Gladesbale Grove [druid, litrpg, town building, slice of life, cozy]

Creating a network of roots that could water the entire line of trails through the grove would take more than an afternoon of work. Rud wasn't so proud of his new skill that he would think otherwise. Once his concept was proven, he headed straight for the Observatory to check in with Maria in Hagsrise. The radio clicked on as the druid used his Farseeing skill to check places far in the distance. The dungeons were once again in check, and there seemed to be no abnormal weather patterns.

"A little later than normal," Rud said, thumbing the radio and staring idly at a patch of wind energy in the sky. "I swear, you have some kind of portable version of the radio…"

As expected, it took her a while to respond. But she responded.

"I have the volume up all the way," Maria said. "The acoustics in this cave are awesome. What's up?"

There wasn't much Rud had to update her on. But hearing the voice of another Earthling was its own reward. He could talk to Maria about anything. Perhaps everything. But most of all, he enjoyed her stupid hypothetical scenarios. Even if they seemed to get dumber by the day.

"I'm working on a way to distribute enchanted water to some floating lightbulb plants."

"So, standard druid stuff?" Maria asked, laughing through the radio. "Sounds about right."

"Apparently my tree is creating her first effigy. I hope she's still asleep, but it has me kinda worried."

"Why would you be worried? I mean, normally the spirits are the ones who create effigies, but we know your tree isn't normal."

Rud had to think real hard to place his feelings on this. "I feel like a father watching his kid go to school for the first time."

"Were you a father on Earth?"

"No, but I knew people who were. That doesn't matter, do you know what I'm trying to say?"

"I get it. Watching a member of your grove grow up is rough. But you have to remember your tree has a sacred purpose. She exists to protect a patch of land, cultivating nature's energy. You gotta be there to support her."

"That's oddly inspiring, coming from you."

"Coming from me?" Maria sounded offended. "What's that mean?"

"You're a bit… goth. If you know what I mean."

"Is that some old man reference I don't understand?"

"Yeah. You just don't seem like a glass half-full kinda gal."

"I'm a realist. That being said, I believe in the purpose of the groves. No matter how grumpy I am about it."

That was fair. Being thrust into something as grand as the groves could be a tough proposition. Rud had been happy to find his place with Gladesbale, sliding into the mix like a missing puzzle piece. He could understand how someone like Maria might feel disenfranchised since she didn't meld so well with everyone else. Especially since her tree didn't talk. And he didn't even know if it was a tree or a mushroom. Perhaps something in-between.

"Anyway, enough of that. How do you think you would do as a medieval peasant?"

"Excuse me? Time-travel scenario, or what?"

"Yeah, we'll go with time travel. You go back into medieval times. How do you survive?"

"Putting aside the idea of medieval times being an amalgam—which it wasn't—you'd be hard pressed to make any change. I don't think they were as stupid as we think, and if you tried to teach them anything, they would just ignore you. You'd be the crazy person on the street corner yelling about aliens."

"That's why time traveling tourism is the only way. You don't go back to change the past, but to observe it. If you could go back in time to any point, where would it be?"

That question was cursed. Rud didn't like the idea of going back to pull back the veil. He suspected that history might not have played out as the books claimed. But to humor the question, he had a good think. Coming to a fantasy world had reignited his passion for fantasy-themed stuff he had back on Earth. He thought about the pyramids, the Library of Alexandria, Ancient Greece and so on.

"Dinosaurs," Rud said.

Maria's laugh came as a rolling wave over the radio. "You went straight for the answer most six-year-old boys would give. Dinosaurs… okay."

"Right? Because we know how the old world worked. Mostly. People left records. But we can't be sure about dinosaurs just because of fossils and stuff."

"You really wanna know if they had feathers. They have dinosaurs here, ya know."

"What?! Really? Do they have feathers?"

"Not telling."

"You tell me if dinosaurs have feathers right now. Or I'm gonna jump through that radio and throw you from your tower."

"Bold words. I'd go to Ancient Egypt for sure. Check those pyramids out."

"A solid choice. But… Feathers?"

"Would you look at that? The dwarves are calling my name. Seems as though something urgent begs my attention."

Rud seethed for about four seconds before he stopped caring. These weren't Earth dinosaurs, so what did it matter? He signed off, stretching and sighing as he stood.

"They have feathers, by the way." The radio flooded with static the moment Maria signed off.

Rud smiled to himself, content with the knowledge that dinosaurs—even if they were on another world—had feathers. Now he imagined them as giant birds, rather than lizards. Neat.

With his morning check-in done, and nothing to report to the town, Rud headed out to work on his newest project. While the road ahead was tedious, it wouldn't be difficult. Just a lot of the same thing. Before heading out to the walkway, he stopped by to make sure the adventurers were doing well. As always, Ban had underestimated the amount of time it would take her to get an upgrade. He felt as though she would sleep for a while, entombed in whatever magic drove the effigy upgrade.

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The adventurers were enjoying their hot bath. Thanks to the magic of the enchanted spring, it would take a while before it lost its heat. While he didn't have the resolve to poke his head within the bath, he heard them splashing and laughing from within. Tuft was nowhere to be found, but everything was going well. And the donation boxes were filling up even more. Huzzah.

Walking along the long path leading east, Rud connected the roots between trees. Each time he twisted the roots of one tree to wrap around another system, he gave it those simple instructions. Construction Magic was a fickle thing, seeming to refuse to make the jump to Level 10. He worked most of the day away, making it less than a quarter of the way along the trail with no sign of the end.

"This skill will not act like the others." Ban's voice filled Rud's mind, making him jump with fright.

The druid almost pitched over the road's edge, tumbling to the side and using his staff to support him. "Don't scare me like that…"

"Sorry. Just be ready, I'm going to do something… There."

[Aspect of Ban'tanthein attained!]

Your Grove Custodian subclass has reacted to an effigy of Ban'tanthein, the sacred spirit.

You have been lent some of Ban'tanthein's power. If you stray too far from the idol that granted you this power, it will dissipate.

"Huh?" Rud asked, looking in either direction on the road. "I'm nowhere near you, Ban."

"Yes, this aspect effect should last so long as you're within the grove. This is new for all of us."

Rud checked his subclass screen, finding that not only did he have the Custodianship skill at Level 1, but it was also unlocked. With miles between himself and the Sacred Tree, he had no choice but to accept Ban's claims about the skill. Unlike the other aspect skills, he could hold onto this one while he was within the grove. That made sense, since this was the customer service skill he had talked to her about. Now he could improve the skill by interacting with adventurers.

"Neat!" Rud shouted, pumping his fist in the air. "But kinda weird."

"The investment of energy was minimal. But the skill influences more than just interacting with mortals. Since you have the Grove Custodian subclass, it will improve every action you take in that capacity."

"Such as?"

"Caring for the trees, talking with animals, creating new structures… Basically your entire job here."

"A skill that improves when I do the stuff I already do? Sounds awesome."

Ban's voice silenced for quite some time, giving Rud time to think about his new skill. He was mostly just happy to get something to help level his subclass. But any new skill was appreciated, especially one that might help the Sacred Tree discover what her aspect was. All the other groves had defined aspects, even if the blessings borne from those groves were often driven by the guardians. Ban was unique. She was a Sacred Tree that could generate her own effigy and steer her development. Just how special was she, and what did that mean for the grove?

"What project are you working on, little custodian?" Ban asked, her voice flitting through his mind like a chime.

"I taught the trees how to pump water," Rud said, striking a regal pose.

Ban giggled. "That's inventive… I didn't know you could do that."

"Amazing what you can get done if you speak tree."

Thinking about talking to trees reminded Rud to continue his conversation with the squirrels. There were a finite amount of times he could discuss how delicious acorns were, but he didn't have a choice. The Animal Communication skill wouldn't increase any other way. While he worked on the watering project, whittling away the hours of the day until he felt drained of stamina and mana repeatedly, he grew whatever sprouting trees he could find. Growth Magic edged toward another level, finally rolling over to Level 8 by the time the evening arrived.

The forest descended into its normal pattern of dim light and chirping insects as the druid made his way to the Observatory. He clicked his radio on, hailing Maria as he made his nightly report. No rain tomorrow, but serious gusts of wind coming from the north. That would bring with it a driving cold he knew would be biting. He made a personal note to himself to collect firewood and Fairy Peat for the mortals. A bunch of frozen mortals wasn't good for business.

Maria was her normal plucky self, giving Rud the motivation to push harder on his projects. When he returned to the clearing for some food, he heard the sound of instruments playing coming from the longhouse.

"What's going on there?"

"A party, I guess." Ban's voice echoed through the forest, seeming to chime off of every tree around. "Are you ready to prune more trees tomorrow?"

"I'm your guy. How is that going, by the way? Do you have any numbers for me?"

Ban hummed a tune to go with the beat of the drum in the distance. "Things are going well. We'll need a lot more trees to support me. But with each tree I claim, I gain more energy. I'm building up to create a useful building."

Rud could help her in a few ways. The Energy Nodules building was a way she could store her gathered energy. If her rate of collection outpaced her rate of usage, most of that energy would be wasted. But if he could spend the many Dungeon Cores he had collected to bring Energy Nodules to Rank 1, that wouldn't be so much of a problem. He set his mind on doing that tomorrow, splitting his attention between his normal duties, cutting trees, and upgrading the Sacred Tree.

"I'm gonna go see what the fuss is about," Rud said, rolling up his sleeve as he marched over toward the longhouse. "Whippersnappers always play their loud music so late at night."

"Dusk has barely fallen!" Ban objected.

Rud threw the door to the longhouse open, standing with his chest thrust out. Too engrossed in their music, no one noticed his grand entrance. A human man beat an animal skin drum, bobbing his head to the beat. An elven woman played a clarinet-like instrument, filling the room with reedy honks. A cat-person of some kind plucked the strings of a twelve-stringed guitar-like instrument, producing both bass and acoustic guitar sounds—something closer to a lute than anything else.

"Rud!" Taz shouted from afar, stomping over the wrap an arm around the custodian. "Come dance!"

Rud tossed his staff to the side, thrusting his arms wide. "I am the dance commander."

Mortals would tell the tale of how much Rud wasn't the dance commander. But what he lacked in coordination in style, he made up for with effort. Soon the mortal beings gathered to pass through Gladesbale Grove had formed a circle, where both Taz and Rud danced late into the night. No libations were needed to loosen anyone up, as the air within the grove was intoxicating enough. The songs died down only when the musicians became too exhausted to play. They filed out one-by-one until only the drummer was left, still madly beating a tune.

"I didn't know you couldn't dance," Taz said, elbowing Rud in the ribs. He raised his bushy brows at the drummer, still going at it.

"The only thing I can do is my best," Rud said, bowing his head. "What time is it, anyway?"

Taz shrugged, leading the way out of the longhouse. The fire had died long ago. No one had bothered tossing either firewood or Fairy Peat into the stone hearth. Outside, the shattered moons were directly overhead. It looked as though someone had shattered a mirror, tossing it into the sky only to shine a flashlight on the shards. Behind it was a blanket of colors, stars clustered close together in sections to create sheets of dazzling sights.

"I'm still not sure what I think about that," Taz said, gesturing skyward.

"The sky?" Rud asked, chuckling to himself. "Dwarves spend a lot of time underground, huh?"

"Most of our lives. There are some back home that live on the surface, but most prefer being underground."

"Maybe that's why you like Major so much."

"Cave bears are the most adorable creatures on the planet. It doesn't matter what anyone says, that's a fact."

Taz and Rud gazed up at the stars for some time, whittling away whatever was left of their time awake in silence. The chill that set in over the grove had intensified, driven by hard winds blowing from the north. There was a hint of frost in the air—a portent of a potential winter Rud knew nothing about. If the seasons mattered in this place, he couldn't say. The trees certainly showed no signs of losing their leaves. And there wasn't snow on the ground yet.

"Been thinking I'll never get that subclass," Taz said, breaking the silence.

Rud rubbed his nose, trying to banish away the cold that had settled in. Only the fire of his stove back home would help at this point. Even his toes felt the ache of the chill.

"Give the gods or spirits a reason not to give you the class, and they'll listen," Rud said, his eyes still fixed on the sky above. "You just need to do your thing and hope for the best. Even your mundane smithing is useful."

"Easy to say when you have the skill."

"Do you think Ban brought you here for nothing?"

"What makes you think she brought me here?"

Rud let out a heavy sigh. "Because she's smart. First tree in twenty years and she picked the best team. What makes you any different?"

Taz's eyes seemed unwilling to move from the sprawl of stars above. He sucked in a steady breath, placing a hand on Rud's shoulder. "Goodnight."

Rud watched the dwarf stomp off to his cave. His shoulders were thrown back, and there was swagger in his steps. The druid wasn't trying to pump his friend up for no reason. He believed everything he said. His faith in Ban was absolute, because she had done nothing but show him how competent she was. But the night had gotten late hours ago. It was time for bed.