month early has forced them into hibernation. The monsters in the wilderness have also not stored enough food. If they run out of food, they will attack other creatures. Animals will be the first to be harmed, and then they will start attacking other species. The food chain in nature will face an imbalance. We must ensure that all species can continue to reproduce after winter."

"Once this harsh winter is over, the forces of nature will rebalance these creatures."

The other druids nodded in agreement, and the Thorn Walker took a deep breath and said slowly, "Lord Stag, I'm afraid our strength is insufficient to maintain balance; this snowfall covers too vast an area. I suggest we seek help from the other druids."

The tall, antlerd druid nodded and said in a deep voice, "I know."

"You all begin your work. Hawk Eye Walker, go and observe whether the Ogre of the Razor Tooth Highlands can survive the winter. Remember, don't let them leave their settlements; those foolish creatures will only cause more destruction. Master Deadwood, go and check on the situation in the northern forest. It would be best to tally how many animals won't survive this winter. We must provide them with assistance when necessary to ensure their populations can continue to thrive."

One order after another was issued.

Finally, the leading stag druid glanced at the beautiful Half-Elf druid beside him and slowly said, "Lady Nightingale, I hope you can make a trip to the Elven Forest. First, visit the Earth Walker and inquire if there are any problems with this seasonal change. Then, go to the Earth Elemental Gate and see if the dragon is still asleep."

The handsome Half-Elf druid nodded and said, "Okay. I'll go now."

"Be careful," the lead stag druid cautioned again. "That place is connected to an altar in the Elemental Plane of Earth. Don't disturb the sleeping Spirit of the Earth, and especially don't disturb that dragon; they both have terrible tempers."

The Half-Elf druid smiled, and with a wave of her hand, a beautiful Nightingale landed on her shoulder. The Nightingale preened its feathers with its beak, then circled above her head, emitting a clear and melodious song. Soon, only the antler druid, who had come to lead the way, remained in the hall. He stood motionless on the balcony, gazing into the distance with a worried look in his eyes, and snow quickly covered his entire body.

There are migratory birds frozen to death outside; many of them froze to death overnight before they even had a chance to migrate.

The temperature is getting colder and colder.

Just a few days ago, people could manage with an outer coat, but now many have to wear winter clothes. This is only the beginning of winter; if the weather continues to be this cold, it will be a disaster for races like humans, Half-Elf, and Dwarf. The stag druid's gaze pierced through the white snowstorm. He saw crops covered in snow, villagers with lips blue from the cold working in the Farmland, trying their best to dig through the snow and ice to carry food and vegetables back home. Thinly dressed children didn't even dare to leave their houses, huddling together around the fire pit inside for warmth.

Nature is in balance.

Those beasts and monsters are part of nature, and so are these humans Half-Elf.

...(To be continued...)