Chapter 110: The mysterious druid
One of the swordsmen made a simplified stretcher to carry Odysseus, who tried to defuse everyone’s hostility towards Trunks upon understanding the situation. It was a shame that although people didn’t continue to call for Trunks’ death, they kept throwing dark looks at him.
Trunks himself was rather light hearted about everyone’s enmity. Han Shuo even felt that he didn’t care in the slightest. To his surprise, when Han Shuo asked him, Trunks merely responded coolly, “If it hadn’t been for you miraculously discovering my movement, none of them would’ve left alive. I never pay attention to those who are of no threat to me.”
In the days he spent with Trunks, Han Shuo learned a few things about the Dark Forest through him. Within the depths of the Dark Forest, everything was dependent on personal strength. Everything else was of secondary importance, of that, being indecisive or kind signified the weak. It would often cause one to lose their lives.
Everyone followed Trunks’ instructions as they continued to venture further into the Dark Forest over the next three days. Odysseus’ injuries came under control over the three days and they slowly started to scab over, but his movement was still restricted.
Trunks’ injuries also recovered swiftly after having been taken care of, but because of the spikes at the tip of Han Shuo’s Demonslayer Edge, Trunks’ hands and feet still weren’t quite that agile. However, traces of color slowly began to once again blossom on his originally pale face.
When it was noon, everyone arrived at the edge of a pond. They found a big tree to place Odysseus down first, then decided to haul some water from the pond to drink.
Before the others had moved however, Trunks had been standing with Han Shuo and suddenly frowned, opening his mouth to tell Han Shuo, “Tell them to be careful. Do you see the seaweed within the pond? These seaweeds have sharp thorns in their roots and will pull you into the water as soon as they sense humans or beasts come close. They’ll easily lose their lives this way.”
Han Shuo hurriedly cried out when he heard these words. “Gordon, you guys stand there and don’t move.”
“If you hold torches, the heat from the flames will scare off the seaweed so that they won’t easily making a move.” Trunks said faintly when he saw Han Shuo stare at him.
“Thanks!” Han Shuo said lightly and walked towards Gordon and the others. He explained the dangers of the seaweed to them and reminded them to light the torches.
When they started moving according to Han Shuo’s instructions, one of the original demons standing guard in the distance suddenly discovered traces of the manticore’s movement. Han Shuo was startled and swiftly walked up to Trunks, “Your manticore is nearby.”
Nodding, Trunks looked askance at Han Shuo, saying, “You really can discover the movement in your surroundings. That’s right, I chose to walk down this path because this is where I instructed the manticore to wait. There’s a scent on me that only it can sense. I think it will find me very quickly.”
“So that’s the case, I hope you can tell the manticore to behave.” Han Shuo understood that Trunks kept his word as his reputation had always been good. He wasn’t actually afraid of Trunks doing anything, just that the manticore was a level one magical creature with boundless strength and could tell enemy from foe. If it started attacking him, Odysseus, and the others as soon as it appeared, then things would be a bit dicey.
“I know what to do, I don’t need your reminder.” Trunks stretched out lazily against a big tree and suddenly whistled violently.
The manticore, that had been circling in the distance, immediately closed the distance swiftly when it heard Trunks’ whistle. It was standing docilely in front of Trunks after ten seconds. When Gordon and the others, fetching water from the pond in the distance, saw the manticore, it was as if they’d all seen a great enemy. However, Han Shuo was able to calm them down with his voice.
It was at this moment that the original demon, who had caught sight of the manticore, suddenly saw a strange phenomenon. The branches of a lush, green tree suddenly twisted bizarrely, with the twisty branches turning in a circle a few times and suddenly strangely transforming into human hands and feet.
Han Shuo had also detected the disturbance there through the original demon, and he immediately focused his concentration on observing it. The twisting branches continued to twine around themselves and finally formed into a strange person covered with tree bark clothing. This strange person had dark green hair and looked slightly similar to the forest trolls, but had sharp ears and thus looked a bit like an elf.
Just as Han Shuo was perplexed, the strange person got his bearings and walked towards where the manticore had passed through. He muttered, “If the manticore is here, then Trunks must also be nearby.”
Han Shuo was startled as he suddenly stared at Trunks, “A strange person is trailing the manticore. He just transformed from a tree and is now approaching this direction along the path that the manticore took. He seems to know you.”
Trunks’ lazy expression immediately vanished when Han Shuo’s words sounded and he suddenly stood up, leaping directly onto the manticore’s back afterwards, saying, “If I’m guessing correctly, that person should be the druid Caspian. As a druid, Caspian has the ability to turn his body into a tree and a large bear. He can also communicate with trees. I can’t meet him with my current level of strength, we need to leave here immediately.”
“Too late, he’s already here.” Han Shuo creased his brow and said suddenly.
Han Shuo had originally intended on deciding whether to leave or stay after asking Trunks, but who would’ve thought the movement speed of the druid Caspian would be so fast. Caspian had leapt towards a tree when Trunks was talking, and the supple tree branch was as if it had a psychic connection to Caspian, abruptly swinging back and forth and throwing Caspian in this direction.
Caspian had already landed with a thud in front of Trunks when Han Shuo had finished speaking. He looked at Trunks and smiled faintly. “Long time no see good friend. Shouldn’t you return what is mine now?”
Trunks didn’t respond to Caspian from the back of the manticore. The manticore leapt up and attempted to get far away from here.
The smile on his face remained unchanged, Caspian suddenly recited an old and ancient incantation. All the shrubs, trees, and flowers suddenly seemed to come alive in the direction that the manticore had taken and seemed to turn into countless numbers of large and small hands, surging towards the manticore and Trunks to entangle them.
The branches of a large tree in front of the fleeing Trunks wove into a net, blocking off his escape. The shrubs roiled like the waves and surrounded the manticore and Trunks. The manticore tried to destroy everything around it, but Trunks restrained it.
“Old friend, I can sense that you’re hurt. The fact that you haven’t fought back this time means you don’t have complete surety of leaving me behind. It looks like your injuries are not light. Give me the divine wood scepter and I can heal your injuries. Isn’t that good?” Caspian smiled at Trunks who had stopped in the distance.
Han Shuo and the others watched the conflict between Trunks and Caspian from afar and didn’t interfere. It looked like Trunks had taken something of Caspian’s and Caspian was merely asking for it back. From the current situation, Trunks was in the wrong and thus Han Shuo didn’t intervene, and merely watched coldly from the sidelines.
“I’m injured, you wouldn’t take it from me at a time like this, would you?” Trunks spread out his hands and spoke to Caspian after he’d been surrounded.
Caspian went silent for a moment and then stared at Trunks, “If I remember correctly, you stole the divine wood scepter from me when I was injured. I wouldn’t mind learning from you if there’s a need to!”
“Alright, this is your divine wood scepter. I’ve studied it for three months and didn’t discover anything special about it. You can have it back.” Thinning his lips and smiling ruefully, Trunks took out an exquisitely crafted scepter that looked like it’d been made from old tree roots from a space ring, throwing it to Caspian from afar.
The branch from a large tree suddenly extended and magically wrapped itself around the divine wood scepter, bringing it to the hands of the druid Caspian. When Caspian grasped the divine wood scepter, a lively and strong presence of life immediately emanated from the scepter. The shrubs around him rustled, as if celebrating softly.
Caspian tossed over a small bottle the size of a thumb. When Trunks caught it, Caspian said faintly, “The Hundred Flowers Essence within it will be greatly beneficial to your injuries. Don’t think of doing anything against me in the future.”
Trunks accepted the Hundred Flowers Essence and shrugged his shoulders, not promising Caspian anything. Judging from his appearance, he seemed to be greatly interested in something that was on Caspian.
“Honorable noble druid, may I trouble you to heal my friend?” At this moment, the elven archer Nia suddenly walked in front of Caspian and asked very sincerely.
Caspian smiled faintly as he looked at Nia and nodded, saying benevolently, “Cute child, I am unable to deny your request.”
Druids and elves were both followers of great Mother Nature, with only the most pious of her followers gaining the right to become a druid. This druid’s ears are pointy, making it obvious that he had been an elf that had become a druid. No wonder he’d immediately agreed to Nia’s request without further protest.
The druid Caspian walked to Odysseus on his stretcher, frowning after he cast a glance at Odysseus’ injuries. Caspian then recited an incantation and dropped three drops of green liquid onto the wounds on Odysseus’ chest, saying apologetically to Nia afterwards, “Your friend is heavily injured. My blessing of nature and three drops of lifewater will help him heal rapidly with no worry of infection. But when his injuries are healed, he’ll be unable to engage in fierce activity. Otherwise, he might experience vertigo or even faint directly. I’m unable to do anything about this, I’m truly sorry!”
“Many thanks to you, kind Caspian.” Nia thanked and then said, “Trunks said that the blood of Medusa can help Odysseus recover fully. We’ll find Medusa.”
Throwing a surprised look at Trunks, Caspian said to Nia, “He’s right. There is a magical blue blood in the brain of Medusa where the magical core is held. This blood can indeed help him fully recover. But my old friend isn’t someone who likes helping others, why would he tell you this?”
“You’ve taken the divine wood scepter and healed the person. Isn’t it time for you to return to the Druidic Order after chasing me for several months!” Trunks glared at Caspian from his side and said a bit irritably.
Nodding his head and smiling, Caspian explained to Nia, “It looks like my old friend is angry. Heh heh. He’s actually not as bad as you think. If he’s willing to help you, then you have an extremely high chance of obtaining Medusa’s blood. My apologies, I still have things to attend to and can’t keep you company.”
“You’re too kind.” Nia was a bit startled and flattered as she hastily responded sincerely.
Caspian looked at Trunks and left with a slight smile, disappearing from everyone’s view after a while.
“Let’s go, we’ll continue to be on our way and can reach that place after two days.” Trunks snorted slightly with a cold expression after Caspian had left and urged the others to continue on their way.
Under Trunks’ guidance, the group didn’t run into any danger and arrived at a marsh that had a heavy stench after two days. Several enormous man-eater flowers repeatedly attacked Han Shuo and the others around the marsh. It was a good thing that Trunks had warned them before and the group was able to defend against the man-eater flowers together.
“The Fruit of Dagmar grows on a patch of sludge in the middle of this enormous marsh, along with a Medusa lying in wait. We’ve reached our destination.” Trunks pointed at the vast expanse of marsh in front of him and spoke.