NOVEL NEXT 2.56 - Communication Connection
[Communication Connection]
Observatory Upgrade
Description:
Your connection with other groves is stronger.
Synergy:
[Communication System]
Effect:
A thin line of power connects your Observatory with other groves throughout the world. This connection is stronger if the other groves have an Observatory.
The upgrade didn't seem good. Not compared to upgrades that provided tangible benefits. But this upgrade had something that tickled at the back of Rud's mind. Something that would help him with the thing he had been focusing on this whole time. He read the description for Nulsa to hear.
"That isn't a good upgrade," Nulsa said with a hoot.
"Not on the surface," Rud said, thinking back to the time he had visited Cliffs of Mog. "I was still learning back then—I still am learning—but when I visited Cliffs, I remember when the portal formed. There was this thin thread of power…"
Nulsa tilted his head to the side. "Do you believe you could exploit this to create portals?"
"I'm certain I could," Rud said, scratching his chin. "And the other upgrades aren't amazing, so this could be a boon for the grove."
Nulsa seemed to shrug, turning away from the Observatory to gaze out into the forest. "You have enough fragments to take the building to Rank 1 Level 5 if need be. You're not missing out on an upgrade."
"Ban?" Rud asked. But he felt her senses distantly. It was as though all her attention was on something else. Without her input, he had to make the decision himself. "Guess this is up to me."
"You have my support," Nulsa said. "I'm no expert in druidic magic, but think about it. If Ban had a thread of power to hold onto, directing her portals would be easier."
"Right?" Rud asked. "That makes sense, doesn't it? I'm not going crazy, am I?"
"No. I would select the option. Even if it doesn't do what you want, being closer to the other groves is a good thing. That's the goal, right?"
Nulsa's support of his idea sent a wave of excitement spreading through Rud's mind. He picked the option and felt a flash of power settle into the building. If he focused hard enough, he could sense that new thread of power stretching from the Observatory. It went far, but the druid's senses weren't honed enough for him to track it with any accuracy.
"Interesting. We need Ban's opinion, but I think that was a good choice," Rud said. "Which means I am now happy with the buildings in the grove. And I can rest."
"Can you?" Nulsa asked, his head tilting far to one side. "I sense something."
Rud gave Nulsa a flat look. Sometimes it was hard to read the expression of the animals, but the smarmy look the owl had on was obvious. He rushed to accept the Aspect of Bent at the Observatory and made his way to the top. As he scanned the landscape, he found exactly what he had expected. That tangle of pathways he had created between the many dungeons and the southwest region of the grove had several parties exiting their respective dungeons.
Although they took up positions as though to rest, the druid knew what this meant. He held his artifact staff in his hand and shook his head. "Well, you're looking mighty hungry today," he said to the item. It didn't respond, thank God.
"Who would complain about getting stronger?" Nulsa asked with a chuckling hoot. "Might as well go collect them now before they regenerate."
Rud allowed his shoulders to slump for only a second before shifting into his squirrel form. He jumped from the railing of the observatory and glided into the nearest collection of branches, arriving just over that tangled pathway a few moments later. He did tight circles, keeping his eye on the landscape below. The adventurers there had already started fires on the wooden platforms he had made for them and were settling in for the day. Running these dungeons must have been exhausting, and he didn't blame them for getting some well-deserved rest. When he shifted into his true form after gliding to the ground, the nearby party yelped in surprise.
"Nothing to see here, folks," Rud said, waving a dismissive hand through the air. "Just the dungeon maintenance crew. I'll be done here in a moment."
The adventurers shared confused looks, all but one—a diminutive fox person—who gave an excited thumbs up. Rud returned the gesture before turning to the dungeon, pressing the tip of his staff against it. It lit with energy, absorbing the soul of the dungeon and generating one of the system pop-ups he had become so accustomed to.
[Orc Dungeon Soul Absorbed]
Your [Custodian's Twig] has absorbed a dungeon within Gladesbale Grove's borders. This artifact has gained +2 Strength, +2 Vigor.
The [Orc Dungeon] has been destroyed.
With a simple nod, the druid turned back into his flying squirrel form and skittered off, chirping along the way. Of course, he was celebrating to himself. He might not want a ton of strength, but he certainly was getting it. Why he wasn't receiving more magic-based attributes was beyond him, but these were all free, so he wouldn't complain. The extra vigor would be appreciated though, and he dashed into the nearest bush to find the next dungeon. There were three ready for him to harvest, and he didn't want to delay.
The next dungeon was clear of adventurers. They had moved off to camp close to their next target, rather than sticking around the dungeon they had just cleared. That left Rud free to absorb the dungeon soul without fear of a group of mortals making surprised sounds when they saw it collapsing. He pressed his staff against it and waited for the energy to flow into his body. A message appeared, claiming this was an insectoid dungeon and granting him his attributes.
This dungeon gave him two points of Mind and one point of Affinity, which made him do a little dance and a jump before shifting back into squirrel form. The next one granted a point in Agility and Affinity. By the time Rud finished clearing out all the dungeons, he used his squirrel form to teleport to the boughs above Ban. He settled in and reviewed the progress he had made by summoning his attribute sheet.
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[Rud]
Main Class:
Rank 1 Level 1 Druid
Subclass:
Rank 0 Level 6 Grove Custodian
Attributes:
Health: 137
Mana: 190
Strength: 7
Agility: 7
Vigor: 11
Mind: 15
Affinity: 13
Titles:
[Keeper of the Gladesbale Grove]
"Dang," Rud said, flexing his muscles. He was still scrawny. There had been no physical change to his body at all. But jumping from two Strength to seven was significant. He could tell that he was stronger, just as he could tell that he was faster and more agile from the increased Agility attribute. Even when he stowed his weapon in his bag, the attributes remained.
Since the staff was bound to him on such a fundamental level, it seemed unlikely that those increased attributes would ever fade. And with a never-ending supply of dungeons to suck the soul from. He imagined there was no limit to how strong he could grow. Which was a moderately frightening thought. But as long as he used his increasing attributes to better the grove, he wouldn't call into question his ability to wield power.
Rud did some simple counting and figured out he had 19 levels of extra attributes. It was nearly two ranks of attributes that considering them made his head spin. Had adventurers normally gained strength, this couldn't have been normal. However, he decided questioning it wasn't the best idea. It was better to be blissfully ignorant and reap the rewards. Besides, he could now move heavy things, and that was something to be proud of.
Now Rud had to turn his attention to what sort of trouble he could get into. Trouble? No, not trouble. He turned his attention to how he could help the grove out while he waited for things to shake out in the labyrinth.
The scouting party making their way through the grove was almost at the western border. After the forced march their leader put them through, they took it easy afterward. Even though the journey wasn't difficult, they still had many people and supplies to move along that road, which forced them to travel at a more reasonable pace. Rud headed over to get a better look at the gaggle of adventurers, perching in a tree and watching as they moved.
"Poor fellas," he chittered, looking down in his squirrel form. "At least they're close enough to a rest stop…"
"Rud," Mint's voice entered the druid's mind. He hadn't expected the guardian to DM him out of the blue, causing him to jump slightly.
"What's up?" Rud asked, sending his thoughts afar.
"Could you come to the labyrinth?"
Rud narrowed his eyes, trying to predict what she would ask of him. A few moments later he shrugged, heading into a nearby cluster of branches. The labyrinth's entrance appeared below him, Mint standing with Elm at the front. He could see a few ritual circles in the distance, still glowing with an intense light. A swirl of magical energy washed over the area, stinging the druid's skin as he descended from the tree.
"Yo," Rud said, shifting into his true form. "What's going on?"
"An excellent question," Elm said. If she had a pair of glasses, this was the part where she'd push them up. "According to the guardian, Mint, the Sacred Tree is unreachable. My detection magic has been going wild. As if it isn't hard enough to cast spells in the grove, it is becoming unreliable."
"Hmmm, yes," Rud said, nodding and squinting. "I can see why that's someone's problem. But is it my problem?"
"Hah! You goofy little druid," Mint said. "Of course. With things related to magic, you're second in command. And guess who isn't here to help us out?"
Rud set his jaw, looking between Mint and Elm. "You guys know I'm an idiot with magic, right?"
"Yet you're still the expert," Elm said with a sigh.
Rud threw his hands into the air, once again looking between the two of them. "Really!? I'm not! This is like… mage magic. Not druid magic."
"Unfortunately, you're wrong," Elm said. "I've detected more interactions between the natural magic of the system with the grove's magic. It is collecting here. Right above our heads."
Rud looked up. He could see the swirling magic above his head, but it just looked like a bunch of magical dust being blown through the air. It glowed a bit, shifting between a bunch of colors. There was a lot of green in there, but that didn't mean it was druidic magic. Even if it was, how would he interact with it?
"Just give it a try," Mint suggested.
"Yeah, okay. But what am I doing exactly?"
"Reach out with your magical senses and attempt to peel the power of the grove away from the other magics," Elm said.
Rud looked up, squinting real hard. He started grunting and vibrating a bit, but it didn't help. "I got nothing," he said, giving up.
Elm sighed again. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a steadying breath. "Imagine the magic in your mind. Two forces coming together above our heads. They mix and clash, creating a whirlwind. That's your first step, sense the grove's magic and pull on it."
Rud took a steadying breath, holding his hands out. That felt like it helped, and he grasped on those strands of magic. He could feel them under the pads of his fingers like pulsing strands of electricity. One was familiar while the other was foreign.
"Okay, I think I got hold of both magics. What now?"
"Excellent. Now when you pull them apart, weigh them. Give me an estimation for how much each strand weighs," Elm said. She knew how to talk to Rud about this kind of stuff. He knew he should have been studying this topic more, but whatever. Life in the grove was busy.
Rud tilted his head from one side to the other, sensing that each was similar in weight. "If I had to guess, I think the grove's energy is heavier."
"You're doing great. Now let me know if the two magics are bonded tightly."
"How?"
"Is it difficult to peel them?" Elm asked.
Rud grasped some more strands, splitting them like he was pulling apart twine. "Nope. Like peeling a banana."
"Concerning. You're not actually removing the magics from each other. Rather, you're pulling them into your senses and cataloging them. That's the best way I can describe it," Elm said.
When Rud opened his eyes again, he saw Elm taking notes. The color in her face had drained and some sweat was forming on her forehead.
"So, everything is good forever, right?" Rud asked.
"I don't think so," Elm said, shaking her head. "We saw some concerning system messages while adventuring in the labyrinth. This might have confirmed it, but I need more information about why this building structure formed here of all places."
"The other groves all have similar structures," Rud said.
Elm looked up from her notes, blinking a few times as whatever color was left in her face drained. She looked ashen, then the tips of her elven ears went red as she faltered on the spot. Collapsing to the ground, Elm was caught by Mint as she fell.
"Well, that doesn't seem good," Mint said, fanning the poor woman.
Rud rushed over, his healing spell at the ready. When casting that twenty times failed, he teleported over to the longhouse and made some tea. He returned with a cup of steaming hot tea, holding it steady as he brought it to her lips. After pouring a bit down her throat, she began sipping it on her own.
Elm's eyes fluttered open. "You must stop the tree from interacting with the labyrinth," she said. "Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll have a much bigger problem on your hands."
"Just chill out for a minute," Rud said, placing his hand on her forehead. Elm's eyes closed as though his clammy hands were enough to comfort her. He had to remember he carried a lot of the power of the grove. And she was marked as a friend of the grove. Perhaps some of that energy transferred to her. "I'm more worried about your health."
"I'm fine," Elm said, pushing herself to a seated position. "Just shock. If the two energies are loosely intertwined, it is impossible to tell what happens next. Monsters, more dungeons, another labyrinth… How the system chooses to manifest its power is beyond our power to predict. And if Ban keeps fiddling with that magic, we could all be in trouble."
"Ruh roh Raggy," Mint said.