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

Rud stood in his tower the next morning, standing at the threshold that led to the balcony outside. Rain drizzled down, first soaking through the boughs above then dripping onto the forest floor. His radio hissed as he gazed out toward the forming dungeon. Nulsa had done a great job taking the message to town, and the mortals had already mobilized. He just wished they didn't have to do so on such a foul day.

"I just don't believe you rescued a horse-sized bear," Maria's voice came crackling through the radio.

"It's true," Rud protested. "After I beat back the advancing army of goblins, I had to save my Sacred Beasts single-handedly. I used my druidic powers to summon a beast from legend, and… Well, the giant bear pledged itself to me."

"How much of that is true?" Maria asked, her voice dripping with doubt.

"Almost none of it," Rud admitted. "Oh! My Farseeing finally hit Level 6."

[Skill Gain!]

Your Farseeing skill has increased to level 6!

"Things get really slow after Level 5, don't they?"

"Yep. Everything gets harder…"

"And I'm not even Rank 1… Why would they start us at Rank 0?"

"Hey, don't look at me. I didn't make the system."

Rud watched from above as a group of adventurers from Barlgore made their way down a forested path. They had stopped messing around, and had fallen into the habit of sending large squads to take care of the dungeons. When he first arrived here, the mortals had trouble accessing the Fire Construct dungeon that had formed inside the grove. That was before he built roads for them to travel on. But the dungeons that had been appearing did so to the south, in a location where they could access.

"I've got a squad of big bad adventurers going to take care of a dungeon right now," Rud said, smiling to himself. "Just like sending out some foresters to take care of a wildfire!"

"I've never met someone as excited as you for this job. Did your new body come with a broken brain?"

"God, I hope so. This is awesome!"

Maria giggled politely as the conversation spread to other topics. Rud sipped his morning tea, detailing his plans to create some trail mix for the passing adventurers. She knew little about what grew on the surface, and could only recommend mushrooms for the mix. The druid didn't have the heart to tell her that mushrooms didn't belong in trail mix.

"What's your favorite snack on the road?" Rud asked.

"Peanut butter."

"Surely you mean peanut butter cups. The chocolate and peanut butter candy."

"Nope. A jar of peanut butter in the cup holder."

Rud recoiled, shooting side-eyes at the radio. "I think I need to go."

"Wait! You need to hear me out on this."

"Actually, you're breaking up. I think I'm having some magical interference," Rud said, making static sounds with his mouth.

"Okay, here it is. Peanut butter is extremely filling, right? And you can just scoop it out with a spoon."

"These are words. I understand that, but I'm still aghast."

"Listen, stinker… You just take a bit of peanut butter. Not a big glob. Peanut butter is filling, and it gives you the protein you need to push forward during a long trip."

"I'm going to judge you for the rest of my life. I think the smell of peanut butter would seep into the upholstery of my car… And the mess!"

"What about you, smart guy?"

"Oh, I always bring a steak with mashed potatoes," Rud said, leaning against the wall and gazing out at the adventurers. "You should see me on the highway cutting that bad boy."

"Come on! Seriously, what do you like?"

"A Yoo-hoo, a pack of Ding Dongs, and a big bag of chips."

An extended silence came in over the radio. "You were kinda chubby back on Earth, weren't you?"

"The word you're looking for is 'enormous,' actually."

"My dwarves need me… They're going to riot if I'm not careful."

"Alrighty. Nice chatting with you, peanut butter girl."

"Talk to you tonight, Ding Dong."

Rud smiled to himself as the radio went silent. He flicked through the channels, hailing each one with no success as he watched the progress of the adventurers. They were still quite far from the forming dungeon, but were making good time. His meditative observation was disturbed when Nulsa cleared his throat from the banister outside.

"The bear is awake," Nulsa said. "He's looking for you."

Rud spun, shifting into his squirrel form and leaping through the window. Nulsa made a surprised hoot, but came following. The druid soared from Ban's boughs, doing tight circles as he assessed the scene below. This time, the bear had his head bowed in reverence, rather than standing upright as though prepared to fight. Mint stood there in her wolf form, looking down at the beast.

"Hello!" Rud said, landing before the bear. He shifted back into his true form. "How are you feeling?"

The bear growled.

Rud activated his Clear Communication upgrade. "How are you feeling?" he repeated.

"Feeling well," the bear said. "Better. You saved me."

"All in a day's work for a druid," Rud said, sticking his chest out and thumping his staff on the ground. He looked back at Mint. "Can I invite him to the pact?"

Mint gave him a look that said 'yeah, of course you can, you idiot.'

"Would you like to join the grove?" Rud asked. "You'll serve as a guardian of the Sacred Tree, Ban'tanthein."

"Not worthy," the bear said, lowering his head.

"You're worthy," Rud said, stomping over to pat the bear on the head. "Right now, you're just a little guy. But if you join the pact, you'll grow in power. It should only take a few days for you to push into Sacred Beast status."

"Really?" the bear asked. "That quickly?"

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Rud reflected on how easy this was compared to Dean. When the dire wolf first showed up, he tried to eat the druid. The bear was the complete opposite. He had come to the grove wounded, through some cave system underneath. And he only lashed out when he was in pain. Rud got the sense that the bear was a gentle soul who might not be suitable for combat. Which was weird, seeing as he had to weigh… what? A thousand pounds?

"Indeed. You'll have food, shelter… whatever you need."

"I accept," the bear said, finally raising his head.

"Mint, could you offer this guy a contract?" Rud asked.

"Normally? No. But I'm getting stronger…" Mint left that eerie message there as her eyes went glassy.

A moment later, Rud felt something warm spreading through his chest. She had offered the pact, and he accepted. Gladesbale Grove now had another powerful protector. One that he could help grow into whatever the beast wanted to be. Rud gained a sense for what the creature wanted, but it was vague. That wasn't important right now.

"I shall name you!" Rud shouted, hoisting his staff into the air.

"I want to name this one," Mint said, pouting.

"Absolutely not!" Rud said, still holding his pose. "You are henceforth known as… Major!"

"Isn't that a military rank?" Mint asked, shaking her head.

"I love it," the bear said.

"I'm naming him after a constellation back home, Ursa Major. Since I know he's going to shine bright like a star!"

"Like a star," Major repeated, his eyes glittering. "Thank you."

"Allow me to teach this one," Mint said, giving the bear an appraising look. "He's further from Sacred Beast than Sarya was."

Major stood to his full height on four legs, holding his head high. "Teach…"

Now that Major was in the pact, Mint could understand him with ease. She seemed to have some ability to speak with other animals, but not as well if they weren't wolves. Perhaps the bear language was too far from her native tongue… Communicating with animals was easy with magic, though. Rud's Animal Communication skill made it simple enough for him, but it wouldn't be a problem. Once Major hit Sacred Beast status, his speech would become fluent.

Mint led Major away—toward the Sacred Tree. She would teach him the basics of being a guardian within the grove. That gave Rud a breath to think about how their grove was shaping up. Basil's grove had a lot of tree people and other beastfolk. He knew Gug's grove had a lot of mushrooms and dwarves. But Ban's grove would contain a lot of Sacred Beasts and trees. Perhaps they were aiming for a more balanced grove, but it was still early. He just hoped Ban would wake up soon enough.

"I like him," Dean said, coming to sit beside Rud. "What a fine addition."

"Agreed," Rud said. He was just happy that things worked out for Major. Rain pattered overhead, dripping in large drops from the leaves. The sound of footsteps tore him away from the scene. He turned, spotting two adventurers coming down the path.

A sheepish human man offered a nervous smile. "We couldn't figure out how to work the bath. Then we read the sign…"

"He's impulsive," a human woman said, shaking her head.

"A customer!" Rud shouted, pointing at the mortals. They chuckled nervously. "Follow me!"

Rud was glad he had put a roof on the boiler room. The rain was light enough that it wouldn't influence the temperature of the bath too much. Anyway, if the adventurers were seeking only to get clean, they wouldn't be in too long. He led them to the entrance of the bathhouse, pausing to spin and clap his hands.

"Do you two need one or two tubs?"

The man shared a look with his companion. She shook her head. "One is fine."

"That makes things easier. It'll be just a few minutes. Feel free to relax under cover while I get the water started," Rud said, scampering off.

Rud loaded the boilers with water and started the fires. He was certain Fairy Peat would burn in a hurricane, so he wasn't worried about it getting wet. Although he had put a roof on the boiler room, it was pretty leaky. The boilers had already been slightly filled by the rainwater. Not that it mattered, it was all being boiled anyway. Once it was up to temperature, he released enough gates to flood the first tub in the system.

"There we go," Rud said, kneeling near the tub's edge to check the temperature. The adventurers came over to inspect the water, nodding with approval.

"I don't think I've seen system-recognized water before," the man said, shrugging his way out of his armor.

Rud pretended like he knew that all along. "Oh, yeah. Only the best. Enjoy!" He discretely inspected the water before leaving.

[Enchanted Bathwater]

Rare

Description:

Drawn from a magical spring and repurposed for ultimate bath time relaxation.

Effect:

Water will hold at a temperature for longer.

Soaking in this water for at least fifteen minutes greatly reduces fatigue.

"Magic bath water," Rud muttered to himself, leaving the bathhouse.

That explained why the bath was so refreshing. It could have been the grove imparting some of its magic onto the water, or the system recognizing the work he put in to heat it in boilers. Whatever the case, this was a massive boon for him. The first effect on the water explained why it had remained so steamy for so long.

"Rud."

The druid froze right outside of the bathhouse. He shifted into his squirrel form, dashing down the road and jumping to hug Ban. "You're back!"

"That took longer than expected," Ban said, her voice echoing through the clearing. Rud always enjoyed hearing her voice aloud rather than spoken directly into his mind.

"Did it go well?" Rud asked.

"I could use a few crystals…"

Rud didn't hesitate, digging into his bag to find his emergency crystals. Ban let out a sigh of relief. The bad weather wasn't helping matters, that much was clear.

"Is the new building useful? Where is it?"

"Underground," Ban said. "Inspect it."

Rud did exactly that, pressing his hand against the tree. Unlike an upgrade, Ban could support a lot of buildings. While upgrades required levels, buildings only required energy to support them. He didn't know what would happen if they ran out of energy, but had no intentions of finding out.

[Unified Grid]

Rank 0 Level 1 Sacred Tree Building

Upgrade Progress: 0%

Description:

Allows a Sacred Tree to connect their roots to nearby trees, creating a unified network. The trees that may be connected to this network must be within the grove.

Effect:

Grants access to the unified tree grid.

"Is this good?" Rud asked, remembering the warning Ban gave earlier. When she connected with another tree, it should provide a net-positive amount of energy. Unless that tree was sickly. Then it would drain Ban's energy.

"The upgrade is better than expected," Ban said. "I can expand out as needed. I've already connected myself to the trees in the immediate area. And, of course, there's a problem."

"What's the problem? What can I fix?"

"Of the two-hundred trees I've added to the network, twelve are diseased."

Rud rolled his shoulders, clearing his throat. He struck a pose. "Sounds like a job for me!"

"You can attempt to heal the trees, but replacing them might be easier. I can send the information into your mind, if you like."

Rud nodded. That would make things easy. "Let's do it. I don't have anything else going on today."

Without prompting, a rush of knowledge flooded into Rud's mind. He had a general understanding of where the twelve offending trees were. They were near enough that he could get to them with ease. He scampered off, diving into a bush and appearing near the first tree.

On the outside, the tree didn't look bad. The bark was gnarled, twisting in spots, but it didn't look diseased. But as Rud looked to the boughs of the tree, he could see how sparse the leaves were. This one would be a drain on Ban's power, and they couldn't have that. Even now, it was sucking away her life instead of adding to it. The rain likely didn't help.

"Do you think we can expand your Energy Flowers upgrade to these trees?" Rud asked.

"While that's my plan, we're too far from it. Right now, I need you to ensure each tree is in perfect order. And this one is too far gone."

"Poor tree," Rud said, shaking his head. "We shall grow a new one in your place… But I need Taz."

Perhaps there was a way for Rud to cut the tree with his Shape Plant spell. But that seemed to go against what the purpose of the spell was. Aside from that, bonding time with Taz was always nice. He wasn't the kind of surly dwarf present in Maria's grove. He was a hard-working guy with a love for stone. The druid passed through the brush, appearing outside the Blacksmith's Workshop. The sound of a hammer ringing out against the anvil sang. A keening chime radiated from the interior, loud enough to stifle bird songs throughout the forest.

"Hey, buddy!" Rud shouted, watching as the soot-covered dwarf turned to stare at him. "I need help."

"Of course ya do," Taz said, shaking his head. "Come have a look at this."

Rud approached the anvil, spotting the fine work Taz had already done. Thick iron brackets rested in a pile, holes punched into them to secure them to wood. "Support braces for the mine?"

Taz shrugged. "Since you filled it with roots, I don't think that's needed. This is practice."

"You did this without skills?" Rud asked, stopping himself from pressing further. "Of course you did. Mundane artisans exist, right?"

"Exactly right," Taz said, gesturing to the bracket he just finished. "Simple things like this are great to practice on. You get to figure out drawing the material out, doing a basic bend, and even punching holes."

"You sound more experienced than you're letting on…"

"I have some experience. But I did my share of watching back home. A lot of that stayed with me. Anyway, what do you need?"

"This should actually be easy. We have a few diseased trees I need help chopping down. I think I can use my Shape Plant spell to make it easier, but that seems like a perversion of the spell."

"Really? Never stopped you from twisting nature to your will before."

"Oh, come on. We don't even need to chop the logs up or anything. We can leave everything on the forest floor. Circle of life and all that."

"You're lucky I have fun chopping down trees," Taz said, pushing the burning Fairy Peat to the forge's edge. "Grab the axe. I'll get some saws."