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

As if dealing with the cursed objects and the labyrinth wasn't enough for Rud, now he had to worry about the frozen island. It was a place he had seen many times from his observation tower, but had paid little attention to. But if it was encroaching across the lake, it was indeed a threat to the entire region.

Mira clung to the fur on Dean's back, shrieking as they dashed across the landscape. Rud had assumed his flying squirrel form and sat upon the beast's head, hooting with excitement. The wolf could really get up to speed if he tried, especially when taking the main roads. They took another corner, and the beasts skidded to a stop. Even at a distance, the druid could tell the strange, localized weather of the island was spreading.

Rud shifted into his true form, padding across an open field and using his staff as support. He shook his head as he looked down at the waters of the lake. Near the shore, the water had turned to a churning slush. Some water in the center of the expansive lake had frozen solid and the island itself was obscured by a constant sheet of white.

"I'm gonna say that's not good," Rud said, nodding. "And I have absolutely no idea what I can do about it."

"There are a few sorcerers in town, but none have come up with a solution," Mira said. "We were hoping you would have something."

Rud couldn't even tell the difference between regular forms of magic. This was far outside of his wheelhouse, and he had absolutely no idea how to approach it. Not even his nature-based magic could keep an encroaching tide of magical cold away. And if the ice had gone as far as the other bank of the lake, the town would soon be in trouble.

"What are you thinking?" Dean asked, growling as he looked across the lake.

"I don't know," Rud said with a shrug. "Obviously, we need to get Elm out here, but I don't know if we can drag her away from the labyrinth."

There was more than one problem to consider when approaching this, though. The lake was frozen, which would make crossing annoying, if not impossible. Rud wasn't sure they could get across with the boat anymore, and although ice had formed halfway through, it was likely not thick enough to cross on foot. It made for a dangerous proposition when considering what to do next.

"We can't rush into this," Rud said after a very long pause. "I've got a few ideas, but before we do anything, I'd like Elm to come over and see what she can sense with her magic."

"That might be the most prudent plan," Dean said.

Rud shared his thoughts with Mira, and she agreed she didn't want to rush into this situation and risk someone getting hurt.

"Okay, we'll give you a ride back to the logging site," Rud said, patting Dean on the side. "Come on, hop up."

"Actually, I'd rather walk," Mira said with a nervous chuckle. "Thanks, though."

"How come we didn't notice this?" Rud asked, shifting into a squirrel form and jumping on Dean's back. "Can you get us to the grove's edge as quickly as possible, please?"

"Right away," Dean said, taking off at an impressive sprint. They dashed over the open landscape until they reached the forest's edge. The moment they did, they passed through the thicket. Shortly after arriving at the edge of the labyrinth, the druid clicked his tongue in disappointment. As they approached the gated entrance, nobody was there. As they checked back at the clearing, they realized the elf was currently delving into the depths of the labyrinth.

"I'm going to count this as bad," Rud said, gritting his teeth. His list of solutions was thin, but there was still one thing he could do to investigate the island. Before he could enact his plan to create a tree-based bridge between the mainland and the island on the lake, a system message appeared.

[Spell Evolved!]

The Wild Spirit Harg has taken notice of you. He has gifted you with the Shapeshift: Otter spell.

"Huh?" Rud asked, scratching his head. "Why would I need that, Harg?"

The spirits couldn't talk directly to him, so Rud instead inspected the description of the spell.

[Shapeshift: Otter]

Rank 0 Druid Spell

Shapeshifting Magic

Component:

Imbued Leaf

Mana Cost:

80

Duration:

One Hour

Description:

Assume the shape of an otter. Perfect for swimming in chilly conditions.

Effect:

You turn into an otter. All your clothes, equipment, etc are maintained in your true form and will reappear when you cancel this effect.

You retain all your attributes, but your abilities and skill usage may be limited.

"Oh, I get it," Rud said with a laugh. "Harg wants me to swim over to the island."

"Sounds dangerous. Won't you freeze?" Dean asked.

"I got a shifting form that turns me into an otter. They're really quick in the water and have an insulated coat against the cold," Rud said. "Perfect for swimming, actually."

"The guardians are looking out for you… Perfect timing," Dean said.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

"Yeah, although I feel like I earned a different form a while ago," Rud said, crossing his arms. "Not that I'm complaining, Harg. I know you're a pretty cool guy."

"Yes, we love you, Harg," Dean said. "Yet this brings a concerning point for me. An otter's fur might be insulated, but mine isn't. If you swim to the island, you will be alone."

Indeed that was concerning. Rud had no combat skills. Like, at all. If there was anything nasty on the island, he'd be on his own. Maybe Nulsa could fly close enough to the island, but… No, he doubted it. There was a constant storm swirling around the area and he couldn't imagine the owl surviving. All these observations led him to one truth. There was no way around it, if the expanding ice problem was gonna be solved, the druid would do it.

"Dang it. Tough decision," Rud said. "I'm going to the Observatory to see if I can see anything there."

Rud hadn't been to the radio to check in with the other groves that day. He found the nearest bush and entered the Observatory, accepting his aspect and manning the radio.

"Hagsrise, are you there?" Rud asked, allowing his Farseeing skill to wash over him. He sent his sight far, pushing over the bank of the lake from his top-down view. Even the western shore was a churn of icy water.

"Hagsrise here. Missed your morning checkup, huh?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, we've got some exciting things going on," Rud said, feeling slightly dizzy as he juggled pressing the button and looking at a place miles away. "My local frozen island is acting up."

"Don't you hate when that happens? When did they stop making good quality frozen islands?"

"Right? Even if you get a domestic frozen island, they break after three years…" Rud cleared his throat. Doing his best not to laugh at the joke. "Anyway, I got a new shapeshifting form. Pretty excited about doing some swimming."

"Oh! That's awesome. What form?"

Rud told her about the otter form. While he hadn't shifted into the form yet, he was very excited to try it. Yet this was an excellent way to get some information. He asked Maria if she had experience with random weather patterns, but she didn't. The underground grove she lived in was pretty boring in terms of magic. And most other things, unless dwarves were considered interesting things.

"I would be very careful, Rud," Maria said. "If magic is driving that storm, who knows what else could be there. Monsters, if you're unlucky."

"I'll be careful, Mom," Rud said. "But no, seriously. Thanks for your concerns."

"Before you sign off, I have another suggestion. Test your new form before you go off to the island. I got this skill once and tried to use it in an emergency situation. But I wasn't used to it, so I bungled the whole thing."

"That's… Actually really good advice, Maria," Rud said, shaking his head. He should've thought about that. "Thanks for the tip."

"No problem. And hey, do NOT forget your nightly check-in. I'm already forcing Jim to check in with me now that I can't… Well, I can't stand to think the other custodians are in trouble. Got it?"

"Understood, captain," Rud said, saluting exactly no one. "I'll go swim in a river before tackling the lake. Agent Rud over and out."

"Roger. Over and out."

Rud giggled as he finished his long-range scouting mission of the lake. He couldn't tell anything interesting about the lake with his Farseeing skill. The energy seemed just about the same from where he sat, even if he knew something was going on. When he was done, he descended the steps only to find Dean waiting for him.

"I overheard your conversation. Are you ready to practice swimming as an otter?" the wolf asked.

"Keeping an eye on me?" Rud asked with a wink. "Yes, I'm ready. We'll practice in a river first. That way, I don't die in a frozen lake."

"An excellent idea."

Dean joined Rud as he passed through the thicket, arriving at a river in the grove. It wasn't too deep or wide and should provide the perfect place to practice swimming. The druid intended to take Maria's advice and do some serious practice.

"Transform!" Rud shouted, invoking his newest shapeshifting ability.

As with the Shapeshifting: Flying Squirrel spell, he shifted in an instant. One moment he was a man in a green cloak with a staff in his hand standing by the bank of the river, and the next he was a small otter. His body was long and sleek, his paws low to the ground. He had a brown-black coat with a tuft of white on his chest. Rud swiped his fat tail from side to side, chittering as he took in the world from such a low vantage point.

"Cool," Rud said, padding to the river's edge and sliding in as though it was second nature.

The river washed over his head as he went underwater. His otter eyeballs were perfectly adapted to the water and he didn't even feel the cold river on his skin. As expected, his coat was the perfect insulator. With swipes of his tail and a few pointed paddles with his paws, he moved around the shallow water with ease. After a few minutes of goofing around, he emerged on the bank, waddling up to look at Dean.

"Works great!" he said. "What do you think?"

"You move with unrivaled grace," Dean said. "When you shapeshift, do you gain knowledge for your new form?"

"It must work that way," Rud said, doing circles near the bank of the river. "It can feel kinda awkward, but I think the magic of the spell makes up for any disconnect with my new shape."

"Very interesting," Dean said, observing as though studying the druid.

"Back in the drink," Rud said, turning and leaping back into the water. He entered the river with barely a splash, darting back and forth from either bank. The key was to push off from the bottom or the sides with his paws, then let his tail do the rest of the work. Thanks to the shape of his body, he cut through the water like nothing else. By the time he was done practicing, the duration of the spell expired.

Standing on the bank, Rud felt a gentle shock of something run through his mind.

"Rud, are you there?" Ban asked, speaking into his mind.

"Yo, what's up?" Rud asked, looking around.

"I've made some progress with the labyrinth. I have my roots attached to the exterior structure. But interfacing with it will take all my concentration. I may be out for a day or two," Ban said. Rud could feel the confidence in her voice, as though this was something she was excited about.

"Just don't hurt yourself," Rud said. "We can handle the lab if you can't."

But there was no response. Whatever Ban planned she was already doing it, and she didn't need his input.

"That is concerning," Dean said, flashing Rud a concerned look. "She is normally less impulsive."

"See, that means she's hiding something from us." Rud narrowed his eyes, thinking of how positive Ban was all the time. It was as though she wanted to smoothe over the rough parts of the world for him. But he was a big boy custodian. He knew he couldn't solve her problems. Yet it was his responsibility to organize the fixing of these problems, not her. "The labyrinth is more of a problem than she first let on."

"Agreed. She is putting too much effort for what she's conveying to us as an insignificant problem," Dean said. "Should we be proactive?"

Rud wasn't sure. If he had to guess, Ban was looking for a way to siphon energy from the labyrinth to herself, which would help her grow in power. If he was wrong about that, it could be that the structure itself was more dangerous than they thought and she was attempting to contain it… The worst-case scenario would be if it was both of those options. The druid didn't wanna see the mess they'd have to clean up if that was the case.

"No, we should wait and see for now. I ain't getting between a tree and her goal. How about we sort our own problems first… Wait, where is everyone?" Rud asked.

"Mint and Elm went into the labyrinth. The others are indisposed."

"Makes sense. Okay, screw it. Come watch me swim across the icy lake. It'll be fun," Rud said, rolling his sleeves up.

"So long as you don't die," Dean said. "Let's go."