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

Rud learned the ability of an adventuring group to march throughout the night when Tuft and his gang arrived in the grove's center the next morning. Instead of messing around and having a good time, they marched all night and had a bad time. Each member of the party looked exhausted as they stumbled into the rest stop nearest Ban.

"Make yourselves at home," Rud said, waving at the group. Although almost everyone glared at him, Tuft smiled and waved. The druid ducked away before they threw bricks at him and found Taz working at the Blacksmith's Workshop.

"Are the mortals here?" Taz asked, not even looking up from his work on the anvil.

"Yeah. I was thinking we could make them something for dinner, but they look exhausted," Rud said.

"That's what happens when you march overnight," Taz said. "An amateur move."

"Really? At least they got here quickly."

"At the cost of their morale. You sure that Tuft guy knows what he's doing?"

Rud shrugged. "Of course I don't know if he's competent. I spend my days growing plants and stuff. I'm too soft for the adventuring world."

"Not for long. Once you eat a few more dungeon souls," Taz said, pointing at the artifact staff in the druid's hands. "Get a few more attributes from that thing and you'll be swinging with the best of them."

"I might even be better," Rud said. "Seeing as I have access to infinite attribute points. Well, technically infinite. Still don't have word from the adventurers coming to weaken the dungeons for me…"

"Nothing in the Observatory?" Taz asked.

"I spotted a party last night, but they were moving slowly. They just arrived in the area, so we'll see what happens today."

"So, did you come to give me an update for some unknown reason?" Taz asked. "Or do you just like my pretty face?"

"Your beard is pretty nice… No, I'd like to get some food ready for them tonight. Maybe something with cheese?"

Taz had looked back down at the anvil, but his gaze shot up again. His brows arched as he considered the invitation. "We're cracking into the cheese already? Don't you want to age it?"

"Not like we have a shortage of milk. We can always make more cheese, but we can't make more adventurers."

"I think the definition of procreation is making more mortals," Taz said, snorting. "But I get your meaning. And I respond. Yes. We shall create something with our abundance of cheese. A dwarven dish, if you don't mind."

"I'm down to clown. Need anything from me?"

"Nope. I got the meat ready to go. Just need to pilfer your cheese stores."

Although Rud had been eager to upgrade all the buildings in the grove, he had some other junk to take care of first. At the Observatory, he scanned the southwestern region and spotted the group of adventurers taking on the dungeons. They were gearing up to tackle the first one of the day, and he wondered if they would get through it. Having never run a dungeon, he didn't know what was required to clear one.

"Do you require my aid?" Nulsa asked, appearing on the banister. "I felt your need."

"Up for a scouting mission?" Rud asked, snapping his sight out of the Farseeing skill to spot the owl nearby.

"That's most of what I do around here," Nulsa said with a hoot. "What is the mission?"

Rud's needs weren't great. He wanted a simple report of the western lands ready for the adventurers before they left. Although he could see pretty far with his Farseeing ability, his vision could only go a few hundred feet outside of the grove in any direction. But Nulsa could fly, so the owl could go out and get information for the mortals before they left. That would give them some information, increasing their chance of survival. He explained his plan to the Sacred Beast, who nodded along as he spoke.

"I've scouted the west before," Nulsa said.

"What's it like?"

"There's a reason no one lives there. Not willingly, anyway. The slope of the mountain makes it impossible to grow crops, and the animals are scarce. All beasts of the land use a passage to the south to move from the eastern to western side of the continent. To the northwest is nothing but death. Either from the cold or starvation."

"Yet orcs live there," Rud said with a shrug. "We also have a group of humans near that passage to the southwest. Haven't seen them in a while."

"The orcs are monsters, generated by the system. If they were unfortunate enough to gain sapience, they would die within weeks. Now they live by the grace of the system." Nulsa took a moment to punctuate his thoughts with a gentle hoot before flapping his wings. "I'll have a report for you soon."

Rud watched as the owl flew off, leaving him with his thoughts. While he wasn't in a note-taking mood, he checked on the cursed objects and logging camp to the northeast. The mortals hadn't cut through the trees he had grown for them, which put less on his plate. The magical energy knew that the Labyrinth was swirling, but that wasn't unusual. He wouldn't include this in his external reports, but it was good to note everything he could see.

The druid was happy he lingered for a bit. He watched the southeastern region of the grove and eventually spotted several adventurers emerging from a dungeon. He watched with curiosity as they stretched and talked to each other for a few moments. Then they gestured to the east. He observed their journey as they took no breaks and entered another dungeon. Rud rubbed his hands together, grabbing his artifact staff and smiling to himself. It was time to absorb another dungeon.

Rud barely had to think about requesting aid when Major lumbered from a nearby bush at the base of the observatory. The bear yawned, smacking his lips as he looked upon the druid.

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"I sensed you required some muscle," Major said, shrugging his massive shoulders. "Where are we going?"

"To absorb another dungeon," Rud said. "Come on, follow behind me."

Arriving at the recently cleared dungeon, Rud first inspected the area. There were more adventurers around, but he couldn't see them. Only the remnants left behind by the first party were visible. There was a small camp with a properly snuffed-out fire and rocks arranged around it. Impressions where they had slept on the ground were still there, but like good travelers through the grove, they hadn't overstayed their welcome. He was concerned they were spending too much time here, but as they were under such close scrutiny, he was confident he could lead them out if they got lost.

"So you're getting the adventurers to do your dirty work," Major said, offering a toothy smile. "Smart. That way, you don't have to do anything, and you get stronger. Might as well just sip tea and watch the days roll past."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Rud said. Hoisting his staff as he approached the rocky embankment, he placed the staff on the stones and waited, watching as the weapon reacted. A shimmer of bright energy flooded across it as it siphoned the dungeon's soul away. A few moments later, a system message appeared, and a smile flashed across his face.

[Plantoid Dungeon Soul Absorbed]

Your [Custodian's Twig] has absorbed a dungeon within Gladesbale Grove's borders. This artifact has gained +2 Strength, +1 Vigor.

The [Plantoid Dungeon] has been destroyed.

Rud felt the gentle rush of power flooded through his body. The stones of the dungeon folded in on themselves as they were sucked into the portal. A moment later, it collapsed with a flash and a bang. He shielded his face, but the force of the explosion was not great.

"That gave me two Strength," Rud said, flexing.

"Hmm, perhaps the next dungeon could give you two in height. You're not very imposing with how short you are."

"Oh, come on! You know physical appearance means nothing with attributes. The important thing is that the dungeon gave me three levels' worth of attributes. That's insane!"

"It is very impressive," Major agreed, nodding. However, he had the look of someone ready to contradict another. "From what I understand, the first few ranks are very easy to attain."

"Maybe, but you're not thinking about the big picture. There are at least ten dungeons in this area. If each one only gave me one attribute point at random, I would get a full rank's worth of attributes just from clearing those. And these dungeons don't seem to have a desire to stop springing up."

"Yet if each gave an average of two, you'd gain two ranks, three for three, and so on," Major said. He nodded with approval, finally seeing what Rud was talking about. "You could shoot up in power quickly. What do you intend to do with all this power?"

Rud rubbed his chin. "Well, we were trying to move some wood-burning furnaces, and they were very heavy. I could use this extra strength to lift heavy things."

Major released a laugh that thundered through the forest. He shook his head. "Such a simple man. Faced with the potential of infinite power, you consider only your duties as a custodian."

"What else am I going to do? Run off and be an adventurer?" Rud asked. "No, I'm building myself to be bound to this grove for a reason. Because this is where I can do the most good for the great spirits and for the forests. This is where I belong."

Major seemed to accept that as an answer, as he went silent. As they stood there, the sound of footsteps through the forest caught Rud's attention. He turned, spotting a small group of adventurers moving through the brush. It was a group he had detected earlier, just outside of the grove. They had apparently gathered the bravery to delve into the woods.

The person at the head of the formation was a human woman who performed the sign of reverence to the spirits. "Pardon, honorable spirit, but we're lost. We're looking for a rock that looks like… A butt."

"I think I should have expected this," Rud said, grinding his teeth. Perhaps there was a way he could help these people out. It would have been impossible before taking the Grove Specialization ability, but now that he could regenerate just as much mana as he spent creating structures, he could make a bunch of temporary walkways between the dungeons in only a few hours. This would also give him some decent experience for his growth magic skill.

Rud cleared his throat and then struck a pose. There had been many times during his time in the grove when he had done such an action. It was usually met with amused applause from the mortals of the world, but for the first time since he started doing it, it served a purpose. The trees around them rumbled. Vine-like structures snaked across the ground and formed together to create a pathway. This one wasn't as ornate as the ones he created to be permanent, but any mortals standing upon it shouldn't experience the damaging effects of the grove.

"Follow me," Rud said, walking forward. With each step he took, he burned through more resources to cast his shape-plant spell. Although he walked at a brisk pace, the surrounding trees twisted, becoming a walkway before their eyes. This was met with astounded gasps and murmurs from the adventurers. Everyone gave Major space as he lumbered behind them.

The bear grunted with amusement.

Rud had performed many minor feats of druidic magic in his time. It was all met with polite appreciation from the mortals. But as he wove the surrounding forest into a pathway as fast as he could walk forward, it was the first time he could say he was actually doing something impressive. He led them to the nearest dungeon that wasn't currently occupied and stood outside the entrance with his hands on his hips.

"By the time you emerge from this dungeon, other pathways will be completed. As long as you stay on these pathways, you won't succumb to the forest's power. If you get lost, don't worry. I'll put markers on the road."

"Thank you, noble spirit," the lead lady said, bowing her head very low. "We cannot repay such kindness."

"Well, there's a donation box in the grove's center if you want to make a pilgrimage there. Fragments of mana gems, dungeon cores, and monster cores are always appreciated."

The adventurers had a few more things to say, but Rud hurried them along. He wanted to collect as many dungeon souls as he could, not only to empower himself but also to keep the groves safe. Just like the parasites that had plagued him before, these dungeons would fester and soon release an army of monsters that would pillage his home. He wasn't about to let that happen.

But the mortals weren't yet ready to reach the dungeon. Apparently, they had been lost in the forest for longer than he thought. He had watched them from his observatory and saw that they were only a few hundred feet within the grove. However, that was enough for them to get lost and experience the damaging effects of the grove's magic.

The druid instead took a page out of his own book and created many campsites on the side of the road near the dungeon. There was enough space for them to set up lean-tos and a fire in the center after he lacquered the entire area. They were even more appreciative of this and handed him a few Dungeon Core Fragments for his efforts. Joining with the valuable items was a level in his Custodianship skill.

Rud walked a path, creating the walkway between each dungeon. At every intersection, he placed a sign that indicated which way to go to get out. Along that path, he established similar campsites in the same vein as the first one he had made. There were small amenities that wouldn't provide the adventurers much comfort, but it was better than risking sleeping on the ground. He also removed a few diseased trees along the way, finding the act effortless with his newest ability.

"Do you like the mortals?" Major asked, watching as Rud created another camp for the adventurers.

"Do I like them?" he asked, rubbing his chin. It was an interesting question, and he wasn't sure if he knew how to answer it. "I like some of them. Others are a bit too reverent of the groves. But yeah, there are a lot of good ones out there."

"I like them too," Major said with a contented sigh. "Most are afraid of me, but there are a few who give me snacks."

"Ah. Should've figured you were a food-driven bear."

"Aren't we all a food-driven bear?"

Rud patted his stomach. "I could go for a snack…"